Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace (Arc1 Chp10 Pt2)
Chapter 10: Consort Zhe [1]哲 (zhé) means wise/sagacious and is the same character associated with philosophy/philosophers. (Part 2)
Translator: Tygris, [redacted]
TLC: [redacted]
English proofreader: 247Reader
After a long time, Ruyi, leaning against the Emperor, said, almost soundlessly, “When this concubine first married the Emperor, [this concubine’s] heart was actually full of waves, not knowing to what kind of man [this concubine] had entrusted her entire life. But in the days after the marriage, the Emperor was considerate and caring, and this concubine was unspeakably grateful. Now that the Emperor is carrying a heavy responsibility. Despite [his] care for the emotions of those in the harem, [the Emperor] is forbearing and puts the country first. This concubine admires [the Emperor] very much.”
The Emperor’s voice rang deeply in her ears. “What Zhen endures is the affection between man and woman, but only temporarily. And you also need to be like Zhen. If there is any suffering, you have to first endure. Zhen knows that since you have entered the palace, your days have not been easy. But no matter how difficult, you must consider Zhen, and tolerate and endure what you must. Zhen has just ascended the throne, and the situation is complex. As part of the Imperial harem, you should not put Zhen into a difficult situation.”
Ruyi’s pupils widened for a moment — she opened her eyes wide and asked, “Did the Emperor hear something?”
The Emperor said, “Zhen is the Emperor. Sounds from all directions enter these ears. But what enters the ears may not enter the heart. Zhen knows, however, that residing in this Yan’xi Palace is wronging you. Titling you with only the rank of a Consort is also wronging you.”
Ruyi replied, “Yan’xi Palace is next to the Cang’zhen Gate, which is the sole gate that the palace maids and eunuchs can use to enter and exit the harem. There are many and varied personnel entering and exiting, and it is difficult to secure the surroundings. Naturally, this is not ideal. But where in the palace are there not people? This concubine will just treat this as an exercise in finding peace amidst the noise. And with regards to rank, having heard these words from the Emperor, this concubine does not feel wronged.”
The Emperor gently loosened his grip on her. “Hearing these words, Zhen knows that [Zhen] did not advise wrongly.” He paused and gave an order towards the outside. “Wang Qin, bring it in.”
Wang Qin made a sound of acknowledgment from outside and led in two young eunuchs who were holding a piece of calligraphy. With a face full of smiles, he greeted Ruyi with a qianer bow. “Paying respects to Consort Xian.”
Ruyi nodded with a smile. “You may rise.”
Wang Qin acknowledged the command and ordered the young eunuchs to display the calligraphy. There were four big characters: Shen Zan Hui Yin (慎赞徽音). [2]The first character 慎 (shèn) means ‘to be cautious’. The second character 赞 (zàn) in this context likely means ‘to welcome’ or ‘to invite’. The last two characters 徽音 (huī yīn) approximately mean ‘model of good reputation’ or ‘excellent fame’. See the next footnote for more information. Together, these words should mean something along the lines of ‘Only by being cautious can one develop a good reputation’.
The Emperor smiled. “This was personally written by Zhen for you. What do you think?”
Ruyi’s heart warmed, and she bent her body into a curtsy. “This concubine thanks the Emperor.”
The Emperor quickly moved to lift her up, and spoke gently, “In the Book of Songs, [3]See: Classic of Poetry – Wikipedia there is the sentence ‘Da-si inherited her excellent fame, and from her came a hundred sons’. [4]Picked up the translation of 大姒嗣徽音，则百斯男 from https://ctext.org/book-of-poetry/si-zhai/ens. The reason this matters here is because this phrase is where the Emperor picked up the phrase 徽音, which appears in the 4 characters that he just bestowed Ruyi. Hui Yin (徽音) refers to a excellent reputation. This ‘Shen’ character is to tell you that only when one is cautious, can one earn an excellent reputation. With the many days to come living in the palace, Zhen will first bestow these four characters upon you.”
Ruyi understood the profound meaning hidden in the Emperor’s words. She gave a deep sigh. “Then this concubine will order the people of the Imperial Household Department to craft the Emperor’s calligraphy into a plaque and hang it in the main hall of Yan’xi Palace. Is that permissible?”
The Emperor held her by the shoulders. “You and Zhen understand each other’s intentions. This is ideal.”
In the following days, the Emperor rested at each person’s palace in the order of their ranks. This was truly the definition of ‘rain and dew scattered evenly’. After that, the Emperor flipped the cards based on his personal feelings. A careful count would reveal that the days that Noble Consort Hui and Concubine Jia spent serving in Yang’xin Hall numbered the highest. In addition to the first and fifteenth of each month, [5]朔望 (shuò wàng) is the combination of two characters. The first character 朔 (shuò) refers to the time when the moon is between the earth and the sun, i.e. when the earth/moon/sun form a straight line. This is a new moon. 望 (wàng) is when the earth is between the moon and the sun, i.e. when the moon/earth/sun form a straight line. This is a full moon. When translated to the lunisolar calendar that was used in Ancient China, this would be the first and fifthteenth of each month. the Emperor also enjoyed visiting the Empress’s Palace to casually chat [about various matters]. Ruyi no longer enjoyed the same favor as she had in qiandi. She became more quiet and still, like Concubine Chun, Noble Lady Yi, and Hailan.
After several intermittent bouts of snow, the Forbidden City had entered winter. The Imperial Household Department, busied with the various matters of the various palaces, gradually worsened its treatment of Yan’xi Palace.
One day, after noon, Ruyi was sitting with Hailan and drawing flower outlines when she heard A’Ruo enter and say, “The Imperial Household Department is gaining the skill of looking at one’s face and has become ever more bullying. The plumbago [6]See: Plumbago – Wikipedia. Here is also a link to an NIH article exploring the Traditional Chinese Medicine value of plumbago: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39851111/ – Take a read through the Abstract. and sea vine [7]See https://www.okayherb.com/efficacy-function-and-use-of-sea-breeze-vine.html for an overview of the medicinal properties of sea breeze vine. that Empress Niangniang rewarded the harem with has been made into scented sachets; the reason being that the Imperial Palace is damp and that wearing these sachets is beneficial for removing dampness, improving circulation, and reducing pain. Yet, when this servant opened [the sachet] to take a look, what was stuffed inside was plumbago powder of an inferior quality. [This servant] wanted to go ask for a replacement from the Imperial Household Department, but they said this was what the Imperial Medical Bureau had sent over, and that there was nothing better. This servant wonders if they would dare offer this type of item to Noble Consort Hui? Even the sachet itself is loose and crooked, and the stitches do not even look like stitches…”
As Hailan stilled her hand, her face contained a trace of melancholy. “If even Elder Sister’s is like this, then there is no need to mention mine.”
Ruyi raised her head to look at A’Ruo. “Even if it is an inferior product, it is better than having nothing. Quickly put it away.”
Hailan agreed. “That is true. Outside, it seems as though it will snow soon. [We] should save [our] efforts. How about this: A’Ruo, you send all these sachets to my residence first. I will repair the stitches for Elder Sister to prevent [the sachets] from falling apart during use.”
Ruyi said, “It is enough to teach them to do these trivial tasks. There is no need for you to tire yourself.”
Hailan calmly smiled. “Elder Sister has forgotten. I am already idle, and am best at these tasks. Just hand it over to me to help pass the time.”
On this day, snowflakes fell ceaselessly for the entire morning. Wang Qin, the high-ranking eunuch next to the Emperor, personally made a trip. Wang Qin had originally been the lead eunuch responsible for passing on the Emperor’s messages during the late Emperor’s reign. Because, back when the current Emperor was still a prince, [Wang Qin] had served diligently and was very capable, when the current Emperor ascended the throne, he kept Wang Qin by his side as the Deputy Chief Eunuch of Yang’xin Hall. Because the position of the Chief Eunuch remained unfilled and he also personally and closely served the Emperor, everyone in the palace, including the Empress, treated him with great courtesy.
When Wang Qin entered, the Empress was wearing dressed in a lotus-root pink satin jacket [8]袷衣 (jiá yī) is a jacket with a lining. embroidered with peony and round longevity characters [9]团寿 (tuán shòu) is a font/design based off of the character 寿 (shòu), which has meanings of longevity. See the round patterns on this photo of Empress Dowager Cixi. covered by a small sable-trimmed [10]Fur from Sable – Wikipedia light-blue brocade vest stitched with golden threads and covered by jade-green bamboo patterns. She was holding a hand warmer decorated with famille rose [11]珐琅 (fà láng) is Famille rose – Wikipedia flowers and birds while watching Suxin and Lianxin snapping pieces of wintersweet [12]Chimonanthus praecox – Wikipedia to fill the vases.
Wang Qin, upon seeing the Empress, hurried to respectfully perform a greeting, saying, “This servant, Wang Qin, has come to pay respects to Empress Niangniang.”
The Empress smiled. “Snow has just fallen outside, and the ground is slippery. Why did the Emperor send you here? Is there some urgent matter?” As she said this, she ordered Lianxin to bring up tea and to grant [Wang Qin] a seat.
Wang Qin respectfully thanked [the Empress for her] grace. “Thanking Empress Niangniang for the rewards. But this servant does not dare to go beyond one’s station. After passing on the message, this servant still needs to take care of other tasks.”
He continued, “The Emperor has ordered: tomorrow is the fifteenth, and he will have dinner at Niangniang’s Chang’chun Palace and will also stay the night. May Niangniang prepare to receive the Emperor.”
There was a trace of happiness between the Empress’s brows, but her face remained calm. “Understood. At night, the frost and snow will make the ground slippery. You go remind the little eunuchs responsible for carrying the sedan to pay attention to their feet. And also, remember to light an extra few lanterns to illuminate the Emperor’s path.”
Wang Qin hurriedly responded, “May Niangniang be at ease. This servant would not dare be other than conscientious.”
The Empress gave a slight nod of her head, then raised her face and said only one sentence: “Reward [him].”
Lianxin then immediately took out ten taels of silver from the drawer and quietly placed them into Wang Qin’s palm.
