Chapter 99
On the twenty-ninth, after Cui Lanyin had acknowledged her kin at Funing Palace, Empress Dowager Xu told her that, beginning on New Year’s Eve, she would be responsible for overseeing all the palace affairs. She would also hand over everything currently under her management.
Cui Lanyin did not refuse. She borrowed Qi An and Aunt Xia from Grand Empress Dowager Chen, and Leping from Empress Dowager Xu. Starting that afternoon, she began familiarizing herself with all the ceremonies and procedures for New Year’s Eve and the first lunar month. Lige.
After the Emperor ordered a small kitchen set up for her in Yan hua Palace and told her that, apart from Vice Director Cao, none of the physicians in the Imperial Medical Institute could be trusted, she understood that the calm in the palace was merely superficial. Beneath it, people were waiting for the right moment to act.
Cui Lanyin knew she had to take control of the palace affairs as quickly as possible.
Grand Empress Dowager Chen fully approved of her decision, but also advised her, “You can’t rely only on the people from my side. Qi An and the others are getting on in years, and their energy is limited. They won’t be able to help you for many more years. It’s fine for the first lunar month, when things are especially busy, but once it’s over, you must hurry and train some people of your own.”
Cui Lanyin knew that she was trying to avoid arousing suspicion. She went over and put her arms around Grand Empress Dowager Chen. “Why should I go to the trouble when you already have people I can trust? Besides, they’ll have to help train my people. I’m not dealing with that myself.”
Once she brought out this tactic, Grand Empress Dowager Chen had no way to deal with her. Pointing at her, she said, “You’re taking advantage of me now, aren’t you?”
Cui Lanyin deliberately stuck out her belly. “For the sake of your great-grandchildren, I’m going to cling to you.”
She added, “Actually, I don’t want to let Aunt Gao go either. But when I think about it, I suppose I should leave at least one person for you to use.”
Everyone laughed until they were nearly doubled over, and Qi An and Aunt Xia began helping Cui Lanyin with the work.
Qian He had mentioned it to her before, and Grand Empress Dowager Chen brought it up again later: now that she was Empress, every word and action of hers was being watched. She also needed to be more careful with how she addressed people of lower rank.
Cui Lanyin thought about it and said, “There should still be some respect in it. Calling them Supervisor or Chief Steward sounds too distant. From now on, they can be Eunuch Qian and Eunuch Qi. As for the two aunts, they can continue calling me as they always have.”
Cui Lanyin did not know that, after she left, Qi An and the other two joked with Grand Empress Dowager Chen.
“Grand Empress Dowager, you won’t have much of your private savings left soon. Even if you don’t give them to the Empress, once the little prince or princess is born, could you really bear not to bring them out?”
This time, Grand Empress Dowager Chen did not give the vague answer she had before. She laughed heartily. “Just for the sake of Yinyin trusting us enough to put the most vital matters in our hands, I would give it all to her!”
On the thirtieth, New Year’s Eve, the Emperor presided over the joint ancestral sacrifice, offering the spirit tablets of all the successive ancestors of the Great Yong in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He also had to make offerings to the Kitchen God, the Household God, and the Door Gods. He was occupied from morning to night.
Qi An, Aunt Xia, and Leping had accompanied Grand Empress Dowager Chen and Empress Dowager Xu through these ceremonies countless times. With the precedents recorded in the old manuals as reference, Cui Lanyin took over smoothly. She made her rounds everywhere, inspecting the spring couplets, door gods, blessing characters, and other auspicious decorations, and arranged the family banquet for that evening.
Before the New Year’s Eve banquet, Cui Lanyin had Eunuch Buyu go to Consort Dowager Shu and tell her that Prince Duan should attend together with Li Yijin. From then on, there was no need for him to avoid appearing in public.
For the sake of her friendship with Li Yijin and Consort Dowager Shu’s thoughtfulness, Cui Lanyin did not want the two of them to lose face before everyone else.
Prince Duan had been confined to his estate and forbidden to leave for so long. Li Yijin was only a few days away from giving birth. When the child grew up, what would she think of a father who had been restricted to his estate by both his mother and grandmother?
Since becoming pregnant, Cui Lanyin’s feelings had grown much more delicate. For Li Yijin’s child, she decided to give Prince Duan a chance. She also believed that Li Yijin and Consort Dowager Shu would keep him under control.
Cui Lanyin had not expected Consort Dowager Shu to become so emotional. She followed Eunuch Buyu to Fengyi Palace and repeatedly assured Cui Lanyin, “Jin’er and I remind him of it every single day. He’s truly changed. His heart is entirely set on becoming a father now, and he wouldn’t dare entertain any of those thoughts from the past again.”
Cui Lanyin said nothing else, merely replying, “I trust Your Highness and Yijin.”
Consort Dowager Shu raised a handkerchief to her eyes. Once the wave of emotion had passed, she leaned closer and said to Cui Lanyin, “When Grand Empress Dowager Li entered the palace, every discomfort she experienced—from her pregnancy onward—was treated by the father of Director He. At that time, he was still Vice Director He. Later, he replaced Director Xue as head of the Imperial Medical Institute. When he retired, the current Director He took his position.
“Your Majesty, no amount of caution would be excessive. Even if you seek treatment from a physician outside the palace, it would be best not to consult Director He.”
Consort Dowager Shu continued, “The Li family has spent decades building its influence in the palace. I managed palace affairs for so many years, yet there were many things I never even glimpsed. Grand Empress Dowager Li, however, already knew about them. You must not let your guard down, Empress.”
After Consort Dowager Shu had gone so far as to warn her, Cui Lanyin became even more vigilant.
At the banquet that evening, when everyone saw Prince Duan appear, many of them instinctively looked toward the Emperor and Empress.
The two of them, however, seemed entirely unaware. The Empress was saying something to the Emperor, and although he did not respond, his expression was more genial than anyone had ever seen it.
The Empress was even more talkative and cheerful than people had expected. She kept chattering with the Emperor, and he showed no sign of impatience. Whenever she paused, he pushed his teacup toward her. She picked it up naturally and drank half of it.
Everyone seemed to understand. What people meant by complementing one another—this was surely what it looked like between the Emperor and Empress.
The Emperor himself did not speak much, but he liked having someone beside him who could talk and laugh with him.
With the Empress setting the example, the atmosphere was noticeably lighter than at the banquet following the Emperor’s accession ceremony, which had been solemn and stifling.
Princess Yongjia and Li Yijin not only gathered together to chat, but whenever their conversation became lively, they would even turn to ask the Empress questions. The Empress answered them with a smile every time, treating them like close friends from her maiden days.
People had heard vague rumors that Princess Yongjia and Li Yijin often associated with the Empress, but no one had realized that the three of them were so close.
The entire household of the Li family’s second branch had been sentenced to exile in the northern territories for taking part in the palace coup.
It was already rare that Li Yijin and her brother had managed to remain unscathed. As for Li Yi’s official career, both of them had given up hope.
Unexpectedly, not long after the Emperor set his wedding date, he reinstated Li Yi and appointed him a Censor of the seventh rank at the Office of Censors.
If he handled the post well, he would have no need to worry about promotion. It was a position that countless young officials longed for but could not obtain.
All one could say was that the Empress held considerable sway with His Majesty. Regardless, being on good terms with the Empress would bring obvious benefits during the years she remained favored.
With the imperial wedding and the New Year together, the Emperor was allowed six days of rest. Yet not a single one of those six days was truly free.
After the New Year’s Eve banquet, they still had to sit up for the New Year. Knowing that Cui Lanyin would not be able to stay awake, the Emperor took her to a side hall and accompanied her while she rested for an hour. When it was almost midnight, they rose again and joined everyone in burning incense, watching the fireworks, and eating dumplings.
On the first day of the new year, at the beginning of the Tiger hour, the two of them first went to the Hall of Ancestral Worship to pay respects to their ancestors. They then returned to offer New Year’s greetings to Grand Empress Dowager Chen, Grand Empress Dowager Li, and Empress Dowager Xu.
Afterward, the Emperor went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to receive the New Year’s salutations of the civil and military officials, while Cui Lanyin received the greetings of the titled wives at Fengyi Palace. Once the greetings were over, she had to host a banquet as well.
This time, Lady Jiang was also permitted to enter the palace. Cui Lanyin simply had all the women of her family come in together.
Taking advantage of a free moment, Madam Gu sought Cui Lanyin out and told her what she had in mind. After her initial surprise, Cui Lanyin was delighted.
“Uncle and Aunt need to think it through carefully. If you’ve made up your minds, I can ask about it right away.”
Madam Gu nodded repeatedly. “That would be wonderful. If it works out, we can take advantage of the leisure during the first month of the year to settle the betrothal.”
Once the banquet had been cleared away, the wives of the outside nobles, knowing that the Empress wished to keep her maternal family for a private conversation, promptly took their leave.
Princess Yongjia had something she wished to discuss with Cui Lanyin. The two wives of the Yao family and Lady Xiang, however, had been so engrossed in conversation with Lady Chang and Lady Jiang that they failed to notice the others leaving and remained behind as well.
Cui Lanyin then called for Madam Dong. “I haven’t seen Sister Dong in ages. When I returned home some time ago, I asked her to come, but she didn’t. Madam, please stay and sit with us too. I have something I’d like you to convey to Sister Dong later.”
Madam Dong had never expected the Empress to ask her to remain with the Cui family. Overwhelmed by the honor, she hurriedly replied with due respect, “Xiang'er is divorced. She was afraid that coming before Her Majesty would bring bad luck, so she kept her distance.”
Cui Lanyin smiled. “I don’t mind such things. If I had known she thought that way, I would have sent someone to fetch her.”
The noblewomen who had lingered at the back and had not yet left cast envious looks at Madam Dong. Who would have thought that although the Dong family’s daughter had divorced Cui Chang of the second branch of the Cui family, she would still remain on such good terms with the Empress?
If her former husband, Cui Chang, had not kept coming to her door trying to win her back, scaring away any family that wished to propose marriage for fear of getting involved, how could she still be unmarried?
Some glanced at Lady Chang as well, wondering whether she would beg the Empress to let Cui Chang return to the Cui family. After all, he had once been the eldest son she relied on most.
That Cui Chang truly had no foresight. His cousin had become the Empress, yet he could not benefit from it in the slightest. He really was a man without luck.
“The inner room is warmer. Let’s move in there to sit,” Cui Lanyin said, leading them into the eastern chamber.
She sat on the eastern side of the raised couch, while everyone urged Lady Jiang to take the western side.
“Madam, please make yourself comfortable.” Princess Yongjia took the chair below Cui Lanyin’s seat and said to the uneasy Lady Jiang, “I’ll sit here so I can speak with the Empress more easily.”
Cui Lanyin added, “There’s no one else here, Mother. You needn’t be so nervous.”
Only then did Lady Jiang settle down. Madam Yao urged Cui Lanzhi to sit below Lady Jiang. “Sit beside her so you can look after your mother.”
Cui Lanzhi knew that everyone was simply trying to show off in front of her younger sister. Hong Ji had taught her that as long as Cui Lanyin did not find anything inappropriate, she should accept it all with grace.
Thus, she did not refuse. She led her maternal aunt, Madam Gu, to sit beside Lady Jiang, while Fourth Madam Yao and Fifth Madam Yao followed suit and sat down beside them.
Lady Chang, Lady Ding, Cui Lanting, and Lady Xiang went over and sat below Princess Yongjia.
They were all relatives, after all, so everyone chatted casually while deliberately flattering Lady Jiang. Little by little, Lady Jiang relaxed.
Princess Yongjia asked Lady Chang, “What did you decide about the family I mentioned for Miss Ting last time? If you’re not interested, I’ll have them look elsewhere for a match.”
Lady Chang glanced at Cui Lanyin before replying, “The family is certainly a good one, but he’s the younger son, and his parents dote on him rather excessively. Our Ting'er cannot bear to suffer any grievances, so I’m afraid the two of them wouldn’t get along.”
Princess Yongjia did not ask anything further. She merely nodded. “Then I’ll tell them to look elsewhere.”
Lady Chang summoned her courage and said to Cui Lanyin, “Your Majesty, Prince Ping will be nineteen after the new year. Shouldn’t it be time to discuss a marriage for him?”
Everyone present understood what she was implying. Even Lady Jiang looked at her in astonishment. “Sister-in-law, what are you saying? This is hardly something our family should concern itself with.”
Unable to care that there were so many people around, Cui Lanting called out in shame, “Mother, are you determined to drive me out of this family before you’ll be satisfied?”
Princess Yongjia looked at Cui Lanting sympathetically. If she had not already had a favorable impression of the girl, and if Cui Lanyin’s sake had not been involved, she would never have repeatedly helped Cui Lanting find prospective husbands, not with Lady Chang being so unreasonable and impossibly choosy.
Lady Chang was forever incapable of reading the situation. Seeing Cui Lanting on the verge of tears, Cui Lanyin felt a pang of sympathy. To have a mother like that was truly a kind of calamity.
Her expression turned cold as she addressed Lady Chang. “Ting'er is lively by nature. She needs a husband whose temperament suits hers. Our family may not be among the very best, but we are comfortably above average, and more than capable of supporting Ting'er. There is truly no need to place so much emphasis on family status.”
Lady Chang, however, could not understand. She muttered, “A daughter should always marry into a family of higher standing. Now that you are here, we ought to be even more selective. Otherwise…”
Cui Lanyin did not bother responding. Instead, she turned to Madam Dong. “Madam, has Sister Dong’s marriage been settled?”
Madam Dong had not expected the Empress to ask about this. She glanced at Lady Chang, then, having decided to risk it, said, “Your Majesty, we had originally agreed to a family, and the two sides were in the process of meeting at Tianfu Temple. But Cui Chang suddenly appeared and frightened the man away, claiming that he still intended to rekindle his relationship with Xiang'er. He even shouted that he was the Empress’s brother-in-law and dared anyone to cross him. The family was afraid of inviting trouble, so the marriage came to nothing.”
Cui Chang was still harassing Madam Dong?
Cui Lanyin looked toward Lady Chang, but Lady Chang did not dare meet her eyes and hurriedly looked away.
When Cui Lanyin turned to Cui Lanting, she saw only astonishment and anger on the girl’s face.
Now she understood. Smiling, she said to Madam Dong, “You mustn’t treat me as an outsider anymore. If anything like this happens again, come straight to me.”
“I knew Your Majesty would stand up for Xiang'er.” Madam Dong tried to rise and bow to her, but Aiye promptly held her back.
Cui Lanyin looked toward Madam Gu. After receiving a confirming nod from her, she said to Madam Dong, “Why don’t I suggest a match for Sister Dong?”
Madam Dong froze for a moment before bursting with delight. “That would be an enormous blessing for our Xiang'er. May I ask which family it is?”
Cui Lanyin pointed at Madam Gu. “This is my maternal aunt. My eldest maternal cousin is twenty-two this year and has earned the degree of Presented Scholar. He was once engaged, but the match fell through, and before we knew it, the years had passed. You can tell from my maternal aunt what kind of family he comes from. My cousin is handsome, upright, and warmhearted. He simply will not be sitting for the metropolitan examination again, so his academic advancement will end with the Presented Scholar degree. If you don’t mind…”
Madam Dong could hardly wait for her to finish. “We don’t mind at all! How could we? The Empress’s cousin must be an exceptional man. But does he truly wish to marry our Xiang'er? After all, she is…”
Madam Gu was also too eager to wait for Cui Lanyin to answer. With a broad smile, she said, “To be honest, my eldest son has met Miss Dong before. He was the one who asked me to request the Empress’s help in arranging this match.”
Yinyin is starting to build her own network of influence! [shy]
