De gui fei was walking in front of her.
Xiang pin couldn’t remember the last time she did that. She didn’t understand. Why was De gui fei so mad? She hated The Empress Dowager just as much as she did. Well, she wouldn’t be finding out the truth out her on the streets. She’d have to wait until they were in private again. So, Xiang pin kept her mouth shut and trudged behind De gui fei, ignoring the Jiayi and Molan’s worried faces.
When they arrived at Chengqiangong, Wang gugu and a group of servants were standing in the courtyard.
“Wang gugu,” said De gui fei, “What brings you here?”
“Replying to Your Highness, I’ve come to carry out His Majesty’s order to punish Xiang pin’s maid, Wei Jiayi,”
“Gugu,” said Xiang pin as she clutched Jiayi’s hand tight, “This must be a mistake. Jiayi has never offended His Majesty. She wouldn’t dare,”
Wang gugu frowned, “Lying to His Majesty is more than an offense, Your Highness. It’s a crime worthy of death,”
An icy wind blew through the courtyard and chilled Xiang pin’s bones.
“This must be some sort of mistake. Jiayi–“
“Lied to His Majesty the night of the banquet,” interrupted Wang gugu, “However, His Majesty is merciful and decreed that her only punishment would be 40 slaps across the mouth. Tsu momo will carry it out,”
A heavyset woman with what looked like paws of steel stepped forward and bowed her head. That beast would knock Jiayi’s head clean off! This wasn't fair! Jiayi lied and saved The Empress’ reputation. Shouldn’t that matter more than some stupid rule?
“How kind of His Majesty,” said De gui fei, “Jiayi, thank His Majesty for his grace,”
De gui fei yanked Xiang pin away from Jiayi. Before she could wiggle away, De gui fei whispered, “Would you rather Jiayi be here or be headless?”
Xiang pin pasted on a serene look and watched as Jiayi kowtowed in thanks.
De gui fei glanced at her, “Come along then,”
Xiang pin dug in her feet. She wasn’t going to leave Jiayi here to be beaten.
“Leave the girl some dignity,” said De gui fei.
Xiang pin felt tears well up in her eyes, “Fine,” she snapped.
She turned away, ignoring the way Jiayi’s eyes bored into her back. She would have to stick cotton in her ears. She didn't want to hear the sound of Jiayi’s punishment. Her heart couldn’t take it. The entire day was making her head hurt. She wasn’t going to stew in confusion about De gui fei. She stomped after De gui fei and shooed away the servants. De gui fei paid her no mind, silently pouring herself a cup of tea and warming herself by the brazier.
“So you’re not going to talk to me?” Xiang pin asked.
“There’s nothing to talk about,”
“I’m on your side! We both know what Shen huang gui fei did. We both know that The Empress Dowager is a horrible woman!”
“I didn't think this would happen so fast,” she said.
"What are you talking about?” Xiang pin asked, flustered by the change in subject.
“I suppose I should’ve expected this. You were only a Noble Lady then with a bit of fresh favor. You needed someone with good backing to keep the wolves away. I didn’t mind. You know I just wanted a bit of company. Now, you’re an Imperial Concubine with more favor than I could ever dream to have,” De gui fei smiled.
“You don't need me anymore,”
De gui fei’s hollow words struck Xiang pin like poison-tipped arrows. She knelt down and grabbed De gui fei's hand, and mustered up a wobbly smile.
“Don’t be silly, jiejie, you know you’re stuck with me! Look, I’ll go back and apologize to The Empress and The Empress Dowager first thing tomorrow,"
De gui fei shook her head, “You don’t have to pretend any longer. Haven’t you got what you wanted? You’ll even be moving into your own palace soon. Please. Let’s just end on good terms and go our separate ways before things get worse,”
“But things won’t get worse! I don’t understand,” Xiang pin said.
“They won't?” Said De gui fei, the smile never leaving her face, “Do you think you’re still in the brothel fighting for scraps?”
Xiang pin let De gui fei’s hand fall from from her own.
“His Majesty may love you with all of his heart now but what happens when The Empress Dowager has her sights set on you? Of course, he’ll save you the first time and the second time. But what happens the third of the fourth? What happens when she turns him against you for good?”
“Jiejie, this–”
“He’ll forget you,” De gui fei continued, “But I wouldn’t. I’d be there. Begging for you. Claiming your innocence. And for nothing. I’d be there, watching them tear you away from me. And no matter how hard I try, I’ll be alone again. So, please. Make this easy on me and leave now,”
Even though De gui fei didn’t raise her voice once, Xiang pin felt scolded. No, that wasn’t enough. She felt like she had been given Jiayi’s punishment 10 times over. Her cheeks were burning in shame. She had become one of those big headed brothel bitches that she always despised. They relied on the favor of their rich patrons to lord over the others. They always ended up worse than when they started because when their patron lost interest all they’d made was a little bit more money and a lot more enemies.
Xiang pin knew in her heart that His Majesty would do everything to stand by her side, but if the evidence were compelling enough, he would be a fool to believe her. But De gui fei would. De gui fei would take the word of a nobody prostitute who tricked her way into her palace and remember her death for the rest of her days. What kind of luck did Xiang pin have to have a woman like De gui fei give a damn about her?
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Before Xiang pin knew it, she was crying. Instead of the apologies she was desperate to give, big blubbering, heaving sobs came out of her mouth instead. She must’ve made a horribly pathetic picture because De gui fei wrapped her up in a warm hug. It just made her even more ashamed.
“Oh, don’t cry,” said De gui fei, “I take it back, don’t listen to me,”
“No!” Said Xiang pin pulling away, “You’re right. What I did to The Empress Dowager was so foolish. But you have to know, jiejie, I didn’t do that because I thought I was better than you. I did it for you! I thought it would be funny to talk down to The Empress Dowager for all she’s done to let Shen huang gui fei torment you. You have to know I would never hurt you like that. I’ll never leave you. You’ll be buried next to me if I have anything to say about it!”
De gui fei laughed, a real smile on her face, “You don’t want to be buried next to His Majesty?”
“I have to share him with Her Highness and all everyone else. I don’t have to share you with anyone,”
“Fine then. We’ll make it so. Come, wash your face. You don’t want to make Jiayi worry about you when that momo is done with her,”
✺
Shen huang gui fei didn’t care how plain her clothes were or how many white sashes lined the streets. It was a momentous occasion. Fan gui ren didn’t give birth to just one son, but two in one go! By the time Shen huang gui fei arrived, 10th Prince had already been born and Fan gui ren was barely hanging on by a thread. Even if she had survived, what little time she had left would be spent in suffering. It was only right that Shen huang gui fei gave the momo in charge the right to let nature take its course. With one final push, 11th Prince was born and Fan gui ren slipped away. When The Emperor and Empress arrived, Shen huang gui fei wept an appropriate amount and didn’t so much as twitch as the nursemaids began to walk off with the babies.
Fan gui ren’s servants, pleaded with The Emperor to let Shen huang gui fei raise the boys as it was their mistress’ dying wish. Shen huang gui fei feigned refusal, claiming that Fan gui ren was confused by her sickness and didn’t know what she was saying. The servants insisted, one even going as far as to say that Shen huang gui fei would be betraying Fan gui ren if she didn’t take them. The Empress looked like she sucked on a fermented pickle as she asked The Emperor what to do. Of course, His Majesty allowed Shen huang gui fei to be their new mother.
It was all falling into place. Fresh as they were, Shen huang gui fei was the one with two princes and a princess. All The Empress had was the princes. And 3rd Prince was the only one who really mattered. The playing field wasn’t quite so level yet, with the princes being so fragile, but all she needed was a few good years to train them up right.
And then The Empress would really see what Shen huang gui fei was capable of. To keep up the facade of a mourning friend, Shen huang gui fei took the reigns for Fan gui ren’s funeral. She even requested that Fan gui ren be given the honorary name of Guang* and a posthumous promotion to Imperial Concubine. It was a tidy ending for a woman who couldn’t have dreamed of getting so far in her little life.
However, all the crying and caterwauling did take a toll on her body, and by the time she returned to Zhongcuigong, she was exhausted. Thankfully, Fan gui ren was just a Noble Lady, so her funeral and mourning wouldn’t last very long, and things could get back to normal. The moment she stepped inside, she asked that 10th and 11th Prince be brought to her.
“How were they?” She asked, pulling back their blankets to gaze at their pink faces.
“10 and 11th Prince both drank heartily several times today,” Yan momo replied.
Yan momo may have only been the difujin of a middle-grade official; she was a branch member of the Šumuru clan. The other five nursemaids were of the same stock. When the time came for 10th and 11th Prince to marry well, the noble clans would be open to her.
Shen huang gui fei nodded, “No signs of a cold or cough?”
“We’ve kept the doors and windows shut tightly to prevent a chill,” Yan momo replied.
“You can leave them in their cribs and take a rest,”
10th and 11th Prince were laid gently in their cribs, and the momos left. A’Fang went over, cooing and smiling at them.
“Wipe that smile off your face,” Jingse ordered, “The palace is in mourning,”
A’Fang ducked her head, “Sorry jiejie, but I think 10th Prince just smiled at me!”
“You idiot, he’s a newborn, they don’t smile. Get away from there and brew some fresh tea for Her Highness,”
Jingse began to massage Shen huang gui fei's knees. Jingse was right. For this to succeed, they all had to behave like the loss of Fan gui was devastating to them all.
“His Majesty has arrived!”
Another benefit to being the mother of the twins was that The Emperor visited often.
Before her knees could touch the ground, The Emperor grabbed her hands, “Don’t kneel, don’t kneel. You’ve been working all day,”
Shen huang gui fei blushed, “Thank you, Your Majesty,”
She took his cape and hat and handed them to Zhang Wei before following him to 10th and 11th Prince’s cribs. He gazed at them wistfully and stroked their whispy hairs.
“Have they been too much trouble?”
“Of course not. Yan momo and Yin momo say they eat well and cry little,”
The Emperor sighed, “Good. I feared their unlucky birth would follow them,”
“Even if they were unlucky, they’re your Imperial Heirs. Their blessings are natural. Your sons will grow up and do great things,”
“That’s all I ask,”
Shen huang gui fei led The Emperor to her chair and curled in next to him.
“Guang meimei is surely resting easy, seeing how much you cared for her,” said Shen huang gui fei.
“Two sons is more than some concubines will give in their lifetimes. Her service to The Great Qing must be remembered,” replied The Emperor, “It’s good that you’re handling the funeral. The Empress is still busy settling the other dowagers,”
Shen huang gui fei made sure to keep her face soft at the mention of The Empress. Busy? How much work could it be to set up house with all those servants? Even if Shen huang gui fei hadn’t chosen to head up the funeral, The Empress would’ve foisted the work on her anyway. Thinking of The Empress soured Shen huang gui fei’s jolly mood. The night of the banquet made it very clear that Xiang pin was solidly in The Empress’ camp. De gui fei had some sort of nerve as well. All these years, she’d been frigid and limp as her bedsheets, but she suddenly had the nerve to talk back! As if Xiang pin was some great mind! Without that hulking maid of hers, it would take absolutely nothing to be rid of hers for good!
Well.
Wasn’t that an idea?
Shen huang fei wrapped her arms around The Emperor.
“I heard Xiang meimei’s little maid was taught a lesson by Wang gugu on your orders,” she said, “Her face was still so horrible that I had to ban her from the public for fear of startling Guang meimei’s family,”
The Emperor shrugged, eating the dates plated on the side table, “Hopefully, she takes the lesson to heart,”
“How can she not when it was a lesson from you, Your Majesty? However, I’m afraid that Xiang meimei might not,”
“What do you mean?”
“Xiang meimei is new here and may not understand your intentions. She might feel a little sore that you’ve punished her maid. She doesn’t know yet to not be so close to them and treats them like little girls,”
“Huifen can be sensitive,” The Emperor replied.
“I have an idea. Why don’t you allow the maid to go back to her family home for a week or so, just until she isn’t so unsightly as a gift to Xiang meimei?”
“You don’t think a week is too long over a few slaps?”
“It’s not about the maid, really, Your Majesty,” replied Shen huang gui fei, “It's a gesture of how much you care for all of Xiang meimei’s things,”
She playfully huffed and poked him in the chest, “All these concubines you have, how do you still not understand women?”
The Emperor smiled and pinched her cheek, “Brat! Who do you think you’re talking to? Do you even see me as your master?”
Shen huang gui fei pressed a finger to The Emperor’s smiling mouth, “Not so loud. You’ll wake the children,”
They gazed over at the quiet cribs.
“So, what do you think? Shall you do something nice for my Xiang meimei?”
The Emperor let out a theatric sigh, “Fine. She can go,”
“Don't worry, Your Majesty. Xiang meimei will never forget this,”
________
*Light, glory