Chapter 6
The edict lavished beautiful praise upon my stepmother.
She supported her husband, governed his household admirably, and had raised devoted children.
Then it turned to the Empress’s decision to bring me to Zhengyang Palace to be raised under her care.
My stepmother, still basking in satisfaction, gaped.
“But…”
The good reputation she had labored to cultivate, and the torments she inflicted to vent her anger, had become the means by which I could climb higher.
The eunuch delivering the decree smiled at her.
With such a virtuous mother and such exemplary devotion, why should even a lowly mistress’s daughter not be chosen by the Empress?
Of course my stepmother would not accept it willingly.
After much hesitation, she finally found an excuse.
“Sir, Huaiyu is so considerate. My injuries have only just healed. I fear I cannot spare her yet.”
The eunuch remained unhurried.
“Her Majesty is taking your beloved daughter. Naturally she must find a way to compensate you.”
He produced a second edict.
Her anxiety turned to delight. She bowed down once more.
When she heard that He Jinxin, a first-rank maid of Zhengyang Palace, was bestowed upon the Marquis as an honored concubine, her rigid back collapsed.
The eunuch placed the decree in her hands with an affable smile.
“My lady, I’ve watched Miss Jinxin grow up. Her character and looks are beyond reproach, and there is no one more capable.
“Allow me to congratulate His Lordship and you.”
My stepmother looked as though her bones had dissolved.
“How can this be? How could this happen…”
The eunuch explained:
“A remarkable coincidence. While ill these past few days, Miss Jinxin amused herself by writing poems and painting on her handkerchiefs.
“When she put them out to dry, the wind carried one onto a palace path. His Lordship happened to pick it up. Why, it’s a match made in Heaven.”
I pressed my lips together hard to suppress my smile.
My stepmother clenched her teeth. A vein beat at her temple.
I guessed she was inwardly calling it “brothel tricks.”
Anything she could not learn or do well fell under that heading.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t write fine calligraphy or poetry, paint, or play music. She merely devoted herself to the “proper path” of household management and disdained such “brothel tricks” for seducing men.
I understood.
The eunuch accepted a maid’s purse of reward silver and tucked his hands into his sleeves.
“Her Majesty bestowed Miss Jinxin on the Marquis precisely because she cares for your welfare.
“Of course, Miss Jinxin has served her for years. Her Majesty wishes to find her a good home. With you to look after her, she can rest easy.”
In other words, a woman the Empress had praised as virtuous and generous could hardly turn into a jealous wife who would tolerate no rival.
My stepmother clearly understood too.
She had no choice but to force a smile and kowtow.
“I thank Her Majesty for her grace.”