Yirong drove the absurd thoughts from her mind and focused intently on the eunuch’s report.
It did not take long for her to understand the situation.
The Previous Emperor had left behind many consorts, and they now all lived crammed together in the palaces reserved for imperial concubines. Not only was it crowded, but most of them did not get along. Once the period of mourning and grief had passed, conflicts had arisen everywhere.
The Emperor’s own mother, the Empress Dowager, was “ill” and could not manage the matter. His sister-in-law, Empress Dowager Zhaoyi, had remained at the Cuiwei Traveling Palace to pray for blessings and was unable to keep them in check.
Lately, the disputes among these palace ladies had intensified, and even the ordinary female officials were at a loss for how to rein in the Emperor’s young aunts.
Yirong glanced at the Emperor, guessing that it must be difficult for him to handle, yet he had no choice but to do so.
But why call her to manage it?
A flicker of bewilderment and doubt flashed through Yirong’s mind. She nodded slightly toward Gao Fuliang, indicating that she now knew what had transpired.
“What does Your Majesty wish for me to do?” Yirong asked deferentially.
The Emperor countered, “Do you have any ideas?”
Yirong shook her head honestly.
She had never managed household affairs, let alone palace matters. With the Emperor asking her to come up with a plan on the spot, she could not think of how to deal with it.
“I cannot think of how to arrange these palace ladies for the moment.”
“No matter. Take your time to think,” Zheng Yan said gravely. “Zhen will send two female officials to assist you. Ask them anything you do not understand.”
Yirong’s suspicions grew clearer, stirring unease in her heart. She wanted to decline, but among these women was her fellow villager Gu Shi, with whom she had a good relationship…
Zheng Yan said indifferently, “Zhen is too lazy to listen to female officials. Discuss it with them and then report back to Zhen.”
“Yes,” Yirong agreed. She raised her eyes to look at the Emperor, only to see a glint of pleasure flicker in his gaze.
The Emperor’s sharp eyes swept over the flowers and trees surrounding the pavilion. “The scenery here is quite ordinary,” he remarked.
He toyed with Yirong’s hands, adding pointedly, “You might as well go for a stroll in the Imperial Garden.”
Yirong had no intention of doing so. If she ran into the imperial concubines or servants left behind by the Emperor’s father and elder brother, they would surely wonder why she had suddenly appeared in the palace.
Even a fool could guess the reason. Though she did not mind, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
She shook her head and smiled. “This place is just fine.”
At least before the Emperor arrived, she had felt perfectly content here.
The Emperor made no comment. He followed her gaze, then pointed at something and asked, “What kind of tree is that?”
Yirong studied it for a moment before answering. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed the Emperor touching his nose uncomfortably. She suddenly realized he was making small talk.
She gradually fell silent.
After their quarrel the night before, he probably had no idea how to interact with her either.
If being around her was so unpleasant for him, why not simply let her go? What was so hard about finding another beautiful woman who understood him? Or was her face truly unparalleled?
She could not help laughing at the arrogant notion.
Yirong’s shoulders shook with mirth. Zheng Yan thought she had suddenly burst into tears and turned her shoulders toward him with a lift of his hand.
She laughed softly, her eyes bright and clear, like a thousand blooming trees in full flower, radiantly peerless.
He rarely saw her so happy and could not help smiling along with her.
Their eyes met, but Yirong’s laughter slowly faded, a sudden wave of sorrow rising in her heart.
“Zhen will not attend court the day after tomorrow,” the Emperor said. “Do you want to leave the palace to visit your mother?”
His meaning was clear: he intended to go with her. Her mother still knew nothing of the specifics between them—how could Yirong let her find out? And the Emperor was so brazen about it; who knew what he might say.
Moreover, it was utterly inappropriate for the Emperor to accompany her to visit her mother.
Yirong smiled. “Thank you, Your Majesty, but my mother has been in quiet seclusion for a long time and sees no outsiders. When must I complete the task Your Majesty has given me? Why not let me return to Little Ling Prefecture now to meet the female officials in charge?”
The Emperor’s dark eyes fixed steadily on her.
She had refused his kind offer, and naturally, he was displeased.
Yirong pretended not to notice, continuing to gaze at him with a bright smile.
“Very well,” the Emperor nodded. He stood and took her hand. “Let us have lunch first.”
Yirong glanced back. The eunuchs and palace maids following them kept their eyes obediently fixed on their own feet, not daring to look anywhere else.
The path back to the hall wound through lush flowers and trees, serene and quiet. As Yirong pondered the Emperor’s instructions, her hand suddenly felt lighter. Then their fingers intertwined.
Her fingers brushed over a callus, and Yirong said softly, “Your Majesty, it would be better to maintain some decorum outside.”
His steps did not falter as he replied offhandedly, “Why were you not concerned about that before?”
Yirong frowned. When had she ever not been concerned? The first time the Emperor had embraced her, she had called for people right away.
The grip on her hand tightened, drawing a soft gasp from Yirong.
The Emperor glanced at her but did not let go.
In the end, he eased his hold slightly.
The two returned to the dining hall in Purple Chen Hall. Even if any servants saw the Emperor leading Madam Lu inside hand in hand, none dared show surprise. And why would they? Back at the Imperial Retreat Palace, Madam Lu had stayed directly in the Emperor’s bedchamber.
They ate in silence.
Yirong had shared several meals with the Emperor and knew he always ate quickly, though with elegant poise and few words. She was glad not to speak with him and quickened her own pace accordingly.
He had already set down his chopsticks and now picked up a piece of sweet smoked fish for her bowl. “How does the Lu Family treat you?” he asked.
The Emperor never touched these sweet side dishes himself; they had been prepared specially for Yirong. She set down her chopsticks and replied, “The Lu Family relatives have always been very caring toward my mother and me.”
He nodded, gesturing for her to continue eating.
As Yirong picked out the bones, she wondered why the Emperor had asked. She knew he had investigated her background thoroughly, but family dynamics were hard to pin down completely. She had not lied—the Lu Family’s aunts had always treated her kindly.
Thinking of the Lu Family so far away, Yirong lowered her eyes slightly.
Her mother had said they would live better once they reached the Capital City, but if she had stayed in Yue Prefecture, would she ever have fallen into the Emperor’s hands?
After the meal, she returned to Little Ling Prefecture for her afternoon rest, but today she could not fall asleep no matter what.
Was the Emperor hoping she would mingle and meet people by having her manage things, so he could confer a title on her sooner? But he did not need to confer one on her at all—she did not seek or even want an official position. What was he in such a hurry for?
She pondered for a moment, then summoned Xingxiang. “Have any ministers been urging His Majesty on court lately to fill the rear palace soon?”
“If you cannot say, then pretend I never asked,” she added.
Back when she was with the Cui Family, Yirong had quickly figured out the backgrounds of the maids in her courtyard within two days of marrying in. She had also put some effort into winning over Shui Zhi and Shuiyun, who served her chambers. But with palace servants, she felt no such ambition.
Xingxiang, however, had taken beatings in her place without hesitation. Whether out of loyalty or quick wits, it should be fine to ask her a few questions.
Xingxiang smiled at once. “There’s nothing I cannot say. Earlier, His Majesty declared that selecting consorts would burden the people, so he allowed eligible young women to marry on their own. Still, some ministers occasionally remind him that for the sake of heirs, he should take concubines soon.”
Yirong said, “Being nagged like that constantly must be quite annoying.”
Xingxiang smiled and whispered, “If Madam wants to know such things, you could simply ask His Majesty directly.”
Yirong smiled without replying and lay down for a short nap.
When she woke, the two female officials sent by the Emperor were already waiting in the outer chamber. The pair were sisters. After paying their respects to Yirong with great deference, they asked her to address them as Da Jiang and Xiao Jiang.
Yirong’s first question was, “Since they have not borne children, can they return to their families?”
Da Jiang and Xiao Jiang shook their heads in unison.
Yirong knew there was no such rule and felt no disappointment.
Besides, since the Emperor had put her in charge, she could simply mention it to him later. Moreover, not everyone might wish to leave the palace and return home.
Take Gu Shi, for example, whom she knew well. Gu Shi had once confided that her mother had died young and her family treated her poorly.
She might not want to go back.
Yirong thought for a moment, then had the two female officials explain in detail exactly what had happened.
Xiao Jiang spoke first, recounting several incidents impartially, without embellishment. Her sister then listed the backgrounds of all the palace ladies involved.
Yirong listened in stunned silence, though she kept a composed expression on her face.
She had lived in wealthy households like the Lu Family, the Qiao Family, and the Cui Family—places teeming with people—yet she had rarely seen anyone resort to outright violence or throwing tea…
She could understand their plight. Most were women between twenty and twenty-five, suddenly widowed from the Emperor, their allowances cut, crammed together in tight quarters, staring down the rest of their lives like this. Who could accept it? And without children, they had no prospects at all.
But that did not mean they could bully the lesser palace ladies just because of their good family backgrounds and many personal maids.
Yirong noted down the names of those who had stirred trouble and oppressed others. She decided to send them to the Cuiwei Traveling Palace to keep Empress Dowager Cui company in her prayers—let those with influence stay together.
The Previous Emperor had left forty-seven consorts who had served him. Excluding those she planned to send away and those already there, thirty-six remained.
Yirong could not help pressing a hand to her forehead. How could there be so many? And with not a single heir among all these consorts, it was clear the problem lay with the Previous Emperor himself—explaining why the Emperor had returned to the Capital City.
She couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth before quickly regaining her composure. Noticing that Da Jiang seemed hesitant to speak, Yirong looked straight at her.
This was her way of saying, speak your mind.
Da Jiang reported, “Your Majesty’s original intention was for them all to take the tonsure and enter a convent.”
Yirong immediately recalled a woman from the Lu Family she had seen as a child in a temple. The woman was said to have committed a grave error; in her thirties and not particularly slender, she had looked utterly devoid of any vitality. Yirong had been young at the time and had been so frightened that she clutched her mother’s hand tightly. Even now, she still remembered that lifeless gaze.
These women had committed no wrongs, and Yirong had seen some of them several times before. They were all in the bloom of youth.
After pondering for a moment, she asked the two female officials in front of her to share their thoughts.
Both said they dared not.
Yirong didn’t believe that women who had entered the palace as officials lacked ideas; they simply didn’t dare to comment on the fate of the previous emperor’s consorts.
She sent Xingxiang to ask the emperor first if those palace women who wished to leave could return home. After a long wait with no reply, she had the two female officials sit down and ordered them to speak their minds.
This time, when she asked again, both of them spoke up. After voicing their suggestions, they respectfully asked her to decide.
It was not until the sun began to set in the west that Xingxiang returned, saying that Your Majesty had been too busy to see her. After sending the two female officials away, Xingxiang said in a low voice, “Why don’t you go and consult His Majesty in person?”
Yirong replied, “Since His Majesty is busy, I’ll go tomorrow.”
Her mind was filled with thoughts of the palace women’s backgrounds, ages, and temperaments. She spent the entire night mulling over the matter and woke up just as dawn was breaking. Back at the Qiao Family, she had to rise early to pay respects to her aunt; at the Cui Family, she had to attend to her mother-in-law morning and night, serving her medicine. It had been rare for Yirong to sleep in after turning fourteen, so she dozed a little longer before getting up.
While dressing, Yirong said, “Go and invite those two from yesterday.”
“Madam, they are already waiting outside.”
Yirong couldn’t help but chuckle. She ordered tea to be served to entertain them, and after finishing her breakfast, she had them brought in.
The matter seemed simple on the surface, but it concerned the previous emperor and the imperial family’s reputation, as well as the current emperor’s name. It was not easy to handle. Yirong could tell that the two female officials did not approve of her idea of allowing those who wished to leave the palace to return home.
She pretended not to notice.
By evening, Yirong sent the two female officials away and planned to ask the emperor’s opinion.
After waiting a moment in the East Hall, a man with a stern and resolute face emerged. Yirong knew this was the emperor’s loyal Feilin Great General, Fan Ying.
Fan Ying clasped his fists in salute to her.
Yirong hurriedly returned the courtesy, and a young eunuch invited her inside to speak.
The hall was as solemn as ever, but the emperor had changed to a faint, refreshing incense. Before Yirong could curtsy upon entering, the emperor said, “No need for formalities. Come here.”
She walked up to the emperor and explained the matter in detail.
The emperor made a soft sound of acknowledgment and asked, “Do you think it will be difficult to make this happen?”
Yirong was taken aback. Discussing matters like this with the emperor felt utterly strange, but she had already taken responsibility for it, and she hoped for a good outcome for them.
She replied, “I’m afraid it will be difficult. First, the female officials say there is no precedent in ancestral rules for allowing imperial consorts to return home. Second, even if they wish to go home, they wouldn’t dare say so.”
To say they wanted to go home would be tantamount to disloyalty and infidelity to the previous emperor.
The emperor said, “Handle those troublemakers as you see fit. As for returning home, Zhen will have the Ministry of Rites discuss it and provide a resolution soon.”
Yirong asked, “Why doesn’t Your Majesty just have the Ministry of Rites handle it directly?”
Why involve her?
“To give you something to do,” the emperor said lightly. He then praised her, “You’ve thought this through well.”
Yirong smiled with pursed lips. Before she could voice her true feelings that it was improper for her to handle such matters in the future, the emperor continued, “Come with Zhen out of the palace tomorrow.”
“You said it yourself—after returning to the capital, Zhen would teach you to ride a horse.” With a deft movement, the emperor pulled her onto his lap.
It was that eye-to-eye gaze again, close enough to feel each other’s breath, in this intimate conversational pose.
Yirong frowned, taking a moment to remember when she had said that.
But those had clearly been words to placate the emperor; he surely knew now that they were false.
The emperor chuckled coldly and said, “If you don’t want to go, forget it.”
“I’ll go!” Yirong replied without thinking.
The escort that had brought her to Lingshi Town and back to the palace had been heavily guarded by Imperial Guards. How much grander would it be to go out of the palace with the emperor? It was a good thing that he was willing to take her out—it was surely better than staying in the palace every day.
Yirong smiled radiantly and said, “Your Majesty, I want to go.”