usatvline Chapter 14 Filial Piety and OrderChaos
Chapter 14 Filial Piety and OrderChaos
These past few days, Rongyin has been drafting the list of conferments and preparing for various matters in the East and West Six Palaces, while everyone else has been busy moving into the palace. Hailan, however, told the Empress that her things were not yet fully packed and that she would move later. Rongyin knew that Hailan was close to Qingying and that she must want to spend more time with Qingying, so she agreed to leave the door open for her.
Yingluo learned that the court officials were also arguing about whether the Empress Dowager should move to Cining Palace, claiming it concerned her legitimacy. Yingluo thought, "These people have too much to do. Don't they have other important national affairs to worry about? What does where she lives have to do with her legitimacy?"
But this was indeed an opportunity, so he discussed it with Rongyin again and made a decision.
On this day, when the emperor came to Changchun Palace, Rongyin mentioned that the Imperial Household Department had completed all the preparations for the conferment of titles and rewards to the six palaces, and asked the emperor to set a date for the conferment of titles and rewards.
The Emperor simply said, "The people aren't all here yet, so what rewards can we bestow?"
Rongyin and the others immediately understood that he was dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager's treatment of Qingying. However, the three of them were somewhat puzzled: the emperor was dissatisfied with the Empress Dowager's confinement of Qingying to her former residence under the guise of mourning. Why didn't he go to the Empress Dowager instead of finding fault with the concubines? Could it be that if the concubines in the six palaces were not granted titles and rewards, their maternal families would oppose the Empress Dowager out of anxiety?
Or did the Emperor want all the concubines in the harem to receive no rewards, using his and his concubines' loss of face to force the Empress Dowager to give in? Or perhaps the Emperor was so concerned that his more beloved woman was not rewarded that he wanted his other women to suffer the same fate, in order to make Qingying feel more at ease?
No matter which direction you go, it's all inexplicable.
Rongyin gave up trying to figure out the emperor's thought process and went straight to the point: "Is Your Majesty still worried about Qingying's mourning period?"
The emperor sighed, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Rongyin asked curiously, "If Your Majesty wishes to send Sister Qingying out of the Prince's residence, you can simply issue an imperial decree. I am foolish and do not know what Your Majesty is worried about."
The Emperor said with a complaining tone, "Empress, you know perfectly well that it is the Empress Dowager who wants Qingying to observe mourning. What if the Empress Dowager doesn't agree to release Qingying?"
Rongyin said, “His Majesty has already ascended the throne. Qingying was His Majesty’s concubine when he was still a prince. Whether she leaves the prince’s residence or not is naturally His Majesty’s decision. When I said I would persuade the Empress Dowager, I wanted to explain to her that filial piety is about the heart, not just the length of the mourning period. I wanted her to understand the key points so that she wouldn’t misunderstand and get angry, which would harm her health. The Empress Dowager is probably just being particular about etiquette and is worried that Consort Jingren has no children to sweep the tomb, so she wants Qingying to observe mourning. I think it’s just a momentary urgency. Once you understand the reasoning, that will be enough.”
Just as the emperor was about to say that it wasn't as easy as he made it out to be, a thought suddenly struck him.
Yes, although I came from a humble background and had no choice but to rely on the current Empress Dowager, I am now the supreme ruler of the world. Can't I even decide the fate of my concubines?
His heart was in turmoil, but he still feigned helplessness and said, "If I try to persuade the Empress Dowager but she won't listen, what can I do to get Qingying to be released from confinement?"
The Empress said, “If Your Majesty still insists on having Qingying observe mourning, I dare ask, is Your Majesty's act of bringing her out unfilial? Although filial piety is important, I believe it is not about blindly obeying and accommodating one's parents in everything. In the Zuo Zhuan, Wei Ke did not follow his father's order to have the concubine buried alive with him when he was seriously ill, but rather followed his father's order to have the concubine remarry when he was lucid. This was because following his father's order when he was delirious would have violated Wei Wuzi's benevolence. As for Your Majesty, I should certainly be filial, but if Your Majesty has any doubts, as her children, we should offer advice rather than blindly obeying, lest we put Your Majesty in an unjust position and damage her virtue.”
The emperor had already begun to make plans.
The Empress spoke of filial piety, but what he thought of was the story of Wei Ke that she had told him. The Empress Dowager's power over the six palaces stemmed from the authority granted to her by her father, the Emperor. But now, the Emperor had long since passed away, and the imperial seal and edict had been handed over to the Empress after the coronation ceremony. The Empress Dowager had long since lost real power in the palace. Her father and brothers held no significant official positions in the court, except for a distant relative, Neqin, who had been promoted by him. The Empress Dowager wasn't his biological mother, her foundation was weak, and she was intricately linked to the alleged sudden death at Jingren Palace. Even though Qingying insisted that the death at Jingren Palace was unrelated to anyone, the court officials still harbored doubts. With no power and no support, if the Empress Dowager simply faded into obscurity, she wouldn't cause any ripples in the court. What was there to fear? Even if he didn't grant her wishes, what difference would it make? Why should he exchange favors with her for something he could easily obtain?
He recalled the night before, when he had Wang Qin secretly deliver a lucky knot and a score of "Over the Wall" to Qingying in exchange for a handkerchief embroidered by Qingying herself. The plain white handkerchief was embroidered only with blue cherry blossoms and red lychees, a symbol of their relationship. He had once thought that he and Qingying had to express their feelings secretly, but now he realized they could be together openly. He would personally bring her out and tell her that he was now the emperor, ruling the country, and that he could use his status, position, and power to protect her and never let her suffer again.
Thinking of this, the emperor's face brightened, and he said with a smile, "Empress, although your words are naive and innocent, they have reminded me. I read the Zuo Zhuan when I was young, and I only understand the principle of 'When there is disease, there is chaos, and I will follow its course' today."
Rongyin asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, I don't understand."
The Emperor laughed heartily. He enjoyed the sense of superiority he felt when the women around him were less intelligent than himself. He said with a smile, "It's alright. The Empress should just focus on preparing for the investiture of the concubines in the six palaces."
Yingluo realized that the Emperor probably wanted to make the Empress Dowager "ill" for a while. Rongyin wasn't pretending to be stupid; she genuinely hadn't expected such a tactic.
Yingluo thought to herself, "He's only used the Zuo Zhuan to fight with his foster mother, and not even with the proper methods. He's really wasted his time."