Chapter 135: The Queen’s Position

Chapter 135: The Queen's Position

Consort De scrutinized the direction pointed out by Consort He and recognized it was Prince Jun. Prince Jun, plump and large-eared, was a grandnephew of Emperor Gaozong. However, his branch was somewhat taboo – his grandfather was the ill-fated King Min, deposed by Emperor Gaozong and posthumously named Min.

"In national calamities we mourn, causing the people’s suffering we mourn, in unending national worries we mourn, amidst chaos and disaster we mourn."

Using 'Min' as a posthumous title could express sympathy or disdain. Emperor Gaozong’s decision to depose him and name him 'Min' clearly reflected the sentiments of his subjects.

Later, Emperor Qianning ascended the throne and reunited the Great Zhou. To demonstrate benevolence, he restored the title of Prince to the descendants, bestowing the title 'Jun', but since then, the Princes of Jun had become notorious for their debauchery.

Consort De, contemplating this history, knew that Prince Jun was trying to please the Emperor. She glared at him covertly, then carefully observed the dancer below. Relieved that, although beautiful, the dancer was no match for her own beauty, only possessing a graceful figure… Bah! Just a mere dancer, even if the Emperor took her in, it wouldn't matter.

Thinking this, she still couldn't help but glance towards the Emperor, seeing him conversing happily with Princess Huaiqing. Unsure of what the father and daughter were discussing, she noted their cheerful expressions and was relieved that he wasn't looking at the dancer.

After a while, once Princess Huaiqing had delivered the peeled shrimp and returned to her seat from the Emperor's side, Consort De took a sip of tea, feeling a pang of jealousy: the Emperor wasn’t watching the dancer, but his gaze was fixed on Noble Consort Zhao!

She finished her tea in one gulp, feeling a bit sulky. After a moment, she couldn't resist looking at Noble Consort Zhao again. Noble Consort Zhao, no longer watching the old Rui King, seemed quite captivated by the dancer presented by Prince Jun, tilting her head slightly, thoroughly engrossed.

"Why are you looking at the dancer? Look at His Majesty, he's staring at you!"

Consort De wished she could replace Noble Consort Zhao in exchanging tender glances with His Majesty, but she could only fantasize about it and lowered her head, picking up another steamed lion's head with her chopsticks.

"Consort De, what's wrong?" Princess Huaiqing asked with some confusion. Consort De, always concerned with beauty, especially after giving birth to the Third Prince, usually refrained from eating too much meat in the evening.

"I'm fine," Consort De forced a smile, eager to change the subject. She turned to Consort He and whispered, "Sister Consort He, you often visit Yaohua Palace; surely you've seen the list for tonight's Mid-Autumn banquet. Do you know which consorts are scheduled to perform next?"

Consort He, seemingly full, set down her chopsticks and enthusiastically shared with Consort De, "No more, I'm afraid. After this dancer finishes her performance, the banquet will likely conclude. Originally, Wan Cairen and Sun Baolin were supposed to perform too, but Wan Cairen is pregnant and cannot participate, and Sun Baolin is confined and couldn't come, alas."

She ended with a gesture of regret.

Hearing this, Consort De leaned slightly to glance down the table at the other consorts and asked, "Isn't Lu Cairen performing either?"

She was deeply interested in Lu Cairen, who, like the Xie family, had entered the palace with physical issues that precluded her from serving the Emperor. Therefore, she had been closely observing Lu Cairen, who, due to a facial injury, hadn't been summoned by His Majesty. Even after healing, she had fallen out of favor. Logically, the Mid-Autumn banquet should have been her best chance to gain favor. Why wasn’t she performing?

Consort He shook her head and confided to Consort De, "She's not performing. Look at her gentle demeanor and beautiful appearance. It's a pity we won't see it."

"What's there to pity?"

Consort De looked at Consort He strangely and responded perfunctorily, "Yes, indeed a pity."

After a moment's thought, she added, "Lu Cairen, after all, comes from a prominent family; perhaps she still feels restrained."

Consort De pondered that high-ranking consorts like them, even if they wished, would not perform for favor, as it wasn't a dignified act. Perhaps Lu Cairen, being new to the palace, still had some reserve due to her noble upbringing.

As they spoke, the dancer on stage bowed to the Emperor, her movement slow and graceful, showcasing her figure. However, not receiving the response she hoped for, she retreated from the hall, disappointed.

The Emperor, in the end, showed no intention of taking her into the palace.

Junwang tried to say something more, but the Emperor announced the end of the banquet, descended the jade steps, and left Qian Nian Hall with Noble Consort Zhao.

The royal family members remaining at the table had their thoughts drifting, especially on this Mid-Autumn night, the fifteenth. The Emperor leaving with Noble Consort Zhao signified his clear preference for her as the Empress.

Although there had been earlier news of the emperor instructing the Astronomical Bureau to choose an auspicious day to crown the empress, it now seems that this position was likely already destined for the Noble Consort Zhao.

On the first court session after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor appeared to be in a particularly good mood. Even though his facial expressions were hidden behind his elaborate headwear, his tone was unmistakably relaxed and gentle.

This prompted a courtier, holding a jade scepter, to seize the opportunity and petition for the appointment of the empress.

He presented a lengthy, well-referenced discourse, essentially arguing that just as a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, it cannot be without an empress either, urging His Majesty to appoint an empress soon.

The emperor had no objections, but the courtiers proposed three candidates for the position.

The first was Noble Consort Zhao from Yaohua Palace, who was of noble birth and had a son and a daughter, with her son being the emperor's eldest, making her the logical choice for empress.

The second was Consort De from Guangyang Palace, the mother of three princes, with her uncle serving as the Vice Minister of Public Works and poised to succeed as the Minister, making her also a strong contender for the empress's position.

The third candidate, however, was not from the emperor's harem but a maiden from a noble family — the granddaughter of the Prime Minister, Miss Wei.

At the age of fifteen, Wei's coming-of-age ceremony had just passed. Her father was the governor of Yunzhou, and her mother, a daughter of the old wise King, the Princess of Shouchang. Raised by her grandparents in the capital, she was renowned for her filial piety. When she reached maturity, at least seven or eight families had shown interest in marrying her, but nothing came of it due to her parents' absence.

The court officials each had their preferred candidate for Empress, debating fervently until Sheng An raised his voice and called for "silence," which finally restored order in the hall.

The Emperor, seated at the highest place, spoke in an unfathomable tone, "What does the Left Prime Minister think?"

The Left Prime Minister, dressed in a purple court robe embroidered with nine patterns including mountains, dragons, exotic insects, ancestral symbols, algae, fire, powdered rice, yellow and black patterns, with a goldfish bag at his waist and holding a jade scepter, had been silent until the Emperor addressed him. He stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, this concerns the royal household. I dare not presume."

——

Note: (1) Liu Xiang's "Explanation of Posthumous Titles"