Brother Wei leaned closer to Zhu Wangbei and whispered, “You’re not familiar with Princess Fuxi? She is Consort Cui’s daughter. Consort Cui is none other than Cui Huaiyin, the Consort Cui who was brought into the palace a few days ago. She used to be yours, didn’t she? Brother Zhu, haven’t you said so yourself? They say Consort Cui’s daughter was conceived in an illicit affair. Who would have thought that man was His Majesty?”
Zhu Wangbei’s pupils suddenly dilated. He shoved Brother Wei away and leapt to his feet. “What nonsense are you spouting? How could that wretched girl possibly be... be...”
The words caught in his throat. No matter what, he could not force them out.
How could he say it aloud? How could that bastard child possibly be a princess?
She had no father, much less any fortune! She was the mongrel spawn of Cui Huaiyin and some wild mountain man!
She was nothing! How could she possibly be the Emperor’s child?
“Brother Zhu, don’t be angry. We only heard it from others. We were merely asking you. Surely you would know best.”
Zhu Wangbei’s face went deathly pale as he staggered back two steps. The wine cup on the table fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
“It isn’t true! It’s a lie! Stop talking nonsense! It’s all a lie!”
With that, Zhu Wangbei ran off as though he had lost his soul. In his haste, he nearly tripped several times.
He steadied himself and rushed home, but everywhere along the way, people were talking about Princess Fuxi.
They said Princess Fuxi was pitiful.
They spoke of Princess Fuxi’s past, then of Consort Cui and Princess Fuxi as mother and daughter. They even spoke of the man Consort Cui had once married...
Consort Cui. Not Consort Cui the concubine. Cui Huaiyin had entered the palace only a few days ago, yet she had already become Consort Cui. Why had she risen so quickly? Why?
Drenched in sweat, he suddenly stopped and seized a passerby, asking urgently, “Is Princess Fuxi truly Consort Cui’s daughter? How old is she?”
The man shoved Zhu Wangbei away. “Who are you? Why should I tell you?”
Zhu Wangbei’s face flushed crimson as he shouted, “Tell me! Tell me!”
The man seemed genuinely frightened by Zhu Wangbei’s crazed state and answered, “I heard Princess Fuxi is already six years old. She is Consort Cui’s daughter. If Consort Cui had not borne His Majesty a child, why do you think she would have been made a consort only days after entering the palace?”
Zhu Wangbei’s face turned even paler. He abruptly released the man, trembling all over as he raised his head to stare at the sun blazing overhead.
The sun was scorching, yet he felt ice-cold, as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.
If that bastard child was the Emperor’s daughter, then the Emperor was the man Cui Huaiyin had been searching for all those years. And he... he had impersonated that man. He had impersonated the Emperor!
How could this be? How could this be?
Not only had Cui Huaiyin not been rejected by the Emperor, she had been elevated in rank and become a palace consort! Even that little bastard he had always despised had transformed into a princess! And what had he done?
No!
Once the Emperor learned the truth, he would surely kill him! He would never let him go!
No. He could not die! He had fought so hard to stay alive! He could not die!
Zhu Wangbei fled toward home in a panic. Even after stumbling and falling several times along the way, he never stopped.
When he got home, he began packing his things. When Cui Huaiyin left, she had taken all the money and dowry from the house with her, but there were still some heavy items she could not carry away, including the jewelry his mother had saved over the years—things that could always be exchanged for silver.
If they lived frugally, they could still hold on for a while.
A few days earlier, he had pawned those things for banknotes and hidden them away.
He shut the door, took out a piece of cloth, stuffed all the valuables into it, tied it into a tight knot, and hurried out...
Before leaving, he looked back at Madam Shen and the children. After some thought, he still left behind five taels of silver, then gritted his teeth and departed.
Madam Shen, who had been washing clothes, looked up at Zhu Wangbei’s hurried retreating figure. Rising to her feet, she called after him, “Husband! Husband, where are you going?”
Zhu Wangbei said, “Don’t worry about it! I have something to do. Stay at home and behave yourself!”
With that, Zhu Wangbei ran off in a hurry.
What was more, Zhu Wangbei bought a fast horse outside the city. Mounting it, he rode south at full speed. Just as he was nearing the outskirts of the capital, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly reached his ears!
Then came a sharp whoosh. A sudden pain shot through Zhu Wangbei’s leg. Looking down, he saw an arrow lodged in his thigh! His eyes rolled back, and he fell from the galloping horse!
...
The Empress Dowager had specially held a banquet in the palace so that the various masters and mistresses of the inner court, along with certain members of the imperial clan from outside the palace, could meet Princess Fuxi, whom His Majesty had only recently found again.
That day, Rong Yao allowed her mother to dress her up. Clad in red from head to toe, with several large, round pearls in her hair, she went to the palace with her mother.
By the time Rong Yao and her mother arrived, many people were already there.
Rong Yao secretly glanced around. She recognized quite a few of them.
Some were kind, some were bad, and some looked fierce...
The Empress Dowager sat in the seat of honor. The Empress was seated to her left, while Consort Liu sat to her right. Her mother’s seat was beside the Empress’s, followed in order by Lady Yin, Lady Ma, and Lady Lü.
The princes and princesses had all come as well.
So had the princes and their consorts.
In the past, she had often forgotten these people as soon as she saw them. But now she was clever. The people and events her muddled mind had once forgotten had all come back to her.
At a glance, Rong Yao spotted Princess Shengping, sitting with her posture perfectly straight.
Princess Shengping seemed to notice her as well and smiled at her.
Rong Yao hated it most when she smiled.
Secretly, Rong Yao shot her a glare.
“Yao Yao, hurry over here to your Imperial Grandmother!”
Rong Yao released her mother’s hand and ran toward the Empress Dowager. She stopped two steps away, knelt, and kowtowed. “This granddaughter pays her respects to Imperial Grandmother.”
Smiling warmly, the Empress Dowager had someone help Rong Yao up. “It is only a banquet for poetry and couplets. There is no need for such formal rites. Come here quickly.”
Obediently, Rong Yao went to the Empress Dowager’s side and let her take her hand. The Empress Dowager’s hand was not as smooth or soft as her mother’s, but it was very warm—so warm. She wanted the Empress Dowager to hold her hand, too.
The Empress Dowager studied her newly acknowledged granddaughter with great care. The longer she looked, the more pleased she became, and she could not help but praise her.
“Your mother consort certainly knows how to dress you up. Look at this red gown of yours—you’re like a little blossom. So festive, so lovely. Your Imperial Grandmother simply adores seeing young girls like you dressed in bright reds and greens. The pearls in your hair are lovely too. You should wear a few more. I have a box of Eastern pearls in my palace; later, I’ll have someone bring them to you.”
Rong Yao’s eyes widened, round, large, and bright. “All right! Thank you for the reward, Imperial Grandmother!”
The Empress Dowager patted Rong Yao lovingly on the head. Then she rose and took Rong Yao by the hand, pointing toward the Empress.
“Fuxi, this is your mother, the Empress. Go and pay your respects.”
Obediently, Rong Yao walked over and stood before the Empress. She performed a respectful curtsey. “Fuxi pays her respects to Mother. May Mother be blessed with good health.”
The Empress smiled and rose to help Rong Yao up. Looking at her, she said, “There is no need for such formality with me. You have suffered outside the palace. From now on, if you encounter any difficulties, come to me whenever you wish. I will certainly stand up for you.”
As she spoke, the Empress placed an exquisitely carved box in Rong Yao’s hands.
Rong Yao’s eyes lit up. She quickly reached out with her little hands and hugged the box to her chest. “Thank you for the reward, Mother.”
The Empress smiled faintly and nodded.
Rong Yao smiled back at the Empress. Her plump little cheeks flushed with delight. The box was heavy, and she liked heavy things.
Princess Shengping had often said that the Empress was bad, but she did not seem bad now.
Rong Yao returned to her Imperial Grandmother’s side. Soon after, her grandmother sent her to greet the second consort, Consort Liu.
On her short little legs, Rong Yao walked up to Consort Liu and made another curtsey. “Greetings, Consort Liu. May you be blessed with good health.”
Consort Liu hurriedly rose to her feet and looked at Rong Yao’s little face. “What a beautiful child—she seems to have stepped straight out of a painting. You have inherited the best of your mother consort and the best of His Majesty. When you grow up, you will surely be even more beautiful.”
Rong Yao’s rosy cheeks turned still redder. Remembering her mother’s instructions, she quickly said, “Thank you for your praise, Consort Liu.”
Consort Liu smiled. “I am not merely flattering you. If I had a daughter like you, I would wake up laughing in the middle of the night. I have prepared a string of pearls as a greeting gift. I hope you will like it.”
With that, Consort Liu instructed the maid behind her to bring over the casket containing the pearls and hand it to Rong Yao.
After thanking her, Rong Yao accepted it. The weighty little casket made her just as happy. Next came Lady Yin, Lady Ma, and Lady Lü.
A princess ranked above Ladies Yin and Ma, so she needed only incline her head in greeting; there was no need for her to perform a formal curtsey.
They too had prepared greeting gifts. Rong Yao accepted every one without hesitation.
Then there were several imperial uncles, elder imperial uncles, and imperial aunts by marriage.
They exchanged greetings and became acquainted.
At last, it was time for the princes and princesses.
This time, the Empress Dowager summoned Rong Yao to her side and said to the imperial grandchildren gathered nearby, “Come quickly and pay your respects to your eldest imperial sister.”
Tantai Yu was the first to rise. She was still smiling—smiling with perfect composure, as though she were truly delighted to have gained an eldest imperial sister.
The Third Prince, Dantai Chang, quickly rose to his feet as well. He had originally been the Second Prince, but because Princess Fuxi was the eldest, he had been moved down one place and become the Third Prince instead. Now only four years old, he was still a tiny little thing, standing barely half as tall as Tantai Yu in front of him.
When the Fourth Prince, Dantai Yi, saw that his imperial sister and brother had both stood up, he hurriedly rose as well. He was only three, though, and could barely keep his balance. With his round, bright eyes, he gazed curiously at Rong Yao.
Next came the three-year-old Fifth Prince, Dantai You. He was small for his age and clutched a pastry in his hand. The nanny serving him tried to take it away, but Dantai You refused to let go, his face flushed with anger.
Last of all was the youngest little princess, Dantai Yue. She was only two years old and still stumbled when she walked, let alone spoke. At present, she was being held by her wet nurse.
The princes and princesses lined up and came before the Empress Dowager.
Looking at her grandchildren, the Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction. Taking Rong Yao by the hand, she said to them, “This is your eldest imperial sister. There is an order of seniority among you. Since this is your first time meeting your eldest sister, you must greet her and offer her the formal blessing salute.”
“Yu’er, you go first.”
Princess Shengping stepped forward. Facing Rong Yao, she clasped her hands and bowed, speaking clearly. “Greetings, Imperial Sister. May you be blessed and enjoy every happiness.”
Rong Yao’s eyes lit up. She straightened and stared at the Princess Shengping before her, watching as the girl respectfully bowed her head and paid her respects. The corners of her lips rose uncontrollably.
In her previous life, this very Princess Shengping had made her wash her feet every day. If she did not wash them well, she was punished by being left hungry; if she was not respectful enough, she was slapped.
And now, Princess Shengping was bowing to her!
No.
Princess Shengping would no longer be a princess.
Once she was no longer a princess, no one would serve her, and she would no longer be able to bully anyone.
That would be better.
