Outside Sunzhen Gate, a long line of young women and men were already beginning to assemble. It wasn't yet the end of winter. Li Fang had no idea how the Ministry of Revenue, which was traditionally in charge of organising the selection of beauties, managed to convince the emperor to bring forward the ceremony. But it had been taxing on her part to coordinate everything last minute.
A small, joyless smile plastered itself on her face. At the end of the day, it seemed like the emperor was just like any other man. One new dancer wasn't enough, he couldn't wait to add more to his ever-growing collection.
"Noble Consort Niangniang, the beauties have arrived and are ready to present for selection." The eunuch in charge of leading the entourage from their carriages and into this courtyard came to report to her. He had a simpering smile on as he looked up at her eagerly and she knew that he was awaiting a reward for a job well done.
But Li Fang couldn't bring herself to give him one. What woman would happily help her husband choose new concubines? This idiotic servant before her should be glad that she was too refined to vent her anger on him in public.
Just a fortnight ago, she had decided to 'listen' to Lady of Bright Deportment Zhang's complaints about the newcomer's unruliness. Because she took her responsibilities so seriously, she had assigned the strictest instructor to Zheshan Palace to train this Yan Yun to know his place. Although she didn't give explicit commands on what to do and what not to do, she knew that Sun Momo would be creative in her lessons. After all, Sun Momo's old mistress had lost favour after the previous emperor had started pampering a eunuch and she hated inner palace male pets with a vengeance.
As Li Fang had expected, the boy had refused to capitulate to some of Sun Momo's more unreasonable forms of teaching and was now starving in Zheshan Palace as a result of it. This suffering and humiliation were exactly what Li Fang wanted him to undergo. This way, she wouldn't have to remind him herself that his status as the prime minister's son was a relic of the past.
If the emperor paid him attention, the harem would tolerate him temporarily. But once he was forgotten, he was worth nothing more than the dirt beneath their shoes. How could a child of a convict be lumped in together with the rest of them? They were all daughters and sons of prestigious noble families and she, Li Fang, was the most glorious of the lot.
But it was about time to wrap up that punishment. After today, there might be new arrivals in Zheshan Palace and Li Fang couldn't risk word of Sun Momo's extreme behaviour escaping, lest it reflected on Li Fang's governance of the inner palace.
"Tell Sun Momo that enough is enough," she murmured to her chief maid, Mianxin.
"Yes, Niangniang."
Mianxin had barely finished accepting her new set of orders when the eunuchs at the door of the hall announced the arrival of the empress dowager. Li Fang exchanged a surprised glance with Mianxin before setting her cup of tea down and rising quickly to her feet to curtsy.
"This concubine-subject greets Empress Dowager Niangniang."
The dowager's smile was benign but distant. Although the years have left faint crow's feet at the corner's of her eyes, they failed to conceal the shadow of the radiant beauty she'd been in her youth. Her imposing presence had also grown even stronger, the mature, austere colours and patterns of the dowager's robes emphasising her regal bearing.
Next to her, Li Fang felt small and insignificant. She hated it. One day, this position would be hers. Her clan was counting on her to extend their family's glory into the inner palace but she knew that she wasn't their only choice. Her despair had lodged itself like a fishbone in her throat when she'd seen the name of her younger cousin, Li Ling, on the selection list. This was a sign that they were starting to give up on her and pin their hopes on another candidate.
The dowager settled into the seat that Li Fang was glad she'd had the foresight to prepare. It was rare for this esteemed woman to leave her luxurious palace and dabble in the affairs of the inner palace but the dowager had always shown a strong interest in the members of the harem itself. Li Fang could understand why. The emperor's harem had been established back when he was crown prince, which was a little more than half a decade ago.
But he still had no heirs. This seemed to be vexing for everyone concerned except His Majesty himself.
"Where is the emperor?" The dowager asked, looking around the hall once before her stern, displeased gaze landed on Li Fang. As though it was Li Fang's fault that her precious oldest son wasn't present for his own concubine selection. "Has His Majesty not been informed of the hour?"
Li Fang swallowed. The hall was decorated with precious ornaments and warmed with the best red charcoal, which was of such high-grade purity that the smoke emitted from the burner was white. Everything had been calculated to present the imperial family in the most flattering light and she'd expected to earn the praise of the dowager at the very least. She'd been counting on her outstanding performance to gain herself a powerful ally by showing the dowager that no one was more suited for the title of empress than her.
But now, the main character of the day was absent, and she was about to be blamed for it. A heavy resentment filled her heart. Did she, did the whole harem mean so little to His Majesty?
Before she could defend herself, a eunuch in dark red and blue livery strode in, the briskness of his step unhindered by his sizeable waistline.
"This old servant pays his respects to Empress Dowager Niangniang, Noble Consort Li Niangniang."
There was a familiar twinkle in Cao Mingbao's eyes that just made Li Fang weary. She recognised this as a sign that he was about to assist the emperor in wriggling out of a sticky situation, had been on the receiving end of it more than once.
True enough, "Empress Dowager Niangniang, His Majesty is currently caught up in affairs of the state and is unable to attend the selection of beauties today. He sends his apologies and states that he has complete faith that Niangniang will make the best decision for him."
Li Fang eyed the dowager in trepidation. But instead of the thunderstorm she'd been expecting, the dowager remained surprisingly calm.
"Tell His Majesty to watch his health," was the dowager's even reply. She picked up the cup of tea by her side and removed its lid, the hot steam from within rising to curl around her face. "It wouldn't do for him to fall ill from overworking himself, especially since he doesn't seem to have an intimate confidante in the inner palace to take care of him."
Outside, just beyond the gates of the courtyard, rows and rows of beauties stood in lines of six as they shivered in the cold and waited for this life-changing moment to happen to them.
But inside, Li Fang sweated into her robes as she processed the subtle accusation of the dowager's words. If the emperor took no interest in his harem, he was at grievous fault for neglecting his duties to provide the country with an heir. But the harem was also at fault for being so dull and boring. Just because it was unreasonable wouldn't stop fingers from pointing.
"Empress Dowager Niangniang," she stammered with none of her usual composure. "This concubine-subject is at fault and will discuss with my sisters and brothers about how to improve our care for His Majesty—"
"Forget it," the dowager cut in dismissively. "If His Majesty wishes to be stubborn about his bedchamber matters, then so be it."
"This concubine-subject is also at fault for not being able to produce an heir…" Li Fang's face burned from having to admit this in front of so many servants that she wasn't close to, even putting herself at risk of being overheard by the girls and boys outside, waiting for a chance to usurp her place. But she was worried that if she didn't bring up the subject first, the dowager would use it as an excuse to make her life difficult later. Best to take the initiative and apologise first.
But the dowager had more surprises up her sleeve today. Instead of losing her temper about the issue regarding heirs, which should be the dowager's utmost concern, she merely shook her head with a tired sigh.
"The matter of heirs is one for the court and us members of the inner palace shouldn't deliberate too much on it," the dowager said. "Fulfil your duties, no one expects more from you. Do you understand?"
No, Li Fang did not. Wasn't it the role of the dowager to lecture the emperor on the importance of begetting offspring? Li Fang had been counting on her to pressurise the emperor into visiting the harems more. Although he'd never once touched her on the rare times that he'd chosen her to attend upon him in his bedchambers, she needed more opportunities to be with him if she wanted to change his mind about that.
But now it seemed like the dowager had…given up?
Cao Mingbao's smile widened. "Empress Dowager Niangniang is right as always," he said, as shameless a suck-up as ever. "His Majesty knows what he is doing, why trouble yourselves worrying about nothing? He also said that he feels that Prince Xi's harem is too small in comparison to his own and that this would not reflect a good impression of their close relationship. Hence, he would like to invite Niangniang to choose some beauties to send to Prince Xi's manor."
Li Fang had a bad feeling about this. It was quickly realised when Cao Mingbao continued with, "In addition, His Majesty said that he feels bad about stealing Prince Xi's birthday gift from Minister of Rites Wu from him and would like to present him with all the male beauties in the selection—"
The cup of tea went flying out of the dowager's hands to crash against the pillar behind Cao Mingbao. Scalding hot liquid splashed across Cao Mingbao's robes but he didn't flinch.
"Empress Dowager Niangniang, please quell your anger!" The servants in the room apart from Cao Mingbao fell to their knees.
"Very good," the dowager said, eyes flashing. "This mourner (1) sees how it is. Tell the emperor that he need not lead his younger brother astray with his bad habits."
She turned her wrath upon Li Fang, who rose from her seat, hands clenching beneath her elaborate sleeves to stop them from trembling with fear.
"Noble Consort Li," she commanded. "This mourner commands you to oversee the rest of the ceremony. Since His Majesty doesn't care, you can choose as you see fit, this mourner is tired and will retire now. Once you are done, send the list to my palace and I will have the final say."
"As Empress Dowager Niangniang commands." Li Fang's curtsy sank low to the ground and she didn't dare to lift her head until the dowager's footsteps faded down the corridor.
"Well then, Noble Consort Niangniang, this old servant shall also take his leave." With one last respectful bow, Cao Mingbao left in as carefree a manner as he'd come.
Li Fang settled herself back in her chair and patted her chest to calm her racing heart. After that nerve-wracking situation, the huge benefit that had been bestowed upon Li Fang started to become apparent to her. She was being given the choice to decide who stayed and who left?
She thought about all the pretty little faces that were outside, just waiting eagerly for a chance to display themselves in front of the emperor.
Pity that their youthful faces, refreshing like young green plums, would be wasted on her.
With an elegant flick of her wrist, she indicated for the presiding eunuch to lead the first row of beauties in for her inspection. But this was just a pretence because her mind was already far away on one of her schemes.
[Let's see then. To appear magnanimous, of course, we will have to keep the daughter of the left prime minister. If I rejected her, it would put His Majesty in a difficult position in court and he would not forgive me for that. Secondly, let's also keep that Wu girl, it would be interesting to see how she feels about sharing a husband with her ex-slave…]