It was nearly noon, and the early spring sunlight lazily spilled over the eastern wing of Ganye Temple’s main courtyard. The warmth touched the doorway, steps, and ground, making Wei Shubin desperately want to sit down and soothe her aching legs and back.
Of course, she would never display such crude and discourteous behavior. Standing opposite her was the tall and handsome young lord Yang Xinzhi, who, like her, was aimlessly pacing outside the eastern wing’s window. When their eyes occasionally met, they could only exchange awkward smiles.
Li Yuangui had hurriedly brought Yang Xinzhi to Ganye Temple to find Chai Yingluo, saying they had urgent matters to discuss. Since the western courtyard was crowded with too many eyes and ears, the four of them returned to the eastern wing of the main courtyard—the place where the County Lady of Linfen had hanged herself. The First Madam’s body had already been placed in a coffin and moved away, and the room had been cleaned thoroughly. It was very quiet now. Li Yuangui pulled Chai Yingluo inside to talk, asking Yang Xinzhi and Wei Shubin to wait outside, keep watch, and prevent any unauthorized persons from approaching to eavesdrop.
Only a paper window separated the inside from the outside. Though Li Yuangui had lowered his voice, making it difficult to hear the specifics of what he was saying, one could still detect the anxiety and indignation in his tone. Chai Yingluo merely responded with occasional “mm” and “ah” sounds, occasionally offering words of comfort.
Wei Shubin couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and asked Yang Xinzhi in a low voice:
“What’s wrong with Fourteenth Prince?”
Yang Xinzhi first asked her in return: “Does Miss Wei know about the Fourteenth Prince’s birth mother and sister in Da’an Palace?”
Wei Shubin nodded: “The Daoist Master told me about it.”
Yang Xinzhi sighed: “Yesterday morning… The Fourteenth Prince accompanied His Majesty and the Chai Prince father and son to Da’an Palace to pay respects to the Retired Emperor. The Retired Emperor remained in a stupor, so the Fourteenth Prince found an excuse to leave early and join us at Ganye Temple to investigate the case. His Majesty waited by the Retired Emperor’s bedside for over two hours, but the Retired Emperor never woke. His Majesty’s temper flared, and it’s said he spoke some harsh words to Consort Yin. This morning, servants from the Seventeenth Princess’s residence were spreading the word that the Seventeenth Princess cried all night without stopping…”
His voice was naturally deep, and speaking in a low tone with quick delivery, the string of words came out like mumbles in his throat, making them difficult to discern. Wei Shubin listened for a while and thought for a while before finally understanding the situation:
Consort Yin had bullied Li Yuangui’s family of three, driving his birth mother, Beauty Zhang, to hang herself, and then took his younger sister, the Seventeenth Princess, into her quarters to keep watch over her, using this to force Li Yuangui to preside over County Lady of Linfen’s wedding while still in mourning. The Emperor had only learned of this yesterday, and while waiting at Da’an Palace to see the Retired Emperor, his long wait and irritable mood likely led to a confrontation with Consort Yin at the Retired Emperor’s bedside. Consort Yin then took out her anger on the Seventeenth Princess in her custody, tormenting the young girl until she cried all night, and this news had reached Li Yuangui’s ears by morning…
“…Yingniang, you just focus on treating the Retired Emperor and keep that evil woman occupied by his bedside! Don’t worry about anything else! I’ll go rescue Seventeenth Sister myself!”
From behind the paper window, Li Yuangui’s voice rose, showing signs of recklessness. Chai Yingluo’s voice also grew louder:
“Fourteenth Uncle, don’t be rash! With so many courtyards between, last night’s events reached the Seventeenth Princess’s residence early this morning—the evil woman deliberately had people spread the word! The Da’an Hall is heavily guarded, and with just you alone, even with Xinzhi added, what chance do two people have forcing their way in?”
“I don’t care about the chances! I’ll fight that evil woman to the death! Life isn’t worth living anyway!”
“Listen to yourself! Fourteenth Uncle, wake up! Who are you? You’re of imperial blood, a jade branch of the golden tree, the Emperor’s brother—how could you waste your life fighting a vicious lowborn woman? Besides, Seventeenth Sister only has you, her birth brother, as a family now. Have you thought about what would happen to her if something happened to you?”
“That’s why I came to you first! Once we rescue Seventeenth Sister, she can stay at your temple for a while until we can slowly explain everything to the Empress. The Empress has already raised several daughters who lost their mothers, what’s one more with Seventeenth Sister…”
Outside the window, Wei Shubin and Yang Xinzhi exchanged glances. The voices from inside were getting so loud that servants passing through the courtyard could almost make out the words. Wei Shubin coughed and cleared her throat, and the voices inside immediately lowered again.
Yang Xinzhi gave her a bitter smile, his usually cheerful round face now full of worry. Wei Shubin couldn’t help but ask softly:
“Master Yang, if the Prince of Wu forces his way into Da’an Hall to rescue his sister, will you go with him?”
Yang Xinzhi was the personally appointed guard of the Prince of Wu’s treasury, and by rights should follow his master’s commands, but the thought of armed forcing entry into the Retired Emperor’s sleeping quarters was enough to make one’s legs tremble. Li Yuangui was the Retired Emperor’s son—the Emperor might keep it as a family matter and show leniency to his younger brother, but if a scapegoat was needed, Yang Xinzhi’s tall and broad frame would leave him nowhere to hide.
“Hopefully… it won’t come to that,” Yang Xinzhi responded with a bitter smile, looking dejected and somewhat pitiful. “If worse comes to worst, when your father receives the imperial order to compile the dynasty’s history in the future, please put in a good word for the Prince of Wu and me.”
Wei Shubin could only smile bitterly in return. She couldn’t even return home herself yet, and here he was thinking about her father Wei Zheng writing history—this Master Yang certainly had a broad mind and far-reaching thoughts.
After more quiet discussion inside, Chai Yingluo pushed open the door first, with Li Yuangui following behind, traces of tears still visible on his face.
“Azhen, I need to go to Da’an Palace,” the female Daoist sighed to Wei Shubin. “I guess you’ve heard and understood—it’s another troublesome matter. If you don’t want to get involved, you can return to Zixu Temple.”
“I’ll go with you, Sister Ying,” Wei Shubin now had the attitude of one who had so many lice they no longer itched, so many debts they no longer worried. Besides, Li Yuangui and Yang Xinzhi had helped her when she was in trouble—how could she stand aside when his sister was in difficulty? Whatever they planned to do, having one more person would be better if only to boost their courage.
Chai Yingluo first glanced at Li Yuangui, and seeing no objection from him, smiled at Wei Shubin: “Very well. They say your father is the Star Lord of Celestial Authority incarnate, carrying an aura of destruction—hopefully, some of that aura has been passed to you. We’re about to face a venomous dragon…”
The four mounted their horses and rode west along the main east-west road of the imperial garden toward Da’an Palace. On the way, they passed Zixu Temple, where Chai Yingluo sent an attendant to fetch some items. After about the time it took to eat a meal of riding, watchtowers, barriers, and other defensive installations began appearing more frequently along with guards, and Wei Shubin knew they were approaching Da’an Palace.
Da’an Palace sat at the westernmost end of the imperial garden, originally built as a detached palace against the mountain during the former Sui dynasty. In the fifth year of Wude, it was renovated and renamed “Hongyi Palace,” bestowed upon the Prince of Qin—now the current Tang Emperor—as his Prince of Qin’s residence and Heaven’s Strategy Office. The Prince of Qin’s family lived here for four years, moving to the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, and then to Taiji Palace in the third year of Zhenguan. That same year, Retired Emperor Li Yuan moved to Hongyi Palace, which was renamed “Da’an Palace” for his retirement years, and naturally, his imperial concubines and young children moved with him.
The outermost security checkpoint of Da’an Palace was a double-towered gate built along the mountain path, with permanent military barracks beside the towers. After verifying their passes and proceeding inward, the mountain path gradually narrowed. Though the four could still ride their horses, they couldn’t go fast, and the mountain pressed in more closely on both sides.
Past another palace gate, all four dismounted to proceed on foot. Chai Yingluo pointed to a branch path leading to a mountain hollow behind the gate, explaining to Wei Shubin: “That way leads to the Seventeenth Prince’s residence, where all of the Retired Emperor’s sons over twelve years old live. During the Wude years, this was where the Literature Institute was located, where the ‘Eighteen Scholars’ took turns staying on duty.”
Wei Shubin deliberately took a few extra glances, but the rocks blocked most of the view—she could only faintly make out the multi-storied buildings and a large complex of houses in the hollow. So this was where Li Yuangui normally lived, though she wondered whether Yang Xinzhi stayed with his master at night or had separate quarters.
The main hall of Da’an Palace, Da’an Hall, sat at quite an elevation. Wei Shubin was slightly out of breath by the time they reached the main palace gates. The deputy commander guarding the gate stopped all four of them and, though smiling politely, spoke in an unyielding tone:
“Fourteenth Prince, please forgive me. You know that since the Retired Emperor’s health declined at the end of last year, all princes and imperial brothers have been prohibited from visiting without a summons. True Master, you’ve come to deliver medicine?—This humble official will send someone to inform Consort Yin. Please wait a moment.”
During their journey, Chai Yingluo had sent someone to fetch a bundle from Zixu Temple. Now Wei Shubin stood behind the female Daoist holding this bundle, acting as her servant. Seeing the guard’s inquiry, Chai Yingluo took the bundle and opened it for his inspection of the porcelain bottles and medicinal powders inside. Li Yuangui, however, couldn’t contain his impatience and complained angrily:
“Yesterday I accompanied His Majesty to pay respects to the Retired Emperor but didn’t get to see him awake. Can’t a son who’s worried about his father visit when he’s ill? I hear my birth sister, the Seventeenth Princess, isn’t well either. As her elder brother, I haven’t seen my little sister for almost two months. Not letting me in—where’s the human decency and heavenly principle in that!”
“All right, all right,” Chai Yingluo consoled him, “You know the Retired Emperor’s condition can’t handle disturbances. Fourteenth Uncle, just wait here. I’ll go in to check on him, and if he’s better, I’ll ask him to summon you for an audience.”
Wei Shubin was holding the medicine box for the guard’s inspection when she noticed him give a skeptical smirk at the exchange between uncle and niece. Chai Yingluo continued: “I’m afraid the Retired Emperor might still be too weak for visitors. In that case, I’ll ask Consort Yin to let Seventeenth Sister come out to talk with you. Consort Yin is most considerate and has always given me face—Fourteenth Uncle, please just wait a while.”
Li Yuangui’s expression improved somewhat, but he still muttered, “What harm would it do to let me go in with you? Why make things so complicated?” Regardless of what he said, the guard kept apologizing with smiles while firmly refusing to let him enter. Wei Shubin looked at the twenty-some armed palace guards in bright armor flanking the gate and thought to herself that if Li Yuangui tried to “force his way into Da’an Hall to rescue someone” as he’d suggested, he and Yang Xinzhi wouldn’t even make it past this first gate, let alone see his father and sister.
Chai Yingluo, however, commanded considerable respect. Not long after the guards sent word inside, a message returned “requesting True Master to enter.” Wei Shubin carried the bundle and followed behind the female Daoist through the gate.
There was a sizeable open space before Da’an Hall, quite rare in this cramped mountain palace. The main hall had a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, covered with glazed tiles that gleamed green in the sunlight. However, Chai Yingluo didn’t enter the main hall but turned west toward a smaller elevated pavilion—the Retired Emperor’s sleeping quarters were located there.
Upon entering the warm chamber, the heavy medicinal smell made Wei Shubin dizzy. She kept her eyes lowered as she followed Chai Yingluo, passing around an ornately carved wooden screen with flower and branch designs, and bowed to a beautifully dressed palace lady who came out to greet them.
So this was the infamous “vicious lowborn” Consort Yin.
Wei Shubin had always imagined “bewitching imperial consorts” like Beauty Zhang and Consort Yin as seductive coquettes or stunning beauties, or perhaps delicate and graceful like Princess Hailing’s wife Lady Yang, but this consort in her thirties stood ramrod straight, with clear features and sharp eyes, slightly thick lips and strong features. Her beauty wasn’t particularly striking, but she carried the noble and commanding air of a matriarch from a prominent Guanlong family. In terms of presence alone, she matched Zixu Temple’s Abbess Chai Yingluo—the young female Daoist might even appear somewhat immature before her.
Chai Yingluo exchanged a few quiet pleasantries with Consort Yin. Seeming to sense Wei Shubin staring at her, Consort Yin’s gaze swept over:
“This young lady True Master brought today looks unfamiliar.”
“Madam Yin has keen eyes,” Chai Yingluo smiled as she introduced, “This is Minister Wei’s eldest daughter, currently staying at my temple to fast and pray for her mother’s blessing, while also learning some medical skills from me.”
Wei Shubin hurriedly bowed again to Consort Yin, but before she could complete the formalities, a hoarse cry came from behind the deep curtains of the bed in the room:
“…Yin…Ah Yin…”
“The Retired Emperor is awake.” Chai Yingluo started, quickly taking two steps to the bedside and kneeling to lift a corner of the curtain, calling softly:
“Grandfather? Maternal Grandfather? Yingluo is here to serve you.”
Wei Shubin followed with the medicine, peeking through the gap in the bed curtains. She could faintly make out an elderly face with disheveled white hair and a beard, covered in age spots and wrinkles. His eyes were neither fully open nor closed, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his cracked lips continued to move without making a sound.
This was Emperor Li Yuan of the Great Tang, who had risen from Taiyuan to rule the four seas, only to be forced to abdicate by his son in a military coup.
“Grandfather.” Chai Yingluo called again, louder this time, lifting the curtain wider. The old man on the bed responded, his confused gaze sweeping over the female Daoist’s pretty face, but he seemed not to recognize her and only called out with trembling lips:
“Ah Yin…”
“Ah Yin is here.” Consort Yin, holding a bowl of medicine just delivered by palace maids, walked to the bedside and cast a somewhat triumphant glance at Chai Yingluo, who had no choice but to stand and make way. Consort Yin sat on the edge of the bed, stirring the steaming medicine with a silver spoon while coaxing gently:
“Your Majesty, don’t be anxious, take your time to speak. I’m right here, I won’t go anywhere, I’ll stay with Your Majesty…”
The Retired Emperor Li Yuan seemed to have nothing particular to say. His clouded old eyes merely caught sight of Consort Yin, and he relaxed with satisfaction, closing his eyes. But he stretched out one bony arm with protruding joints from under the thick blanket, slowly reaching out to touch Consort Yin’s thigh as she sat on the bed, and then went still.
It was common for a terminally ill elderly person, even when barely conscious, to develop a deep dependency on a particular caregiver, like an infant depending on its mother. This situation was ordinary enough, but when the elderly person held such a special status, it became extremely problematic.
Wei Shubin began to understand why the current Emperor, Empress, Chai Yingluo, and others all hated Consort Yin but dared not move against her. The Emperor needed to maintain his image as a filial son and naturally hoped his elderly father would live a few years longer.
Consort Yin stirred the medicine and blew on it to cool it, waves of bitter medicinal smell wafting out. Chai Yingluo stood beside her, sniffing, and asked quietly:
“Is this still the licorice and ginseng decoction that Wu Jingxian and the others prescribed?”
“Yes,” Consort Yin answered, “The imperial physicians consulted together on this prescription—how would I dare change it arbitrarily?”
“Madam Yin, please wait a moment,” Chai Yingluo turned and beckoned to Wei Shubin, “Azhen, take out the celadon bottle from the box and dispense one Snow Ginseng Soul-Calming Pill.”
Wei Shubin couldn’t identify which medicine was the Snow Ginseng Soul-Calming Pill, but there were only two small black wood boxes and one celadon narrow-necked bottle in the bundle box. Chai Yingluo took the wooden box and gestured for Wei Shubin to take out the celadon bottle and remove its stopper, pouring one light yellow pill into her palm.
The pill was only the size of a mung bean and looked unremarkable, yet a fresh fragrance rose from Wei Shubin’s palm, refreshing the spirit upon inhaling it. Consort Yin couldn’t help but laugh: “Such precious medicine, like a golden bean, so tiny—what use could it be?”
“Madam mustn’t underestimate this ‘Snow Ginseng Soul-Calming Pill.’ Yingluo begged Master Sun for several years to obtain this immortal formula, and between gathering the ingredients and refining them, it took three winters and three summers to produce just this small bottle. It’s most suitable for the elderly with weak constitutions.” The female Daoist held the medicine box while instructing Wei Shubin: “Azhen, carefully drop this pill into the Retired Emperor’s medicine.”
Wei Shubin reached out, but Consort Yin, holding the bowl, instinctively drew back.
The atmosphere in the warm chamber instantly froze.
Vol 1 – Chapter 18 Annotations:
1. Additional notes on Da’an Palace mentioned in this chapter:
According to the Tang Huiyao, Volume 30, entry on Hongyi Palace: “On the fifth day of the seventh month in the fifth year of Wude, Hongyi Palace was established. Initially, the Prince of Qin resided in the Chengqian Hall within the palace complex. Given the Prince of Qin’s merit in establishing control over the realm, Emperor Gaozu granted him a special privilege by building this separate palace for his residence.”
“In the seventh month of the ninth year (after the Xuanwu Gate Incident), Emperor Gaozu took a liking to Hongyi Palace for its scenic mountain and forest views. In the fourth month of the third year of Zhenguan, he moved to reside there, renaming it Tai’an Palace… Censorate Inspector Ma Zhou submitted a memorial stating: ‘Your servant observes that Tai’an Palace lies west of the palace city, and its walls, buildings, and gates are notably modest compared to the Purple Ultimate Palace. Your servant notes that while the Crown Prince’s residence (Eastern Palace) is within the palace city, Tai’an Palace, where the Most Venerable resides, lies outside the city walls. Although the Retired Emperor pursues spiritual cultivation and maintains frugal intentions, and Your Majesty repeatedly respects his modest wishes and conserves human resources, when foreign envoys pay tribute and observers from the four directions come to view it, it appears inadequate for reverent viewing. Your servant wishes to construct battlements, erect gate towers, and ensure grandeur to meet the expectations of all directions—thus would great filial piety be manifest to all under heaven.'”
The cited materials first indicate Da’an Palace’s topography with its “scenic mountain and forest views,” and secondly confirm that this detached palace had “walls and gates,” though built to a prince’s specifications and thus unsuitable for a Retired Emperor’s status. Ma Zhou’s suggestion to “construct battlements, erect gate towers, and ensure grandeur” was meant to help Emperor Taizong maintain his image of filial piety. Some scholars’ interpretation that Taizong intentionally mistreated his father appears to be excessive speculation.
2. Regarding the “Imperial Physician Wu Jingxian” mentioned in this chapter:
There’s an interesting historical source. When Li Shimin was Prince of Qin, he wrote a letter to a general stationed on the northern frontier, mentioning that he was sending someone called “Jingxian” to treat the general’s illness, stating “As for Jingxian whom you requested, you may keep him until I call for his return.” This letter has been preserved in calligraphy collections, with rubbings still existing today.
Additionally, the Book of Sui mentions a famous physician named “Wu Jingxian” twice. First in Mai Tiezhang’s biography: “During the Liaodong campaign, he requested to lead the vanguard, turning to physician Wu Jingxian saying: ‘A great man’s life has its destiny—how could one submit to moxibustion on the forehead, melon stem nasal treatment, failing to cure jaundice, only to die in the hands of children?'” The second mention appears in the “Bibliography” section, listing Wu Jingxian as one of the authors of the medical text “Treatise on the Sources and Manifestations of All Diseases.” Given the low probability of two contemporary physicians sharing the same name, and considering Li Shimin’s status and authority when writing the letter, it’s likely that the “Jingxian” mentioned in his letter was indeed this Wu Jingxian.