Chapter 2
Chapter 2
In autumn, Eldest Sister was finally brought back to the manor.
The woman who was once the most radiant beauty in Chang’an, the city’s finest blossom, was now so thin she was little more than a bag of bones.
Her plain silk dress hung loosely on her frame, looking as if a gentle breeze could sweep her away.
She knelt on the white jade tiles and kowtowed, oblivious to the dust staining her forehead.
Father sat high in his armchair. The hand that once stroked his beard in praise while testing her lessons now merely toyed with the rim of his teacup.
When she reached her eighth kowtow, Second Sister stepped forward to support her.
“Father, whatever the fault, it was all that Scholar Xue’s doing. Eldest Sister knows she was wrong; please, forgive her.”
She used a silk handkerchief to gently wipe Eldest Sister’s forehead.
“Sister, you are far too stubborn. If this leaves a scar, not only will your beauty be ruined, but word will get out that our family mistreats its daughters.”
Those words caused the expressions of Father and Mother, seated at the head of the room, to darken.
Taking the opportunity, Eldest Sister grasped Second Sister’s hand, tears shimmering in her eyes.
“From this day forward, I will surely be of one heart and mind with my sister, and serve our parents well.”
After that, although Eldest Sister returned to the ladies’ quarters, she struggled to regain Father’s favor.
The more this was the case, the harder Eldest Sister worked.
She practiced calligraphy at dawn, danced at midnight, and reviewed account books at noon.
Whenever she went out, the young men of Chang’an would throw fruit to fill her carriage, vying for a glimpse of her beauty.
When Mother attended banquets, she was always accompanied by two beauties.
Eldest Sister was dazzling beyond compare, while Second Sister was clever and tactful.
One could compose poetry with a single glance; the other could diffuse any awkwardness at the table with just a few words.
I caught a faint sense that in the moments their sleeves brushed while walking together, there was a subtle, hidden rivalry.
In the twelfth lunar month, a plum-blossom viewing banquet was held in the palace.
The two sisters accompanied our parents into the imperial grounds.
As the musicians played the “Rainbow Raiment Prelude,” Eldest Sister spread her wide sleeves, dancing with the grace of a startled swan and the lightness of one treading on moonlight.
When the dance ended, the entire hall fell silent. Even the Emperor on his dragon throne forgot to sip his wine.
The Emperor rubbed the jade thumb ring on his hand for a long time before finally speaking.
“Minister Kong has raised a fine daughter. She makes all of Our girls look like common, painted dolls.”
Hearing this, Father immediately left his seat and knelt in prostration.
“Your servant is overwhelmed with trepidation.”
“The Princesses are of noble blood, like the moon in the sky. My daughter is but the glimmer of a broken tile; how could she dare compete with the sun and moon?”
The Emperor was greatly pleased and immediately bestowed imperial wine upon her, asking Eldest Sister:
“What is your name?”
“Your servant’s name is Ruzhang.”
“The character ‘Zhang’ is too rigid. Seeing your dancing grace, how do you like the name ‘Pianpian’?”
Eldest Sister received the name bestowed by the Emperor. Within three days, the imperial decree to appoint her as a consort arrived at the Chancellor’s Mansion.
Eldest Sister knelt to receive the decree. Her voice as she gave thanks was like the warble of an oriole, tinged with shyness.
Standing behind her, I watched the whisk of the decree-bearing eunuch fade into the distance. I suddenly remembered that year in the small pavilion in the northwest, where Eldest Sister had knelt on the ground with her back just as straight.
However, that kowtow years ago had shattered a young girl’s heart.
This kowtow today had secured a magnificent future.
Second Sister stepped forward to take her hand, bowing gracefully.
“Congratulations to Sister for gaining His Majesty’s favor. This is an honor for the entire Kong Clan.”
A smile touched Eldest Sister’s lips, but her eyes held a trace of coldness.
“Second Sister has been very diligent in her service lately. You must be careful not to let your cleverness backfire.”
Second Sister did not take offense. She smiled and tucked a stray lock of hair behind Eldest Sister’s ear.
“Sister, you joke. In the future, I will still have to rely on your care.”
She smiled with a hint of triumph, as if victory was already in her grasp.
Between the two legitimate daughters of the Kong Clan who were of age, one had to enter the palace.
A superior person plans their actions from the very beginning.
Second Sister was certain of Father’s strategy of political balance.
One entering the palace as a consort was to plant a hidden piece near the Emperor; the other marrying Prince Xian was to pave the way for the future.
In this way, no matter how the winds of change blew, the Kong Clan would remain invincible.
The Emperor was in his prime, yet he was nearing forty; entering the palace meant being only a consort or concubine.
What Second Sister wanted was the position of Princess Consort of Xian.