Everyone knew that the food at The Empress Dowager’s banquet would be more than luxurious. The Empress wanted the meal to be something people talked about for years. To even lay eyes on it was something most people would die to do.
Not wanting Xiang gui ren to miss out, The Emperor delivered each dish to her. The servants needed to push three tables together to lay out the entire banquet. Molan and Bolin ‘ooh-ed’ and ‘ahh-ed’ over The Emperor’s care for their mistress. Jiayi cursed him. The Emperor had been by Xiang gui ren’s side since she was bedbound and knew she couldn’t open her mouth very much or chew tough foods. He was right there when Hwang taiyi and Lou taiyi described the strict rejuvenating diet Xiang gui ren would have to follow if she wanted to heal with no deep scars.
At best, Xiang gui ren could have fingernails' worth of each dish. Wasn't it cruel to send her all the food she could't have?
“Everything looks so exciting,” said Xiang gui ren, “It’s a shame I can’t eat it. Ah, I hope His Majesty doesn’t behave like this every day,"
“Mistress, we won’t eat if you can’t. We’ll send it back!” Said Ping’er.
Xiang gui ren waived away the idea, “No, I’ll just seem ungrateful. Eat, eat! It’ll give you all something to do other than wait for me to drop dead,”
“Mistress!” Jiayi gasped at the implication.
“It was a joke!” Said Xiang gui ren.
Jiayi huffed and walked around the tables, looking for something soft and light for Xiang gui ren. If she cut the pieces fine enough, her mistress could have a treat.
“What’s that over there on the 2nd table near the hot pot?” Asked Xiang gui ren.
“Shark fin soup, mistress,” replied Molan.
“Didn’t First Princess talk about how much she liked that? It's awful that she has to miss it. Poor thing,” said Xiang gui ren.
The mention of First Princess made Jiayi’s stomach turn.
Molan nodded, “Mmm, she liked the pork trotters and steamed cakes here, too. Mistress, why don’t we send some over to her? I’ve heard she’s been so sad, locked in her rooms,”
“I’ll take it,” said Jiayi. It was a small gesture, but it would make Jiayi feel better if First Princess felt better.
“Good. Oh! Since you’ll be over there anyways, take that green brocade and white fox fur and drop it off in Sixth Princes’ rooms. The Internal Affairs department sent over a few things to make my winter clothes, but green isn’t really my color, and I think brown and red furs are more dashing,” said Xiang gui ren.
Molan placed the dishes in a lunchbox and neatly folded the green brocade and furs.
“Don’t worry, jiejie; I’ll save the pork belly for you,”
The Empress Dowager’s banquet was large enough that many servants, no matter what department they worked in, were pulled in to help. Seeing the streets empty of the usual servants sweeping, washing, and trimming was strange. A cooler-than-usual breeze made Jiayi shiver. She looked down at the brocade and fur, wondering if an odd boy like the Sixth Prince would appreciate it.
The Sixth Prince looked nothing like The Emperor. At this point, Jiayi had painted all of the princes and princesses and could match the features of His Majesty in all of them. With Sixth Prince? There was none. When Xiang gui ren entered Sixth Prince’s rooms, his nursemaids asked if they could relieve themselves and tidy up when Xiang gui ren was around to watch Sixth Prince. They didn’t bother asking their master but instead shuffled out.
She placed her paintbox on the table and frowned at the dust and food stains that littered the tablecloth. Jiayi would have to clean it before putting down the parchment.
“The Empress Dowager is going to love this portrait of you,” said Xiang gui ren, “Did you pick out your clothes?”
Sixth Prince didn’t look up from the scroll he was reading, “What does it matter? Can’t your maid paint me in anything?”
“Even so. Do you have a favorite color?” She asked.
“Green,”
Xiang gui ren nodded.
“Sixth Prince,” said Jiayi, “Where would you like to be painted?”
“You’ll have to paint me here. I’m not leaving my room,” said Sixth Prince.
Jiayi bowed her head, “I apologize. I mean, what would you like to be doing in your portrait? First Princess was embroidering, and Third Prince was on horseback. What would you like?”
“Does it matter?” Asked Sixth Prince, “Can we just get this over with?”
Jiayi looked around at Sixth Prince’s desk. Piles of scrolls and books littered the surface, with more of the same spilling out of the bookshelf behind him.
“Sixth Prince looks like a dashing scholar at work at his desk. Would you like to be painted like that?”
“Fine,”
Sixth Prince sighed and griped when Jiayi gently posed him and ordered Molan and Bolin to tidy up around. It couldn’t have been more than an hour before Sixth Prince claimed to be tired and all but chased them away.
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“Mistress,” said Molan, once they were well away from the A Ge Sou, “That was weird, wasn’t it?”
“What was?”
“Sixth Prince. His nannies were gone the entire time, and his room? Dusty all over? I tried to find a green yifu for jiejie to paint, and all his clothes were old and thin. That’s not how an Imperial heir should live,”
It had taken several sessions to finish Sixth Prince’s portrait. In that time, the child rarely had visitors. When Jiayi painted Third Prince’s portrait, Fourth Prince and Eighth Prince weren’t far from his side. First Princess and Second Princess dropped by as well. But Sixth Prince was alone. On one occasion, Tong pin dropped by and spent time fussing about Sixth Prince’s dirty fingers and sullen face, but she mostly chatted with Xiang gui ren before leaving. Sixth Prince kicked them out soon after.
A young lady and a maid strolled passed her, “Gêgê, let’s go back. The fireworks will start soon,”
Jiayi felt a sharp burning burst of jealousy at the gêgê’s effortless beauty. But like the sting of a mosquito, it was there for only a moment.
Jiayi was dragged out of her thoughts when someone hissed her name.
“Psst! Wei guniang! Over here!"
It took her a few turns before realizing that someone was waving at her from behind a corner.
“Sang’er?” she asked.
“Lower your voice,” he said, “Wei guniang, may I ask a favor of you?”
Jiayi looked down at the lunchbox in one hand and the fabric in the other, "I'm a little busy. I can come back later,"
Sang'er shook his head, "It can't wait! Please, Wei guniang, it won't take long,"
"Sang'er–"
The eunuch dropped to his knees, pleading in earnest.
"Don't do that!" Jiayi said, walking over to him, "Fine. If it's quick, I'll help you,"
"Thank you, thank you!" said Sang'er, "Come with me, quickly!"
Sang'er brought her around the corner, where Prince Han, in Jiayi's opinion, appeared out of thin air. She yelped at the sight of him. Sang'er and Prince Han frantically shushed her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "My lord, what's going on?"
Prince Han cleared his throat, "I need a small favor,"
Jiayi was familiar with this kind of conversation. Every servant was. It was always a 'small favor.' Just drop this off. Just switch these plates. Just deliver this message. Those small things usually landed them in a coffin.
The thoughts must have shown on her face because Prince Han quickly reassured her.
"It's nothing so grave," he said, "I need you to talk to someone for me,"
“Did you pass by a gêgê on your way here?” Sang'er asked, “Very pretty and walking with her maid?”
“I did,” she replied.
“My lord would like you to ask her to return to the banquet. If she asks after him, tell her he's drunk and already retired for the night,"
"At 5 in the evening?" asked Jiayi.
"You can say anything within reason," said Prince Han, "Just stop her from walking up and down the corridors so I can escape,"
Jaiyi's arms were beginning to get sore.
"My lord, if this gêgê is bothering you, I'm sure Her Highness could help,"
Prince Han's face went through a series of convulsions before he collected himself. He nudged Sang'er.
"Oh! Here," Sang'er held out a tael of silver to her.
Seeing that her hands were occupied, Sang'er relieved her of her burdens before pressing the money into her hands.
"On your way now to deal with Yele-Nara gêgê. I'll keep these safe for you,"
Jiayi had no choice. She pocketed the silver and stepped back onto the road. The gêgê that Prince Han was so weary of made an about-face and walked straight toward her.
“My lady,” Jiayi called, “Do you need some help?”
“Oh,” said Yele-Nara gêgê, “Yes. Have you seen Prince Han? I have something I want to give him,”
"I passed by Prince Han on my way back. He was red-faced and leaning on his eunuch. Perhaps my lady should wait to give Prince Han this gift. He may displace it,”
Yele-Nara gêgê deflated and let out a small sigh, "You're right. I suppose I'd be bothering him,"
“Don’t worry, gêgê,” said her maid, “The Empress invites you here so often, you’ll see Prince Han again,”
It made Jiayi's heart ache to see the young woman so sad. How much could it hurt that she wanted to spend some time with Prince Han?
Yele-Nara gêgê nodded, “Fine then, let’s go back to the banquet,”
"Wait," said Jiayi, "May I ask your name?"
“My lady is Xiurong of the Yele-Nara clan,” said the maid.
"Being the daughter of such a powerful clan, your father must be invited to the Mulan Autumn Hunt*," said Jaiyi.
“Master is a decorated general of His Majesty’s army,” said the maid, “He’s invited every year,”
“Do you go with him?” Asked Jiayi.
“Oh no, I’m not very fond of horse racing and such,” replied Yele-Nara gêgê.
Jiayi leaned in close and dropped her voice to a whisper, “Prince Han is going. I’ve heard that men and women don’t live as separately in Mongolia as in the capital. If you went with your father, you could spend even more time with him,"
Yele-Nara gêgê smiled at her maid in excitement before turning back to Jiayi, “You’re a very smart maid,”
“Thank you, my lady,”
Jiayi waited until Yele-Nara gêgê was out of sight before returning to Prince Han and Sang'er.
"She's gone,"
Prince Han and Sang'er exchanged a look of relief.
"Wei guniang, you don't know how much you've helped us," said Sang'er.
Jiayi went on her way as quickly as possible. First Princess' food could only stay warm for so long.
✺
The fireworks died, and the guests were traveling back home. Shen huang gui fei could finally drop the false smile that covered her face. How could her smile be anything but false? The Emperor was shunning her and Huabao, and The Empress Dowager was furious with her for marrying her cousins into Duke Zian's household. It was unfair. How long would The Empress Dowager be by her side? Why was it such a crime for Shen huang gui fei to think of her future? Until she had another son, it was all she could do! But still, depriving The Empress Dowager of an opportunity to douse the Imperial Family with more Mongolian blood was a heavy crime.
"Let The Empress and De gui fei eat you alive, you ungrateful wretch!"
So De gui fei finally made a move. Shen huang gui fei would admit that as the years went on, De gui fei became less and less of a threat. Their daughters may have been born right after the other, but His Majesty stopped frequenting De gui fei's bed years ago. With no son and no favor, De gui fei faded into the background like an old, ugly painting.
The Empress must have promised a great something for De gui fei to step off her moral high horse and attack Huabao. And with Xiang gui ren moving to Chengqiangong, the picture became clearer and clearer.
If De gui fei wanted to make the mistake of going against Shen huang gui fei, it was her funeral. It was too early to take action so soon after Jiang pin's foolishness so she would wait until their return from the hunt. Then, she would show De gui fei the error of her ways.
In the dead of night, Jingse informed her of an interesting tidbit regarding Xiang gui ren's little maid and Prince Han.
How fun.
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*The imperial hunt of the Qing dynasty was an annual rite of the of during the (1636–1912). It was first organized in 1681 by the at the imperial hunting grounds at Mulan (modern-day Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County), near what would become the of the Qing emperors at Starting in 1683 the event was held annually at Mulan during the autumn, lasting up to a month. The Qing dynasty hunt was a synthesis of earlier Chinese and hunting traditions, particularly those of the and . The emperor himself participated in the hunt, along with thousands of soldiers, imperial family members, and government officials.