Emperor Hongwu looked at Noble Consort Cui, still beautiful despite the years. “In the end, you are the one who has accompanied me the longest, been most loyal to me, without a trace of selfishness, giving me your youth and wisdom. When I needed it most, you even resigned from your beloved position as Court Lady to become my nominal Noble Consort, so you could properly manage the harem for me.”
Noble Consort Cui smiled. “This is my honor. Whether Court Lady or Noble Consort, they are just titles for official duties. I see no difference—both serve Your Majesty and share Your Majesty’s burdens.”
Emperor Hongwu could no longer hold his medicine cup steady. He said to her, “Come closer and lend me your ear.”
Noble Consort Cui sat beside the dragon bed, lowering her head. Emperor Hongwu whispered two sentences in her ear. Noble Consort Cui’s face immediately turned pale, her body stiffened, and disregarding protocol, she collapsed to her knees, her words broken: “Your Majesty, this… I… please reconsider, this action violates—”
Suddenly, Emperor Hongwu smashed his medicine cup hard against the floor. With a loud crash, flying fragments scratched Noble Consort Cui’s beautiful face, leaving a lightning-like red bloodline across her fragrant cheek.
Hearing the commotion outside, Court Lady Fan, Shen Qionglian and others hurried in to check. The Emperor had often scolded palace servants during his long illness, but this was the first time he’d lost his temper with Noble Consort Cui. Everyone found it baffling.
Shen Qionglian had been personally trained by Noble Consort Cui. Seeing blood on her face, she quickly ordered someone to summon a female physician to apply medicine. Noble Consort Cui was skilled in maintaining her appearance and had invested considerable effort in her face.
Seeing Noble Consort Cui’s beauty marred, Court Lady Fan thought that after years of loyal service, she too had a day of carelessness that triggered the Emperor’s wrath. Still, having worked together for many years, Court Lady Fan pleaded for Noble Consort Cui: “Your Majesty—”
As soon as she opened her mouth, Emperor Hongwu interrupted her. That violent act had exhausted his strength, so he lay back down, gasped for a moment, and said: “Consort Cui showed improper conduct before the throne. Her Noble Consort rank is hereby revoked, her册 册 withdrawn, demoted to commoner status, and expelled from the palace. All records of Consort Cui in the Court Records shall be cut out and burned, as if there had never been a Consort Cui in the palace.”
Hearing this, Shen Qionglian was shocked and was about to speak in her defense. Court Lady Fan understood Emperor Hongwu too well and, like Mao Qiang, had done many unspeakable deeds. She probably guessed what was happening. She quickly pressed Shen Qionglian’s shoulder and gave her a meaningful look, saying: “Yes, I will immediately instruct the Court Record officials to delete Consort Cui’s bedchamber records. Someone, expel the commoner Cui from the palace.”
Noble Consort Cui was like a living corpse from which the soul had been extracted, dragged away. Court Record officials brought the “Court Records” and deleted Noble Consort Cui’s records.
Watching the last page thrown into the fire basin, Emperor Hongwu said: “After my death, all consorts in the Eastern and Western Six Palaces, and all women recorded in the Court Records as having been intimate with me, regardless of rank or whether they were palace maids or consorts, must all be buried with me!”
Everyone must die. Total annihilation. The burial system had been abolished for over a thousand years, and Emperor Hongwu was bringing it back from the dead.
After conducting great purges in court, Emperor Hongwu turned his blade toward the harem consorts on his deathbed. At least in court he had left the four great families—Duke Weiguo Xu family, Duke of Qian Mu family, Marquis Changxing Geng family, and Marquis Wuding Guo family—to help the Crown Prince stabilize the realm.
When you think Emperor Hongwu has reached his bottom line, you discover there are eighteen levels of hell beneath that bottom line.
Compared to the court, Emperor Hongwu was far more cold-blooded toward the harem. Those women who had slept with him—whether lowly palace maids or Korean tribute girls, whether they had borne him children or never conceived, whether they were aged women who had grown old alongside him or the three eighteen-year-old girls in their prime who had been selected from Hu Shanwei’s hands three years ago—all would be buried with him.
The Crown Prince would ascend as a grandson, too low in generational rank. The harem consorts would become Grand Consorts and might rely on their seniority to trouble the Crown Prince. Better to eliminate them and leave a clean harem for the Crown Prince.
Emperor Hongwu wanted to completely clear all possible obstacles for the Crown Prince.
Now everyone understood. Emperor Hongwu’s sudden rage at Noble Consort Cui was actually to spare her life. Now there was no Court Lady Cui or Noble Consort Cui in the palace, no records in the Court Records. A commoner named Cui posed no threat to the Crown Prince. This was Emperor Hongwu’s last remaining mercy and conscience.
Imperial commands are difficult to fulfill.
With every sentence Emperor Hongwu spoke, Shen Qionglian, attending with writing materials, polished his words slightly and wrote death edicts. With each stroke, the brush felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Finally unable to bear it, the usually cold-hearted Shen Qionglian stopped writing and risked death to speak:
“Your Majesty, your youngest daughter Princess Baoqing is only three years old. A three-year-old girl cannot be separated from her mother’s care. Moreover, Princess Baoqing has been frail since birth. If such a young child loses her mother, the consequences would be unthinkable. Princess’s mother Beauty Zhang has always been gentle and honest, not one to cause trouble. Please show mercy and, for the little Princess’s sake, exempt Beauty Zhang from burial so she can care for the little Princess until she reaches adulthood.”
Princess Baoqing was Emperor Hongwu’s daughter born when he was sixty-eight, also his rare comfort in old age.
Indeed, offspring were Emperor Hongwu’s weakness. His dying gaze flickered several times before he said: “Granted. Beauty Zhang is exempted from burial. The other consorts and palace maids for burial shall be called ‘Heavenly Ladies,’ their families called ‘Heavenly Lady Households.’ Richly reward all Heavenly Lady Households, enfeoff their fathers as Hundred Households with hereditary succession. If there is no father, enfeoff their brothers or nephews.”
This was a transaction—using gifts and official positions to buy the lives of the burial palace servants, to prevent family members from objecting and causing future trouble for the Crown Prince.
Emperor Hongwu not only cleared obstacles but also handled the aftermath, not wanting the Crown Prince to worry about anything.
Shen Qionglian drafted the edict. Emperor Hongwu looked it over once, then said to the Ceremonial Supervisor eunuch who handled seals and Palace Lady Huang Weide who guarded the imperial seal: “Very well. Apply the seal and invite the palace servants to the side hall of Qianqing Palace. After I ascend to heaven, they will accompany me.”
Palace rules dictated that those who applied seals could not guard the seal, and those who guarded the seal could not apply it—mutual restraint.
Huang Weide brought out the imperial seal. The Ceremonial Supervisor eunuch’s trembling hands applied the seal, making the edict effective. Except for Beauty Zhang, all consorts in the Eastern and Western Six Palaces and palace servants who had shared the imperial bed would soon perish.
In this scene, Shen Qionglian remembered when Hu Shanwei was Court Lady presiding over palace lady selections, three selected girls were inadvertently chosen by Emperor Hongwu. The three girls were instantly favored in the harem, envied by all. Only Hu Shanwei lamented the pairing of red faces with white hair, half-joking, half-serious:
“Others laugh at my false propriety, I laugh at their inability to see through. I served Empress Xiaoci and Noble Consort Duanjing—the former was intelligent and perceptive, the latter hardworking and practical. The former had the natural advantage of being the legitimate wife, the latter came from a powerful family of loyal martyrs. They could be called the Emperor’s two most outstanding women. But what of it? Though they had grand funerals, their endings were still tragic. So in the harem, not sleeping with the Emperor ensures safety…”
A prophecy fulfilled. Because Noble Consort Cui had never truly served in the imperial bedchamber, she could escape the burial calamity. Not sleeping with the Emperor preserved her safety.
Outside the palace, the expelled commoner Cui wandered aimlessly with nowhere to go. The Emperor’s final whisper to her was that he would restore the burial system—everyone must be buried with him, except her. She would be stripped of her title before the burial, her Court Records erased, expelled from the palace, no longer counting as the Emperor’s woman.
Commoner Cui’s first reaction was to persuade the Emperor not to have the harem women buried with him—this violated natural harmony. A barbaric system abolished over a thousand years ago—wouldn’t restoring it be regressive?
But Emperor Hongwu was determined. Before she could finish speaking, she was dragged away.
Commoner Cui had no real affection for the women of the Eastern and Western Six Palaces—she had merely handled them as duty required, controlling them to prevent trouble and arranging their service to the Emperor.
But thinking of these living beings dying meaningless burial deaths, a stifling feeling blocked Commoner Cui’s chest, unable to rise or fall. Though she didn’t have to die, she grieved for these women.
This sorrow nearly crushed Commoner Cui. She felt no gratitude for being spared. Grief spread like gradually expanding dark clouds across the sky, covering heaven and earth—storm clouds gathering.
A carriage stopped beside her. A familiar voice called: “Get in.”
Commoner Cui turned to see someone unexpected—the retired Court Lady Cao, unseen for six years, who had settled in Yangzhou for retirement!
Perhaps these six years had been too comfortable and carefree. Court Lady Cao looked much the same as before—energetic and unchanged by age.
“Hurry up.” Court Lady Cao said: “The Emperor sent me to take you to Yangzhou. Don’t come back. Each emperor brings his own officials. You’ve been released by the Emperor now, and who knows what will happen when the new ruler ascends. Let’s get out of here quickly.”
The soul-shattered Commoner Cui was pulled onto the carriage by Court Lady Cao.
Qianqing Palace.
After arranging the consorts’ fates clearly, Emperor Hongwu had more instructions. He dismissed everyone and said to Court Lady Fan alone: “It’s time to bestow that pot of wine on the Crown Prince’s consort in the Eastern Palace.”
Emperor Hongwu had disapproved of Crown Prince’s consort Lady Lu for three years. An ignorant palace woman had actually spread rumors about a Court Lady and a high-ranking Embroidered Uniform Guard having an affair over a trivial matter… Bold, black-hearted, and stupid. But she was the Crown Prince’s birth mother and mother to all Eastern Palace children except the Second Imperial Grandson Zhu Yunting. When the Crown Prince ascended, Lady Lu would inevitably be made Empress Dowager.
Having such a stupid Empress Dowager would undoubtedly be a great hidden danger to the harem and court. Emperor Hongwu decided to eliminate the Crown Prince’s consort before his death.
But secretly executing the Crown Prince’s birth mother must be done in secret, unknown to the Crown Prince and the world, or it would harm the Crown Prince’s reputation.
Court Lady Fan accepted the order and commanded her trusted aide to take poisoned wine to the Eastern Palace.
Emperor Hongwu continued drinking life-sustaining ginseng soup. After about fifteen minutes, the aide returned empty-handed and nodded to Court Lady Fan. Court Lady Fan whispered to Emperor Hongwu: “The Crown Prince’s consort is dead.”
Emperor Hongwu, believing he had eliminated all hidden dangers flawlessly, finally summoned the Crown Prince and the Six Ministries’ ministers for his final words:
“I have held the Mandate of Heaven for thirty-one years, with accumulated worries in my heart, working diligently without rest, always seeking benefit for the people. However, starting from humble origins without the ancient sages’ vast knowledge, my love of good and hatred of evil falls far short. Now understanding the natural principle of all things, what is there to mourn?”
This meant: I came from humble origins, lacking the ancient sages’ learning. For thirty-one years as emperor, I’ve been conscientious and never slacked off for a single day. Death comes to all—you need not grieve.
“Yunwen, come here.”
Crown Prince Zhu Yunwen held back tears and knelt beside the sickbed. Emperor Hongwu gripped his hand tightly and said to the assembled ministers: “The Crown Prince has the empire’s allegiance and should ascend to the throne. All civil and military officials inside and outside should work together in governing to secure our people. Funeral and sacrificial items should not use gold and jade. The mountains and rivers of Xiaoling should remain as they are—make no changes. All subjects throughout the empire should mourn for three days, then remove mourning dress without hindrance to marriages.”
This meant: The Crown Prince is the only legitimate heir—you must assist him well. My funeral should be simple, using no gold and jade. Don’t change Xiaoling’s name. The people should mourn for three days then resume normal life, not delaying marriages and childbearing.
Finally, Emperor Hongwu mentioned his sons stationed in various fiefs. Steeling his heart, he said: “All princes in their domains must not come to the capital. All matters not covered in this decree should follow this principle.”
This meant: Princes should remain in their domains to mourn—they are forbidden from coming to the capital for my funeral.
Princes could not enter the capital without summons—otherwise, it was treason.
This completely blocked any possibility of princes making trouble at the funeral or competing with their young nephew for succession rights.
To protect the Crown Prince’s smooth accession, Emperor Hongwu was willing to die without any sons attending his funeral—when he was ruthless, he spared not even himself.
Having arranged everything, Emperor Hongwu gazed deeply at the kneeling people around him. His eyes finally rested on Zhu Yunwen: “A ruler must embrace the empire, restrain private desires, and put the greater good above all. Being an emperor is destined to be lonely and solitary. You must learn to companion with loneliness. Loneliness will keep you constantly alert. Whatever the time, you must remain calm, prioritize interests and the greater good, never let private desires control you. Every decision you make, large or small, will affect the Ming Dynasty’s fate. Do you understand?”
The Crown Prince’s gaze flickered momentarily, but quickly steadied. Crying, he said: “Grandson remembers.”
Hearing the Crown Prince’s promise, Emperor Hongwu finally closed his eyes. His grip on his grandson’s hand also loosened.
In the thirty-first year of Hongwu, eighth day of the fifth month, Emperor Hongwu died, aged seventy-one.
After Emperor Hongwu’s death, all consorts and palace maids who had been intimate with him, summoned to Qianqing Palace—except Beauty Zhang—were all forced to hang themselves to be buried with Emperor Hongwu.
Court Lady Fan, despite her vast experience, never imagined that the harem spanning thirty-one years of Hongwu’s reign, with hundreds and thousands of the Emperor’s women, would end in total annihilation!
She had carefully managed the harem, serving these women, only to find that in the end, they were no different from burial jade objects.
What then was the meaning of everything I did?
From her first day in the palace, Court Lady Fan had decided to spend her life there.
But now, she suddenly understood why Hu Shanwei had insisted on leaving the palace—because of disillusionment, because of doubting the value of this work. Once faith collapses, one wants to escape.
Moreover, each emperor brings his own officials. The Ming Dynasty would soon welcome a new empress, and the Court Lady must be someone trusted by both emperor and empress. My staying here would only be awkward. Better to return, better to return!
At this moment, Court Lady Fan, like Hu Shanwei six years earlier after losing Noble Consort Duanjing, wanted to leave.
Court Lady Fan decided that as soon as Emperor Hongwu’s funeral ended, she would immediately request resignation from the new emperor and empress, then go to Yangzhou to find Court Lady Cao and retire together after years of working together.
Having made this decision, Court Lady Fan returned to Emperor Hongwu’s bedchamber where he had just died to continue directing and handling funeral arrangements. But upon entering, she was startled by someone—Crown Prince’s consort Lady Lu, dressed in white mourning clothes, was kneeling under the dragon bed mourning!
How was this possible? Hadn’t she been secretly executed by Emperor Hongwu with a pot of poisoned wine?
Court Lady Fan quickly sought out the aide who had delivered the poisoned wine, but couldn’t find her. A eunuch from the Crown Prince’s side came to request: “Court Lady Fan, the Crown Prince requests your presence.”
Crown Prince’s Palace.
Court Lady Fan saw the untouched pot of poisoned wine on the table and knew she’d been betrayed by her aide—the wine had been intercepted by the Crown Prince and never reached the Eastern Palace!
The Crown Prince said: “Court Lady Fan has been a palace official for twenty-eight years and sees through everything. My mother did wrong, but as her son, I cannot watch my own mother die. Court Lady Fan is wise—this pot of wine never existed at all. Isn’t that right?”
The Crown Prince was about to ascend as the new ruler.
Court Lady Fan knew that if she said otherwise, this pot of wine would be poured down her own throat!
A wise person adapts to circumstances. Having survived so many years, Court Lady Fan immediately said: “Yes. Originally there was nothing—where could dust settle?”