Chapter 51: Chang’an part 1
In the past, the Liushang Bureau held little respect for the Empress.
This was largely because the Taihou and the Empress were not on good terms. Furthermore, the Empress had a gentle disposition and rarely punished the palace servants. Consequently, everyone was happy to curry favor with the Taihou while acting with calculation in front of the Empress.
But no one expected that the Empress, who usually remained calm and composed, would strike so ruthlessly the moment she decided to act, leaving absolutely no room for mercy.
The head of a Bureau was the highest position a female official could achieve in the palace. They commanded a degree of respect from both the front court and the inner palace, and the palace maids looked up to them with envy. Yet, in a single moment of rage, the Empress had subjected every single one of them to the rod and banished them to a remote traveling palace.
Moreover, she had explicitly stated that it was Bixia’s order.
Everyone estimated that after thirty strokes, whether those officials could even make it to Tiantai Mountain alive was an open question. For a time, everyone in the palace felt imperiled.
After handling this matter, Zhao Yiyi did not punish the other officials of the Liushang Bureau. She simply purged the ranks from top to bottom, rooting out those with corrupt character and no merits.
“Niangniang,” Yunzhu entered and poured her a cup of tea, speaking softly, “Those who needed to be dealt with have been handled.”
Zhao Yiyi sat by the window practicing calligraphy. Her slightly lowered neck formed a smooth, graceful arc. Only after she finished copying a page did she give a faint hum of acknowledgement.
Yunzhu ground ink for her for a moment before furrowing her brows slightly. “Niangniang, there are still some people in the Liushang Bureau. Should we punish them as well?”
Zhao Yiyi paused her movements, tilting her head to look at her with a light laugh. “There is no need. Having already disposed of the heads of the Six Bureaus, the people below will surely harbor some fear. If we do not relax the grip slightly, I fear everyone will be in a constant state of panic.”
Staring at a bird perched on the treetop for a moment, she rested her chin in her hand and whispered, “Select some clever and obedient young maids first and send them to the Liushang Bureau to learn.”
She gazed at the rosy clouds in the distance, her voice as illusory as the mist itself. “Let them learn for now. As for the rest, we can discuss it later.”
Yunzhu’s heart skipped a beat, and her hand grinding the ink paused as she suddenly understood.
Was Niangniang planning to use a dull knife to cut away the rotting flesh, slowly replacing these palace officials?
It made sense. This vast Ziwei Palace had over ten thousand servants, and the number of female officials in the Liushang Bureau was significant. Even the people from their Jiao Fang Palace were registered with the Liushang Bureau.
A complete purge all at once would take too long to recover from. It was better to wait for future mistakes and handle them one by one.
Composing herself, Yunzhu bowed her head and said, “Then shall this servant select a batch from the newly entered maids first?”
Zhao Yiyi nodded slightly, her expression indifferent. “Mm.”
A breeze blew in from outside, gentle and soft. Zhao Yiyi lay on the windowsill, closing her eyes against the breeze as the hair at her temples fluttered slightly.
After a long while, she fingered the prayer beads on her wrist and suddenly asked, “I heard the matters in the front court have been settled. What has happened to Cousin?”
“The news only came this morning. This servant was planning to wait until Niangniang finished practicing calligraphy to tell you, but Niangniang heard of it first.” Yunzhu covered her lips and laughed for a moment before speaking warmly. “In Henei, everyone from the Commandery Governor down has been replaced. The Governor has been sentenced to strangulation, and his entire clan has been raided and exiled. Although Young Gentleman Xiahou had no crimes in the Henei case, he was suspected of dereliction of duty. Bixia has ordered him to reflect on his misdeeds at home.”
Reflecting at home—there was a nuance to that.
Some people would be recalled by the chaotic court after a short period of reflection, while for others, this ‘reflection’ might last a lifetime.
A trace of melancholy passed over Zhao Yiyi’s face, followed immediately by a smile that hooked the lips like teasing jade. “With such upheaval in Henei, countless people have lost their lives and fortunes. It is already a great fortune that Cousin could keep his life.”
Given Gu Zhen’s temperament and his loathing for her aunt, which had been strong enough to extend even to her back then, she had thought he would strip her cousin of his status entirely or use this opportunity to uproot her aunt’s faction completely.
She hadn’t expected him to leave her cousin a way out.
She still remembered how her aunt had humiliated Lady Xu repeatedly at banquets, and even slapped Lady Xu in public when she first entered the family.
That incident hadn’t been for Zhao Yiyi’s sake, nor to stand up for her late mother. It was simply because her aunt felt the Xiahou family had lost face, so she vented all her anger on Zhao Weimin and Lady Xu.
Even so, it had ultimately made Lady Xu afraid to truly torment the siblings in the manor. It had also completely ruined Lady Xu’s reputation in the capital.
Being a stepmother was already difficult, let alone with Lady Xu’s method of ascending to the position. Afterward, whenever there was a dispute, outsiders would never one-sidedly claim the children were unfilial; instead, they often pointed fingers at Lady Xu.
For this reason, she still held a trace of gratitude toward her aunt.
And because of this, although she didn’t plan to beg for anything for her maternal family, she hoped they would all be safe and sound.
Thinking of this, she leaned back against the soft pillow behind her and let out a long breath.
She felt somewhat tired.
Even with Gu Zhen fully supporting her from behind, even with the Taihou withdrawing her hand, and even with the entire palace submitting to her, she felt… very, very tired.
This Ziwei Palace—she had lived here since marrying into the Eastern Palace more than two years ago.
In such a desolate place, she had forcibly stayed for nearly three years.
Zhao Yiyi looked up at the wandering phoenix patterns on the roof beam and, for a moment, couldn’t recall how she had survived those past days.
Was it because she liked him?
Considering this possibility, she couldn’t help but be stunned.
In just two short months, she felt deeply unfamiliar with that word.
“Go to the Directorate for Imperial Manufactories and ask about the progress of the guqin I ordered to be crafted,” Zhao Yiyi waved at Yunzhu and spoke softly.
“Sister!”
With a soft creak, the door was pushed open from the outside. Zhao Duanduan entered carrying a small dish, excitedly placed it on the sandalwood table, then cupped her chin in her hands and looked at her, smiling brightly. “I just made honey-preserved cherries with Mancao. Sister, taste them quickly.”
Zhao Yiyi’s gaze softened. She reached out to rub Duanduan’s head, took a silver spoon to scoop up a small one, and put it in her mouth under the girl’s expectant gaze.
Zhao Duanduan watched her without blinking, waiting until she swallowed before asking pitifully, “Is it good? Is it good?”
There was too much sugar; it was a bit sweet.
But seeing her pathetic expression, Zhao Yiyi couldn’t help but smile and nod gently. “Mm, it’s delicious. Our Duanduan is getting more and more capable.”
Zhao Duanduan immediately beamed, covering her mouth as she said, “I knew it was delicious! Just now, Mancao would only say it was ‘passable.’ I’m going to go reason with her!”
Watching her turn and run out, Zhao Yiyi’s eyes revealed a hint of helplessness. She stood up and walked a few steps outside.
Standing under the corridor, she looked into the distance, her expression slightly dazed.
“Send someone to deliver some things to the Marquis Manor tomorrow,” Zhao Yiyi casually broke off a sprig of apricot blossoms and tucked it behind Zhao Ah-Huang’s ear, speaking indifferently. “There are still small ones in the manor. Now that only Eldest Brother is there to manage things, it’s inevitable that care will be lacking. Also, stop by the Imperial College to check on Ah Chen.”
Originally, she hadn’t planned to let Ah Chen enter the Hongwen Pavilion. She had been firm in her thoughts back then, but now, she felt a vague regret. After all, if he were in the Hongwen Pavilion, she could send people to ask about him at any time, unlike at the Imperial College, where she had to send someone specially.
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