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chapter 6




What happened?
Everything transpired too quickly. As Wuya Qingdai raised her head, joy still apparent on her face, two small eunuchs had already rushed to her side and pushed her down on the floor. Then the head eunuch personally reached for her right foot, lifting it and removing the shoe. He presented the sole toward his masters.
A glance, and Hongli sneered. “So you’ve had a lotus carved into the sole.”
Noble Consort Hui beckoned for the head eunuch to come near. Upon closer inspection, she smiled. “The sole is also packed with fine powder. No wonder it leaves a mark. How thoughtful!”
Despite her still occurring laughter, Hongli’s face was devoid of even a smile. He shouted, “Someone take her away!”
Still restrained by the eunuchs, Wuya Qingdai managed to quickly position herself into a kneel. Before long she crawled toward the emperor and empress’ seating area, dragging the two eunuchs with her, her face glistening with pearly tears. “Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This official’s daughter is just imitating the “lotus upon every step” to pass the selection. Your Majesty, please have mercy! Your Majesty, please have mercy!” She turned to Noble Consort Hui. “Your Majesty please save this official’s daughter!” Then she whipped around to face the empress and cried, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Please save this official’s daughter!”
Hongli and Noble Consort Hui remained expressionless. However, Empress Fucha sighed, and moved to face to the emperor. “Your Majesty, this elegant lady only wanted a head start in the selection. If you dislike that, just hand her a flower. What kind of future would she face if she were to be forcibly expelled from the palace?”
“That’s right, Your Majesty!” Wuya Qingdai broke free from the two eunuchs holding her back. Rushed to the feet of the emperor. “If an official’s daughter is sent back home in this way, it will bring shame upon her whole family! Her future would be finished! Begging Your Majesty, begging Your Majesty, please spare this official’s daughter!”
She brought her body low to the ground, forehead knocking into the carpet. The world was full of parallels. Currently, her posture and body position resembled Jixiang’s in the Imperial Garden. And like how she had refused to let Jixiang off, the emperor also did not care to spare her.
“In the past We had given the order that daughters of Han Bannermen were forbidden from binding their feet¹. Yet in today’s imperial selection, there were many girls with bound feet!” Each word from Hongli was ice cold. “And not only had the girls from Han Bannermen families² indulged in such decadence, even the Manchu Wuya family adopted this practice. Pan Yunu³ was a wanton seductress of a consort. Xiao Baojuan⁴ was an incompetent and muddle-headed emperor. For you to imitate Pan Yunu, are you deliberately trying to disturb the imperial court? Allowing such girls into the harem will undoubtedly provoke trouble. Not only will We expel her from the palace, but her father will also be punished as a warning to others!”
“No, no!” Wuya Qingdai still wanted to plead, but strong arms clamped on her own like steel forceps, dragging her away to the exit.
wuya
“No, Your Majesty! No! This official’s daughter was wrong! This official’s daughter was really wrong!” At this moment, Wuya Qingdai was like a cow or a horse about to be sent to the slaughterhouse, struggling desperately and crying. “That’s right, it was that cheap slave! It was that cheap slave that harmed this official’s daughter! It wasn’t me. The idea to put powder in the sole wasn’t mine… Mmph!”
Afraid that she was making a ruckus and disturbing his masters, an eunuch nearby spread his hand like a fan and covered her mouth. Ended her last opportunity to plead.
“Mmph, mmph…”
The whimpering gradually faded. Left behind was a trail of lotus prints on the carpet, proof that the girl named Wuya Qingdai had once been there.
“Clear the floor.” Hongli said, eyeing the lotus prints. “It makes people uncomfortable just looking at it.”
“Yes!” Several palace maids rushed off to fetch brooms.
And the last trace of Wuya Qindai disappeared.
The doors to Yanhui Loft slammed open. Two eunuchs came out dragging a disheveled woman.
“Oh my, isn’t that… Doesn’t that look like older sister Wuya?
In the Imperial Garden waited the group of elegant ladies, listening for their names to be called for the selection. The first candidates that had walked through the doors walked out soon after carrying a flower. But Wuya Qingdai had stayed in the loft for a long time. In their hearts they were jealous of her good fortune, discussing secretly among themselves. They were worried that she had been chosen by the emperor.
“How can such a crazy person by older sister Wuya?” someone retorted.
“But she’s clearly wearing the same clothes as her…” Someone else said, hitting the nail right on the head and also enjoying it⁵ .
Sure enough, the disheveled woman was dressed in the same outfit and adorned with the same jewelry as Wuya Qingdai. If there’s anything of note different from their previous image of her, it probably was her feet. The pair of three-inch-long feet⁶ dragged on the ground as her body was pulled away. The beautiful lotus-carved shoes were nowhere in sight.
“It hurts, it really hurts…” cried the disheveled woman, and from her voice it was easy to confirm her identity: Wuya Qingdai. “My feet…”
Without the shoes, the injuries on her feet and the snow-white skin of her lower legs were visible. Unlike before, there were no lotus prints following behind her. Instead there were two trails of blood smeared on the stone tiles. Like two blood-red, twisting snakes.
“You cheap slave, you’ve harmed me!” Wuya Qinddai suddenly shrieked. “I definitely won’t let you off!”
Such a scene frightened the elegant ladies into silence, one that stretched on for a while.
Especially afraid was the timid Lu Wanwan, whole body leaning against Nalan Chunxue. She grasped the sleeves of the other elegant lady, voice trembling. “How frightening. What did she do wrong that the emperor had to punish her like this?”
Nalan Chunxue stared at the crimson marks smeared on the ground. After a moment of thought, she ventured a guess. “Maybe the emperor didn’t like her shoes.”
“Why not?” Hand covering her lips, Lu Wanwan asked, bewildered. “The ‘lotus upon every step’ is so interesting and charming. How could the emperor dislike it?”
“You and I’ve just entered the palace. How could we know the emperor’s tastes?” Nalan Chunxue kept her voice to a whisper. “What about that palace maid, though?”
“You mean the pretty one from before?” Lu Wanwan must have had a good impression of the maid to say such a thing involuntarily. “They’re palace maids that just entered the palace like us. She couldn’t have known something that we didn’t.”
“You’re right.” Nalan Chunxue also felt that was impossible. The more likely scenario was that Wuya Qingdai was unlucky, and the shoes she wore inspired the emperor’s detest.
But what if the little palace maid had actually been privy to that knowledge?
“If she really did know something…” Nalan Chunxue thought to herself, “then rather than place her shoe in the palm of that palace maid’s hands, Wuya Qingdai had placed her life! Completely at that maid’s mercy!”
Such a thought caused Nalan Chunxue’s blood to freeze. She couldn’t help but mutter, “Now that it’s mentioned, that little palace maid… What was her name again?”
“Yingluo.”
Wei Yingluo paused in her needlework, turning her head to face Jixiang. “What is it?”
Jixiang looked like she wanted to say something. Before that could happen, however, the door to the embroidery workshop swung open. In walked an eunuch dressed in all green. Jixiang quickly ducked her head and continued her embroidery.
“General Manager Wu,” greeted Granny⁷ Zhang, who was responsible for overseeing the new palace maids in their embroidery.
Wu Shulai waved his hand to decline her gift. “I’m here to take a look at this year’s new palace maids.”
Granny Zhang took her place behind General Manager Wu, and the two passed by and inspected the palace maids one by one.
All of a sudden, Wu Shulai coughed.
Although the cough was soft, several palace maids jerked their needles. Despite recovering quickly, the palace maids moved their needles faster and more nimbly than before. As if they wanted to show Wu Shulai a good impression of a flying needle⁸.
The only person who kept calm in her embroidery, neither going too fast nor too slow, was Wei Yingluo.
“There’s always a veteran in the bunch,” said Wu Shulai, peering over Wei Yingluo’s shoulder to observe her work. After nodding in satisfaction, he made his way to Jixiang.
“…And then there are some that still need practice.”
Jixiang’s cheeks glowed pink. The weather couldn’t be considered warm, but the sweat on her temple was no illusion. She gritted her teeth, hands moving faster into a blur. As a result, she pricked her finger. A soft grunt escaped her lips despite the low intensity of the pain. She brought that finger into her mouth for a suck.
Behind her, Wu Shulai shook his head. Then he left her side to inspect the next palace maid.
Once he was gone, Jixiang stopped embroidering. Dropped her head.
“…What’s wrong?” Wei Yingluo’s hand stopped, and she faced Jixiang, brow furrowing and apprehensive.
Wei Yingluo watched the other palace maid’s hand as Jixiang pulled a stitch tightly, the tension more than usual. Her embroidery was only half-finished and the quality left much to be desired. But Wei Yingluo could not blame her. Her right hand had been stepped on and crushed by Wuya Qingdai. Although she received medical attention after, her hand still came out bruised and swollen. Not to mention, she couldn’t request a break. Jixiang could only bite her teeth and endure.
Currently, her white bandage had stained red. Whether Jixiang had accidentally pricked her finger again or if her bandage had leaked, a drop of blood fell onto the embroidery.
In any case, the embroidery was ruined.
“W-what should I do…” Jixiang broke into a sob, quickly wiping the red spot in hopes that it would come off.
“Jixiang, stop…” But Wei Yingluo had spoken too late.
The piece of embroidery originally had a small and inconspicuous speck of blood marring its image. Since Jixiang had rubbed at it so much, the red spread all over. To cover it up now would prove difficult.
bloody embroidery
There were still two other people embroidering nearby. One was Jinxiu. The other was Linglong, who had grown up in the same village as Jixiang. Jinxiu saw Jixiang’s predicament. From her lips spilled unnecessary and rude words. “In order to be a palace maid, one must be intelligent and nimble. A fool like you will be kicked out of the palace sooner or later. No need to waste your effort!”
Linglong, sympathetic towards the Jixiang whom she had shared the same village, showed her sympathy on her face. “What a shame.”
“Linglong!” Jixiang called out, her eyes red, sobbing like a child. “We grew up together. Help me think of a solution, won’t you?”
Although they were companions from the same village, in the face of troubling times, Linglong would rather not have such a companion. “What do you want from me? I haven’t finished my embroidery either!”
In the embroidery workshop was a sandalwood table. On top sat a copper incense burner, images of beasts carved into the sides. Jixiang couldn’t help but turn her head to look at it. Standing straight from the top was a stick of incense that had already burned through one half⁹, and the mouth of the incense burner was filled with ash. The time for the test was almost up.
incense burner
A copper incense burner with beasts carved into it.
“What can I do…” Once again she could not keep the tears from falling. As they fell, she felt the weight in her hands lighten. She whipped her head around. Caught the sight of Wei Yingluo holding her embroidery. Then Wei Yingluo handed Jixiang her own work.
Jixiang’s face was the picture of shock. “You…”
“Dry your eyes.” After Wei Yingluo switched their embroideries, she worked on the one now in her hands, her head never lifting from the embroidery to divert her focus. “Don’t let Granny Zhang see them.”
Her actions were quick. Those who saw Wei Yingluo switch the embroideries were few. Jixiang, Jinxiu, and Linglong shared a look. Then Linglong quietly said, “Are you crazy? The test is to embroider a golden koi and she’s stained it with blood! No matter how hard you try you won’t be able to save it. We’ve only got half a stick of incense left. It’s too late to start over!”
Wei Yingluo squinted, meticulously studying the embroidery for a moment, then started to thread a needle. She smiled at the flustered Jixiang. “This peony is only lacking two stitches. Help me finish it.”
“Yingluo, are you thinking clearly?” Linglong couldn’t help but ask.
Not waiting for Wei Yingluo to respond, Jinxiu sneered, “Why are you wasting your time to care about her?”
After staring dazedly at the embroidery in her hands, Jixiang suddenly handed it back to Wei Yingluo, head shaking. “Take it back, take it back! I don’t want to drag you into this. Hurry and give me back my embroidery!”
But Wei Yingluo lightly waved her right hand and blocked what Jixiang tried to push her way. Then she shot a sideways glance toward the approaching Granny Zhang.
From the look in Wei Yingluo’s eyes and the direction from which she had glanced, Jixiang could guess that Granny Zhang was coming over. She no longer tried to speak. Instead, she pretended to stitch the nearly-completed piece of embroidery.
As she took a closer look at what was in her hands, she went into a slight daze once more.
The embroidery had only a couple stitches missing. A life-like peony, its beauty unparalleled.
We had given the order that daughters of Han Bannermen were forbidden from binding their feet: The act of footbinding was started and performed by the Han Chinese. They would bind the feet of their daughters since young, since small feet was considered attractive. But this act caused their feet to be crushed, unable to grow normally. So these girls couldn’t walk properly. Footbinding wasn’t nearly as popular among the Mongol and the Manchu. The practice was banned in the Qing dynasty.
Han Bannermen families: Quick history lesson. So remember how during the Qing dynasty, the military and administrative offices were split among eight banners? All of the Manchu and Mongol people were under a Banner. But only some of the Han Chinese families belonged to one. That’s because the current rulers of China, the Manchu, did not want too much power to fall into the hands of the Han Chinese, who were the rulers of most Chinese dynasties in the past. Even the imperial harem did not escape this discrimination: most harems of Qing dynasty emperors were devoid of any Han Chinese women. They were afraid that the Han Chinese sons might seize control of the monarchy. This however proved difficult since the population of Han Chinese severely eclipsed the population of Manchu. There’s even a saying that in the Qing dynasty, the court was full of Manchu but the harem was full of Mongol women (the Manchu considered the Mongols as descendants from a common ancestor and had no qualms interbreeding with them)
Pan Yunu: (潘玉奴) Also known as Consort Pan, she was Emperor Xiao Baojuan’s beloved Imperial Consort. From Wikipedia: “Consort Pan was described to be exceedingly beautiful, and Xiao Baojuan much favored her. She was described to be so elegant in her walking that Xiao Baojuan made tiles of lotus patterns with gold and had her walk on it, praising her walk as ‘each step there is a lotus.’ Some historians believe that Pan Yunu started the Chinese tradition of foot binding, but there is no conclusive evidence of this.”
Xiao Baojuan (萧宝卷) From Wikipedia: “Xiao Biaojuan was an emperor of the Chinese dynasty of Southern Qi. He was known as a violent ruler who executed high-level officials at his whim, and this drew several major rebellions, the last of which, by his general Xiao Yan, overthrew him and eventually his dynasty.”
Hitting the nail right on the head and enjoying it too: (一针见血) Literally “drawing blood with a needle.” So what this means is that someone said something that was incredibly blunt but true, and that person also enjoyed saying it.
Three-inch-long feet: 三寸 is part of a longer saying that means a girl has feet that are so small from footbinding, she will sway when she walk, making her hips seems wider and the girl more attractive. The three inch (三寸) part comes from the fact that those feet are said to fit in a three-inch diameter plate.
Granny: (叡叡) Māmā is an older female servant. They are older than gōgō. In the context of the Forbidden City, a māmā usually follows the older consorts (some emperors were princes for a LONG time before rising into an emperor), and work as nannies for the imperial princes and princesses, among other things. They could also help supervise interior departments like embroidery or jewelry making.
Good impression of a flying needle: (飞针走线) Fēi zhēn zǒu xiàn basically means they want to show off how fast they can embroider.
Stick of incense burned through half: One stick lasts about 30 minutes, so half would be 15 minutes.