To Be A Virtuous Wife

Jing fei is a good mother.

Coming into Kui Yuan Palace, Qu Qing Ju felt that the inside was overly silent. The palace maids and taijian were quite as though they were statues.

The messenger taijian quickly came out, and guided the two with a smile on his face into the inner hall. Qu Qing Ju saw the Empress attired in a plain dress and jewellery, her hair in a chui yun knot[7]. The Empress looked around forty-years old, much older than Jing fei. On her wrist was a bracelet of Buddha beads. She had a slight smile on her face, but it seemed bland, making it uncertain whether it was a true smile or just out of politeness.

"Erchenerxi greets muhou.[8]" He Heng and Qu Qing Ju performed a proper greeting, not being any less careful because the Empress had no power.

"You two do not have to be so polite. Sit down," The Empress motioned for the two to sit and after a maid poured tea, she said: "How come Heng'er has come today?"

"I heard that muhou was ill, has muhou taken medicine?" He Heng's tone held concern, "Erchen was using a meal at mufei's place today and heard the news. Muhou, please take more care with the phoenix body."

"It's just old problems, I've already taken medicine. Heng'er has no need to worry," The Empress smiled and used her handkerchief to disguise the cough that came up and turned to look at Qu Qing Ju, "Er erxi is more and more beautiful."

"Muhou is laughing at erxi," Qu Qing Ju saw that the Empress' face was pale and there was no spirit in her eyes. She sighed inside, "But after recovery, I have more energy. If muhou recovered, you could go sunbathe more. Erxi heard the taiyi say that this was beneficial to the body."

"Muhou remembers your intentions," The Empress nodded, "Last month, san erxi who just married sent over an amount of ginseng and deer antler. Ben gong cannot use them as the body is too week, but this sunbathing might work."

San erxi… … wasn't it Rui Wang, He Yuan's zhengfei that he married just last month? Qu Qing Ju couldn't help look twice at the Empress and He Heng. These two's conversation was normal yet formal but she kept on feeling something wasn't right. The Empress just casually mentioned that san wangfei had come a few days ago to Kui Yuan Palace and intentionally said she couldn't use those present, what was she telling He Heng?

Scanning the servants inside the palace, there were only two taijian and two maids, all silently standing with heads down. They probably were the people the Empress used frequently.

Hearing the two start discussing Buddhist scripture, Qu Qing Ju stared at that string of Buddhist beads on the Empress' wrist. She found that the Empress' wrist was very thin, just a layer of pale skin wrapped around the wristbone, appearing to be shrivelled.

"The "Lengyan Scriptures" say, the heart becomes moral; due to morals, there is concentration; with concentration, insight is found,[9]" The Empress coughed, "That is to say, as long as the person can control the heart, then they will not be influenced by the environment?"

He Heng smiled warmly, and took a sip of tea: "Muhou's insigts, erchen can't compare."

"It's just eating a few more bowls of rice than you have," The empress moved her gaze past the two of them, looking out the door, "In really, what ben gong sees, it's just this little space of the inner palace."

Qu Qing Ju followed her gaze. There wasn't any sunlight outside, just some light that came in from the door so the room inside wasn't very light.

A woman who had nothing, no power, no favor but she could become the Empress. This kind of woman, a woman that sees the truths in the hougong, could she be simple?

"The day is getting dark, you two should return," The Empress raised a hand to touch the box on her lap. Inside was the knick-knacks that the couple had presented which came from outside the palace, "These things, ben gong hadn't seen them for many years. Ben gong likes very much. Zhang mama, take out the bolts of Yun brocade from ben gong's stores and let them take back with them. These things have to be worn on the younger people to look good."

Qu Qing Ju, hearing this, hurriedly stood to refuse.

"Seeing you dress well, ben gong will be happy too. Don't try to refuse, Kui Yuan Palace might not be as rich as Zhao Xiang Palace, but can still afford to give these things to you younger people."

When that was said, Qu Qing Ju didn't refuse anymore.

He Heng saw that the Empress wasn't very energetic and didn't stay longer. Together with Qu Qing Ju, they bowed and left. Zhang mama personally sent the two out. Qian Chang Xin and Ming He, who had been waiting outside, took the Yun brocade. She bowed to the two: "Wang ye, wang fei, walk slowly. This old servant will not send you off further."

"Zhang mama doesn't have to be so courteous," Qu Qing Ju smiled. Just like how she came, she slowly walked behind He Heng as they walked towards the outside.

Zhang mama called them wang ye and wang fei without their title in the front. This was the same as the servants in Zhong Jin Palace. Were they the same to all the wang ye or just … …

When they reached the doors of the palace, He Heng turned his head back and saw Qu Qing Ju docilely walking. He suddenly smiled and raised a hand, saying: "Wang fei, we've reached the carriage."

Qu Qing Ju raised her head and saw the wang fu's carriage was just ten steps away. She looked at the hand in front of her and raised her own hand when she heard a series of steps come from behind her.

[1] 父皇: father-emperor

[2] 雨露均沾: the rain and dew is the favor, this idiom means that the women should "share" a man's favor. Usually applied to the rulers who shouldn't be "unjust" in his favors in order to have more children to ensure succession.

[3] 儿臣: son-servant(or subject), used when speaking to empress, mother or emperor. It means that when the person is an imperial child, they are still a subject of the emperor

[4] 后宫: back of palace or inner palace. Refers to the harem of the Emperor. In common usage, it also includes the Empress and the children that live in the palace.

[5] 魁元宫: kuiyuan means first among peers, the chief, the best and the brightest

[6] 兆祥宫: zhao(兆) million, mega-, trillion, tera- or billion xiang(祥) is auspicious, propitious.

[7] 垂云髻: hair in a knot at base of neck

[8] 母后: mother-empress. All children of the emperor has a di mother, the empress, who they refer to as muhou and for those born of concubines, who is their shu mother, they will call them mufei.

[9] This is a paraphrase of the three fold training that came from Buddhist scripture. The three tenets are morality, concentration and insight.