Imperial Favor Chapter 17
Early the next morning, Tang Zhuo Zhuo woke up on her own before An Xia even came over.
Rising to a sitting position, she drew back the thin bed curtains to see that the sky was still a dark, navy blue colour and released a sigh. She moved to tap her finger on the vase on the window sill, only to retract it when her warm fingers met its cold surface.
The Imperial Grandmother’s birthday celebration was originally set to be three months from now. But when the Qiongyuan Emperor heard Qin Tianjian’s words, it was set to today.
It will surely be inevitable for the undercurrent turbulence to surface today.
After four years, Tang Zhuo Zhuo once again donned the court attire of a Crown Princess, her mood momentarily profound yet subtle. But it was only for a moment, before she suppressed any irregularity from her eyes.
And then, Huo Qiu arrived.
The man’s footsteps were like the wind, as Zhang Desheng lifted the pearl curtains for him and instructed the servants to serve the meal.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo pursed her lips, now knowing that he had come without even having the morning meal first.
“Your Highness arrived unexpectedly early.” She raised her eyebrows minutely. Her apricot eyes seemed to be imbued with the night dew and sparkled like they had collected the stars in the sky. Her smile was as bright as the first plum blossoms budding against the wintry twelfth moon.
It was the kind of beauty that left people mesmerized.
Huo Qiu halted for a moment and closed his eyes quietly to hide the unfathomable pool emotions in his eyes. “Hm, I worried you couldn’t wake up on time.”
Tang Zhuo Zhuo stood tall and allowed An Xia to help with preparations, yet her face held a recalcitrant expression as she muttered, “When have I ever overslept?”
An Xia’s facial expression instantly became unnatural the moment those words were spoken.
The fact that the Crown Princess often slept in was not a secret within the East Palace. It was because of this very reason that His Highness instructed all those of Liangdi rank and below that unless there were important matters, they need not rise early to perform their morning greetings.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s gaze rested on a set of rubies that An Xia had retrieved from the treasury for a while before reaching out for the white tallow jade from within the jewelry box. Her expression looked troubled.
Huo Qiu was sitting on the sturdy yellow pear-wood chair. Seeing her motionless for such a long time, he spoke up. “What’s wrong?”
Tang Zhuo Zhuo turned around. The large golden peony flowers embroidered on the wide sleeves set a contrast to her jade-white wrists and the beauty mark on her face lent her a charming, delicate look.
Not to mention the way she lightly bit her lip as she spoke, “Your Highness, help this consort look at this hairpin.”
Huo Qiu laid his eyes on the various hairpins within the jewelry box and a frown appeared out of nowhere.
He never had a good grasp on feminine things and aesthetics.
In spite of this, he didn’t have it in him to firmly refuse those starry eyes.
Huo Qiu rose from his seat and the yellow robes of the Crown Prince’s court attire gleamed in the candlelight, giving the impression of a tall sturdy bamboo while also clear as the light breeze.
He approached Tang Zhuo Zhuo and browsed the array of hairpins that covered the table in silence before asking, “Look at which one?”
Tang Zhuo Zhuo pointed at the set of rubies in An Xia’s hands, “As it is the day of the Imperial Grandmother’s grand birthday* celebration, it is appropriate to dress more grandly and festively. But pairing this set with the outfit seems to be a little old-fashioned.”
T/L/N: 大寿- the ‘big/grand birthday’ is usually used for older people and celebrated every ten years. It usually starts at sixty, then seventy, so on so forth. Though in some customs, the grand birthday is arranged one year before as a play on Chinese phonetics of the number (turning sixty is celebrated on the fifty-ninth, turning seventy celebrated on the sixty-ninth). ‘Nine’ in Chinese also sounds like ‘longevity’, so as to wish the person to continue living long and well.
Huo Qiu turned his eyes towards the hairpins held in those alabaster hands and after pondering for a while said, “They’re not old-fashioned, I’m pleased when you wear them.”
Tang Zhuo Zhuo looked up and met his eyes- it was as if she was peering into a deep and tranquil well. She swallowed all the questions that swirled around her tongue back down her throat and gave him a smooth, accepting smile. “Alright, this consort will listen to Your Highness.”
Had Huo Qiu seen her wear these before?
But though she never asked this out loud, how could Huo Qiu not surmise her question?
On the day of their grand wedding, she had looked delicate and charming under the auspiciously, vibrant, red head covering*. The headdress she had been wearing then, was this very set of rubies.
T/L/N: The head covering used in traditional Chinese weddings is the equivalent of the Western veil, except it’s not see-through. Red is the auspicious color used in weddings, while in folklore, the veil was first used as a way to cover the bride’s shyness.
It was unfortunate that these memories he cherished seemed to be ones she found had nothing to do with her- as if they, and even he himself, were insignificant and thus, completely rejected them.
After their morning meal, Huo Qiu and Tang Zhuo Zhuo headed towards Ci’ning Palace.
Huo Qiu remained sparse in words throughout the way there, his expression as cold as a snowman built on a wintry, cold night.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo didn’t dare be presumptuous; she kept silent even as she looked about for fear of inciting his displeasure.
Only, she became lethargic from the swaying sedan chair before finally succumbing and falling asleep against Huo Qiu’s shoulder.
Huo Qiu furrowed his brows as he set down the scroll he had been perusing and looked down at her alabaster countenance with those slightly flushed cheeks. He brushed a feather-light touch across her cheek, traveling down to her rosy lips before suddenly recovering his senses.
It was fortunate that his touch was light and did not wake her up.
Huo Qiu kneaded at his throbbing temples and firmly resisted the surfacing thoughts and wishes of his heart.
But whether it was in wakefulness or in sleep, he kept hearing her lovable, soft voice calling out ‘Your Highness’. He ached until it hurt, wishing to hold her close to him as much as he did in his heart and yet, he daren’t make a move.
It had been with great difficulty that they could now interact with each other harmoniously. He was not about to shatter that with his own hands.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo had long since woken when he touched her cheeks. Perhaps it was because her eyes were closed, but his gentle touch was even more tender. She felt tickled by it and had needed to suppress her fluttering eyelashes hastily.
It was her first time experiencing this side of Huo Qiu in two lifetimes.
Back then, if it wasn’t an emotionless expression, then it was a frigid one when he harshly admonished her, his tone of voice as icy as a disgraced immortal banished from the heavens.
Of the three thousand ladies within the Inner Palace, regardless of their uniqueness or attractiveness, not one could capture his eye.
When they reached Ci’ning Palace, Huo Qiu stroked her hair gently, even as his voice remained chilly, “Wake up, we’ve arrived.”
Tang Zhuo Zhuo slowly opened her eyes then and directed a soft smile towards Huo Qiu.
Huo Qiu didn’t spare her a glance and walked on ahead.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo secretly found this extremely hilarious.
This man’s actions truly never aligned with his heart- he was always in denial.
It was not Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s first time at the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace and yet, no matter how many times she came to visit, it never ceased to make her nervous.
Huo Qiu recognized her anxiety and lightly told her, “Keep the Imperial Grandmother company with a light conversation, I need to make a short visit to Chengqian Palace.”
”The other Prince Consorts* have already arrived and there is still the evening banquet, so don’t wander off and wait for me.”
T/L/N: This is not to be confused with the Crown Princess title of ‘太子妃’ which literally translates to Crown Prince’s consort. They appear extremely similar!
Tang Zhuo Zhuo gave him a light nod and Huo Qiu’s expression eased a little.
Sure enough, she saw that the other Prince’s consort had already arrived upon entering the hall.
The elderly who sat at the head of the room appeared mild and kind, but her eyes held a depth of wisdom that only comes from experiencing many vicissitudes of life. Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s heart shuddered as she followed Huo Qiu in performing their obeisance.
“Greetings to the Imperial Grandmother.”
“Rise.”
The Empress Dowager recited and meditated on Buddhist sutras year round until the entire hall permanently smelled of sandalwood incense. Her initial appearance was no different from any ordinary elderly as even her voice was alight with soft laughter.
But Tang Zhuo Zhuo knew that the Empress Dowager was, in actuality, one of the most diabolical people in the entire Inner Palace. The rain of blood and terror she had caused was something that would never fade away.
“The Crown Princess has finally arrived, I see; Imperial Grandmother had just mentioned you. This consort only worried that you may have overslept again.” The one who spoke was the Sixth Prince Consort Liu. There was no fault to be pointed out in her smiling visage but her tone of voice was incredibly uncomfortable.
Huo Qiu frowned deeply. His whole being was encompassed with a deep, concentrated air of frostiness and even his voice seemed to be mixed with icy sleet. “This grandson stained an article of clothing right before leaving and was thus delayed for some time. I hope that Imperial Grandmother will grant pardon.”
Consort Liu appeared shamefaced then and did not speak up again.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo lightly sneered in her heart. She remembered how Consort Liu always seeked to make her miserable in her previous life. Because she used to sit there coldly without uttering a word, Consort Liu thought she feared her and thus, looked down on and castigated her even more.
She was just too lazy to bother with squabbling with this buffoon is all.
Speaking of, the reason the Sixth Prince had lost the battle for the throne in her previous life was partially due to Consort Liu’s foolishness.
Liu Hanjiang cherished his wife and child. But for an unknown reason, his wife suddenly passed away in her previous life and left behind their precious three or four year old daughter. He thus doted on and pampered the girl even more for fear or wronging her in any way.
The Sixth Prince valued him greatly and so permitted him to bring his daughter into the prince’s own residence, eating and living alongside Consort Liu’s legitimate daughter.
Although Huo Qi repeatedly urged and exhorted her time and again, it was to no avail. Consort Liu remained as inflexible as ever- what kind of pedigree did her own daughter have, and what pedigree and status did Liu Hanjiang’s daughter also have?
She was but a wild, country girl and one without a mother to teach her at that. How could she bear to let the girl wrongly influence her own daughter?
It was initially just bitter complaints she held within her heart, but when that girl was granted more gifts and favour than her own daughter later on, Consort Liu’s heart became full of resentment. She allowed her spoiled and pampered daughter to bully and trample on the girl, and it led to tragedy at the end.
Liu Hanjiang’s daughter was pushed into a lotus pond within the residence in full view of numerous people and the resulting mayhem didn’t end until midnight when they were able to retrieve her body.
T/L/N: Yeah, don’t try to swim in a lotus pond. The roots dominate and entangle much of a pond shallower than seven feet. Fall in there, and it may be difficult to get back out….
The Sixth Prince was as infuriated as violent lightning and even personally apologized to Liu Hanjiang. But never again did the prince hear the man speak another word.
Without Liu Hanjiang’s support as his strategist, where else could he possibly find and place another strategist under his command to counter Han Shuanzi? As they would often say, disasters come with overwhelming strength and reluctance to go*- this aptly described the prince’s sound defeat.
T/L/N: 兵败如山- Translating as ‘disasters arrive like an avalanche and leave at a snail’s pace’.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s eyes held a sliver of sympathy for him; the Sixth Prince most surely died of anger at the end, didn’t he.
The Imperial Grandmother sitting above quietly laughed and gestured minutely with her hand, “What purpose is there to mention that? I’ve told all of you to come at a later time, yet you came so early to accompany this old lady.”
Besides the Sixth Prince Consort, the Third and Tenth Prince Consorts were also seated within the hall. When they saw her arrival, they both lightly bowed with a kind smile on their face.
Not long after Huo Qiu left, the Empress Dowager opened her mouth and asked as she slowly turned the Buddhist beads in her hand, “The Forth’s consort, I* have heard that you fell ill several days ago- have you recovered?”
T/L/N: 哀家- is the way a widowed empress refers to herself.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo lowered her gaze as she replied in an embarrassed manner, “This consort is grateful for Imperial Grandmother’s concern; all is well now.”
The Empress Dowager nodded her head with a sound of approval and observed Tang Zhuo Zhuo a while more.
Amongst all her grandchildren, she favoured Huo Qiu the most in her heart and thus held higher expectations for Tang Zhuo Zhuo as the Crown Princess.
But perhaps she had been spoiled by the Tang family, for she seemingly could not find the traits of one befitting a Crown Princess, let alone the demeanor of the future mother of a country.
Though upon thinking, she became at ease. The Tang family was composed mostly of men, so as the only daughter, was it surprising she was heavily doted on since young? Moreover, even before considering this, she had not expected Huo Qiu to personally go to the Qiongyuan Emperor and ask for her to be his Crown Princess.
But when she saw that rare joy on Huo Qiu’s countenance, she found she couldn’t be bothered to say anything about it.
For matters dealing with feelings and such, it is like water- only the one drinking it would know whether it was warm or cold. She need not get involved and possibly obstruct them as an old lady who had one foot in the grave already.
But in looking at her today, she felt as if this girl from the Tang family seemingly became another person; even the look in her eyes seemed sharper and brighter. She finally gained the look of a Crown Princess.
She was pleased to see such changes.
The Empress Dowager’s face remained neutral as she spoke, “All of you should head to the courtyard: admire the flowers and enjoy some tea. I have become a little fatigued and there is still the evening banquet to endure.”
Though she claimed fatigue, she just found the woman annoying in reality. Despite having so many living, breathing people seated in this cramped hall, none of them spoke more than a few words. No one who peered would conclude that the scene looked comfortable.
Tang Zhuo Zhuo’s heart wavered but still performed her obeisance and headed to the flower gardens along with the other consorts.
They had not even arrived yet when she saw the Guifei* banner approaching from a distance. When she saw the smile on Consort Liu’s face, her expression couldn’t help but turn cold.
T/L/N: 贵妃- Another consort title for a woman of the Emperor’s harem. Established during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (AD period) and is second only to the empress herself and the first out of the three sub-ranks. Guifei ranks much much higher than that of a Crown Princess.
They hadn’t even left Cining Palace for more than a few steps and they were already running into Yian Guifei approaching from behind. If it was said that this wasn’t a calculated move, who would believe it?
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