A Hundred of Beautiful Lives - Chapter 002
“Jiejie, what kind of person is Princess Anle? Why do the people in the residence look so strange? None of the madams has any joy on their faces”, asked Xiao Yüji, who was only sixteen this year. Having been raised as a dancing girl meant her knowledge was inevitably limited.
Da Yüji was two years older than Little Yu Ji, but the two sisters resembled each other so closely it was as if they were from the same mould. Those who didn’t know might think they were twins. Hearing Xiao Yüji’s question, she replied, “Princess Anle is the daughter of the Central Plains Empress Su. But this empress is no ordinary woman. She was originally the wife of Shi Zun, the regional governor of Liangzhou. The Emperor traded five carts of luminous pearls to bring her into the palace. From then on, she became the sole favourite in the imperial harem. She bore him only one daughter, Princess Anle.”
Xiao Yüji laughed and remarked, “Then this Princess Anle must be of exceedingly noble birth. If she marries into our household, wouldn’t that woman in Songlin Courtyard be unable to laugh any more?”
Da Yüji curled her lips and said, “That may not be the case.”
Xiao Yüji was surprised. “Why is that?”
Seeing Xiao Yüji’s ignorance, Da Yüji pulled her into the inner room and spoke in a low voice, “You don’t know about Empress Su, so you don’t understand Princess Anle’s situation. They said that before the emperor of the Central Plains married this empress, he was considered diligent and loved his people. But ever since he married her, it’s as if he became bewitched. He hasn’t attended court for over a decade and conscripted countless labourers to build lavish palaces, erecting the Chengtian Terrace for his pleasures. That one structure alone cost over ten thousand lives of labourers who died from exhaustion.”
Xiao Yüji still didn’t think much of it, “Even if the Son of Heaven is lecherous, how can that be blamed on Empress Su Ah?”
When Da Yüji saw Xiao Yüji like this and continued, “I heard that inside the Chengtian Terrace, there’s a pool filled with fine wine, large enough for boats to float on.”
“How much money would that cost?” Xiao Yüji exclaimed.
“On Princess Anle’s birthday, she wore a feathered robe worth ten thousand gold coins, made entirely from kingfisher tail feathers.”
“This is too extravagant, isn’t it?” Xiao Yüji covered her mouth.
“That’s not all. Empress Su never donned the same skirt more than once, nor did she ever repeat a set of jewellery. Her daily meals cost just a thousand coins per sitting. Even the floors of her palace are paved entirely with golden lotus bricks. She dislikes candle smoke, so the emperor ordered a search for night-illuminating pearls throughout the entire realm. There’s a jade mountain ornamental jade sculpture in her palace, transported from Hetian, and the transport cost alone was over three hundred thousand in gold and required thousands of men and boats to haul it.”
Da Yüji had heard such things when serving nobles as a dancing girl.
Hearing this, Xiao Yüji clicked her tongue repeatedly, thinking that not even immortals could live such a life of luxury.
“Empress Su is endlessly extravagant, slanders the loyal and virtuous, and appoints only her relatives. Her relatives hold every significant position in the court. The Su family wields power over everything. I heard that even the emperor’s memorials are reviewed and approved by her.”
“Isn’t that the hen crowing at dawn?” Xiao Yüji exclaimed again as if all she could do tonight was exclaim.
“What’s even more shocking came later. Empress Su is said to be both lustful and jealous. She swiftly ordered the palace eunuchs to drag the woman out, and by evening, her decapitated head rested at the emperor’s feet. The sight struck him with such terror that he turned deathly pale.” Da Yüji recounted with great detail, spooking Xiao Yüji into another gasp.
“That’s terrifying,” Xiao Yüji said, her hand flying to cover her mouth again.
“That’s not all. Rumour has it that she had an improper relationship with her elder half-brother, whom she often summons to her chambers for the night. Their intimacy is scandalous.” Da Yüji added.
“That can’t be true. Wouldn’t the emperor find out?” Xiao Yüji asked, puzzled.
“The emperor is over twenty years older than Empress Su. “Ever since he took her as his consort, he became utterly enthralled, drinking in her allure each morning and indulging in her fragrant beauty each night, to the point of becoming haggard and frail. How could he still manage Empress Su?” said Dayüji.
Xiao Yüji nodded and couldn’t help thinking of their Lord. Was he not also one to draw in beauty every morning and pluck fragrance every night? She and her sister served him together, often left breathless and drenched in sweat, unable to get out of bed the next day, yet their master could still go to the other courtyard to ride horses and practice swordsmanship. Now, that undoubtedly could be called the vigour of a dragon and the spirit of a horse.
Seeing Xiao Yüji’s cheeks flush pink, Da Yüji guessed at her thoughts, “What are you thinking?”
“Just… our lord…” Xiao Yüji said shyly.
“Our lord is different. He is a dragon deity descended to the mortal world. We ordinary folk cannot burden him.” Da Yüji whispered as if fearing to disturb the dragon god.
The rumour that Shen Du was the reincarnation of a dragon deity has been sown with intent, but over time, it has taken on a life of its own.
One year, drought ravaged the lands of Jizhou. Elder Min, Shen Du’s advisor, studied the stars and foretold that rain would come in three days. In response, Shen Du built a rain-prayer platform, fasted for three days, and then ascended to pray.
Although the sky had been cloudless, as soon as he mounted the platform, winds rose, and within the hour, sweet rain fell. Since then, the tale of Shen Du as a dragon deity crossing tribulations spread like wildfire.
Many believed it. Da Yüji was among the most devout.
“How could Princess Anle possibly be worthy of our master? You know, Empress Su, with all her wild indulgence and reckless behaviour, totally threw away any sense of virtue. Her heart is as nasty as a scorpion’s sting. Empress Su ruined the entire Wei dynasty, causing the people to suffer in destitution, with hungry, dead bodies filling the streets. Think about it, could the old Madame of our family like the daughter of such a woman?” Da Yüji analysed. “Even if she marries in, she will be enshrined and set aside. When the tides change, Princess Anle likely won’t meet a good end.” Da Yüji possessed great insight, and it is no surprise that she rose from being just a dancing girl to becoming one of Shen Du’s attendant concubines.
“So, Princess Anle won’t be able to suppress the lady of Songlin Courtyard?” Xiao Yüji said indignantly. She was young, recently entered the marquis’s household, and retained a naïve, lively temperament, unlike Da Yüji, who had spent two extra years as a dancing girl, endured the bitterness of life, and heard countless court tales, making her much more mature. While Da Yüji spoke at length, Xiao Yüji cared only about whether the woman from Songlin Courtyard could still strut around.
Da Yüji trimmed the lamp wick, “You ah, better not provoke her. That one’s born beautiful and comes from a good family. Naturally, our Lord dotes on her. Lately, with Huanhua Courtyard favoured, Songlin Courtyard hasn’t had an easy time. As for you, when Princess Anle marries, don’t go trying to curry favour.”
Xiao Yüji nodded. “But, Jiejie, if Empress Su is that skilled in seduction, do you think Princess Anle is also good at bewitching men?”
Da Yüji tapped her forehead. “You silly thing. Look at our Lord, do you think he seems the type to be swayed easily by a woman? Besides, once she marries into the household, the Old Madam and the Madam will naturally keep her in check. She might not even be able to get close to our Lord.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yüji pursed her lips and smiled, “That would be wonderful. But you know how our lord is always chasing the new. And Princess Anle must be quite a beauty. I only fear our Lord will approach her on his own.”
At this, Da Yüji’s smile faded a bit. “No matter how beautiful she is, can she compare with the ladies from Huanhua Courtyard and Songlin Courtyard?”
The one in Huanhua Courtyard, Liu Sese, Lady Liu Ji, though born in the Jiaofang, was still a Qingguan’er before serving Shen Du, So when Shen Du ought to bring her into the household, even though Lady Xue opposed it fiercely, she eventually nodded her consent, it was because the Old Madam Qi had said, “Why go against the child’s wishes over such a trifling matter? It is not as if he does not know propriety.”
“Huanhua Courtyard’s zither player is good, and her temper is nice too, much better than the one in Songlin Courtyard. The Lord loves to listen to the zither, jiejie, do you think we should learn too?” Xiao Yüji asked.
“Silly girl! How well can she play the zither? Can she compare to the Fifth Madam?”
Da Yüji said with disdain. The Fifth Madam she spoke of was Zhu Xianyue, the widow of Shen Zhuang, Shen Du’s older brother, who was fifth-ranked in the family hierarchy.
“Of course, she can’t compare.” Xiao Yüji replied. Everyone knew that the Fifth Madam’s mastery of the zither could entice phoenixes to descend and cranes to dance. Her music had an ethereal quality that stirred the hearts of all who listened.
“She’s probably using all those shameless tricks she learned in the Jiaofang to seduce our lord. Tch! Shameless slut. A lowborn thing is always a lowborn thing,” Da Yüji spat bitterly. In fact, before leaving this morning, the lord had promised to return to her chambers tonight, but midway, he was interrupted by Liu Sese.
Yet, as Da Yüji cursed Lady Liu, she failed to consider that she had once been a dancing girl, serving alongside Xiao Yüji in the chambers of Shen Du. In the eyes of outsiders, they were just the same lowborn courtesans.
For instance, Qi Beiyuan, the lady of Songlin Courtyard, thought the same.
“The Lord is going to Lady Liu again tonight?” Qi Beiyuan reclined against her chair while a maid applied cinnabar polish to her nails.
“Yes, he was originally heading to the Yu sister’s place, but Lady Liu’s maid intercepted him, saying Lady Liu was unwell, so the Lord went to Huanhua Courtyard instead,” said Man Shuang, her maid.
Qi Beiyuan lifted her hand, inspected the freshly applied bright red polish, blew on it, and said, “They’re all the same, equally lowborn. Let’s sit back and watch the dogs turn on each other. Da Yüji is no pushover. They all come from that filthy brothel, only know how to perform vulgar tricks to win favour, they forget how to walk straight at the sight of a man .”
“Exactly,” Man Shuang chimed in quickly, echoing her Mistress, “Those kinds of tricks will only amuse the Lord for so long. Remember the one from Chuncao Courtyard? She had his favour for a time, but now he does not even step near her door. Only you, Mistress, the Lord comes to see several times a month, that is true favour.”
Man Shuang’s words pleased Qi Beiyuan, who laughed, “Let them dance all they want. Those women are nothing to worry about, just playthings for the Lord’s amusement. Has that one from the northeast heard that Princess Anle has been betrothed to our Lord?”
Qi Beiyuan was the younger sister of the governor of Qiao Commandery. Unfortunately, she was narrow-minded, easily consumed by jealousy, and held deep contempt for the other women, often wishing she could cut them all out with scissors.
The one from the northeast she mentioned was Ruan Yun, a daughter of the Ruan family of Chenliu in Yanzhou, who resided in Shangzhen Courtyard. Three years prior, she had become Shen Du’s concubine.
The Ruan family of Chenliu had once been a prestigious noble house, and their daughter might have become Shen Du’s principal wife. A girl from the Ruan family would have made an excellent match for him were it not for the fact that Lady Yun was still alive at that time.
Since the founding emperor of the Wei dynasty established the Imperial Examination system and implemented policies to weaken the noble families and promote men of humble origin, even poor scholars could be farmhands in the morning and ascend the emperor’s hall by evening. Those once arrogant noble families, whose airs rivalled the imperial house, were now significantly diminished. With chaos looming, they scrambled to align with powerful forces, hence why the Ruan family agreed to marry their daughter off as a concubine to Shen Du, the Marquis of Ji, who governed the military affairs of Ji and You Liangzhou.
At the time, Lady Yun was critically ill, and the Ruan family had harboured hopes that Ruan Yun might rise in status. However, the Shen family had no such plans, and with the arrival of Princess Anle, that hope was long gone.
For this reason, Qi Beiyuan also looked down on Ruan Yun, a concubine from a declining family who carried herself with the airs of a principal wife. Qi Beiyuan couldn’t fathom who she thought she was trying to impress.
“There’s no news from Shangzhen Courtyard yet, but I’ll keep an eye on it,” Man Shuang said as she massaged Qi Beiyuan’s legs. “Mistress, if Princess Anle marries in, will the Old Madam entrust her with the household management? Man Shuang asked.
“You think she is another Lady Yun? Do not be fooled by her noble birth. With a mother like the Empress Dowager behind her, even the Old Madam and Madame Xue will likely avoid her if they can,” Qi Beiyuan sneered coldly.
“But someone must manage the household. Madame’s health has not been good lately, and she can hardly keep up. Mistress, should you not start visiting the main residence more often?” Man Shuang suggested.
Now that Lady Yun was gone, no new principal wife had entered, so any concubine who could come forward to manage the household would gain immense prestige. Princess Anle, even if she married into the family, would remain cloistered in the Northern Garden. But if Qi Beiyuan could secure the right to manage the household, even the noble ladies of Jizhou would have to curry favour with her.
But at this point, Qi Beiyuan felt a bit dejected. Both the Old Madam and Lady Xue came from distinguished noble backgrounds. Though Qi Beiyuan considered her background respectable, despite being only a concubine, she believed her virtue, grace, speech, and conduct were not inferior to the late Lady Yun. Even so, the two madams disliked having concubines loitering near them.
Seeing Qi Beiyuan hesitate, Man Shuang gently coaxed, “Mistress has been in this household for so many years, always handling affairs impeccably, the Old Madam and Madam must see that. With Princess Anle’s arrival, the Madam will be overwhelmed and need help. If the Mistress does not act now, the advantage will go to the lady in Shangzhen Courtyard.”
“Bring the wild ginseng my brother sent last time. We will visit Madame Xue tomorrow to pay our respects,” Qi Beiyuan resolved to seize the opportunity.
Unfortunately, in the end, Lady Xue still chose Ruan Yun as her assistant.
[T/N: If you’re already familiar or prefer not to know, feel free to skip to the next chapter.
Meaning- Xiao Yüji (Little Lady Yu or younger Yü attendant concubine), Da Yüji (Elder Lady Yu or elder Yü attendant concubine), Cishi (regional governor), Songlin Courtyard (Pine Forest), Chengtian Terrace (Heaven-Bearing), Hetian (Hétián, a region famous for jade), Sū Jiā (Su family), Pìnjī Sīchén (hens crowing at dawn- women usurping men’s roles), chaochao yi yan (‘Every morning’ ‘One word’ or ‘a single sentence’), chaochao yi yan, yeye cai fang (morning and night indulging in beauties), Lóngmǎ Jīngshén ( Dragon-horse vigor or Great vitality), Lóngshén Xiàfán (Dragon deity descended to the mortal world), Huànhuā Yuàn (Fragrant Blossoms Courtyard), Jiaofang (Government-regulated courtesan and music bureau), Qingguan’er (a courtesan who entertained with arts but did not sell her body), Dankou (a kind of red nail polish made from balsam resin and flower paste), Chuncao Courtyard (Spring Grass Courtyard), Shangzhen Courtyard (Esteemed Precious Courtyard or Supreme Treasures Courtyard)].