Chapter 12: A name
Jiang Changbai felt that, sometimes, being the emperor wasn't necessarily as unrestricted as being a princess before. And, when she was eating lunch, this feeling became even stronger. A single dish had to be tasted for poison by two palace maids, and only then could be placed before her; eating some extra the day before meant that the next day she couldn't eat anymore. It was said to be her identity becoming more respected, but the fixed framework of the restrictions of social conventions and taboos on her also increased.
"Bixia."
Jiang Changbai had just thought of it, when now, Xun Zhu also tasted the food, and placed it before her. A simple steamed fish; it didn't have any sort of decoration. Yet, seeing it, Jiang Changbai's eyes brightened, and she raised her head, saying to Song Juguang, sitting by her right side,[1] "You truly came just in time; if you'd come a day late, you wouldn't be able to eat this steamed fish."
Song Juguang, hearing this, blinked, not bothering with pleasantries either, and took a bite. The quality of this fish's flesh was incredibly tender, and when it entered the mouth, it would melt; more than that, it was even a familiar flavour. As a result, Song Juguang displayed a rare, wandering expression.
Jiang Changbai, seeing this, smiled, and asked, "You've tasted it?"
Song Juguang first nodded, then shook her head. "Who could have imagined I could still taste Master Zhou's artistry; come to speak of it, I still owe her a phrase of apology." This Master Zhou had followed at her side when Jiang Changbai had still been a princess in Prince Ling's residence; her fish was a superb artistic achievement, and, compared to the imperial chef of the time, it was even moreso. It was just that when she'd gotten older, and Song Juguang had seen her for the last time, her temples were already greying, and there was quite a bit of the sense of her being in her late days.
"That's right; this year, she's almost seventy; she spent her entire life without sons or daughters, and I'd been thinking consistently about bringing her into the palace to support her. It's just that she's very gruff, and didn't want to cause me any trouble; Qianbing went to implore her repeatedly, and she only entered the palace yesterday." Jiang Changbai raised a cup of tea to whet her throat, and then added, "But you don't need to be strongly attached to matters of then; it's only some fish; when they die, you just buy some more. It simply delayed some time, it didn't cause much disturbance. There wasn't anyone blaming Master Li, nor anyone blaming you."
That was the eleventh year of Hejing. At the time, a wandering alchemist, antecedents unknown, had entered Pring Ling's residence; Prince Ling's health had miraculously increased for a spell. Probably because his body had improved, his mood had also improved, and that year, Prince Ling had arranged a number of banquets to entertain the ministers. And one of the time, the novelty was an entirely fish banquet, and the chef leading the entire afraid had been this Master Zhou. But that year was also just when Song Juguang had entered the Prince's residence, and, in the midst of a quarrel with Jiang Changbai, the entire kitchen had been thrown into disarray. Once the two had put every other thing away, only then did they realise that the fish that had been bought had unexpectedly already half died. But Master Zhou absolutely needed a living fish.
Song Juguang only remembered that that day, the banquet's opening was delayed almost a full shichen, and remembered that Master Zhou had been furious. But Jiang Changbai had only said that she herself had overturned it, and even if Master Zhou were more famous, she couldn't say anything to the Princess. As a result, the matter had ended in chaos. And for the three years after that, even though the two had been in all parts of Prince Ling's residence, Song Juguang had never seen that Master Zhou.
"What was a mistake was a mistake; another day, when there's time, this minister will go apologise."
Jiang Changbai was still smiling. "Master Zhou has already now passed the age of sixty; if former matters were to be raised, I fear that it wouldn't be good for her heart."
Just in time for them finishing lunch, the sun which had hung in the skies for half a day was unexpectedly covered by clouds that had drifted over. A wind began to blow from who knew where, and it carried away the blazing heat.
One could never spend the entire day replying to memorials, to say nothing of the fact that Jiang Changbai didn't want to have Song Juguang think that she herself was an emperor who was attentive to state affairs. As a result, she left all the crowding multitudes of palace maids behind, and only took the singular Xun Zhu along to carry the parasol to shade the sun. Song Juguang was even more confident and at ease, a single person with a single folding fan, as if she could wander about beneath the heavens. The her beneath the heavens at this moment couldn't wander, but actually, the Imperial Gardens could be visited.
Surveying the entirety of the Imperial Palace, the place where the shade covered was only this one. The Imperial Gardens were in the Rear Court, and successive courts and successive dynasties had furnished the emperor or the imperial consorts and concubines with amusment; among them were beautiful hills and marvelous stones, and mellow running waters; no one else could see them.
But now, regardless of if it were Jiang Changbai or Song Juguang or the consorts of Emperor Tai living in the court, each and every one was female, and so they didn't need to follow the edicts of prevention between women and men of before. As a result, the antiquated so-called custom of not allowing outside ministers step foot into the Rear Court didn't need to be abided by, either.
Yet Song Juguang was incredibly familiar with these imperial gardens; unexpectedly, she seemed to have come here a number of times.
Song Juguang didn't explain, and Jiang Changbai didn't ask, either.
In the middle of the Imperial Gardens was assembled the central scenery that a previous landscaping master had wisely made. By the waters, it was always a bit cooler. The two heard from a distance some sounds of racket and noise, as if someone were running. When they raised their heads, they only saw a paper kite fluttering and swaying in the skies, and their hearts couldn't help but become inquisitive, and with quick steps, they headed towards the origin of that sound.
When they came close, they saw a figure in light yellow tugging at the kite's line, running about and laughing; the palace maid by her side appeared as if she were worried, following along by her side.
That palace maid cried out, "Niangniang!"[2]
Jiang Changbai had never been married; not even an engagement contract had been made, to say nothing of having a harem. This court wasn't like that of before; the imperial clan had almost entirely perished, and the path for Emperor Tai's dowager consorts to follow their own children out of the palace had therefore been broken. Emperor Tai hadn't left behind a corpse, and the successive years of campaigning had also delayed the rate of progress of the construction of an imperial tomb; regardless of if Empror Tai were to be buried or entombed, it would in the end be a great deal smaller than previous emperors, and wouldn't need the imperial consorts to keep watch by the coffin.
As for leaving the home or being buried alive, Jiang Changbai had never forced them. In any case, the Rear Court took up such space, if it were to be empty, then it would be empty. As a result, Empror Tai's consort dowagers still lived in their original palaces, and besides their titles becoming consort dowager, their lives were the same as before.
The identity of that girl wearing light yellow was distinct, now.
Seeing people had arrived, that girl stopped her footsteps. That kite still fluttered in the air, almost flying away, yet it was recalled by an almost invisible line. When they could see the girl's features clearly, Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang unconsciously exchanged glances, stupification flashing in both their eyes. It was just that, looking at that girl's features, unexpectedly, she was only seventeen or eighteen years of age.
The girl said, "I'd ask for which palace's sisters you two are; forgive my clumsy eyes, but at this moment, I can't quite recognise you."
So, regardless of the fact that Jiang Changbai or Song Juguang who wore their usual attire, they'd been mistaken for consort dowagers.
"From the Tongheng Palace," Jiang Changbai said, thinking up a name of a palace.
The Tongheng Palace was located at the furthest corner of the Imperial Palace, and originally, two concubine dowagers whose statuses during Emperor Tai's time hadn't been high had lived there, one Noble Lady and one Second Class Attendant. As for the suffering of living for so many years in the depths of the palace, unfortunately only the two of them themselves knew. But that Second Class Attendant's own younger sister had long since broken off relations with her family, and had secretly sought refuge beneath Jiang Changbai as an aide, and now, she'd gained the position of seventh-rank official. A few days before, this younger sister had sent a memorial to ask for her older sister to be released from the court and live with her, but that older sister had been stubborn and insisted on taking the Noble Lady away with her. Women naturally wouldn't force other women, and so, after asking all three and getting affirmatives, Jiang Changbai had let the two of them leave the palace.
As a result, the Tongheng Palace was now empty.
Song Juguang had originally wished to clarify their identities, but hearing Jiang Changbai say this, she didn't cling to it, and nodded in time.
"So, it's the two jiejies from the Tongheng Palace; this servant is the Xinglin Palace's Concubine Dowager Bi." Concubine Dowager Bi gave obeisance, and, looking at her, she didn't look suspicious in the slightest. The three chatted like this, and very quickly, Jiang Changbai and Song Juguang's guesses were confirmed. This concubine dowager before them was actually only seventeen years old. She was six years younger than Jiang Changbai.
Song Juguang's complexion suddenly became overcast, and she asked, "Then, what's your name? The name of when you entered the palace."
Translator's notes:
[1]: 下首 (xia shou), the seat of lesser honour. It's either the right-hand seat or the side facing outwards.
[2]: 娘娘, an address for an empress or imperial consort.
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