Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 139: The Struggle in the Harem

   With so many women in the harem and only one heart belonging to the Emperor, winning that heart was truly like two armies facing each other—every possible tactic was exhausted.

“Your Majesty.” Li Yu said respectfully, “Your Majesty, Noble Consort Chun has come several times. She says the case of the palace market fencing stolen goods has been thoroughly investigated and she requests Your Majesty’s judgment.”

This matter concerned not only the reputation of the harem but also involved disaster relief funds and other affairs—it could be considered quite significant. Hongli put down his brush and said: “Let’s go, to Zhongcui Palace to take a look!”

Li Yu: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

The imperial palanquin left from Yangxin Hall. As it passed along the corridor, a sudden sound of bells rang out. Hongli raised his head and saw a kite soaring high in the sky.

It was a colorful mandarin duck kite, with a small golden bell hanging from its tail, tinkling crisply in the wind.

For some reason—whether the person flying it suddenly let go or the string broke—the kite swayed unsteadily in the air for a moment, then suddenly plummeted and fell not far from Hongli.

Hongli: “Bring it to me to see.”

Li Yu hurriedly went forward and retrieved the kite.

Hongli took it in his hands and saw that on the back of the kite was written a short sanqu lyric:

“Long silk thread sent to the ends of the earth,

   Letting it fly free is still in my hands.

   Paper body dressed up, no attachments left,

   Let the wild wind tear it wherever it will.

   String broken at the corner of the sea and sky,

   Cannot reel it back in, cannot see him anymore,

   Who knows in whose home he now drifts?”

   At the very end, there was also a clumsily drawn orchid flower.

The corners of Hongli’s mouth couldn’t help but curve upward. Her calligraphy had been taught to her personally by the Empress, her painting had been taught to her personally by him—how could he not recognize it?

“Let’s go.” Hongli folded the kite away. “To Yanxi Palace.”

Li Yu was stunned: “Then Noble Consort Chun…”

Hongli: “Tell Noble Consort Chun that I will see her tomorrow.”

In this battle, Wei Yingluo won with her very first move. Noble Consort Chun had spent who knows how much money and effort setting up that Jiangnan market, only to be defeated by a single small kite. She was so furious her teeth itched, yet she was utterly helpless.

The next evening, she dressed and prepared early. She placed a chessboard on the table in the sleeping chamber, then lit a stick of orchid incense in the silver corner censer. Wisps of smoke curled upward, filling the room with delicate fragrance.

Yuhu kept going out for a moment, then coming back in, appearing quite restless and unable to sit still:

“Yesterday the Emperor said he was coming, but then changed his route and went to Yanxi Palace instead. He won’t fail to come again today, will he?”

Noble Consort Chun shot her a glare, chiding her for saying something inauspicious:

“The Emperor said he would come today, so he will certainly come.”

Realizing she had unintentionally annoyed her mistress, Yuhu hurriedly smiled apologetically:

“Yes, yes. Your Ladyship has meticulously prepared the chess formation, and went to great lengths to obtain the calligraphy model the Emperor loves most. You will surely be able to keep His Majesty here!”

If one were to say that Wei Yingluo captivated with her “vulgarity,” then Noble Consort Chun captivated with her “elegance.”

zither, chess, calligraphy, painting; strings and pipes; plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum—the hall of great refinement.

Noble Consort Chun faintly furrowed her brows. She did not believe her own “elegance” would lose to Wei Yingluo’s “vulgarity,” yet she helplessly discovered that His Majesty Hongli spent fewer and fewer days in Zhongcui Palace, and more and more days going to Yanxi Palace—just like all the ordinary people in the world: occasionally enjoying strings and pipes, but most of the time still having to deal with firewood, rice, oil, and salt—the mundane necessities of life.

“His Majesty arrives!”

Noble Consort Chun snapped back to the present and quickly stepped out to greet him:

“This concubine respectfully wishes Your Majesty well.”

Hongli raised his hand in a gesture to dispense with formalities:

“No need for ceremony.”

A palace servant brought tea. Noble Consort Chun received it and personally carried it to Hongli:

“Your Majesty, regarding the chess move you left unresolved last time, this concubine has already figured out a way to break it.”

But Hongli had not come to discuss chess with her. He smiled and said:

“You said the palace market case has been thoroughly investigated. I want to hear exactly what happened.”

Hearing his true purpose, Noble Consort Chun felt secret delight in her heart.

There are two ways to compete for favor in the harem: one is open and aboveboard, the other is in the shadows. The open method is straightforward—each relying on her own abilities, whether vulgar or refined, to vie for the Emperor’s favor. The hidden method… naturally involves slander, defamation, and using every possible means to destroy the opponent.

As long as the other party no longer exists, naturally no one will compete with you for favor.

“Your Majesty,” Noble Consort Chun immediately began, “the palace market was something I personally arranged with great care, solely to please the Empress Dowager. Yet in the end it became a place to dispose of stolen goods. This is clearly someone deliberately framing me!”

Hongli gave an “oh” and asked:

“Who would want to frame you?”

Noble Consort Chun’s eyes brimmed with tears as she spoke in a wronged tone:

“This concubine holds the position of Noble Consort and has given birth to the Sixth Prince… it makes me an easy obstacle for newly arrived concubines who wish to rise!”

Hongli lightly tapped the armrest of his chair, smiling yet not quite smiling:

“Newly arrived concubines?”

Dong dong dong.

Faint but distinct, wave after wave of drumming came from outside the palace. Hongli’s gaze flicked toward the direction of the sound.

On the other side, Noble Consort Chun had already stepped forward and gently clutched the corner of Hongli’s robe, pleading sorrowfully:

“Your Majesty, this concubine has been unjustly accused. I am truly deeply wronged. I can only beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for me…”

“Mm, mm.” Hongli responded absent-mindedly, as though answering her words—or perhaps answering the drumming outside.

Drums are not like the sound of the qin. Such a vulgar thing always appears in places crowded with people: on theater stages, during lion dances, at lantern markets and flower festivals. Suddenly Hongli stood up, walked to the window, pushed it open and looked out. In the night sky, a Kongming lantern slowly rose—its light like fire, like the brightest star in the heavens.

Behind him, Noble Consort Chun was still murmuring on:

“Also, Your Majesty…”

Hongli suddenly raised his hand to stop her:

“I have other matters to attend to. We’ll talk next time!”

With that, without even glancing back at her, he strode swiftly out of the palace gate.

That lantern, that drum—they were guiding his path forward.

One after another, Kongming lanterns rose into the sky, hanging there, forming a brilliant silver river.

Gradually, Hongli began to hear snippets of private conversation among the palace maids and eunuchs.

“Did you hear that? It’s drumming!”

“It seems to have drifted over from the sky lanterns.”

“How is this done?”

“You’re curious? Go ask Her Ladyship Concubine Ling! These sky lanterns that make such strange musical sounds—she made them herself, didn’t she?”

In the Imperial Garden, at some point a large crowd of palace maids and eunuchs had gathered. One of them was just about to speak when he suddenly caught sight of a figure in bright imperial yellow approaching. Startled, he quickly dropped to his knees and said, “This servant respectfully greets Your Majesty!”

The other palace servants turned to look, and one after another they also knelt down: “This servant respectfully greets Your Majesty!”

If the people of the world are as numerous as the stars, then Hongli was the sole moon.

Wherever he went, that place became the center of the night sky.

All the stars bowed their heads beneath his radiance… except for one star.

Wei Yingluo paid no attention at all. She lit another sky lantern, held it in both hands, and was just about to release it when a hand reached over from the side and took the lantern from her.

Tilting her head, Wei Yingluo looked at him strangely. “Didn’t Your Majesty go to Zhongcui Palace? Why are you back here again?”

The lantern flame flickered; the soft orange glow reflected on Hongli’s face. He smiled coyishly. “Wasn’t it you who deliberately lured me here?”

Yingluo smiled sweetly. “Your Majesty really knows how to joke. I was simply bored out of my mind and made a few sky lanterns for amusement, that’s all.”

Hongli toyed with the sky lantern in his hand for a moment. Sure enough, strange sounds came from inside—first it sounded like the beating of a drum, but faintly mixed with the tones of a zheng zither.

Hongli asked, “How did you make them produce music?”

Yingluo blinked. “Guess?”

With that, she snatched the last sky lantern back from Hongli’s hand, opened her palms, and released it. The lantern rose gently from her grasp like a giant firefly, drifting upward into the night sky.

“…Paper drums,” Hongli said, standing with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky lantern floating above. “You attached paper drums to the sky lanterns, which is why they make that drumming sound.”

Wei Yingluo was taken aback. She had known that with Hongli’s intelligence, he would eventually figure it out, but she hadn’t expected him to guess so quickly.

“That’s right, paper drums,” she said. “Not just paper drums—there are also reed pipes. When they rise into the sky, you can hear the sound of a zheng zither as well. There, I’ve finished releasing the lanterns! Now that Your Majesty’s curiosity is satisfied, you can go back to your chess game.”

With that, she turned to leave.

Then her steps paused. Wei Yingluo slightly turned her head and looked down.

—Hongli had taken hold of her hand. Their fingers interlaced, intimately entwined.

“I’m not playing chess anymore.” Hongli tightened his grip on her hand, though his gaze remained fixed on the sky. “Stay with me and watch the moon.”

The nearby palace servants understood the situation and quietly withdrew without a sound.

Wei Yingluo stood beside Hongli for a long while before suddenly turning her head to ask, “Are you watching the moon… or watching me?”

The bright moon hung in the sky, surrounded by countless drifting sky lanterns. Their flickering lights and the scattered drumbeats created a scene of breathtaking beauty.

Yet Hongli didn’t spare a single glance at any of it…

His eyes had never left Wei Yingluo.

…

“What are you all doing?”

Meanwhile, in Chengqian Palace, the scene was entirely different.

   Palace maids and eunuchs crowded the courtyard, all craning their necks to watch the sky lanterns floating above.

Seeing this scene, Zhener was furious beyond words. She came over, scolded and dismissed the crowd, then returned to the bedroom and complained to the Empress: “Among all the concubines in the palace, Concubine Ling is the most cunning and tricky. In the past, even though the Emperor favored Noble Consort Chun, the rain and dew were still distributed evenly to others. Ever since she entered the palace, she’s used every trick in the book to compete for favor. No matter whose palace the Emperor intends to visit, she dares to intercept him halfway! And she’s always full of rotten ideas — yesterday it was love-letter kites, today it’s singing Kongming lanterns, who knows what new stunt she’ll pull tomorrow!”

The Empress smiled indifferently: “That woman is very interesting.”

When Hongli stayed too long in one place, naturally the time he spent in other palaces decreased. Zhongcui Palace grew increasingly deserted day by day, and Chengqian Palace was hardly any better. Zhener said bitterly: “Interesting? She’s just got a twisted, poisonous gut full of crooked schemes!”

But the Empress shook her head. She walked over to the window by herself, gazing at the bright trail in the night sky, and said calmly: “Zhener, a general must win battles, an official must serve the people, and a concubine must naturally compete for the Emperor’s favor. If she didn’t compete for favor, why would she have entered the palace in the first place?”

Zhener was stunned: “Your Ladyship, did I hear wrong? Why are you suddenly speaking up for her?”

“It’s simply the truth.” The Empress looked at the Kongming lantern, admiration actually flickering in her eyes. “Ever since she entered the palace, no matter what she does, she manages to be inventive and stand out, always striving to rise higher. In the embroidery workshop, a phoenix robe emerged under her hands that outshone all others. In Changchun Palace, she coaxed the former Empress into doting on her most. Even when sent to Yong Alley to scrub night-soil buckets, she somehow managed to do it in a way that set her apart. No time, no place, no circumstance can stop her from climbing step by step. What drives her is precisely that indomitable spirit!”

She suddenly sighed: “What a pity…”

Zhener asked curiously: “What’s a pity?”

“What a pity she isn’t a man.” The Empress smiled, then silently added in her heart: What a pity I am not a man either.

What a pity that neither of them was a man — they were merely women of the inner palace. No matter how fiercely they fought, they were like crickets trapped in this tiny square of ground.

   If only the two of them had been men, then the battlefield of their struggles would have lain outside the inner palace — on the court itself.

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