History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 338 You win

Yuan Ying was the only princess who declined the invitation to the Hibiscus Banquet today, but then changed her mind and said she would attend.

Hearing the maid's reminder, Yuan Zhenjun opened her makeup box and stared at the jade comb inside. Ever since she broke a few of the comb's teeth, she had never picked it up, only occasionally glancing at it.

She said, "Now I finally understand His Majesty's true intention in bringing Gao Yue'en to the capital."

Fu Zhuang and the nanny Dou were both her confidants. Seeing her solemn expression, they stopped what they were doing and sat down on either side of her, listening attentively.

Yuan Zhenjun looked at the bronze mirror in front of him, which perfectly reflected the faces of a master and two servants.

She continued, "The Yu family's power depends entirely on Yu Lie, the commander of the Imperial Guards. Yu Lie is old and if he were to resign due to illness, Yu Baoying would have to shoulder most of the burden if the Yu family wanted to maintain its power. However, this Noble Lady Yu has been in the palace for some time but has accomplished nothing. Her reputation is as obscure as that of the other Noble Ladies, which shows that her talent is mediocre."

"Yu Baoying had already befriended Yuan Ying before entering the palace, so Yuan Ying's sudden change of mind to attend the banquet must be to help her, because of what Yuan Lang just mentioned. In this light, both Yuan Ying and Yu Baoying underestimated the responsibilities of the Empress's position. No, it's that they lacked the wisdom to appreciate the credit that Wei Yao was offering to Yu Baoying."

Fu Zhuang was very clever and understood immediately. He said, "His Majesty probably understood Consort Yu even earlier... and was even more disappointed. That's why he ordered that Lady Gao be brought to the capital alone so early. No wonder the 'Female Attendant' positions recommended by the princes and princesses were all rejected recently. They were probably reserved for Lady Gao. The purpose was to pave the way and occupy a key position among the female officials in charge of internal affairs. Once a girl from the Gao family is selected to enter the harem in the future, she will have a group of officials in charge of internal affairs to rely on without any effort."

The "female attendant" was distinct from other female officials, serving specifically the empress or empress dowager.

"This, this, this," Dou Shi thought about it more and more and felt that the emperor's mind was too deep and too terrifying. She stammered, "Is that possible? The empress hasn't even been established yet, and he's already thinking about deposing her?"

Yuan Zhenjun: "Let's wait and see. Let's see if Yu Lie can hold on for another two years."

The Imperial Palace and its surrounding alleys.

High walls stand tall. Yu Baoying sits on the swing, gazing intently at the hibiscus flowers around her. They bloom in the morning and wither in the evening, reminding people to cherish the most beautiful moments.

She murmured to herself, "Did I leave all my good times in Huai Shuo Town?"

A figure appeared among the lush flowering trees at the entrance of the courtyard.

Yu Baoying looked over and saw that the person who came was actually Emperor Yuan Ke. She was so frightened that she quickly got off the swing and bowed to greet him.

The guards blocked all the palace maids and servants, and the emperor took Yu Baoying's hand and asked gently, "Why are your hands so cold?"

Yu Baoying's heart was pounding. She glanced at the emperor's face in alarm and was wondering what to say when Yuan Ke said again, "Don't be afraid. I will come to see you whenever I have free time. I will make sure you don't have cold hands or feel lonely."

"Your Majesty..." Yu Baoying was annoyed at herself for being so stupid. She was ashamed to say the words her aunt had taught her before she entered the palace.

As if in a dream, she was led hand in hand through the flower garden. Several times she mustered the courage to look at the emperor, but each time her gaze was caught by him. Yet she couldn't help but want to see him clearly and ponder him. The emperor now was completely different from the taciturn and serious emperor of the past. He not only inquired about her life in her hometown but also picked flowers for her to adorn her hair.

He was a high and mighty emperor, but didn't he also long for the life of an ordinary couple? Even just for a moment during his leisure time or when he was tired.

"Baoying, what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking that since His Majesty rarely comes to the inner palace, I should inform Consort Wang and the others."

Yuan Ke's smile carried a natural gentleness as he said, "I only want to see you. Bao Ying, would you skip stones?"

Yu Baoying was less nervous and reserved at this point, and replied with a smile, "Your Majesty, I know how. I used to do it often when I was in my hometown." "Alright, then let's have a competition. No one is allowed to go easy on me, and no one is allowed to cheat."

"Yes."

After the two finished picking through the pebbles on the riverbank, Yuan Ke said, "If you win, I will transfer female officials to the inner palace to assist you in summoning the ladies of the court to the palace and persuading them to follow the ancient system of wives and concubines."

Yu Baoying tried to discern the emperor's true feelings from his smile, but before she could think, Yuan Ke threw a pebble into the water.

This isn't just throwing stones down the drain; it's admitting defeat outright.

Since His Majesty was being accommodating, Yu Baoying put aside her distractions and focused on throwing the pebbles. She counted the number of times the pebbles bounced on the water's surface, unaware of the fleeting disappointment in the Emperor's eyes the moment the pebbles were thrown.

As expected, Consort Gao had dealings with the deposed Empress Feng Cixing, who was practicing Buddhism at Yaoguang Temple. Her nose wound had just stopped but then worsened, so she hurriedly sent a letter recommending a woman from the Feng clan to serve as a "female attendant".

Gao's move was a test, a test to see if he ordered Zhao Zhi to carry out the assassination that night, or if Zhao Zhi was taking revenge on her own, relying on her unmatched martial prowess.

Therefore, it was easy for him to reject the recommendation of Consort Gao. If he then allowed his aunt to enter the palace as a lady-in-waiting, it would be a waste of all his previous efforts to promote the Prince of Beihai and his mother!
He needed the power of the harem to restrain Consort Gao, but Yu Baoying…

Yu Baoying turned around with delight and said, "The pebble drifted six times."

Yuan Ke took her hand again and said, "You won."

Princess Chenliu's Residence.

The pavilion was surrounded by various hibiscus flowers. When Cui Binyuan was in mourning in her early years, she was so sad that her hair turned white overnight. She chatted with Gao Yue'en, who was visiting Luoyang for the first time. She was witty and composed, which was contrary to her sad and aloof appearance. She won Gao Yue'en's favor in just a few words.

On the other side of the water, Yuan Ying asked Yuan Zhenjun, "How long has it been since Auntie last returned to the palace?"

"What, you missed me?"

"Of course I miss it. I miss my aunt when she was in the palace, how she would angrily point at those dog palace slaves who bullied us because of Empress You's power."

Yuan Zhenjun was amused and then recalled the past, saying truthfully, "I was reckless back then and almost suffered a great loss. Fortunately, Empress You never truly gained power."

"Even Heaven won't help a person as wicked as her!"

Yuan Zhenjun thought that even if Heaven had a spirit, it couldn't possibly take care of everyone in the world. So-called luck was nothing more than someone using themselves as a shield to protect others. She recalled how, after refusing to marry Feng Su, she was able to escape from the palace right under Empress You's nose to complain to the late emperor. It was very likely that someone had cleared the obstacles for her on what she thought was a dangerous way out of the palace, allowing her to reach the distant Xuanhu military camp without any major incidents.

Who can do that?

Only His Majesty, the then-Central Palace power!

Yuan Ying shook Yuan Zhenjun's hand and said coquettishly, "Aunt."

"I can't do anything with you, alright? I promise you, I'll go back and stay for ten days in January. Now you can tell me, what do you want from me?"

Yuan Ying recounted the ancient etiquette regarding wives and concubines, then said with difficulty, "My aunt is not an outsider, so she must know that Consort Yu is the most suitable person to become the Empress. Therefore, this task has fallen to her. I want to help her, but unfortunately, I am not capable enough. I can only hope that when I persuade the women of the outer court, my aunt will be there to help her calm down and prevent them from bullying her. If word gets out, it will not look good for His Majesty's reputation."