On such a warm summer's day, the thing to do was gather in Shen huang gui fei's palace and take advantage of the cool air tossed around by her ice boxes. Jiang gui ren had been in a foul mood for some months after hearing that a prostitute would be sharing Xianfugong with her. Since Mu pin's death Jiang gui ren had enjoyed being the palace's unofficial master, but now she would have to walk through the same gates as a woman who would sully everything she touched.
Jiang gui ren had expected that a new woman had caught His Majesty's eye, but she never expected something like this. Jiang gui ren entered the palace eight years ago but it was only the last three that truly mattered. It took most of year for the Emperor to even remember she existed but thanks to the grace of huang gui fei, she not only managed to capture his attentions, but fall pregnant from them.
No matter what anyone said, she could tell that His Majesty truly loved her. The only reason she hadn't been promoted was because of politics. He gave her too many liberties for it not to be so. She was sure if The Emperor had his way, everyone would be calling her Jiang fei.
It was one thing for The Empress to not hear her pleas, but The Emperor even scolded her for trying to get her father to beg on her behalf. Only Shen jiejie* understood her plight. It was nice to be surrounded by her lavish decor and look at her sweet smiling face. The other wives said her face was too thin and bird-like but Jiang gui ren found it to be elegant.
"What an awful situation you've been thrown into meimei†" she said, "I tried to talk to His Majesty about this but, it seems there's no changing his mind,"
Jiang gui ren huffed, "I don't know why His Majesty is treating me like this. How can he expect my father to hold his head up in court when his daughter is living with a prostitute? I can't stand it!"
"The Emperor probably knows you'll be able to keep that girl line. I can't imagine what sort of filthy personality she'll have,"
"Girl? What girl?" Jiang gui ren spat, "She's almost 40!"
A nearby maid, startled by Jiang gui ren's sudden screech, flinched and let the platter of mandarins she was holding tip over onto the floor. At once, she fell to the ground.
"This servant is stupid! Please forgive me!" She said, pressing her head to the carpet.
With a sneer, Jiang gui ren said, "Forgive you? After you've dirtied Her Highness' food? Now it's only fit to be fed to the pigs!"
"Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" The maid repeated.
"Hmph. I suppose Shen huang gui fei would forgive you if forfeit one year's salary to replace it,"
"But it surely couldn't cost so much!" Said the maid.
Jiang gui ren walked over and ground the edge of her silk embroidered flower pot shoe into the maid's palm.
"What right do you have to reason with me?" said Jiang gui ren over the pained cries of the maid.
Giving her foot a sharp twist, Jiang gui ren sat back down.
"Jiejie, I think you should get rid of this maid. She's obviously no good," she lifted up her now bloody shoe, "Look how she dirtied my things,"
Shen huang gui fei, who had watched the entire scene in silence, called her senior eunuch.
"Take her to the Office of Careful Punishment for 10 strikes. Then send her to work in the ice house,"
"Mistress!" The maid called as Shen huang gui fei's other eunuch's snatched her up, "Please, I've served you for three years and never made a mistake! Please forgive this servant!"
Squinting her eyes, Shen huang gui fei took a good look at the maid before shaking her head, "I can't seem to place your face. You've offended my meimei, I'd rather you not stay,"
The eunuchs dragged the sobbing maid away as the other servants who lined Shen huang gui fei's room looked on in mute horror.
"My day is just getting worse and worse!" Said Jiang gui ren, "This prostitute must be a bad omen,"
Shen huang gui fei sighed, "No bad omen could seduce His Majesty well enough to be called a Noble Lady. Your poor father toiled so hard for you and it still wasn't enough. Only little Huaguang brought about your promotion. Thinking about your labor even now," she pressed a hand to her chest, "I'm chilled,"
Jiang gui ren nodded, her labor had indeed been disastrous. At 23 years old giving birth should've been easy but for some reason it had taken two days for Huaguang to be born. Her bed had been so wet with blood that a new frame had to be brought in. The imperial physicians said that she had recovered completely since then but she hadn't become pregnant again.
"Moving forward it would best if we played nice with her. We shouldn't give His Majesty a reason to find error with us,"
"Your Highness," a maid interrupted, "Lian pin, An gui ren, and, Cha chang zai are here,"
"What a party," Shen huang gui fei said, "Bring them in,"
Lian pin headed up the pack so unfortunately Jiang gui ren had to stand and greet her.
"Wishing huang gui fei peace,"
"Rise. Sit, sit. The three of you don't usually keep company, why are you so suddenly joining forces?"
"Shen jiejie, I'm very sorry to intrude on you like this but Cha cháng zài and An gui ren have some very important news to tell you,"
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"Oh? Meimei, what is it?"
Cha cháng zài wiped at her brow with her handkerchief before twisting it in her hands, "Well, I received a letter from my mother and, well-"
"Her mother was begging her to get the Emperor's favor so he doesn't do something disgraceful like house her with a prostitute or some other lowly kind of woman," Lian pin said, with a great smile on her face.
"In fact, a lot of the clans have been sending messages like these, right An meimei?"
An gui ren looked pained at having to step on Jiang gui ren in this moment, "Yes, but my mother just worries a lot!"
Jiang gui ren was burning with anger. The entire world was laughing at her because of this. She wouldn't stand for it any longer!
"I won't take this any more! That-that bitch is dragging my name through the mud! His Majesty can't treat me like this, I'm the mother of his most auspicious child. I'm going back to beg him,"
"Jiang meimei, you are so eager to be scolded again. You should know that Huaguang won't protect you forever. Why waste your time?" said Lian pin.
"Yes, jiejie, think of fifth princess. She's only two. What will do if His Majesty thinks you're too inappropriate to raise her?"
"That's enough," said Shen huang gui fei, "You all may go,"
Lian pin looked like she had more to say but didn't dare disobey. Cha chang zai and An gui ren followed after her.
Jiang gui ren deflated and slumped back into her seat. There was truly nothing she could do.
"Do you remember how furious The Empress Dowager was when the rumors about His Majesty's affair with a prostitute began?" Asked Shen huang gui fei.
"Of course," said Jiang gui ren, "She was on a rampage. Then His Majesty admitted to it and she became so sick that the Imperial Hospital had to watch over her day and night,"
"His Majesty and The Empress Dowager haven't been able to see eye-to-eye for some time. I think if you lend yourself to her, she can help you get rid of this woman,"
Jiang gui ren bit her lip, "Would she help me? She doesn't remember me often,"
It was true. The only time Jiang gui ren and The Empress Dowager interacted outside of events and ceremonies was when she visited Huaguang. They were no where near close.
"Come, we'll greet her together," said Shen huang gui fei as she stood, "Take this chance to make yourself memorable,"
✺
"This concubine wishes The Empress Dowager peace,"
The Empress Dowager was sitting in her divan at the head of the receiving hall. The former Mongolian princess cut an imposing figure. Almost 70, The Empress Dowager had gotten fat in her later years of luxury. Bolts of gleaming golden embroidered fabric covered her body, not at all overshadowing the massive liangbatou†† covered in fresh flowers atop her head. The Empress Dowager peered down at them from her divan. Her ears sagged from the weight of gold and pearl earrings and when she shifted, her golden bangles crashed together.
Truly, only she was worthy of residing in Cininggong§.
"Rise," she said.
Shen huang gui fei took a seat, but Jiang gui ren continued to kneel.
"So you came here to ignore me instead of greet me?" The Empress Dowager said.
"I would not dare!" Jiang gui ren eyes flicked to Shen huang gui fei and then back to The Empress Dowager.
"I've come here to pledge myself to you, Your Highness,"
"Is that so?"
"I-I know that these years, I've been neglecting you and I want to make up for it going forward. I will die to protect you!"
"Protect me or yourself?" Replied The Empress Dowager, "Jiang gui ren, His Majesty may enjoy this cute act you put on but I can barely tolerate it. Say what you mean to say. Quickly,"
Jiang gui ren bit her lip, "Your Highness I know that you are rightfully upset that a prostitute is being brought here to walk the same steps as you and so am I! The Emperor is disregarding me and Huaguang by putting her in my palace. He's become muddled from her seduction. Because of this my clan is a laughing stock in and out of these walls. I beg you to speak to the Emperor on my behalf and ask him not to make such abusive decisions because of an uncouth vixen!"
Shen huang gui fei let out a quiet sigh.
"Jiang gui ren, you're too bold," snapped Jerjer, "What same steps? You're not even worthy to hold the soles of The Empress Dowager's feet. You claim to know His Majesty's thoughts, ah? But you're kneeling here, throwing a tantrum and fouling up Cininggong?"
The Empress Dowager held up a hand and Jerjer quieted.
"Do you know why His Majesty placed that woman with you?"
Jiang gui ren shook her head.
"Above you are women with powerful families. Below you, women who know their place and serve him well. You speak so often about your auspicious child. Two years ago you bore Huaguang and stopped the floods in the South. What have you done since then, huh? The other wives here would've taken that bit of fate and been called 'fei' already and yet here you still are, a gui ren. Why would I help you? What could you possibly do for me?"
"I...I," tears rolled down Jiang gui ren's face as she struggled to come up with a response.
"Jiang gui ren is tired. She will rest at her palace," ordered Jerjer.
Susu, Jiang gui ren's dowry maid, rushed to help her mistress off the floor.
"I'll take my leave," she whispered before backing away.
Shen huang gui fei pursed her lips. She had given Jiang gui ren one task and the stupid girl couldn't even do that well. The Empress Dowager didn't look pleased either. Shen huang gui fei stood and began to massage the older woman's shoulders, hoping to appease her anger somewhat.
The Empress Dowager shifted away.
"Your highness-"
"It's obvious that I've displeased you huang gui fei," said The Empress Dowager.
With a smile, Shen huang gui fei moved to restart her massage, "Empress Dowager must be joking. When you move the world moves with you. If there are any mistakes, they are this concubine's fault and she will take punishment for it,"
"So, I would be correct to remind you of your recent failures then?"
It was clear that The Empress Dowager was in no mood to coddled. Shen huang gui fei kowtowed to her.
"This concubine is stupid. She deserves to die!"
"Aren't you too old for all that whining? Get up, get up,"
The Empress Dowager took the cup of tea Jerjer served and sipped.
"The Empress continues to run wild and oppose me. The ministers come to greet me less and less. His Majesty hasn't taken a single Mongolian concubine in the last two selections. Not one single woman here can relay my worries to His Majesty and the ones outside the palace have shown no promise," she pursed her lips and threw the teacup aside, "I might as well roll over and let her kill me now!"
The mention of The Empress infuriated Shen huang gui fei. During their days together in the Old Manor, she believed that The Empress was everything the royal edict claimed she was.
Diligent, gentle, virtuous.
It was only after The Emperor's coronation that the veneer was wiped away. All the pain and suffering Shen huang gui fei endured, The Empress orchestrated it all and only The Empress Dowager saw the truth. The Empress strove to eliminate any source of competition in The Forbidden City but The Empress Dowager refused to go down without a fight.
"Empress Dowager, you can't! The Empress isn't worthy to even gaze at you," said Shen huang gui fei.
"Yes," begged Jerjer, "Please calm down,"
Shen huang gui fei finally voiced the topic that had been fluttering in her head since the announcement of The Emperor's newest woman.
"What if...what if we made use of His Majesty's prostitute?"
The Empress Dowager's face contorted into a look of pure rage.
"Get out!"
"Empress Dowager-"
"Huang gui fei, it's very rare that you need to hear orders twice," said Jerjer.
Pressing her lips together, she bowed and backed out of the room.
______
*Older sister. Doesn't always mean blood relation, could also mean a close female friend or someone who is close to you but of higher status or older
†Little sister. Doesn't always mean blood relation, could also mean a close female friend or someone who is close to you but of lower status or younger
††Manchu headdress/hairstyle that features two handfuls of hair, parted to each side of the head, sometimes with the addition of wire frames, extensions and ornamentation
§Palace of Compassion and Longevity