Chapter 13

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Palace of Enduring Peace.

The small kitchen was already bustling from early morning.

The Noble Consort had written out a list the day before and ordered them to prepare the many ingredients on it. She had requested only a few dishes for herself; the rest were meant as gifts for the several Lesser Consorts living in the rear hall.

The steward of the small kitchen was a chief eunuch in his fifties, surnamed Zhang. He had a round, platter-like face and considerable skill at the stove, particularly in noodles, pastries, and other flour-based dishes.

“When I was eight or nine, my family could barely scrape together enough to eat. I was the youngest, with a round, pleasing face, so my parents chose me to be sent into the palace. As luck would have it, I was assigned to the Imperial Kitchen. I started by doing odd jobs and running errands. During the day, I brought tea and water to the chief eunuchs; at night, I attended them with their chamber pots. I’m not boasting, but back then, they didn’t even need to call for me when they woke at night. I could get up and serve them on my own.”

“A person’s breathing sounds different in sleep and in wakefulness. I stood by their bedsides listening for several years and learned all the tricks of it.” Eunuch Zhang chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

“I did that for five full years before they finally let me work at the stove. At least they were willing to let me touch the dishes prepared for the nobles. That meant they were willing to teach me.” Recalling those bitter years, Eunuch Zhang’s voice became deeply world-weary.

The few young eunuchs felt heartsick just listening to him, and their hands unconsciously slowed.

“You little rascals, don’t forget the work in your hands!” Eunuch Zhang barked.

The young eunuchs hurriedly smiled ingratiatingly. “You really are impressive, Master Zhang. No wonder you were capable of coming to the Palace of Enduring Peace.”

At the doorway, He Weil u leaned against the frame, his eyes half narrowed as he listened to Eunuch Zhang prattle on. A mocking smile curled at his lips. The old fellow looked honest enough, he thought, but he certainly had no shortage of schemes.

“Oh! Brother He has arrived. Why not come in and join us?” Eunuch Zhang’s eyes were sharp. The instant he saw his visitor, he put down what he was doing and hurried over to greet him.

Of the dozen or so eunuchs serving in the main hall of the Palace of Enduring Peace, He Weilu was the one who had risen highest. Eunuch Zhang did not dare offend him.

Besides, he had been in the palace only three months and had not yet established himself. He certainly did not dare compete with He Weilu for dominance.

He Weilu smiled. “I never heard you mention your past, Old Brother. Who would have thought it was so fascinating?”

At this hour, the Noble Consort had not yet risen, and the main hall did not require eunuchs to attend her. Instead of supervising the men under him, He Weilu had come to the small kitchen to make idle conversation. Most likely, he had business with him.

Eunuch Zhang instructed the young eunuchs to work diligently, then hurriedly led He Weilu outside. The two found a secluded spot and began to speak.

“My life was not easy either, Brother He. If you would like to hear about it, I can tell you everything in detail.” Eunuch Zhang sighed miserably.

“That story may fool them, but do you really think you can deceive me?” He Weilu sneered.

Such tricks might work on the young or the slow-witted, but this old creature actually thought he could hoodwink him.

He had not expected his ploy to be recognized after only a few words. Eunuch Zhang looked embarrassed.

His story to the young eunuchs had not been told on a whim. Some time ago, the Noble Consort had been suppressed by the Grand Empress Dowager and neglected by the Emperor, and had nearly been unable to recover her position. While stationed in the small kitchen, Eunuch Zhang had been bored and listless; he had hardly possessed the leisure to gossip with young eunuchs.

Now that the Noble Consort had regained the Emperor’s favor and the Palace of Enduring Peace had once again become a coveted posting, Eunuch Zhang had begun plotting for his own advantage. By recounting the hardships and exhaustion he had endured in his youth, he sought to instill fear in the young eunuchs and make them retreat in the face of difficulty. The road to becoming a chief eunuch was not an easy one.

Those half-true, half-false tales were also a means of suppressing the young eunuchs.

He did not want to sit in this position for only a few days before the young eunuchs beneath him began watching him like wolf cubs, eager to drag him down at the first opportunity.

He Weilu had no desire to listen to his excuses. He went straight to the point. “The items the Noble Consort ordered the small kitchen to send to Lesser Consort Su—if you still fail to handle the matter with care, you may as well move elsewhere while you still can. I’ll invite another chef over from the Imperial Kitchen.”

Although the small kitchen of the Palace of Enduring Peace offered less opportunity for profit than the Imperial Kitchen, it had the advantage of peace and quiet. Moreover, serving only the Noble Consort in the future would certainly be easier than trying to divine the wishes of dozens of masters in the Imperial Kitchen.

When the Noble Consort had dismissed the previous chief eunuch for incompetence and decided to replace him, many of the eunuch cooks in the Imperial Kitchen had fought desperately for the position. Their fierce competition had ultimately benefited Eunuch Zhang.

He knew how hard-won the opportunity had been, but there were circumstances surrounding it that he could not discuss with anyone.

He continued smiling. “Brother He, what are you saying? Whenever the Noble Consort gives an order, we naturally carry it out with all our hearts.”

He Weilu smiled without warmth. Against his pale, clean features, that expression was all the more intimidating.

Uneasy, Eunuch Zhang added, “We are nothing more than drifting duckweed. To have the good fortune to follow the Noble Consort is surely a blessing accumulated by our ancestors. From now on, I shall rely on your guidance.”

With that, he took out some silver and tried to give it to He Weilu.

By the time he had drawn it out, He Weilu was already walking away.

Watching that slender figure recede, Eunuch Zhang recalled how, before coming to the Palace of Enduring Peace, he had made inquiries about the chief eunuch at the Noble Consort’s side. The person who had passed the information to him had repeated the same word three times: strange. There had been no other way to describe him.

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A eunuch who would not even accept money truly was a strange man.

—

In the main hall, after washing and dressing, Tong Jiahe read in a reclining chair in the eastern side chamber. The main hall of the Palace of Enduring Peace was five bays wide. The easternmost bay was her bedchamber, while the two western bays had been set aside as a study and reception room.

She had gradually finished sorting through the belongings left behind by the former Noble Consort, and there was nowhere else in the palace for her to go. Neither the Grand Empress Dowager nor the Empress favored her, while Kangxi’s attitude toward her remained ambiguous.

Fulfilling the Noble Consort’s final wish would be a long and arduous road.

After sighing over the matter, she lowered her eyes to the book once more.

There were many books in the Palace of Enduring Peace. Tong Jiahe had skimmed through them and discovered that the Noble Consort had been highly accomplished in classical learning. The collection even contained many rare editions.

One could not muddle through in Kangxi’s harem. One had to use one’s mind.

If Kangxi suddenly took it into his head one day to say, “Let Me test you,” she would be finished.

“Moonlight among the flowers, cool breezes beneath the pines—both yield to a single nap beside my northern window.” When she reached those lines, she smiled. Then she glanced toward the pomegranate tree outside the window, a mischievous glint appearing in her eyes.

She possessed memories of a portion of Kangxi’s reign that others did not. Whether the future brought fortune or calamity depended entirely on her. The Noble Consort’s original life was gradually being rewritten, and there was an intoxicating pleasure in feeling that destiny lay wholly in her own hands.

After some idle daydreaming, it was time for the midday meal.

At noon, Pu Yu and several young palace maids arranged the dishes. Fried shrimp balls had been the Noble Consort’s favorite: crisp on the outside, fresh, sweet, and tender within. She could eat nearly half a plate at one sitting.

Pu Yu deliberately placed the dish before the Noble Consort.

Tong Jiahe hesitated, the silver chopsticks poised in her hand.

She was allergic to shrimp and had avoided it for years. Now that the thing she had kept at arm’s length had suddenly appeared before her, she did not know what to do.

Seeing that the Noble Consort did not move her chopsticks for a long while, Pu Yu assumed she had thought of the Fourth Prince. Like the Noble Consort, the Fourth Prince also enjoyed fish and shrimp.

The mistress and servant were thinking along entirely different lines, and the atmosphere became strangely stiff.

The Noble Consort had always had a good relationship with Lesser Consort Su. Tong Jiahe also intended to maintain a long-term association with her. After all, one could not survive in the palace without a single ally.

“Send this dish to Lesser Consort Su,” Tong Jiahe ordered. She also instructed them to add half a duck prepared with fermented grain lees.

Ministers of the outer court and consorts of the inner palace alike hoped to receive dishes bestowed by Kangxi, for such gifts represented the Emperor’s closeness and esteem. Similarly, when the principal mistress of a palace gave her own food to a lesser consort, it showed that the two enjoyed a close relationship.

Even without a reward, the palace maids and eunuchs were eager to take on such errands, since they could earn favor from Lesser Consort Su. Seeing that He Weilu was still standing there, Pu Yu quickly gestured to him with her eyes.

He Weilu moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, then fell silent and hurried out with the dishes bestowed by the Noble Consort.

Tong Jiahe watched the silent exchange between them with a smile. The most capable people under the Noble Consort were on good terms, there was no infighting, and she did not need to mediate between them. It was a considerable relief.

“You know how Brother He is, Your Ladyship,” Pu Yu said with a smile. “He is clever and stubborn. Sometimes, unless someone gives him a little prompting, he will not take the initiative.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than He Weilu came around the screen and entered.

No matter how swiftly he walked, he could not possibly have returned from the rear hall in the time it took to say those two sentences. He had probably handed the good errand over to one of the young eunuchs beneath him. Pu Yu was both anxious and angry, and glared fiercely at him.

In the palace, maids could be released once they reached a certain age. Whether they returned home or were married off, they at least had something to hope for and somewhere to go.

Eunuchs were different. They were all Han Chinese, and once they severed themselves from their roots, they could only remain in the Forbidden City for the rest of their lives. If they accumulated enough private savings, they could still adopt a godson in old age to care for them. But He Weilu gave away every bit of money that passed through his hands, and he disliked accepting gifts from others during his daily rounds. Pu Yu grew worried on his behalf just watching him.

She did not know how someone with such a mild nature had managed to secure the position of chief eunuch, yet the young eunuchs beneath him truly treated him with deep respect. It did not appear to be an act.

Tong Jiahe ignored Pu Yu’s reproachful look and had no intention of interfering in He Weilu’s affairs.

Entering the palace as a eunuch was already the hardest path available to a poor Han Chinese man. Perhaps it could not even be called a path forward; it was a dead end.

He had retained such habits after spending so many years in the palace and had still managed to fare well. That meant he had his own way of doing things and did not need others to meddle in his life.

Even in the most feudal dynasty in history, even though she was a mistress with the power of life and death over those beneath her, she still should not interfere too much in their lives.

—

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After the meal, Tong Jiahe rested for a while longer. Only after she had eaten and slept her fill did she send for Nanny Wu. She had left the woman waiting for more than ten days; if she spoke to her now, Nanny Wu ought to understand her place.

“Miss Pu Yu.” Nanny Wu smiled obsequiously. “How has the Noble Consort been lately?”

In the few short steps to the hall, Nanny Wu had already offered several polite remarks. Pu Yu had no choice but to respond, though she did not wish to sound overly familiar. “Her Ladyship is naturally well. You will know once you see her.”

Nanny Wu’s heart sank. When they spoke again, Pu Yu was no longer as respectful toward her as she had been at their first meeting.

That day, the Noble Consort had been superficially courteous, only to send her off to sit among the young palace maids. She had left Nanny Wu in an awkward position, neither here nor there. After being left out in the cold this time, how could she discipline the young palace maids in the future? Who in the Palace of Enduring Peace would still acknowledge her?

Her future circumstances all lay within a single thought of the Noble Consort.

Upon entering the hall, Nanny Wu offered her greetings with an even more respectful demeanor than during their first meeting.

“Pu Yu, help Nanny Wu up,” the Noble Consort said in a soft, unhurried voice devoid of reproach. Nanny Wu found her even more difficult to fathom.

The Tong family had used their connections and obtained the Emperor’s approval before sending her a nanny. It seemed the family had thought the former Noble Consort’s willfulness too dangerous and had therefore sent a steady, experienced woman to watch over her, lest she make another foolish mistake.

If she rejected this one, there was no guarantee another nanny would not be waiting in the wings. Tong Jiahe sighed softly. “Since you were personally chosen by Mother, stay at my side from now on.”

Nanny Wu had assumed that her arrival would offend the proud Noble Consort, who would leave her in the cold for a time. She had never expected the Noble Consort to agree so readily to the Tong family’s wishes and allow her to serve at her side.

Madam had originally warned her that she would have to endure for a while. This…

Unable to resist, Nanny Wu studied the Noble Consort’s expression. She could detect no trace of resentment. It seemed Madam had worried unnecessarily.

In her heart, she also hoped the Noble Consort would be sensible. She had come to help her, not harm her. The lives of her entire family were in the Tong family’s hands. If the Noble Consort prospered, so would she.

She had served Madam Tong for several decades and did not want to fail at the very last moment. If the Noble Consort had already come to understand matters for herself, so much the better.

“Nanny.”

Just when she thought everything had been settled, the Noble Consort spoke again. The unease in Nanny Wu’s heart grew heavier.

“What would Your Ladyship like to command?” Nanny Wu asked, her heart in turmoil.

“There is something I shall ask only once.” Tong Jiahe lifted her eyes, finally shifting her gaze from the nails she had just painted to Nanny Wu’s ashen face.

“You have entered the palace. Whom do you serve?”

Nanny Wu stared at the Noble Consort in astonishment. She was bewildered for only an instant before an icy chill pierced all four limbs.

Looking into the Noble Consort’s eyes, flickering between light and shadow, she fell to her knees with a heavy thud.

This time, the Noble Consort did not order anyone to help her up.

Beads of sweat rolled down Nanny Wu’s forehead. She carefully considered why the Noble Consort had made her remain in the rear service quarters. Gradually, remorse overwhelmed everything else.

She had been wrong. She had been wrong from the very first moment she met the Noble Consort.

Before, she had always thought that the Master and Madam of the Tong household were the Noble Consort’s own father and mother. She had foolishly tried to use them to pressure the Noble Consort into accepting her as a confidante, forgetting that even those two had to bow and pay their respects upon seeing the Noble Consort now.

Using the Master and Madam’s words to pressure the Noble Consort was a challenge and insult to her authority.

The Noble Consort was first the Emperor’s Noble Consort, and only afterward the eldest daughter of the Tong household.

Having entered the palace, the person she owed loyalty to was the Noble Consort—not anyone in the Tong household.

“Your Ladyship, you are my mistress!” Nanny Wu said twice in quick succession.

After Nanny Wu had struck her forehead firmly against the floor three times, Pu Yu stopped her as she bent down again and helped her rise with only the barest show of support.

“Nanny, you have been tired all day. Come in to serve tomorrow morning,” Pu Yu said with a smile.

On the way back, Nanny Wu’s steps were unsteady as she recalled Madam’s instructions before she entered the palace.

“The Noble Consort is arrogant and headstrong…”

“The Noble Consort is incapable of scheming…”

None of that held true anymore. The Noble Consort was entirely worthy of the position she now occupied.

The Master, Madam, and everyone in the Tong household had been mistaken from the very beginning.

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