The Empress Dowager was savoring fresh fruit, surrounded by a retinue of consorts who attended her with practiced grace.
When Emperor Jingxi entered, the consorts rose swiftly, bowing low in reverence.
With a casual wave, he dismissed them, and they retreated in a hushed rustle of silks, heads bowed.
The Empress Dowager’s expression soured.
“It’s a festive day, and I was enjoying lively company. But the moment you arrive, you scatter them like a hawk among sparrows!”
Emperor Jingxi, ever respectful, inclined his head.
“Mother, I’ve come to spend the festival with you.”
His gaze drifted to the table, where an unfinished embroidery of Prince Mo Yao lay, half-stitched by one of the consorts.
He smiled faintly and asked, “Is Mother’s longevity tapestry nearly complete?”
The Empress Dowager snorted.
“You, with your endless state affairs, finding time to keep me company? Spare me the pleasantries, Emperor. What’s on your mind?”
Jingxi swept his robes aside and settled into a seat, his tone measured.
“Mother, nothing in the rear palace escapes your notice. But today, I wish to discuss Denning’s marriage.”
Marriage?
The Empress Dowager’s eyes lit up, her interest piqued.
As an elder, she longed for her children and grandchildren to wed early, to forge alliances and extend the family line.
She had already vetted several suitable families, each to her satisfaction, though naturally, the Emperor’s judgment would weigh in.
Jingxi listened intently as she spoke, analyzing the merits and drawbacks of each household with a precision that pleased her.
She sighed, a touch of approval in her voice.
“You’ve put real thought into Denning’s marriage. You haven’t been a neglectful father, at least.”
But Jingxi’s tone shifted, cautious yet firm.
“She’s only just come of age, still young. I think it best she remain in the palace a while longer. Even a royal daughter, once married, becomes another family’s wife—bound to serve her in-laws and manage their household. Her days would hardly be as free as they are here.”
The Empress Dowager nodded, her agreement swift.
“There’s wisdom in that.”
She paused, her voice softening with rare warmth.
“You’ve always been consumed by state affairs, distant from Denning due to the divide between inner and outer courts. You rarely speak of her marriage, but today, I see you’ve given it careful thought.”
Jingxi smiled, a glint of calculation in his eyes.
“Mother, I’ve had plans for some time. And there’s another matter I’d like your opinion on.”
“Speak, then,” she urged.
“Denning’s temperament is too willful,” he began, his voice steady.
“Despite the guidance of palace matrons, Lady Li’s influence has been… troubling. I’ve never approved of it, and I know you share my concerns.”
The mention of Consort Kang soured the Empress Dowager’s mood.
An emperor ruled the realm, commanding the court and cowing his ministers with divine authority.
That authority was the face of the dynasty, the foundation of a stable court, and the shield of every woman in the rear palace.
Without it, what would remain?
Consort Kang’s folly had been egregious.
To undermine the Emperor’s dignity at such a grand banquet was not a mere household squabble—it had dragged palace intrigue into the open, before the eyes of court officials and noblewomen, turning the dynasty into a spectacle.
Jingxi had ascended the throne young, wielding ruthless decisiveness to secure his rule.
How could he allow a consort to manipulate him through a princess?
Had he shown weakness, hesitating like a timid man, his throne might not stand so firm.
For Consort Kang, Denning was her sole leverage.
But for the Emperor, who was first a ruler and only then a father, even his only daughter was but one of many concerns.
If a daughter defied him, caught up in her own stubbornness, the bond between a busy emperor and his child could fray, guided only by his imperial will.
Consort Kang’s grand coming-of-age ceremony for Denning had not softened his heart—it had only emboldened her to overreach.
To merely send matrons to reprimand her was already an act of leniency for Denning’s sake.
The Empress Dowager’s silence spoke volumes, and Jingxi understood it well.
He pressed on, his tone light but pointed.
“Mother, fate has its course. I’ve accepted my thin bond with my children. But I won’t indulge them to the point of fostering reckless pride.”
The message was clear.
His consorts, though no longer favored with his visits, would still be provided for—clothed, fed, educated, and spared great hardship.
But those who harbored scheming ambitions?
He would never tolerate them.
The Empress Dowager sighed, her brow creasing with worry.
“I’ll handle Lady Li’s discipline. But Denning…”
She hesitated, her voice tinged with pity.
“If Denning were to stay under my care for her upbringing, it wouldn’t be impossible. But she and her mother are close, and she’s grown now—she’ll listen to Consort Kang. With Li harboring resentment, who knows what she might say?”
Jingxi’s response was calm but resolute.
“Mother, a princess may not lack for suitors, but our royal daughters shouldn’t rely solely on power to attract schemers. If word spreads of a spoiled, willful princess, forcing families to marry her reluctantly, it brings shame to our house.”
He recalled the incident with the Nanchong peonies.
Upon hearing of their extravagant use, he had banned fresh flowers outright, partly for this very reason.
Even a common girl like A wu understood the implications—such decadence invited criticism, perhaps even a line in the histories or a poet’s verse: “Nanchong’s peonies fade, all for a golden branch’s feast.”
A legacy etched in infamy.
The Empress Dowager shot him a knowing glance.
“Enough circling. Speak plainly.”
Jingxi’s voice grew firm as he said:
“My thought is this: since her betrothal isn’t yet fixed, I propose sending Denning to study under the female scholars of the Imperial Academy. With palace matrons to guide her, she can temper her disposition. In time, she’ll earn a reputation as a princess educated by great scholars. What do you think, Mother?”
The Empress Dowager’s lips twitched.
Denning, studying under great scholars?
Her granddaughter?
But she said nothing, catching his intent with a glance.
“Excellent. Let it be as you say.”
No grandmother would block her grandchild from such an opportunity.
With the Emperor’s word, she’d ensure Denning attended the Academy, even if it meant dragging her there.
Jingxi nodded and said, “Then I’ll issue the decree.”
They conferred briefly, and Jingxi summoned the court scribe to draft the edict on the spot.
The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow.
“It’s a minor matter. Was such formality necessary?”
He smiled and replied, “Mother, with Denning’s temperament, only an imperial decree will do. It’ll save you from softening and indulging her later.”
Without further ado, he ordered the decree finalized, sealed, and issued through the Grand Secretariat, ensuring the rear palace could not interfere.
Moments later, as Jingxi took his leave, Princess Denning arrived, thunderstruck by the news.
Starting tomorrow, she would spend five hours daily at the Imperial Academy, studying under scholars and matrons, learning decorum and reason.
Five hours!
It was tantamount to torture.
She wailed, clutching at her grandmother.
“Imperial Grandmother, I don’t want to—”
The Empress Dowager sighed, her tone heavy with resignation.
“Oh, my dear, I don’t want this either. But your father’s decree is set…”
A decree?!
Denning’s legs buckled, nearly collapsing where she stood.
How could her father do this to her?
***
That evening, after Jingxi’s departure, Consort Hui chuckled to herself in private.
The Emperor’s sudden visit, lingering over two cups of tea, was merely to hear her thoughts on that young lady’s education.
In her memory, Jingxi was an enigma, his imperial aura impenetrable.
Yet now, he seemed almost ensnared by a mere girl, led by the nose.
The thought amused her, but it also sparked ambition.
At twenty-seven, she had reached the peak of her rank as Consort Hui, content to live quietly.
But if an opportunity arose, who wouldn’t seize a chance to climb higher?
This was her moment.
By aiding this young noblewoman, her own prospects could brighten.
Why had this opportunity fallen to her alone?
Clearly, the Emperor saw her as reliable, her temperament steady.
The next morning, she arrived early at Langhua Hall, where she found A wu, eyes red and spirits low.
When A wu saw her, she pursed her lips and looked away.
Consort Hui smiled warmly and asked, “What’s this? Not even a ‘sister’ for me today?”
A wu mumbled, “Sister,” her voice soft and sullen.
Consort Hui nearly laughed aloud.
She stepped closer, her gaze gentle.
“Noble Lady Ning, last night the Emperor visited me. Guess what he said?”
A wu glanced up.
“What?”
“He said you’re not studying hard, that you’re not diligent enough.”
A wu’s shoulders slumped, her expression crestfallen.
Consort Hui pressed on, her tone teasing.
“Don’t overthink it. Study properly, or what if you fall out of favor? Then what?”
A wu frowned, worry creeping in.
She knew Consort Hui was teasing—the Emperor wouldn’t ignore her so easily.
But his insistence on her studies was a real nuisance.
Muttering, she said, “Little Sister, what should I do? Should I beg him?”
Consort Hui handed her a neatly bound stack of notes, tied with red silk, filled with tiny, meticulous writing.
“Take these and study them.”
A wu’s eyes widened.
“Thank you, Sister!”
Hui’s smile was warm.
“We’re sisters; no need for such formality. Study well, and after lunch, we’ll go to Jingyan Hall together.”
A wu nodded eagerly.
“Yes!”
Hui, ever calculating, kept an eye on Princess Denning.
If the princess caused trouble, Hui would ensure word reached the right ears.
But to her surprise, Denning was absent from the study session.
Inquiries revealed a shocking truth: a decree had banished Denning to the Imperial Academy for five hours daily, studying under female scholars, unable to return.
It was said she had wailed to the Empress Dowager, to no avail.
Egged on by Consort Kang, she stormed to Fengtian Hall to confront Jingxi, only to be barred from entry.
No princess, consort, or even empress could enter without a summons.
Her pleas were ignored, and a matron escorted her back, delivering a stern lecture.
In full view of the court, a princess had made a spectacle of herself, unable to see her father, humiliated by a matron’s reprimand.
The Emperor’s resolve was ironclad, sparing no warmth, not even for his only daughter.
The next day, palace eunuchs and matrons arrived to escort Denning to the Academy, their demeanor unyielding.
No amount of tantrums could sway them, and she went, reluctant and resentful.
The consorts were stunned, the Crown Princess even more so.
The Emperor’s harsh stance toward Denning hinted at deeper intent.
Consort Kang’s reckless defiance at the banquet had crossed a line.
Though Jingxi had responded lightly, ordering only a matron’s reprimand, his displeasure was clear—and its consequences would unfold slowly.