The former struggle for the noble consort position was between the “two Lis and two Guos.”
Noble Consort Li had given birth to one son, but because she had previously failed to properly care for the little princess, the Hongwu Emperor, who valued heirs greatly, quietly held this against her. Even though she held the highest position in the Eastern Six Palaces, neither Empress Xiaoci nor the Hongwu Emperor had any intention of elevating her status. Thus, Noble Consort Li was eliminated from contention.
Consort Guo Hui had borne three sons and two daughters, establishing her foothold in the harem through her fertile womb. However, Consort Guo Hui’s father, Guo Zixing, was Empress Xiaoci’s adoptive father. The Hongwu Emperor had later swallowed up half of his father-in-law’s territory and army, killed Guo Zixing’s son Guo Tianjue, and even took the man’s own daughter, Miss Guo, as a concubine. This dark history, nearly forgotten by the world, was brought to light by a minor censor named Liu Hai in a memorial requesting to erect a monument for Guo Zixing. Thus, Consort Guo Hui was eliminated from contention.
Consort Li Shu had no sons, but she raised the little princess very well. Her character and conduct were very similar to those of the late Noble Consort Sun of Chengmu, earning the affection of both Empress Xiaoci and the Hongwu Emperor. After Empress Xiaoci’s death, she was promoted to Noble Consort Li, commanding the six palaces and acting as regent empress. Just when people thought Noble Consort Li would become the next empress, she suddenly died of illness.
Finally, only Consort Guo Ning remained. While Consort Guo Hui was eliminated due to her embarrassing background, Consort Guo Ning’s origins were absolutely impeccable. When the Hongwu Emperor passed through the Guo family estate, Guo Shanfu had the wisdom to recognize a hero. Not only did he send his daughter Miss Guo to serve the Hongwu Emperor in his room at night, but he also commanded his two sons, Guo Xing and Guo Ying, to follow the Hongwu Emperor, charging into battle—a buy-one-get-two deal.
Miss Guo gave birth to the tenth prince, Prince Lu, and was enfeitled as Consort Ning. Her elder brother Guo Xing and second brother Guo Ying both earned titles through military merit as Marquis Gongchang and Marquis Wuding respectively. Guo Xing currently commanded the imperial guards, while Guo Ying had followed Southern Expedition commander Fu Youde to war in the fourteenth year of Hongwu. The Southern Expedition had not yet ended, and none of the soldiers had returned.
Among all the imperial consorts, Consort Guo Ning’s family wielded the most prominent influence. Especially when the advisor Cheng Pengju had instigated Ma Ye, second brother Guo Ying was also in the Southern Expedition army. Connecting all these clues together, Hu Shanwei found Consort Guo Ning the most suspicious.
After Noble Consort Li’s death, only four women held consort rank in the harem: Consort Guo Hui, Consort Guo Ning, Noble Consort Li, and Consort Da Ding.
Consort Guo Hui had an embarrassing background and was already out of contention.
Noble Consort Li couldn’t even properly care for a little princess, disappointing the Hongwu Emperor. Naturally, he wouldn’t entrust the management of harem affairs to her.
Consort Da Ding was remarried, previously a concubine of Prince Han, whom the Hongwu Emperor had seized and brought to the harem through cunning means. Even though she bore two princes, like Consort Guo Hui, she lost due to her embarrassing origins.
If someone were chosen from the lower-ranked concubines, they certainly couldn’t command respect and would lack dignity.
Therefore, Consort Guo Ning’s rise became inevitable. After Noble Consort Li’s sudden death, the Hongwu Emperor entrusted harem authority to Consort Guo Ning. If nothing unexpected happened, Consort Guo Ning would be enfeoffed as Noble Consort.
In the Xiaoling Mausoleum, upon hearing this news, Hu Shanwei found Consort Guo Ning even more suspicious and asked Haitang, “Noble Consort Li died suddenly of illness? What disease did she contract?”
Haitang shook her head. “I don’t know. It was very sudden anyway. Her body was carried out of the palace for burial that same day. For someone of the same noble consort rank, her funeral arrangements compared to those of the late Noble Consort Sun of Chengmu were like heaven and earth—very hasty and cold.”
Hu Shanwei asked again, “After Noble Consort Li’s death, who was entrusted with raising the little princess?”
Haitang replied, “Naturally Consort Guo Ning. Consort Ning’s son, Prince Lu Zhu Tan, is already fourteen years old and has long since moved to the Eastern Five Quarters of Qianqing Palace. Consort Guo Ning holds high status and has the energy to raise the little princess.”
Hu Shanwei’s mind was filled with doubts as she instructed Haitang, “Go find Imperial Physician Tan and tell him I’m ill.” She was confined to the Xiaoling Mausoleum, but Haitang was relatively free. After establishing good relations with the mausoleum guards, she could make a trip out.
Haitang looked Hu Shanwei up and down, noting her ruddy complexion. “You’re not sick. You don’t look like it. Be careful not to give anyone ammunition against you.”
Hu Shanwei jumped into the small stream where the deer drank. Even in the third lunar month of spring, the mountain stream water remained ice-cold. Shivering, she said, “I’ll be sick very soon.”
The next day, Haitang took her place feeding the deer, telling everyone she met that Hu Shanwei was ill. Imperial Physician Tan arrived at the Xiaoling Mausoleum carrying his medicine chest to examine Hu Shanwei’s pulse. Combined with symptoms of nasal congestion and runny nose, he diagnosed her with catching cold. “Spring weather alternates between hot and cold. If you don’t adjust your clothing promptly, you easily catch cold. Let me return to prepare medicine for you. I’ll have an assistant deliver the medicine. Take it for seven consecutive days.”
After thanking him, Hu Shanwei changed the subject, pointing to the plain clothes Imperial Physician Tan wore. “I heard that Noble Consort Li in the palace died suddenly of illness. What disease did she actually contract? When I was in the palace, Noble Consort Li was in good health. She usually cherished her well-being and lived prudently, with a tranquil temperament. She’s only just over thirty now, in her prime years. How did she suddenly become so gravely ill?”
The Xiaoling Mausoleum was surrounded by wild beasts everywhere, so there was no need to worry about walls having ears. Imperial Physician Tan spoke without reservations: “Actually, it wasn’t any serious illness. It was just to protect the little princess…”
It turned out that when spring arrived and the weather warmed, the little princess developed chickenpox. Noble Consort Li hurriedly arranged for the little princess to be quarantined in a quiet palace—the Yanxi Palace, which had been empty for three years—and assigned female physicians and palace servants who had already had chickenpox to care for her attentively.
The little princess was usually healthy, so her bout with chickenpox went relatively smoothly. She had fever for two days, the pox erupted, she cried and fussed when it itched, then gradually recovered.
However, just as the little princess’s chickenpox began to subside, Noble Consort Li in Yonghe Palace suddenly developed throat pain and fever, showing the same symptoms the little princess had experienced earlier. It turned out that Noble Consort Li had never had chickenpox as a child and had been infected by the little princess in middle age.
To prevent spread, Director Ru of the Imperial Pharmacy, with the Hongwu Emperor’s consent, sealed off the entire Yonghe Palace. They would wait until Noble Consort Li recovered and everyone was confirmed free of chickenpox symptoms before releasing them.
But Noble Consort Li continued to have high fever for three consecutive days. The chickenpox didn’t erupt properly. Instead, her entire body began developing abscesses and suppurating. Her head swelled like a pumpkin, and she became delirious. Whether from pain or some other cause, she frequently convulsed and screamed.
At this point, Noble Consort Li looked like a monster. Who could imagine that the woman writhing and struggling on the sickbed, constantly bleeding and suppurating, had almost become Empress of the Great Ming?
The Hongwu Emperor made an exception by ordering imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau who had previously had chickenpox, including Imperial Physician Tan, to enter the sealed Yonghe Palace to examine Noble Consort Li. The diagnosis was that the high fever from chickenpox had caused encephalitis. The mild outcome would be disfigurement and paralysis; the severe outcome would be death.
In other words, Noble Consort Li was destined to never become empress.
Five days later, Noble Consort Li died. Because her corpse was covered with pus and blood, filthy and repulsive, to prevent contagion, the body was wrapped in lime before being carried out of the palace. Noble Consort Li was hastily buried.
Noble Consort Li’s death—the little princess’s birth mother, Concubine Hu, had died in difficult childbirth, and her adoptive mother, Noble Consort Li, had died suddenly of illness—ultimately stemmed from infection by the little princess. The Hongwu Emperor worried that the little princess would bear the reputation of killing her mothers, so he issued a gag order. Publicly, they would only say Noble Consort Li died suddenly of illness. Even the medication records and pulse diagnoses documenting the little princess’s chickenpox treatment at the Imperial Medical Bureau and among the female physicians were all burned.
The little princess was only three years old and wouldn’t remember. In this way, the connection between Noble Consort Li’s death and the little princess was completely severed.
Finally, Imperial Physician Tan cautioned Hu Shanwei, “Almost everyone in the palace knows about this matter, but due to His Majesty’s gag order, they don’t dare speak of it. Just pretend you don’t know and don’t let it slip.”
Hu Shanwei nodded repeatedly. Though her head ached from the cold, her heart grew cold:
If Noble Consort Li’s death wasn’t accidental, then what ruthlessly meticulous methods the mastermind behind it employed!
Using the little princess’s hand to eliminate Noble Consort Li, no one dared investigate or discuss Noble Consort Li’s death. The truth was buried forever.
When Hu Shanwei next cleaned Empress Xiaoci’s memorial tablet in the mourning hall, her attitude became even more reverent. The feather duster gently brushed over the chestnut wood memorial tablet, nine and five-tenths inches tall, as if she were seeing Empress Xiaoci herself.
Hu Shanwei spoke to herself: “Your Majesty, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. I shouldn’t have questioned Your Majesty’s command for me to guard the mausoleum for three years. If I had remained in the palace, I fear Noble Consort Li’s fate would now be my outcome—dying without even knowing how I died.”
After thinking further, she shook her head. “No, that’s not right. I had chickenpox as a child. This trick wouldn’t work on me. What even more sinister methods would the other party employ?”
The more Hu Shanwei thought about it, the more frightening it became. She continued, “Noble Consort Li was an obstacle who needed immediate elimination. I’m just a fallen nobody, and I’m in the heavily guarded Xiaoling Mausoleum. It wouldn’t be worth the risk for such a small fry as myself… Your Majesty, oh Your Majesty, you truly had foresight beyond measure.”
Hu Shanwei asked and answered herself: “Hmm, if I were… that person, I would at least wait until I had stabilized the harem, managed harem affairs no less competently than Noble Consort Li, been enfeoffed as Noble Consort, and consolidated my position in the harem before considering cleaning up small fish and shrimp. How to control the harem? Naturally, I’d work through the Six Bureaus and One Department, eliminating dissidents and cultivating my own power base…”
Indeed, as Hu Shanwei predicted, after Noble Consort Li’s hundred-day mourning period passed and midsummer’s sixth month arrived, Consort Guo Ning convened a meeting of the seven female officials at the department level from the Six Bureaus and One Department. “The tenth day of the eighth month marks the first anniversary memorial for Empress Xiaoci. Besides Buddhist services like releasing animals and burning incense, this palace intends to release a group of palace servants as a gesture of imperial grace. Palace maids over twenty-five may leave the palace to marry and not miss their flowering years. Elderly eunuchs may leave to retire and tend to their health. If any female officials wish to leave the palace to reunite with their families, we shall fulfill their wishes. What do you all think?”
Though she asked “you all,” Consort Guo Ning’s gaze fell on Director Cao. As head of the female officials, Director Cao always spoke first at every meeting.
But this time, upon hearing “release a group of palace servants,” Director Cao didn’t even bother to disguise her feelings. She snorted coldly through her nose. Though Consort Guo Ning looked at her, she remained silent and wouldn’t take up the conversation: Since Consort Ning asked “what do you all think,” I simply won’t speak. Who can say I’m being disrespectful to Consort Ning?
Director Cao’s foul temper was known to everyone. Even when Noble Consort Li had managed the harem, she still yielded to her in seven parts out of ten, treating Director Cao with great deference. For any major matters, she would invariably seek her opinion first. As they say, “new emperor, new ministers.” Noble Consort Li was gentle and virtuous, able to tolerate Director Cao, but Director Cao seemed to become even more unrestrained as a result.
Since Director Cao wouldn’t speak first, the other six female officials didn’t dare bypass her to respond to Consort Guo Ning’s proposal—the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and a county magistrate is less powerful than the current manager. With the harem’s winds of change, Noble Consort Li’s sudden death after managing the harem for less than a year, Director Cao was still the highest-ranking palace director. Heaven knew how long Consort Guo Ning could maintain control over harem authority?
In the deathly silence, the situation reached an impasse.
Consort Guo Ning’s family wielded great power, and unlike Noble Consort Li’s patient nature, she simply began calling names: “Director Fan, what do you think?”
Everyone knew that Director Fan was the only person who dared directly confront Director Cao, and Director Fan came from truly noble aristocratic stock, giving her confidence when speaking.
Director Fan said, “Releasing people from the palace is inherently an act of compassion and charity.”
Director Cao snorted coldly.
“However,” Director Fan’s tone shifted, “this humble servant has been in the palace for thirteen years. In all anniversary memorial services involving releasing people from the palace, there has never been such precedent. This humble servant feels that such precedent-setting actions require careful consideration.”
She might as well have said nothing—offending neither side. Director Fan was too cunning.
Having endured to reach this day, Consort Guo Ning was someone who could maintain her composure. She wasn’t angered but swept her gaze around the circle, settling on the most timid Director Song of the Palace Workshop. “Director Song, what are your thoughts?”
Director Song’s hands trembled. She dared not look at Consort Guo Ning, nor at Director Cao. “The Palace Workshop only handles needlework. Releasing people is a major matter—our Palace Workshop can’t manage such things.”
Consort Guo Ning fixed her gaze on Director Song: “This palace asks you just one question: should they be released, or should they not be released?”
Director Song felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. “This… this…” She was being roasted by Consort Guo Ning over the fire. Whether releasing them or not would be wrong. She could only look pleadingly toward Director Cao for help.
Director Cao always bullied her, but Director Cao was someone with integrity who disdained making others take the blame. Therefore, Director Song willingly endured her bullying—after all, being cursed at and pricked with a few words wouldn’t make her lose any flesh!
Seeing Director Song’s difficulty, Director Cao felt it was embarrassing and finally spoke, diverting the trouble to herself. “Consort Ning, releasing people is undoubtedly a good deed. But as Director Fan said earlier, anniversary memorial animal releases are common, but releasing a large group of palace servants would set precedent. If we release people for Empress Xiaoci’s anniversary, immediately afterward comes Noble Consort Sun of Chengmu’s twenty-seven-month memorial service—the final major ceremony marking the end of mourning. What does Your Ladyship say about releasing people then? If we do, where will the palace find so many idle people to release? If no one works, who will handle palace affairs? If we don’t, Princess Lin’an and Princess Huaiqing will both be watching—how will Your Ladyship explain?”
Director Cao had kicked the ball right back.
Consort Guo Ning choked, then said, “How can Noble Consort Chengmu compare to Empress Xiaoci? Director Cao is overthinking this.”
Director Cao replied mildly, “Your Ladyship is correct. We in the Six Bureaus and One Department assist Your Ladyship in managing harem affairs. Our advantage lies in having many people and great strength, enabling us to help Your Ladyship consider consequences from all angles. Nothing in this world is perfect. Not making mistakes is doing things right. Our job is precisely to think and worry extensively. When this humble servant overthinks, I’m fulfilling my ministerial duty, worthy of Your Ladyship’s trust and the harem’s generous treatment of female officials. Everyone, wouldn’t you agree?”
All the female officials voiced agreement. Consort Guo Ning’s personnel release plan was blocked. To control the Six Bureaus and One Department, she had to first eliminate Director Cao, this thorn in her side.
The meeting ended inconclusively. After adjournment, Director Fan warned Director Cao: “Can’t you restrain yourself a little? A new official’s first three fires—Consort Guo Ning’s precedent-setting is meant to establish her authority.”
Director Cao smiled mysteriously. “Don’t worry, I know my limits. The more I oppose her, the less she can touch me. We’ll see how this plays out.”