A faint scent drifted through the ornate chamber as a wisp of osmanthus grazed Jiang Kui’s nose.
She blinked. “What secret?”
Consort Tong glanced around to ensure no one else was present before whispering, “Despite being Crown Prince, Xie Wuyang cannot inherit the throne.”
Jiang Kui was taken aback. “Why not?”
“Shh, quiet.” Consort Tong held a finger to her lips. “Though a secret, rumors have already quietly spread through the palace – it’s said the Prince suffers from a chronic illness and at most won’t live past his coming-of-age ceremony.”
“While this rumor’s truth remains uncertain, these years His Majesty has named him Heir Apparent yet also intends to prop up Prince Qi’s faction. Most senior officials support Prince Qi. If the Crown Prince really dies prematurely from illness, the next Heir Apparent would likely be Prince Qi.”
Jiang Kui tilted her head. So she’d marry a husband fated to die young?
Consort Tong went on, “But in recent years, Prince Qi’s faction has grown too powerful, subtly threatening imperial authority. Thus it seems His Majesty also intends to bolster the Crown Prince’s faction to counterbalance it.”
“Princess Dowager Pei’s faction, aligned with Noble Consort Xian, has opposed me for years. With your engagement to the Crown Prince, the Emperor has backed my family to reinforce the Crown Prince’s party, making us the vanguard against Prince Qi.”
“The two sides competing checks each other, balancing court politics. This allows the Emperor to profit.”
“That said,” she idly twirled a lock of hair, “for the Heir Apparent to succeed to the throne is not impossible.”
Jiang Kui questioned doubtfully, “But doesn’t Xie Wuyang’s illness mean he won’t make it to his adulthood rites?”
“If he can’t make adulthood, then he can ascend earlier.” Consort Tong smiled gently, “Xie Wuyang as Emperor and you’ll be honored mother of all under heaven.”
Jiang Kui said, “But the Emperor currently has robust health. No possibility of a new monarch in the coming years, right?”
Consort Tong stroked her hair and intimately whispered, “Robust people can still fall ill.”
Her voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible, yet Jiang Kui sharply inhaled.
Consort Tong tucked back a loose strand of her hair behind the ear, gazing thoughtfully at her face. “Such a beauty, no wonder when Xie Wuyang came to pay respects today he specially remarked favorably toward you. He must fear his grandmother the witch would mistreat you. No warmth in an imperial clan yet for you he seems to harbor sincere feelings.”
Xie Wuyang spoke up for her?
Jiang Kui recalled their fleeting brush past on the marble steps that dawn.
Seeing her expression, Consort Tong sternly warned at once, “Don’t ever believe there aren’t ulterior motives behind this.”
She patted Jiang Kui’s head. “We women of the deep harem must never fall into emotional entanglements.”
“In short, once you’ve married into the Eastern Palace, you must make your husband utterly devoted to only you.”
“I hear the Crown Prince dislikes politics and doesn’t attend Imperial Academy lectures, just staying cooped inside the palace every day. You must regularly whip him into shape, constantly urging him to study so he looks somewhat like a fitting Heir Apparent.”
She smiled. “Everything else, leave to your sister.”
The faint scent drifted lightly on the air, extravagant and alluring.
Consort Tong slowly detailed to Jiang Kui the complex relationships within the palace and intricate court politics, talking until late when the hall lights had all dimmed.
Listening to her sister-in-law’s advice, Jiang Kui grew increasingly astonished. Having long wandered the martial world without heeding politics, a single marriage contract now swept her into this perilous vortex of power. Only now did she gradually realize her ever gentle, beautiful sister-in-law had weathered such alarming, thrilling courtly intrigues and power struggles throughout her ascent to her present position.
“The Grand Dowager’s punishment is due to implicating you.” Consort Tong sighed, “Everyone knows Noble Consort Xian and I have fought covertly for years, but they don’t know that she isn’t even worth my fear. The real threat comes from her backer – Princess Dowager Pei and the entire Pei clan.”
“The witch punishing you today was meant to warn me. Having Lady Song attend you under guise of etiquette lessons is just an excuse to plant someone in my Jadeite Palace.”
She gently stroked Jiang Kui’s hair, full of distress. “Dripping wet from falling into the lake last time and now made to kneel – have you been mistreated?”
Jiang Kui shook her head and suddenly recalled, “Has the palace investigated the lake accident?”
“No real leads. I suspect the incident relates to your engagement to obstruct my family from reinforcing the Crown Prince. Those harboring such intentions are far too many, with clues leading nowhere – how to possibly investigate further?”
Consort Tong shook her head lightly. “The so-called truth revealed and mysteries solved may sound nice but does it really ever happen so easily? Many matters in this world remain obscure, perhaps the day when all comes to light may never arrive…you’ll need to become accustomed.”
She switched topics, “Starting tomorrow, attending the Princess is my scheme.”
“What does my sister-in-law want me to do?” Jiang Kui remembered the birth mother of Princess Xie Heng, Noble Consort Xian, had never gotten along with her own sister-in-law.
“What to do?” Consort Tong laughed, eyes curving charmingly. “Just befriend the Princess.”
The next clear dawn, Jiang Kui changed into scholar’s clothes as Lady Song escorted her to the Imperial Academy under the Princess’s service. The Academy, located west of the palace, held 200,000 scrolls and gathered famous scholars, though only a few dozen students from the imperial clan and top officials were admitted. By rule, the Crown Prince attended the Academy while also overseeing its administration. But in reality, Xie Wuyang was often sickly cooped inside the Eastern Palace instead.
Looking through the Academy’s solemn black gates, one could see in the main hall, centered beneath the image of Confucius sat statues of Yan Hui and other disciples, while the soaring walls were vividly painted with portraits of the 72 disciples and 22 sages, radiant and majestic.
Jiang Kui stepped forward only for Lady Song to loudly clear her throat. “Ahem!”
Jiang Kui: “?”
Lady Song chided, “Raising your foot too high.”
Jiang Kui lowered her instep, about to cross the threshold when Lady Song loudly cleared her throat again.
Jiang Kui was speechless.
Lady Song criticized, “Your stride is too big.”
Jiang Kui felt this was revenge for yesterday’s manhandling at Jadeite Palace.
After a long impasse, Jiang Kui slowly said, “Does Lady Steward intend to delay us from attending lecture here?”
The solemn-faced court lady fell silent then finally allowed her through.
Past the main hall and into a long gallery was a brightly lit study.
Entering, Jiang Kui found the girl leaning her cheek at the window look over.
Dressed in crisp, clean robes with folded collar revealing an elaborate necklace paired with coral earrings accentuating her spirited beauty, Princess Xie Heng had been staring listlessly outside when she suddenly saw Jiang Kui and delightedly ran over to grab her hand. “You must be General Zhang’s youngest daughter! So cute, no wonder Xie Wuyang is always bragging his liking for you! You’ll marry in next month so can’t I call you imperial sister already?”
Before Jiang Kui could answer, she added, “I’m a day older than Xie Wuyang so he should call me imperial sister. After you marry him, just call me sister like him, alright?”
So Jiang Kui greeted her, “Good morning, imperial sister.”
Princess Xie smiled radiantly. “So well-behaved!”
She pulled Jiang Kui to sit facing each other atop cushions and divided up her writing supplies to share. “Imperial sister-in-law, I don’t have many friends in the palace. Play with me from now on, okay?”
As Noble Consort Tang had indicated, although Princess Xie Heng was the daughter of Noble Consort Xian, she wasn’t doted on and didn’t have good relations with either her mother or elder brother Prince Qi, instead closer to her other brothers. Consort Tang hoped Jiang Kui could befriend the Princess as another ally.
So Jiang Kui answered obediently. “As you wish, sister.”
Princess Xie stroked her hair, very satisfied. “Sister will look after you in the palace.”
“Sister,” Jiang Kui snuggled against her coquettishly, putting on a pitiful demeanor as she pleaded softly, “then can you help me with something?”
With upturned face full of distress and entreaty shining in her bright eyes, Princess Xie’s heart instantly melted seeing the sweet, pitiable beautiful sight.
She generously granted the request before following Jiang Kui’s subtle glance toward Lady Steward monitoring them from the back. Realizing at once, she mouthed “Watch me.”
She loudly slapped the table, shaking all the books and scrolls. “Lady Steward Song!”
Having no choice, Lady Song respectfully stepped forward to curtsy. “Princess, how may I be of service?”
“The Crown Princess-to-be and I are here to study. What business does a petty Rank Six court lady like you have here?” Princess Xie imperiously demanded, slapping the desk. “Leave! Without my order, do not appear before me again – otherwise the Etiquette Bureau shall have no more need of you!”
Forced to swallow her ire at “petty Rank Six court lady” twice, Lady Song had no grounds to retort the Princess’s decree. She could only silently withdraw from the study.
Jiang Kui instantly felt carefree and happy for the first time, appreciating how nice it felt to “throw weight around” – the Princess would surely prove a worthwhile friend.
“I’ve helped you, so you’ll agree to something for me too, right?” Princess Xie sneakily sidled closer.
“What is it?”
“When the tutor comes for lecture,” Princess Xie pointed at the door, “pretend you don’t know the answer no matter what questions she asks. We can play dumb together to make me look cleverer by comparison! Okay?”
Jiang Kui consented, “Okay.”
Right on time, Tutor Yu in her celadon official robes entered clutching a book. Tapping her disciplinary ruler on the desk, an aloof female voice intoned, “Does the Princess plan some new mischief today too?”
In a flash, Princess Xie’s arrogance completely vanished. She sat ramrod straight with textbook before her, hands flattened, tense and respectful. “This student wouldn’t dare.”
The two students settled down for their teacher to distribute the day’s materials.
Glancing over a few pages, Jiang Kui was slightly shocked.
The private tutoring at home barely covered the Xiaojing, Lunyu, occasionally some Zhouli and Yili – texts she never enjoyed, usually just reading the military strategies in the study instead.
Yet the tutor taught none of those classics, or rather, the Princess had already mastered them. That whole stack of materials were old provincial examination policy proposals on governance. This showed the extent of the Emperor’s doting love on his sole daughter that her education matched the princes without any favoritism.
While the tutor lectured above, Princess Xie concentratively wrote a few characters before secretly slipping a note to Jiang Kui.
“Imperial sister-in-law, you haven’t been to the Eastern Palace yet, right? I’ll sneak you out of lecture later to visit Xie Wuyang.”
Jiang Kui blinked at the note then glanced aside to see Princess Xie flashing a sly grin.
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