Feng Xing: Chapter 100
Happy 100 chapters! 59 more to go.
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Translation: marchmallow
Prince Zhao suddenly marched forward as the good mediator, not to pacify the First Prince and Prince Wu, but merely to magnify his presence and to fan the flames while at it.
Everyone could infer his purpose. Prince Wu and Prince Zhao spoke not a word, and all who were present snuck a peek at Prince Zhao.
Witnessing this, Feng Sheng couldn’t resist looking at Prince Wei. Noticing how cold his visage had grown, she deduced that participating in such malarkey would be beyond him. She deemed it laughable how these men, whose ages could total at least a hundred years, bickered incessantly amongst themselves like children striving for favor. What she failed to realize was that the Jianping Emperor had numerous sons, and if they wished to make their existence known, they had to blaze a trail for themselves.
The so-called favor was simply to tell apart whose presence was substantial and whose was scarce, not only before the Jianping Emperor, but also before the people. These princes were raised in the palace, so practically no person present was incapable of comprehending this reality. This was why the Thirteenth Prince, by use of his young age, seemed to have thoughtlessly blurted out a sentence as though it housed no other intent, but that wasn’t necessarily the case.
The matter progressed quite quickly. While the princes came to blows over a frivolous exchange of sentences, the Jianping Emperor on the main seat was ostensibly unsuspecting. Positioned by his side was Empress Chen, smiling deftly as she spoke, “Ah, Imperial Noble Consort, are you not going to ask someone to bring us Little Sixteen? Don’t delay the auspicious time.”
Feng Sheng frankly knew little about women’s means of matching wits, but she could intuitively discern how peculiar Empress Chen’s words were. She aimed her sight at Imperial Noble Consort Li. Her complexion looked starkly sublime, her face florid, and her figure much fuller than when she had first seen her. She clearly wasn’t that much younger than Empress Chen, but she looked as if she was younger by a generation.
The Sixteenth Prince was carried up.
This day, he was the little birthday celebrant garbed in jubilant red from head to toe. With the amount he usually ate, he grew plump and very chubby. During the period Feng Sheng had not seen him, he had grown much fatter than before.
Nevertheless, he was incredibly adorable. His pair of large eyes kept blinking, and his tiny arms and legs were stubby. Upon seeing Imperial Noble Consort Li reach out to carry him, he cooed and babbled words no one understood, but these baby noises melted the hearts of those who heard him.
When Imperial Noble Consort Li held him, her arms immediately sank. The Jianping Emperor glanced at Fu Lu, and Fu Lu hastily lurched forward and said, “How can Her Ladyship be burdened to carry him? Let this slave do it. Sixteenth Prince, is it alright for this old slave to carry you?”
He laughed and proceeded to amuse Little Sixteen. Little Sixteen, who had no qualms about recognizing people, stretched his arm out to snatch Fu Lu’s hat. His little hand had rendered his hat askew, and there were a few strands of hair in his grasp. Seeing Fu Lu’s sorry figure, Little Sixteen clapped his hands and giggled merrily, inciting everyone to erupt into laughter.
After tossing about, Little Sixteen was settled on the long table in the middle of the palace hall.
Atop the table boasted several objects, all for the Zhuazhou, among which was the Jianping Emperor’s jade pendant. When Little Sixteen beheld the innumerable trinkets, he itched to haste forward to grab them, but his wet nurse held him back and coaxed him for a moment, then asked him to choose one he liked. No one was certain whether or not he understood, but the fat boy crawled over.
To everyone’s surprise, he seized one and examined it, then grasped another one and stroked it. Seeming like none had taken his fancy, he tossed them aside. Everyone in the palace hall had their eyes peeled on him, though it was more accurate to say that all were intently eyeing the Jianping Emperor’s jade pendant.
No one was hoping he would grab hold of it. They preferred that he be drawn away by the rattle or other such toys, as it would for once mar Imperial Noble Consort Li’s face in front of everyone. For this event, Empress Chen had laid out a jadeite horse, a drum-shaped rattle, a small slingshot, and other such things; all were said to have been the First Prince’s toys in his childhood.
Empress Chen had cherished these valuables for decades, which sufficed to prove their worth, so at this time, it couldn’t be considered an oversight. Just that, in the depths of their hearts, parents always wished for their children to grow up clever and sensible, more so to be endowed with both civil and martial virtues. If Little Sixteen were really to snatch away such trinkets, he would be scoffed at. After all, the Zhuazhou‘s purpose was to test children——this statement was not just talk.
Little Sixteen belatedly grabbed the slingshot and kept tugging at it in his hands. Were he an ordinary child, this would be the end of it, but there had been several instances of Little Sixteen’s display of ‘liking the new and hating the old’. The masters said nothing, so no one dared to utter a word and could only continue to watch.
Sure enough, Little Sixteen’s interest waned quickly, and he cast away the slingshot.
At this point, even Feng Sheng couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Beyond the trinkets were well-meaning objects such as writing brushes, ink sticks, paper, inkstones, seals, swords, and other such things. No matter what Little Sixteen would grab, he wouldn’t make a fool of himself. Feng Sheng’s nerves loosened, and when Little Sixteen finally snatched the jade pendant, she was not even the least bit fazed.
*
After the Zhuazhou ceremony, everyone dispersed.
The Jianping Emperor still had memorial booklets1 to pore over, so he didn’t stay long. Prince Wu remarked that it was rare for the brothers to gather at one place and beckoned them all for a drink. Prince Wei followed suit.
Empress Chen announced that she would be hosting a banquet at Kunning Palace to celebrate Little Sixteen’s birthday. It wouldn’t be favorable for Imperial Noble Consort Li to negate in front of all these people, so she could only express her assent. However, she didn’t tread behind Empress Chen and insisted that she wanted to change clothes, pulling Feng Sheng along with her.
Feng Sheng assumed that Imperial Noble Consort Li had something to tell her, but no one expected the opposite to be the case. Imperial Noble Consort Li truly just traipsed inside to change into a different outfit, while she remained outside to drink tea.
As she drank, Imperial Noble Consort Li emerged from inside.
“Let’s go.”
Feng Sheng immediately set down the teacup, rose to her feet, and strode to her side.
“Don’t be anxious. Just regard it as a formality.”
Feng Sheng was a little disconcerted. She actually wasn’t anxious, but it was true that she more or less had some apprehensions. Thinking back, when she had just married Prince Wei, the next day, Empress Chen had handed her a poisoned hairpin. Forgoing the past, she now also had a child in her belly to factor into. The palace was home to shameful secrets that were impossible to guard against, and such a fact kindled her fears. More than that, Empress Chen was truly a bit queer today; for worries to plague Feng Sheng’s mind was not unfounded.
“Are you thinking she has changed so much that a demon must have possessed her?”
Feng Sheng didn’t hide it and nodded.
Imperial Noble Consort Li sighed and said, “A woman is very resilient. When she becomes aware of reality, she will exhaust all her means to seize whatever is good for her. You noticed how fervently attentive she was to everything, in truth, she was simply asserting her status in front of others. That is just how it is in the palace. With its size and its numerous inhabitants, having a weaker presence is tantamount to falling out of favor. In here, a woman who has fallen out of favor is no better than a dog.”
Feng Sheng had no idea what to say. Only after a while did she blurt out the question, “Then what’s to be done?”
“What do you mean ‘what’s to be done’?” Seeing that she was rendered speechless, Imperial Noble Consort Li laughed gently and said, “Pay her no heed. Let her do whatever she wants.”
Feng Sheng could not comprehend how women in the palace survived. However, seeing Imperial Noble Consort Li behave like this, she actually felt that neither wind nor rain could batter her. She stood on her ground with amazing resilience and fortitude. With this kind of confidence, her worries abated.
“The fact that you are pregnant, His Majesty knows. Rest assured, she would not dare start anything in full view of the public,” Imperial Noble Consort Li assured Feng Sheng prior to their entrance at Kunning Palace.
Feng Sheng actually understood this, but Empress Chen’s act of bestowing her a poisoned hairpin the day after her wedding was still quite deranged to her. She feared not the deepest of schemes, but rather, the opponent not laying out their cards according to the logic of the cards. However, Imperial Noble Consort Li and the Empress were old rivals, and since the imperial noble consort had thoroughly reassured her, she cast off her apprehensions.
*
When the banquet at Kunning Palace ended, things had also concluded over at Prince Wei’s side.
Feng Sheng didn’t return to Xianfu Palace with Imperial Noble Consort Li and instead left the palace with Prince Wei.
Prince Wei had drunk wine and reeked of alcohol. Feng Sheng’s pregnancy had sensitized her to certain odors. He traversed inside and leaned against her, but she couldn’t bear the smell and shoved him aside. Perhaps because Prince Wei was totally inebriated, she was able to knock him against the carriage wall. This time, Feng Sheng was abruptly struck dumb.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
Prince Wei stared at her. “This prince disgusts you.”
Feng Sheng was a little abashed. Left without a choice, she gestured to her belly. “It isn’t me who’s disgusted. It’s him.”
This excuse was so flimsy that even Prince Wei was quite at a loss to reply. It would be ludicrous to bicker with an unborn child, so he could only dart her a glance and leave it at that. Feng Sheng herself was aware of her indiscretion, so she nimbly poured a cup of tea and served it for the great master Prince Wei to drink. With this, the squabble was considered over.
Prince Wei inquired about what had transpired after he left, and Feng Sheng roughly recounted the words the Imperial Noble Consort had imparted her. Prince Wei responded with silence, but his eyes had turned glum. Only after a while did he utter, “None of them are fuel-efficient lamps.”
Feng Sheng pondered over it and said, “I couldn’t help but notice the Empress acting like that. Consort Mother, she……”
Prince Wei grasped her hand and rubbed the hollow of her palm. “Worry not. The strife between her and Consort Mother did not materialize in merely one or two days. It was just that, in the past, Consort Mother had always evaded her. Now that Consort Mother has ceased being this way, she can no longer be brash when dealing with Consort Mother. They have already reached a state where the stability of their lives are largely linked to their respective sons. So long as Eldest Brother persists in his ways, and so long as she keeps thinking about coveting the position of crown prince, Imperial Father will definitely keep a tight rein on her.”
Feng Sheng could easily gather that dipping one’s toes into the struggles within the imperial harem signified embroiling oneself in the imperial court. The Jianping Emperor was averse to the idea of establishing a crown prince as of present. If the Central Palace was disinclined to relent, the two were bound to clash. What about Prince Wei? What would the Jianping Emperor do if Prince Wei harbored the intent to seize the position of crown prince? Feng Sheng suddenly had a realization. Could it be that the Jianping Emperor ennobled the Imperial Noble Consort to suppress the Empress?
With this in mind, she recalled the subtle emotion in the Imperial Noble Consort’s entranced smile and suddenly felt a bit cold.
Feng Sheng kept this subconscious thought from Prince Wei. Perhaps Prince Wei already understood, so what seemed bewildering was no longer so. It was only her who was making a fuss over nothing.
*
By the end of the first three months of her pregnancy, she had her pulse examined by Imperial Physician Wang to ascertain that carriage rides would not afflict the fetus. At long last, Feng Sheng’s ban was lifted.
Even so, Prince Wei forbade her to venture to the academy day by day, consenting to only once every few days.
Now, everything in the academy had fallen into place. A Zhangyuan2 had previously dwelled in one of the small buildings, bolstering the academy’s popularity to new heights. Furthermore, hearing that the lecturers there were actually Hanlins from the Hanlin Academy, countless people scrambled over to study.
After each spring examination,3 several would be joyous while others would be upset, as some would pass the exam and some would not. Those who failed would usually return to their hometowns, while those from wealthier families would prefer selecting a tranquil place in the capital to reside in, wherein they would study with utmost sedulity in hopes of tackling the exam once more in the future.
Because a Zhuangyuan had emerged from one of the buildings, they longed to garner similar success from staying there. As such, many scholars who chose not to scurry back home conglomerated and sought accommodation in the academy. Before, the academy had permitted lodging for the convenience of scholars who journeyed to the capital for the imperial examination. However, the academy had no rules regarding lodging after the exams.
At that time, Feng Sheng was still early into her pregnancy and was incapable of visiting the academy. Guan Qian also didn’t possess the authority to make major decisions, so the affairs could only be dragged on. Fortuitously, after dwelling in the academy for a few days, these scholars found its atmosphere quite galvanizing. They were willing to stay especially for the lecture once every ten days.
These lecturers were not just ordinary scholars. Those who could achieve a status such as theirs ought to have contributed impeccable achievements in the field of Confucian classics. Furthermore, they were Hanlins from the Hanlin Academy Prince Wei had personally requested the Jianping Emperor to employ.
The lowest grade of students in the men’s hall were the ‘distinguished talents’. The foundation of those who had passed the college exam4 were already laid solid, but they lacked the skill to put their knowledge into good use. Writing good essays necessitated a lot of learning, so fellow students would discuss among themselves and seek famous teachers for further erudition. These were means to progress upward in the imperial examinations, and Jinjiang Academy undoubtedly furnished everyone with these means.
The lectures every ten days were not only held by great Confucian scholars, but also by students convening for animated discourse. The latter gradually evolved into a common practice. Although this practice was only to a local scale, it pioneered the academy’s unique style of learning.
The first time Feng Sheng set foot on the academy after her ban was lifted happened to coincide with one of these lectures.
Amidst the bamboo forest, there was a man mounted on a stone platform, and scattered around were students wearing scholar robes, either clutching scrolls in their hands or utilizing their bookcase as a desk to write furiously on, all listening very earnestly. Next to it was a brook that ran through the village. Because it had converged into a pond within the academy and the water’s hue was akin to that of bluish-green jade, it was known as the Jade Pond.
The sound of gurgling water and the clear and melodious singing of birds graced their ears, making it seem like they were a retreat away from the turmoil of the world.
This place was of Feng Sheng’s own design. It was once said that it was ‘better to have no meat in eating than to have no bamboo in living’,5 so the most ubiquitous plant in the academy was the bamboo.
This time, Feng Sheng had donned men’s clothing. As she stood in the middle of the bamboo forest and scoped out the area, it suddenly dawned upon her that the place had panned out quite brilliantly.
“Princess Consort, what is your honored self doing here?”
Feng Sheng turned her head and made a gesture of shushing. She stalked out of the bamboo forest with a person who fretted over her every step, as if afraid she would fall.
It was Guan Qian, the deputy headmaster.
Only until she was outside did Feng Sheng answer, “I’m merely looking around.”
“But your——” Guan Qian’s sight shifted to Feng Sheng’s stomach. He deemed it too unscrupulous, so his eyes flickered and darted left and right.
“Alright, I will head to the women’s hall to look around. Carry on with your work.”
Feng Sheng thereafter waved her sleeve and left. Guan Qian stared at her back and broke out in cold sweat.
Feng Sheng’s unfettered demeanor did not persist for long, for Prince Wei was waiting for her under a tree at the corner.
“In the time it took to utter one sentence, you disappeared from this prince’s sight. Looks like there aren’t enough people by your side.”
“I was just meandering about in the bamboo forest.” As she spoke, Feng Sheng was also thinking that if one day the women’s hall would have a view comparatively as grand, her efforts would be considered to have borne fruit.
Translator’s Note:
I honestly didn’t think it would take me this long to reach this mini milestone, but I guess this also isn’t so bad considering how rocky the first half of the year had been for me. I decided to pick up translating again early this month as a sort of escape, and my love for this hobby has been rekindled. This novel has just the right amount of slice of life, political intrigue, and romance for me. (Not a very big fan of fluff) Feng Sheng is my favorite c-novel female lead of all time, and while I have a lukewarm evaluation of Prince Wei’s character, I do enjoy the development of their relationship (though when I first read this, I admittedly only started warming up to Prince Wei right around Chapter 94).
I’m determined to finish this before the year ends, since I have other novels queued that I badly want to translate.
I do wish to update this almost every day like I used to, but life has been a lot busier for me, so I’m gonna have to set a fixed weekly schedule. I’m thinking maybe Saturdays or Sundays, some time around the weekend.
1 折子: folding notebooks where officials write their memorials, or reports from the emperor’s subordinates and the like
2 Zhuangyuan (狀元, lit. “top thesis author”), the jinshi who ranked first in the palace/court exam overall nationwide.
3 春闱: lit. spring examination, another term for the metropolitan/national/conference examination held in the capital once every three years. Imperial examination system) as it’s held in spring
4 If you’ve checked out the table I made in Chapter 98, the exam to become a distinguished talent is the college exam.
5 This is from a poem composed by Su Shi, a Chinese poet (and many other things) in the Song dynasty. The translation can be found here.
