Spring of the Blade - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Qingyuan walked around the screen to enter, paying her respects to both the Old Madam and the Mistress. The Old Madam raised her eyes to look at her and said with an "oh," "The Fourth Young Mistress has returned. Has everything regarding your concubine mother's affairs been settled?"

Qingyuan replied that it had, "Everything is settled, so I have come specifically to report back to Grandmother."

The Old Madam nodded, "Sit down. We are in the middle of discussing a matter. You likely do not know yet: messengers arrived from the palace yesterday, stating that the Empress is presiding over a grand selection this year. Any young lady of suitable age from the families of officials ranked ninth grade or above may be sent into the palace to participate."

Qingyuan smiled and looked toward Qinghe, "The Eldest Sister is already betrothed to someone, so she does not need to participate, right?"

Qinghe looked relieved and gave a soft sigh, "The decree from the palace states that only those who are not yet betrothed are eligible." As she spoke, she looked toward Qingru and Qingrong, "Looking closely at our family, only the Second and Third sisters fall into that category."

Qingru now made a point of competing with Qingyuan; whatever Qingyuan had, she thought was good, but whatever Qingyuan did not want, she deemed to be worthless scraps.

She cast a disdainful glance at Qingyuan, "There are four daughters in total in our family. The Eldest Sister is indeed betrothed, but are the rest of us not all still in the bridal chamber? Why is it just me and the Third Sister, and why is the Fourth Sister not among them?"

Lady Hu frowned slightly upon hearing Qingru's words. It was her own fault for having protected this pampered daughter too well; when it came to schemes, the Second Girl was not even a fraction as capable as the Fourth Girl. She now compared herself to the Fourth Girl in everything, hating her to the point of drawing blood. Yesterday, she had tested the waters with her second daughter and saw that she was unwilling to discuss it much, still harboring thoughts of Brother Chunzhi. This child was the type to stubbornly walk down a dead-end road; as the one who gave birth to her, how could she not know her temperament? She had not said much else, deciding to wait until she heard the Old Madam's intentions today before making a final decision.

Qingyuan naturally knew the reason why she herself could not participate. Since it was not convenient for the Old Madam and the others to say it, she explained it to Qingru herself, "Because my mother is a criminal. Everyone in the mansion knows that my mother poisoned Concubine Xia. Whether the palace selection is based on appearance or talent, they always investigate one's background. I cannot even pass the first hurdle."

Qingru was surprised that she spoke of her own origins so candidly, and she felt even more disdain. As for Qingrong, her eyes sliced toward her like sharp knives, and she sneered, "It is truly a pity that the Fourth Sister has been implicated by Concubine Jin this time."

Qingyuan did not care about those mocking remarks; she simply smiled and remained silent.

The Old Madam rested a hand on the kang table, deliberated for a long time, and finally said, "In my opinion, it would be better if none of you entered the palace. Although there is gold and silver to be had in the palace, the rules are strict, and one has no freedom of movement."

This was the most superficial statement; looking deeper, there were even more unspeakable reasons. If a selection were made among these four girls, the only one capable of winning glory for the Xie family was Qingyuan. If she could not go, then the others were simply not worth the trouble.

The palace was a place that devoured people without spitting out the bones. Among her old sisters from the past, there were those in the clan who had entered the palace to serve as secondary consorts or beauties. For the first few years, it was glorious, but as time went on, one did not even know if they were dead or alive. A girl was just thrown in like that, and without so much as a ripple, it was all over.

Since there was no ripple, it meant they had not won the Saint’s favor and had failed to rise in rank, let alone birth an imperial prince or princess. To survive in such a place, one needed great wisdom. From the current look of things, Qingyuan was the only one with great wisdom; the rest were far too mediocre. Especially the Second Girl—a spoiled child who didn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth. With a firecracker-like temperament and no ability to navigate complex situations, it would be good if she didn't bring disaster upon the family, let alone win face for the Xie clan.

The Old Madam had lived a long life and could see the long term, but Lady Hu clearly did not think so. An opportunity to hold one's head high was right in front of them—why not seize it? As a mother, one had to consider one's own children. There were four girls in the family; the eldest was engaged to the family of a Founding Count, and the fourth was soon to be matched with the Marquis of Danyang family. As the legitimate daughter, what kind of marriage could Qingru have that would outshine them? After thinking it over, this was the only path. Even if she had to bribe people, she would send her into the palace. If she was afraid of her being lonely alone, she would have Qingrong go with her; the two sisters might not have better odds, but at least they would have each other to rely on.

However, even if she thought this way, she could not say it aloud. Lady Hu said tactfully, "Since the palace has sent someone to convey the decree, I fear this matter cannot be easily brushed aside. Besides, it is the Empress who is presiding; the Empress is such a meticulous and thorough person—if she happens to ask, it will be hard to explain ourselves then."

The Old Madam nodded wistfully, murmuring, "I do not want the children to enter that bottomless pit; in the future, it will be difficult even to meet them once. You do not need to concern yourselves with this matter; I will find a way to stall. I will just say the Eldest Girl is betrothed, the Fourth Girl is living in ascetic cultivation, and the Second and Third Girls are in poor health... We have had dealings with the Chief of the Eunuchs before; if we want to get this done, it should not be difficult."

Lady Hu listened and secretly kept this in mind, replying orally, "Since Mother has made up your mind, I will send someone to handle it later. You need not worry, Mother."

The Old Madam, however, said, "It is better to let Nanny Xu, who is by my side, go. She is somewhat distantly related to the Chief of the Eunuchs' family, so it will be easier to speak."

Lady Hu said she understood and suppressed any further words. She had dinner as usual in Huifang Garden. After the meal, she led Qingru back, dismissed the servants in the room, and pointed to a rose chair, telling her to sit.

Qingru did not know what her mother wanted to say and looked at her suspiciously under the lamp. Lady Hu lowered her eyes and said, "You heard your grandmother’s words earlier. Our Old Madam is old now and has lost all her fighting spirit. Letting such a good opportunity go to waste, she actually intends to report a vacancy."

Qingru was even more astonished, "Does Mother mean... not to follow the Old Madam's way of handling things?"

Lady Hu was silent for a moment and then nodded, "This matter cannot be followed. Tomorrow, I will find a way to pave the road for you and the Third Sister. You will both go and participate in the selection. Since your father is currently fighting on the frontier, your chances of success are greater than anyone else's."

Qingru disagreed and stood up abruptly, "I am not going! Once I enter the palace, I will never be able to come out. Is Mother tired of me and wants to get rid of me?"

Having long anticipated this reaction, Lady Hu frowned, "You don't want to enter the palace—is it because you are still thinking of your Brother Chunzhi? Your Brother Chunzhi has proposed to the Fourth Girl, stating it clearly with his own mouth. What else do you have to hope for? If you are hoping that he will break things off with the Fourth Girl and propose to you, I advise you to give up that thought early. Would you really not find it disgusting to take what others have chewed and spat out? I ask you, do you not want to see the Fourth Girl kneel before you? Do you not want to press her face into the mud? She surpasses you in every way. If I were you, I would fight for dignity, not just for the sake of it. That is the true prestige of a legitimate daughter."

Hearing her mother’s words, Qingru was somewhat shaken, but she could not immediately turn the corner. She stiffened her neck and said, "The Fourth Girl is craftier than a monkey. Even she doesn't want to enter the palace, so why should I go to be selected?"

Lady Hu said coldly, "You think she doesn't want to enter the palace? She is only hindered by her status. As long as I do not give the word, she will always be the daughter of a lowly concubine; where would she ever find the chance to be selected? You know full well she hates us. If she ever became successful, a single imperial decree could cost us our lives. She doesn't want to enter the palace? Only a fool like you would believe that!"

Qingru did not speak and sat back down on the chair. The sandalwood seat was wide; it was not like the clutter of winter, but cold and hard, in a crisp and clean way. She began to consider that if Qingyuan truly had such an opportunity, how would she choose? Could the position of a young Marquis's wife be compared to a consort in the palace?

"You are born of the main wife, so you must have some ambition." Seeing her hesitance, Lady Hu frowned under the lamp, "I won't tell you to win glory for the Xie family or seek a future for your brother. I will only ask you: now that you see the Fourth Girl basking in the spring breeze, are you not frustrated? That excellent plan last time—it was actually solved by her, and she even turned a disaster into a blessing, provoking the young Marquis to propose. Do you know why that is?"

Qingru was dazed and shook her head.

Lady Hu turned her gaze to the courtyard outside the window. Night had fallen, and lanterns were hung under the eaves. A Clivia plant was blooming quietly in that shimmering light; its orange-red petals were stretched out in a charming and rampant manner against the green leaves.

Lady Hu sighed, "The Marquis of Danyang's mansion is not in Youzhou. By rights, he should have informed his parents before proposing to the girl. But the young Marquis ignored convention. There are only two reasons: first, he heard the Fourth Girl complaining about how we bully her and how hard the life of a concubine’s daughter is, and his heart ached. Second, someone else is competing with him, and he got anxious—don't you see that Shen Run also clearly has designs on the Fourth Girl?"

Qingru was startled, "How is he mixed up with the Fourth Girl again? What kind of thing is the Fourth Girl to have become such a prized commodity now?"

Lady Hu gave a cold laugh, "Those born of concubines have a natural way of hooking a man’s soul. Therefore, what we must guard against right now is not just the Fourth Girl, but also Li Congxin and Shen Run. Think about it: if they are won over by her, will there be any benefit for you? You may not forget Brother Chunzhi in your heart and words, but who knows how much they secretly hate you! Only by entering the palace and becoming a consort can you break them up when they eventually marry. Even if you want the Fourth Girl to die, it would take no more than a single word. Why be content with being lower than others when you can be above them? Everyone in this mansion appears submissive, but we don't know how they are working against us behind our backs. Haven't you forgotten how the Second Brother and his young wife squeezed you out last time?"

Mentioning this, Qingru was immediately filled with rage. Although Concubine Mei was eventually punished to kneel in the ancestral hall, they remained unconvinced in their hearts. The most satisfying thing in the world is to see the people who are your enemies weeping and wailing like pigs and dogs in front of you. To achieve that, entering the palace seemed to be the most immediate and effective path.

"But... I can't bear to leave home, and I can't bear to leave Mother." She said mournfully, "Once I get to that place, I will be trapped there for a lifetime. No matter how glorious it is, others won't be able to see it."

Lady Hu looked at her with longing and beckoned her to come over into her arms, patting her back gently as she did to soothe her when she was a child, "Even if you participate in the selection, it does not mean you will be trapped in the palace forever the moment you enter. There are several rounds of screening. Those who can finally enter the inner courts will wait for the canonization, whether as a beauty or a consort; there will be a rank. By then, your battlefield will not be the inner mansion, but the imperial palace, and your status will climb beyond measure. Looking back then, the likes of the Fourth Girl will be mere ants; I fear they won't even be worth your notice."

After hearing this, Qingru finally made up her mind. She wanted to make those who did not submit to her kneel before her and beg for mercy. Since they always said she relied on her birth as a legitimate daughter, she would rely on it properly for once. That way, those people would know that what is raised by a rat can never become a dragon or phoenix even if it reaches the sky. From now on, they should obediently accept their fate and keep their tails tucked in front of the Mistress; that was the only way to survive.

The mother and daughter had decided on their course, but the Old Madam was kept in the dark. She sent Nanny Sun to visit the Chief of the Eunuchs, and the matter was not difficult to handle. The Chief agreed immediately, saying that there were many candidates for selection this year, so it would not matter if the Magistrate's daughters did not participate.

Nanny Sun returned and conveyed the Chief's words. Only then was the Old Madam relieved, nodding, "That is better. My granddaughters are my own flesh and blood. I want them to be well-matched in the future so that we can keep in frequent contact. If I miss anyone, or if they have a headache or fever, they can send word and come back to see me. If they enter the palace, it will be harder to see them even once than to ascend to heaven."

She had thought that everything would remain calm and unchanged, but who would have thought that a few days later, the imperial decree would arrive at the door, requesting the Second and Third Misses of the Magistrate's family to enter the palace on the sixth day for selection.

The Old Madam was bewildered, not understanding where things had gone wrong. How could something that had been agreed upon suddenly change? Lady Hu was, of course, extremely satisfied. A hint of a smile rippled in her eyes as she spoke gently to the Old Madam, "Since the decree has arrived, there is nothing we can do. Let us start preparing. It is not yet certain who will be selected."

The Old Madam's face was filled with anger; she lowered her head and did not speak for a long time. The people around her were even careful with their breathing. For a time, the inner chamber was as quiet as frozen water, and everyone cautiously exchanged glances. Qinghe looked toward Qingyuan, then quietly signaled her to look at Lady Hu. Qingyuan understood everything; she only smiled and stood quietly to the side, watching how the situation would unfold.

The Old Madam’s sigh was earth-shattering, as if she were breathing out all the frustration that had accumulated in the bottom of her lungs. She shook her head with disappointment, "If a person has no long-term worries, they will have immediate sorrows. You are all young. You only think entering the palace is good, but you do not realize that the forbidden court is a wide-open tiger's mouth. Few are those who can survive between its teeth. Most palace maids do not see the Saint once in a year, and in the end, they wither away in the deep palace in loneliness. Those who truly love their children—who would be willing to send them into the palace? I put in so much effort to entrust the Chief of the Eunuchs, yet who knew it would all be in vain? Truly, this old woman is getting on in years and can no longer be the master of this house. Very well, I do not look for the children to bring glory to the family; I only hope that when disaster strikes in the future, it does not implicate the whole household. That is enough."

Since the matter was settled, it was difficult to change. After the Old Madam finished speaking, she waved for everyone to leave.

Qinghe and Qingyuan left the garden together. As the two sisters walked slowly along the secluded path, Qinghe said, "Grandmother is furious this time. She couldn't scold the Mistress openly, so all her words were full of implied reprimands."

The only person in this family who could secretly defy the Old Madam's wishes was the lady of the house. After the Old Madam had stated her position last time, Qingyuan had been secretly keeping eyes on Qilan Court. No sooner had the Old Madam sent Nanny Sun to find the Chief of the Eunuchs than Lady Hu had ordered her confidant to visit the Vice Chief of the Eunuchs. With both sides pushing, it depended on who had the superior means. Clearly, the Mistress had gained the upper hand in the end, and the Old Madam, helpless, had to let it be.

"Grandmother has her own reasons for not wanting the Second Sister to enter the palace. The Mistress cannot fathom them, and Grandmother cannot say much." Qingyuan linked her arm with Qinghe's and teased, "Regardless, the Eldest Sister is betrothed. Even if the Second Sister causes trouble, she will not implicate you. One day, when you bring your concubine mother back to Hengtang and break off completely from your maternal family, there will be nothing to worry about."

Qinghe teased her back, "No wonder you agreed to the young Marquis that day; so that is what you were thinking."

Qingyuan said with embarrassment, "He helped a great deal, and I saw his sincerity; I couldn't be so unfeeling. He tried once, and even if it doesn't work out, he will have no regrets in his heart, and I will have done right by him."

Qinghe said, "That is true, but I fear it will be very difficult to get the Marchioness's approval. After all, things were unpleasant before, and there are knots in each other's hearts. This marriage is certainly not easy to climb. However, if you really could marry the young Marquis, we sisters would have each other for company in Hengtang in the future, and you would be closer to the Chen family. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

It was not as if Qingyuan had not hoped for such things. To return—to return to the Chen family—she dreamed of it every night.

But it was not easy to say out loud. That lingering attachment to her grandparents would be seen as an unfilial betrayal by most of the Xie family. She could only respond vaguely, "The autumn examinations are in two months. Brother-in-law should be coming to Youzhou soon, right?"

Qinghe blushed at the mention of Li Guanling. She did not act coy in front of Qingyuan and smiled, "I received another letter from him the other day, saying he would set out early next month. The gifts at home have all been prepared, and the date has been set; we will be married next spring after the ice thaws."

Qingyuan let out an "ah," "He is truly a scholar; so reliable!" She then took Qinghe's hand, "Let me congratulate you first, Eldest Sister. Among us sisters, along with the cousins of the East and West mansions, you are the most fortunate. What a great blessing this is!"

Qinghe squinted and smiled. That kind of smile was born from a secure and worry-free engagement. Qingyuan looked at her; although it had nothing to do with herself, she could still feel a touch of gentle warmth.

In this household, Qinghe was the only one who could share her joy and sorrow.