Chapter 119
When they returned to Yan Hua Palace, the Emperor was already sitting cross-legged on the luohan couch.
The small table on the couch had been moved aside. The Emperor reached out to her, and Cui Lanyin walked over. He pulled her down onto his lap.
Cui Lanyin nestled into his arms of her own accord. The Emperor did not ask about the Yao family, and she did not bring it up either. They simply held each other in silence for a long while.
Today, she could set everyone else aside, but she could not stop thinking about Grand Empress Dowager Chen.
After changing clothes, she took the Emperor to Funing Palace.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen was startled when she saw them. “I told you not to come over. You never listen.” But the smile that kept tugging at the corners of her mouth revealed how happy she was.
Cui Lanyin shook her arm playfully. “I deliberately saved my longevity noodles so we could eat them together, and you still scold me.”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen stroked her back as though soothing a child. “I shouldn’t have scolded you, Yin. Lei Fu makes the best silver-thread noodles. Today, I’ll have him show off everything he knows.”
Both Luanju Palace and Funing Palace had their own kitchens, but neither could rely entirely on inexperienced cooks. Qi An and Leping had checked the staff with Cao Liang and selected those whose reliability had been confirmed. Knowing that Grand Empress Dowager Chen loved noodles, Leping had arranged for Lei Fu to be transferred there.
Cui Lanyin pointed toward the eaves outside and said to Aunt Gao, “There are so many people out there. Aunt Gao, have the kitchen prepare more dishes.”
Grand Empress Dowager Chen and Aunt Gao looked through the glazed window, only then realizing that all the trusted attendants from Yan Hua Palace had come: the Four Lins, Qian He, Buyan, Gufeng, Buyu, Chiyun, Chiyue, Aiye, Sangzhi, and Yushan. Not one was missing.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen was delighted. “Good, good. Our own people should celebrate with you, too.”
Cui Lanyin then sent someone to invite Empress Dowager Xu, Consort Dowager Shu, and Dowager Concubine Wan.
The moment Consort Dowager Shu entered, she said to Cui Lanyin, “You must bring me a bowl of longevity noodles later. Our Jin-jie still has room saved in her belly so she can share in the Empress’s good fortune.”
Cui Lanyin hurriedly replied, “How could I make someone in confinement wait?” She turned and instructed Buyu, “Once the noodles are ready, send a serving to the Crown Princess Consort at Luanju Palace.”
Buyu acknowledged the order and went to the kitchen to make the arrangements.
Lei Fu was also an excellent cook. He brought all his skills to bear, directing the others as they fried, sautéed, steamed, and roasted until they had prepared four tables laden with fine dishes. The whole group spent a lively, warm evening accompanying Cui Lanyin as she ate her longevity noodles.
Like the Emperor, Grand Empress Dowager Chen, Empress Dowager Xu, and the others did not ask about the Yao family. Cui Lanyin knew that they did not want to spoil her happiness today. They wanted her birthday to be as complete and joyful as possible.
After returning to Yan Hua Palace, she finally began to feel tired. Aiye and Sangzhi helped her to the bathing chamber. By the time she had finished bathing and come out, she could barely keep her eyes open.
The Emperor had also finished bathing in the eastern chamber and came over to support her by the waist. “Tired? Go to sleep.”
Drowsy, Cui Lanyin followed him into the bedchamber. He helped her onto the bed, lowered the curtains, and climbed in after her.
Remembering that the Emperor had said that morning that he wanted to show her his feelings, Cui Lanyin covered the yawn rising to her lips. “I can’t stay awake. I really have to sleep.”
The Emperor took two pillows and propped them against the headboard, then half-supported and half-embraced her until she was sitting against them. With a soft laugh, he said, “You accepted everyone else’s good wishes. How can you leave mine out?”
“I know how you feel. Can’t I record it as a debt and collect it tomorrow?” Cui Lanyin glanced at him, her expression full of entreaty.
“No.”
The Emperor leaned closer. Cui Lanyin knew she would not be able to escape him. Her long, fan-like lashes trembled as she slowly closed her eyes.
Yet she did not feel him move any closer. Puzzled, she turned her head—and saw the Emperor pull a jade flute from beneath the covers.
His brows unfurled into a smile. Raising the jade flute to his lips, he began to play “Ninefold Spring.” The bright, cheerful melody flowed through the enclosed bedchamber. Amid the lingering flute notes, one could not help feeling boundless joy, wishing only for peaceful years and to share every birthday together.
A crack had been left in the window outside, and the night breeze swept in, making the bed curtains ripple like water. Dressed all in white and playing the flute, the Emperor looked like an immortal gentleman standing alone beside a river—seemingly within reach, yet impossible to catch.
Cui Lanyin was mesmerized. Only after he finished the piece and came over to ask, “Do you like it?” did she return to herself.
She had not yet emerged from the mood of the music. Acting on instinct, she seized his sleeve and murmured, “I like it.”
The Emperor tried to pull her into his arms, but her grip on his sleeve kept him from getting free. He could not help chuckling. “Why do you look as though you’re afraid I’ll run away?”
His laughter brushed against her ear, dispelling some of the illusion. Cui Lanyin threw herself into his arms, yet still felt an inexplicable emptiness, an unease that he might not truly be there. She wrapped both arms tightly around his waist, and only then did she finally feel that he was solidly, genuinely beside her.
“My Imperial Uncle, you can play the flute too.”
“I only just learned.”
“How did I not know?”
“After you fell asleep, I found an empty palace and practiced there for two days.” The Emperor laughed softly. “Luckily I learned this, or I truly wouldn’t have made it through today.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Imperial Uncle.” Cui Lanyin tightened her arms around him. “You play beautifully, and you look beautiful too.”
For some reason, the faces of the two beauties brought by Fifth Madam Yao appeared before her eyes. At that moment, Cui Lanyin was certain that she did not want any woman besides herself to see the Emperor like this. This was something only she should be allowed to see.
She tilted her head up of her own accord. The Emperor lowered his head to meet her. Just as their lips were about to touch, he still asked, “Weren’t you tired?”
Cui Lanyin pressed against him. “I don’t want to waste such a beautiful night.”
The last syllable quickly shattered amid the entwining movement of their lips and tongues…
The next day, when several grand secretaries came for an audience, the Emperor summoned the Hanlin Academicians Jiang, Zou, and Shen into the Grand Secretariat. He announced that from then on, the grand secretaries would focus on assisting with governance, while grand secretaries and senior officials of the various ministries and offices could no longer hold both positions simultaneously. Only Grand Secretary Shen would remain in the Grand Secretariat to guide the three academicians; all the other grand secretaries were to return to their respective ministries and offices.
Since ascending the throne, the Emperor had never allowed a memorial to remain with him beyond the following day. He also possessed an extraordinary memory and broad learning, so the Grand Secretariat’s draft comments were little more than a reference to him. Its role had consequently become increasingly unnecessary.
In particular, after receiving memorials approved by the Emperor, the grand secretaries merely sent them onward, adding another step to the process and making the Grand Secretariat seem redundant.
Even so, the Grand Secretariat had become a pillar of the court beginning in the reign of Emperor Taizong and had continued through the reigns of Emperor Gaozong and Emperor Xuanning. Being a grand secretary was equivalent to being appointed chief minister, so entering the Grand Secretariat had become an obsession for officials seeking proof of their eminence.
Many of the ladies had been kept up and worn out by their husbands, who had drunk too much at home the night before. All of them looked haggard. Then they arrived at court only to face this announcement, and suddenly felt as though they had lost their bearings both at home and outside it.
The day before, Fifth Madam Yao had angered the Empress. First, the Empress had driven out the Yao women, and then the Emperor had expelled all the Yao men. The next day, he dismantled the Grand Secretariat. Even the dullest person could tell that the Yao family had provoked this upheaval.
As though afraid people might fail to understand, the Emperor also exchanged Yao Qin, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, with the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
The Court of State Ceremonial often had to deal with the inner palace. The Emperor’s action was practically an open declaration that he did not want Yao Qin obstructing the Empress’s view any longer.
The assembled officials could not help wondering whether, if the Emperor had not wanted to clear Grand Secretary Yao out of the Grand Secretariat, there might still have been room for negotiation over its abolition. Without realizing it, they began looking at Yao Zheng and Yao Qin with resentment, blaming them for the consequences.
From being unrivaled in prominence to becoming the target of everyone’s anger, Yao Zheng and Yao Qin finally realized that, in the Emperor’s eyes, the Yao family was nowhere near as important or indispensable as they had imagined.
The Emperor could raise you up whenever he wished, and just as easily set you aside. If you took yourself too seriously, you had simply failed to understand your own place.
Yao Qin summoned Yao Zheng to the Ministry of Personnel, and the brothers shut the doors to talk.
“We have to find a way to apologize to the Empress,” Yao Qin said.
Yao Zheng shook his head dejectedly. “We should wait until the Empress has cooled off a little. Going to her now would only add fuel to the fire.”
“We had only just managed to turn things around, and now all our efforts have gone to waste again.” Yao Qin could not help complaining. “Fourth Aunt used to be so clearheaded. How could she have acted so foolishly this time?”
“It’s because we grew too ambitious. From the moment Mother brought those two here, can you honestly say you never had any ideas?” Yao Zheng stared at him. “I told Mother that the timing wasn’t right, but she said that since they had already been brought here, it would look bad to send them back simply because they weren’t needed. She wanted to find suitable families for the two of them in Yingcheng and marry them off.
“Your sister-in-law was worried that the two girls would remain in the household for too long. If something happened with one of the boys… Our family’s reputation would be ruined, and the boys would have concubines before they were even married, making it impossible to arrange proper matches for them.
“Then Mother said she wanted to bring the two girls into the palace to meet someone. I thought it would be better to send them off quickly, so I didn’t stop her.”
Yao Qin had also heard Fifth Madam Yao muttering about the matter. There were two women of such breathtaking beauty living in the residence, and she was afraid that one of the young men might lose control. They were relatives, after all, and if anything happened, the only option would be to take them as concubines. With concubines before marriage, how could the young men find proper wives later? The Yao family’s reputation would suffer as well.
He had even caught his own sons staring absently after the two girls on two separate occasions. No man was immune to beauty. If his sons had not yet been married, he would not have considered taking the girls as concubines such a terrible idea.
He was somewhat afraid to meet Yao Zheng’s eyes. “I thought that since the Empress is pregnant, His Majesty couldn’t simply endure the wait until she gave birth. Fourth Aunt could use a visit to check on His Majesty as an excuse to let him take a look at the two girls. If it didn’t work, we could pretend nothing had happened. I just never expected her to act so rashly—to ask the Empress for permission, and at a banquet at that…”
Yao Zheng slumped in despair. “We were far too greedy.”
Cui Lanyin had barely entered the East Hall when Bailin and the other three arrived behind her. The Four Lins had only just taken their seats when Qian He also came in, claiming that he wanted to mooch a cup of tea.
Buyan poured tea for everyone. Then he said to Cui Lanyin, “His Majesty cannot do without us over there. Whatever Buyan and Gufeng are planning, don’t leave the two of them out.”
What were they planning? Everyone present knew perfectly well.
Cui Lanyin nodded, then turned to Chilin and Xuanlin. “You both know what the Yao family is like at present, don’t you?”
Chilin nudged Xuanlin with his shoulder. Sensing that Cui Lanyin was about to make a grand move, he rubbed his hands together excitedly. “The two of us went over there last night and found out everything. We even know which dishes the Yao family’s cook prepared this morning.”
Cui Lanyin asked, “And what’s the situation around the Wuyang River these days?”
Xuanlin immediately understood. Even he, usually so stern and restrained, could not keep from smiling.
Cui Lanyin then explained the plan to Bailin. Bailin’s eyes lit up as he listened. “Leave it to us, Your Majesty’s wife.” He left with a grin, his hands tucked into his sleeves.
Cui Lanyin gave Chilin and Xuanlin a few more instructions. The two of them also departed excitedly.
“Your plan is much more satisfying, Your Majesty’s wife. I was thinking of taking people to smash up the Yao family’s gates.” Qian He set down his teacup. “You can’t play favorites, Your Majesty’s wife. I must do my part in this as well.”
“How could I leave out our Chief Eunuch Qian?” Cui Lanyin said with a smile. She then told him what he was to do.
Qian He slapped his thigh. “Now that’s satisfying! Your Majesty’s wife should handle things this way instead of bottling up her anger.”
He did not forget Buyan. “You’re coming with me. Buyan and Gufeng will have to wait until we happen upon another opportunity.”
Once everything had been arranged, Cui Lanyin went to Fu Ning Palace.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen had already been waiting for her. Her voice was thick with barely restrained fury. “The Yao family’s intentions are utterly reprehensible. We cannot let what happened yesterday simply pass.”
“Of course we can’t.” Cui Lanyin smiled as she moved closer. “I came precisely to ask Grand Empress Dowager to help me vent my anger.”
“Say the word. We could march straight to their doorstep and deal with them ourselves.”
Cui Lanyin giggled. “As expected of the woman who raised him. Qian Bocai said the same thing—that we should take people there and smash the place up.”
She gave a cold snort. “Smashing up their residence would only relieve our anger for a moment. It might not make the Yao family remember their lesson. I want them to remember at all times that I am not someone they can afford to provoke.”
Here it comes. [Let me see.]
