Ch. 26: Peaches

Zhao Suiyan, perhaps no longer willing to dull her inner shine, wore a short peach packet with shiny gold buttons as yellow blossoms tumbled across the front artistically. Her mahogany skirt featured the popular horse-faced pleat, with the front-facing pleat larger than the others and decorated with 1 band of lan, gold embroidery that encircled the edge of the skirt. It was a showy outfit for a shu daughter, especially one who had recently been engaged, but in consideration of the fact that the occasion was her grandmother's birthday, no one said anything of it.

"Isn't that her right there? Look at her, pretending she isn't an old maid getting hastily married off to an incompetent husband," Ning Caixin sneered, pretending to take a whiff of her perfumed handkerchief as she griped to Ning Cairong.

"Second sister," Ning Cairong sighed, feeling that the banquet would be endless even though they had just arrived. In short time, all the guests had made it in with the most important ones sitting closer to Old Madam Zhao. Finding themselves somewhere in the upper half, Ning Ruoxin was for once, without complaint, as she too was a young girl excited to leave the house. Within the indoor banquet hall, a stage had been set up and she greatly looked forward to a bit of opera.

A guest seated relatively closely to Old Madam Zhao stood up, curtseying politely before the elderly woman. It was Old Madam Zhao's 60th birthday and due to Imperial Concubine Zhao's current favor within the palace, a palace eunuch had just delivered a few gifts, adding to the ruddiness of the elderly woman's cheeks. Coupled with the praises that had been sung to her throughout the day, Old Madam Zhao smiled favorably upon her youngest granddaughter despite the disappointment of her marriage.

"Xiao Yan," Old Madam Zhao said, displaying her favor of Zhao Suiyan by using the girl's nickname. The madams and young misses around watched avidly as if this were the opera performance. Those who had wished to mock Young Miss Zhao about her marriage to a dunce swallowed down their words for the time being.

"Grandmother," Zhao Suiyan replied just as sweetly, "I would like to present to you a gift I made. Hopefully, you will accept the fruit of my humble skills."

"I will like anything you give me," Old Madam Zhao said pleasantly.

Zhao Suiyan beckoned elegantly to the side and two maids carried in a screen. A few gasps escaped from the enthralled audience before they were hushed. Appreciative murmurs arose, although Ning Ruoxin merely scoffed and looked away.

A hefty screen had been brought in, a pale gold fabric suspended within a pale wood frame. The gold fabric, which was thinner than gossamer and nearly transparent, was covered in a stunning mural full of symbols of old age and good fortune. There was a white and red crane, the colors leading from the pricey gold canvas, perched beneath a ginkgo tree. Even the distinct shape of the leaves could be seen. In its fine black beak, it carried a peach.

'This-This is..." Old Madam Zhao was astounded, a jolly expression reddening her old cheeks as her shu born granddaughter exceeded her expectations. "This is quite good!"

An unsightly expression sat on Madam Zhao's face, but she said nothing. In fact, when she had previously asked to see Old Madam Zhao's gift, Zhao Suiyan had merely shown her a small pouch embroidered with peaches as the gift, yet now she brought out a fine screen that could've been produced by palace embroiderers. Wasn't this simply hitting her face?

First, Madam Zhao had received a letter from her daughter, revealing the full extent of Zhao Suiyan's transgressions within the palace. When Madam Zhao had read about Zhao Suiyan attempting to steal Imperial Concubine Zhao's good things and then irritating the mother of the world, her world had briefly darkened as she nearly fainted from anger. A few days later, her husband had returned from court with a harried look, explaining that one of the empress' servants had secretly sought him out and told him to arrange a marriage for his last remaining daughter to a known, underachieving shaoye with minimal prospects of advancing in rank in his future.

Madam Zhao did not hate her shu-born daughter, although she did not care for the girl's mother who had been wily in snatching her husband away from her chambers at night with claims of illness or a headache. She had always considered herself to be rather fair and treated Zhao Suiyan with more consideration than most shu-born daughters would get. Be it the tasty dishes from the same small kitchen as her di daughter or exquisite seasonal fabrics, Madam Zhao had supplied them all. And yet, the smiling white-eyed wolf soaking in the praise of the gathered noblewomen had shown herself to be so insidious and two-faced.

The bright-colored jacket brought out the blush on Zhao Suiyan's face, making her appear even more lovable to the gathered older women in the banquet hall who doted on young girls and loved displays of filial piety. However, the grand display from her shu daughter felt rather pointless at this point. The girl was 16 and already booked for a marriage on the first auspicious day after the bride and groom's 8 characters had been exchanged. So why did Zhao Suiyan do this show now? Sitting on the side of her mother-in-law and forced to smile at Zhao Suiyan, Madam Zhao could not help but wonder, was this what Empress Chu had seen?

She did not have to wonder long.

The following morning, the capital exploded with news. Before lunch, all the women in official households were chattering in excitement. Zhao Suiyan, the initially inconsequential shu daughter of the Zhao household, had been summoned to the palace by Empress Dowager Sun who had been impressed by her show of filial piety.

The explosive news, however, was met by sighs of regret and for a choice few, fury. Many lamented that Zhao Suiyan had only recently settled her poor marriage and that if she had waited a few more days, perhaps she could've attained a more suitable family's proposal. But if Zhao Suiyan were to hear their thoughts, the young miss would've only had a good laugh at their expense. After all, what family could be more suitable for her than the imperial family?

The Zhao Suiyan who stepped from her family's carriage was a dazzling sight for the sleep-deprived eunuchs guarding the entrance of the sprawling palace. Complimenting the slow but steady arrival of spring, her bolder than appropriate lip color and cheery clothes felt like a breath of fresh air. The unmarried lady's hairstyle she had chosen, consisted of a majority of her waist-length hair tumbling down her shoulders with the remainder twined into twin buns in a play of the childish double bun.

Her maid assisted her down the stairs placed before her carriage before stepping back with her head bowed. Zhao Suiyan, an unmarried noble miss, was too low ranked to be allowed to bring in her own servant. But for what she intended to do next, the only one who could help her was the strange eunuch she had met that day.

A short female official with an overly friendly smile rushed forward to meet Zhao Suiyan and the young miss showed her affectionate grin that made her dimples more distinguishable. But the false cheer behind her smile went out like a candle disturbed by the wind when the female official spoke.

"Greeting, Second Young Miss Zhao," the female official said with a short bow of respect, "I am from Zhongcui Palace. The mistress of Zhongcui Palace wishes to speak with you before you have an audience with her majesty, Empress Dowager Sun."

Under the female official's smiling eyes, Zhao Suiyan could detect a faint thread of disapproval. At the end of the day, wasn't a female official just a slightly higher-ranked servant? If Zhao Suiyan weren't standing before eunuchs who could serve as the eyes and ears of those within the palace, she would've torn into the official.

However, Zhao Suiyan instead widened her smile, the flash of teeth sending a shiver down the female official's spine before she remembered her backer's power and straightened further. An unruly noble girl with no backing was nothing for her to fear.

"How could I dare? If the empress dowager's servants were to arrive and not find me, even your head wouldn't be able to make up for that mistake. Please tell Imperial Concubine Zhao that I will have to disappoint her intentions today," she murmured viciously, a smile still hanging from her lips. Her voice was just low enough that the eunuchs at the side entrance could not hear her.

An older momo at this moment stepped over the threshold of the side entrance and into view. Befitting her rank, there were a few no-nonsense maids following behind her, who were all beauties in their own right, although Zhao Suiyan knew she surpassed them all. The eunuchs, who had previously lazily waited around, dropped in unison into a bow. Zhao Suiyan could infer immediately from their reactions that this must be an important servant of Empress Dowager Sun and she too dropped into her best curtsey.

"Greetings, momo," she said with her eyes tilted towards the ground subserviently, the very picture of obedience and propriety.

"Second Young Miss Zhao, please follow me to the Empress Dowager."

Madam Zhao, her official mother, had never been interested in giving Zhao Suiyan the proper education of a noble lady, only allowing the former palace momo to wholeheartedly teach Imperial Concubine Zhao etiquette and the four arts. But Zhao Suiyan had always been fond of taking things from others, how could such important education be any different? Ensconced behind a finely woven curtain after bribing one of the second-rank maids who cleaned her sister's former boudoir, Zhao Suiyan had too managed to attend the etiquette lessons and soak in valuable information. Valuable lessons that were paying dividends as a glimmer of approval appeared in the momo's eyes.

As someone who had grown up in wealth, Zhao Suiyan knew very well how important the words of a loyal servant could be. Wasn't that why she treated all the elderly staff beside Old Madam Zhao almost as carefully as her own grandmother so they would only have good words to say about her? As a shu-born daughter, Zhao Suiyan was good at recognizing opportunities such as this, and could not stop the smug grin that crawled over her face as she left the female official behind and walked down the tall red outdoor halls she'd encountered not long before.

Just you wait, Older Sister, Zhao Suiyan thought savagely as her knee twinged from the long kneeling she had been subjected to that fateful day, someday you will be the one beneath me on your knees in tears!

The imperial palace was the most wondrous sight Zhao Suiyan had ever seen in her life. Tall columns lined the walkway and filled the area with a sense of grandeur. When they weren't moving through a sea of endless red walls, the lakes full of vivid lotuses, even though they were out of season, delighted Zhao Suiyan's eager eyes. But what filled the young miss with the most pleasure was when they came across maids and servants of the palace who had to bow to Empress Dowager Sun's momo and her entourage as they passed through unhindered.

Zhao Suiyan could only pretend that the deferential bows from the maids hastening to move out of the center of the path were for her. She imagined herself seated upon the same litter that Empress Chu had ridden on and looking down at the sea of those beneath her without a care. She could lazily wave her hand and have a lesser ranked concubine beaten simply at a mere whim.

The images dancing in Zhao Suiyan's head were so vivid she scarcely noticed when they had arrived before Yongshou Palace. The opulence of the empress dowager's palace extraordinary, but Zhao Suiyan scarcely glanced at it, bowing her head as if she were indeed a simple, humble noble girl unaccustomed to such finery.

"Wait here, I will go inform Empress Dowager Sun that you've arrived," the momo said sternly. In the biting chill of early spring, a faint incense flowed outside as two servant girls opened the heavy curtain entrance.

"Yes, momo," Zhao Suiyan replied obediently. She had indeed arrived, and she did not intend to leave this time with something as cheap as agate jewelry when she could gamble for something more - the emperor's heart.