Hao Jinyan and the other involved palace attendants were escorted back to the palace by the Imperial City Department and handed over to the palace disciplinary officer, Madam Wei, who was responsible for enforcing prohibitions, investigating misconduct, and overseeing punishments in the rear palace. Madam Wei ordered the inspection of all footwear belonging to Hao Jinyan and Ling Fengxian. As Zhenzhen had described, the outer heels of Hao Jinyan’s shoes showed varying degrees of wear, while Ling Fengxian’s shoes appeared completely normal. Combined with the earlier dialogue between the two, Madam Wei concluded that Hao Jinyan was guilty.
After interrogation, Hao Jinyan and the other attendants gradually confessed to the crime. They revealed that last year, when the position of Chief Steward in the Bureau of Palace Provisions became vacant, Hao Jinyan had been the most likely candidate for promotion. Unexpectedly, Feng Jing, who lacked any seniority, suddenly arrived and took the position. Resentful, Hao Jinyan conspired with several other attendants who also disliked Feng Jing to orchestrate the incident, intending to frame Feng Jing and have her dismissed.
Madam Wei repeatedly questioned whether anyone had masterminded their actions, but they insisted they had acted alone, with no outside manipulation. As there was no evidence implicating others, Madam Wei followed palace regulations and ordered the women to be flogged, intending to expel them from the palace to become Daoist nuns. Since the matter involved the Crown Prince, Madam Wei sought instructions from the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince replied that although their actions were malicious, they had not caused serious harm. Having already been flogged, they could simply be expelled from the palace without being forced to become nuns, which would ruin their lives.
Witnessing this, Zhenzhen consulted several female officials and gradually understood that the palace had its own disciplinary system, distinct from the outside world. Ordinary palace attendants who committed offenses were judged by the palace disciplinary officer. Only in cases of grave crimes would the Censorate, Ministry of Justice, or Court of Judicial Review become involved.
Recalling Magistrate Cui’s earlier mention that her mother was a palace attendant who had fled, Zhenzhen assumed that such an offense would fall under the jurisdiction of the palace disciplinary officer. She inquired among the attendants whether any palace attendants who had fled had been punished in the past year, but the answers were all negative. Many said, "Life in the palace offers food, clothing, and opportunities to rise in status—it’s far better than outside. Besides, the Emperor is benevolent, Consort Li avoids conflict, and the favored Consort Liu treats everyone kindly. Life for palace attendants is quite comfortable, and no one wants to flee. Even if someone wishes to leave to marry, they can wait a few years for the Emperor to issue an edict releasing palace attendants. So, in recent years, there have been no cases of attendants fleeing, let alone punishments for it."
A few days later, news spread in the palace: Vice Grand Councilor Shen Han had chosen the third-ranked scholar, Fu Junyi, as his son-in-law. The wedding between Fu Junyi and Shen Han’s daughter was soon to take place. The Emperor and the Empress Dowager both bestowed treasures upon the Shen family to enrich the dowry and ordered the Bureau of Palace Provisions to oversee the wedding banquet.
Such rare honors bestowed upon the Shen family were not without reason. Before the Emperor’s accession, Shen Han had served as his tutor in the princely mansion, not only imparting knowledge but also frequently guiding the conduct of the then-Prince of Jun.The late emperor's own son died young, and as he remained unable to have more children thereafter, he selected two boys from the imperial clan to be raised in the palace, one of whom is the current Emperor. When they grew older, they were enfeoffed as commandery princes and each established their own residences outside the palace. When it came time to choose one as heir apparent, the late emperor, wishing to test the character of the two sons, bestowed upon each ten beautiful young palace women. Seeing this, Shen Han immediately advised the current Emperor not to approach these ten women but to treat them with the respect due to stepmothers. The Emperor understood perfectly and, as his mentor taught, treated the beauties with reverence and kept his distance. After some time, the late emperor indeed recalled all twenty women and ordered physicians to examine them. It was found that those given to the current Emperor remained untouched, while those given to the other adopted son were no longer virgins. Thus, the late emperor resolved to have the current Emperor succeed to the throne.
The Emperor, remembering his mentor's kindness, appointed Shen Han to important positions after ascending the throne. Now Shen Han has risen to the rank of vice chancellor. The young lady of the Shen family to be married, Rouran, is Shen Han's youngest daughter. He has many children, but Rouran is the youngest, clever and dexterous, so he treasures her immensely and is determined to find her a perfect husband. After years of picking and choosing without satisfaction, this year he finally found someone to his liking upon meeting the Tanhua laureate: Fu Junyi, young and handsome, exceptionally talented and eloquent. Having passed the imperial examination as Tanhua, his future prospects are naturally boundless. Thus, after the celebration banquet, Shen Han invited Fu Junyi to his residence to discuss marriage. Fu Junyi had long admired Shen Han's reputation and readily agreed. The match was settled in perfect harmony.
Following the Emperor's instructions, Consort Li summoned Lady Shen and Shen Rouran to the Rear Garden, informed them of the gifts from the Emperor and Empress Dowager, and arranged for Pei Shangshi to meet with the Shen mother and daughter to discuss the details of the wedding banquet.
That morning, the sunlight was clear and beautiful, with a gentle breeze. Consort Li invited the Shen mother and daughter to the pavilion "Yiluo Chuanfang" beside the small West Lake in the Rear Garden to admire peonies. She summoned musicians from the Immortal Music Academy to provide entertainment, and of course, there were fruits, tea, and pastries, much like a small banquet in the inner palace.
Li Dianshan selected several palace attendants to serve food at Yiluo Chuanfang, among them Yun Yinge. Unexpectedly, Yun Yinge hesitated and was reluctant to accept the task. Li Dianshan grew angry and scolded her, "Are you saying again that you're afraid of meeting nobles and your hands and feet go weak? Who enters the palace not to serve the nobility? Did you work so hard to pass the exams not to do your duties but to wait to become a noble yourself?"
Yun Yinge did not defend herself, but tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to sob pitifully.
Seeing that Yun Yinge seemed to have unspoken difficulties, Zhenzhen stepped forward and volunteered to replace her in serving food in the Rear Garden. Li Dianshan sighed and waved Zhenzhen off to go.
The Bureau of Palace Provisions is located in the southern part of the inner palace, quite far from the Rear Garden in the north. This was Zhenzhen's first time entering this imperial garden. She saw the small West Lake with its clear, emerald waters at the center, spanning over ten acres. Beside the lake, rocks were piled to imitate the Feilai Peak of Lingyin, forming a hill, likely the "Longevity Hill" often mentioned by the palace attendants. In the garden, plum blossoms, peonies, peonies, camellias, roses, osmanthus, oranges, bamboo, and pines each had their own dedicated areas, with pavilions, terraces, and towers for leisurely visits and flower appreciation. Beside the flowers and bamboo stood strange rocks arranged in rows, displaying their splendor and elegance. Compared to the serene and understated style of Lin Hong's Woodcutter Inquiry Post garden, this one appeared far more lavish and magnificent.Zhenzhen followed the sound of music drifting from the Yiluo Chuanfang, slowly walking into the pavilion beside the peonies. Seated at the head of the table was Consort Li, a woman in her thirties. Unlike what Zhenzhen had imagined, she was not particularly beautiful. Though dressed in a loose beizi, her ample figure was still difficult to conceal. Her cheeks were slack, and any passerby could see how relentlessly time had swept over her skin. She wore a constant smile, yet her eyes occasionally revealed weariness and exhaustion, as if she might collapse into a deep sleep at any moment.
Zhenzhen presented the fruit in her hands, then glanced discreetly at the others at the table. Madam Shen was dignified, slightly thin and frail, while her daughter was tall and upright, with bright eyes that sparkled with vitality. Pei Shangshi sat at the far end of the table, slightly bowing her head, maintaining a patient listening posture, unsmiling. Across from her sat a eunuch... Zhenzhen couldn’t help but widen her eyes: even after half a year, she recognized him at once—he was the eunuch from the capital she had seen at the village banquet.
At the village banquet, Magistrate Cui had not introduced this eunuch’s name or identity, and afterward had only vaguely mentioned his surname was Cheng. After entering the palace, Zhenzhen had not received any news of her mother and had tried to find this eunuch surnamed Cheng. However, with thousands of eunuchs in the palace and not even knowing his full name, searching for him was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Unexpectedly, she now encountered him here.
Cheng Yuan had come to convey the Empress Dowager’s decree and blessings to the Shen family mother and daughter, speaking and smiling with great warmth and elegance. He also sensed Zhenzhen’s intense gaze, meeting her eyes briefly but indifferently, as if not seeing her, then turned his head and resumed his conversation with Madam Shen, never looking at Zhenzhen again.
Zhenzhen retreated outside, waiting quietly with the other Palace Food Attendants until the banquet ended. Finally, as the music ceased and the guests dispersed, Consort Li, the Shen family mother and daughter, and Cheng Yuan left one after another. Pei Shangshi stood up and instructed the attendants to enter and clean up. Zhenzhen obeyed, quickly tidying some of the cups and plates, finishing her assigned tasks, then hurried outside, hoping to catch up with Cheng Yuan, who had left earlier.
The flower paths in the Rear Garden were winding, and the caves were deep and secluded. After chasing for a moment, Zhenzhen not only failed to find any trace of Cheng Yuan but also became lost among the jagged rocks, unable to find her way back. Just as her anxiety was reaching its peak, she suddenly felt something round and smooth strike her shoulder lightly, then fall to her feet and roll away.
Looking down, Zhenzhen discovered it was a small green peach. Turning her gaze in the direction from which it had been thrown, she was startled to see Zhao Ai standing amidst the bizarre rocks, where the light and shadows danced, squinting his eyes with a smile toward the sun, which gilded his eyelashes with gold.
“Long time no see, how have you been? Is the palace as you imagined?” Zhao Ai asked.
But Zhenzhen, preoccupied with thoughts of the vanished Cheng Yuan, did not answer his question. Instead, she stepped forward and asked him, “Do you know Mr. Cheng from the Empress Dowager’s palace?”
“Cheng Yuan?” Zhao Ai said. “Of course I know him. He’s a veteran of three reigns in the palace.”
“It’s said my mother was brought back to the palace by him,” Zhenzhen asked urgently. “Have you heard anything about my mother being punished or the like?”
Zhao Ai shook his head. “Actually, after hearing about your family’s situation in Pujiang last time, I inquired about your mother’s whereabouts. Since your mother was taken away by Cheng Yuan, she must have been a palace attendant of the late emperor and is now under the jurisdiction of Cifu Palace. The palace authorities have no right to intervene. And in Cifu Palace, I haven’t heard of any escaped palace attendants being punished.”Zhenzhen asked in confusion, "Then is my mother actually in Cifu Palace or not?"
Zhao Ai replied, "I haven't heard of any palace servants from Cifu Palace who escaped and were recaptured in the past six months, but I haven't investigated thoroughly either, because I don't have the authority to check the roster of Cifu Palace's servants. Even The Emperor cannot go and check. Cifu Palace is not within the inner court. The Emperor has always been filial to the Empress Dowager and does not interfere in Cifu Palace's affairs. Therefore, Cifu Palace can decide on rewards or punishments for its servants on its own, without reporting to the inner court. Matters concerning the people of Cifu Palace are not fully known to the inner court."
"In other words," Zhenzhen frowned, "if Cifu Palace punishes its own servants, or even orders their execution, it doesn't need to notify the Palace Commandant of the inner court?"
Zhao Ai nodded. "Yes. According to the dynasty's practice, the servants of the retired emperor and the empress dowager are not under the jurisdiction of the inner court's Department of Palace Affairs. The Palace Commandant can only discipline and judge the servants of the inner court... There have been female officials in history with the authority to manage all servants of both palaces, but such positions have not been established since the previous emperor ascended the throne."
"What was the title of such a female official with such power? Why is it no longer established now?" Zhenzhen pressed.
"Such a female official was called the Palace Commandant," Zhao Ai answered. "Ranked at the fourth grade, she stood above all other female officials. She oversaw all palace affairs and had the authority to discipline the Six Bureaus and all palace servants. The previous emperor was extremely filial to his mother and did not wish to interfere in the Empress Dowager's palace affairs, so he did not establish the position of Palace Commandant. Now, The Emperor follows the precedent set by the previous emperor and does not establish this position. He leaves the affairs of the inner court to be managed separately by the Six Bureaus and the Palace Commandant, and does not interfere in the internal affairs of Cifu Palace."
(To be continued)
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