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Yaoying followed behind the eunuch and slowly climbed the moss-stained steps.
The stars were fading away and the first rays of morning light were peeking out.
The bell announcing the break of dawn resonated throughout the entire palace.
Through the vermillion paneled windows, one could see the flickering candlelight. Li De, diligent in government affairs, would summon the Hall of Government Affairs ministers practically daily to discuss official business. The candle flame in the inner hall would be lit all night.
The eunuch entered the hall to report.
Yaoying stood above the red courtyard. Looking back at the magnificent palace located halfway up the mountainside in the distance, her white-as-the-first-snow face was without a trace of emotion.
The northeast corner of the palace city had ranges of mountains. Buildings and pavilions were located there, their eaves were interlaced and lined in neat rows, their glazed tiles reflecting cold and shining light.
That was the imperial villa that the previous emperor of the former dynasty had built as a summer palace. The Taiji Palace was low in elevation. In the summer, it was hot and stuffy, with damp moss crawling in the corners that hadn’t gotten enough sunlight. Whereas the imperial villa was built on a hillside: grand and magnificent, spacious and uncluttered, more suitable for living.
Yaoying secretly calculated: After the Brahmin medicine affair was cleared up, she had to find a way to move Noble Consort Xie into the imperial villa.
The Taiji Palace was too stifling and too close to the calculating people.
A gust of damp morning breeze brushed past, chilling to the bones. Yaoying couldn’t help but shiver, and wrapped the moon-white folded lotus wrap around her shoulder.
The eunuch came out and invited her in.
It was already dawn, but several candles were still burning in the gilt lantern in the corner of the hall. Li De was sitting in front of the dragon table, flipping through memorials. His hair was pale at the temples, like flowers1 blooming quietly in the darkness, his whole body encircled with a kind of solitary sereneness.
Yaoying stepped forward.
Li De looked at memorials spread on the table and said: “It will be the Buddha’s birthday in a few days. Noble Consort cannot organize it so the Crown Princess will preside over the Buddha’s birthday puja. Princess Fukang will be married to Chief Yelu in the next few days so the Crown Princess is also in charge of sending Princess Fukang off. She cannot take care of it all, so you go and assist the Crown Princess in planning the puja.”
Yaoying was stunned. She thought Li De called her to ask about Noble Consort Xie.
After Li De finished talking, he didn’t care what Yaoying’s reaction was, and waved his hand to indicate that she should withdraw.
Yaoying didn’t want to have anything to do with the Eastern Palace, but she knew that since Li De had personally called to give her instructions, he would not allow her to make excuses and refuse. She could only calmly answer yes and exit the inner hall.
The highest ranking consort in the palace, Noble Consort Xie, could not manage the palace affairs, and many ceremonies were taken care of by Crown Princess Zheng Biyu. Buddha’s birthday puja ceremony would be held in Linde Hall, and the fragrance tray and gold Buddha had been properly set up on the sacred table. Zheng Biyu feared that mistakes would pop up, and personally went over to watch the palace people clean the palace room.
Yaoying arrived at Linde Hall and asked Zheng Biyu what she needed to do.
Zheng Biyu said with a smile, “I don’t dare to make qiniang tired. All the official ladies will attend this puja, qiniang helping to entertain them would be a big help to me.”
Yaoying and Li Xuanzhen had an awkward relationship, but she never had a problem with Zheng Biyu, so she nodded and said, “Sister-in-law’s instructions are fine.”
Zheng Biyu was indeed so busy that she was frenzied. Before the two could say a few words, people kept coming into the hall to ask her for instructions.
Yaoying listened to some of the questions and found that they were all Princess Fukang’s affairs, so she secretly marvelled: Zheng Biyu was preparing Zhu Luyun’s dowry.
Was this how the dust would settle?
Yaoying remained calm and collected.
When she returned to the wangfu, the chief historian reported to her, “Your Highness, the date for Princess Fukang’s wedding ceremony has been set; it will be in three months.”
Yaoying was unconvinced and asked, “No movement from the Eastern Palace?”
The chief historian said, “The Eastern Palace’s chief historian has sent no shortage of portraits of beauties, gold, silver, and treasures to Chief Yelu, persuading Chief Yelu to marry another, but the tribal chief did not agree.”
Chief Yelu was not stupid. Zhu Luyun’s identity was not ordinary; since he had already offended the Central Plains empire, naturally he would marry a princess with the most worth.
It seemed that Zhu Luyun had made her own bed this time and would really have to marry away to the grasslands.
Yaoying still felt uneasy.
The next day, Xie Qing delivered a letter from Li Zhongqian.
Yaoying read her older brother’s letter and felt a little more secure in her heart. She wrote back that very night.
In the following days, all was quiet in the capital.
Zheng Biyu knew that Yaoying could not step a foot into the Eastern Palace. If there was anything to discuss, she would ask to meet her in the Linde Hall. Her attitude was relaxed and calm.
Even so, Xie Qing still did not feel relieved and followed Yaoying around every day, practically stepping at her heels.
He was strong and tall. Standing there, he seemed lofty as a mountain.
Zheng Biyu’s maid politely suggested: The Crown Princess was a woman of the Eastern Palace. Xie Qing was a male outsider and should avoid her.
Xie Qing said stiffly, “I am the Seventh Princess’s escort and will never leave her.”
The maid was so angry that she almost collapsed.
Zheng Biyu did not say anything. She knew that Xie Qing was notoriously loyal. As long as Li Yaoying gave the order, he would resolutely carry it out without asking a single question. Even if Li Yaoying ordered him to kill himself, he would not hesitate to raise his sword and slice his throat.
In a flash, it was the day of the Buddha’s birthday puja.
Yaoying slept over in the palace the night prior, and got up when the sun was not yet up to make preparations.
Zheng Biyu was made up and dressed to the nines in jewelry and ceremonial clothes, standing in the inner hall directing the palace staff. When she saw Yaoying, wearing a lotus crown, in a silvery-pink dress and jade ruqun, she smiled and said, “Qiniang’s beauty could overturn cities. Without dressing up, you outshine everyone else. But today is the puja, isn’t qiniang dressed too plainly?”
Yaoying said with carelessness, “A Buddhist puja, why need to dress up?”
Zheng Biyu shook her head and called some palace maids to bring Yaoying in front of the bronze mirror to do her makeup: drawing her eyebrows and a flower in between, applying blush and putting rouge on her lips.
Yaoying was already outstanding in appearance. Dressed up, she lost a bit of her childishness. When their eyes circled her, they could not fully express her tender and delicate beauty.
The palace maid was taken aback by her appearance and was quiet for a moment.
Zheng Biyu also could not help but secretly sigh. No wonder the bunch of hedonistic sons in the capital secretly said the seventh princess was the first beauty.
She returned to her senses and picked up the bamboo styler to twist half-blooming peony flower hairpins beside each of Yaoying’s temples. She also picked up a gold, inlaid with jade butterflies dangling hairpin and a flower hairpin to put on Yaoying.
One by one, the womenfolk entered the palace by carriage, and Yaoying went to entertain them.
The Prime Minister’s furen took her hand and wouldn’t let go: “You did not go to the spring banquet. Soon, I’ll hold a tea banquet. Jiannan’s Mengding Shihua, Changzhou’s Yang Xian, both are good teas, you must come!”
Yaoying smiled and agreed.
After some chatting, a palace maid came over: “Your lord, Daci’en Temple’s representative has arrived.”
Yaoying asked, “Where is the Crown Princess?”
The palace maid said, “Her Highness is talking to the eldest Grand Princess. Please go over first, Your Highness. She will arrive later.”
Yaoying looked back and swept a glance down the corridor.
Xie Qing, who was guarding in front of the steps, immediately understood her meaning and walked to her side in large strides, following closely behind her.



The puja had not yet begun so the womenfolk gathered in the side hall to have tea. The palace hall was of wealthy women in gorgeous makeup and dresses.
Zheng Biyu looked around several times, and not seeing Li Yaoying’s figure, asked a palace maid: “Where is the seventh princess?”
The palace maid pointed north: “The Seventh Princess went in that direction.”
Zheng Biyu frowned: Why did the seventh princess suddenly leave?



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Buy me a kofi for faster releases.
I’m taking this opportunity to let whoever’s interested know that I’m taking next week off just to work on life things but I’ll make up the missed posts the following week :)
I also realized that I never clarified what puja was and here’s Google’s definition of it: worship ritual to offer devotional homage and prayer to one or more deities, to host and honour a guest, or to spiritually celebrate an event. Buddha’s birthday falls under the third category.
1 Queen of Night cactus but I didn’t like the way they looked. Fun fact, my dad grows them in our front yard and can confirm, these only bloom during the night but they smell great and are super pretty.