Summon for imperial favor?
Shen Shiqing propped her arm on the dragon throne’s armrest, looking down at a certain area beneath the cloud dragon robe.
That mass… that place… anyway, that particular spot—she had seen it despite not wanting to, touched it despite her reluctance. Every three or four days at dawn when she first woke, she could feel its vigorous rise, always having to wait quite a while for it to subside.
The Zhaode Emperor was tall and robust, and that particular part matched its owner—quite impressive when erect. Shen Shiqing could tolerate its occasional disturbances, but she truly didn’t want it to have any practical application.
Not that she could use it even if she wanted to!
Regarding the Zhaode Emperor’s harem, Shen Shiqing didn’t know much. She only knew the Empress’s surname was Lin, one of the designated crown princesses raised in the palace since childhood. The former crown prince had passed away at nineteen before his grand wedding. When the Zhaode Emperor was enfeoffed as crown prince at fifteen, he married Lin Shi that same year. Less than half a year after their marriage, the previous emperor died, the Zhaode Emperor ascended the throne, and Lin Shi became Empress. Since marrying the Zhaode Emperor, Lin Shi had remained quiet, serving the Empress Dowager deep within the palace, rarely speaking even during grand palace banquets.
In earlier years, when capital nobles discussed her, their expressions always carried peculiar nuances. The Lin family came from minor official backgrounds—only because the Empress Dowager favored Lin’s daughter was she summoned to be raised in the palace. Palace rumors once spread that the former crown prince treated Lin Shi extremely well, waiting only for her coming-of-age ceremony to marry her. Who could have imagined that before Lin Shi even reached adulthood, the crown prince passed away? While the crown prince’s body was still warm, Lin Shi turned and married his younger brother, giving a sense of “flowing imperial thrones, iron-clad empress seats.” Because this matter was rather peculiar, noblewomen occasionally made sarcastic remarks about “the Empress’s remarkable skills.”
Later, as the Zhaode Emperor’s authority grew daily and the Empress rarely appeared in public, these vinegar-laced comments gradually diminished.
Looking at the memorial before her, Shen Shiqing turned the matter over in her mind, feeling this was more troublesome than dealing with those poverty-pleading memorials from princes.
Recently, the eunuchs rarely mentioned harem matters in her presence, only indulging her with food, drink, and entertainment—clearly indicating the Zhaode Emperor’s usual indifference toward women.
But if she kept avoiding it, prolonged absence would make people suspect something was wrong with the Zhaode Emperor’s health, likely causing greater troubles. Better to handle it now.
Having settled her mind, Shen Shiqing drew a circle on the memorial and casually said: “Let’s go to the Empress’s place then.”
Seeing His Majesty in good spirits, Yi Ji immediately responded: “Would Your Majesty prefer to have evening meal served at Changchun Palace? You could converse more with Her Majesty.”
“Very well. Have that dish I just ordered San Mao to prepare sent directly to Changchun Palace.”
“As you command.”
Yi Ji hurried out of the hall to dispatch messengers to Changchun Palace, not forgetting to instruct the Imperial Food Bureau to prepare several of His Majesty’s favorite dishes—according to Dayong ancestral customs, emperors must eat meals delivered by the Guanglu Si to demonstrate sharing weal and woe with court officials, while concubines’ meals are prepared by female officials of the Imperial Food Bureau. Previously, when His Majesty stayed in the palace, he often visited the Empress partly for the chance to share her meals.
The junior eunuchs waiting outside Qianqing Palace received their orders and were about to leave when Yi Ji called them back:
“When delivering the message to Changchun Palace, tell them to be alert. His Majesty hasn’t visited the rear palace for so long—don’t let anything spoil his mood.”
After these instructions, Yi Ji finally let them go.
Because Gao Huaiming had previously incited the Emperor to trouble court officials, the Emperor ordered the cleansing of the inner court. In Qianqing Palace alone, over a dozen young eunuchs vanished overnight. Yi Ji looked around and saw many newly selected replacements.
Yi Ji called Two-Dog over and whispered, “Tonight while the Emperor is away, let’s go down with those cats and dogs to continue carrying Zhang Wan’s shoes.”
Zhang Wan was a chief eunuch trusted by the late Emperor. After the current Emperor ascended the throne, Zhang’s influence grew so much that even those serving in the Imperial Presence had to address him as “Grandfather,” carrying his shoes and spittoons. It was only after the Emperor overthrew Zhang Wan with thunderous force that people like them gained opportunities. Now that the grown Emperor would not tolerate another Zhang Wan in the palace, the Imperial Presence could not lack shrewd figures like Gao Huaiming waiting to rise. If their group of chickens, dogs, cats, and rats failed to manage the Imperial Presence properly, the Emperor would find killing them no more troublesome than eliminating a single Gao Huaiming.
The words were heavy. Two-Dog nodded in agreement.
Shen Shiqing reviewed memorials until the end of the Shen hour. When the lamps in Qianqing Palace were lit, she finally set the documents aside.
On the way to Changchun Palace, she grew more resolute in her decision: if Lin Shi was truly as timid and docile as rumored, she would coax her along; if she was shrewd, she would assign her tasks to keep her too busy to bother her.
With the Empress leading the rear palace, stabilizing her would make handling others easier.
The imperial procession arrived at Changchun Palace. Shen Shiqing descended from the Dragon Carriage and saw a woman in crimson waiting at the palace gate with her attendants to greet her.
“Your humble consort welcomes Your Majesty.”
Shen Shiqing took the opportunity to observe the Empress. She appeared to be in her twenties, wearing a brown hat adorned with assorted pearls and jade, beneath which was a jeweled headband. Her standing collar wide-sleeve jacket was made of crimson brocade satin, paired with a gold-threaded cloud and dragon pattern skirt, exuding extreme luxury.
When she straightened up, Shen Shiqing’s first impression was that the Empress was quite tall—not mannish, but two inches taller than Four-Rat, her crown reaching between the Zhaode Emperor’s lips and nose. Dressed in splendid embroidery, she had the elegance of orchids blooming before a courtyard.
Walking ahead as the “Zhaode Emperor,” Shen Shiqing let the Empress follow half a step behind. Palace maids and eunuchs knelt along the stone path as they passed, proceeding steadily into the hall.
In preparation for the Emperor’s meal, Changchun Palace was brilliantly lit. Upon entering the main hall, Shen Shiqing had just taken her seat when palace maids and female officials filed in to serve dishes, swiftly laying out over twenty varied courses on the table.
Empress Jiang Shi did not sit immediately. Instead, she removed two ruby rings from her fingers, washed her hands, and said to others in the hall:
“You may leave. I will serve His Majesty myself.”
For an Empress to personally serve the Emperor explained why she was praised for her deference.
Shen Shiqing nervously took a sip of tea.
Eunuchs and palace maids, including Yi Ji and San Mao, acknowledged and withdrew in unison. In moments, the vast main hall of Changchun Palace held only the Empress and her.
Shen Shiqing, seated and pondering how to maintain distance from the Empress, watched as the Empress approached and then pinched her ear.
Shen Shiqing: ?
The Empress who had just pinched the emperor’s ear casually poured a cup of wine for herself: “Alright, if the ministers won’t let you renovate the West Garden, we’ll find other ways to get money. Why have you been sulking for so long? You must have taken the opportunity to go play in the West Garden again, forgetting your elder sister here in the palace.”
Shen Shiqing stared blankly at the woman before her, unable to connect this person with the respectful and proper Empress from moments ago.
The sleeves of her crimson brocade satin lined jacket were rolled up, the gold-threaded dragon pattern skirt was hitched high – the legendary Lin Shi sat beside her in an even more extraordinary posture than the rumors suggested.
Unaware that the “emperor” beside her had been replaced, Lin Shi picked up a cabbage wrap filled with shrimp with her chopsticks and examined it carefully, smiling as she said:
“This dish is quite novel. That fat white cat you keep has finally grown some brains.”
Is… is this how an Empress behaves?
Struggling to maintain composure, Shen Shiqing picked up her chopsticks just as Lin Shi placed the cabbage wrap on the small plate before her.
“You’re such a pitiful emperor – nothing but greasy, heavily seasoned dishes and wild vegetables.”
Her tone sounded nothing like the Zhaode Emperor’s wife, but rather like his close confidante.
Shen Shiqing studied Lin Shi’s face – strikingly beautiful and dignified with clear bright eyes, a tall nose, and vermilion lips, carrying a rare straightforwardness seldom seen in women.
Fearing detection, Shen Shiqing dropped the imperial pretense and smiled: “Thank you…”
“Why are you thanking your elder sister?” Lin Shi patted “Zhao Su Rui’s” arm and pulled several banknotes from her sleeve. “Five thousand taels. My father sent them into the palace days ago. If you hadn’t come soon, I’d have had to pretend to bring you congee and pastries… This money came from my eldest brother trading mountain goods with the Jurchens in Liaodong. Besides the money, there’s also an excellent ginseng root my father didn’t bring in. Send Yi Ji to fetch it from my home when you have time.”
Her face showed clear distaste at the mention of delivering congee and pastries.
Shen Shiqing nearly choked on the jade shrimp roll she had made earlier, quickly taking the banknotes to store away:
“Alright.”
Lin Miaozhen glanced at Zhao Su Rui, mistaking his downcast eyes for continued despondency. After serving him two more portions of food, she said cheerfully: “Replicating foreign muskets takes time. When you produce better ones that won’t explode and injure soldiers on the battlefield, those ministers will stop harping about ancestral rules. Why the rush?”
Foreign muskets? So the Zhaode Emperor’s insistence on funding garden renovations was actually for replicating Western firearms?
Understanding the situation, Shen Shiqing pretended to remain sullen. After eating a few bites of meat from her bowl, she said:
“With the campaign against Moxi next year, I want those people to witness how my firearms will achieve great deeds.”
The childish remark made Lin Miaozhen laugh: “There will be opportunities. After Moxi comes the Wo people. Didn’t you say you wanted to achieve unprecedented accomplishments that would make Suqian’s spirit rejoice in heaven?”
As she spoke, Lin Miaozhen poured herself another cup of wine.
This was her sixth cup that evening.
In the shifting light of her eyes, Shen Shiqing glimpsed traces of loneliness and sorrow.
In that moment, everything became clear to Shen Shiqing.
So that’s how it is…
After dinner, Lin Shi, who didn’t seem much like an Empress, held “Zhao Su Rui” for another hour of conversation before letting him leave. Seeing her natural and casual tone, Shen Shiqing naturally understood that the Zhaode Emperor never spent nights in Changchun Palace.
Because the one living in Changchun Palace wasn’t his wife.
Sitting in the Dragon Carriage and glancing at the starry sky, Shen Shiqing turned her head to see someone at the entrance of Changchun Palace carrying a lantern as they turned back inside. That person seemed somewhat drunk, their steps slightly unsteady.
In a daze, she seemed to see the Shen Shiqing from Ning’an Lord Manor – reading, practicing calligraphy, mixing colors, painting.
Women in this world may appear talented and brilliant, seemingly arrogant and unrestrained, yet in reality they possess nothing. Extraordinary talent cannot earn them official titles, wild freedom cannot grant them sword-bearing adventures, and the intelligence praised by others is merely flowers blooming in the clouds. In the end, they only have their own not-so-strong frames, lives with nothing to rely on. All these must be gambled away completely to exchange for just a little “getting what one wishes for.” It’s like walking barefoot through a wilderness full of thorns, using one’s own blood to mark a path. Such a path is destined to be silent, unable to be told to this world.
Just like how Lin Shi wove an enormous lie to have this nominal marriage with the Zhaode Emperor. Others who learn of it would only call her mad and arrogant. Who would consider that perhaps she only wanted to exchange it for a quiet palace chamber where she could drink wine and remember the young crown prince who once pledged his life to her?
Then what about her? Shen Shiqing, isolated and struggling for seven years – what has she gained in exchange?
Her fingers slowly rubbed together as if holding a stone pestle crushing something. Shen Shiqing lowered her eyes.
Firearms… gunpowder… So this is what the Zhaode Emperor wants to develop.
“Yi Ji.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Tell me, if I can find recipes in ancient books, could there be others who might discover methods for refining gunpowder from ancient texts?”
Yi Ji jogged alongside the Dragon Carriage, smiling as he said: “There are countless talented and extraordinary people under heaven. This servant thinks there might indeed be such people.”
Shen Shiqing rubbed her fingers together and continued asking: “How should one find such people?”
After speaking, she laughed first.
She thought of the Emperor currently playing “Shen Shiqing” at the estate outside the city. She had already discovered some of His Majesty’s hidden secrets – she wondered if the Emperor had realized that what he had been seeking had already come before him?
“Achoo!” At the estate, Zhao Su Rui, curled up like a shrimp on the bed suffering from menstrual discomfort, sneezed drowsily.
Opening his eyes, he clicked his tongue with some regret.
He had just dreamed that Shen San Fei was using his body to flirt with Lin Jie Jie, only to get pinned to the ground and beaten by her. He hadn’t even had time to cheer before the dream ended.