The next day was Dan Qing’s birthday. Early in the morning, He Miao pulled her up and gave her a thorough grooming, dressing her in bright red clothes she’d never worn before, with a large red silk flower pinned in her hair, it didn’t quite look like a birthday peach, but rather like a big, round, glowing red apple.
“Quick, birthday girl, come here,”
After Dan Qing had paid her morning respects, the Grand Empress Dowager called her over. “Come see if you like the birthday gift I’ve prepared for you.”
Dan Qing craned her neck to look at the table, and was instantly stunned.
She’d expected a birthday gift to be something to eat or play with, or maybe some silk flower or piece of jewelry, but instead the Grand Empress Dowager had given her an entire box full of gold ingots.
Now this was something real, utterly delightful!
Dan Qing’s eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around the Grand Empress Dowager’s neck and planted a loud smack of a kiss on her cheek, her voice ringing out. “Thank you, old ancestress! I love it, I love it so much!”
The Grand Empress Dowager’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “Oh, you little money-grubber, do you even know how to use gold, being this happy about it?”
It was no wonder the Grand Empress Dowager found this puzzling, how could princes and princesses raised in the palace possibly understand the value of gold and silver?
Even the Eldest Princess by her side, twelve years old now, only knew that gold and silver could be given away as rewards, if you actually asked her to go out and use it to buy something, she probably wouldn’t even be able to work out the accounting.
“Of course I know! I’ve seen them handing out the monthly allowances at Yikun Palace, the palace maids said that with their pay, they can buy grain for their families, and also save up to help their little brothers get married someday,”
There was a note of innocence in Dan Qing’s words. “Old ancestress, why does the money the palace maids earn have to go toward their brothers’ weddings? Can’t the brothers earn their own money?”
She’d been holding this question in for a long while, and simply used this chance to get it off her chest.
Back in her own time, she’d never understood why some parents exploited their daughters, saving everything for their sons instead. And having come to this world, she still couldn’t understand why Noble Lady Guo so disliked her own daughter, caring only about the unborn child in her belly.
They were both her own flesh and blood, weren’t they? Even if she preferred sons, that shouldn’t have to come at the expense of loving her daughter too, should it?
Was human love really so limited that it wasn’t even enough to go around among one’s own children, that favoring one meant shortchanging the other?
The Grand Empress Dowager saw the resentment in Dan Qing’s heart, and stroked her hair, saying, “It’s because once a woman marries, she must devote herself wholeheartedly to her husband’s family, while it’s the sons who carry on the family line and support the parents in their old age, so it’s only natural for parents to favor them somewhat.”
Dan Qing didn’t find this the least bit natural, but she didn’t dare argue against the Grand Empress Dowager’s words, because she knew this was simply reality here.
In this era ruled by men, discrimination and oppression against women could only be worse, even a woman as honored as the Grand Empress Dowager herself was still confined to this small patch of ground, wasn’t she?
“Garu, ah, though a daughter is raised by her parents, most of her life is destined to be spent serving her husband’s household, what matters more is finding a good match, marrying into a fine family,”
The Grand Empress Dowager said gently. “You think parents are biased toward their sons, but the truth is, whatever property is left to the son also has to support his wife and future descendants, while a daughter, once married, should naturally be provided for by her husband and his family, that’s how the balance of heaven’s principle works out in the end.”
Dan Qing shook her head. “But if the parents gave the daughter something good too, then she wouldn’t have to depend on her husband and his family to survive, wouldn’t that make her even freer and happier?”
“How could a person only think about being free and happy all the time?”
The Grand Empress Dowager laughed. “For common folk living their lives, what they seek above all is stability, and it’s when the husband’s family gives their wealth to the daughter-in-law that a household’s footing stays more secure.”
Dan Qing felt somewhat disappointed.
She had thought the worldly, insightful Grand Empress Dowager would think differently from conventional wisdom, but in the end, the times had their limits, and even the Grand Empress Dowager was, after all, an ordinary person of her era.
“Then what about me? Once I marry in the future, will the old ancestress stop looking after me too?”
Dan Qing couldn’t help but ask.
Before the Grand Empress Dowager could answer, Kangxi’s voice came from outside. “What’s this about marrying? You’re barely old enough, and already thinking about getting married?”
Dan Qing stood up to greet Kangxi, and Kangxi swept her up and bounced her a little, saying with amusement, “I could hear you talking about brides and marriage clear from outside. What, turning one year older and already picking up worries?”
Yinreng, standing on tiptoe, slipped a pair of small jade bracelets onto Dan Qing’s wrist as he spoke. “How old is Garu even? Han Ama, aren’t you overthinking this?”
Dan Qing lifted her hand to look at the bracelets, a pale purple, made of thin round jade, and they gave a light jingling chime whenever she moved.
“These are called jingle bracelets. I found them especially as your birthday gift. Jade is said to keep one safe, and I hope Garu will always stay safe and healthy.”
Yinreng said with a smile.
Dan Qing said softly, “Thank you, second brother,” then reached her hand out toward Kangxi. “Han Ama, where’s my birthday gift?”
Kangxi deliberately played dumb. “Didn’t We already issue the decree about your family stipend a few days ago? Isn’t such a grand birthday gift enough?”
Dan Qing’s eyes went wide with disbelief. “Han Ama, did you give all your silver to your consorts already? Are you trying to shirk giving me a birthday gift?”
Kangxi mimicked her wide-eyed expression right back at her. “That’s right, We gave all Our silver to your Imperial Noble Consort. What are We to do, We can’t come up with a single birthday gift for Dan Qing!”
Dan Qing blinked and pondered for a moment, then reached out, grabbed one of the gold ingots the Grand Empress Dowager had given her, and pressed it solemnly into Kangxi’s hand. “Then I’ll give you gold to support you, Han Ama!”
Cining Palace instantly erupted in laughter.
Delighted beyond measure by his daughter’s antics, Kangxi decided not to tease her any further, saying, “How could We possibly spend Dan Qing’s money, put it away quickly, and save it for your dowry later. Liang Jiugong—”
Liang Jiugong stepped forward at once and opened the box in his hands.
Inside the box was also a glittering pile of gold, though this time not gold ingots, but gold plum-blossom cakes.
Dan Qing asked in confusion, “Why did both the old ancestress and Han Ama give me gold?”
Were gifts in the imperial palace always this straightforward?
Gold was certainly very nice, but something about it still felt a little strange to her.
Kangxi and the Grand Empress Dowager exchanged a glance, and both of them laughed.
What other reason could there be, they both simply felt that Dan Qing had suffered enough hardship before, and surely didn’t have much money of her own on hand.
Things like clothes and jewelry were only minor items, after all, she could already have as many as she wanted on any ordinary day, no need to save them specifically for a birthday. But gold was the truly practical thing, letting her keep something substantial tucked away for a rainy day, giving her a bit more security.
Of course, all of this was a matter for another time, today was Dan Qing’s birthday, and the only thing that mattered was making sure she had a good time.
The dinner table at Cining Palace today was laid entirely with Dan Qing’s favorite dishes. The Grand Empress Dowager, who normally didn’t care for fish, even broke with habit and took the first bite herself, for good luck.
Kangxi’s tastes ran light, and he wasn’t especially fond of the rich, heavily sauced dishes Dan Qing loved, so he mostly picked at the smaller side dishes as he drank, having a few extra cups of wine, while Yinreng, who loved this kind of food, ate half a bowl more rice than usual.
Once the meal was finished and the table cleared, the Grand Empress Dowager said she was tired and wanted to rest, telling Kangxi to take Yinreng and head back first, and telling Dan Qing to go back to Yikun Palace to see Noble Lady Guo as well.
A child’s birthday was the mother’s day of suffering, Dan Qing ought to go back and see her.
In fact, Dan Qing had no real wish to go back. Just the thought that there wasn’t even a room left for her anymore in the rear hall of Yikun Palace filled her with resistance.
What was there for her to go back for?
She’d only make herself unwelcome.
Kangxi could see Dan Qing’s reluctance, so once they left Cining Palace, he first told Yinreng to go back on his own to study, then asked Dan Qing whether she’d like to go with him to Jingren Palace to see Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya instead.
“Your Imperial Noble Consort is especially fond of little princesses. It’s only that she’s pregnant now and her body is too heavy for her to come out, or she’d surely want to come with Us to celebrate your birthday,”
Kangxi coaxed Dan Qing. “Why don’t you go see her, and tell her you’ll come often to keep the little sister company in the future?”
Dan Qing froze for a moment, puzzled. “Isn’t it a little brother?”
But Kangxi only said, “The Imperial Noble Consort would prefer a little princess.”
Even as slow as Dan Qing sometimes pretended to be, she could sense something off in Kangxi’s tone.
Even if Kangxi truly had no shortage of sons, and even if Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya truly did prefer a daughter, these words shouldn’t have come from Kangxi’s own mouth, and certainly shouldn’t have been passed on for her to repeat to Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya.
After all, even the Grand Empress Dowager herself wasn’t free of this bias, it was clear that the whole palace consistently valued sons over daughters, and even for the sake of avoiding gossip, this shouldn’t have been said this way.
As Kangxi carried her toward Jingren Palace, Dan Qing’s thoughts raced, turning over many possibilities, and she felt it most likely that Kangxi didn’t actually love Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya at all, and that the rumors in the palace of their deep affection for one another were something Kangxi had deliberately arranged to have spread.
But once she actually saw how Kangxi and Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya interacted, she immediately dismissed her own far-fetched guess.
“If Your Majesty was bringing the Fourth Princess, why didn’t you have someone tell me ahead of time, I haven’t prepared anything at all,”
Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya, her belly protruding, leaned back on her reclining chair, pulling at Kangxi and complaining.
Kangxi said gently, “She’s like a little monkey, not picky about anything, just share some of your favorite snacks with her, and We’ll have someone send more to replenish your stock tomorrow.”
Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya shot Kangxi a reproachful glare. “You make it sound as if I’d begrudge her anything! Quick, bring my snack box and let the Fourth Princess pick out whatever she likes!”
The palace maids hurried off and soon brought out an enormous box, nearly as large as a jewelry chest on a dressing table. Once opened, it turned out to be divided into many layers, each one holding a different assortment of preserved fruits, candies, and other snacks.
Kangxi reached over, grabbed a strip of beef jerky, and popped it into his mouth, chewing while he waved his hand generously. “Dan Qing, ah, it’s rare for your Imperial Noble Consort to be willing to bring out this treasure box of hers, grab some quickly, before she starts getting stingy and hides it away again!”
Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya, embarrassed by his teasing, gave him a soft, half-hearted punch, which only made Kangxi laugh all the more smugly.
Dan Qing picked out a piece of preserved fruit at random and nibbled on it slowly, thinking to herself that Kangxi and Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya really did seem to be true love.
She’d seen a fair amount of Kangxi these past months, in front of the Grand Empress Dowager, he liked to joke around too, but still kept within proper bounds. In front of Yinreng and herself, he was an affectionate father, but still carried himself with the bearing of a monarch.
But here beside Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya, he was like some carefree, idle young master, his smile becoming far more unrestrained, lying together with her without the slightest reserve, as easy and comfortable as any ordinary married couple.
If that was so, then why on earth wasn’t Kangxi hoping that Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya would give him a son?
Rumor throughout the palace had it that Kangxi was simply waiting for this pregnancy of Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya’s to be over before making her Empress, but from what Dan Qing remembered, Imperial Noble Consort Tongiya was supposed to be raised to Empress only right before her death. What exactly had happened in between, to make the matter of her investiture drag on and on?
While Dan Qing chewed her preserved fruit, lost in these wandering thoughts, she suddenly heard the sound of someone lifting the door curtain outside, followed at once by Liang Jiugong announcing loudly:
“Your Majesty, the Fourth Prince has come to pay his respects.”