Yun Pan was mildly surprised. “Our Duke has already been placed under confinement. If you were to set aside the past and say nothing, you might still be able to continue living comfortably at the Duke of Chuguo’s estate. But if you accompany me into the palace to testify against the Duke of Chuguo, you will never be able to return to that estate again. Have you not considered that?”
Huiying smiled faintly. “I am someone whose family fell into ruin, who nearly ended up in the registers of the lowborn. In your eyes, Madam, after years of hardship, I should long since have become one of those shameless opportunists who clings to the powerful. But what you do not know, Madam, is that though I am of low station, I still possess a heart that knows how to repay kindness. That I can stand here today with my dignity intact is entirely thanks to Duke Wei. Now that the Duke has been framed, how could I think only of my own comfort and care nothing for whether he lives or dies?”
Hearing her speak this way, Yun Pan was genuinely moved. In this mortal world, there were far too many men and women who abandoned loyalty the moment self-interest beckoned — even those high-born nobles of lofty status were largely people who shifted with the wind. It was those who struggled for survival in the cracks of society who still remembered the kindnesses of former days.
She had initially harbored a measure of contempt for this woman, knowing her to be the Duke of Chuguo’s favored concubine. Yet having listened to her account until now, she found herself gradually regarding her in a new light.
Still, holding her in higher regard was one thing — this matter could not be decided rashly. She shifted slightly in her seat and said, “That Madam Liang is willing to testify on our Duke’s behalf at such a time — I am deeply grateful for your sense of justice. However, this is a matter of great consequence and must be carefully considered. I know our Duke has always been meticulous. As for the Duke of Chuguo’s scheme to frame him, I imagine he had already sensed it long ago. May I ask, Madam, before yesterday — had the Duke entrusted you with any instructions?”
Huiying lowered her head in thought. “The Duke instructed me that henceforth, all intelligence regarding the Duke of Chuguo should be reported anonymously to the Duke of Chenguo.”
Yun Pan sighed softly. “So that is it. The Duke’s meaning is that no matter what goes wrong on his end, surveillance of the Duke of Chuguo must not be interrupted. You must continue to keep watch over the Duke of Chuguo’s every move, lest he make other arrangements in the future and leave the Duke of Chenguo at a disadvantage.”
A flicker of melancholy crossed Huiying’s face. How could she not understand the Duke of Weiguo’s intention? Yet now that she had learned he was confined, how could she still think of that — her first concern, naturally, was to do whatever it took to get him out.
“Does Madam not wish to clear the Duke’s name?” she asked urgently. “So long as we bring down the Duke of Chuguo, the Duke will be able to contend for the position of Crown Prince in a legitimate and justified manner. As things stand now, being confined in that side gate — unable to do anything at all — does Madam not feel anxious?”
Yun Pan glanced at her. This Madam Liang’s agitation had already exceeded its proper bounds. They were both women; how could she not understand her heart?
The Princess Consort too was watching this daughter-in-law of hers, puzzled as to why she was pushing away such a seemingly good opportunity.
There were things that could not be said at this moment. Yun Pan only said to Huiying, “The Duke is my husband — I have every reason to be anxious. But has Madam Liang considered: what if the sovereign does not believe your testimony? What then? He would question you — why, as a concubine in the Duke of Chuguo’s household, would you not stand by your own master, but instead speak on behalf of an outsider? Would Madam Liang then tell the sovereign that she is a spy planted in the Duke of Chuguo’s estate by our Duke? Would that not cause the sovereign to be even more wary of the Duke, and all the more convinced that he was scheming and calculating?” She exhaled slowly. “In the end, we cannot fathom the sovereign’s true inclinations — we do not know whose side he truly leans toward. If he leans toward the Duke of Chuguo, then what we do would be no different from adding frost to snow. I wonder if Madam Liang can understand my meaning?”
Only at this moment did Huiying truly begin to admire this Madam. Before, her refusals had given Huiying the impression of timidity and cowardice; she had not imagined that there were real concerns behind them, and that it was she herself who had been too heated, not thinking things through clearly enough.
That realization made her flush with embarrassment. As a spy, she ought to have been careful about everything — how had she fallen into such disarray when it came to the Duke of Weiguo? She could only hope that the other woman hadn’t seen through her.
Huiying’s face reddened; she said haltingly, “Madam speaks rightly. It is I who lacked foresight.”
Yun Pan’s lips curved slightly. She turned back to Huiying and said, “The task the Duke entrusted to you previously — please continue to carry it out. From what the Duke has told me, the Duke of Chuguo is by nature suspicious. You must tread carefully at every step, and take great care not to let him detect anything.”
Huiying nodded. In truth, the previous night the Duke of Chuguo had come storming back from the palace and burst into her room, demanding to know whether she had leaked information from the estate. For it was only she who had been present in the study at the time, and only she who knew all of his plans. The Duke of Weiguo’s words in the secret chamber — words that had turned the situation against him — had struck at a vulnerable point, and he had begun to suspect whether she had been secretly colluding with the Duke of Weiguo.
Those hands, so practiced with blade and sword, had closed around her throat — he had nearly strangled her to death, but at the very last moment he had released his grip, and she had survived.
What followed was tearful protest and indignant denial, and finally the killing blow: she climbed out of bed and began gathering her clothing and belongings, weeping as she cried, “You and I can hardly be called proper husband and wife — I am nothing more than a woman you had carried in through the side door. In the years before I met you, I managed on my own as well. Why not let me go? From now on, you walk your wide road and I will walk my single-plank bridge. We shall be as strangers who never met, and I shall at least keep this life of mine, to sweep my parents’ graves come the festivals.”
He had panicked, hurrying over to apologize and taking her in his arms. “It was a moment of foolishness on my part… I heard him say the handwriting resembled mine by six or seven parts — those very words were what I had said to you…”
She had shoved him away, sneering, “You are the only clever person under heaven; everything you can think of, no one else could possibly think of — you hold yourself far too high, Duke. If you don’t trust me, kill me now. If you won’t kill me, then I am leaving today. What have I gained by following you? A perfectly good girl I was — foolish enough to become your concubine — and every day I was cursed by that shrew of a wife of yours until I was no better than dirt. I must have owed a debt to your household in a past life. Now I’m leaving, and you and your wife will both be satisfied. You are a man of great ambitions — no need to keep a spy like me around to ruin your plans.”
It was all bluster and fury in the end; she battered and thrashed about until the Duke of Chuguo finally knelt before her — and only then did she relent.
To think of it — a man’s knee is worth its weight in gold, and yet Li Yujian, that supremely arrogant man, had actually knelt to her. She truly had not expected that. Since things had already come to such a pass, she naturally had to go along with it, and that night, after all the quarreling, there could be no shortage of tender reconciliation. That very morning she had seen him off with gentle reluctance to the Eastern Flower Gate, and only after he entered to attend court did she board her lacquered carriage and return.
Passing through the tile market, she had stopped the carriage in front of Pan Tower, making a show of going in for tea, then slipped out through the back gate into a different carriage. After confirming three times over that she was not being followed, she finally called at the Duke of Weiguo’s estate. Her heart was fixed on another man — and so no matter how earnestly the Duke of Chuguo bared his soul to her, it could not move her. She had genuinely considered it: if she could clear the Duke of Weiguo’s name, she would die without regret, without resentment, even if it cost her her life.
But this path appeared to be impassable. Not only could it not save him — it might even harm him further. There was nothing she could do for him; the only value she retained was to return to the Duke of Chuguo’s estate and continue keeping watch over Li Yujian’s every move.
So she rose and gave another bow to the three people in the hall. “Madam may rest easy — I will be careful. Since there is no need for me to testify on the Duke’s behalf, I shall take my leave. If there is any errand in the days ahead, Madam need only send someone to inform me. I will do everything in my power to help the Duke escape this difficulty.”
Yun Pan said that was well, and personally escorted her out to the covered corridor, watching as she followed the serving women through the moon gate. Only then did she turn and make her way back to the main hall.
The Princess Consort was still feeling wistful. “If only we could have her testify before the sovereign — on the chance that he believed her, how wonderful that would be.”
Yun Pan understood the feelings of a mother’s heart — any single thread of hope, she would want to seize. But if they truly brought her before the sovereign, setting aside the question of whether there would even be such an opportunity, the risks alone were far too great.
She helped the Princess Consort to her seat and said gently, “Mother, do think it over. Her origins are something we have no way to verify for now — there is no evidence to support any of it. What if the person behind her is in fact the Duke of Chuguo? And even setting that aside, even if she truly is the Duke’s person — once before the sovereign, who could guarantee what she might say? It is we who would have brought her in. If she were to say anything improper, our household would face utter ruin.” She shook her head slowly. “I cannot take such a risk. The Duke charged me to guard the household well. If a moment’s recklessness were to destroy the entire family, I could never atone for it, even in death.”
Hui Cun also agreed. “With Brother not here, we have no way to verify it with him either. For now, we cannot confirm this Madam Liang’s origins or intentions. Caution is the better course — I think A’Sao did the right thing.”
The Princess Consort listened and pressed her fingers to her temple. “I know one shouldn’t seek cures in a panic, and yet your brother is shut away in such a place, and my heart is so anxious I don’t know what to do…”
Yun Pan thought for a long while before saying, “Mother, let us enter the palace — let us seek out the Empress Dowager and the Empress. It may not be able to free the Duke, but we can at least let them know the true circumstances. The sovereign has issued no order to investigate the matter; the Duke has not even been given a chance to plead his case. If we go and speak to them — whether or not they believe us — we will have done what we could. After that… we leave it to Heaven.”
The Princess Consort nodded in quick agreement. “Since we have decided to go, I will begin preparing at once. I’ll go back and retrieve my name tablet. We will petition at the palace gates — it is worth trying, at any rate. All will rest on Heaven’s arrangement.”
Yun Pan saw the Princess Consort and Hui Cun to the corridor, then returned to her own chambers to change her clothes. The ceremonial robes of her rank could no longer be worn. Entering the palace now, she would be dressed as a commoner. Fortunately, the Princess Consort still bore her formal title — without it, there would be no chance even of reaching the palace gates.
Snow was still falling outside, and the carriage moved slowly. Yun Pan recalled how, after the wedding, she had accompanied Li Chenjian into the palace to give thanks — that had been in early summer, the trees thick and green, the sky vast and clear… In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. Now they were once again before the Gong Chen Gate, but now it was a world of drifting snow.
She helped the Princess Consort down from the carriage, presented their tablet at the palace gate, and from the Gong Chen Gate to the Qing Shou Hall was a long stretch of road to traverse. Messages passed through one gate and one checkpoint after another, consuming no small amount of time. The carriage remained just behind them, a warming brazier inside offering some shelter from the cold — but no one thought to return to it. They stood beneath their umbrellas in the frozen snow, hearts tightening with each passing moment, waiting in silence.
The Princess Consort gazed at the imposing palace gate and sighed. “I wonder if the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty will be willing to receive us.”
The mist of Yun Pan’s breath wove together before her face, and she murmured, “We leave it all to Heaven.”
No sooner had the words left her lips than a young eunuch emerged from within the Gong Chen Gate. He came forward, greeted them with a bow, and still addressed them as Princess Consort and Duchess, bowing deferentially as he gestured inward. “The Empress Dowager requests your presence.”
The Princess Consort was overjoyed. She seized Yun Pan’s hand and they followed the young eunuch into the covered passageway.
From the Ying Yang Gate southward through the passage, middle eunuchs stood on either side, heads bowed, sweeping away snow. Above, great flakes fell in a heavy curtain, settling white upon their heads. They breathed warmth onto their hands while wielding brooms of bound bamboo — an effort that seemed in vain, yet they still diligently scraped the accumulated snow from every gap between the stones.
Under ordinary circumstances Yun Pan might have found herself moved to reflection, but now that her own household had fallen into calamity, she felt only that palace servants and princes and high lords were alike no more than ants in the eyes of those standing at the summit of power. Fallen nobles were no different from these sweeping men.
The young eunuch led them step by step into the Qing Shou Hall. The Empress had come as well. In the days when Prince Liang was still alive, the Princess Consort and the Empress had gotten along well as sisters-in-law. Now that such a thing had happened, the Princess Consort, after paying her respects, took the Empress’s hands and broke into weeping. “Your Majesty, Ji Fu is a child you watched grow up. You know well what manner of person he is. When he was young, studying at the Zi Shan Hall, no matter what mischief the brothers got into, he was always the one who took the blame. How could a child like that do something so rebellious and disloyal?”
The Princess Consort’s emotions were running high, and Yun Pan knew that words born of a mother’s heart alone would not serve as evidence in the eyes of the Empress Dowager and the Empress.
People change. Ambitions grow as one’s understanding of the world deepens. The sovereign had no sons; among the three fraternal cousins, one must ultimately inherit the realm. With such a glittering world and such sweeping power within reach — who could remain free of envy? Who could be without private calculation?
The Empress offered a few words of comfort. The Empress Dowager’s expression remained cool and composed. She granted them seats, glanced sideways at the weeping Princess Consort Liang, and turned to observe the young Duchess, who appeared remarkably calm. She asked Yun Pan, “With Ji Fu in such circumstances, what is it that you think?”
Yun Pan inclined toward the Empress Dowager from her stool. “Your servant recalls that the Empress Dowager once said to me that both of my great-uncles were loyal to the court and to the sovereign. Though I am only a woman, I carry that same loyal heart as my great-uncles. Today I come to seek an audience not to plead for clemency out of private feeling, but rather because there are circumstances of which I wish to apprise the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty.”
The Empress Dowager and Empress exchanged a glance. “Circumstances? What circumstances?”
The Princess Consort had initially been in a state of anxious confusion, but seeing Yun Pan’s composure, her own restless spirit steadied as well. She turned and gestured to Yun Pan. “We have come for no other reason today than to speak of some household matters, and to let the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty know the full story of how things came to be.”
Yun Pan assented. She placed her hands properly on her knees and began, in an unhurried voice: “Your servant opened a shop at the Nan Qiao Tile Market, originally to give the ladies of the capital a place to pass the time in leisure. As people came and went in greater numbers, news from private households inevitably began to circulate. Our Princess Hui Cun had been betrothed to the third son of Geng Yu, Military Governor of Fengzhou. Had nothing gone wrong, the wedding would have taken place before the year’s end. But as the wedding day drew near, word came that the third young master of the Geng family kept a very favored chamber concubine. My husband discussed the matter with the third young master of the Geng family, and the Geng family promised to send the woman away. But it so happened that this chamber concubine was with child; the Geng family quietly hid her on a country estate to wait out the pregnancy, intending to bring her and the child back after the Princess had married into the household. When the Princess learned of this, she naturally refused, and in a fit of anger called off the engagement. The chamber concubine, upon her return to the Geng household, threatened to take her own life to press them for a legitimate position. In the end, matters went entirely wrong — not only was the child lost, but the third young master of the Geng family had his arm broken, and from that point forward the Geng family harbored a grudge against us.” Having laid out this long chain of prior events, she paused briefly before continuing. “Yesterday, a Remonstrating Advisor received intelligence and impeached my husband before the sovereign. The sovereign then ordered constables to search the Ducal estate, and they turned up several so-called ritual objects and a sheet of proclamation paper inscribed with the character for ‘imperial edict’… Empress Dowager, the Commanding Officer who led those constables was none other than the brother-in-law of Military Governor Geng — the two families already had an existing grievance, and it would have been an easy thing for him to bring fabricated evidence inside in advance. Who could then disentangle the truth? I have said so much not to make excuses for my husband, but only to ask that the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty exercise clear discernment. A person who truly harbors rebellious intentions — would they keep such a glaringly obvious ‘piece of evidence’ in their own home, waiting to be caught? Your servant asks for nothing else, only that the sovereign order a thorough investigation of the Commanding Officer and the constables who entered the estate that day, and thereby restore my husband’s innocence.”
As she spoke, her words were clear and orderly, carrying a gravity and steadiness that did not match her years. Such a person, even without cause on her side, would seem to carry three parts of it regardless. The Empress glanced at the Empress Dowager with some hesitation. “But yesterday, when the sovereign questioned him, Ji Fu already confessed.”
The Princess Consort broke into fresh weeping upon hearing this. “Your Majesty, Ji Fu’s character is just as it was when he was small — he cares far too deeply for his brothers. He may well know who has framed him, and yet he is too honorable to tear into that person in open accusation. So instead he vents his resentment by accepting the charge — likely still hoping that the other person will be struck with conscience and have a moment of remorse someday.”
Yun Pan also lowered her head and dabbed at her tears. After composing herself, she said, “My husband did not tell the sovereign who it was that forged his handwriting. I know in my heart, but I would not shoot arrows in the dark at someone without evidence. And so I earnestly beg that the sovereign investigate the constables who came that day. So long as that thread is pulled, the true mastermind behind all of this will naturally be exposed, and then it will be for the sovereign in his wisdom to render judgment.”
Having heard everything, the Empress Dowager and the Empress offered no decision on the spot. The Empress said, “The sovereign has been so agitated by this matter that he cannot rest or sit at ease. Even I do not dare to raise it with him at present. But you may rest assured — once his mood has settled a little, I will find a way to bring it to his attention.”
Words of assurance, but waiting for the sovereign’s mood to “settle” — who knew when that might be?
Yun Pan had anticipated this before coming. In truth, she had not entered the palace today with any great hope. She had merely wanted to do what was within human power. Now that what could be said had been said, whatever decision came of it still depended on the sovereign’s judgment. If fear of the Duke of Chenguo’s growing influence led the sovereign to want to break his wings, then Li Chenjian’s dark days in the side gate would inevitably be prolonged.
On the way out of the palace, Yun Pan sat in the carriage with her head bowed and said nothing for a long while. The Princess Consort, worried about her state of mind, offered gentle comfort: “We have reported the full account to the Empress Dowager and the Empress — we have done all we could. If they are willing to cultivate that wolf-hearted Li Yujian, and willing to place the realm in his hands, then that too is fate. Whatever trials are meant to befall us, we bear them. There is no more to say.”
Yun Pan nodded, but she knew in her heart that the Duke of Chuguo would not find it easy to ascend to that position without resistance. If the sovereign truly favored him, then the capital would not be spared a storm of blood and violence — for though Li Chenjian had been confined, one still had to ask whether Li Yaojian would stand for it. They were both men with military power in their hands. Who would yield to whom?
In any case, she had no mind now for matters of standing or fortune. Her thoughts were fixed entirely on the person inside the Western Side Gate. After returning to the Ducal estate, she had the servants ready the carriage, had all the things that had been prepared earlier loaded up, and asked Qin Dan to bring a banknote. Then she said to the Princess Consort, “Mother has been on your feet for half the day and must be tired. Please rest at home. I do not know whether the side gate can be managed with some arrangement — I will go and see, and if I can get in to see him, once everything is in order I will have Grandmother and Mother come to see him.”
The Princess Consort had complete confidence in her by now. She knew she handled matters with sure footing. With Ji Fu away, she was already the greater part of the household’s backbone. She nodded in assent. “Those are rough men in a place like that. You must be careful yourself. Give orders to the Chief Steward to accompany you and be at hand. Bring several manservants and serving women. If in the end there is truly no way to buy anyone over, come back and we will plan further — on no account linger there too long.”
Yun Pan agreed, and just as she was about to leave, Hui Cun insisted on going with her. Yun Pan had originally wanted to leave her home to wait for news, but Hui Cun refused, saying with remorse, “It was because of me that Brother was framed by the Geng family. I am so filled with regret now. Had I known it would come to this, I should have closed my eyes and married into that family — then Brother would not have been put through all this.”