chapter 3
chapter 3
Three years earlier, the Prince of Qi had disguised himself as a merchant while touring the south. He fell in love at first sight with Buzhen, an entertainer in a brothel.
Buzhen gave him the gold, silver, and jewelry she had saved, hoping he would buy her freedom.
Among her possessions was a jade pendant, a token of love her birth father had left her mother, a celebrated courtesan.
Recognizing its imperial design, the Prince of Qi sent Ningzhuang to investigate. His plan was to reunite Buzhen with her birth father, then marry her and win the support of her paternal clan.
The jade pendant, however, belonged to Father.
So the Prince of Qi planted Ningzhuang beside Mother and prepared to sow discord between the emperor and empress.
He also arranged for Buzhen to enter the Imperial Music Bureau. Her supposed obedience would be set against my willfulness, and then Father would be told that Buzhen was his daughter too.
Thus, Mother and I would lose favor, while Father’s affection shifted to the Prince of Qi and Buzhen.
The prince could then request a posthumous title for his birth mother. Ideally, he would become the legitimate eldest son and make his claim to the succession unassailable.
I was speechless. “And this is the master you chose?”
He wanted to become heir apparent, yet his mind was as consumed by competing for affection as that of his birth mother—a laundry maid who had borne the eldest prince and still died at low rank.
Father was already fifty and had yet to name an heir because his sons were all timid and mediocre. Not one of those short men rose above the rest.
Ningzhuang smiled bitterly. “At the time, this servant’s mother was gravely ill. The Prince of Qi bestowed ten pieces of gold upon us.”
Now that she was a favorite beside the empress, ten pieces of gold were no fortune. Three years ago, however, Ningzhuang had been only a maid who swept the floors.
It was easy to add flowers to brocade; hard to deliver coal in a snowstorm.
Ningzhuang added, “The Prince of Qi said that ten gold pieces had bought two worthless lives, so a cheap maid had better prove useful.
“My mother lay dying just when the owner of the jade pendant needed to be confirmed. He cursed her for not dying faster and told this servant not to waste time.”
I had no answer to that.
Some coal gave off nothing but choking smoke.
That was all Ningzhuang knew.
It was far from enough.
Father had very few children, and I was his only daughter. The mothers of his several sons had all been of humble birth, no better placed than a famous courtesan.
Once Buzhen’s imperial birth was established, at minimum her name would enter the imperial genealogy and the great families of the capital would be formally notified. The Prince of Qi could not possibly remain with her after that.
How did he mean to have Father acknowledge her without observing the rules and making it public?
Besides, I had been entirely justified in punishing Buzhen.
I was hardly going to lose my wits overnight and cause a scene at the sacrificial ceremony. Why would Father punish me so severely that he stripped my title?
What, exactly, was the Prince of Qi’s killing blow?
Unable to solve it, I went to the Imperial Music Bureau to trouble Buzhen.
Delicate and beautiful, she wept like pear blossoms in the rain.
“I am only a musician and of no importance. I beg the princess not to vent her anger on the Director of Imperial Music.”
Sadly for her, my heart was made of iron. I had only come to read the comments.
[The Director of Imperial Music is another vicious supporting villain. He was always disparaging Zhenzhen for her lack of seniority and suspicious origins. At last, Zhenzhen’s kindness has touched him.]
[The Princess of Qishan’s maternal grandfather is Duke Ding. Poor Zhenzhen’s relatives are in the south and cannot help her now.]
[Duke Ding won’t live much longer. The Princess of Qishan and the empress can pack their things and go suffer the wretched life Zhenzhen endured as a child.]
The Director of Imperial Music hurried in, his face full of sympathy.
I smiled. “My lord pities her. Who pities my lord?”
“What does Your Highness mean?”
“My lord compiled the roster of musicians for the journey. You assigned an ‘irreplaceable’ musician to perform ritual music in which no error can be tolerated. You were willing to risk a charge of dereliction and provoke imperial wrath, all to entrap me. Is that not so?”
The guileless director’s expression changed drastically. “This official is innocent! Princess, save me!”
Before the sacrificial ceremony began, the Prince of Qi was chatting with several of our imperial uncles when Father summoned the two of us to give instructions.
Suddenly, the chief eunuch announced that the Director of Imperial Music sought an audience.
Father was puzzled. “Why is he not embracing his precious pearl sheng? What does he want with Us?”
The director entered and sank trembling to his knees.
“Your Majesty, the Princess of Qishan ordered a musician beaten. Her palms are swollen and torn, leaving her unable to play, and the Imperial Music Bureau has no replacement.”
Father had not expected the old man to come complain about me. After a long moment, he turned. “Huaying, is this true?”
“It is. She is only a musician. I beat her because I wished to.”
The director wept and sniveled. “One beating was not enough. The princess followed her to the Imperial Music Bureau and beat her again. This old official pleaded and pleaded, but the princess refused to listen. She even bullied this old official…”
The chief eunuch watched Father’s expression. “The princess enjoys Your Majesty’s deep favor. Naturally, Your Majesty will not blame you, my lord.”
When Father said nothing, the director turned to the Prince of Qi. “Your Highness, the princess scorns the rules, but this official dares not defy her. This official is afraid…”
The Prince of Qi rushed to seize this chance to attack me. “Huaying, you punished a musician and ruined the ritual music. The sacrificial ceremony is beyond saving, and the imperial family has lost face—”
“Prince of Qi,” Father asked, “what punishment do you consider fitting?”
“Huaying should be confined to her residence.”
I explained that Buzhen had secretly worn a princess’s ceremonial robes, then asked, “What fault was there in punishing her? If the Imperial Music Bureau cannot function without a single musician, what is improper about ordering its director to correct the problem?”
The Prince of Qi looked at the director. “My lord, how did Huaying bully you?”
The director listed each grievance.
First, I had reprimanded him for neglecting his duty.
Second, I had asked a ranked female official from Mother’s household, who was skilled in music, to replace Buzhen. That woman imposed order on the bureau, leading the two assistant directors to conclude that their superior was useless.
Third, the female official had brought no instrument and was forced to borrow his, offending his fastidious nature.
The Prince of Qi stared. “What?”
“You…” He could hardly believe it.
I knew he wanted to say that this account was completely different from the one the director had given when asking him for help.
The apparent complaints were actually praise.
If my interference in the bureau could be called an overreach, the empress’s dispatch of a ranked female official to remedy a failure was perfectly proper.
The director was still weeping. “This old official’s pearl sheng! Your Highness must uphold justice for me!”
The Prince of Qi’s face turned green. Instinctively, he looked toward Father.
Father said coolly, “Go and keep your imperial uncles company.”
The order placed the Prince of Qi among the imperial clansmen instead of allowing him to accompany Father.
The prince went deathly pale. “Father, this son only wished to show concern for the Director of Imperial Music.”
Father waved a hand. “Enough. All of you, leave.”
Once we were alone, Father’s anger emerged. “Outrageous!”
Then he rapped me on the head. “You schemed against your eldest brother.”
I clutched my forehead and protested my innocence. “My wise father can surely see who tried to scheme against whom.”
I had remedied the gap in the ritual music and thrown off the blame.
The Prince of Qi, meanwhile, had shown concern for the director and a musician, but none for why his sister had acted—or how the problem might be solved.
The wise foolishness Father admired was wisdom concealed behind a mask of folly.
My eldest brother had learned it backward. He was a great fool masquerading as a wise man.
Father sighed. “If only my eldest son possessed half your breadth of spirit. If only you resembled the empress more and knew how to hide your edge and curb your brilliance, We would have no cause to fear for the succession.”
I smiled. “I am Father’s daughter. What is wrong with resembling Father?”