Chapter 42: Enfeoffed as Lady of the Manor
After an unknown amount of time, I opened my eyes. The scent of medicine and sandalwood filled my nostrils. Sandalwood is often used as incense in temples for offerings to Buddha.
The carvings on the beams, the golden censer by the couch, everything was so unfamiliar.
Where am I?
My body felt heavy, as if being pulled by a great weight, constantly sinking. A sweet, metallic taste surged up my throat, and I coughed it onto the ground – it was black and red blood.
The scenes from my dream felt incredibly real, as if I had personally experienced them one by one. Waking up, I felt tired and melancholic, as if I hadn’t yet left that cold body of water.
A palace servant by my side saw me wake and called out, “Imperial Physician, hurry! Painter Zhu has woken up—”
The beaded curtain was lifted, and several imperial physicians hurried in.
One of them pried open my eyelids to look, then took my pulse. He conferred with the others for a few moments. Afterward, he said to the palace servant, “The Empress Dowager’s Western Regions’ crimson elixir is truly a divine medicine. Most of the bee venom in Painter Zhu’s body has been expelled, and her life is no longer in danger.”
The palace servant smiled, “This servant will go and report to the Empress Dowager immediately.”
I remembered that before I lost consciousness, I had used my brush to swat away a large bee that was flying towards the Empress Dowager. That large bee had stung me on the back of my hand.
Plum blossoms blooming in winter is a strange sight. The plum blossoms that grew were different from those that bloomed in ordinary winters, thus attracting those large bees. They were enormous and vibrantly colored, and I didn’t know what kind of creatures they were.
A eunuch outside announced loudly: Empress Dowager Cishang has arrived—
Everyone in the room knelt to greet her.
Footsteps grew closer.
Empress Dowager Li walked over and sat by the bed. A slight smile appeared on her round, dignified face. “I never believed in the trinkets from the Western Regions. Last year, they presented them as tribute, claiming they could cure all poisons. I had them thrown into storage and paid them no mind. When the imperial physicians said there was nothing they could do, I finally remembered and had them retrieve them from storage and send them over. I never expected they would actually work.”
“Thank you, Empress Dowager.”
I struggled to get up, but Empress Dowager Li gently pressed me down, saying, “Your body is not yet fully recovered, lie down. Speaking of which, it is I who should be thanking you. Of all the consorts and attendants in the entire garden, none are like you. Quick-witted, decisive, truly perceptive.”
At that moment, a palace servant entered and reported, “Empress Dowager, Consort Zheng is still kneeling at the entrance of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility. His Majesty has sent someone to ask if you were startled.”
Empress Dowager Li waved her hand impatiently, “Let her kneel! She’s only been kneeling for half a day, and she’s already feeling distressed? If it weren’t for Painter Zhu today, and the bees had stung me, what then!”
The palace servant was immediately frightened into silence.
Empress Dowager Li said, “What a clever little vixen, putting on a seductive act to charm His Majesty, and even trying to charm me. What idea did she suggest? If she hadn’t suggested painting me onto the 《Celestial Auspicious Scroll》, I wouldn’t have sat under the plum blossom tree for so long, and almost caused a great disaster. Xiao Fuzi, who is by my side, has likely been bought off by her too. Otherwise, why would he eagerly agree every time she suggests something? In my life, I detest such sneaky flattery the most. Go tell His Majesty that I was startled and will not recover for ten days to half a month, and let him ponder that.”
“Yes.”
The Empress Dowager must have been displeased with Consort Zheng for a long time. Now, she was merely using this incident as an excuse.
After a moment, Empress Dowager Li smiled at me and said, “Last time, I found your face familiar, bearing some resemblance to the late Mr. Banzhou. This time, your selfless act of saving the imperial family makes me feel even more that you are as loyal and brave as Mr. Banzhou. I intend to—”
She gently patted my hand, turned, and slowly said, “Convey my imperial decree: Painter Zhu has rendered meritorious service in saving the imperial family. She is hereby enfeoffed as Lady Yidexiang, with a stipend of one hundred households.”
Lady of the Manor was originally a noble title granted to imperial clan daughters of the Great Ming. It could also be bestowed upon daughters of powerful officials who had rendered great service to the nation or their families.
I quickly said, “Your Majesty’s favor, this subject is humbled.”
Empress Dowager Li said, “You need not be alarmed; it is what you deserve. The royal family is indebted to Mr. Banzhou. The other day, I spoke of this matter with Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang said that Mr. Banzhou had several concubines. After the Jiajing Thirty-fourth Year, they were scattered to various places, and it is possible that some left behind a son or daughter who ended up in the common populace. Since you have this connection and have entered the palace, and I have seen you, I will consider you Mr. Banzhou’s child. In this way, we can comfort the heroic souls of the loyal and virtuous.”
I understood.
The title of “Lady of the Manor” was not only due to my meritorious service in saving the imperial family but also carried the Empress Dowager’s pity for Mr. Banzhou.
I finally understood Minister Zhang’s earnest intention in recommending me to the palace. He always wanted to secure some favor for me, to ensure my future was prosperous and peaceful.
Empress Dowager Li said, “Rest well, and recuperate in the palace for now before returning to your manor. I shall take my leave.”
I said with everyone else, “We respectfully see the Empress Dowager off.”
After Empress Dowager Li departed, my eyes grew heavy with illness, and I drifted back to sleep in a daze.
“Elder Sister, Elder Sister—”
Half-asleep, half-awake, I heard someone call me.
Opening my eyes, I saw Feng Gao kneeling by the couch, his peach-blossom face bearing faint tear tracks.
“Elder Sister, never do such a foolish thing again. Your life is the most important thing.”
That face overlapped with the frail young boy’s face from my dream.
A faint, gentle smile unconsciously appeared on my lips. “Elder Sister dreamt she returned to Jingjue Temple.”
Upon hearing the words “Jingjue Temple,” he froze.
“Elder Sister… you remember?” he asked cautiously.
“I dreamt I had a cold and was lying on straw in Jingjue Temple. You used a broken tile to scoop water to give me, and you said, ‘Elder Sister, please, don’t die.’ And at Guangyue Tower, you asked me to wait for you while you went to distract the Feng family people.”
Tears immediately streamed down his face. “Elder Sister, this is not a dream; this is all true. After parting at Guangyue Tower, you and I were separated. I hated the Feng family people. They ran into us on the street and cunningly brought us home, saying they wanted to adopt us. We were so happy, thinking we finally had a place to stay, that we could eat our fill, and no longer have to travel far and wide, enduring beatings and scoldings. But they actually wanted to sell me as a male prostitute and you to a place of ill repute. You took me and escaped. They pursued us relentlessly. Later, I was captured by them again. Half a year later, they sold me to Eunuch Cao. As for you, I heard you returned to the acrobatic troupe and soon disappeared. Five years ago, I killed all the Feng family members. Blood flowed everywhere, like flowers blooming throughout the house.”
The spies under Minister Zhang’s command were correct; he had indeed exterminated the entire Feng family.
So, such a convoluted story had unfolded in the meantime.
I returned to the acrobatic troupe. Severely injured, I was deemed valueless by the troupe leader. Afterward, I was adopted by Madam Zhu. When I was young, the reason Mother always avoided dragon and lion dance processions when taking me out was likely to prevent me from recalling painful memories.
Thus, everything connected.
“Elder Sister, what we wanted most before was simply stability. But we never obtained it.”
His voice was as light as cooking smoke.
I suddenly remembered Qin Mingxu’s words.
I looked at him and asked, “Did you abduct Madam Qin?”
He lowered his head, not answering.
I asked again, “Tell me truthfully, is Madam Qin’s disappearance your doing?”
After a long while, he said, “Elder Sister, don’t concern yourself with these matters. I don’t want you to know.”
“You don’t want me to know, but I already do.”
I sat up with difficulty, saying urgently, “You cannot do this! Do you know who Madam Qin is?”
He said, “I know. She is someone very important to Zhang Taiyue. Why did Zhang Taiyue silently kill the troupe leader? As the Prime Minister, what grievance could he have with a mere performer from the jianghu? It was clearly to silence him. I must know what the troupe leader said that led Zhang Taiyue to commit such a ruthless act. If he is unjust, then do not blame me for being unrighteous. I, Feng Gao, will repay a single meal’s kindness and avenge every grievance…”
Before he finished speaking, someone arrived from outside, and he vanished with a flicker.
The words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat, filling me with hidden worries.
Empress Dowager Li sent palace servants to deliver nourishing soup.
The palace servants helped me drink it before leaving.
I waited for Feng Gao to return, until midnight, but he did not come.
The night watch passed slowly.
I tossed and turned.
Feng Gao, having had a difficult and extreme youth, how would he treat Madam Qin?
If a grave mistake were made, it would truly be beyond recovery.
Finally, dawn broke.
I got up and instructed the palace servants to inform the Empress Dowager that I was much better and missed my family, wishing to return to the manor to recuperate.
With a few wobbles, I left the palace and told the coachman to go to the Zhang Manor.
When I saw Minister Zhang, he was lying in the Grand Tutor’s Chair in his study, holding some fragments in his hand, resembling pieces of a jade bracelet.
His face was filled with grief. Seeing me, his white beard trembled.
“Sang Yu—”
I knelt by his knees. “Sir, what is this?”
“This is Qingyao’s jade bracelet. It was the token of our love that I gave her. She told me in a letter that she had carried it with her all these years. Just now, someone from the Eastern Depot came and gave this to me. They said…” He covered his face.
“Sir—” I choked back a sob.
I did not want to hear the worst news from his lips.
He said, “They said Qingyao, fearing she would implicate me, smashed the jade bracelet and took her own life while imprisoned in a secret room. The Eastern Depot guards discovered her and saved her, but she was severely injured. They also said the Eunuch brought a message for me: she was saved this time, but perhaps not next time.”
A broken string can be mended, but spilled water cannot be gathered.
At this point, those involved found themselves in a difficult position.
“Sang Yu, do you know what conditions he presented to me?”
The wind blew in through the window.
A few peony petals fell to the ground.
The noble and enduring peonies of the Zhang Manor were finally showing signs of wilting.
It couldn’t help but bring to mind Bai Juyi’s line: “Tomorrow the wind will rise and blow them all away; tonight, cherishing the fading red, I watch by candlelight.”
Minister Zhang said, “He said that Cheng Huaishi is no longer to be in charge of the New Policies. I agreed to his terms and have already written a memorial to His Majesty.”
