Chapter 38: Imperial Palace Painter
The Eldest Young Mistress’s relationship with the Brocade Guards Mu Lin’s family grew increasingly close.
After I finished washing, I went to the Main Courtyard to pay my respects to the Old Madam. She told me that the Eldest Young Mistress had gone to the Mu family again. She brought a cart full of gifts and had carefully selected several clever maids from Suzhou and Hangzhou to send over.
After the former Commander of the Brocade Guards, Liu Shou, was executed, Mu Lin was promoted and became very influential.
The Old Madam said, “Yu Zhen is also too eager for quick success. She was so close to Liu Shou before, and as soon as Liu Shou fell, she went to flatter Mu Lin. Do you think he would accept it? I truly don’t want her to be so close to people from the Brocade Guards. Yu Zhen always wants to compete with the second branch. I’ve told her things countless times, but she never listens.”
She worried, “Shu Er has been in the palace for so many days, I wonder how she is. I’ve felt sorry for that child since she was young. She’s like a block of wood, doesn’t know how to speak, and doesn’t endear herself to elders. When she was little, I wanted to take her into my care and raise her, but she listened to her mother and refused. Otherwise, I could have trained her and she wouldn’t be like this.”
I sat down beside the Old Madam and said, “Mother, children have their own fortunes. Please don’t worry too much. Although our Miss Sun is not particularly clever, she is honest. I don’t think she will encounter any misfortune in the Imperial Harem.”
The Old Madam said to me, “Sang Yu, tell me, Liu Shou fell, but His Majesty did not implicate anyone else. What does this mean? I always feel that the calmer it is, the more bizarre it is.”
Although I had the same doubts in my heart, at this moment, I had to comfort the Old Madam, saying, “I imagine the interactions between Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, and Liu Shou did not involve anything fundamental, hence there is no trouble. Isn’t Eldest Brother doing well with our family’s business of exporting goods? The Imperial Court’s Tea Permits are still being issued as usual. Mother, please rest assured.”
Around noon, the Eldest Young Mistress returned. She first went to the Main Courtyard to report to the Old Madam, “Mother, Lord Mu is truly understanding. Today, he introduced me to Wang Tianrui, a Centurion of the Brocade Guards. Mother, guess who this Wang Tianrui is?”
The Old Madam scraped the tea foam from her cup with the lid, “Who new Buddha have you worshipped now?”
The Eldest Young Mistress said, “Mother, you are truly muddled. Wang Tianrui’s daughter was originally a lady-in-waiting to Empress Dowager Li. Recently, His Majesty favored her, and she became pregnant! Empress Dowager Li was overjoyed. Wang Tianrui has a very good relationship with Mu Lin, and he is a popular figure now! If Lady Wang gives birth to a Prince, that would be the firstborn son of the imperial family! The current dynasty’s rule is to establish the eldest. The Wang family will ascend to heaven in one step!”
The Old Madam said, “The child has not yet been born, and we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl. It’s too early to say they will ascend to heaven now.”
“Mother, I want Lady Wang to give our Shu Yao a little help. If Shu Yao could also become pregnant, oh my, that would truly be…” She rubbed her hands, as if the hope before her had already come true, not knowing how to express her joy.
The Old Madam said sternly, “Lady Wang is pregnant and is currently a very conspicuous figure in the Imperial Harem. Be sure to keep Shu Yao away from her, to avoid bringing disaster upon herself.”
The Eldest Young Mistress said, “Mother, you wouldn’t understand these things. In any case, just don’t interfere.”
As we were speaking, someone from the palace arrived with a message: Miss Sun, Shu Yao, had been promoted to a fifth-rank Talent.
The Old Madam and I both looked grave and became anxious.
Although Cheng Shuyao was attractive, she was not considered outstanding. Without talent to support her, nor the cunning to strategize, how could she have been promoted so quickly in such a short time?
Was someone instigating this, or was it His Majesty’s intention?
In the evening, Cheng Huaishi returned.
He rarely returned this early.
“Madam, I brought you date cake. On my way back today, I passed Donghua Gate and saw the date cake at the hawker’s stall looked appealing, so I thought of you.”
I took the date cake and saw that the dates on top were large and bright red. Taking a bite, my heart felt as if it were soaked in honey.
“I asked Xiao Yin to save some soup for you,” I said softly.
He waved his hand, “Thank you, Madam, I’ve already eaten. This evening, His Majesty suddenly summoned me to ask about the Ministry of Revenue’s tax collection. Minister Zhang was also there. After reporting, His Majesty kept us for dinner at the Palace of Heavenly Purity.”
A Monarch’s bestowed meal is an immense honor. To ordinary sycophants, they would be overjoyed. Yet, he mentioned it so casually. He was someone who viewed wealth and power lightly. After becoming an official, his sole focus was on doing his job well and doing practical things for the people. He didn’t strive to climb the ranks. This was his rare and admirable quality.
He looked at me, “Is the date cake delicious?”
I nodded.
He whispered in my ear, “Dates symbolize early birth of sons.”
My face flushed, and I playfully chided him.
He picked up a brush from the dressing table and said, “Han Shou stealing perfume, Shen Yue slimming his waist, Xiangru stealing jade, Zhang Chang painting eyebrows – these are the four romantic tales of talented men in ancient books. Today, I will also emulate Zhang Chang and paint your eyebrows for you, Madam.”
He meticulously began to paint my eyebrows, his seriousness no less than writing poems or composing essays.
Looking at him, my heart felt like a tranquil pool of clear water.
“Second Master, do you know that our Miss Sun, Shu Yao, has been promoted to Talent?”
His hand paused for a moment, then he continued painting.
“I know. I was against Shu Yao entering the palace, but it’s already done, and I can’t do anything about it. Today, His Majesty said something to me that was full of meaning.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he valued Shu Yao, firstly out of regard for me; secondly, as a gesture of favor towards the Brocade Guards.”
“Wasn’t Shu Yao arranged to be by the Emperor’s side by Liu Shou? Liu Shou is already dead. Could it be that His Majesty was referring to Mu Lin?”
“After Liu Shou’s death, Feng Gao became the undisputed figure among the eunuchs. Although Mu Lin is Feng Gao’s subordinate, His Majesty certainly doesn’t want to see one faction dominate. Promoting Mu Lin is the Monarch’s strategy of checks and balances. I don’t want to concern myself with these matters. I only want to do my job with peace of mind. I don’t stir up or approach the storms in the arena of fame and fortune. I am like Minister Zhang; I face the light, not the darkness.”
He did not wish to elaborate further.
Xiao Yin brought water. I handed him a handkerchief, and he wiped his face. “Madam, I just remembered something that strikes me as odd.”
I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
He said, “Yesterday, when Minister Zhang recommended you to be a court painter, he said, ‘Loyal for generations, a lone hero, a paragon of the Han people.’ Then he instructed me to treat you well. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but later, when I mulled it over, it didn’t seem right. Although my father-in-law served as a seventh-rank official for a term, when it comes to being loyal for generations and a lone hero, it doesn’t quite fit…”
I smiled, “Minister Zhang certainly wasn’t talking about my family. Perhaps he just happened to recall an old friend. The words just came together. Who knows.”
He nodded, “Yes, that makes sense.”
Xiao Yin withdrew. He blew out the lamp and pulled me into bed.
He seemed to unintentionally break open a honey pot, immersing himself, his wings willingly sweet.
Outside, the wind and moon were at their peak.
On the bed, husband and wife found intimate favor.
The next day was the tenth day of the lunar month, and also my first day entering the palace as a painter.
Cheng Huaishi specially ordered He Ming to take leave from the Yamen and escorted me to the Palace Gate before rushing back to his official duties.
The palace walls were majestic, the gardens like a painting, the tiled roofs of the palace gates flowing.
The supervisor of the Imperial Manufactory came forward and smiled at me, “Painter, please follow me to the Hall of Benevolence and Wisdom.”
All painters who entered the palace had to be assessed by the Twelve Bureaus before they could be retained by the Imperial Manufactory.
I followed him inside, seeing buildings every five steps and pavilions every ten steps, with winding corridors and high-pitched eaves, exuding a majestic imperial aura.
Upon arriving at the Hall of Benevolence and Wisdom, I saw Feng Gao seated in the place of honor, right in the center.
I painted a landscape according to the theme.
Feng Gao gave his approval, and the others quickly echoed his sentiments with various words of praise.
Palace servants brought official robes and seals, and a young eunuch recorded my name and added it to the roster. Everything was orderly.
From then on, I was an officially registered court painter.
After the formalities, Feng Gao led me into an inner room. It was evident that he held immense power at the moment. Everyone looked at him with respect and fear.
“Elder Sister, why would Zhang Taiyue recommend you to be a painter out of the blue?”
“Perhaps because he was quite satisfied with the portrait I painted for him at Zhang Manor last time.”
“Since you are willing to take on this task, Elder Sister, I will naturally give you my full support. I’m happy as long as you are happy. However, Zhang Taiyue and the Eastern Depot have been in opposition for many years, and recently things have been strange. We must be cautious.” He rubbed his fingers back and forth.
“How strange?” I asked.
He said, “The other day, late at night, I arrested an official responsible for Canal Transport. Normally, he would have pleaded with me endlessly and made things difficult for me. But this time, he didn’t. He personally came to the Eastern Depot to find me and spoke many conciliatory words. This has never happened before. He also asked me if I had anyone at home and what they liked. I casually mentioned I liked prayer beads, and last night he actually sent a pair of yellow pear wood ghost eye prayer beads, which are very valuable. I suspect he has a conspiracy, but I can’t figure out what it is yet.”
“Perhaps Minister Zhang wants to ease the relationship with the Eastern Depot,” I mused.
He clenched his fist and frowned, “Elder Sister, the way he looks at me is very strange. In any case, I need to prepare myself. If it comes to it, I will have to contend with him.”
I quickly said, “Don’t make any rash decisions yet. Let’s observe the situation.”
He thought for a moment and nodded.
When I came out of the inner room, I saw a white-bearded old man had arrived at the Hall of Benevolence and Wisdom. When he saw me, he stared intently at me.
Feng Gao introduced, “This is Painter Liao, who was summoned today to paint for Empress Dowager Li. Painter Liao has been in the palace for over thirty years.”
I nodded, “Greetings, Senior.”
However, the Painter Liao’s gaze never left me. After a long while, he sighed, “This Madam reminds me of someone. So alike! So alike!”
A painter’s memory for faces is the best.
Since he said she was so alike, there must be a reason.
My heart stirred, and I asked, “Who is the person you are referring to, Senior?”
