Chapter 116
Lady Jiang and Madam Gu were at a loss over how to arrange the tables.
Usually, when relatives gathered for a meal, men and women would dine in the same room, though they would still sit at separate tables.
With Cui Mian, Cui Fang, and Jiang Zhian all absent, only Cui Sheng was present. Having Cui Sheng and the younger members of the family accompany the Emperor at one table seemed somewhat inappropriate.
While the Emperor was speaking with Hong Ji, Lady Jiang and Madam Gu quietly came over to ask Cui Lanyin, “Your Majesty, how do you think we should arrange the seating?”
Unexpectedly, the Emperor’s ears were exceptionally keen. He turned to Cui Lanyin and said, “I’m waiting for you to tell me which dishes are good.”
Everyone understood at once: the Emperor intended to sit at the same table as the Empress.
Lady Jiang looked to Madam Gu for help. Madam Gu said, “Then let us set up a separate table for His Majesty and Her Majesty.”
Cui Lanyin, however, was unwilling. It was rare for her to return home, and she wanted to sit close to her family, eat together, and catch up on what had been happening at home.
If they sat at a separate table, what difference would that make from dining in the palace?
She gave the Emperor a push and complained, “Next time, don’t come along.”
The Emperor could no longer hear her. He was listening to Hong Ji speak about matters in Wuxi and showed no reaction at all.
Cui Lanyin paid him no mind. After thinking for a moment, she said to Madam Gu, “Then put several square tables together. There’s no need to separate us into two tables.”
The Emperor heard that too. He tapped the couch once with the back of his hand. “Excellent.”
Since the Emperor himself had said it was excellent, Madam Gu and Lady Jiang hurriedly called Cui Fu and the others into action. In the central room, they joined three square tables together, leaving ample room for everyone to sit comfortably.
Once the tables had been arranged, the dishes from Cui Sheng’s side were ready as well. Zhichun led the servants inside to set out the meal.
The Emperor and Cui Lanyin were invited to sit in the principal seats at the north end. Cui Sheng and Lady Jiang sat at the east end, while Madam Gu and Lady Ding sat at the west end. Cui Lanzhi, Hong Ji, Cui Jian, and Jiang Xian sat in succession below Lady Jiang. From the second branch, Cui Lanting, Cui Fu, Cui Yu, Cui Ran, and Cui Zhong sat in succession below Lady Ding.
The Emperor’s conversation with Hong Ji had already exceeded his daily allowance of speech. When he went to the Western Pavilion tomorrow, he would once again have to tap out each character one by one before forcing it from his mouth.
Cui Lanyin said to him, “With me looking after things, you can focus on your meal.”
The Emperor smiled. “Were you counting how much I spoke again?”
Cui Lanyin gave a hum. “I simply can’t bear to see Buyan suffer with that miserable look on his face.”
With the Empress present, Buyan had grown bolder. “Why don’t Your Majesty set a daily limit for His Majesty’s words?”
Cui Lanyin smiled and negotiated with the Emperor. “Actually, you could simply stop reading memorials to our daughter.”
The Emperor refused. “That cannot be omitted.”
He did not want to speak much more either. He glanced at Buyu, who was standing beside Buyan. “How about having the two of them take turns?”
Buyan immediately volunteered. “Tomorrow, I’ll attend Your Majesty.”
Buyu had been a step too slow. He could only turn to Cui Lanyin for help. “Your Majesty?”
Cui Lanyin gave the Emperor a push. “Buyu can’t handle those matters. Stop making decisions on a whim.”
“Mm,” the Emperor replied, and the matter was settled.
The Emperor’s attendants and Cui Lanyin’s attendants were actually being used together, and Cui Lanyin contradicted the Emperor with remarkable ease.
The Cui family had heard the rumors that the Empress could influence the Emperor’s decisions, but they had never believed them. Only now did they realize that the truth was even more astonishing than the rumors suggested.
Madam Gu had been hoping to find an opportunity to persuade Cui Lanyin, but at this point, she decided it would be better to wait and observe for a while.
During the meal, Madam Gu saw Cui Lanyin freely eating one dish after another. Her manners were beyond reproach, but she ate far more than she ought to have.
From childhood, noble young ladies were taught to stop eating once they were six or seven parts full and put down their chopsticks. After marriage, they were even less permitted to eat too much in front of their husbands and in-laws.
Cui Lanyin had none of those scruples. One bowl of rice was not enough for her; she added another half bowl before finally setting down her bowl.
Then she sighed, “To be honest, my mouth still wants to keep eating, but I’m simply too full.”
Even an old married couple would not behave so openly and without regard for appearances. At any rate, Madam Gu could never be so unreserved in front of Jiang Zhian.
The Emperor was clearly accustomed to this. He even discussed it with her. “How about sending someone to learn a few dishes from your father? Once your belly grows larger, it won’t be convenient for you to leave the palace.”
“You think just anyone can learn them?” Cui Lanyin pointed at Sangzhi. “Sangzhi has quite a talent for cooking, but even she can’t recreate my father’s flavor.”
The Emperor looked toward Cui Sheng. “How about Your Excellency occasionally coming to the palace to cook her a meal?”
Cui Sheng was naturally happy at the prospect of seeing his daughter from time to time. “Your Majesty need only name a time. I can come whenever required.”
As they watched the imperial carriage disappear into the distance, Madam Gu and Lady Jiang walked back with their arms linked. Madam Gu sighed repeatedly.
“I’ve finally witnessed what it means for one person to be willing to strike while the other is willing to take it. Lanyin has been different since she was little. To outsiders, she seemed as gentle and yielding as Lanzhi, but we knew that was merely an act. When I was in Wuzhou, I could never put my mind at ease. I was afraid that after she married, she would be unable to keep up the act and would wither away in someone else’s household. And we had no power to stand up for her… Just thinking about it kept me awake night after night.
“When I learned that she was to become Empress, I wasn’t happy at all. I worried about how someone with her temperament could survive in the palace. Even when I saw how seriously the Emperor took her and that he had personally come to welcome her, I still couldn’t set my heart at rest. But after today, I can finally let go of half my worries…”
On the ninth day of the second month, the Empress’s birthday arrived beneath an unusually clear sky.
On the Empress’s birthday, after making offerings to the ancestors at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, she was expected to pay her respects to the Grand Empress Dowagers and the Empress Dowager.
Two days earlier, Grand Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Xu had already given orders. Since it was rare for the Empress to celebrate her birthday, she should be allowed to enjoy a completely carefree day. She would not need to go to Fortune’s Peace Palace or Luan Residence to pay her respects.
Grand Empress Dowager Li then issued the same order, saying that the Empress need not visit her either.
The Empress had requested that everything for her birthday be kept as simple as possible. She was also considerate enough to order that the women need not begin lining up at the palace from early morning to await her arrival.
According to the hour when the Emperor received the morning audience, the Ministry of Rites placed a throne on the white marble steps before Yanhua Hall. The Emperor and Empress took their seats, and the assembled officials stepped forward to pay their respects to the Empress and present congratulatory memorials, ruyi ornaments, and other gifts.
After receiving the formal greetings at Yanhua Hall, the Empress parted from the Emperor and went to Fengyi Palace, where she accepted the greetings of the wives of officials and their female relatives.
This time, Fourth Madam Yao came as well. As the Emperor’s maternal aunt by marriage, she naturally received special courtesy from the Empress. She was invited to sit at the east end, along with Princess Consort Jing, Grand Princess Yiqing, Madam Shen, and several others of the same generation as Fourth Madam Yao, so that they could converse together.
The Empress had her mother, Lady Jiang; her maternal aunt, Madam Gu; her aunt by marriage, Lady Ding; Minister Gu; Fourth Madam Yao; and the other women of similar age sit at the west end.
The wives of officials had already discovered during the previous two occasions that the Empress was not one to be overly modest. At times like this, she made no attempt to conceal the fact that she put her own family first.
Some of the more calculating women noticed that the Emperor had still not bestowed a residence upon the Cui family’s first branch, which continued to live crammed together with the second branch.
Although the Emperor had conferred titles upon many members of the Cui family, the highest-ranking among them was merely Cui Su, a fourth-rank military official. Military ranks could not compare with civil ones; a fourth-rank military official was only equivalent to a fifth-rank civil official.
If not for the Empress’s maternal uncle, Jiang Zhian, a fourth-rank Supervising Censor, to lend the family some prestige, the Cui family would truly have been difficult to look at.
As they discreetly studied the Empress’s slightly rounded belly, they thought that this child was another princess. How long the Cui family’s wealth and glory would last was difficult to say.
Viewed in this light, the Emperor was indeed more adept at controlling the influence of his maternal relatives than Emperor Gaozong and the previous Emperor had been.
During Emperor Gaozong’s reign, it was the Chen family; during the previous Emperor’s reign, it was the Li family. Each family had wielded greater power than the last. Compared with them, the Cui family was simply too insignificant to make much of a showing.
Thinking of it this way, she realized that the Empress was only elevating her maternal family so that no one would look down on them. Her displeasure faded at once.
Princess Yongjia paid no heed to any of that. She had three brocade stools brought over and placed beside the Empress’s seat, then pulled Cui Lanzhi and Cui Lanting over to sit with her. “Everyone else has someone to keep them company. We’ll keep the Empress company.”
Cui Lanyin had already instructed Cui Lanting, “In a moment, look them over openly. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Princess Yongjia gave her a wicked grin. “If Cheng Gui doesn’t catch your eye and you take a fancy to someone else, go after him. I’ve tried it plenty of times—when a woman pursues a man, there’s only a veil between them. Just be bold. You’re sure to get what you want.”
Cui Lanyin was afraid she would say something even more outrageous. After all, Cui Lanting was still unmarried, so she stuffed a piece of candy into Princess Yongjia’s mouth.
After they chatted for a while, the banquet began. This time, each family sat at its own table, and everyone returned to their places.
Princess Yongjia was alone, so Cui Lanyin invited her to share the table. But Princess Yongjia did not dare take advantage of the invitation. Instead, she had another brocade stool brought over and sat beside the table.
When Minister Gu’s wife saw this, she leaned over and quietly instructed her younger daughter, “In a moment, take a good look at Cui Ran from the second branch of the Cui family and Jiang Xian from the Jiang family.”
She sounded somewhat regretful as she added, “If Her Highness’s younger brother were even a year older, waiting another year or two would be perfectly fine for you.”
Gu Ying was bold and mischievous. Her almond-shaped eyes darted about as she teased her mother, “Everyone’s setting their sights on Cui Su, and he and I are close in age. Why don’t you suggest him to me? If I married him, I’d become a Lady of the Fourth Rank.”
Madam Gu rolled her eyes at her. “Your mother knows you too well. You only like handsome young scholars. As for looks, apart from Her Highness’s two younger brothers, the most handsome is her maternal cousin, Jiang Xian.
“Cui Ran may be slightly inferior in appearance, but I’ve heard that he’s gentle and even-tempered—just the sort of person to balance out your impatient nature. The Jiang family has only recently arrived, so I haven’t yet had a chance to find out what kind of person Jiang Xian is. You’ll have to pay close attention yourself.”
There were only so many eligible young men in Yingcheng, and the unmarried ladies had long been comparing them in private. Gu Ying asked, “Isn’t Cui Ran from the junior branch of the second branch? Why did you skip over Cui Fu? The heir of the second branch has been driven out of the family, hasn’t he? Cui Fu will inherit the title in the future. If I married him, I could one day become the wife of the Marquis of Wu’an.”
Madam Gu was deeply unimpressed. “You silly girl, don’t follow the example of those short-sighted people. The second branch of the Cui family has nothing but an empty title. Lady Chang is hopelessly muddle-headed, and she can’t even maintain a good relationship with Her Highness. That branch will never amount to much.
“The junior branch, on the other hand, is close to the main branch, so they’re sure to prosper in the future. Cui Fang and his wife are both easygoing and reasonable. Life after marriage will certainly be harmonious.
“Don’t think you’d be marrying beneath yourself. Trust that your father and I would never harm you. If you don’t seize the opportunity now, then once everyone else catches on, we may not even be able to get you a place.”
Gu Ying pressed her lips together to hide a smile. “I’ll listen to you, Mother.”
From her seat above, Princess Yongjia had excellent eyesight. After looking around the hall, she exchanged a glance with Cui Lanyin and said, “Look at the Yao family’s table. Aren’t those two sitting beside Eighth Miss Yao not actually members of the Yao family?”
One resembled an orchid blooming in a secluded valley, while the other was as splendid as a peony in a famous garden. They were both such striking beauties that they outshone every other noble maiden in the hall.
Cui Lanyin withdrew her gaze. “They must be young ladies from one of the other branches of the Yao family.”
Then she added to Princess Yongjia, “The Yao family wants me to arrange marriages for their sons and daughters. How could I possibly know how to do that? His Majesty said that everyone should choose for themselves today. Once they’ve made their choices, I can simply issue the appropriate edicts.”
Princess Yongjia still looked doubtful. “They really don’t look like Yao family girls to me.”
“Whether they are or not, we should still show the Yao family this much consideration.”
Only then did Princess Yongjia let the matter drop and concentrate on eating with Cui Lanyin.
When most of the guests had set down their chopsticks, Fourth Madam Yao came over to Cui Lanyin’s table with the two beauties supporting her.
Cui Lanyin hurriedly ordered, “Quickly, bring the old madam a seat.” An attendant immediately brought over a chair.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Highness.” Fourth Madam Yao sat down and pointed to the two girls beside her. “These two children are grandnieces of mine from my maternal family. Your Highness, don’t you think they’re beautiful?”
Cui Lanyin smiled. “They are indeed beautiful—beauties rarely seen in ten thousand.”
Fourth Madam Yao was delighted. She ordered, “Why haven’t you thanked Her Highness for her praise?”
“We would never presume to deserve Your Highness’s compliment.”
Even the way the two girls bowed was breathtakingly graceful. In an instant, everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing and turned to look.
Cui Lanyin told them to rise. “Since you are relatives from the old madam’s maternal family, if you remain in Yingcheng, bring them to the palace to play with your Yao cousins next time.”
“How about letting them stay here and keep Your Highness company?” Fourth Madam Yao asked with a smile. “They’re both gentle and good-natured. If Your Highness says east, they would never dare go west. There is no one in the palace to keep Your Highness company, so having them stay to ease your loneliness would be a good thing.”
Afraid that Cui Lanyin might misunderstand, Fourth Madam Yao explained further, “They are both of secondary birth, so Your Highness needn’t take them too seriously.”
At this, an apologetic expression appeared on her face. “I shouldn’t be dampening Your Highness’s happy occasion, but lately I’ve often dreamed of His Majesty’s late mother. She never says a word. She only looks at me with such sorrow. I know she blames me for standing aside and doing nothing when it came to His Majesty’s affairs.
“His Majesty will be twenty-seven after the new year. His mother will only be able to rest easy once she sees him with an heir… Your Highness needn’t worry. Once you have a son of your own, I promise these two girls will never get in your way…”
Here it comes [kiss-kiss].
