Chapter 111
"I actually know quite a bit about what Your Highness is asking," Chilin said with a grin. "Cheng Yu is a rather interesting man. He manages his household with the perfect balance of leniency and strictness. When Cheng Gui was hiring entire pleasure boats to roam about and frequenting houses of entertainment, Cheng Yu let him do as he pleased, but he also drew a clear line for his son. He told Cheng Gui that no one can have every good thing in the world. Since Cheng Gui had chosen to live a life of indulgence, he had no right to complain if his future marriage did not turn out as he wished.
They truly are father and son, and Cheng Gui is an interesting character too. Ever since that talk, rumors have spread that he has developed a deep obsession with cleanliness. He refuses to share a latrine with anyone else, insists on setting aside a separate portion of food for himself before touching the shared dishes at a banquet, and if there are courtesans at the same table, he will let them sit nearby but not a single one is allowed to brush even a finger against him. Through all these little habits, he somehow managed to turn his reputation as a profligate around."
Buyu had always been utterly fascinated by hearing such fresh, gossipy tidbits. It had been a while since Chilin last came by to share these stories, so now he was hoping Chilin could stay a little longer. He walked over and poured Chilin a cup of tea. "You've talked for so long, have a sip of tea to moisten your throat. Her Highness has nothing to attend to right now, there's no rush at all."
"Is this already cooled down for drinking?" Chilin did not stand on ceremony with him. When Buyu nodded in confirmation, he picked up the cup and downed the tea in one go.
Chilin then continued, "The Cheng family has a family rule that none of the young men are allowed to have personal chambermaids before they get married, so Cheng Gui's quarters are completely proper and unremarkable. As for his future prospects, he is currently studying at the Imperial Academy, though he is not particularly talented at his studies. A while back, His Majesty held an exam to select qualified candidates from among the Imperial Academy students and provincial graduates to fill vacant official positions. Cheng Gui has signed up for it, so we will just have to wait and see if he can pass the exam at the end of the month."
"You know even that much? I should name you the walking encyclopedia of Yingcheng," Cui Lanyin praised him sincerely.
Cheng Gui turned out to be a much better person than she had expected, Cui Lanyin thought to herself, just as the sound of several sets of footsteps came from outside the door. Right after that, Bailin's cheerful voice rang out, "We've come to beg Her Highness for a cup of tea."
Before the palace eunuch on duty could even announce their arrival, Buyu jumped up to open the door, and Bailin, Qinglin, and Xuanlin filed in after him.
Chilin asked with a laugh, "What brings you lot here?"
"You beat us to it," Bailin said, pointing a finger at him in amusement. "Back when we were still at the Prince's former mansion, I was the first one who started making regular visits to the Yi'an Palace."
Chilin puffed out his chest proudly. "You all don't stand a chance. Each one of you is more boring and dull in conversation than the last. Her Highness clearly prefers listening to me talk." He then turned to look at Buyu. "Isn't that right, Buyu?"
Buyu waved his hand with a smile. "I'm not getting involved in this petty dispute of yours."
Cui Lanyin invited the three of them to take a seat, and the palace eunuchs brought out fresh hot tea and new plates of pastries. The three of them picked out their favorite treats to munch on.
Qinglin still had half a mouthful of pastry left when he picked up another one, looking at it and saying, "It's the exact same pastry, but why does it always taste so much better here at Her Highness's place?"
"It's because when you're stuck facing all those long-faced, sourpuss officials, nothing tastes good at all," Xuanlin, who rarely spoke, remarked.
Bailin was so amused that he clapped and gave Xuanlin a thumbs-up. "You always say the exact right thing at the right moment."
Chilin told Xuanlin about how Prince An was trying to matchmake Cheng Gui and Cui Lanting. "Her Highness was just asking about matters related to the Cheng family, and I've already told her a fair bit. You can fill in any gaps I missed."
Xuanlin quickly said, "Your Highness, please feel free to ask me any questions. If I don't know the answer off the top of my head, I can send someone to look into it right away, and we will have all the information for you by this afternoon."
Cui Lanyin then went on to ask, "Do the female members of the Cheng family get along harmoniously? How does the Cheng family treat Prince An? Are they committed to standing with Prince An through thick and thin on all political matters?"
Chilin was the first to reply. "Madam Cheng never imposes unnecessary strict rules on her daughters-in-law, and Cheng Gui's two elder brothers' wives are all reasonable, sensible women who do not stir up trouble."
The four "Lin" had a tacit understanding with one another. Seeing that Chilin had paused, Xuanlin picked up right where he left off. "Cheng Yu is a man who draws very clear lines. Although the Cheng family interacts with Prince An very frequently, he almost never discusses court political affairs with Prince An."
Prince An has always lived a quiet, self-contained life behind closed doors. The Cheng family shows no sign of harboring any wild ambitions, and the women of the Cheng household are easy to get along with, making them a perfect match for someone as simple-minded as Cui Lanting. Cui Lanyin thinks this marriage prospect is worth considering.
She says to Aiye, "You will head back with Geng Dayou later. Tell my mother and elder sister every detail you just heard, and let them ask Lanting what she thinks about this."
Over here, everyone is chatting and laughing as they sip tea and nibble on pastries, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Meanwhile, in the west side hall, the court officials waiting for an audience with the emperor are, after their initial shock, filled with nothing but envy.
These past few days, no one knows what has come over His Majesty. He has grown even more taciturn than usual, and whenever anyone reports on state affairs and stumbles over even the smallest detail, he no longer gives them a second chance. He just calls for the next official to step forward immediately.
The day before yesterday, the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner submitted a memorial that was so long, drawn-out and full of empty platitudes that the emperor threw it straight back at him. Right after that, he issued an imperial decree summoning the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner to the capital for a performance review.
Normally, local officials only come to the capital for such a review once every three years, and this one was not due until the end of this year.
It goes without saying that once the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner arrives in the capital, he will never be able to return to his post. He will count himself lucky if he is not dismissed from office entirely.
The emperor did not even need to spell it out. After that, no official who submitted a memorial dared to show off with flowery language. If they could explain a matter clearly in two sentences, they would never add a single extra word.
Even though the memorials have become much shorter and more concise, the emperor's face still has not softened at all. To avoid drawing His Majesty's ire, all the officials keep stern faces and do not dare to crack a smile.
After several days like this, the area west of the Yanhua Palace feels as if it is trapped in a cold, bitter storm, with everyone looking as if they are weighed down by a huge grudge.
There would be no reason to complain if they had nothing to compare it to, but now that they can see the cheerful, relaxed atmosphere in the Eastern Pavilion, the two places are as different as night and day.
Before long, several elder cabinet members emerge from the West Chamber. Minister Gu hurries a few steps to catch up with Grand Secretary Shen, and asks him in a low voice, "Is His Majesty still in that state? I hope you can give me some advice, Grand Secretary. It's not that I intend to go against His Majesty's wishes, but this matter simply cannot be handled the way he wants it to be."
Grand Secretary Shen glances over towards the Eastern Pavilion, "There is someone right there who can talk some sense into His Majesty. Why are you coming to me?"
Minister Gu follows his gaze, looking confused, "You mean I should go to the Empress? But the empress is not supposed to interfere in political affairs..."
"She sits right in the same hall as His Majesty, handling state affairs, and is in charge of the department that collects commercial taxes. What do you call that?" Grand Secretary Shen asks him rhetorically, then adds meaningfully, "And that Silin, who is the emperor's sworn fellow apprentice? He does not need to kowtow to anyone's wishes inside or outside the palace, except for His Majesty. But look at how he is acting over there now."
Minister Gu slaps his own forehead, bows to Grand Secretary Shen and says, "You have enlightened me. I will go there at once."
After watching Grand Secretary Shen walk out of the Yanhua Palace, Minister Gu turns towards the Eastern Pavilion. He climbs the stone steps, stands respectfully outside the pavilion door, and says, "Your subject has a matter to request an audience with the Empress. I ask that you pass this message on."
Over in the west side hall, Grand Secretary Yao, Grand Secretary Zheng and the other officials who have not left are all stunned. What on earth is Minister Gu thinking of doing?
He walks into the Eastern Pavilion and sees Silin sitting there eating pastries and chatting with the Empress. The atmosphere here is nothing like the stern, intimidating aura that surrounds the Emperor. Minister Gu suppresses the surprise he feels, steps forward and pays his respects.
Cui Lanyin does not ask him to sit down right away. "What brings you here, Minister Gu?" She cannot think of any reason why a court official would come to seek her out.
Chilin chuckles and chimes in, "I bet he followed the scent of our tea and pastries over here, just like everyone else."
His words break the tension that fell over the room when Minister Gu walked in, and the relaxed, cheerful mood returns.
Silin acts as freely in the Empress's presence as if he were in his own home. Minister Gu's eyes flicker for a moment, and he quickly waves his hands, "I really do have a matter to beg Her Majesty's help with."
Remembering the matter of the Yao family asking the Emperor to grant a marriage decree, Cui Lanyin gestures for him to take a seat. "Is this something related to the women in your household, Minister Gu..."
"This is not a private matter of mine," Minister Gu said with a bitter smile. "It's about the Empress's birthday grand ceremony. His Majesty has decreed that it be held in the Fengtian Hall, where civil and military officials as well as noble ladies will gather to extend their birthday wishes to Her Majesty. They will be seated by family, and all will partake of the banquet within the Fengtian Hall. Since there is no precedent for this, and the timeline is so tight, on top of all the preparations we are already busy with for the metropolitan examination, we are truly..."
No matter in the previous dynasty or this current dynasty, the birthdays of empress dowagers and empresses were always celebrated in their own respective palaces to receive tributes. Never had anyone ever received birthday greetings in the Fengtian Hall.
With the precedents set by Grand Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Xu, for her, the youngest one, to outrank them all in such a manner, that was far too reckless.
The metropolitan examination was scheduled for the 16th day of the second lunar month. Thousands of candidates had already arrived in Yingcheng, and the Ministry of Rites was already stretched thin just handling all matters related to the exam. The emperor's additional request only piled more work onto their already overflowing plates, and Cui Lanyin could fully understand why Minister Gu looked so haggard.
"Court affairs are not supposed to be my concern, but since this matter involves me personally, I cannot stand idly by. I will do my best to persuade His Majesty," Cui Lanyin said.
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. When your next birthday comes around next year, no matter how grand His Majesty wishes to hold the celebration, we will certainly not raise any objections," Minister Gu bowed in gratitude, then asked carefully, "So when will Your Majesty bring this up?"
"I will speak to His Majesty over the midday meal," Cui Lanyin replied straightforwardly.
As he walked in, Minister Gu had felt there was a good chance his request would be approved, but the moment he stepped out of the Eastern Pavilion, his confidence wavered again.
While the emperor indulged the empress to act as she pleased outside the palace, earning her the nickname "Cui the Fierce Second," those were all trivial matters after all. The Commercial Tax Promotion Bureau operated entirely in accordance with the emperor's wishes, with the empress only lending her name to the post. Could the emperor really tolerate the empress interfering in court affairs and overturning his decision?
Recalling the empress's soft, beautiful appearance just now, she was hardly older than his own youngest daughter. At her age, most people would only care about fine clothes, exquisite jewelry, and romantic affairs. Last time, he had not really repaid the favor the empress had done him. If this ended up causing her to lose favor in the emperor's eyes, Minister Gu would feel terribly guilty.
At noon, the emperor returned to the inner palace right on time. He noticed that the low square table on the daybed had been moved to the west side, while Cui Lanyin was leaning lazily against the eastern end of the Luohan daybed. He pinched his nose and walked over to the edge of the daybed. "Are you not even letting me sit on this daybed now?"
Cui Lanyin shifted to make some space for him. "Sit on the edge then," she said.
The emperor studied the expression on her face. "What's the matter?"
"What trick are you playing now?" Cui Lanyin said, unable to hide her exasperation. "Right now the Ministry of Rites is so swamped with work for the metropolitan examination that they can barely catch their breath, yet you insisted on making them prepare for my birthday celebration in the Fengtian Hall at such a busy time. You did this on purpose just to get Minister Gu to come beg me to intercede, didn't you?"
"You figured it out?" The emperor bent one leg. "Can I sit cross-legged?"
"Then you must tell Minister Gu right this afternoon to call the whole thing off. I don't want him coming to pester me again," Cui Lanyin said, then added with lingering concern, "Don't ever do this again. I don't want to get impeached by the imperial censors for interfering in court affairs from the inner palace."
After she spoke, she shifted further inward to make more room, and the emperor seized the chance to sit cross-legged comfortably.
"I did this all to put your mind at ease. I can't guarantee that I will never change in the future, and I know even if I made such a promise, you wouldn't believe me. It's better for you to take charge of the matters around me, and build up more goodwill among the officials. That way, if any unexpected trouble arises later, there will still be people who will stand on your side."
The emperor had gone to such great lengths, because just like her, he cherished the deep bond they shared, like that of uncle and niece.
Cui Lanyin's eyes softened, and the Emperor noticed it right away. The hand that had been resting on his knee slid over, and he hooked a finger lightly against her hand. "Will you let me come back to sleep in your chambers? I can even hang a rope like I did last time, just like before."
The moment he brought that up, Cui Lanyin shot him a sharp, exasperated glance. "What on earth are you plotting? If you end up breaking the bed in Yan Hua Palace, do you want every single person in the entire Great Ying Kingdom to know how 'capable' you are?"
The Emperor could not hold back his laughter, and mumbled under his breath, "If you keep refusing to let me back into the room, I won't be capable of anything at all soon."
He was the sort to seize any opening he got, and someone thinner-skinned would have been won over by him in no time at all.
Fortunately, Cui Lanyin was no longer the person she used to be.
Cui Lanyin lifted a finger to tilt his chin up, then let out a clear, crisp whistle, putting on the whole air of a roguish young rake. "I'm in a good mood today, so I'll grant you this one chance. Remember this: you are not allowed to move even a single finger. If you twitch even once, you'll be sleeping outside for good from then on."
"Where on earth did you learn that?" The Emperor raised his voice in genuine surprise.
Cui Lanyin gracefully stepped down from the bed, and tossed a playful glance back over her shoulder. "I saw it on the pleasure boat the other day. Not bad, right?"
The Emperor immediately wanted to summon Qian He to ask him what was going on—hadn't he ordered that all improper behavior on the pleasure boats be strictly prohibited?
The Emperor was truly capable of things few others could manage. When he lay down for his midday nap, he really did not move a single finger the entire time.
But the moment he got out of bed, he patted his back over and over again, complaining, "Everything's gone stiff."
Cui Lanyin did not believe him for a second—this was a man who could sleep even tied to a rope, and she had no intention of sympathizing with him.
Just before he walked out the door, the Emperor turned back to ask for confirmation. "I passed this chance, right?"
Cui Lanyin waved him off. "We'll talk about the evening arrangements when evening comes."
The Emperor was about to press for more, when she flicked a finger lightly at him. The Emperor huffed. "So it's true, retribution was just waiting for its turn. Can I get back all the times you flicked my fingers in the past?" He sighed heavily as he walked out of the inner bedchamber.
Not long after the Emperor went to the West Pavilion, the Ministry of Rites received the official word: the Empress's birthday celebration would be held according to the old precedents. All officials of rank five and above in the capital were required to attend the celebration, bringing their wives and their children who had reached the appropriate age with them.
It was said that after receiving the imperial decree, Minister Gu of the Ministry of Rites nearly wept with joy.
The Emperor also assigned a new post to Prince An, ordering him to learn the ropes first under the supervision of a director from the Ministry of Personnel.
Minister Gu was still frowning with worry as he walked out of the West Pavilion. How had the Emperor let him off the hook so easily after just one noon?
He thought back to the trip Minister Gu had made to the East Pavilion earlier—had he gone there to beg the Empress to intercede for him?
And the appointment for Prince An had come completely out of nowhere too. Those with well-connected sources soon found out that Prince An had been playing matchmaker, trying to set up his own cousin with Cui Lanyin's younger female cousin.
Cui Lanting was a straightforward person. When Aiye returned to the palace at dusk, she brought back Cui Lanting's decision: she wanted Cui Lanyin to help arrange a formal meeting with Cheng Gui. Today was the 20th day of the month, and the 9th day of the 2nd lunar month was just around the corner, so they could hold the meeting on that very day conveniently.
This way, even if the match did not work out, as long as neither the Cheng family nor the Cui family breathed a word of it, no one else would ever find out.
Cui Lanyin also planned to look over the candidate families for the young masters and ladies of the Yao family, as well as the several young ladies that Consort Dowager Hui had picked out for Prince Ping.
Cui Lanyin had never imagined that for her first birthday as Empress, she would be so busy arranging matches for other people.
On the 6th day of the 2nd lunar month, Cui Jian, Cui Yu, and Cui Zhong would all sit for the county-level imperial examination. On the 16th, Hong Ji would take part in the metropolitan examination.
The clothing shop run by Lady Jiang, Cui Lanzhi, and Madam Gu had also been scheduled to open on the 16th day of the 2nd lunar month.
Jiang Shi and Lady Dong were to be married on the 6th day of the 3rd lunar month, and the 12th day of the 3rd lunar month would mark Grand Empress Dowager Chen's birthday. This year, the celebration had to be grand and lavish, to make up for all the disappointments and shortcomings of the past years.
