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CH 6: Secret Edict
Being the Emperor was easy. Han Ruzi had nothing to do, nor did his actions affect the functioning of the Imperial Court or the stability of the realm. Yet being the Emperor was also burdensome. His every action could directly affect anywhere from a few people or tens of thousands of people. The ascension ceremony was a major event with far-reaching consequences. Thousands of people were bustling about in preparation, and the Ministry of Rites and Decorum was the most important of them.
The Minister of Rites and Decorum had the role of personally explaining to the Emperor the various rituals of the ascension ceremony. Prince Donghai’s risky plan was to be employed on this man.
“The senior officials are often in support of the Emperor and opposed to the inner Imperial Palace interfering in politics. The Minister of Rites[1]… What’s he called? Yuan Jiu-ding. Tomorrow, you should secretly hand him an edict tasking him with rallying the officials of the Imperial Court to rescue you.”
Han Ruzi smiled but shook his head. “That would not do. It did not appear very effective when the senior officials surrounded the Empress Dowager’s palace-chambers and the Ancestral Temple that last time.”
“That was different. That was the officials acting on their own accord without an imperial edict. No one was in charge, so the hundreds of them only dared to use their mouths and not their hands. With your edict, acting in opposition to the Empress Dowager would be legitimate.”
“How… How do I issue an imperial edict? By speaking to the Minister of Rites directly?” Han Ruzi was a little persuaded.
“Of course not. You will surely be watched. You must issue a secret edict.”
“A secret edict?”
“Yes… I’ve seen it in books, it was an edict hidden in a waistband. Write an edict and hide it in a waistband, then secretly hand it to Yuan Jiu-ding. He will immediately understand.”
“Have past Emperors done this?” Han Ruzi was extremely shocked, and his interest was piqued further.
“Did you only learn to write and not read anything?”
“My mother told me lots of stories.”
Prince Donghai could not hold back his laughter. He quickly looked at the door before saying softly, “That was a story from a previous dynasty. It was recorded in the history books. As for the first secret waistband edict of our dynasty, it will be written by you.”
“What should I write?”
“I should not have to teach you everything. Just say that you are being held captive, and order the senior officials to depose the Empress Dowager and rescue you out of the palace.”
“Depose the Empress Dowager?”
“Hush, be quiet. The palace is full of the Empress Dowager’s spies.” There were footsteps coming from outside again so Prince Donghai returned to his cattail mat. He whispered, “Write the secret edict tonight and hand it to Yuan Jiu-ding tomorrow. The senior officials will get things done within three days. Then you can abdicate the throne to me. If you dare renege, I will have the Cui clan kill you off. Also, make sure you write on something personal to the Emperor, that way it will be credible. Just paper will not do.”
Han Ruzi still had many questions, but the door was opened and Jing Yao walked in. He knelt on the bare ground and remained silent, appearing to be adamant about personally keeping an eye on the two.
In the time remaining to the day, Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai never had the chance to communicate with each other. They could only occasionally exchange glances. Prince Donghai became increasingly assured, while Han Ruzi grew less and less confident. However, he badly wanted to leave the palace and return to his mother, and hence was willing to bear any risk.
Writing a secret edict was not a simple matter. Han Ruzi always had someone by his side. Even when sleeping at night, there would be someone sleeping on the couch in the same room as him. Sometimes it would an eunuch, sometimes it would be a servant-girl. Any sound would cause them to wake up.
The next day, when Han Ruzi got up before dawn, he had yet to find a chance to write the secret edict.
It was the eleventh day of the fast, and one more item was added to Han Ruzi’s schedule — paying respects to the Empress Dowager after getting up from bed.
Attendant Zuo Ji personally came to fetch the Emperor. After a precisely standard kowtow, the young attendant began to display his extraordinariness. Other eunuchs and servant-girls always went out of their way to avoid all communication with the Emperor — even a glance was not acceptable. But Zuo Ji was all smiles, like a friendly uncle or older brother, his tone that of a lecturing but casual senior.
“Filial piety is the first amongst virtues and the Emperor must lead the people by example. Is Your Majesty willing to be filial to your mother?”
“I am willing.” There was never a moment when Han Ruzi did not miss his mother who was trapped outside of the palace.
“Who is Your Majesty’s mother?”
Han Ruzi did not answer.
Zuo Ji waited a moment before saying, “Your Majesty’s mother is the Empress Dowager, whose surname is Shang-guan. Your Majesty may address her as ‘Lady Mother’ or ‘Empress Dowager’.”
“My mother is… the Empress Dowager.” Han Ruzi could not bring himself to call her Mother.
Zuo Ji did not force the issue and continued, “The Empress Dowager is Your Majesty’s only mother. Other than the Gods and the ancestors, Your Majesty must not kneel to anyone except the Empress Dowager. That is not because the Empress Dowager is of a higher position than Your Majesty, but because Your Majesty must display your filial piety to all under heaven.”
“Mm,” Han Ruzi answered.
“Other than the Empress Dowager, everyone else, regardless of age or rank, is Your Majesty’s subject. They are not Your Majesty’s equal. That includes Grand Consort Shang-guan and Prince Donghai.”
“Mm.”
“Does Your Majesty have any other mothers?”
Han Ruzi nodded, but quickly shook his head. He said softly, “I only have one mother, that is the Empress Dowager.” But in his heart, he was still thinking of his true mother outside the palace.
Zuo Ji was satisfied. “One’s filial piety must be sincere. Any duplicity may deceive others, but can never deceive oneself, let alone the Gods.”
Han Ruzi thought that he would be able to finally meet the Empress Dowager, but in the end all he did was kowtow outside the Empress Dowager’s quarters. He complied with Zuo Ji’s instructions and said, “This child pays his respects to the Empress Dowager”. And then a servant-girl came along and said a few courteous platitudes, and then the rite of paying respects was over.
As he sent the Emperor off on his way, Zuo Ji explained, “These past few days have been exhausting for the Empress Dowager and she is not feeling well. Your Majesty is about to formally ascend to the throne; the Empress Dowager does not want to affect Your Majesty’s mood during this time.”
Regardless of what Zuo Ji said, Han Ruzi just grunted in acknowledgement. He did not have anything to say, nor did he want to lie.
The Empress Dowager’s palace-chambers was called the Cishun Palace — the ‘Palace of Kindness and Submission’. The Emperor’s quarters was supposed to be the Taian Palace — the Palace of Peace and Tranquility. But given that the new Emperor was not yet married, he was arranged to stay in a small courtyard near the Cishun Palace. Han Ruzi was not picky about it, but he did feel quite lonely. He even started to miss Prince Donghai.
Prince Donghai lived next door, but the two of them could not move about freely. Only on formal occasions could they meet.
This morning’s formal occasion was the rehearsal conducted by the Ministry of Rites and Decorum. The Minister of Rites and Decorum, Yuan Jiu-ding, was an old man in his sixties. He had a large build, maybe a little fat, but that served to make him appear more stately. He brought two assistants and ten Imperial University Professors along with him. They explained and demonstrated the various stages of the ascension ceremony.
Within four years, the Chu Empire had already seen the ascension of two Emperors — Han Ruzi would be the third. The officials of the Ministry of Rites and Decorum were thus highly experienced in conducting the ascension ceremony, and they did their best in reducing the burdens on the Emperor. All Han Ruzi needed to do was to don the heavy ceremonial robes, set out from the Ancestral Temple, walk past two palace-complexes, and finally sit upright on the Dragon Throne while receiving the kowtows of the Imperial Court officials.
Han Ruzi had it all memorized after just going through it once, but the officials of the Ministry of Rites and Decorum did not rest assured. They requested a rehearsal be conducted every morning for the next few days to ensure absolutely no mistakes were made. They even calculated the number of footsteps that had to be taken. Apparently, these details had their subtle and profound significance and forebode the Emperor’s future.
Han Ruzi truly wished to ask whether there were any mistakes when his father and brother ascended the throne.
Perhaps to keep up with the number of officials from the Ministry of Rites and Decorum, the palace dispatched an unusually large number of attendants — twice the number of officials. Jing Yao and Zuo Ji flanked the sides of the new Emperor while the senior officials demonstrating the ceremony could only speak to the new Emperor with someone standing between them.
Even if Han Ruzi had written a secret edict, he would not be able to hand it to any official.
Prince Donghai followed the entourage of attendants, his heart filled with jealousy. He was also hopeful and kept shooting glances at Han Ruzi. But seeing that Han Ruzi did not react, he could not help but burn with anxiety.
In the afternoon, the two of them remained fasting in the quiet chamber. Jing Yao and Zuo Ji took turns kneeling at the door in accompaniment, but Yang Feng never showed up.
Yet another day passed, and Zuo Ji’s watchful supervision seemed to relax. At some point he exited the quiet chamber to do who-knows-what. Prince Donghai seized the chance and leapt to Han Ruzi’s side. He reached out his hand. “What’s going on? Where is your secret edict? Why have you not done anything yet?”
“I can’t do it.”
“Why can’t you do it? You are so stupid — why can’t you just pretend to have a fall?”
“I can’t even write anything, there’s always someone in the room.”
“Heavens!” Prince Donghai smacked his own head a few times in frustration. “Have you never had servants before? You are their master, you can give them orders! Like asking them to catch fish in the winter, or to grab fireflies in the summer, or to serve food in the middle of the night… That’s what they’re supposed to do! Did you actually think servants should just sleep soundly the entire night? You…”
The eunuch Zuo Ji noiselessly returned. He smiled and said, “Prince Donghai, this is where the Founding Emperor’s ceremonial dress is housed. Your behavior is improper.”
Prince Donghai embarrassedly returned to his cattail mat. “It might be because I did not have any food in the morning so I was feeling a little dizzy and fell over. I’ve heard that the Founding Emperor was very kind to his descendants. He would forgive me, right?”
Zuo Ji knelt at the door and did not pursue the matter. Prince Donghai heaved a sigh of relief, and kept to himself the rest of the day.
The problem was left to Han Ruzi. Of course he had had servants before. Not many, but his mother Maiden Wang was always polite to these servants and never made strange requests of them. Hence, something that might come easy to Prince Donghai was quite difficult for Han Ruzi.
Han Ruzi thought on it for a long while, and finally thought of an idea after dinner.
He first announced that he wished to practice his writing. The two eunuchs in the room were very obedient, and they immediately lay out paper and prepared the ink using an inkstone. Han Ruzi’s characters were not written very neatly. He kept writing and throwing away the pages, while those which he was especially dissatisfied with were torn into bits. The two eunuchs then picked up the papers and scraps thrown about.
There was not that much paper in the room for Han Ruzi to throw about. Just before the paper ran out, one of the eunuchs went to get more. Han Ruzi spoke to the other eunuch in a deliberately off-handed manner, “Get me a cup of tea.”
“Your Majesty should rest…” The eunuch was rather hesitant.
“A cup of water would be fine as well. I am thirsty.” Han Ruzi tried his best to put on Prince Donghai’s tone.
The other eunuch thus left the room. Han Ruzi continued to write on the paper, and quickly tore a small piece which he kept hidden within his left hand.
Every item of clothing in the room had someone to keep an eye on. Han Ruzi was unable to get a wasitband or any other personal effect to hide a secret edict in.
Things went much more smoothly than he had expected. The two eunuchs returned quickly and did not discover anything. Han Ruzi went to bed after drinking the cup of water, but he hardly slept this night.
The next day’s bath and changing of attire was the most troublesome. He had to be waited upon by the eunuchs and servant-girls while completely naked. The crushed paper ball was small, but it was difficult to keep hidden. His hands, his collar, his waistband, his sleeves… Han Ruzi kept moving this little paper ball around, and finally managed to keep it hidden.
And then it was time to hand it over to the Minister of Rites and Decorum, Yuan Jiu-ding. This was a very difficult step. There were always at least two eunuchs standing between him and the officials of the Court, so there was no chance for direct interaction.
Prince Donghai was still with the entourage of attendants. Through exchanging glances, he knew that the secret edict had been written, and he was even more anxious than Han Ruzi. Just before the rehearsal was about to end, Prince Donghai tripped over a doorway and fell forward with great force. The entire procession thus fell over each other.
Han Ruzi finally had the chance to fall onto the Minister of Rites and Decorum.
Prince Donghai got up and apologized profusely. To the officials and eunuchs participating in the rehearsal, this was a serious matter. Nobody dared to lay the blame on Prince Donghai, so they got on their knees and admitted to their misconduct. They then discussed a plan to avoid such an incident from happening during the actual ascension ceremony.
In the afternoon, when Prince Donghai had the opportunity, he impatiently asked Han Ruzi, “Is it done?”
Han Ruzi nodded. He had stuffed that paper ball into the Minister’s wasitband. Yuan Jiu-ding must surely have felt something and yet he kept silent. This was a good sign.
“Everything’s done, then. Just wait and see. We will soon be able to escape the Empress Dowager’s clutches,” Prince Donghai prophesized with extreme confidence.
[1] The Minister of Rites and Decorum will be called the “Minister of Rites” when used in dialogue, to prevent it from being too much of a mouthful for characters to say.