by Fynn Chen
Now, however, Wanwan would focus her attention on Yingqi, the young palace maid who was still not asleep, and had just scuttled across Yexuan’s outer courtyard, disappearing behind a bend. Wanwan was mildly intrigued by her behaviour but decided not to follow. Sipping the wine she had convinced one of the captains of the imperial guard to share with her, Wanwan sank back to rueful thoughts. Recalling her interaction with Yingqi in the morning, Wanwan’s lips edged into a crooked smile. This maid’s eyes spoke of alertness, but she had not been alert enough to notice that she was being watched by Wanwan.
This Yingqi had truly caught the attention of Wanwan. For Yexuan’s safety, the Bo’er princess made sure to keep a future lookout for this suspicious new palace maid.
21 Of the Inevitable
Three months passed quickly. During that time, the continuation of efforts from Yexuan’s proposal was met with resounding success as several state officials adopted her methods of managing material and human resources, earning praises from the Ministers and civilians alike.
“Father Emperor, the civilians in the affected areas have seen their homeland rebuilt and have expressed immense gratitude to the Emperor’s generosity for the prompt and effective aid,” Prince Zhongxian reported.
“Your Majesty, there has also been decreasing rebel activities over these three months. We believe this is alluded to the princes and the princess’s efforts in upholding the Royal Family’s image,” Internal Affairs Minister, Minister Li, added to the report.
The Emperor nodded as he gave acknowledgement to his princes and Yexuan’s accomplishments. A chorus of praises went about the court for the princes and Yexuan.
“Very well, very well. All who had participated in this proposal will be duly rewarded. Treasury minister, Minister Yu, discuss with Prince Zhongxian on the finances for the disbursement of rewards to the military troops.”
Clasping his hands together and giving a bow, Prince Zhongxian accepted the responsibility with pride. A hint of smile touched Yexuan’s lips, glad that their efforts were being held in such high regard and that her father Emperor had been wise enough to reward each individual regardless of the role they played. Just as the court session was about to end on a joyous note, General Yi had rushed in with news from the borderlands.
“Your Majesty, Princes, Princess, Ministers, I have some bleak reports for you. The Jing army have begun to invade west of our homelands and have set out the military camps in LianXing. This is a severe breach of our peace treaty and it is imperious that we send our troops to force a retreat upon them. I beg your Majesty to concentrate our forces on the borderlands.”
Gasps of shocks and outcry went around the court.
“This is absurd! How could they trespass into our lands!”
“Our Great Pei is a hundred times larger than the Jing! They cannot dream to wage war with us!”
“They have bitten the hands that fed them. Have they forgotten that the Great Pei had been instrumental in defeating the brutish country of Tu for them?”
Yexuan listened to all those shouts of outrage with unnatural calm. Even though Yexuan was not as well-versed in military strategy, she had heard of countless war stories from Wanwan, either from her own readings or from Adviser Miying. Wanwan had foreseen this situation since a year ago and Yexuan did not know whether to feel heartened at Wanwan’s foresight or not. Of countries’ betrayals against each other, with or without peace treaties in effect. It was coming and perhaps, just perhaps, as both the princesses fear, there would come a time when their countries go to war with one another. Yexuan let out a soft sigh as she peered into her father Emperor’s eyes and found the cold, calculating look behind it. Her father Emperor cleared his throat audibly to restore order amongst his ministers but gave no immediate orders for the general on military deployment during the court session.
Subsequently, after the court had been dismissed, Yexuan found out that her father Emperor was having a private audience with a few of the eldest princes, including Prince Zhongxian.
Yexuan was about to leave and consult her father Emperor another time when the head of the attending Eunuchs, Eunuch Quan, halted her.
“Princess Yexuan, the Emperor is currently meeting with the princes. However, if you would deign to wait, the Emperor would be most delighted to meet you right after the discussion is done. We will prepare tea and snacks as you wait at the waterside pavilion.”
Yexuan gave a small bow of acceptance as she made her way towards the said waterside pavilion that stood at the corner of the bridge and over the waters. Pausing midway as hesitation suffused her, Yexuan sucked in a deep breath to suppress the image of how her father Emperor and her late mother used to pass their time with a game of Go by this pavilion.
A palace maid carrying a stove curtseyed towards her before scurrying ahead, towards the pavilion to warm it up.
“Princess Yexuan? Do you have any discomforts?” Eunuch Quan prompted her kindly.
Shaking her head, Yexuan strode forth as she took seat by the pavilion. The presence of her late mother lingered at this waterside pavilion. Her mother used to love telling her romantic stories of how her father Emperor and her would run along the patterned footpath leading to this waterside pavilion and how they would make merriment in this place. These were stories that Yexuan loved to hear as a young child but now, it only brought her painful memories.
Yexuan had never shared this with anyone, not even to Wanwan but she resented her father emperor deeply for turning a blind eye to her mother’s suffering despite his proclamations of love for her mother all those years. Imperial harem affairs were out of an Emperor’s scope of discipline, her father had justified. But Yexuan would never accept this careless excuse. Even if her father Emperor had shed buckets of tears over the years for her mother, he could never bring her mother back to life. Even if her father Emperor had tried to make amends to Yexuan by doting on her and giving in to most of her demands, it would not extinguish her berate for her father. He was after all, the root cause of her mother’s suicide.
Once in the pavilion, Yexuan surveyed her surroundings with an impassioned face. The same palace maid who carried the stove earlier, along with two other palace maids busied about her, scrolling down the bamboo curtains, controlling the fire in the stove to warm the area, and even brought an excessive number of fur blankets for the princess to ward against the harsh winter winds. Shortly after, hot rose tea, lotus biscuits dotted with white sesame seeds, and winter melon cakes with flaky dough crust were served. These were her late mother’s favourites. Either Eunuch Quan had remembered her mother’s favourites, or her father Emperor had instructed for them to be prepared for her.
“Princess Yexuan, do you need anything else?” One of the maids asked.
“No, I am comfortable. You may all leave,” Yexuan replied.
The maids synchronised their curtsies and soon disappeared from her sight. Once she was left alone, Yexuan rolled up the bamboo scroll to appreciate the charms of the winter scene. Later, Yexuan’s mind began to stray as she stared at the semi-frozen waters of the barren pond surface. If not for Wanwan’s presence in her life, the state of this winter pond would have echoed the chilliness of her heart.
Leaving the tea and snacks untouched, Yexuan retrieved a fur blanket, and draped it over herself before stretching her hands out of the pavilion’s shade to experience the winter chill. A wearied sigh escaped from her lips as a falling snow flower melted in her open palm. Thoughts of her inescapable fate with Wanwan permeated Yexuan’s mind, like the falling of this snow flower from the sky onto her palms, melting into a watery puddle. Everything in this life has a beginning and an end, people who meet will separate, things that rise will fall. No matter how hard individuals try to delay the inevitable, there will still be a time when they submit to their fates. Yet, no matter how unstoppable this ebb and flow of life was, Yexuan had to do her best to prolong her moments of happiness with Wanwan. Yexuan had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she had
missed the approaching footsteps of her father Emperor.
“You are wearing the same expression as your mother the first time I met her,” her father Emperor said.
Yexuan was startled but managed to reign her surprise in. Retracting her hand and folding it into her sleeves, Yexuan curtsied and greeted her father before asking, “what expression, father?”
“Full of admiration and resentment of life simultaneously. It was a look which until today, I could not perfectly describe, neither in my poems nor in the songs I make. Your mother used to enjoy sticking her arms out to catch falling snowflakes and savour the sensations of it melting in her hands as well.”
Yexuan felt a sort of heaviness settle over her heart as she looked away, afraid that the feelings of contempt she held for her father would be too apparent on her face. Taking in a deep breath, Yexuan stilled her moods. Before she composed herself enough to speak however, her father asked, in a most gentle voice.
“You rarely request to seek an audience with me, Yexuan. Whatever that you wish to consult me about must mean a lot to you. Ask me in all candidness and I, in my capacity as a father and an Emperor, will do my best to see to it.”
For a brief moment, Yexuan felt the chambers of her heart, which was reserved for her emotions for familial relations, light up. Loosening her shoulders, Yexuan regarded her father with a respectful look.
“Father Emperor, following news of our conflict with the country of Jing, I wish to discuss with you about my opinions to forge closer relationships with our ally countries, especially Bo’er.”
A smile passed over her father Emperor’s face before he turned, his back facing Yexuan, and folding his arms behind himself. Pacing over to Yexuan’s side, her father Emperor turned back to face Yexuan once more.
“Indulge me with your thoughts.”
And so, Yexuan did. Yexuan divulged about her strategies to form closer ties with Bo’er by giving in to them. With that suggestion, it was decided that until the next triennial peace treaty renewal, which would only take place two years later, the Peis should adopt a concessionary and supportive approach to lend their military strength to the Bo’ers in their fight against the Jings. Yexuan’s rationale was simple, to send out a strong warning to the country of Jing and at the same time, it would earn the trust of the Bo’ers. It was a bold and risky proposal because this could lead to unintended repercussions if it was not handled properly.
Should the Bo’ers choose to betray them instead, then the Peis would be left in an utmost vulnerable state. Or should the Bo’ers still fail to gain victory over the Jings even with their help, then the Peis would also still be left with a weakened and demoralised army. Despite their relatively small numbers in military troops, the Bo’ers were growing in strength. With their continuous conquest of smaller tribes on the steppes, repeated small victories in skirmishes, and vast improvement in military stratagems, the former scenario of betrayal by the Bo’ers was a greater likelihood and of a more devastating threat to the country of Pei.
Regardless, all these repercussions were well within the considerations of Yexuan. Admittedly, she knew very little of war strategy but however little she knew, there was something that could not be departed from. Kinship. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Peis had this power over the Bo’ers, because of the two Bo’er princesses in their residence. It was an explicitly laid trap by the Peis four years ago which the Bo’ers had failed to negotiate themselves out of and have complied with the Pei’s demands for the past rounds of negotiation. This time, Yexuan had asked of her father Emperor to make multiple concessions for the Bo’ers.
Her father Emperor had listened with an attentiveness that would make any child who craved for their parents’ attention jealous. There were frequent smiles of pride from her father Emperor as he took her opinion and countered with his own. Once, he had even put his hand on Yexuan’s back. It was a loving touch but Yexuan had not let herself get too emotional. The long discussion finally ended when the snowfall became heavier, and the stove began to sputter.
“When the time comes, we will go through once more what concessions we could make to express our appreciation for this allyship. In the meantime, the most pressing matter is to repel the Jing armies in the shortest time possible. Yexuan, I know your primary concerns for our ties with Bo’er is because of your friendly relationship with Princess Zhenwan. I am very pleased about this and believe my decision to give you a companion was right.”
Yexuan winced inwardly. Indeed, Wanwan had been the best thing that happened in her life but Yexuan could not be certain that she was the same to the Bo’er princess. Wanwan would never lament about the freedoms she had missed out in her life before Yexuan, but Yexuan was neither blind nor dumb, she was well aware of the wildling princess’s sacrifices.
“Yes, father Emperor. There are more urgent issues we have at hand and methods with greater immediate effectiveness. I shall not impose further on you and take my leave now, father Emperor.”
“Wait, Yexuan. Bring along some of these snacks with you. I will get Eunuch Quan to see you back.”
Curtseying with excessive polite, Yexuan declined her father Emperor’s offer as she made her way back to her quarters by herself.
**
Wanwan knew Yexuan would be at morning court but she decided to visit the princess’s quarters anyway because she had other intentions. She was here for the new palace maid, Yingqi.
Finding Yingqi by the water well, scrubbing a pile of sheets diligently, Wanwan pursed her lips as she strode forth. As expected, Yingqi’s senses were sharp enough to detect her approach even from a distance. Peering up, the palace maid cleaned her hands on her apron, and broke out into a semi-run towards her.
“P-P-Princess Wanwan, are you here for Princess Yexuan? The princess has gone for the morning court,” Yingqi said nervously.
Wanwan’s mouth curved into a smile. “I know. I was not looking for your Princess Yexuan. I looking for you, Yingqi.”
“M-M-Me? Princess Wanwan, you are looking for m-m-me?”
The poor maid’s stuttering was so severe that Wanwan could not help but sputter into laughter.
“Forgive me Yingqi, I did not mean to laugh at you so cruelly, but your stuttering is really… were you not chided by the head of palace maids for your habits?”
Yingqi’s face turned a deep crimson from embarrassment as she nodded her head. “T-They had threatened to throw me out of the palace if I do not i-improve. But over the years… the stuttering has stopped. I-It only came back recently a-and I don’t know why.”
Wanwan shook her head with faint amusement before putting on a mask of seriousness.
“Come with me, Yingqi, I need some help from you.”
“H-Help? F-From me?” Yingqi’s expression was surprised and a little fretful as she peered about her.
“Yes, don’t make me repeat my request, Yingqi. It will only worsen your stutter.”
Nodding her head urgently, Yingqi clamped her mouth shut and said no more.
Pressing her lips tightly together, Wanwan regarded the palace maid carefully, taking in the litheness of her movements to the expression of unwarranted guilt on her face. Over the past three months, Wanwan realised that, in spite of her suspicions of Yingqi, she was rather fond of this palace maid. These feelings of fondness seemed to be reciprocated as well. Wanwan frequently felt the palace maid taking exceptional care of Wanwan whenever Wanwan was amidst her martial arts training. The maid, who was supposed to be attending to Yexuan, would rush towards Wanwan and offer her liquid refreshments and towel.
Their mutual interest in each other was a good thing. Over time, Wanwan hoped to find out, not forcibly, what Yingqi was keeping from them. The only thing she had been able to find out about this young palace maid was that she had lived away from her parents since young and her eyes shifted frequently whenever Wanwan tried to ask Yingqi about her childhood. Even a simple question such as where Yingqi was from, had made the maid slightly unsettled
but she had tried to conceal it. All of these observations made Wanwan certain that Yingqi had been hiding something.
Wanwan gave a sharp jerk of her head, “follow me.”
Yingqi abandoned her laundry work and followed Wanwan. Wanwan had brought her to the stables, to meet Scarlet. In Yingqi’s eyes, there was an undeniable spark of interest.
“Yingqi, you have never come face to face with horses before right? You told me your family was so poor that they had to give you away. And that you grew up with a relative who owns a small noodle stall in the corner of the capital city.”
Yingqi, as if having just recalled the detail, nodded urgently. “Y-Yes, I usually see them ride past my home, but we could never afford one.”
“I need to groom Scarlet today and I want your help, will you be too afraid?”
Yingqi looked startled. “G-Groom Scarlet? But why me and not other palace maids o-or stable boys? I-I know Captain Yang is very good with horses a-and S-Sister Fengxu has really deft hands too.”
“That is because I only let people I trust get near Scarlet. This horse is feisty and does not trust people easily. Princess Yexuan is the only other person I let her get familiar with, I hope you could be the next.”
Colour spread across Yingqi’s cheeks and the palace maid immediately gave a small bow to Wanwan. “Thank you, Princess Wanwan.”
Lifting Yingqi by her chin, Wanwan said, “you don’t have to. Treat me as a friend, Yingqi.”
