Yin Zhuli’s belly gradually began to swell, and she finally started to believe that Qiu Zhongfa had not, in fact, misdiagnosed her. Shen Tingjiao’s supervision of her grew increasingly strict. To ensure she could focus on her pregnancy, he personally took over the affairs of the Ministry of Revenue and forbade any idle person from disturbing her.
Yin Zhuli often walked through the palace grounds accompanied by Qingwan and Tianxin. Qingwan’s legs had inevitably been left with a permanent impairment; she walked with a slight limp and could not carry heavy loads. However, Zhang Qing remained consistently devoted and caring toward her. Tianxin’s child was now a year and a half old and lived in the palace with her. Despite Tianxin’s strict discipline, the toddler remained a constant source of boisterous energy from morning till night.
Noble Lady Chen, born of the Zhang-Qi clan, also visited frequently. Though she came from a humble background, her embroidery skills were excellent, and she had already crafted several sets of infant clothes, shoes, and socks. She was naturally taciturn and honest, appearing quite constrained in Yin Zhuli’s presence. Fortunately, Zhang Qing held a high status in the palace, so everyone treated her with due respect.
Shen Tingjiao’s harem actually contained very few concubines, yet it seemed as though the entire population of the inner palace flocked to Zhaohua Palace, making it a bustling hub of activity. Luckily, Yin Zhuli was a casual soul; those she did not wish to see were turned away by Eunuch Huang and his subordinates.
When everyone else was busy, Yin Zhuli was idle. And when she was idle, she sought to stir up trouble. She demanded gauze robes as thin as a cicada’s wing—they had to be breathable but not transparent, or else her mood would turn foul. Such gauze was difficult to weave, and Shen Tingjiao ordered the weavers to work day and night. When they finally produced a garment with great difficulty, she complained that the color was unsightly. Lately, the palace’s Imperial Clothing Bureau had been occupied solely with her wardrobe.
As for jewelry, she became obsessed with blue tourmaline, commanding the palace goldsmiths to draw numerous strange and exotic designs, never satisfied from one day to the next. Not to mention bathing in milk or washing her skin with fine wine, her food expenses alone were a massive drain. Delicacies from land and sea were considered mundane; even her bird’s nest had to be the "blood nest" variety. On the rare occasion she ate Chinese cabbage, she would only consume the thumb-sized hearts. To call her "extravagant and dissipated" would almost be an insult to the phrase itself.
Faced with such appalling behavior, the court officials were filled with righteous indignation. But Yin Zhuli was fearless, continuing to indulge in every sudden whim as if looking for a fight. Memorials flooded in, strongly urging Emperor Jiayu to restrict the Empress Wenxu’s daily expenditures. Shen Tingjiao grew anxious as well, but the moment he broached the subject, Yin Zhuli retorted sarcastically, "If you can’t even afford to support your own wife, why are you even an Emperor?"
Because of this, Shen Tingjiao was forced to reduce his own expenses. When Yin Zhuli ate the cabbage hearts, he ate the remaining leaves. While Yin Zhuli used the most expensive silks and intricate patterns for her clothes, he refrained from commissioning new robes. While Yin Zhuli had jewelry made daily, he diverted all the silver from his personal treasury to cover the costs. Finally, seeing that Yin Zhuli left behind a great deal of food every day, he ordered the imperial chefs not to prepare separate meals for him; he simply ate her leftovers and called it a day.
One day, while Yin Zhuli was basking in the sun on a lounge chair in the courtyard, someone suddenly burst in. It was none other than Master Qin, a man known in court for his unwavering integrity. Yin Zhuli stretched lazily. These days, Shen Tingjiao had taken over all government affairs, and most officials only came to offer congratulations. However, Master Qin had never looked upon her with much favor. While others might come to congratulate her, he...
Sure enough, Master Qin had no intention of offering congratulations. The moment he saw Yin Zhuli, he snapped, "Do you have even a shred of self-awareness as a high-ranking official of the treasury? Since you began your confinement, you have eaten nothing but delicacies and worn nothing but silks and satins. Is there a single grain of rice or an inch of cloth that isn't the blood and sweat of the people? The treasury is not overflowing to begin with—look at what you have driven the King to!"
Yin Zhuli stretched again, patting her slightly protruding belly. "Minister Qin, seeing you so aggressive, I thought something catastrophic had happened. My dear Minister, I am carrying the dragon seed. I’ve just been a bit particular about my food and clothing—what of it?"
Master Qin was so angry he nearly jumped. "Is that just 'a bit particular'? Look at your expenses for this month... Is there only one woman in this world who knows how to bear a child?!"
"Shh—" Yin Zhuli picked up a longan fruit that had just been harvested, still wet with dew. She adopted a tone of earnest persuasion. "Minister, don't think I'm just living a life of debauchery. Think about it—if I don't maintain myself well and turn into a withered old hag, the King will eventually take a harem full of concubines. Their combined expenses—could that possibly be a small amount? Right now, I am the only one in the harem. No matter how much I squander, how much can it really be? You should try to be more open-minded..."
Master Qin trembled with rage. He reached a hand toward her but, ultimately mindful of the prince everyone had long awaited, he did not dare touch her. He could only leave in a huff.
Unless delayed too late, Shen Tingjiao would spend the night at Zhaohua Palace. Yin Zhuli’s nightgowns grew more magnificent and exquisite by the day. Because she had so many, she felt compelled to change several times a night. Two before dinner, one after dinner, another before bed, and yet another in the morning when she attended to Shen Tingjiao as he rose. Shen Tingjiao would occasionally say a few words, but more often, he simply let her lean against him, occasionally kissing her forehead with a helpless, doting sigh: "You really do know how to bully me."
After flipping through documents for a long time, even Fan Min, who was waiting in the hall, grew restless. Only then did Shen Tingjiao slowly stretch, his voice clear as ringing silver. "Why are you standing there? Fan Min, take what you’ve written and explain it to the people from the Ministry of Works."
Fan Min had been apprehensive while writing the piece, and hearing the question, he became even more cautious. "Your Majesty, you... do not take offense?"
Shen Tingjiao flipped through a few more pages of the booklet, his expression indifferent. "Why would I take offense?" He gave a cold snort and murmured, "The one in my harem is far more outrageous than you."
While the ministers stifled their laughter, He Jian took the opportunity to speak. "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, we should let the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue carefully study this 'Refutation of Policy.' If what it says is nonsense, it won't be too late to punish him then."
Shen Tingjiao nodded. "After court is dismissed, we shall discuss this further in the study."
It was known to everyone in the Great Xing Empire that Emperor Jiayu, Shen Tingjiao, was henpecked.
After Yin Zhuli learned that Shen Tingjiao had been eating her leftovers for over a month, her conscience finally flickered to life—she decided to leave even more leftovers so he wouldn't go hungry. Shen Tingjiao didn't bother trying to reason with her. Like many first-time fathers, he indulged his wife without any sense of principle. Whenever high-ranking officials complained to him, he would always sigh and give an eight-word reply: "Things have come to this; let her be."
Eventually, everyone grew accustomed to it...
In late October, the summer heat receded. Yin Zhuli was six months pregnant; her belly was high and heavy, making movement difficult and sleep increasingly elusive. She didn't know where this unease came from, but she was constantly startled by this fleeting prosperity. Shen Tingjiao also sensed her unstable mood and had Noble Lady Chen move into Zhaohua Palace so she could chat and alleviate her boredom.
One night, Yin Zhuli didn't fall into a hazy dream until after midnight. Suddenly, the curtain made of glass beads was lifted.
"Zhuli? Wake up, wake up!" Someone lightly patted her face. The voice was very, very soft, but it was a voice Yin Zhuli would never forget after hearing it once. She jolted awake, calling out "Master," but she was met only by the silence of the room.
The water clock marked the fourth watch. Yin Zhuli was drenched in a cold sweat, and then she sensed something wrong—usually at this time, the palace maids should have entered. Though pregnant, her reactions remained as sharp as ever. She plucked a few glass beads and flicked her hand, extinguishing the candles in the room.
The chamber fell into total darkness. she quietly rolled off the bed. In the dark, the faint rustle of robes was barely discernible. It was as if that night from over a decade ago was repeating itself. She had been huddled under the dressing table as a group of men in black burst in, and in her memory, only that woman’s final glance remained.
A sudden pang hit her heart, and her palms grew slick with cold sweat. The intruder drew closer. Yin Zhuli’s advantage was her nightgown—it was as thin as a cicada’s wing, allowing her to move soundlessly. Her disadvantage was that she had no weapon. She didn't dare make a sound; calling for help now would only reveal her position.
The intruder’s footsteps were extremely light. Yin Zhuli groaned inwardly. She hid by the bed, her hand slowly searching until she felt—a chamber pot. Now, this chamber pot was an imperial item, crafted from pure gold and considered a masterpiece of fine carving, but in the dead of night, facing an unknown intruder while heavily pregnant, she only had a chamber pot...
Fortunately, Yin Zhuli was a pragmatic person. She suddenly felt that Shen Tingjiao had his uses after all—a chamber pot was better than nothing.
The intruder drew closer. Yin Zhuli moved to the best position by the bed to ambush him. The surroundings were deathly silent; even the sound of breathing was indistinct. When a blade slashed across the bed, Yin Zhuli gripped the handle of the chamber pot and, gauging the direction, delivered a fierce blow toward the intruder.
She knew this was a life-or-death struggle, so she held nothing back. Because she couldn't be sure of the intruder's height, her aim was slightly off. Fortunately, the chamber pot was large enough that it still struck the person’s right forehead directly. The intruder let out a muffled groan, and a steel blade swung horizontally. Yin Zhuli couldn't dodge in time and could only use her hand to catch the blade along its path.
Her fingers gripped the sharp edge tightly as her right hand swung the chamber pot again. This time her aim was true, smashing it right onto the intruder’s nose. Struck by the blow, the person involuntarily released the sword, while Yin Zhuli’s hand was already drenched in blood. The scent of blood spread through the room, and Yin Zhuli began to feel that something was wrong—a numbness from the wound was spreading rapidly. She was secretly alarmed, while the hidden attacker began to laugh. "You've realized? There is poison on the blade. You're beyond saving."
With that single sentence, Yin Zhuli recognized who it was—Qu Lingyu. Yin Zhuli had considered many things but had forgotten that this person was still in the Phoenix Nest Palace. Of course, she had been the Empress; Shen Tianyao must have told her about the secret passages in the palace. She had been careless. She swung the sword to cut a long lock of her hair and tied it tightly around her injured arm. But the poison was indeed too potent; the left side of her body began to go numb.
Qu Lingyu couldn't see what she was doing. Her laughter in the dark wasn't manic; it was cold, yet every word dripped with hatred. "Yin Zhuli, my family is destroyed and my home is gone. Why should you get to live in peace and happiness?"
Yin Zhuli felt the air she could pull into her lungs getting thinner and thinner, her breathing gradually becoming obstructed. She picked up the sword and walked slowly, step by step, out of Zhaohua Palace, leaving Qu Lingyu with one sentence: "I understand. That was exactly what I thought... all those years ago."
*Why should she have to die while you all get to be a happy family?*
Outside Zhaohua Palace, the patrolling guards soon discovered Yin Zhuli. The news of the assassination attempt on Empress Wenxu spread like wildfire. The imperial physicians stood in a row, all of them helpless. Fortunately, someone had gone to fetch Ke Tingfeng immediately after the incident. He entered with his medicine chest, his face pale upon seeing the situation.
Countless ministers rushed to the inner palace. In the chaos, the palace servants forgot all protocol, and the officials swarmed toward Yin Zhuli’s residence. Shen Tingjiao held Yin Zhuli; the lock of hair tied around her left arm had caused it to change color. Yet her mind remained very clear. Her breathing grew more difficult, and she lay motionless.
Ke Tingfeng drove everyone out of the room. Shen Tingjiao gripped her hand tightly but eventually loosened his hold slowly. Seeing the look on Ke Tingfeng’s face, Yin Zhuli knew the situation was grave. Shen Tingjiao’s fingertips brushed across her palm; he lowered his eyes in silence. Yin Zhuli gave a faint smile and spoke slowly, "I thought my life would surely be longer than yours, Your Majesty, but the world is unpredictable. If Heaven does not grant me more years, Your Majesty need not be sad. Though this floating world has ten thousand points of origin, they all lead to a single destination. Many years from now, beneath the Yellow Springs, we shall meet again."
Shen Tingjiao turned his back. His silhouette was as thin and frail as it had been years ago. The bright yellow imperial robes lost their former majesty, looking like withered autumn leaves, carrying an unnameable loneliness and desolation. Yin Zhuli chuckled softly again. "Of course, you can still think of me during the festivals."
*Though this floating world has ten thousand points of origin, they all lead to a single destination. Many years from now, beneath the Yellow Springs, we shall meet again.*
*But I don't want such a meeting... I don't want it...*
Shen Tingjiao strode out of the room. As he reached the door, he struggled to suppress the sob in his throat. "I will wait for you."
Behind the glass bead curtain, the misty silk drapes slowly fell. An Emperor’s tears fell where no one else could see.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
黄泉 | Yellow Springs | The Chinese underworld/afterlife.
昭华殿/宫 | Zhaohua Palace | Yin Zhuli's residence.
蓝色碧玺 | Blue Tourmaline | A semi-precious gemstone.
血燕 | Blood Nest | A rare and expensive type of edible bird's nest.
秦师 | Master Qin | An upright official (the suffix 'Shi' implies a teacher or respected elder).
曲凌钰 | Qu Lingyu | The former Empress and antagonist.
柯停风 | Ke Tingfeng | Yin Zhuli's master and a skilled physician.
驳策论 | Refutation of Policy | A specific political essay or treatise mentioned in the text.
夜壶 | Chamber pot | A portable toilet used in bedrooms.
