Chapter 7
Chapter 7
[Prince Consort, the Princess Has Been Beaten to Death – 6]
The moment the order fell, everyone froze.
Noble Consort Qin could no longer support herself. She collapsed to the ground, panic-stricken, and stared at Emperor Gaozu through tearful eyes in disbelief.
Even Empress Miao had not expected the emperor to be so sharp and merciless today. She had intended merely to strip Lady Qin of the rank of Noble Consort and confine her for half a year. Instead, the emperor had thrown her into the cold palace and directly reduced her to commoner status.
If Noble Consort Qin and Empress Miao were both stunned, the surrounding palace attendants and eunuchs were even more so.
From the day Noble Consort Qin entered the palace, she alone had enjoyed the emperor’s favor. Who did not know she was the treasure at the very tip of his heart?
No one had imagined the winds and clouds would shift so abruptly. One offense against the dragon’s countenance, and she was being thrown directly into the cold palace.
She had been favored for so long that the eunuchs hesitated to approach. Noble Consort Qin recovered and forced down her humiliation and grievance. She shuffled forward two steps on her knees, weeping. “Your Majesty, this subject-concubine knows she was wrong. I will never speak that way again. Please do not be so heartless…”
She then turned to Empress Miao, tears spilling endlessly. “Your Majesty the Empress, this subject-concubine will never oppose you again. Please speak for me and ask His Majesty to forgive me!”
Empress Miao’s fine brows knitted, and she was about to speak when Emperor Gaozu said coldly, “A ruler does not speak in jest. How can Our order be withdrawn? You are the daughter of a scholarly house. Have you never heard the tale of the paulownia-leaf enfeoffment? If you go to the cold palace now, you may still preserve your life. If you continue weeping and entangling yourself with Us, you will be put to death immediately, without reprieve!”
Noble Consort Qin’s delicate body trembled. She looked up in horror, straight into the emperor’s cold and merciless eyes.
She shuddered and forcibly swallowed all her grievance and humiliation. No longer daring to whine or plead, she kowtowed respectfully before the Emperor and Empress and was escorted to the cold palace by eunuchs.
No one had expected Noble Consort Qin’s defeat to come so swiftly. Even Empress Miao found it surprising.
Emperor Gaozu had no interest in anyone’s thoughts. He guided his horse to the side of Empress Miao’s phoenix palanquin. “Lanqiu, you are mistress of the harem. Disciplining the palace consorts is your duty. In the past, We behaved badly. We repeatedly undermined your orders and damaged your authority as Empress. We will change and never do so again. From now on, if any palace consort violates palace rules or relies upon her clan and lineage to resist discipline, punish her as you see fit. Demote her or confine her; you need harbor no concern. You are Our Empress, the Mother of the Nation of the Great An Dynasty. Your backing is stronger than that of every one of them!”
Empress Miao knew he was restoring her imperial authority. Her emotion could not be put into words. She had the palace attendants help her down from the palanquin, arranged her robes, and performed a solemn full obeisance. “Yes. This subject-wife obeys.”
Emperor Gaozu nodded gently, dismounted, and helped her up. Then he instructed the attendants, “The Empress has returned to the palace and must admonish the palace consorts. Have them wait before Fengyi Palace. We also have words for them.”
The eunuchs acknowledged the command and scattered in haste to notify the palace consorts. Fengyi Palace was already nearby. Empress Miao did not return to her palanquin, nor did Emperor Gaozu remount. Mindful of her weakness from illness, he supported her as they walked toward Fengyi Palace, husband and wife talking along the way.
“No sooner had We brought you back to the palace than Lady Qin received the news. Plainly, people inside and outside the palace are communicating in secret. On closer thought, Lady Qin is likely not the only one.”
Emperor Gaozu continued, “Lanqiu, you are the Empress. Investigate this matter. We shall order the Commander of the Imperial Guards to cooperate. If these are merely messages exchanged among women, let that be the end of it. But if some rebel uses those channels to plot treason, then on the day it erupts, will you and I not die without a burial place?”
The matter was grave, and Empress Miao understood its importance. “Leave it to Me. Do not worry.”
Emperor Gaozu nodded. Remembering how the middle-aged eunuch had mentioned Lady Qin several times before he left the palace, he added, “The people serving in Our own chambers must also be thoroughly sorted. We leave that matter to you as well.”
Empress Miao paused, then laughed softly. “Does Your Majesty not fear that this subject-wife will use the opportunity to place her own confidants at your side?”
“Place them if you wish. It is no great matter. What can husband and wife possibly need to hide from each other?” Emperor Gaozu laughed. “If We cannot trust even the wife who shared Our hardships, then in all this vast realm, whom can We trust?”
Empress Miao had never expected him to say such a thing. She stood dazed, remembering the early days of their marriage. They had been newly wed, tender and deeply affectionate. Those days had been wonderful.
But time had rushed by. His martial vigor remained undiminished, while gray had come early to her hair. She was no longer the young and graceful Miss Miao of those years.
Warmth and chill mingled in her heart, along with bitterness and emotion. “I am old.”
Emperor Gaozu laughed. Having died once, he no longer cared greatly about romance or carnal desire. He turned to look at her. “I am old too. Lanqiu, I am two years older than you. Have you forgotten?”
When he smiled, wrinkles inevitably appeared at the corners of his eyes. The weathering of hard years had also marked his face. Neither of them was young anymore.
Empress Miao laughed. Warmth filled her heart, and she tightened her hold on his arm as they entered Fengyi Palace together.
The palace attendants and eunuchs who had remained behind were beside themselves with joy when they heard the emperor had brought the Empress home. Tears in their eyes, they came outside the hall to welcome her and knelt in a dense, dark mass.
Unusually shy, Empress Miao slipped her hand from her husband’s arm. After a fleeting pang of loss, a warm and proper smile appeared on her face. “Rise, all of you. This is not our first meeting. Why perform so great a ceremony?”
The words had barely left her mouth when two children, one larger and one smaller, ran out of the hall. They threw themselves into her arms together and cried, “Mother!”
Empress Miao had two sons and one daughter. Her eldest son, Anguo, was seventeen. Her youngest, Dingbang, was only nine. Their names alone revealed Luan Zhenghuan’s ambitions at the time. His daughter was named Luan Jiaojiao. Born between her brothers, she was twelve that year.
They were flesh of her flesh. How could she not have longed for them?
Empress Miao embraced the children tenderly and looked them over with care. Only when she saw their color and spirits were fairly good did she relax. Then another thought struck her. “Do you see only Me? Why have neither of you greeted your father?”
Reluctance appeared on both children’s faces. Luan Dingbang turned his head away and refused to look at his father. Luan Jiaojiao pouted unhappily. “We may have Father in our eyes, but Father doesn’t necessarily have us in his! He even joined that fox spirit in bullying Mother. We won’t pay attention to him!”
Luan Zhenghuan had always doted on this daughter, and Luan Jiaojiao did not fear him. After Empress Miao was sent out of the palace, the girl repeatedly begged her father to relent. Their last meeting ended in a furious quarrel and an unhappy parting. She remained angry with him now and spoke only to mock him.
Afraid the emperor would be angered, Empress Miao tugged her daughter’s arm. “Enough about fox spirits. Such ugly words from a young girl! Lady Qin is your secondary mother. Besides, your father has already apologized to Me and driven her away. Do not be angry anymore.”
Luan Jiaojiao’s eyes lit up. “Father drove the fox spirit away?”
Luan Dingbang turned his head as well, staring at his father with bright eyes.
Empress Miao’s head began to ache. “How do those ears of yours work? You hear only what you want. You caught the second half perfectly. Why not listen to the first?”
“What does it matter that she’s a secondary mother? Aren’t they all young concubines? She can become one, but I can’t say it? Did she become Father’s concubine because she admired his talent and happily wanted nothing else? Of course not. She wanted to cling to power and rank! Besides, Father has more than one concubine. Why do I insult her and not the others?”
After delivering this speech with her hands on her hips, Luan Jiaojiao finally lowered her proudly raised tail. She scampered to her father’s side and affectionately linked her arm through his. “Father, you drove the fox spirit away? You are wise and mighty! You should have done it ages ago. This is wonderful!”
Emperor Gaozu could not help laughing. “You change your face rather quickly, don’t you?”
Luan Jiaojiao answered righteously, “When Father behaves well, of course I greet him with a smile. When Father behaves badly, of course I look displeased. Mother gave birth to me. When she is wronged, should I help her or help an outsider?”
Emperor Gaozu found her reasoning remarkable. “Your mother is your birth mother, but I am also your birth father. Why help her and not Me?”
Luan Jiaojiao replied seriously, “Because Father was wrong in this matter, and Mother wasn’t! I stand with whoever is right. Father is the emperor. No one dares point out your mistakes. If I don’t help Mother, won’t she be left all alone?”
Emperor Gaozu deliberately hardened his face. “Insolence!”
Luan Jiaojiao immediately released his arm. Like a young rhinoceros whose horns had just begun to grow, she glared back with tremendous ferocity. “How was I insolent? What did I say wrong? Is it wrong to defend my own mother? Or did I strike Father where it hurts, so now you’re flying into a rage from embarrassment? The sages say that nothing is better than recognizing a fault and correcting it. It seems Father has no intention of becoming a sage at all!”
Emperor Gaozu could not suppress his amusement. The anger vanished from his face. He reached out to pat her head and said with feeling, “You truly are the Bi’an of our family.”
Luan Jiaojiao huffed and knocked his hand away. “What is a Bi’an?”
“I know!” Luan Dingbang cried excitedly. “It is the seventh of the dragon’s nine sons. They say it loves justice and clearly distinguishes right from wrong. Its image stands at the entrance to every yamen!”
Emperor Gaozu nodded approvingly. “You have studied well.”
Luan Jiaojiao realized he had been praising her. Pride appeared on her face. She raised her chin toward her father, only to find him smiling right back. At once, she understood that he had been testing her and flushed with embarrassed anger.
“Father is horrible. I’m ignoring him!” She linked her arm through Empress Miao’s. “Mother, let’s go inside.”
With Luan Dingbang supporting Empress Miao from the other side, the three entered the inner hall.
Emperor Gaozu shook his head and laughed. The emperors in the White Mist Space were amused as well.
Ying Zheng nodded. “The little girl is quite filial.”
Liu Che said, “Willful, but rather adorable. Hahahaha!”
Zhu Yuanzhang agreed. “It is good to have a daughter. They know how to warm a father’s heart!”
Only Li Shimin grew somber at the sight of clever, lively Luan Jiaojiao. She reminded him of Sizi, the daughter he had lost too young. He sighed, his heart darkening with grief.
Once they entered the inner hall, Empress Miao told both children everything that had happened that day. At first Luan Jiaojiao and Luan Dingbang continued to snort indignantly. Only when their mother described their father carrying thorned rods to plead guilty and sending Noble Consort Qin to the cold palace did their expressions soften.
“Father.” Luan Jiaojiao edged closer to him and asked awkwardly, “Why did you change so much today? You were actually willing to throw that fox spirit into the cold palace.”
Seated in a chair with his cheek propped on one hand, Emperor Gaozu asked at leisure, “Oh? You are no longer angry?”
Luan Jiaojiao: “…”
Like a pufferfish swelling round, Luan Jiaojiao dropped into the chair beside him, puffed out her cheeks, and refused to speak.
Emperor Gaozu roared with laughter.
Empress Miao did not know whether to laugh or sigh. She gave him a reproachful look. “We finally made peace. Why provoke her?”
“Because it is entertaining.” Emperor Gaozu smiled. “Look at her all puffed up like a ball. Isn’t she adorable?”
Empress Miao looked and could not help laughing too.
Luan Jiaojiao nearly died of fury. “Mother, why are you laughing at me too? Dingbang, you’re dead! Don’t you dare laugh!”
Luan Dingbang giggled. “Like a ball! Like a ball!”
Luan Jiaojiao stamped her foot and chased him. A boy of eight or nine was at his most nimble. He spun around and slipped behind a curtain, while Luan Jiaojiao lifted her skirts and pursued him furiously.
Empress Miao gently tried to stop the fight. “Enough. Would it not be better to come here and talk quietly?” She then ordered the attendants, “Why are you not stopping them? They will trip over something and fall!”
The attendants hurried over. Empress Miao watched from the side and sighed with a smile. “These two children never give Me a single peaceful day. I miss them when they are gone and get a headache when they are here.”
The attendants intervened, but Luan Dingbang was still caught by his sister. He howled as she hit him and returned behind an attendant with his head hanging in defeat.
After watching the siblings make such a commotion, even Emperor Gaozu’s unease at arriving in a strange world lifted. “That is why they are called children.”
His features were martial and striking, but in this relaxed moment, his expression gained an unusual gentleness. Empress Miao looked at him a little longer. It suddenly occurred to her that it had been many years since they last sat together this way, talking while their children laughed and played nearby.
Her heart first ached, then warmed. A thousand emotions surged through her, and unnoticed moisture gathered in her eyes. Empress Miao turned away to hide it.
Warmth covered the back of her hand. She looked around in surprise. Her husband’s expression was gentle, one palm laid over her hand. His gaze remained upon the children, but his words were for her. “Lanqiu, it is all behind us. Let us live well together from now on.”
The tears she had barely suppressed threatened to rise again, but this time they came from joy. Empress Miao nodded and promised, “All right.”