In June’s scorching heat and July’s flowing fire, the blazing sun during the day was so harsh it prevented people from opening their eyes. By nightfall, standing on the watchtower and looking out, the Great Fire star gradually moved westward, seemingly about to set. The Emperor in white robes murmured, “The weather should turn cool…”
At night there was indeed no feeling of summer heat. With hands behind his back and face upturned, a sky full of stars spread before his eyes, his nose seemingly able to touch heaven at any moment. Beside him, Chong Mau broke into a cold sweat. The watchtower was eight or nine zhang from the ground – if he should slip and fall, even the Yu Steps treading the Eight Trigrams and cosmos couldn’t save this master.
He extended his hand tremblingly halfway, not daring to make his movements too obvious, half-retracting into his sleeves, using a pleading tone: “Your Majesty, it’s deep into the night. Please come down and be careful not to catch cold.”
The Emperor paid him no heed, turning his head north and pointing with one finger toward the burned-out watchtower that was only half-built: “Our Empress, her physical body died there. Even as a ghost she’s unwilling to leave Us, so she’s moved into Tongyun’s shell.”
Such matters, no one could explain clearly. Are there ghosts and spirits in the world? Believe and they exist; disbelieve and they don’t. But the Emperor absolutely believed without doubt. Since beginning Daoist cultivation, he no longer even lived in Qianqing Palace, because Qianqing Palace was separated from Chengqian Palace only by East First Long Street. When the Empress went mad, she kept saying the dead Noble Consort Shao and Prince Rong were making disturbances inside. He scolded with his mouth but was terrified in his heart, so he moved to Xihaizi to cultivate. Later the Empress roasted herself into Peking duck with one fire, and Tongyun claimed to be possessed. This time His Majesty had encountered the real thing – in his grief he fell in love again. A coveted body paired with an irreplaceable soul – what could be more complete? Unfortunately, when he excitedly shared his plans with the Grand Princess, she completely opposed it. So after receiving her reply, His Majesty was dejected for a long time.
“Back then Wanwan was such a lovable child. Now that she’s married, how has she become so cold to family? It must be Prince Nanyuan who corrupted her. Yuwen Liangshi taught her to oppose Us, deliberately spoiling Our enthusiasm – truly detestable!” His tone carried deep regret about marrying his sister off to Nanyuan.
He had just taken medicine not long ago and was still somewhat dazed, swaying on the wall top, frightening Chong Mau until his liver shattered.
“This servant knows Master misses Her Highness. What’s there to worry about? How could there not be a day when Her Highness returns?” He held up both hands with tears in his eyes. “My master, please be careful – this is no joke… Come down. You can write Her Highness another letter explaining the whole situation. She doesn’t know Tongyun is Master’s Empress, so naturally she wouldn’t be pleased about you making a maid-born person Empress… If you write clearly in the letter, this servant will have it sent to Nanyuan by eight-hundred-li express. Once Her Highness sees it, she’ll surely understand.”
The Emperor blinked several times, originally wanting to sing a few verses, but finding his throat not quite right, he gave up.
Coming down from the wall top, he intended to return and write a letter, but unexpectedly fell dead asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. He slept until noon the next day, awakened by insect calls.
Cool at midnight didn’t mean summer had truly passed. It remained unbearably hot, with cicadas on branches calling themselves hoarse. They would suddenly pause, and just as one enjoyed a moment of peace, another overwhelming wave of sound would rise. The person on the bed stretched stiff and pounded the bed boards, shouting loudly: “Damn it! This place truly doesn’t let people live! Chong Mau, Chong Mau, where the hell did you go?”
Chong Mau, standing outside the floor screen, came running in with his whisk, bowing at the waist: “This servant is here, awaiting Your Majesty’s instructions.”
The Emperor was furious: “Send people to catch all those cicadas for Us!”
Chong Mau glanced outside: “Reporting to Your Majesty, they can’t be caught clean. Catch them today, more come tomorrow. Beijing has many cicadas – when they can’t stay somewhere, they specifically seek empty places. Fewer today means more tomorrow.”
The Emperor refused to believe this evil, slapping the bedding and sitting up. Running under the tree and looking up, there were several types of cicadas on the tree, large and small – big seasonal birds, small seasonal birds, and those that specifically sang at dusk called “prostrate heaven.” He frowned, just about to speak when suddenly a string of rain drops fell. Looking at the sky, it was cloudless and didn’t seem like weather would change. Only then did he realize – it was cicada urine that had splashed his face!
He wiped with his hand, dragon countenance furious: “Cut down this tree for Us!”
Chong Mau dared not say more, quickly agreeing and beckoning young eunuchs over to relay orders to the Hall Supervision to dig up the magnolia tree in front of Yangxin Hall by its roots.
The Emperor’s anger hadn’t subsided, stamping his foot: “Burn it! Don’t let a single cicada escape!”
The dignified Son of Heaven couldn’t get along with a few noisy cicadas – it was truly somewhat laughable. But no one had the courage to offend imperial dignity. They hastily agreed, and soon over ten eunuchs came carrying shovels, viciously digging around the tree roots. The cicadas on the tree, disturbed by the vibration, flew away in flocks. Since the tree was already half-dug with no need to preserve it, they gritted their teeth and severed the roots. Over ten people carried it out of Yangxin Hall.
Looking at the pit in the ground, the Emperor was satisfied: “The palace shouldn’t have planted trees anyway – who knows if assassins might hide behind branches and leaves. This is good – dig it up clean, no more harboring insects, and no fear of assassination either. Two birds with one stone.”
Chong Mau voiced agreement while the Emperor entered the hall. He quickly gestured for them to fill that hole, find matching ornamental bricks to pave the ground, and not delay – if His Majesty flew into rage, the imperial attendants would suffer again.
Tea service brought fragrant tea. The Emperor sat behind his desk, staring blankly at the scholar’s implements on the table: “What you said yesterday – We should write little sister another letter explaining the circumstances?”
This master was moody and unpredictable. Chong Mau was also somewhat afraid, saying tremblingly: “This servant’s mind doesn’t work well – I could only think of this.” After a pause he continued: “Actually why must Your Majesty need the Grand Princess’s approval? You are the master – your golden words are jade decrees. Who dares disobey?”
The Emperor shook his head: “This sister is different – We only have this one relative…”
“You still have the princes. Ten Highnesses are so filial, coming daily to pay respects.”
The so-called paying respects, of course, wouldn’t receive audiences – just kowtowing from behind the spirit wall. Chong Mau would say “Sacred body at peace,” and the princes would withdraw to study in the upper study hall.
Father-son bonds were shallow. The Emperor’s evaluation of his ten princes was “feathers not fully grown, can’t even be counted as people,” therefore couldn’t be called relatives. In his heart, only that sister born of the same mother was acknowledged. Though this sister sometimes scolded him like scolding a grandson, he didn’t find her hateful – after not seeing her for a while, he still missed her greatly.
Unfortunately, grown girls couldn’t be kept – they all belonged to others. The Emperor picked up his brush in a daze. Having just written “seeing words is like seeing person,” Pingchuan announced loudly outside: “There’s an express report from Jiangnan, respectfully requesting Your Majesty’s imperial perusal.”
The Emperor set down his brush, waited for Chong Mau to present it, and opened it to see. On the silk cloth rolled as thin as a finger were simply written two sentences: “Grand Princess encountered joy on the fifteenth of seventh month. Prince Nanyuan laughed with great delight.”
“The Grand Princess is with child…” The Emperor showed an expression of half-crying, half-laughing: “Wanwan is still a child herself, and she’s going to bear children too?”
Chong Mau exclaimed: “This is tremendous good news!”
The Emperor said: “Including the one born by Yin Ge, We have been a father eleven times, but this is the first time being an uncle. The Grand Princess has rendered meritorious service through hardship.”
Chong Mau repeatedly agreed: “Presumably Prince Nanyuan’s memorial will also reach the capital shortly. Your Majesty can tell this good news to the Empress Dowager, letting her share in the joy too.”
But the Emperor remained silent. After a long pause, he said coldly: “Draft Our handwritten edict: The Grand Princess has been married for half a year, and the Empress Dowager misses her greatly. Command the Grand Princess to depart immediately to visit relatives. Order the Ceremonial Supervision to send people to escort Her Highness’s honored return. Prince Nanyuan need not escort her – remain in his jurisdiction to manage river channels and grain transport affairs.”
Chong Mau was stunned. The handwritten edict made no mention of the Grand Princess’s pregnancy – was this to strike first before Prince Nanyuan’s memorial reached the capital?
Having finished speaking, the Emperor sighed softly: “Good, let’s handle it this way. Wanwan grew up in Beijing after all, accustomed to Beijing’s climate and soil. Now that she’s pregnant, naturally she should return to Beijing to nurture the pregnancy. The Grand Princess’s mansion was built so magnificently, yet she hasn’t lived there a single day – what a pity. Bringing her back for a short stay, the whole family reunited, would be perfect for sharing family happiness.”
Pingchuan received the edict outside the threshold and went to the Ceremonial Supervision to relay it. Chong Mau stepped forward to clear away the spread writing implements while observing the Emperor’s expression: “Master, why not have Prince Nanyuan come to the capital together? Separating the young couple now might cause…”
“We precisely want to see how capable this Prince Nanyuan is – whether he can escape Our Five Finger Mountain. Summoning him to the capital… wouldn’t be good. This person’s mind is too active, like a handful of arsenic thrown into a big pot – it could poison a large area. Besides, Nanyuan has many official duties, and We need someone to handle affairs for Us.” He smiled: “As long as he behaves properly without evil thoughts, his wife and child will still be his – what’s there to worry about?”
So it was the same old trick, just like when Noble Consort Duan was enthroned as Empress to control Xiao Duo. The Emperor was someone who tried to balance leisurely pleasure with imperial power. The court was like turnips in holes – pull one out and you must fill in another. The problem was that replacement turnips weren’t necessarily the same size. Worried about poor fit? The best method was not to move them – let them serve you. The Emperor always believed in meeting change with constancy. This decision he felt was handled quite well. Having the Grand Princess visit relatives – who above or below dared object? He knew Prince Nanyuan wouldn’t offer any resistance at this time. Seizing his vital point while his wings weren’t fully grown was ten thousand times easier than suppressing him after he gained power later.
When a man loves a woman too much, it truly isn’t good. The Emperor slowly paced around the gold-inlaid chilong incense burner. Love created vulnerabilities. Though this brother-in-law was ruthless, he was far from heartless. Wanwan would be safe in the capital. As long as she was there, Yuwen wouldn’t act rashly – unless he could manage to kill Wanwan and her child, using that as pretext to rally heroes… If it really came to that, such a person couldn’t be called human – essentially no different from beasts.
A thousand li away from the Forbidden City, a swift horse galloped out in a cloud of dust. In Jinling, Prince Nanyuan’s mansion still resounded with music and song.
Having eaten too many crabs, the Grand Princess had begun having stomach troubles a few days ago. When illness strikes like a mountain collapse, she suffered from vomiting and diarrhea, frightening everyone in the mansion. Liangshi no longer went out on business, staying home to watch over her anxiously. She was extremely weak but didn’t forget to tell Tonghuan to throw away the fishing rod – she was determined to quit fishing. After the mansion’s physician took her pulse, along with spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, he brought stunning good news – Her Highness was pregnant. For a moment everyone looked at each other. After repeated confirmation, the Dowager Consort entered the family temple to report the good news to the Late Prince. Liangshi was so overjoyed he spoke incoherently – this reaction was like a first-time father. In his heart, probably only children born with his beloved could truly count as his children.
However, those two crabs had caused great suffering. She needed both to protect the pregnancy and treat her deficiency-cold syndrome. Fortunately the child was robust – despite such tribulation, it remained stable as Mount Tai. Liangshi said this child would surely have heaven-spanning and earth-connecting talent because flowing in his veins was the blood of both Murong and Yuwen clans.
Wanwan found it incredible: “I can actually have my own child, so quickly…”
He shamelessly drew close: “Hard work pays off – it’s all due to my day-and-night labor.”
She blushed and hit him once, indicating there were still others present. He looked back to see Xiao You and Tonghuan with embarrassed faces. He laughed heartily and waved them away.
“From today on, no matter how important outside affairs are, I won’t leave the mansion – I’m guarding against you needing me.” He sat beside her, holding her in his arms and rocking: “Good Wanwan, you’re truly accomplished! I originally thought you were too young and would need more time. I never expected this to happen so soon. You don’t know how happy I am in my heart. Honestly, when Lan Zhou and Lan Ting were born, I sat in the study listening to servants report – it seemed unrelated to me. After ten-some days I went to look at them once. They slept all day. Their mother said their features resembled mine, but I couldn’t tell at all. Later they were sent to their mother to raise, so I saw them more often. Anyway, father is father, sons are sons – nothing particularly remarkable. Now that you’re pregnant, this is the apple of my eye – I can’t leave for even a moment.”
Speaking thus, with infinite attachment, he buried his face in her chest like a child – where was the bearing of a frontier vassal prince?
She laughed and patted him: “Be careful the sons don’t hear and blame their father for favoritism.”
He looked stubborn: “When they’re older they’ll understand such things. Sons aren’t all the same – it depends who bore them. Others have mothers gaining honor through sons; with me it’s sons gaining honor through mothers.”
Wanwan was helpless with him, but she truly loved this current situation. She too had a child now – the future path could be walked very lively.
This illness accompanied by good news wasn’t difficult to recover from. After lying in bed three days until her bones stiffened all over, once better she wanted to go out and walk. Hearing rhythmic tapping outside – someone selling osmanthus cakes was passing by – she slipped on shoes and rushed to the door: “Quick, quick, stop that person.”
Xiao You called to the young eunuch at the hanging flower gate, who darted out like a rabbit. Wanwan couldn’t sit still and had Xiao You support her to follow. Pregnant women naturally had cravings.
The Prince’s mansion was quite deep. To reach the front main gate required passing through several courtyards. Generally female family members lived within the second gate, hence the saying about not going out the main gate or stepping through the second gate. However, rules weren’t truly that strict – like her occasionally wandering throughout the mansion, she often went beyond the second gate.
Beyond the second gate was another world, where servants came and went in an orderly manner without need for avoidance. She went up to the covered walkway and walked a stretch when she suddenly saw someone kneeling by the flower bed. The sun was so vicious, yet he wore only a vest with both arms exposed to sunlight, having raised a layer of oily sweat.
“What’s wrong?” She stopped and asked: “Exposing someone to such heat – even the bronze torture device wouldn’t be worse.”
A steward quickly came, swept his sleeves and made a deep bow: “Reporting to Your Highness, this stubborn mule lacks character. Second Young Master whipped him twice, and he pushed Second Young Master into a sprawling fall. Punishing him with kneeling is already lenient. If the Dowager Consort knew, she’d have him hung from a flagpole – that would be getting off easy!”
Wanwan knew that Lan Ting always loved wielding a green bamboo branch, foolishly causing trouble everywhere. Looking at that person, he must be fifty years old, with crisscrossing bruises on his arms. The steward’s “twice” was clearly quite vicious – he’d been thoroughly beaten.
“I’ll speak to Second Young Master on his behalf. Stop kneeling. In such hot weather, it could kill someone.”
At Wanwan’s word, she also had water brought. The man took the ladle and drank like an ox, then turned around and kowtowed four times to her.
She was pregnant and needed to accumulate virtue through good deeds, simply saying it wasn’t necessary: “Get up. Next time take a detour when you see him – don’t butt heads.”
The man kowtowed several more times, stood up, and agreed with hands hanging respectfully.
Wanwan saw he wore a eunuch’s hemp cloth tunic and asked his name.
His voice was both clear and crisp: “This servant is Cui Guixiang.” He smoothly performed a standard, neat bow: “Paying respects to Grand Princess Your Highness.”