A Quiet Homecoming

Even as Eunuch De privately lamented His Majesty's missed opportunity with the fair lady, he noticed that after that single sigh, Xiao Mingting calmly returned the painting to its hidden compartment. Then, as if nothing had happened, he settled back at his desk and immersed himself in reviewing memorials, showing no signs of pursuing the matter further.

Seeing this, Eunuch De quickly stepped forward, bowed, and began grinding ink, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. After all, the newly crowned top scholar, Shen Yunxiu, was someone His Majesty greatly favored as a future pillar of the state. It would be a grave loss if a mere woman were to sow discord between them.

The next day, since he was not on duty, Eunuch De was resting in his quarters when a messenger from the Empress Dowager summoned him. Hastily rising from his couch, he racked his brain on the way to Shou'an Palace, wondering what urgent matter had prompted the summons. After all, since His Majesty ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager had largely remained in her palace, devoted to Buddhist practice, and rarely concerned herself with court or harem affairs.

*

Inside Shou'an Palace, the Empress Dowager sat on a high seat, a string of prayer beads in her hand, her fingers gently rolling the beads. Her gaze rested on Eunuch De, who knelt before her, and she lifted a hand slightly to bid him rise.

“I called you here for no particular reason, but I’ve heard recently that the Emperor has taken an interest in a woman. Do you know whose household she belongs to, Eunuch De?”

Her tone was casual, but to Eunuch De, it was like a thunderclap in a clear sky.

“This…” He felt his scalp prickle, and a thin sheen of sweat began to form on his back. He dared not speculate how the Empress Dowager had learned of the happenings in the Imperial Study so quickly. Though His Majesty hadn’t explicitly sworn anyone to secrecy, Eunuch De recalled that there had been quite a few eunuchs and maids in attendance, making it impossible to pinpoint which one might be the Empress Dowager’s spy.

“What? Did the Emperor order that this not be spoken of, not even to me?” The Empress Dowager paused her bead-rolling, her voice cool.

Eunuch De’s heart clenched, and he hurriedly bowed in reply, “Your Majesty, please be clear. This matter may be a misunderstanding. His Majesty did indeed inquire about a woman, but she is the wife of the newly appointed top scholar.”

He knew that since the Empress Dowager had broached the subject herself, she must have already investigated Xie Chenyao’s identity, so further concealment was pointless.

“Is that so?” The Empress Dowager had only heard this casually and didn’t actually know much about the woman’s specific identity. She frowned slightly at his words.

This made things rather difficult.

She had long wished to mend relations with the Emperor. In the early years, the late emperor had been frail, and she had been unable to bear him a child. Later, several children from the imperial clan were selected to be raised in the palace, and the current emperor, Xiao Mingting, had been chosen in that manner. However, the late emperor’s methods had been harsh, raising the children as if they were fighting cocks. The young princes had vied for the throne through constant schemes and intrigues.

Xiao Mingting, however, had been sullen since childhood, never favored by the late emperor, and thus largely neglected in the palace, enduring countless trials to survive. Though she was the empress, none of them were her biological sons, and she had favored another prince who had shown early promise. In general, she had never paid them much attention.

Later, Xiao Mingting’s rise to the throne was hardly honorable—he had killed his brothers and driven the ailing late emperor to an early grave with rage. Consequently, the bond between her and the new emperor was very thin.

She had thought that if she could choose a suitable companion for him, it might gradually ease their relationship. But over the years, Xiao Mingting had shown no interest in women, devoting himself entirely to governing the realm.

Regardless of her inward thoughts, the Empress Dowager’s expression remained serene, and she simply asked a few polite questions about Xiao Mingting’s health.

Finally, she said coolly to Eunuch De, “There’s no need to trouble the Emperor with such trivial matters.” With a wave of her hand, she signaled that she was tired and he could take his leave.

“Cuiwei, I think the weather has been fine lately, and the peonies in the Imperial Garden must be in full bloom,” the Empress Dowager said, turning to look at the sunlight streaming through the window lattice, her tone casual. “I was thinking of inviting some ladies from the noble families to the palace to enjoy the flowers and chat, so the palace won’t feel so desolate.”

Aunt Cuiwei gently massaged the Empress Dowager’s shoulders and replied with a smile, “Your Majesty speaks truly. Once those lively, pretty young ladies arrive, the palace is sure to bustle with life.”

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly. “Then have Dangui arrange it.”

“Yes,” Aunt Cuiwei acknowledged.

“And also, invite the new top scholar’s wife as well.” The Empress Dowager’s fingers continued to roll her prayer beads, as if adding the last remark offhandedly. “I hear she is beautiful, a perfect match for the top scholar. It would be good for me to see her for myself.” Even if this girl wasn’t the one, it would still be wise to know what kind of woman the Emperor fancied.

Aunt Cuiwei smiled and bowed, “Rest assured, Your Majesty, I understand.”

*

So when Chen Yao heard that the Empress Dowager was hosting a flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden and had specifically invited her, she was completely taken aback.

“This invitation is for me?” She blinked, a note of uncertainty in her voice.

“It is for you,” Dou Kou, who stood beside her, nodded in confirmation. “A palace lady-in-waiting delivered it to the mansion personally.”