The consorts and noble ladies sitting farther away couldn’t help but stand on tiptoe and crane their necks to look. Amid everyone’s amazed expressions, Consort Shu showed a pleased look and said in melodious tones, “Your subject Biwu presents this Eternal Sea Pearl Robe to the Empress Dowager. This robe is woven from Nanmin celestial silkworm brocade mixed with gold thread, adorned with ten thousand precious deep-sea shark pearls of the finest quality. The wearer will have moisturized skin, a light and healthy body, an ageless countenance, and graying hair returning to black. I humbly offer this to wish our Xiliang ten thousand years of prosperity and the Empress Dowager a thousand autumns of life.”
The group of women became even more restless, with some of the less composed already showing expressions of envy or jealousy. Deep-sea shark pearls were a specialty of the Li Kingdom, quite precious. With the wealth and status of the noble ladies present, possessing a few pearls or jewelry made from shark pearls was barely within their means, but to adorn a robe with ten thousand shark pearls, each no smaller than a fingertip, was truly shocking to the world.
The Zhang family’s wealth was evident at a glance.
Consort Shu Zhang maintained her reserved smile, watching the Empress Dowager’s expression. Seeing Empress Dowager Jiang’s satisfied look, a slight smile quietly bloomed at the corner of her lips. She had spent a fortune this time for two reasons: first, to suppress the other consorts’ glory and declare that she would forever be first in this harem; second, for the empress position. Xiao Jue’s empress position had been vacant for several years. Currently, aside from her, Consort Yao and Consort Rou also harbored desires for it. This central palace position would ultimately require the Empress Dowager’s edict. Although this mother and son were at odds, on the surface, Xiao Jue couldn’t too openly defy the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager could reach an understanding with the Zhang family and unite to apply some pressure at court, Xiao Jue might go with the flow and establish an empress. However, the consorts competed fiercely and monitored each other closely. Her numerous attempts to curry favor with the Empress Dowager had been disrupted halfway. Now this birthday banquet was a proper and legitimate opportunity—if she didn’t make a spectacular and amazing impression now, when would she?
Qin Chang Ge stood behind Princess Wen Chang, her expression unmoved as she looked at the pearl robe, but her mind turned to another question. Deep-sea shark pearls were uniquely produced by a rare type of precious shellfish in the Eternal Sea, with a long growth period and difficult pearl extraction. Therefore, any reaching fingertip size were imperial pearls that couldn’t circulate in the market. No matter how powerful and wealthy the Zhang family was, to the Li Kingdom they were merely wealthy households of another country—how could they obtain so many imperial pearls?
Unless…
She raised her eyes to look at Xiao Jue, only to see him staring thoughtfully at the pearl robe as well. As if sensing her gaze, Xiao Jue’s thick long lashes lifted, his eyes shooting over like lightning. When their gazes met, Qin Chang Ge smiled slightly and lowered her eyes, but Xiao Jue’s pupils contracted.
She was always like this—uncaring, unafraid of him.
She seemed afraid to face imperial authority and avoid direct eye contact, but he felt she perhaps simply didn’t want to look at him.
Just like that smile—it seemed gentle as a March spring breeze, but when felt carefully, there was only a mass of thick fog and three parts cold.
Earlier before the hall, among the kneeling crowd of colorful fragrances and temple shadows, he had inexplicably spotted her at first glance.
On this joyful day, she rarely abandoned her usual plain attire, wearing a crimson silver-embroidered dress and skirt, with an agate pearl palace hairpin, raven-black hair and snow-white skin, her smile gentle and graceful. As the Son of Heaven, he could be said to have seen all the spring colors of the world, but rarely had he seen someone who could wear both plain and bright colors with such charming elegance beyond ordinary reach. Only those wonderful eyes were cold as deep autumn moonlit jade waves stretching thousands of qing, reflecting moonlight and radiance—before even approaching, one could feel a trace of clear coldness emanating faintly from the bone marrow.
This woman seemed warm and approachable, but the feeling she gave him was of keeping people at a thousand li distance.
This instead aroused his attention and curiosity. Clearly she always wanted to bury herself in the crowd, yet he could always spot her first among myriad flowers. That calm indifference, that lofty and superior temperament—perhaps ordinary people couldn’t detect it, but as someone also in a high position, he felt familiar with it at first sight.
He had investigated her background—completely unremarkable, except for those few words about being from Yunzhou, which had stunned him for a long time.
Yunzhou… Although Chang Ge claimed to be from the Thousand Absolutes Sect and raised in the sect from childhood, she said her ancestral home was Yunzhou.
Could it be that women from Yunzhou all had this extraordinary temperament beyond ordinary reach?
While he stared at Qin Chang Ge’s background, how could Qin Chang Ge not know? Knowing that continuing like this would definitely bring trouble to herself, she gently touched Princess Wen Chang. Wen Chang understood and immediately stood up, taking advantage of Consort Shu having already withdrawn, smiling as she brought Qin Chang Ge forward.
Consort Yao, who had been about to stand up, was stunned and sat back down resentfully.
Only then did she remember that Princess Wen Chang held first rank, her status not only no lower than her own but even slightly higher than Consort Shu’s.
After saying the customary congratulatory words of prayer and praise, before Princess Wen Chang had presented her gift, everyone’s gazes had already turned to the box in Qin Chang Ge’s hands. They saw the snow-white openwork jade box, exquisite and translucent, faintly glowing with purple light. That purple was pure and mellow, as vivid as fresh grapes, extremely distinct and alluring in color.
This was deliberately done by Qin Chang Ge, who specifically abandoned ordinary purple sandalwood to avoid overshadowing the unique color of the purple jade, using the finest mutton-fat white jade to set off the supreme luster of that grape purple.
Princess Wen Chang smiled and gestured with her hand. Qin Chang Ge gently opened the box lid, and deep purple radiance suddenly appeared, causing another round of gasps. Guanyin statues were commonly seen, but this Guanyin’s carving was extremely magnificent and delicate—fabric ripples and delicate fingernails were all distinctly visible. Moreover, her lips held a slight smile, mysterious and compassionate, her head slightly bowed, gazing upon all beings. Her eyes seemed to flow and move like those of a living person, with extraordinary divine spirit. All who looked upon this Guanyin felt their minds momentarily dazed, feeling those eyes warm and compassionate, like warm springs flowing over their bodies, bringing incomparable comfort.
The Guanyin’s form was also unique—neither a lotus throne seated image nor the common maternal-style thousand-handed Guanyin, fish-basket Guanyin, or pure vase Guanyin, but a standing statue with one leg straight and one leg bent, palms pressed together, robes flowing in the wind, beautiful countenance, and ethereal immortal bearing.
Undoubtedly, the Empress Dowager’s gaze had been completely attracted by this Guanyin statue, which was superb in both material and craftsmanship. She observed it carefully for a while, her expression joyful, but suddenly seemed to remember something and looked hesitantly at Princess Wen Chang.
Tong Shun had already smiled and bowed, saying, “Congratulations to the Empress Dowager. You mentioned last time that the small Buddhist hall in the East Side Hall lacked a Guanyin statue, and coincidentally today there is one. This Guanyin statue is indeed solemn and magnificent, worthy of use by the Empress Mother. It’s fortunate that the Princess is a devout Buddhist lay practitioner who could deeply understand the Empress Dowager’s intentions.”
With his words, the Empress Dowager remembered Princess Wen Chang’s current identity and her expression softened. Princess Wen Chang had already smiled and said, “For the Empress Dowager’s sacred birthday, how dare Wen Chang present ordinary vulgar objects? This Guanyin statue may be nothing special otherwise, but it was personally carved by Master Li Nanke, the elderly master craftsman of Zhongchuan carving arts, and moreover, personally consecrated by Master Shiyi, the abbot of Sacred Virtue Protector Temple.”
As soon as these words were spoken, there was a gasp of commotion, and even the Empress Dowager exclaimed “Ah!” Tong Shun cried out in surprise, “How is this possible—ah, please forgive this old slave’s discourtesy—Master Li hasn’t personally carved for many years. It’s said that even his disciples’ carving skills are worth a thousand gold pieces, and that’s fine, but Master Shiyi is said to have entered the realm of immortals, secluded in retreat for years without seeing outsiders. Even imperial summons haven’t been answered—how could he consecrate this statue?”
“It was a fortunate coincidence, perhaps because this believer has affinity with Buddha,” Princess Wen Chang smiled calmly, her gaze clear and lustrous, truly taking on an air of detached transcendence. “Some days ago I heard that Master Shizheng of Protector Temple was opening an altar to expound the Dharma, so I went incognito to listen. Halfway through, a novice came to invite me, saying someone with destiny wished to meet. Unexpectedly, it was Master Shiyi. Since then, I’ve been blessed with the master’s regard and had the fortune of several conversations, benefiting greatly. So after requesting this Guanyin Buddha statue for the Empress Dowager, I was able to obtain the master’s consecration.”
At this point, everyone was already moved with awe. Master Shiyi was now a hundred years old, and fifty years ago was already a renowned enlightened monk famous throughout the world. It was said he was born with spiritual inclinations, had wonderful understanding of Buddhist meaning and boundless wisdom, and was a patriarch of a generation of Chan Buddhism. After age eighty, he became reclusive, and countless people sought just one meeting but couldn’t obtain it. Unexpectedly, Princess Wen Chang, this tonsured lay practitioner, had such fortune.
Supreme purple jade, Nanke’s exquisite carving, Shiyi’s consecration—all were opportunities that could be encountered but not sought. This meant that even traveling the entire world, there wouldn’t be a second such carving. Even imperial nobility with wealth covering the four seas would find such temptation absolutely irresistible.
The Empress Dowager was already showing joy, repeatedly saying, “Good, good, it’s rare that you are so thoughtful.” She immediately ordered Tong Shun to carefully carry it to be enshrined in the East Side Hall’s small Buddhist hall.
Her gaze circled around Princess Wen Chang, originally planning to say a few words of praise, when it suddenly stopped on Qin Chang Ge, observing for a long while before saying, “This child looks familiar to me. Is she a palace servant brought from Jin’Ou Palace?”
Princess Wen Chang’s sleeve trembled, and Qin Chang Ge timely stepped forward, brushing past her sleeve to cover it, slowly bowing to the Empress Dowager and saying in a soft voice, “This servant… this servant was originally from Cuiwei Palace. Because I studied Buddhism from childhood, I was graciously selected to attend the Princess in her practice. This servant is Ming Shuang, paying respects to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager live ten thousand years in fortune and longevity.”
She deliberately lowered her voice, showing slight nervousness, controlling the proper demeanor and measure a small palace maid should have in such a grand occasion. Although she cautiously bowed her head, she still felt that pair of dark, burning eyes from above firmly locked on her back.
“Oh… I remember now. I’ve seen you attending Consort Rou when she came to pay respects. Unexpectedly, after not seeing you for over a year, your appearance has grown even more outstanding. It’s rare that with such beauty and youth, you can actually be content with solitude and devoutly study Buddhism. Good, good.” Empress Dowager Jiang smiled amiably, taking the teacup Tong Shun handed her and sipping lightly. Her eyelids lifted slightly as she said casually, “Wen Chang, you should thank Consort Rou. It’s rare that she was so thoughtful, knowing you wanted to practice Buddhism and specially sending her own palace servant to you.”
Before Princess Wen Chang could respond, Xiao Jue from the upper seat said, “Mother Empress has misunderstood. I encountered this palace maid in Consort Rou’s palace, learned she was proficient in Buddhist studies, and specially ordered her to go serve the Princess.”
“Oh?” Empress Dowager Jiang’s well-maintained plump face tilted slightly, her gaze full of loving smiles, as if facing her most beloved son. “Then it’s the Emperor who was thoughtful. So I was wrong again.”
Xiao Jue said solemnly, “The Princess abandoned imperial glory and wealth, retreating to desolate solitude to pray for the imperial family and national fortune. Whether publicly or privately, I should care for her thoroughly. Selecting a palace maid is nothing. I only fear I haven’t done enough for her and caused her to suffer grievances.”
Her smile stiffened slightly but immediately spread again. Empress Dowager Jiang said gently, “How could that be? The Xiao imperial clan’s direct lineage now has only three or so people left. Wen Chang is my beloved daughter. If anyone wants to bully her, let alone you, I would be the first to disagree.”
Xiao Jue bowed slightly, saying, “Mother Empress is compassionate.” Princess Wen Chang also came forward to give thanks. Empress Dowager Jiang smiled warmly and ordered Qin Chang Ge to withdraw. Qin Chang Ge prostrated and withdrew, standing behind Princess Wen Chang, her eyebrows jumping slightly. The conversation just now was so cold and sharp…
The discord between Empress Dowager Jiang and her son was known throughout the court. The once extremely powerful Jiang family had declined overnight, the Empress Dowager’s own sons Prince Qin and Prince Chu were executed, the Empress was deposed—all these had become permanent knots between this imperial mother and son that could never be untied. Though for years when mother and son faced each other, their hearts were cold as ice, on the surface they spoke with pleasant smiles, yet within those smiles lurked sharp blade edges—a technique unique to the imperial family that made people retreat three steps and dare not lightly provoke.
Listening to this mother-son dialogue, Qin Chang Ge suddenly thought of Ming Shuang. Looking at the Empress Dowager’s attitude toward herself, she was clearly familiar with or had noticed Ming Shuang. Given Empress Dowager Jiang’s nature, she couldn’t possibly not know that Ming Shuang had been selected to go to Princess Wen Chang. She feigned ignorance and spoke probingly, but why?
Thinking of what Qing Lian had said at the moment of rebirth, Qin Chang Ge’s eyes flashed—so that was it.
Ming Shuang should have been killed by the Empress Dowager.
Women from Yunzhou were Empress Dowager Jiang’s fatal weakness. Although she had cut off Ming Shuang’s path to advancement, she still wouldn’t give up. After Consort Rou brought Ming Shuang to pay respects and learned Ming Shuang was Consort Rou’s hairdressing maid, she schemed to make Consort Rou offend Xiao Jue’s taboos. Empress Dowager Jiang naturally understood Consort Rou’s nature—when coldly treated by Xiao Jue, she would definitely vent her anger on her hairdressing maid. Thus, Ming Shuang died innocently and unjustly.
Naturally, Empress Dowager Jiang couldn’t know that the soul in Ming Shuang’s body had already changed, but the small palace maid’s survival from great disaster made her vigilant, and she spoke probingly to understand Xiao Jue’s thoughts.
Xiao Jue’s attitude must have already made her uneasy.
After Princess Wen Chang withdrew, the other consorts and noble ladies presented their gifts. Unfortunately, with two supreme gifts preceding them, everyone felt their own gifts were truly shabby in comparison and somewhat embarrassing to present, making them all somewhat dispirited. However, Empress Dowager Jiang showed a pleased appearance with everything, comforting each person with a few words, showing no favoritism, making everyone happy. Qin Chang Ge watched coldly, sneering inwardly—after years of separation, she still had that same skillful and dancing manner. It was really hard on her to have performed for so long.
Then the banquet began, merely displaying the eight delicacies of land and sea delicacies and various exquisite palace pastries. The Empress Dowager’s table had an additional large serving platter of “Fortune Sea Longevity Mountain,” with another table set up displaying one hundred snow-white steamed longevity peaches with red dots and green accents, delicately colorful, offered before the Empress Dowager.
Although the banquet had begun, everyone tacitly refrained from using their chopsticks, glancing intentionally or unintentionally toward the upper seat, because according to protocol, after the banquet began, the Empress and consorts, or two high-ranking palace ladies, should toast the noble ladies.
Now that the Empress was deposed and Consort Xian was often ill, among the four consorts only Consort Shu was present. Who the remaining one should be was quite intriguing.
It should be known that the consort chosen to hold the pot and offer toasts would very likely be promoted to the four consorts. Even if not promoted, it at least indicated imperial favor. The consorts of Xiliang’s harem mostly had family powers behind them, and the rise and fall of palace women greatly affected how various family powers were evaluated in ministers’ minds. These noble ladies were the “wives’ cards” played by their husbands—while the men’s eyes were on the court, their attention was on the harem. Since Xiao Jue still had no son and the empress position remained vacant, who was favored and who might bear a prince in the future was of great importance. How could they not stare with burning eyes?
Under everyone’s meaningful gazes, Consort Yao and Consort Rou both straightened their backs, seemingly casually observing their noses with their eyes and their hearts with their noses, maintaining composure while not losing face. Their gazes like spider silk constantly stuck and tangled toward Xiao Jue’s face, but Xiao Jue didn’t look at them at all. After hearing the ceremonial eunuch’s request, he frowned and said “Oh.”
This single sound made both consorts tense their bodies, unconsciously setting down their chopsticks.
In the complete silence, Xiao Jue looked toward Princess Wen Chang’s direction and said, “You… oh, please trouble elder sister to walk around each table.”
The crowd hummed, but immediately restrained themselves, all gazes turning to Princess Wen Chang, who smiled, stood up, and bowed in acceptance of the command. Therefore, they all overlooked Xiao Jue’s expression.
But Qin Chang Ge was behind Princess Wen Chang and quietly loosened her clenched fingers.
Just now, Xiao Jue’s gaze had been looking at her.
Even the first word of that sentence was actually said to her.
In her surprise, she had already begun considering how to respond if this fellow really said something inappropriate. Fortunately, Xiao Jue timely realized and changed his words.
Raising her lashes, she secretly looked toward Xiao Jue. His expression was dazed, staring silently at a dish before him, a faint gloom between his brows, as if contemplating how he could have such an action.
Xiao Jue was indeed puzzled. Just now, when he looked at the palace maid named Ming Shuang standing behind Princess Wen Chang, whose gaze swept past the Empress Dowager, for some reason that instant her expression made him momentarily return to the past. In his vague memory, there had been a similar scene—that woman in the magnificent hall of vermillion and purple towers, her silk sleeves fluttering, her gaze somewhat casual and unrestrained as water, sweeping past the Empress Mother on the upper seat with her heavy thoughts, her gentle smile holding a few parts cold clarity.
The scenes overlapped, seeming familiar, his heart swaying. As if past people and scenes had returned, he held the silver dragon wine vessel, so naturally about to say, “You go offer toasts…”
Fortunately, just as he uttered the first word, that palace maid suddenly raised her gaze—gentle with a bit of timidity and excitement, no different from an ordinary woman yet absolutely not belonging to her, and that face was also unfamiliar.
It wasn’t her!
Looking at the slender figure of that woman holding the wine pot, following Princess Wen Chang to toast each table, Xiao Jue raised his wine vessel. The tall, straight vessel body concealed his face as he drank the wine in one breath. The liquid entered his throat, heavy and sluggish, as if he had drunk not sweet imperial fine wine but burning stones or scorching charcoal, hot and hard, stuck in his chest.
The familiar pain he didn’t want to face…
Having drunk too hastily, he felt slightly dizzy. In his dizziness, he heard the Empress Dowager beside him suddenly set down her wine vessel with a soft sigh.
The crisp sound of the wine vessel touching the table wasn’t loud, but was immediately heard by everyone. In the hall full of swaying pearls and jade, the consorts and noble ladies who had been sharing in imperial glory immediately stopped their laughter and looked toward the upper seat.
The hall that had just been full of warm laughter immediately became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Empress Dowager Jiang waited until everyone’s gaze fell on the upper seat before smiling faintly, “You rarely come here, please feel free to enjoy yourselves. Don’t mind me. I just felt moved seeing your joy and liveliness.”
Everyone was shrewd and naturally knew these were just empty words. How dare they “feel free”? They sat properly, only listening and waiting for what would follow. Qin Chang Ge’s brow was already furrowed.
So she still wouldn’t give up?
Empress Dowager Jiang indeed continued, “I just thought of my poor niece. Longevity Palace is lively and festive right now, but who knows how desolate Cold Spring Palace must be. Poor thing, with such an ill-fated destiny, even for her aunt’s birthday, she cannot come in person to congratulate.”
Speaking thus, she wiped away tears.
For a moment, everyone looked at each other with alarmed expressions.
They all knew this topic was equivalent to explosives—absolutely untouchable.