Chapter Sixty-Four
Buyu was frightened this time. He tugged at Qian He and said, “Grandpa Qian, the Second Miss is going back home to live, and she’s even going to send me to Funing Palace. I’m used to serving the Second Miss. When she gets married, could I go with her?”
Qian He liked nothing better than a loyal child, so he immediately agreed. “What’s so difficult about that? Just have Her Majesty the Empress Dowager mention it to His Majesty. In fact, she may not even need to—His Majesty might think her bridal entourage is too small and add another two people himself.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Qian.” Buyu’s worries vanished, and even his voice was filled with delight.
Qian He looked at Cui Lanyin and urged, “Then shall we be on our way?”
Cui Lanyin was not particularly willing to return. If that man were still Prince Wei, she would certainly have found an excuse to put it off for a few days before entering the palace.
But that man was now the emperor. Although sending her out of the palace had been Wen Song’s own idea, this latest incident had given Cui Lanyin a real taste of how unfathomable imperial power could be.
An imperial command could not be disobeyed, so she had no choice but to agree.
Though this was an unparalleled honor and a great opportunity for Cui Lanyin, the entire eldest branch of the family was still reluctant to part with her.
Madam Jiang and Cui Lanzhi held on to her. “Why does this feel as though you’re getting married? You’ve barely sat down after coming home, and now you’re leaving again.”
Cui Jian said, “Second Sister, you should find someone who lives closer to our home when you marry in the future.” He glanced at Cui Lanzhi. “Or you could have your brother-in-law find someone for you in Wuxi who has already passed the county-level scholar examination. Then, whenever he comes to Yingcheng for the examinations, he could stay at home with you.”
Hong Ji laughed. “Forget a scholar—an imperial candidate wouldn’t be worthy of Yin anymore. Once next year’s successful candidates are announced, she can choose any of the new palace graduates she likes.”
Qian He nodded in agreement. “If there’s someone among the new palace graduates with a good family background and a fine appearance, he could certainly be considered.”
Cui Mian and Madam Jiang had no particular desire to marry their daughter into a powerful clan. What mattered most to them was finding someone of a similar age who would cherish Cui Lanyin. Once they heard that she could choose from among the new palace graduates, they stopped asking for anything else.
Cui Mian entrusted the matter to Qian He. “That would be wonderful. When the new palace graduates are announced, we’ll have to trouble Brother Qian to take a proper look at them for us.”
When Qian He heard Cui Mian naturally call him “Brother Qian,” and saw how the whole family acted as though things had always been this way—not even Hong Ji showing the slightest surprise—he understood that they accepted him not because he had become Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, but because Cui Lanyin and Cui Su recognized him. Therefore, they accepted him without question as well.
They truly were Yin’s family. In an instant, Qian He began to regard the entire household as his own people.
He took Cui Mian by the arm and said, “Rest assured, Brother. Once the new palace graduates are announced, I’ll investigate every one of them thoroughly. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager will also have to discuss with His Majesty preparing a dowry of one hundred and twenty loads for Yin. I’ve accumulated a few things over the years myself. When the time comes, we’ll give her a grand wedding procession stretching ten li.”
As the conversation about her marriage had suddenly drawn Qian He and her family together, Cui Lanyin thought of her one-year agreement with the emperor and felt a pang of worry. If they learned that she most likely would not marry, wouldn’t her family be terribly disappointed?
According to the emperor, if after spending a year together she felt she could not adapt, he would let her live the life she wanted. If she wished to marry, he would probably even choose a suitable husband for her.
But the emperor had also said, “This companionship is not that companionship.” The two of them would certainly no longer interact as they had before, like uncle and niece. After spending a year together in that way, how could she still marry someone else with a clear conscience?
The family did not even dare keep her for a meal. They all saw her and Qian He out and watched them into the carriage.
During the period of national mourning, the palace gates were busier than usual. Cui Lanyin had left the palace that morning, and by midday Qian He had hurried out of the palace only to return with her. Naturally, this drew a great deal of attention.
With Li Yixin having left the palace and not yet returned even after a full day, it almost seemed as if the Second Miss Cui’s trip outside had merely been a formality.
After all, Li Yixin had left, and before even a day had passed, His Majesty and Empress Dowager Chen had turned around and brought Second Miss Cui back.
People could not help wondering whether this meant that Cui Lanyin would now become Yingcheng’s foremost noble young lady, while Li Yixin would have to take second place.
Then again, Empress Dowager Li was His Majesty’s own paternal grandmother. Could His Majesty truly favor Empress Dowager Chen over her?
Considering Emperor Xuanning’s conduct, he had always treated Empress Dowager Chen with mere outward courtesy, while Empress Dowager Li received both the appearance and the substance of his respect. Thus, no one could be certain. It was still too early to draw conclusions. They would have to wait and see.
When they arrived at Funing Palace, Empress Dowager Chen was waiting beneath the corridor. Though they had been apart for only a short while, she still took Cui Lanyin by the hand and examined her from head to toe.
“You’ve been rushing about all morning and haven’t eaten, have you? You look a little thinner.”
“How could I have grown thinner in such a short time?” Cui Lanyin tugged at Empress Dowager Chen’s sleeve. “But I really am hungry.”
“It’s already been arranged. The food will be brought out shortly.” Qi An waved for the waiting palace attendants to fetch it.
Only then did Empress Dowager Chen have time to ask Qian He, “What happened? Tell me everything.”
The emperor had ordered him to fetch Cui Lanyin at once, leaving Qian He no time to return. He had therefore asked Gufeng to send someone to Funing Palace and tell them that he was going outside the palace to receive Cui Lanyin.
At the emperor’s side, the first and foremost rule was to keep one’s mouth shut. Thus, Gufeng had only sent word that Qian He had left the palace, without saying anything more.
So although Empress Dowager Chen and Qi An were delighted that Cui Lanyin had returned, they could not determine what the emperor meant by it, and their hearts remained uneasy.
Qian He stepped forward and kowtowed three times to Empress Dowager Chen. “I owe Your Majesty a great debt for taking me in and allowing me to live peacefully in Funing Palace for all these years. Now, I’m going away.”
Empress Dowager Chen was startled, thinking he had gotten himself into trouble again. “Where are you going? Whatever has happened, you have me to rely on!”
“Heh heh…” Qian He grinned. “Thanks to Your Majesty’s kindness—and on account of Yin—His Majesty has summoned me to serve him. He has just appointed me Chief Steward of the Inner Palace. I’m going over now to take up my duties.”
Before Empress Dowager Chen could say anything, Qi An abruptly seized Qian He and hauled him up. “You’re the Chief Steward now? Heavens! Our Funing Palace is really going to rise in prominence from now on. The people over there must be furious enough to cough up blood!”
Qian He pushed him away. “Stop squeezing me, or I’ll be the first one to suffocate.”
Qi An laughed so hard he could barely close his mouth, rubbing his hands together as he paced back and forth. “You rascal… You rascal…” He was nearly as excited as if he himself had been promoted.
Aunt Gao and Aunt Xia also came forward with tears in their eyes to offer their congratulations. The emperor had chosen someone from Funing Palace to become Chief Steward of the Inner Palace, making it clear that, in his eyes, Empress Dowager Chen stood above Empress Dowager Li. Empress Dowager Chen had truly endured until her time had come.
In this dynasty, emperors observed mourning by counting one day as one month. The new emperor was no exception. He would remove his mourning clothes together with the court officials on the twenty-seventh day, and the following day, being an auspicious date, the formal enthronement ceremony would be held.
The Directorate of Astronomy selected an auspicious date. After the emperor confirmed it, it was decided that Emperor Xuanning’s coffin would remain in the palace for eighteen days. After that, it would depart for Yancheng and be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
Originally, after an emperor’s death, members of the imperial family’s close branches were forbidden to marry for twenty-seven months, while those of more distant branches were forbidden to marry for a year.
Court officials and commoners alike were forbidden to marry, celebrate, or make music within the first hundred days.
This time, the emperor changed all of those rules. Only members of the close imperial branches would be forbidden to marry for one hundred days. Everyone else merely had to observe mourning for twenty-seven days.
With this change of his, even though no one dared say it to his face, both court officials and commoners were inwardly pleased. However, Empress Dowager Li was far from content, and came to confront him, rebuking the emperor for having no regard for his father and lacking filial piety.
But the emperor had always been a man of firm resolve—once he set his mind on something, he would never let others dictate to him, nor did he care for anyone's opinion, not even Empress Dowager Li's. He did not even allow her to step into the West Pavilion, and instead had Qian He summon Chief Minister Li over, who eventually persuaded Empress Dowager Li to leave.
Less than a day later, Qian He replaced Wen Song as the Head Attendant of the Imperial Household. No one knew exactly what fault Wen Song had committed, but this personnel shift made all court officials see clearly: the new emperor was completely different from the late Emperor Xuanning. This was a sovereign who made all his own decisions, and who showed no leniency for the sake of personal familiarity.
Wen Song had been a man left behind by Consort Yao, yet the emperor had removed him from his post just like that. He did not even let Wen Song remain in the palace, but instead granted him a sum of silver and arranged for the Yao family to take him away for retirement.
None of the court officials dared to compare themselves to Wen Song, so when they attended to the emperor, they grew far more cautious. No one tried to pull the rank of a senior veteran official anymore—even Chief Minister Li reined in his overbearing demeanour a great deal.
In private circles, everyone agreed that the new emperor's move was brilliant. By promoting Qian He, who had served in Empress Dowager Chen's palace, he had achieved three goals with one stroke: Empress Dowager Li was now kept in check, Chief Minister Li no longer dared to make arbitrary decisions on every matter, and at the same time, the emperor had used the dismissal of Wen Song to send a clear warning to the Yao family. This last point kept Chief Minister Li from feeling too aggrieved, and he even began to conduct his official duties with diligent devotion.
Three days later was the grand state funeral, which required all officials based in the capital, as well as all titled women of the fifth rank and above, to enter the palace to observe the mourning rites.
Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Li were both required to be present for the ceremony.
Cui Lanyin was not allowed to accompany them. She remained behind at the Funing Palace with Aunt Xia, while Qi An and Aunt Gao attended to Empress Dowager Chen for the occasion.
Two days had passed, and there had been no word from the emperor. She reasoned that he was occupied with observing the mourning rites and handling urgent state affairs, and had no time to spare for her. She assumed he had only called her back to the palace to save her face after the incident involving Wen Song.
The more she thought about it, the more certain she felt that the emperor still wished to acknowledge her as his niece by marriage, and that there were no other, deeper intentions behind his actions. Gradually, Cui Lanyin relaxed and settled down peacefully in the Funing Palace.
Inside the Benyuan Hall, after the grand funeral rites were completed, the emperor walked over to Empress Dowager Chen and said, "Let me escort you back, Grandmother."
Everything that day had gone exactly as Empress Dowager Chen had wished. Qian He had made sure to prioritize her in every arrangement, the emperor had not raised a single objection, none of the court officials had protested, and Empress Dowager Li had been made to follow behind her the entire time.
It felt just like the old days, when Empress Dowager Li had to bite her tongue and yield to her, and Empress Dowager Chen felt all the long-held resentment in her chest finally melt away.
Now that her wish had been fulfilled, even when she crossed paths with Empress Dowager Li, she no longer felt any urge to fight or give way. Seeing how the emperor was going out of his way to honour her, Empress Dowager Chen once more felt that her judgment had been better than anyone else's. From a seemingly mediocre line, she had raised an exceptional son—this new emperor was far more capable than his grandfather and father combined.
That was more than enough for her, better than anything she had dared to hope for, and she knew she should not crave for more. Her expression softened into an unusually kind smile as she said, "There are so many state affairs waiting for you to tend to. You might as well take this chance to rest a while. I have so many people by my side, I do not need you to escort me."
But the emperor insisted, saying nothing more as he followed behind her out of the hall. After all these years, Empress Dowager Chen knew full well that once the emperor was stubborn about something, no one could stop him, so she let him have his way.
As she glanced over at Empress Dowager Li, who was trying to look indifferent but whose eyes were already blazing with suppressed fury, Empress Dowager Chen felt so light-hearted that she seemed to glide as she walked.
Hearing the commotion outside, Cui Lanyin and Aunt Xia came out to greet them. When she saw the emperor beside the empress dowager, Cui Lanyin's heart began to pound wildly. It had only been two days since she last saw him, yet it felt as if ages had passed, and she unconsciously slowed her steps.
"What's the matter?" Aunt Xia pulled her arm gently, and Cui Lanyin quickly composed herself, forcing a bright smile as she stepped forward. First she curtsied to Empress Dowager Chen, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Then she bent to kneel, "Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty."
But a pair of well-defined, slender hands reached out and lifted her up by her shoulders. "Do you want to be punished by facing the wall again?"
Those words meant more to her than any tender, honeyed phrase could have. Cui Lanyin instantly remembered that time she had been made to face the wall as punishment, when after the two of them had smashed things in a fit of anger, he had said, "Do you think anyone can call me uncle?" So even as emperor, he still acknowledged their old bond as uncle and niece. He still treated her the same way, even when she made a mistake, ready to punish her as he had before.
That familiar, precious relationship as uncle and niece was something she cherished more than anything. Seeing that the emperor was still acting exactly as her old uncle had, Cui Lanyin quickly stood up straight. "Uncle, stop lifting me like that—others will think I'm still a little child, how am I supposed to go about walking around the palace properly?" Her tone had already returned to the familiar, casual manner of old.
The emperor huffed. "If you pull another stunt like that, I will have you confined to your quarters."
Cui Lanyin darted behind Empress Dowager Chen, wrinkling her nose playfully. "Oh, I'm so scared!"
This short, playful exchange completely changed the atmosphere in the courtyard.
Empress Dowager Chen had already thought it a great blessing to have Cui Lanyin's company, but to see that Prince Wei, now that he had ascended the throne, was still so willing to be close to the Funing Palace, her remaining misgivings melted away. Seeing that the emperor showed no sign of leaving immediately, she invited him into the inner parlour.
The emperor sat down on a chair beside the heated kang, then said to Cui Lanyin, "I'm hungry."
This side of the emperor was no different from how he used to be, and Cui Lanyin let all her guard down at once. She hurried to ask, "Uncle, how many days have you gone without a proper meal?"
The emperor flicked his three fingers lightly against the edge of the kang. Cui Lanyin's eyes went wide. "Three days! But you promised me before that you would eat your meals on time!"
The emperor looked straight at her. "My quarters are uncomfortable, and there's no one there to make me behave."
It was a perfectly plain statement, and his expression did not change, yet Cui Lanyin felt there was a hidden meaning beneath the words. She dared not meet his gaze, and turned to take the hot tea cup the palace attendant had brought over, setting it on the low table before the emperor.
After that small pause, she managed to speak normally again. "What would you like to eat, Uncle?"
The emperor held the tea cup in his hands without drinking, and said, "Whatever you give me, I'll eat."
Cui Lanyin could hear her own heart thumping loudly in her chest. Her toes curled up nervously inside her shoes, and she was terrified that others would notice her strange fluster.
Fortunately, Empress Dowager Chen spoke up in time. "That West Pavilion is all twisty and narrow, not spacious or bright at all. Of course it's uncomfortable to live and work in. Once the mourning period is over, you can renovate it however you like." She had always looked down on the late Emperor Xuanning, thinking he had none of the broad-mindedness a proper emperor should have, that even the place he used to handle state affairs was petty and cramped.
Then she turned to Cui Lanyin and said, "Qian He doesn't dare to discipline the emperor strictly. Your uncle listens to you, so you're the only one who can make sure he takes care of himself."
Here we go, I'll go back and fix the typos later [grinning mischievously]
