Chapter 28: The Deflated Princess

Qionghua Palace is located in the southeast corner of the Imperial City.

In the Great Ning Dynasty, the "East" is considered supreme. Emperor Yuanchang’s Chongzheng Hall sits on the eastern side of the Imperial City, with the Empress Dowager’s Ciyuan Palace adjacent to its north, and the Lizheng Palace—once home to the Empress—nestled beside that. The Emperor’s birth mother passed away when he was only eight, and the Empress departed ten years ago; thus, both palaces have stood empty. The only difference is that the Lizheng Palace is still tended to by the original palace staff, and the Emperor often visits to sit in silence, mourning the past.

The Ciyuan Palace, however, is truly devoid of a single soul.

It was just outside the rarely visited Ciyuan Palace that Shen Jifeng spotted a furtive little eunuch.

Shen Jifeng never brought maids with her when entering the palace. The imperial rules were rigid, and one had to kneel upon seeing others; she didn't want to put them through that trouble for no reason. Besides, she had hands and feet of her own and did not need someone to wait on her at every turn.

Passing through the half-open side gate, Shen Jifeng stepped into the courtyard of Ciyuan Palace. The little eunuch had already scurried past the hanging flower gate.

The further she walked, the louder the clamor became.

"Open, open, open!"
"Big, big, big!"

Without needing to see for herself, Shen Jifeng already guessed that a group of little eunuchs was gathered there gambling.

As she drew closer, the scene inside was laid bare: in the small courtyard, three gambling tables had been set up, with over a dozen eunuchs and maids participating.

Shen Jifeng felt a mix of amusement and frustration. She and A-Pu had been away from the palace for three years, and she hadn't expected the palace regulations to have become so lax.

She did not step forward to reprimand the servants; instead, she carefully backed out of Ciyuan Palace, as if she had never been there at all. She had no interest in making enemies.

In Qionghua Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort caught sight of Shen Jifeng and immediately took her hand, leading her affectionately into the inner chamber.

"Such a fine young woman, yet you insist on taking on that wretched silver mine—look how thin you've become."

"Chunhua, go to the treasury and pick out some ginseng, donkey-hide gelatin, and astragalus. And bring out that Fuguang silk the Emperor bestowed upon us last time—take it all."

A lump formed in Shen Jifeng's throat, and her nose stung. She had been Zhao Yanru for ten years; could this decade of ceaseless warmth and concern all be a lie?

Could anyone really keep up an act for ten years as if it were a single day?

"Grandmother, I lack for nothing at my estate. Please do not trouble Auntie Chunhua."

"It's no trouble, I shall return in a moment," Auntie Chunhua said with a smile as she withdrew.

The Imperial Noble Consort scrutinized Shen Jifeng's face, her tone filled with heartache. "How has that girl Jinchai been looking after you? Your face has darkened so much! Oh, someone go, tell Chunhua to bring two more bottles of Jade Dew Cream. It’s a new recipe from the inner court; two bottles of that, and I guarantee your face will be white and tender again."

"We women must always look beautiful."

The Imperial Noble Consort chattered on endlessly. Shen Jifeng remembered that when she first returned to the palace, she hadn't been so talkative.

"Grandmother, I am out at the mines every day. Even the finest things would be wasted on me. Keep them for Little Aunt."

"She lacks for nothing. Everything she eats, wears, or uses in this palace is the best. It is you—out there in the world, taking on such a thankless task."

Shen Jifeng steered the conversation toward Chengping. Perhaps it was the unease of returning home, or perhaps seeing the eunuchs gambling had made her doubt the Imperial Noble Consort’s capability; she decided on the spot to change the subject of her investigation to Princess Chengping.

"Where is Little Aunt? I haven't seen her in a long time. I am to return to Xijing tomorrow, and I don't know when I will be back."

"She paid her respects to me this morning and left. Go to her palace and find her. Though you are a generation apart, you are of similar age and will have plenty to talk about. Go on, come back later for a meal."

Princess Chengping’s Funing Palace was right next to Qionghua Palace. The fact that both mother and daughter had their palaces in the southeast corner of the Imperial City showed just how much Emperor Wenchang valued and doted on them.

"What are you here for?" Princess Chengping asked coldly.

Shen Jifeng was long accustomed to her reaction. This "little aunt" was actually a year younger than her. When she first returned to the palace, the girl had been jealous because the Imperial Noble Consort frequently sent gifts to Shen Jifeng.

The child's revenge was direct: she would cut up Shen Jifeng’s clothes, put insects in her bowl, and in the most serious incident, pushed her into the pond in the Imperial Garden.

Having seen the coldness of the world outside, Shen Jifeng was more mature than most children. She understood the girl's anger at having her mother's affection divided, so she had always avoided conflict, trying her best to be tolerant and accommodating.

The Imperial Noble Consort and Emperor Yuanchang were unaware of their daughter's behavior, as Chengping always acted as if she and Shen Jifeng were on good terms in front of them. The two grew up in this stumbling fashion until three years ago, when she and Zhao Pu returned to the Prince of Qi’s mansion. Since then, they could count the number of times they had met on their fingers.

Looking back on their clashes, after the first few months where she had suffered in silence, Chengping had restrained herself significantly after the pond incident.

But today, Shen Jifeng was no longer sure if the Imperial Noble Consort had truly been unaware.

"Little Aunt, I met someone in Xijing related to Qionghua Palace. Grandmother is busy with palace affairs, so I thought I would check with you first."

Chengping was admiring her freshly painted nails. She glanced at Shen Jifeng once before returning her gaze to her hand.

"You need not speak to me about matters of Qionghua Palace. Our relationship is not as close as yours and my mother’s. Someone, see the guest out!"

"It was you who ordered Eunuch Bao to go to Xijing to make arrests, wasn't it?"

Chengping scoffed, "I don't know what you are talking about."

Shen Jifeng stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. The maids nearby panicked and rushed to protect their mistress, only to be pushed to the ground by Shen Jifeng.

"What, still the same as when you were a child? Daring to do it but not daring to admit it? It seems you haven't grown at all these past years!"

Stung in her most hidden wound, Chengping’s rage flared like a wildfire.

"So what if I did it? Go ahead and report me! Go to Father, to Mother, see what they can do to me!"

"Why did you do it?" Shen Jifeng tightened her grip on Chengping’s wrist. "Xijing is hundreds of miles away; how did my opening a silver mine get in your way? Do you know that because of you, dozens of people have died?"

"Get in my way?" Chengping said, enunciating each word, a flicker of resentment rising in her eyes. "It was you who got in my way! From the day you returned to the palace, I couldn't stand the sight of you. She is my mother, yet she thinks of you in everything. My father, who treats me like the apple of his eye, let you live in his side hall—why! I am the one he dotes on most!"

"So that is your reason for causing the deaths of dozens of people? Just because you couldn't stand the sight of me and wanted revenge?" Shen Jifeng had originally thought the girl was just spoiled and arrogant, but she hadn't realized her character was rotten to the core.

"Those lowly commoners—what is a pity about their deaths? If they can help me cause you some trouble, it is their good fortune..."

With a swift motion, Shen Jifeng drew a dagger and sliced off a lock of hair from Chengping’s temple.

"Ah!" With Chengping’s piercing scream, the maids and eunuchs below were thrown into a panic.

"Protect the Princess! Quickly! Someone come!"

Shen Jifeng gently blew the stray hairs off the blade. "Little Aunt, for Grandmother’s sake, let this matter end here. I will keep the evidence I found forever. If there is a next time, do not blame your niece for being heartless!"

Chengping collapsed to the floor, her fingers trembling as she reached for the severed lock of hair.

"How dare you! How dare you!"

Shen Jifeng left behind only a warning to take care of herself, and turned to walk out of Funing Palace.