Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 47: Eating Meat and Sharing Blessings

   The farce involving Prince Yi and Wei Yingluo still stirred up quite a storm in the palace. Changchun Palace rooted out an insider, while in Chuxiu Palace, Noble Lady Jia colluded with Prince Yi to frame the Empress’s personal palace maid, and the accusation was exposed. Deemed unfit to continue raising the Fourth Prince, the Emperor issued an order transferring the Fourth Prince to be raised by Consort Xian.

As for Wei Yingluo… she was still practicing her one hundred large characters. When the Emperor orders one hundred sheets, one cannot write only ninety-nine.

In Changchun Palace, Wei Yingluo lifted her wrist and drew the final stroke, finally completing the last character. She let out a long breath. The Empress looked at the noticeably neater handwriting on the white paper and smiled: “What a clever girl. Your writing is getting better and better. The Emperor was right to punish you with calligraphy practice.”

Wei Yingluo placed the Hu brush back on the brush rest, pursed her lips, and asked: “If there is fault, there should be punishment. Your Majesty, was I truly at fault to deserve this punishment?”

The Empress was silent for a moment, then sighed and said: “The Son of Heaven can never be wrong. If He says you are wrong, then you are wrong. In any case, Noble Lady Jia has been punished—that can be considered the Emperor giving you justice.”

Justice? Wei Yingluo looked at the thick stack of white paper on the desk and felt a touch of irony. She shook her head: “If there is justice… that justice is not for me. It is for you, for Changchun Palace. It’s still the same saying: if there is fault, there should be punishment. Noble Lady Jia was at fault and was punished—but what about Prince Yi?”

The Empress gazed out the window. Sunlight fell on the golden phoenix embroidered with metallic thread on her skirt, making it shimmer brilliantly. Her tone was very calm: “Why must you fixate on this? Prince Yi is the Emperor’s own cousin.”

That resplendent phoenix was almost blindingly dazzling. Wei Yingluo said softly: “Yes, Prince Yi is the Emperor’s own cousin. This servant is merely a lowly palace maid. Let alone suffering an injustice—even if I were to lose my life on the spot, the Emperor would not spare me a second glance! The reason He flew into a rage was only because Prince Yi got involved in inner-palace strife and made a disgraceful spectacle, losing the dignity of the imperial family! That is why Noble Lady Jia received punishment, while Prince Yi remains free and smug!”

The Empress looked at the girl before her and softened her tone: “Yingluo, Prince Yi is, after all, the biological son of the Thirteenth Imperial Uncle—a proper, legitimate iron-cap Prince of Great Qing. The Emperor cannot overly reprimand him.”

Wei Yingluo met the Empress’s gaze. Changchun Palace was her only foothold in this world, and the Empress was the one support she must hold firmly and steadily amid the layers of palace intrigue. The enmity between Changchun Palace and Prince Yi had already been forged. Rather than purely defending, it was better to attack in order to defend. Her eyes turned cold as she thought to herself: An iron-cap Prince… what grave mistake could there be that even the exalted status of an iron-cap Prince could not protect him from?

Seeing the young girl suddenly lost in thought, the Empress asked curiously: “What are you thinking about?”

Wei Yingluo came back to herself, gave the Empress a smile, and said: “Nothing. I was just thinking—no matter what happens, I will always protect you.”

The Empress was slightly taken aback. Her heart softened, and she spoke with tender affection: “Silly girl.”

Time passed easily, and several more days slipped by. Palace life was no different today from yesterday: seeing the same people, viewing the same scenery, doing the same tasks. But when such monotonous days suddenly change even slightly, the difference becomes glaringly obvious.

That day, after delivering items to Yonghe Palace, Wei Yingluo returned to Changchun Palace and pulled Erqing aside to talk: “Erqing, what does ‘eating the sacrificial meat and sharing blessings’ mean?”

Erqing thought for a moment, then asked in return: “Did you see Wu Shulai and the others preparing the black pigs?”

Wei Yingluo nodded: “I saw it on the way back to the palace—a group of people carrying two enormous whole pigs. They were so big it was almost frightening.”

Erqing burst out laughing: “No wonder. We don’t usually get to see such things—did it look fresh to you? This is an old palace custom. The Kunning Palace holds morning and evening sacrifices, and every month there is a grand sacrifice. The Emperor bestows the sacrificial meat to the imperial guards and court officials to ‘eat meat and share blessings.’ The consorts and concubines in the harem also receive a portion. By my calculation, tomorrow is the day of the grand sacrifice.”

At this point, Erqing frowned with worry: “It’s called sharing blessings, but that sacrificial meat is just boiled in plain water—tasteless and flavorless. Sometimes it’s half-raw. Our lady has always hated eating it and has even gotten sick from it before. I only hope this time Her Majesty’s health remains unaffected after eating it.”

Thinking of the Empress’s health, Wei Yingluo couldn’t help but feel concerned as well. She asked: “Is it impossible not to eat it?”

Erqing sighed: “This is sharing blessings. Whoever dares refuse is showing disrespect to the ancestors and to the spirits! In the past, a minister once vomited after eating it and was punished with eighty strokes of the cane!”

Disrespect to the ancestors and the spirits—eighty strokes of the cane.

A thought flashed through Wei Yingluo’s mind. Opportunities are fleeting. The moment she discovered such a perfect opening, she would never let it slip away. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She gave Erqing a sweet smile and said: “I suddenly remembered there’s something I haven’t finished. I’ll come talk to you another time.” With that, she lifted her skirt and hurried out.

Erqing stared blankly at Wei Yingluo’s retreating figure and muttered: “Didn’t you just finish your errands and come back…?”

Guard Station.

   “Squeak—squeak—” Hailancha was desperately winking at Fuheng while making strange noises with his mouth.

Fuheng looked at him inexplicably and asked, “What’s wrong with you today? Lost your mind?”

Hailancha deflated, saying in disappointment, “Sigh, the two of us really have zero tacit understanding. Fine, fine, I’m done playing. Look over there—see who it is?”

Fuheng followed his gaze. Not far away, a young girl dressed in palace maid attire stood gracefully beneath a willow tree. Fuheng immediately stood up, patted Hailancha on the shoulder, and said, “I’ll be right back.”

Hailancha watched Fuheng stride purposefully toward Wei Yingluo, clicked his tongue twice, and muttered, “Well, look at that—the iron tree finally blooms, haha!”

Fuheng’s steps were quick; in just a moment he had covered most of the distance. But when he was truly close to Wei Yingluo, his pace suddenly slowed.

The girl stood beneath a willow tree, her figure as slender and supple as the branches. She had been lost in thought, but upon hearing footsteps she quickly turned her head. Her clear, bright eyes reflected his image. Yingluo smiled at him and called out crisply, “Young Master.”

Indeed, flowers were blooming in his heart, layer upon layer. Unconsciously, Fuheng spoke in the gentlest tone he possessed: “Why did you come?”

Wei Yingluo handed him a small paper packet and said, “I came to give this to you.”

Fuheng opened it, pinched a little to examine, and asked in puzzlement, “Is this pepper salt?”

Wei Yingluo nodded, her manner eager and considerate: “Tomorrow is the grand sacrificial day. I heard the sacrificial pork is half-cooked and completely tasteless—people often vomit and get punished for it. So I specially prepared some pepper salt for Young Master. When no one is watching, just secretly sprinkle a little on and you’ll be able to eat it.”

Fuheng handed the packet back to Wei Yingluo and said disapprovingly, “Yingluo, this isn’t proper.”

As the packet reached her hand, Wei Yingluo suddenly grasped both the packet and Fuheng’s hand together, pushing it back toward him. Her eyes, shimmering like rippling water, met his as she persuaded, “Young Master, just hide one packet in your sleeve. With so many people present, who would notice?”

The girl’s delicate, soft palm felt like a ball of fire. The instant it touched him, Fuheng jerked his hand back as if scalded, his face flushing red all the way to the tips of his ears.

Yet Wei Yingluo seemed completely oblivious to his burning ear-tips. She naturally withdrew her hand and smiled, “Then I’ll take it that Young Master has accepted it. The Empress is still waiting for me—I’ll go first.”

The layered blossoms in his heart slowly withered. Fuheng quietly watched Wei Yingluo walk away, fingers tightening around the paper packet in his hand.

The next day, in the main hall of Kunning Palace.

   The grand sacrificial rites were elaborate. Inside Kunning Palace two large cauldrons steamed vigorously, white pork churning in the boiling water. Eunuchs reverently placed the cooked pork onto the offering table. The deity being sacrificed to was the Manchu god Muli Khan. The shamaness chanted prayers and played music, occasionally emitting “Orolo” cries while striking a hand drum and shaking golden bells.

Hongli and the Empress sat at the head before everyone, with the assembled ministers and officials ranked behind them. Amid the sound of hand drums and bells, all present performed the kowtow to Muli Khan. After the ceremony concluded, Hongli and the Empress took their seats on the southern kang, while the various ministers sat upon their felt cushions.

Li Yu clapped once. Eunuchs carried forward platters of pork that had been roughly divided into foreleg and hind-leg portions and presented them. Hongli personally used a dagger to cut off a piece. Li Yu announced in a loud voice, “Please, Your Excellencies, partake of the meat!”

Wei Yingluo and the other palace maids stepped forward, each holding a tray. On each tray was a large piece of plain boiled pork, accompanied by a small knife and a piece of cotton paper.

Hongxiao sat cross-legged on his felt cushion, looking down at Wei Yingluo with eyes full of mockery and contempt. Wei Yingluo maintained an extremely humble posture, slightly bending her knees and raising the tray high to offer Hongxiao the knife. Hongxiao scoffed with a sneer, roughly wiped the dagger with the cotton paper, then hacked down forcefully—slice after slice—until the white meat was cut into several pieces. Gravy splashed outward, spattering across Wei Yingluo’s cheek.

Wei Yingluo’s expression remained unchanged, her smile perfectly composed. After Hongxiao finished cutting, she calmly retrieved the knife and cotton paper as if nothing had happened, placed the tray among the others, and returned to the Empress’s side.

Next came the moment for everyone to enjoy the boiled pork. Hongli had just sliced off a piece and was about to eat when Wu Shulai suddenly leaned close and whispered a few words in his ear. Hongli’s face instantly darkened with fury. He slammed the dagger point-first into the table and barked, “Investigate at once!”

Everyone in the hall froze in shock. With a wave of Wu Shulai’s hand, the eunuchs surged forward and forcibly seized the meat from the hands of the assembled ministers for inspection. The officials looked at one another in bewilderment and confusion, then all dropped to their knees in terror.

The eunuch inspecting the white meat on Hongxiao’s tray loudly announced, “Reporting to Your Majesty, it has been found!”

 

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