Chapter Ninety-Five: The Choice Between Gain and Loss

“Why did Your Ladyship not have Tang’er punished?” Yinling asked as she supported Shen Fuyu inside, unable to keep the indignation from her voice. “What she said was truly awful. Back then the Emperor was gravely ill, and everyone thought he would not live much longer...”

She stopped herself before saying the word "die," for it was ill-omened, and after a pause went on, “A marriage meant to bring good fortune is not necessarily a blessing. If the Emperor had not recovered in time...”

The Great Xun Dynasty did not openly permit burial sacrifices, but in private it often turned a blind eye, especially among wealthy families. It was rare for a lawful wife to be entombed as a companion, but it was not unusual for all the concubines in a household to be secretly killed and stuffed into the coffin. To the outside world, it was simply said that they had followed the dead in death.

And this sort of thing had long existed within the imperial palace itself.

When the former emperor passed away, several unruly princes’ birth mothers had been forced alive into coffins. It was only that, outwardly, no one called it a burial sacrifice.

As for marriages meant to avert misfortune, that needed no further explanation. If the marriage turned out well, it was a great blessing; if it did not, and the Emperor died instead, then with ghosts and spirits looming over the affair, the bride would certainly be branded unlucky. Being shoved into a coffin would be considered merciful.

“When this sort of work, the kind that could cost a person her life, was being put forward, it was Your Ladyship who was pushed to the front. And now she dares to stand there and say, without a trace of shame, that Your Ladyship stole it from her.” Yinling puffed up her cheeks in anger. “Besides, you are a young lady of the Shen family. I may not understand those grand affairs, but I do know that marriage alliances are ordinary matters. Whoever is sent into the palace, it is all the same...”

Shen Fuyu slowly opened her eyes, glanced at the young maid who could not keep her temper, and lightly tapped her on the forehead with a finger. “You are so young. Why think so much?”

“I am standing up for Your Ladyship!” Yinling said, cheeks rounded in protest.

Even she felt wronged beyond measure. How could her lady, standing there in person amid such circumstances, possibly have felt at ease?

“I was willing to enter the palace in her stead to bring good fortune because there was something here that I wanted,” Shen Fuyu said, unusually patient with her. “Everything I do is for myself, not for them. If a person spends her whole life being controlled by her maternal family, happy or miserable only according to what they do, then is that person truly herself, or merely a daughter of the Shen family?”

“I do not quite understand,” Yinling said, twisting her hands together. It seemed as though she had grasped something, and yet nothing had truly taken shape in her mind.

“You will understand when you are older,” Shen Fuyu said, poking her again. She really could not expect ancient people to understand this sort of thing so easily.

Of course, the family that raised you was important. But when family and self came into conflict, there had to be a choice. As for her, since the Shen family had shown no mercy, she would show none in return. Between family and herself, she chose herself.

Besides, she had never truly been one of the Shen family to begin with. And since the Shen family was rotten to the core, she had even less reason to be polite.

“All right. You need not concern yourself with these matters. I know what I am doing. There is no need for you to meddle blindly,” Shen Fuyu said, looking at Yinling. The girl still had much to learn. “It is still a little hot today. Go and ask for a chilled sweet soup for me.”

“Your Ladyship, you are with child. How can you crave something so cold?”

“I will not listen. I want to eat it!”

...

The tea had grown cool, and fresh incense had been added to the burner. The Hall of Longevity was as quiet as midnight. The Empress Dowager sat to one side and looked toward Qin Zhiyi seated opposite her. At last, she spoke slowly: “I heard that yesterday you went to the Empress’s chambers, and then spent the night in Xianyue Palace?”

“Yes. Did Mother have some matter to discuss?” Qin Zhiyi gave a slight nod, admitting to the events of the previous night.

“The Virtuous Consort committed a grave error and offended both the Empress and this dowager. And even so, the Emperor still dotes on her this much?” The Empress Dowager was displeased. She did not permit her son to favor such an improper woman.

“Didn’t Mother already punish her by confining her and ordering her to copy books?” Qin Zhiyi lifted his gaze to his mother, hiding the disappointment in his eyes. “Besides, on that day, Mother and the Empress had no evidence proving that the Virtuous Consort was the one who caused the disturbance and struck the imperial guards, did they?”

“So this is how you speak to this dowager?” The Empress Dowager’s temper rose slightly. “The evidence was hidden by that enchantress, no one knows by what means. So many people saw it with their own eyes, and yet none of them could do a thing to her. Emperor, do you truly believe she had nothing to do with it?”

“She is carrying my child. How could she do such a thing? And besides, those really were the Empress’s people, were they not?” Qin Zhiyi knew full well what had happened, but he had to protect Shen Fuyu. “And the Virtuous Consort is not an enchantress. She is the auspicious one chosen by the National Preceptor, my own bringer of good fortune.”

“You!”

“If Mother has come only for this matter, then this is my answer,” Qin Zhiyi said, deciding not to argue further. “Does Mother have anything else?”

“Very well.” The Empress Dowager restrained her anger. It was not yet worth destroying the bond between mother and son over such a small matter. He had simply been bewitched by that woman. When spring came and the selection of palace beauties began next year, there would still be better choices.

After softening her tone slightly, she asked, “Last night, when you went to the Empress, did she say anything?”

“She likely felt that once you took back her golden seal, her position was no longer secure. She told me she wanted a child,” Qin Zhiyi said calmly. “I am still considering the matter.”

“Yunjing is powerful, and the Empress’s elder brother is the Crown Prince of Yunjing. If the Emperor is willing to summon her to his bed, that would preserve her dignity, and Yunjing would have no grounds to complain,” the Empress Dowager said. “Still, under no circumstances may she bear Great Xun’s eldest imperial son.”

“I understand.”

In truth, Qin Zhiyi himself was neither born of the main wife nor the eldest son. In his youth, before he knew any better, he had been urged and cajoled by the then-Consort and the powerful Cui clan into setting foot on the path to the throne. Legitimacy and birth order were not always so important.

Which child of the imperial house had no ambition?

Everyone wanted to be emperor, whatever their reasons, whatever their state of mind.

He himself was no exception.

“The Empress did not mention anything else to you?” the Empress Dowager asked again. “You are this dowager’s son, and I know you. After what she has done, how could you possibly forgive her so easily?”

“Nothing further was said,” Qin Zhiyi replied, frowning slightly. “Why does Mother ask this? The Empress has fallen from favor; lowering her head is only to be expected. Since Great Xun and Yunjing are joined by marriage, I naturally must show Yunjing due respect and cannot allow the Empress to lose face. I do not understand what Mother means.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression darkened a little, then she smiled. “This dowager merely asked in passing. The Emperor has grown up and knows how to endure. I am very comforted.”

“If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave.”

“Go on then.”

Qin Zhiyi cupped his hands in salute and left the Hall of Longevity. In a low voice he asked, “Changfu, has Fengluan Palace sent anything over?”

“No, none at all,” Changfu said after thinking it over, then shook his head.

Qin Zhiyi said nothing. The Empress Dowager was testing him. She had always known of the Dragon Shadow Token. On the day he ascended the throne, he had falsely claimed that he had obtained nothing from his father. In truth, not long after, he had placed the Dragon Shadow Token in Jing Lanxi’s hands.

The Empress Dowager might suspect as much, but she had no proof.

Now that Jing Lanxi had fallen from favor, the Empress Dowager likely also guessed that Jing Lanxi would use the Dragon Shadow Token as a bargaining chip. This had become somewhat troublesome.