Chapter 7
Concubine Xiao’s mother came to the palace to visit her. I deliberately took a walk around her palace and happened to overhear some unexpected news.
Liang Qiusuang, a yuanwailang, has a Concubine’s Daughter named Liang Chunyan.
This young woman is currently being held and tortured in the Liang Family Dungeon.
Concubine Xiao’s father, the Minister of War, is working together with Liang Qiusuang to pry some secret from Liang Chunyan’s lips.
As for what the secret is? They didn’t say, but both sides clearly know it. I wasn’t able to find out.
The Old Matriarch and the women and children of the Shao Clan knelt outside Changzhi Gate for an entire night.
The Emperor made no response and allowed them to kneel, which discouraged many ministers who wanted to intervene.
In truth, if you look closely, a general losing a city is a grave crime.
Perhaps because the entire Shao Clan died in battle, the Emperor had always turned a blind eye and never held them accountable.
By rights, the Shao Clan should have been grateful, closed their doors, and lived quietly and cautiously from then on.
Yet the Old Matriarch was “unappreciative,” stubbornly putting her whole family’s fate on the line.
The court officials could sense the Emperor’s displeasure, so they only watched from the sidelines, not daring to get involved in this unpleasant matter.
So, when I stood before the Old Matriarch, the aged woman lifted her clouded eyes to look at me, her expression a little surprised.
I was too young.
She did not recognize me.
It was her Eldest Daughter-in-law who told her, “Mother, this is the Sixth Princess.”
“Sixth Princess…” The Old Matriarch looked me over and asked, “How old are you this year?”
I crouched down to meet her gaze and replied, “After this summer, I’ll be seventeen.”
“Still so young,” the Old Matriarch’s eyes were kind. She said with some nostalgia, “About the same age as my grandson. He was also seventeen when he died last year.”
Her words made me think of Mother.
After Mother passed, I would always think of her in every unguarded moment.
“Good child,” the Old Matriarch took my hand, gently patted it, and said, “You’re still young and do not know how deep this goes. Stay away from here, and don’t come again.”
I held her hand in return and shook my head, “Since I have come, I never thought of leaving.”
Letting go of the Old Matriarch’s hand, I stood up and looked at the women and children of the Shao Clan who had been kneeling for a day and a night. They were already exhausted, yet still stubbornly holding on.
They knelt in order of seniority, the elders at the front, followed by several half-grown children. The youngest was still wrapped in her mother’s swaddling clothes.
I took off my cloak and draped it over the infant.
The child’s mother smiled at me and thanked me softly, not refusing, and wrapped the shivering child tightly in the cloak.
I took a deep breath, knelt behind the Old Matriarch together with the generals’ wives, and bowed respectfully toward the palace, calling out, “The Shao Clan has guarded the border for decades. Now defeated and perished in battle, though dead, they died with honor. We beg Imperial Father to remember their past merits and listen to the petitions of the Shao widows!”
“We beg Imperial Father for mercy!”
I am but an insignificant princess and cannot secure an audience with the Emperor for the women and children of the Shao Clan.
But my joining them was like poking a hole in an airtight bag, breaking the deadlock of the Shao women and children who had no support.
From a certain perspective, I played the role I was meant to play.
The rest was a long wait for the Emperor’s final decision.
The early spring wind swept across our faces, gently scraping at our bones.
After kneeling so long, not only did my knees lose all feeling, but even the skin exposed to the air was numbed by the wind.
“Old Matriarch, there is something I may be so bold as to ask you.”
“Sixth Princess, please ask.”
“I wonder if the Old Matriarch knows Liang Chunyan, the Concubine’s Daughter of Liang Qiusuang, a yuanwailang (assistant official at the Ministry of War)?”
As soon as I asked, the Old Matriarch hadn’t responded yet, but a lady kneeling in the same row as me suddenly looked at me.
The Old Matriarch, kneeling at the front, couldn’t see what was happening behind her, but the Eldest Daughter-in-law noticed the lady’s reaction and asked, “Sister-in-law, could it be you know the young woman the Sixth Princess mentioned?”
That lady hesitated for a long while, as if she had something to say but was holding back.
The Old Matriarch said, “Second Daughter-in-law, the Sixth Princess has asked you. There is no need to hide anything. Speak frankly.”
“Yes…” With the Old Matriarch’s command, the Second Daughter-in-law finally stammered, “Some time ago, Huaian mentioned to me that he had taken a liking to a certain young lady and wanted to marry her as his principal wife. The one he liked was none other than Liang Chunyan, the Concubine’s Daughter of the Liang Family.”
“Is that so?” The Eldest Daughter-in-law was surprised. “Why have you never mentioned it? Huaian is of age to marry. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because, because…” The Second Daughter-in-law hesitated for a long time, then wiped her tears and said aggrievedly, “How could a Concubine’s Daughter be worthy of my Huaian? I didn’t agree to the marriage and forced Huaian to break off contact with her.”
“This…” The Eldest Daughter-in-law was caught off guard and fell silent.
Shao Huaian was already dead.
To discuss his marriage now was pointless.
The Old Matriarch asked me, “Sixth Princess, why do you suddenly bring up this young lady of the Liang Family?”
I was just about to answer when, from inside Changzhi Gate, a group of eunuchs filed out, led by the chief eunuch Yu Junhe.
“His Majesty commands: the Old Matriarch is summoned to an audience.”
The conversation stopped.
Everyone’s hearts were in their throats.
The Old Matriarch bowed. “This humble woman obeys.”
With the support of two eunuchs, she rose unsteadily to her feet.
Yu Junhe came to me. “Sixth Princess, His Majesty commands you to accompany the Old Matriarch.”