《 Previous | Table of Contents | Next 》
Translation: marchmallow
When Feng Sheng and Zhi Qiu were following the maid walking that way, they chanced upon Princess Consort Liang halfway through, who also seemed to have been invited over.
“Ninth sister-in-law.”
“Third imperial sister-in-law.”
After greeting each other with a curtsy, the two ambled forward together, and when they reached the Plum Blossom Pavilion, all of a sudden, Princess Consort Liang tugged at Feng Sheng.
Feng Sheng halted her footsteps and turned towards her.
“Third imperial sister-in-law, will this be your first time meeting eldest imperial sister-in-law? If she says anything unpleasant after we arrive, don’t take it to heart.”
Feng Sheng blinked her eyes in puzzlement.
Princess Consort Liang appeared rather apologetic and smiled. “She almost ‘cried’ the last time we spoke. I fear you will also be……”
This was goodwill. Feng Sheng could still distinguish it.
Peering at Princess Consort Liang’s youthful face, Feng Sheng smiled and said, “Many thanks. If worst comes to worst, I’ll just turn a deaf ear.”
But the First Princess Consort evidently nevertheless went beyond all expectations. Feng Sheng had never foreseen her to actually use such a method to ‘cry’ in the middle of a conversation.
……
Song-shi had a face the shape of a melon seed and a pair of phoenix eyes. She was clad in a slightly worn jade-white woolen lined jacket and a thick dark-brown satin skirt embroidered with lilies. The borders on her jacket looked rather coarse, and she wasn’t embellished with any jewelry, appearing very simple and neat.
She was sitting on the main seat in the room drinking tea. Feng Sheng caught sight of her as soon as she trod in.
A newborn son was a matter of great joy to the Zhao Prince Manor. For such an occasion, one’s attire must be tastefully chosen. It didn’t have to be beautiful and glamorous, but it needed to at least exhibit a bit of jubilation. Never before had they seen someone dressing so plainly in an event such as this. Those who didn’t know would think she was mourning someone in the family. Feng Sheng could perceive that Princess Consort Zhao’s smile was a little rigid. She was probably feeling a bit of unease in her heart but couldn’t express anything lest she hurt someone’s feelings.
“Greetings to eldest imperial sister-in-law.” Feng Sheng and Princess Consort Liang slid off their cloaks under the service of the maids. They then plodded in front of Song-shi and did a curtsy. It was an ordinary curtsy that was neither too superfluous nor disrespectful to the person receiving it.
Song-shi set aside her tea, and her eyes fell on the two, though it was more accurate to say that her sight faltered on Feng Sheng.
Feng Sheng recalled the other’s identity and her own identity. Under such circumstances, the two were destined not to have a harmonious and peaceful relationship. She only hoped that the other party would stay sensible and not do anything irrational. After all, she didn’t want to create trouble or commit something disgraceful in the presence of others.
“Two younger sisters-in-law, get up. You’re both newly married wives. My body isn’t well, so I seldom leave the manor. Above all, third sister-in-law, is this our first time meeting?”
“Yes.”
Song-shi smiled faintly, picked up her tea again, and wore a forlorn and despondent expression.
“In the end, it’s nothing like before. In the past, when the younger brothers married, they would come and see me and your eldest brother on the day of their wedding. It’s a pity, ah.”
What about it was a pity, she didn’t elaborate, but the tone of these words instantly unsettled those listening.
With identities such as theirs, when it came to associating with each other, no matter what they bore inside, they had to appear like they were doing well on the surface. Song-shi’s words clearly insinuated something, and they were obviously directed against Feng Sheng.
Princess Consort Liang glanced at Feng Sheng and seemed to want to say something, but these words were too hard to utter in front of their faces.
Feng Sheng smiled. “Eldest sister-in-law is feeling sentimental and melancholy. However, there is great joy in fourth sister-in-law’s manor today. Let’s cast our sorrows aside so as not to sweep away fourth sister-in-law’s auspicious atmosphere. How about we do something else?”
“Third sister-in-law is right. We will have to wait a little longer for the banquet. Anyway, it’s warm in this pavilion because of the underground heating. I remember that eldest sister-in-law likes playing Madiao.1 We might as well set up a match. It’s also been long since I last played,” Princess Consort Zhao suggested in an attempt to mediate between the two parties.
“Underground heating, ah. Fourth sister-in-law is indeed quite extravagant. We at the First Prince’s manor can’t even afford to burn charcoal,” lamented Song-shi in a cryptic tone of voice.
Princess Consort Zhao laughed and jested, “Listen to what eldest sister-in-law is saying. If the dignified First Prince’s manor can be short of charcoal, then no one in this world can afford it.”
“That’s not true. Those slaves in the Imperial Household Department don’t treat everyone equally favorably.2 Your eldest brother is now confined in the manor. Those disciples and proteges are all gone, so the filial respect we receive from below is close to nothing. Imperial Father has also stripped us of our title. In so large a household, every day, we sit just idly and eat, almost exhausting our whole fortune. Our days are quickly becoming unbearable. How can we afford to burn charcoal?”
The crowd of people below all exchanged glances, then subtly lowered their heads. Princess Consort Zhao couldn’t find a means of escape from this debacle, and her smile grew more and more wry.
Princess Consort Wu’s limpid eyes churned. She smilingly put forth, “Listen to what eldest sister-in-law is saying, making it sound like us younger sisters-in-law are living too well. Imperial Father was angry for only a short while. How can he always stay mad at eldest brother? However, what eldest sister-in-law said is a problem that the whole family mustn’t drag on. Why don’t us younger sisters-in-law offer assistance? We can still help by sending a hundred catties of charcoal. Younger sisters-in-law, what do you think?”
“Second sister-in-law is right. We can’t aid in other things, but sending some charcoal can still help. When I go back, I’ll have someone send two hundred catties of charcoal to eldest sister-in-law’s household,” replied Princess Consort Zhao.
Since Princess Consort Wu and Princess Consort Zhao had already pledged, the rest naturally nodded their heads.
Feng Sheng watched this exchange with indifference. Song-shi actually accepted it as though it was a matter of course. This time, she finally grasped what Princess Consort Liang had meant by Song-shi‘s ‘crying’. As for Song-shi’s behavior, those whose skin was a little thin would find it difficult to cope with.
Was the situation in the First Prince’s manor really that precarious?
Feng Sheng recollected that not long ago, someone had blathered about how servants from the First Prince’s manor would pilfer object from the manor to sell outside. This matter was passed around and gave rise to much discussion, but she was uncertain about its verity. At that time, she had admonished the servants to stop talking drivel. Discerning the situation at present, it really seemed as though they were in desperate straits.
She had never been in contact with Song-shi before, so she was unaware of what her behavior was like in the past. However, for someone from a court elder’s family who had been the crown princess for so many years, she actually played out such a petty act. Frankly speaking, Feng Sheng was quite astonished.
Princess Consort Zhao voiced out an order, and the maids hastened to set up a table.
To play Madiao, there had to be four people. They obviously exceeded this number. Feng Sheng tactfully retreated to the side, and Princess Consort Liang followed suit.
“It’s better to have two games set up.”
Princess Consort Liang opposed, “Fourth sister-in-law, that’s not necessary. I don’t know how to play, so I’ll just watch you all.”
Princess Consort Cheng was of quiet and reserved disposition. She had been sitting at the side in silence all the while. It definitely seemed like it was beyond her assimilate into the excitement, so the number of people present did not suffice for two games.
“Alright, forget about setting up two games. A few of us will accompany eldest sister-in-law to play to relieve her of boredom,” declared Princess Consort Wu.
After she finalized her decision, Feng Sheng was compelled to play with her. She said she wouldn’t, but Princess Consort Wu peered at her with a smile and cast her a meaningful look, saying that she should just play anyway even if she didn’t know how to.
Song-shi and Princess Consort Wu, together with Feng Sheng and Princess Consort Zhao, exactly four people, approached the table and perched on their seats, while the others sat beside them, continuing to drink tea while watching the match.
Feng Sheng actually knew the specifics of playing Madiao. She was clever and quick to learn anything. When she was a child, she had watched those aunts play a few times, and she managed to glean from it. However, this was truly her first time having a go at it.
Princess Consort Zhao was thorough in handling matters and put a small number of seeds next to each of them. In addition to the melon and fruit snacks, each person also received a small box of pumpkin seeds. Feng Sheng was still thinking about what to bet on the Madiao match, but she didn’t have any silver at hand. However, she knew that Zhi Qiu had a few pouches to reward others with. Should she use jewelry or should she ask someone to seek Prince Wei? But she was uncertain whether or not he had any silver.
As she was muttering in her heart, a maid took some pumpkin seeds and deposited them on her hand.
Obviously, knowing how to play Madiao and actually playing Madiao were two entirely different things. Feng Sheng couldn’t keep score, either. Fortunately, there was a maid next to her to aid her in keeping score. She noticed that the box of pumpkin seeds had quickly reduced to less than a half.
Just watching this battle, she knew she couldn’t hold on for long. It seemed that she really needed to find Prince Wei for support.
“Ninth sister-in-law, play a couple of games for me. I have to go to the toilet.” Feng Sheng told Princess Consort Liang, who was sitting next to her observing her play.
Princess Consort Liang replied, “Third sister-in-law, I don’t know how to play. This……”
Feng Sheng rose to her feet and patted her on the shoulder. “It’s fine if you can’t play. I don’t mind if you lose.”
Princess Consort Wu chuckled and kidded, “Third sister-in-law isn’t very lucky today. This is quite a complaint. You didn’t just lose to some person, you lost to our eldest sister-in-law.”
“What is second sister-in-law saying? I’m not consoling ninth sister-in-law. Us sisters-in-law are playing together. Winning or losing is a trivial matter, what’s important is that we have a great time.” Speaking until here, Feng Sheng quickly stopped. She realized that she had a tendency to assume an attitude of ‘discussing business’ whenever she talked to people long enough, which wasn’t befitting of her identity as a woman in the boudoir.
She nodded to Princess Consort Liang and led Zhi Qiu to the toilet with the guidance of a maid.
When she came out, Zhi Qiu scurried to the front courtyard to find Prince Wei, and she went back to play Madiao.
……
It could be seen that Princess Consort Wu and Princess Consort Zhao had good rapport. Between the two of them, to one’s right was Song-shi, and to the other’s was her.
The two could almost, but not quite, complete a hand. Song-shi was particularly happy eating up Princess Consort Wu’s cards, while she could barely eat a single one of Princess Consort Zhao’s cards. It was obvious that if the two played a few more rounds, with her cards piling up, Song-shi would just be receiving her silver.
Fortunately, Feng Sheng was not a short-sighted woman. She didn’t even blink when the cannon fired at her. Zhi Qiu, who had gone out, returned with two pouches. One pouch was filled with gold and silver ingots, while the other was filled with silver banknotes.
Feng Sheng flipped through it casually and reckoned that it would be difficult for her to win even a copper coin today.
After a dozen or so rounds, a maid came to report that the banquet had started.
Naturally, the Madiao couldn’t go on. Song-shi reaped a good harvest. Her face wreathed in smiles, she seemed to be in a good mood. She didn’t forget to tell Feng Sheng a few words, saying that she was letting her go.
“Eldest sister-in-law is polite. We’re one family.”
When they arrived at the table, they, sisters-in-law, still sat together. Needless to say, the dishes were abundant, and there was wine on the table.
She seemed to have become the target of the public after her arrival. The toasts were all sent her way. If others toasted you, you should naturally drink. Feng Sheng surmised that this group of people wanted to inebriate her to make her lose face. Unfortunately for them, it would take at least a thousand cups to intoxicate her. Although she hadn’t drunk for a long time, the foundation was still there.
Among them, only Princess Consort Liang was sympathetic to her. It was difficult to speak about it in public, but she didn’t refrain in private.
Feng Sheng actually knew what she meant, but it would be disrespectful to dodge from this situation. Besides, who could hold on and who could drink until they were lying on the ground, it was impossible to tell. But everyone also exercised restraint, thinking about more or less the same thing, so they stopped. In the end, Feng Sheng was not drunk, but her face was somewhat red.
After dinner, the men on that side hadn’t yet dispersed. Feng Sheng used the pretext that she was drunk, searched for a place to nap in, and bid Zhi Qiu to guard her.
Not long after drifting to sleep, someone came to report that His Highness Prince Wei was asking Princess Consort Wei to come over.
When she arrived at the gate, a carriage from the Wei Prince Manor drove over.
Feng Sheng boarded the carriage, and after a while, Prince Wei also got in.
“Have you been drinking?”
Prince Wei sat beside her and reached out to touch her forehead.
“It’s nothing. They couldn’t intoxicate me with that amount of wine.” Feng Sheng didn’t resist him as he pulled her closer. She leaned against his embrace, speaking one moment and quieting down the next, then broached the subject of Song-shi‘s behavior.
“In the past, eldest sister-in-law was not like this. Since the Song family collapsed, her mentality hasn’t been too well. She has stirred up trouble twice before, but no one bothers about her because she’s a woman.”
Prince Wei said it very obscurely, but Feng Sheng could more or less understand what he meant.
The Jianping Emperor’s confinement on the former Crown Prince was not so much a restraint as a protection.
Apart from the Crown Prince, one other person wasn’t prohibited from entering and leaving the First Prince’s manor. This other person naturally referred to Song-shi. In fact, the First Prince, that husband and wife pair, were now in an awkward situation. It was reasonable to say that what they ought to do most was to remain meekly at home behind closed doors. However, Song-shi acted the opposite. The number of times she went out wasn’t too frequent. For the most part, she only ventured outside whenever something happened in the palace, or perhaps in other princes’ manor.
Just like today, her presence was a kind of an embarrassment. After the First Prince’s crown prince position was abolished, the Song family immediately fell, and the Chen family, and even Empress Chen, had a hard time. No title constituted no salary. According to general rules, the Imperial Household Department nevertheless had to subsidize them, but those from the Imperial Household Department treated people according to their social status, and the subsidies they allotted were inadequate to feed everyone in so large a household like the First Prince’s manor.
Today, Song-shi seemed to have just seized the opportunity and smashed the jar to pieces since it was already cracked.3 In fact, she was merely lamenting about the misfortune that befell her and the First Prince, indirectly imparting to the Jianping Emperor that her and the First Prince’s days were too miserable, so miserable that she had to drop her younger sisters-in-law a visit to extort from them.
This tactic was very shameless and disgusting. However, she was a woman who had long hair but short wit. One mustn’t bother about her, as she would only act in such a way that others would feel bad for her. Whether or not the Jianping Emperor felt sorry for them, Feng Sheng didn’t know, but she was perfectly aware that the First Prince, that husband and wife pair’s aim was to evoke his pity.
“This doesn’t seem like his handiwork. I reckon it’s still Empress Mother’s.” The purpose was to gain the Jianping Emperor’s sympathy. As long as he expressed sympathy for him, the First Prince would still have a chance to rise again.
“Princess Consort Wu suggested that each family send two hundred catties of charcoal to the First Prince’s manor, and I agreed,” Feng Sheng said.
“When we return, instruct De Quan to do it.”
“I also lost a lot of silver to eldest sister-in-law, but I didn’t count how much I lost. The silver banknotes were untouched, but the pouch of gold ingots is gone. Wait until I pay you back, ah.”
Before the words fell, Prince Wei’s fingers already pinched Feng Sheng’s chin.
“Pay back?” He snorted.
“A slip of the tongue,” Feng Sheng perfectly embodied what was called ‘only an outstanding talent could recognize current trends’.4 In fact, she had actually uttered that subconsciously. After all, it wasn’t as if she didn’t have silver. Prince Wei just didn’t like it when she divided things so clearly like this.
“You have the authority to manage the household, yet you don’t care. You spend this prince’s silver, yet you say you’re paying it back. You don’t have the least bit of consciousness as this prince’s princess consort.”
Prince Wei had also drunk wine, and when he leaned close, Feng Sheng could smell the alcohol on him, as well as a faint scent of sandalwood, which she found very pleasant.
But no matter how pleasant it smelled, she didn’t ignore the danger in the other’s eyes.
“It was a slip of the tongue. I’ve never told you, but I’m quite wealthy. I can’t finish spending all the silver I have because there’s too much of it, so I inevitably like acting big.” Feng Sheng backed away while laughing wryly.
“Acting big? Come, let this prince see. Where is it big?”
*
Concerning everything happening in the First Prince’s manor, Prince Wei and Feng Sheng could only observe from the sidelines.
In fact, this crude tactic of evoking other people’s pity, although unpleasant, was still somewhat effective. Before the New Year, the Jianping Emperor flared up at the Imperial Household Department and invited the First Prince for a talk in the Qianqing Palace.
It was said that at that time, the First Prince had hugged the Jianping Emperor’s leg and wailed miserably. The Jianping Emperor had patted his shoulder as a response, looking rather sympathetic. After the First Prince left, the Jianping Emperor had a lot of things delivered to the First Prince’s manor. As such, everyone became aware that the First Prince could possibly bring about a change of fortunes.
Around the New Year, several banquets were held in the palace.
The First Prince was still an untitled prince, but he showed up with Song-shi, looking as though the spring breeze had obtained its wish.5
Empress Chen, who had been ill for a long time, was also better.
The mother and son pair changed their past attitude and regarded everyone genially.
What was happening outside or inside the palace was of no concern to Prince Wei and Feng Sheng. In the spring, the estate on the outskirts of the capital was reconstructed, and the two of them always ran there when they had no other matters to tend to. As for Feng Sheng, it was inevitable for her to interact with her sisters-in-law, but only Princess Consort Liang was the closest in her heart.
Prince Liang was still young, and it hadn’t been long since he established his own manor. His consort mother passed away when he was a child, and there wasn’t anyone in his maternal family. Because his consort mother had gone early and she had some friendship with Consort Li, he had a pretty good relationship with Prince Wei.
This was also why Princess Consort Liang had taken the initiative to befriend Feng Sheng.
At the end of the summer, Consort Li went into labor early.
Prince Wei and Feng Sheng were not in the manor at that time, and when they received the news, they rushed to the palace. When they entered the palace, Consort Li had not yet given birth. After waiting until midnight, Consort Li gave birth to the Sixteenth Prince.
Translator’s Note:
Furnishing you the list of princess consorts once more:
- First/Eldest – Former Crown Princess
- Second – Princess Consort Wu
- Third – Princess Consort Wei (Feng Sheng)
- Fourth – Princess Consort Zhao
- Sixth – Princess Consort Qin
- Seventh – Princess Consort An (from the Qiao family)
- Ninth – Princess Consort Liang
- Fifth or Eighth – Princess Consort Cheng
Princess Consort Cheng wins as the most relatable character. Just sitting there doing nothing and not caring what everyone else is doing in the middle of a party? That’s me.
1 Madiao is a late imperial Chinese trick-taking gambling card game, also known as the game of paper tiger. In Chinese, mǎ (马) means “horse” and diao (吊) means “hanged” or “lifted.” The name of the game comes from the fact that three players team against the banker, like a horse raising one shoe (banker), with the other three remaining hooves on the ground (three players). (Source: Madiao – Wikipedia)
2 The term here is actually 见人下菜. Literally means ‘put out food after seeing the person’ (basically gave food after judging them by their clothes, etc.).
3 破罐子破摔了: lit. smash a pot to pieces just because it’s cracked (idiom); write oneself off as hopeless and act recklessly
4 识时务者为俊杰: Only an outstanding talent can recognize current trends (idiom). A wise man submits to circumstances.
5 春风得意: The spring breeze has obtained its wish — One has attained a success and is well-contented