CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 234: THE LITTLE GOLDEN BELLS

Seeing that Xia Ruqing had arrived, the three of them rose to pay their respects and greet her. Xia Ruqing quickly bade them sit, then took a seat herself next to Honored Lady Lan.

While cracking sunflower seeds, Xia Ruqing asked, "I wonder how Lady Xi is doing?"

What good did it do her to bite Consort Yun Pin like that?

Honored Lady Lan sighed. "She... is not doing well!"

"Xia Jieyu, you know she’s been wronged, don’t you?" Honored Lady Lan looked at her expectantly.

Xia Ruqing smiled noncommittally and remained silent.

Honored Lady Lan continued, "She cries all day, has no appetite for tea or food, and has lost a significant amount of weight..." Her face showed deep concern as she spoke.

Xia Ruqing suddenly became very curious. Was Honored Lady Lan truly unaware, or, like Honored Lady Xi, was she just pretending?

She smiled. "Is she still making incense then?"

Honored Lady Lan shook her head. "She’s not making incense anymore. She says all these things have brought her bad luck!"

Xia Ruqing smiled and wiped her hands with a handkerchief. She then remarked, "Indeed, sometimes one unwittingly brings disaster upon oneself! One must always be careful and watchful of those around them in the palace! You never know when someone might scheme against you!"

As Xia Ruqing spoke, she kept her gaze fixed on Honored Lady Lan’s eyes. Those who understood would naturally grasp the meaning behind her words. The eyes are often the giveaway, revealing whether someone is genuine or putting on an act.

Honored Lady Lan listened with a confused expression, showing no sign of understanding, clearly not grasping the subtext.

She didn’t understand? Perhaps she truly was an innocent. But I’m no saint; so what if she’s innocent? This mess doesn’t concern me.

「...」

The guests gradually arrived: several elder Imperial Noble Consorts from the palace, a few Princess Consorts and Commandery Princess Consorts from the Royal Clan, Consorts of Princely Heirs, and so on. Xia Ruqing couldn’t really recognize who was who anyway.

But she did recognize Princess Consort Yan. They had met a couple of times last year in Guangnan, and Princess Consort Yan also had some impression of her. Noticing Xia Ruqing looking in her direction, Princess Consort Yan returned the gaze. The two exchanged smiles, a silent greeting.

"The Empress Dowager has arrived! The Empress has arrived!"

The Empress entered, supporting the Empress Dowager, who walked slowly from outside. Everyone stood to pay their respects.

Today, the Empress Dowager wore a jujube-red Phoenix Robe with subtle dark patterns. She wore minimal jewelry on her head, just a few Phoenix Hairpins. She looked quite simple, and her complexion was good.

"Rise, rise," the Empress Dowager said. "It’s New Year’s Eve; there’s no need for such formalities. Please, sit!"

"Thank you, Empress Dowager, Your Majesty the Empress!"

Everyone took their seats.

No sooner had the Empress Dowager sat down than she noticed Princess Consort Yan. Surprise flashed in her eyes.

She asked, "Where is that child Junqi? It’s been two days since you’ve returned; why hasn’t he come to pay his respects to me?"

A touch of embarrassment flickered in Princess Consort Yan’s eyes. "We arrived in the Capital City the afternoon before last. Yesterday, he said he was accompanying the Emperor to watch some military contests and didn’t return until late at night. He went to the palace again early this morning!

"I haven’t even seen a shadow of him yet!"

The Empress Dowager laughed. "Well, that’s how men are. They all enjoy such things, and the brothers are close!"

Princess Consort Yan smiled but did not respond.

The Empress Dowager pressed further, "And how is your husband, the Prince?"

Princess Consort Yan’s eyes suddenly clouded with a mix of sorrow and an indescribable, complex emotion. It took her a good while to answer. "Prince Yan says his legs make travel inconvenient, and that the Capital City is too cold this year, so he will not be coming..." Her tone carried a slight tremor, as if she were deliberately suppressing some deep emotion.

The Empress Dowager, however, did not seem to notice. After a fleeting look of desolation in her own eyes, she smiled again. "He doesn’t need to come. It’s all the same with you and your son here!"

With that, she changed the subject. "Where’s the theatrical troupe? Quick, call for a play, or we won’t finish watching them all today!"

Princess Consort Yan finally let out a sigh of relief. The handkerchief she had been twisting under the table gradually loosened. The atmosphere perked up again.

The Empress Dowager smilingly selected two plays, and the Empress chose one. No one else made a selection, saying they would pick after watching the current ones. The Empress Dowager didn’t insist further.

The actors took to the stage, offered their salutations, and after a flourish of gongs and drums, they began their high-pitched, operatic singing.

Xia Ruqing had no interest in the play. Rather, the conversation between the Empress Dowager and Princess Consort Yan just now was quite intriguing. Two women. Two women of about the same age. What could have happened between them? The answer had to be a man! They could have been romantic rivals. Could it be they both fell for the late Emperor, and the Empress Dowager got to him first? No, that doesn’t make sense. It’s said Princess Consort Yan’s background wasn’t distinguished enough; marrying the late Emperor would have been rather unlikely. So, did they both fall for Prince Yan, with Princess Consort Yan succeeding first? That makes even less sense. Prince Yan is physically impaired; how could someone as proud as the Empress Dowager fancy a cripple? Then... what exactly could it be?

Xia Ruqing spent the whole evening lost in wild speculation but couldn’t come up with any plausible explanation.

At the end of the New Year’s Eve feast, the Imperial Kitchen brought out dumplings for everyone. He Changshou, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Kitchen, smiled as he greeted them, "Empress Dowager, Empress, and all Your Ladyships and Princess Consorts, peace be with you..."

The Empress Dowager chuckled. "Little He, what’s wrapped inside the dumplings this year?"

He Changshou bowed and replied, "They’re filled with wishes for longevity, health, and peace; abundant blessings and lasting happiness; the country’s tranquility and the people’s security; favorable weather for crops; peaceful homes and prosperous livelihoods; and thriving prosperity! Last year we had Silver Tokens, but this year we have gold tokens!

"Whichever master is fortunate enough to find one will surely be blessed!"

The Empress Dowager laughed heartily. "Good! Good! Reward him!"

"Many thanks to the Empress Dowager!"

Chief Steward He Changshou of the Imperial Kitchen wasn’t short of silver. But on New Year’s Eve, receiving a reward from the Empress Dowager was a great honor, something no amount of silver could buy.

The dumplings were quickly distributed. Each white jade dish held five or six dumplings, all exceptionally delicate and charmingly shaped. They were all identical; one couldn’t tell which contained a gold token and which did not. It was all down to luck.

When the Empress Dowager bit into her third dumpling, she felt something hard.

"Congratulations, Empress Dowager! You truly are fortunate..." Sister Qing took the object with a handkerchief, cleaned it carefully, and held it up to the bright light. "It signifies ’longevity, health, and peace’!"

Everyone eagerly stepped forward to offer more felicitations and compliments. The Empress Dowager beamed with joy. "You all eat up! Let’s see who among you gets the remaining five!"

The others complied, bowing their heads and beginning to eat.

"OUCH! Mother, my tooth!" came the voice of The Eldest Princess.

"Congratulations, Eldest Princess!"

The Empress Dowager asked with a smile, "What is it?"

The Eldest Princess’s wetnurse cleaned the gold token and passed it to Consort Ning. Consort Ning furrowed her brows, studying it for a long moment. "It signifies ’peaceful homes and prosperous livelihoods’!"

The crowd chuckled again. They flattered, saying that if The Eldest Princess were a boy, she would surely accomplish great things and alleviate her father Emperor’s worries.

Consort Ning gently amended with a smile, "Let’s rather hope she marries a good husband, and in that way, she can also help ease her father Emperor’s burdens."

Laughter erupted anew amid the festive cheer.

After some time, no more gold tokens were found. The Empress had finished her dumplings but hadn’t found one.