Chapter Eighteen: Interests

She had intended to get to the bottom of the matter next time, but that "next time" did not arrive until June. June 12th marked the birthday of the reigning Empress, and as members of the imperial clan, they were required to enter the palace to offer their congratulations.

The Xu family, from which her biological mother hailed, belonged to the same clan as the late Empress Yuanli, the woman the Emperor had loved most. By the time Empress Yuanli passed away, Jinghu was still a toddler who understood nothing, knowing of her only through hearsay. The late Empress had left behind a son and a daughter and had been pregnant with a third child. Her own brother had risen to the position of Governor of Jiangzhe, with an influence that hinted at his ambitions for the throne.

In the past, Jinghu had been too young to grasp the implications of such power. Over the years, however, she had matured and come to understand what this meant for the current Empress Zhang. Naturally, Empress Zhang held no affection for the Xu family, which was why her mother had not set foot in the palace for many years since the passing of Empress Yuanli. Today was no exception; she was entering the palace in the company of the Princess Consort and her sister-in-law.

Her eldest brother, Jingshen, had earned military merits, and thus his wife—though married to a son of a concubine—held a fifth-rank title of honor. Whenever there was a grand banquet at the palace, she too was required to attend and pay her respects.

Truth be told, although the Princess Consort was her legal mother, Jinghu did not fear her much. It was not that she relied on her father’s doting to act recklessly, but simply that one ought to be reasonable. If the Princess Consort spoke sense, Jinghu would listen, but if she did not, she refused to compromise herself. Unfortunately, after years of friction with her mother, the Princess Consort had become increasingly impetuous, rarely speaking with any sense, which led to the appearance that Jinghu was merely being disobedient. In previous years, due to her mother’s groundless discipline and punishments, her father had shielded her, leading to several arguments; in recent years, they had mostly maintained a facade of peace.

Jinghu suddenly realized the benefit of having a sister-in-law. In the past, when she and the Princess Consort entered the palace, there was no need for the grand display of two separate carriages. But since her sister-in-law had married into the family in the twelfth lunar month, there were now three women to attend the New Year’s greetings. The Princess Consort had used the excuse of overcrowding to order two carriages. Compared to the Princess Consort, Jinghu naturally preferred her sister-in-law, and so she shared a carriage with her today.

Her sister-in-law seemed fascinated by the Imperial City; each time they entered, she could not resist lifting the curtain to gaze at the scenery within the palace walls. Jinghu, having grown up running wild in the palace and frequently visiting the various princesses, found nothing particularly novel about it. Yet, she found it strange: her sister-in-law was a young lady from a family renowned for its scholarship and propriety; why could she not suppress her curiosity about the palace?

It seemed that rumors were not always entirely accurate—not every girl from a scholarly, refined family was necessarily superior to the young ladies of the nobility and imperial clan. As Jinghu was lost in these thoughts, she heard her sister-in-law ask, "Third Sister, do you see if that is the Eastern Palace over there?"

Jinghu leaned over, glanced out the window, and nodded. "It is indeed the Eastern Palace. Ever since I went to Jiangnan, it has been a long time since I visited there." She suddenly remembered something. "By the way, sister-in-law, do you know why the Emperor demoted Concubine Xu of the Eastern Palace to the Southern Garden?"

Ke Mingbi lowered her voice. "Last year, the Crown Princess was pregnant. Three months in, her health remained poor. It was later discovered that Concubine Xu had tampered with things behind the scenes. The Emperor was furious and stripped her of her title."

Jinghu was shocked; she had not expected such a reason. In her mind, her cousin, who had become a consort to the Crown Prince, was quiet and gentle. Could she have been framed? It was no wonder she thought this way, having grown up witnessing the infighting and mutual destruction among wives and concubines. Moreover, in the Eastern Palace, it was her cousin who held more of the Crown Prince's favor than the Crown Princess. Yet, she felt even more dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. If he loved her cousin, why not make her the Crown Princess from the start? By causing such a situation, everyone suffered.

"Did the Crown Prince not plead for her?"

Ke Mingbi replied, "It was precisely because he pleaded for her that the Emperor’s punishment was all the more severe. After all, this concerned his own offspring. If he could tolerate such a thing, what could he not tolerate? The Emperor felt he lacked a sense of proportion."

Pleading had only led to a harsher penalty. If her sister-in-law had not explained it, she would have had to ponder it for a long time. These matters were truly complex; she suddenly wished she did not have to grow up.

Seeing that she had stopped asking questions, Ke Mingbi asked, "Third Sister, do you know how many palaces are in the Eastern Palace, or how large it is?"

Every time she went, she only visited her cousin’s Qinian Hall, or occasionally the Crown Princess’s Chunhe Hall. How would she know the exact size? She could not tell if it was her imagination, but her sister-in-law seemed unusually interested in the Eastern Palace. Whenever they passed by, she would always take several extra looks.

Jinghu could not be bothered to ponder what her sister-in-law was thinking, so she simply replied, "I don't have much of a concept of the size of the palaces, so I don't know the specifics. However, I don't think the Eastern Palace is very large. The furnishings in the Crown Princess's hall don't seem as fine as those in Princess Zhenjing’s Mingse Hall." She then added, with a touch of feigned innocence, "Are you very interested in the Eastern Palace, sister-in-law?"

Ke Mingbi’s eyes flickered, and she offered an awkward smile. "Not at all. It’s just that before my brother passed the imperial examinations, he served as an official in the Eastern Palace and tutored the Crown Prince in his studies, so I have heard him speak of it. Even now, he remains on good terms with the Crown Prince and sometimes lingers in the Eastern Palace."

Jinghu did not care whether Ke Mingbi was interested in the Eastern Palace or not; the palace had nothing to do with their family. Her eldest brother was merely the son of a concubine, not a prince. However, the slightly awkward smile that appeared after she had been caught piqued her interest. But compared to her sister-in-law, Ke Mingxu’s affairs were far more important.

"Is Scholar Ke not an official in the Hanlin Academy now? Does he still linger in the Eastern Palace?"

When speaking of her brother, Ke Mingbi looked proud. "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and my brother is his subject. I dare not boast, but one could say they share a bond of mentorship. Now that my brother is studying at the Hanlin Academy, the Crown Prince often has questions for him, so he is summoned to the Eastern Palace. Once, when my brother came to the Prince’s manor to see me, he was hurriedly summoned away by an attendant from the Eastern Palace."

Jinghu was lost in thought. She had only ever run into Ke Mingxu at the manor that one time. She did not know if the incident her sister-in-law mentioned had occurred before or after that. She would have to pay closer attention to matters regarding Hejing Hall in the future. Having been separated for a month, she truly missed him.