Longing for Love (Twice Reborn) - Chapter 55

After Song Mo left the capital, Juchen seemed to return to the monotonous routine of her previous life attending court duties and leaving when done.

The only difference was that she no longer recklessly sacrificed her well being for fleeting glory. As Juchen often advised the Phoenix Pavilion, “Only those who endure till the end emerge victorious. Preserving one’s strength is preserving one’s power.”

Since Juchen began keeping regular hours, the female officials under her followed suit, all breathing a sigh of relief and slipping away without guilt. Previously at the beck and call of the Six Ministries, they now frequently made themselves scarce. It must be said, the women seemed to secretly relish this small vengeance, their moods indescribably lightened.

One day, Juchen went to the Palace of Longevity and Health to report. The Empress Dowager had already heard of the sweeping changes in the Phoenix Pavilion recently. But as long as Juchen maintained proper boundaries, completed tasks on time, and remained clear about whose authority to heed, Her Majesty wouldn’t comment on her management style.

This was why Juchen respected her most she never doubted those she employed, and never employed those she doubted.

By the time Juchen left the palace, night had fully fallen.

She returned to the Phoenix Pavilion to wrap up her duties. Before leaving, her gaze inadvertently swept over the western wing. In the dim light, many desks still burned with bright candle flames. Her eyes settled on one by the window when their gazes met, the other woman pretended not to see, arrogantly turning away to continue her work.

Every government office had its share of those who got in through connections, and the Phoenix Pavilion was no exception. During Juchen’s half year absence escorting the princess to Tibet, the court’s political winds had shifted. Many noble families with keen noses, sensing the Empress Dowager’s ambitions, chose to hedge their bets their sons served the current emperor while their daughters found ways into the Phoenix Pavilion.

Li Wanyu had also begged Li Ling to pull strings, riding this trend into the western wing.

The eastern wing housed female officials who had earned their positions through proper examinations talented women like Xue Wan and Lu Yun, who generally looked down on these privileged newcomers. Many were spoiled and lacking real skills, so they were usually only assigned simple chores.

While the Empress Dowager allowed these placements, she hadn’t granted them official positions perhaps saving face for the noble families while expecting them to prove themselves. But without even ninth rank status, they were effectively Juchen’s subordinates several levels removed. Too busy to micromanage, Juchen usually left them alone.

Presently, Li Wanyu showed no intention of greeting her.

Juchen remembered the recent family banquet where Li Ling had urged them to work together harmoniously colleagues in the office, sisters outside it. Wen Shi had smilingly agreed on her behalf. Glancing at the setting sun, Juchen noted it was already past closing time. As her elder sister, she wouldn’t begrudge this disrespect toward her superior.

Juchen likewise ignored her and left.

The next morning, as Juchen washed up and headed to work, she passed Li Wanyu’s room—the dim candlelight suggested she had never returned the night before.

A flicker of suspicion arose. Juchen did not recall any heavy tasks assigned to the western wing in the reports from Lu Yun and others.

Carrying this doubt into the imperial city, she had barely reached the Phoenix Pavilion’s entrance when loud reprimands erupted from within.

Juchen halted her steps as she saw the Minister of Personnel, Liao, slam a stack of documents onto the table with a thunderous crash in the main hall.

“Is this how the Phoenix Pavilion assists the Six Ministries? Even names and official positions can be messed up?”

For a moment, silence fell over the Phoenix Pavilion, the women officials too stunned to speak.

Juchen did not step forward immediately. Instead, she stood outside the door, listening quietly, and soon learned that some of her subordinates had disregarded her instructions. They had taken on a task for the Ministry of Personnel without authorization, and upon completion, bypassed the Ministry entirely, submitting the results directly to the Empress Dowager.

At the time, the Empress Dowager had been convening the Grand Secretaries for discussions. The flawed memorial from the Phoenix Pavilion had been caught red handed by Fan, the notoriously strict Censor in Chief, who had long been critical of the Pavilion. Seizing the opportunity, Fan not only mocked the idea of women in power claiming they lacked both virtue and competence but also berated Minister Liao in front of the Empress Dowager.

Flushed with anger, Minister Liao spotted Juchen standing outside and immediately pointed an accusing finger at her, demanding she take full responsibility for the blunder.

Spittle flew through the air of the Phoenix Pavilion, yet Juchen remained unruffled.

Lu Yun and others, unable to bear the injustice, stepped forward, protesting that Chief Secretary Li had never assigned the task to the Pavilion and thus could not be blamed.

As they argued, their resentful gazes cut toward the other side of the Pavilion, where the officials of the West Wing stood.

Lu Yun blurted out bluntly, “Minister Liao, why aren’t you confronting the real culprits? Are you targeting our Chief Secretary just because she lacks the family backing and connections that others have? Picking on the weak, are we?”

Minister Liao’s face darkened. “You.”

Xue Wan quickly pulled Lu Yun back, bowing in apology and urging restraint for the sake of unity. “We are all part of the Phoenix Pavilion. There’s no need to shift blame among ourselves.”

She whispered into Lu Yun’s ear, “The political climate is uncertain. If the Outer Court learns of the rift between the Phoenix Pavilion and the Ministry of Personnel or worse, infighting within the Pavilion we’ll be the ones to suffer.”

Lu Yun clenched her teeth and scoffed. Minister Liao turned his attention back to Juchen. “If the Phoenix Pavilion hadn’t previously assisted the Ministry in reviewing performance records, why would we have entrusted this matter to you? Chief Secretary Li, don’t tell me you knew nothing about this.

Vice Minister Liu himself said it was your own younger sister who sought his approval for the task. He assumed you were trying to mediate between the East and West Wings, so out of trust, he handed it over to you. Now that this farce has unfolded, as the head of the Phoenix Pavilion, you must take responsibility!”

The moment he finished speaking, the women officials of the Pavilion tightened their sleeves in silent tension. Yet Juchen merely smiled faintly and nodded, accepting the responsibility.

Lu Yun gritted her teeth, her eyes widening in disbelief, only to hear Juchen respond calmly, “This was indeed our mistake. I will personally seek punishment from the Empress Dowager, and the Phoenix Pavilion will rectify all errors within three days, delivering a flawless performance review to the Ministry of Personnel. However, since Minister Liao has mentioned that the Pavilion has long assisted the Ministry in such matters, to prevent future mishaps from burdening the Ministry, it would be best to affix the Pavilion’s official seal to all future documents.”

Minister Liao’s eyes bulged, momentarily speechless.

The Ministry of Personnel had long been exploiting the Phoenix Pavilion’s unpaid labor. Vice Minister Liu’s actions had all been tacitly approved by them. Now, affixing the official seal would mean acknowledging the Phoenix Pavilion’s administrative achievements and contributions to the ministry.

But Li Juchen’s initial response had been impeccable she took the initiative to accept punishment and swiftly proposed solutions. Having already lowered her stance and swallowed this hidden grievance, Minister Liao could no longer use this matter to attack her. He immediately regretted his earlier outburst and careless mention of “responsibility.”

After all, responsibility implied corresponding authority.

He never expected the Phoenix Pavilion would dare seize this chaotic moment to demand power sharing. Most young women would have been too frightened by such a situation to think clearly about their next steps. Moreover, as a new department, the Phoenix Pavilion had always been cautious in its dealings and should have been even more reluctant to shoulder responsibilities. Chief Secretary Shen had been steady in her approach neither fearing trouble nor provoking it. But this Li Juchen actually had the audacity to grasp at any authority within reach.

Didn’t she fear she couldn’t handle it?

Juchen gave him no chance to reconsider. She directly stated she would submit a memorial reporting today’s events and would consult the Empress Dowager’s intentions when going to receive punishment that afternoon.

Minister Liao immediately fell silent. With a cold expression, he flicked his sleeves and snorted, “You’d better focus on fixing your current mistakes first.”

He strode heavily out of the Phoenix Pavilion’s doors, already planning how to shift all blame onto them while avoiding any division of authority.

Unexpectedly, upon exiting, he came face to face with Pei Duzhi from the Empress Dowager’s retinue.

The man stood hunched outside as if waiting and listening for quite some time.

Their eyes met. Pei Duzhi glanced toward the Phoenix Pavilion interior before bowing, “Minister.”

“What brings you here, Duzhi Pei?”

“Regarding the custom official uniforms for female officials before Prince Pengshan left the capital, this matter was already discussed and approved by His Majesty and Her Majesty. She specially sent me with seamstresses from the Wardrobe Bureau to take measurements.”

—

After Pei Duzhi and the Wardrobe Bureau staff departed, the Phoenix Pavilion fell into brief silence.

Juchen said nothing more, returning to the clerk’s chamber to draft her memorial before going to prostrate herself before the Empress Dowager.

Li Wanyu quietly followed, red eyed and hesitant, before finally knocking on her door.

Meeting Juchen’s gaze, Wanyu first raised her chin proudly, then lowered it.

With a hoarse voice, she confessed to having persuaded the western quarter’s female officials to join her in taking private jobs. They would correct their own mistakes. Juchen didn’t stop her, simply returning the stack of performance evaluations.

But she added, “Show them to me after you’re done.”

Wanyu bit her lower lip: “Afraid I’ll tamper with them to harm you again?”

Juchen scoffed: “Even if I review them blind, you’ll still need my seal, won’t you?”

Wanyu fell silent, standing before her desk awaiting reprimand.

Juchen didn’t even look up, wholly preoccupied with how to humble herself before the Empress Dowager to beg for mercy.

Seeing her complete indifference, Wanyu opened her mouth as if to say more.

Her hands clenched, relaxed, then clenched again. Red eyed, she found herself unable to voice what she couldn’t bear to admit.

When Juchen arrived at the Shoukang Palace, Chief Pei happened to be whispering something in the Empress Dowager’s ear. Whatever he said, Her Majesty showed no signs of anger toward her, merely instructing her to recount the events truthfully before lightly dismissing the matter not even bothering with the pretense of docking her salary.

All the tears Juchen had prepared in advance went unused.

For two full days and nights, the lights in the Phoenix Pavilion remained lit.

Juchen paid it no mind until Li Wanyu appeared with dark circles under her eyes, presenting the newly organized case documents. In response, Juchen handed her the original draft retrieved from the Ministry of Personnel.

Upon reviewing it, Li Wanyu discovered that Vice Minister Liu, while allowing her to assist, had altered a few strokes in the copy given to her. Any mistakes made would be silently corrected, after which they would preemptively shift the blame onto her.

This was a covert tactic by the Ministry of Personnel against the Phoenix Pavilion. If they grew dissatisfied and bypassed ranks to claim credit, errors would surface, making them liable for negligence. If they dutifully stayed in their lane, they would shoulder all the labor while the Ministry reaped the rewards.

In her previous life, Juchen had been modest and cautious, striving for harmony with the Six Ministries. Though constantly overlooked, she never sought recognition. Yet even without falling for this trap, when the Ministry later made its own mistakes, they still pinned the blame on her the one who had been helping all along.

“I knew it! I distinctly remember checking multiple times before submitting there’s no way I made a mistake,” Li Wanyu fumed. “These people preach about virtue, but their hearts are truly black.”

Juchen nodded and asked why she had bypassed the chain of command.

Li Wanyu fell silent.

Who would willingly let others take credit for their work?

She had always thought the people in the East Wing were fools doing so much yet never showcasing it, leaving their contributions unrecognized despite bearing the heaviest burdens.

Juchen had no interest in arguing or lecturing. She sipped her tea, swirling the leaves, and said, “Just be more careful next time.”

Li Wanyu looked at her, voice hoarse as she asked, “Why aren’t you scolding me? Why not outright say it was my fault?”

She had seen Juchen last night. She knew Juchen was aware she never proactively reported her additional tasks.

Juchen glanced up from the documents. “The way you strive reminds me of someone I once knew.”

Li Wanyu’s flustered demeanor today closely resembled her own from years past.

Juchen continued, “That person, of course, wasn’t as insufferable, arrogant, or disrespectful as you but just as foolish. So, I couldn’t stand by and watch.”

Li Wanyu’s nose stung with unshed tears, but the sting receded under Juchen’s criticism, replaced by a familiar competitive fire. She was torn between resenting her elder sister’s infuriating words and an inexplicable ache whether from Juchen’s pity or the fact that it was her stupidity that evoked it.

Li Wanyu had always held herself in high regard, constantly comparing herself to Juchen, convinced she was the superior one.

Yet when the Empress Dowager summoned their cohort of newly appointed female officials and heard her name, her first reaction was: “Ah, you’re Li Juchen’s younger sister.”

With a faint smile, Her Majesty added, “Your sister is exceptional.”

She was the first lady to receive a smile from the Empress Dowager that day, but it was all thanks to Li Juchen’s influence. This realization sparked resentment in her heart, and she secretly vowed that whatever her elder sister could accomplish, she could do just as well.

Yet reality dealt her a harsh blow.

“I didn’t mean to cause you trouble at first.”

Li Wanyu, having just stepped out of the inner chambers, lacked the cunning of those seasoned officials who had navigated the treacherous waters of court politics for years. Juchen saw right through her and cut her off bluntly, “At this point, saying that is meaningless.”

Li Wanyu clenched her teeth. “Why did you help me?”

But Juchen hadn’t acted solely for her sake. She was also seizing the opportunity to consolidate her own power. She refused to let them look down on the Phoenix Pavilion because they had no right to.

“I didn’t help you. It’s just my bad luck to still be your sister in this lifetime. If I stood by and did nothing, I’d have a hard time explaining myself when I got home.” Juchen paused briefly before adding coldly, “But since we’re being frank, let me give you some advice if you came here hoping to snag a wealthy suitor, you’d better turn back now.”

Li Wanyu glared at her. “What, you can come, but I can’t?”

Juchen held her gaze steadily. “This place isn’t as simple as you think. One misstep and you’ll be crushed to dust.”

“Who are you trying to scare?” Li Wanyu muttered after a long silence.

Juchen gave her a sidelong glance and shook her head. Outside, night had fallen, and while Wanyu still had unfinished tasks, Juchen had no interest in burning the midnight oil with her. She stood, snuffed out the candle on the table, and left without another word.

She first went to the archives to file the daily records she had recently compiled. Half an hour later, Juchen emerged, passed through the Chui Gong Gate, and strode down the palace thoroughfare toward the city gates.

Midway, a wave of chaotic noise surged from behind her like a tide.

Turning back, she saw thick smoke billowing from the direction of the Phoenix Pavilion, flames licking the sky. Soon, the frantic cries of eunuchs echoed nearby “The Phoenix Pavilion is on fire! Someone, help!”

Juchen’s eyes sharpened. Instinctively, she spun around and ran back.

Xiao Er was still inside.

At the southern gate of the Eastern Capital, the night stretched like a shroud.

A squadron of light cavalry, their hooves clattering in unison, rode swiftly through the city gate under a silver-white moon.

Song Mi had finished his assignment ahead of schedule and was rushing back to the capital overnight. Reining in his horse at the palace gates, he presented his identification token, intending to report to the imperial study. But the moment he entered, news of the Phoenix Pavilion fire reached him.

Song Mi’s brow furrowed as memories of a similar fire from another lifetime flooded his mind. If this was that fire, why had it happened earlier this time?

Without hesitation, he wheeled his horse around and galloped toward the Phoenix Pavilion.

By the time he arrived, most of the flames had been extinguished. Amid the ruins, tendrils of black smoke curled upward. Song Mi dismounted and grabbed a young eunuch, demanding urgently, “Where is Chief Secretary Li?”

The eunuch, carrying a basin of water, startled before recognizing the Prince of Pengshan. Trembling, he dropped to his knees and stammered, “Chief Secretary Li was taken away by Princess Xuyang, who came to help put out the fire. They they went to the Crane Manor, I believe.”

Song Mi’s heart sank.

Fine.

It seemed no matter how many lifetimes passed, Li Juchen remained as reckless as ever, courting danger with the courage of a bear and the boldness of a leopard!

In their past life, after the Phoenix Pavilion fire, Juchen had also followed Xuyang to the Crane Manor where the courtesan summoned to pour wine had been none other than “Song Mi” himself.