A light shone in front of her face, and the sudden brightness assailed the eyes of Consort Chang [1]. As she was about to raise her hand to block the light, cold fingers draped over her eyes. Consort Chang was so startled that she almost screamed, and she reached out to pry away the hand covering her vision. Just as she touched that hand, she heard a voice lacking in warmth saying, “It’s me.”
"Your Highness?" Consort Chang tentatively asked.
Long Xuan removed his hand, and asked softly, "Is it better now?"
Lady Chang looked up at Long Xuan, unsure of whether she was dreaming.
"Apologies," Long Xuan said, "I had fallen asleep at the round table just now, have you been waiting for me like this? And so silently?"
Lady Chang lowered her head, Long Xuan’s handsome features still lingering in her eyes, “This humble concubine [2],” she whispered to Long Xuan, “This humble concubine called out once to his Highness.”
Long Xuan put the red veil in his hand aside, sat beside Consort Chang, and said, "How could calling out to me once wake me? I had just arrived to remove your veil. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long."
"It–" she whispered, "It was nothing."
"Are you hungry?" Long Xuan asked, handing over a piece of glutinous rice cake.
She took a bite of the cake. It was so sweet that the sweetness reached her heart.
"It’s almost dawn," Long Xuan said to Consort Chang after seeing that she was finished eating, "Let's go to bed."
The lights in the bridal chamber were once again extinguished, and the old palace people outside all smiled knowingly at each other.
It was Consort Chang’s first time. Nervous and in pain, she did not notice Long Xuan’s absent-mindedness and perfunctory manners. After Long Xuan let go of her body, she fell fast asleep.
Long Xuan did not pay attention to his sleeping wife beside him. After hurriedly fulfilling his duties as a husband, he lay in bed wide awake until dawn. Luo Wei was also the Emperor’s son; knowing this truth, and recalling those favors and the protection his Imperial Father bestowed upon Luo Wei, everything had a reasonable explanation. Luo Wei, originally thought to be a favored minister, was unexpectedly a beloved son. Long Xuan tossed and turned restlessly, unable to fall asleep. Imagining Luo Wei being crowned emperor, Long Xuan realized for the first time in his life what it meant to be terrified. As a courtier, Luo Wei couldn't stand the sight of him doing well, wanted him to die, and wanted to trample him underfoot. If this person became the master of this world, then he, Long Xuan, would certainly have no path for survival.
"This must not be allowed to happen," Long Xuan said to himself, "If you still want to survive, you must not let this happen!"
But what should be done to prevent this? Long Xuan thought for a long time; right now, what useful methods did he still have for dealing with Luo Wei? He was Luo Zhijin’s only son — with this fact alone, none of the princes could hope to be his opponent. Their Imperial Father, for the sake of this woman named Luo Zhijin, massacred his uncle’s whole clan, and even bore deep resentment towards his own birth mother. Then for Luo Wei's sake, what is their Imperial Father capable of? Long Xuan recalled each and every thing Emperor Xingwu had done for Luo Wei. He led Luo Wei out of the imperial study and made him the emperor's disciple; he brought Luo Wei to attend morning court, and let him reside long-term in Changmin Hall; he let him listen to and discuss politics, intervene in the Yuzhou mine case and the Yizhou salt case, and let Luo Wei go to Yun Guan to establish outstanding military feats, becoming famous far and wide [3]. Although for the sake of the country [4], he let Luo Wei put himself in danger by going to Northern Yan, after the army returned, Luo Wei was the first to be rewarded with the title, Marquis Jin. The more Long Xuan thought about it, the more he felt that these were his Imperial Father’s incremental steps paving the path for Luo Wei’s imperial ascension.
Long Xuan sat up. Last night he had not lowered the bed curtains, so after he sat up, Long Xuan noticed the window paper bleached with light. His grand wedding night had passed just like that. Long Xuan walked to the window, pushed it open, and breathed in the morning air outside. The chilly air made Long Xuan’s mind slightly clearer. Looking at the green trees and red safflowers outside, Long Xuan thought about the Empress Dowager. The way their conversation went last night, he had been on the verge of severing ties. Thinking about it now, it would not be wise to do so. Regardless of her current situation, or the uncertainty of her status, in the battle for succession, having the Empress Dowager’s backing would always be better than not. Even if his ascension to the throne would someday be considered tainted, as long as the Empress Dowager stands by him, he will be able to block most criticism from the orthodox Taoist priests and defenders, and the subjects will believe that his ascension happened naturally and conforming to tradition and rules.
Within the gardens of the courtyard, there were already palace servants bustling about.
Long Xuan sat down next to the window, not letting the palace servants notice that he had already risen. He knew he had acted wrongly, but Long Xuan did not regret it. When he thought of when Luo Wei had been tortured while locked up in the Huajie Pavilion, he could not forgive the Empress Dowager. Thinking of Luo Wei’s current frailty, frequent illnesses, and the continuous need for medical treatment, Long Xuan's heart felt pained. He missed the little fatty who followed him around like a ghost. In Long Xuan’s eyes, because of the Empress Dowager’s viciousness, that little chubby Luo would never return; Luo Wei only hated him. This Empress Dowager, Long Xuan thought with his heart brimming with ruthlessness; even if he one day ascends the throne, the Hall of the Eastern Buddha would still be where she would spend her remaining years. A woman so sinister and vicious is not needed in his harem.
Lady Chang was awakaned by the Momo of Rites, which made the young woman embarrassed again. Her first morning in the palace, she had overslept. The appointed nursemaids tacitly served her in getting dressed and adorned. She looked for Long Xuan among the several people standing around in the room; there were palace maids and eunuchs, but not a sign of Long Xuan’s figure.
The nursemaid put away the red-stained cloth on the bed before instructing the maids to neaten and fold the bedding.
"Don't be anxious, Miss," the maid combing Consort Chang's hair saw her looking around and smiled, "His Highness is waiting for our lady in the front hall."
Consort Chang chuckled, and sat without moving. She was afraid that the nursemaids would misunderstand, thinking she was longing for her husband after having just woken up.
The nursemaids had served in the palace for most of their lives, and matured into women as crafy as foxes [5]. Seeing this Prince's Consort like this, they could tell she was too tender. It could not be known how many days it would take to instruct this mistress of the Hall of Literary Transcendence so that she would become accustomed to life in the palace. The nursemaids were counting the days within their hearts. This Second Highness was notorious for his cold demeanor — being a good principal wife for him would not be easy.
When Consort Chang was dressed up, she went to the front hall to meet with Long Xuan, who had already had breakfast and was holding a cup of tea in his hand.
"Your Highness," the young woman bent her knees and bowed to Long Xuan. Remembering last night, she was still too embarrassed to look at his face.
"Is everything all right?" Long Xuan asked.
Consort Chang looked to the attendant at her side, not quite understanding what Long Xuan was asking.
"Replying to Your Highness, the concubine is ready to depart," the maidservant said.
Long Xuan put down the teacup. In front of Consort Chang's lowered head, his tone was mild: "Imperial Father and Imperial Mother are waiting for us, let's hurry and say hello.”
"Was this concubine late to wake?" Consort Chang asked Long Xuan somewhat nervously.
"No," Long Xuan walked to her and said: "You are the master of this place. Whether you get up early or late, it is the servant’s fault, it has nothing to do with you. You don't have to care about these things with me."
At Long Xuan’s words, the Consort Chang could feel the tremor going through the hand of the attendant supporting her.
"In this palace, you only need to remember to worship Imperial Father as the heavens and honor Imperial Mother," Long Xuan advised Consort Chang, "I won't ask anything of you, as long as you do this."
"Yes," she hurriedly replied, "This concubine has taken note."
"Let’s hurry then," Long Xuan quickened his pace.
It wasn’t as if Consort Chang could not feel Long Xuan’s indifference, but in front of so many palace servants, she could only follow closely behind.
[1] The author has not named Long Xuan's wife, and instead refers to her throughout as 氏女 (shìnu). “Chang family's daughter” is a bit of a mouthful, so like others I'm varying it up with Lady Chang, and young woman. Edit: After reading Boundless Dao's translation, I've changed it to Consort Chang.
[2] 臣妾: literally “subject concubine” a form of address for imperial consorts above a certain rank.
[3] 名扬四海: lit. name spread to the four seas.
[4] Cyrrene uses the phrase "country's society." This is her explanation: 社稷江山 (shèjì jiāngshān): a variation on 江山社稷, where 江山 (rivers and mountains) refers to the country, while 社稷 (altars to the gods of earth and grain of the country) represents society. In ancient times, each state/country had its own altars to the gods of earth and grain, a state remained independent only so long as its ruler was able to maintain those altars. This use of “society” is often sourced back to Mencius 《孟子·尽心下文字》: “民为贵 people are the most precious; 社稷次之 the society is second; 君为轻 ruler is the least important.”
[5] 混成了精的人: they “matured through mixing their essences,” but 精 can also refer to a demon or fae, like the commonly known 狐狸精 (fox spirit).
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