Half a Spoiler Chapter 21

After the Emperor bestowed food upon them, the old inner-palace faction led by the Director of Imperial Household did indeed receive the signal that the Son of Heaven wished for reconciliation between the old and new factions. Whatever these people might have been thinking inwardly, at least on the surface their attitude toward Chi Yi and Zhang Luo noticeably warmed.

The current Director of Imperial Household was named Hou Suo. He was an old hand left over from Emperor Li’s reign, skilled at subtly gauging the emperor’s will, and he had long planned to ingratiate himself with the current monarch – he simply did not know where to begin.

After the meal, Hou Suo pulled Chi Yi and Zhang Luo aside one after the other to discuss with them a plan for currying favor with the Emperor.

If it had been in the past, back when they were still ordinary palace attendants, no matter who asked, Chi Yi and Zhang Luo would never have divulged anything concerning the Son of Heaven. But now each of them held the post of envoy attendant, whose very duty was to convey the Emperor’s intentions outward so others could understand Her Majesty’s stance on certain matters. So they each let slip a little information.

Hou Suo had deliberately questioned them separately, clearly intending to compare their accounts. In the end – whether because the two normally had excellent tacit understanding, or because they truly did report honestly – the information he obtained from both sides was the same: “Her Majesty is fond of reading.”

For inner-palace officials whose livelihood depends on pleasing the Emperor, a diligent and self-disciplined monarch is actually harder to serve than one who enjoys amusements. However, considering that the late emperor, upon first ascending the throne, had also appeared to be a virtuous ruler intent on governing earnestly – and that Wen Yanran, before taking the throne, had spent many years secluded at Tongtai with hardly any experience of the joys of play – Hou Suo felt that the Imperial Household Department still had plenty of room to make themselves useful.

Two days later, the Director indeed made a trip to Western Yong Palace, requesting an audience with the Son of Heaven.

Wen Yanran had just finished meeting with the court ministers at the time, so she summoned him in.

After paying his respects to the Son of Heaven, Hou Suo chuckled and said, “The New Year is not far off now. According to custom, the Imperial Household should present Your Majesty with some newly crafted utensils. If Your Majesty does not find them unworthy, you might take a look at them or enjoy them a little. It is merely the humble devotion of all of us in the Imperial Household Department.”

Seizing the moment – now that relations between the old and new palace factions within the Imperial Guard had eased – he asked the Emperor to grant him a chance to demonstrate his loyalty. Only after Chi Yi also spoke up in persuasion did Wen Yanran finally nod and say, “Very well. Then let us go take a look – consider it a bit of a stretch for the limbs.”

According to Hou Suo’s original plan, it would be best if the Son of Heaven traveled to Yao Palace or Gui Palace. Those two residences had been lavishly built by the previous emperor, far more comfortable than Taiqi Palace, and much better suited for the Imperial Household to show off its capabilities.

Hou Suo’s reasoning was sound, but he still failed to persuade Wen Yanran. She had little interest in economizing palace expenses; she simply felt the weather was too cold and did not wish to move.

Fortunately, there were also places suitable for viewing scenery within Taiqi Palace.

Behind Qiyan Palace lay an area that had been developed by several emperors, filled with buildings ideal for enjoying the view. Among them were locations called Xuan Terrace and the Star-Gazing Pool. Along the edge of the Star-Gazing Pool stood a grove of plum trees, offering sights worth admiring both in summer and in winter.

When Wen Yanran arrived in her sedan chair, the Star-Gazing Pool was lined with many snow lions and snow tigers decorated with red silk. They looked vivid and lifelike – clearly the work of the Imperial Household.

The Director watched the Emperor’s expression closely. Under normal circumstances, a young girl who had been shut away in Tongtai for years – no matter how precociously mature her temperament – should at least glance more than once at something novel. Yet although Wen Yanran clearly saw the snow lions, her expression was no different from if she had been looking at empty air, showing unmistakably that she had no interest at all.

The Imperial Household Department had gone all out today to please the Emperor; their skill in sculpting snow animals certainly could not be at fault… After thinking for a moment, the Director concluded that the most likely explanation was that the Emperor simply had no interest in animals made of snow.

This inauspicious start did not affect the Director’s next steps. Once Wen Yanran was seated, a group of acrobatic performers mounted the high platform. Dressed in brightly colored costumes, they began to perform for the young sovereign.

Wen Yanran leaned against the armrest. What little anticipation she had initially felt was quickly extinguished by the performers’ strenuous effort, leaving her calm as still water. Since today’s attempts by the Imperial Household to please her could be classified as the behavior of sycophantic courtiers, she forced herself to wait patiently until the first round of performances ended before saying, “You have worked hard.” She glanced at the performers. “It’s cold. Take them down to have some hot soup.” She paused, then added, “Grant them ten bolts of silk.”

According to the Great Zhou’s prices, one bolt of silk cost roughly five to six hundred qian, with high-quality silk costing even more. A regular palace attendant’s annual salary, converted into copper coins, was around sixty thousand qian. So the reward Wen Yanran had just given was roughly equivalent to the income of one or two palace attendants. But she was not giving each person ten bolts – rather, ten bolts in total. Once divided up, it was barely anything at all.

This could only mean one thing: the young sovereign was not only uninterested in the snow lions and tigers, but also found the performers’ show rather dull. She praised them only to preserve the dignity of the inner-palace officials.

The Director felt a faint worry, but remembering that the Emperor was still very young, and that it was normal for children to be uninterested in such performances, he had the attendants present the interesting objects they had prepared.

Wen Yanran looked at the items on the tray and couldn’t help falling silent.

A young eunuch, trembling with nerves, said, “Your Majesty, this object is called a windmill. It turns when it meets the wind and can form changing patterns.”

Wen Yanran silently glanced at the eunuch and had him take it away.

Did they think she couldn’t recognize a windmill?!

Having lived through an age of modern entertainment before, Wen Yanran leaned back on the cushion behind her in quiet gloom, feeling she might have overestimated the skill level of the Imperial Household staff…

Although the young sovereign remained outwardly composed, the boredom on her face was growing more and more obvious as time passed. As Hou Suo’s honor and disgrace were entirely tied to the Emperor’s favor, so he would certainly not try to fool her with cheap trinkets that could be found anywhere. In this era, toy windmills had not yet become widespread, and it was even rarer to paint them in bright colors so that, when they spun, they formed circles of various sizes. Wen Yanran glanced at it twice and had to admit that the Imperial Household had put real effort into it – it looked about on par with the toys she had used back in kindergarten.

After the windmill, the Imperial Household presented other items: brilliantly colored, high-spirited fighting cocks – which only reminded Wen Yanran of spicy claypot chicken – beautiful wax dolls, jade-carved little balls that made a crisp sound, wooden boats that could float on water, and finely crafted miniature golden carriages made to scale.

To amuse the Emperor, the Imperial Household had even dressed little dogs as a coachman and a passenger – one dog pulling the carriage in front, the other squatting on the carriage. When the carriage started to move, the dog on top would rise up on its hind legs like a person and bow repeatedly to those around it.

Wen Yanran: “…”

Watching this scene, Wen Yanran thought: Many transmigrators before her had begun with humble careers but relied on their own abilities to bring about sweeping reforms in entertainment and science for the ancient world. Only she, despite starting from a high position, found her career goals so severely restricted that she had no choice but to endure repeated emotional blows from the embarrassingly backward level of entertainment around her…

Seeing that the Emperor’s expression was shifting from a polite, ceremonial smile toward indifference, the Director wiped the sweat that had sprung to his forehead. Gritting his teeth, he ordered his men to present yet another toy.

An inner attendant said, “This is a new kite crafted by the Imperial Household.”

Originally, the Imperial Household had not intended to present a toy meant for springtime, but seeing that the Emperor seemed dissatisfied with everything so far, they had no choice but to bring out their very best.

Each kite was not a single piece but a long chain of connected figures in various shapes – wild geese, fish, lions, bears. Wen Yanran thought to herself that they had probably done their utmost; after all, back when she was in preschool, the first time she saw kites shaped like these, she had indeed been quite excited…

The Director approached the Emperor and said in a low voice, “In the Garden of a Hundred Treasures, we keep exotic animals from tributes across the land. Among them is a pair of black bears, known for their ferocity and love of fighting. Should I have them brought to the garden for Your Majesty’s amusement?”

Though the idea was entertaining, it did not quite align with the conduct of a noble-minded ruler. Had it not been for the lack of alternatives, the Director would not have suggested it at this moment.

“…”

Her interest in watching bears fight was no greater than her interest in flying kites.

Wen Yanran waved her hand, deciding to spare the bears – and herself. As a tyrant, she clearly expected her attendants to continually improve their skills to meet her standards, rather than lowering her own expectations to accommodate them.

With the Emperor’s stance made unmistakably clear to all, the palace officials, led by the Director, wore expressions of dismay. They stood around the Xuan Terrace, exchanging uneasy glances, uncertain of what to do next.

The Director, after all, had once served under Emperor Li, so he made one last attempt. He ordered several junior eunuchs from the Imperial Gardens to bring out out-of-season flowers cultivated in the hothouses for Wen Yanran to admire.

The Director’s action was not a desperate, random attempt. Rather, he recalled that on one of her outings, Wen Yanran had once praised the beauty of the green plum blossoms in the palace. After careful consideration, he thought that the Emperor might have a fondness for rare and exotic plants, which prompted him to give this idea a try.

Seeing the officials so disheartened, and considering that their efforts were ultimately meant to curry favor with the ruler – a crucial force in her quest to squander the dynasty’s resources – Wen Yanran decided to show a hint of appreciation when the plants were presented.

Moreover, though she had no particular preference for flowers and plants, seeing them at least did not evoke the same stark sense of temporal dissonance as looking at toys did. Additionally, purchasing rare plants and maintaining hothouses were both costly endeavors – worthy of encouragement in her eyes.

The presented flowers and plants each displayed their unique beauty, standing out vividly against the snowy backdrop. Wen Yanran offered a slight smile and casually gestured for a eunuch holding a potted plant to step closer so she could examine it more carefully.

The plant appeared to be of the hibiscus variety. Perhaps due to the unseasonable conditions, it had mostly gone to seed, with only a single wilted purplish-red flower still clinging to life.

Wen Yanran reached out, broke off a green twig, and held it in her hand for a moment as she admired it. “It’s clear that great care has been taken in tending to this,” she remarked with a light laugh. “Reward the officials of the Imperial Gardens with ten thousand qian.”

As she spoke, she gently raised her left arm, signaling the attending maid to assist her in rising.

Ten thousand qian amounted to roughly two months’ wages for an ordinary palace servant and was hardly considered a generous reward for ranked officials of the Imperial Household Department. Yet, compared to the earlier reactions, it was taken as a sign of relative satisfaction.

The amusements prepared by the Imperial Household were truly too dull – compared to them, even reading and handling state affairs could be considered entertaining. Having idled away most of the morning at the Xuan Terrace, Wen Yanjun had no intention of lingering further. She directly ordered her carriage to the Wester Yong Palace, leaving behind Hou Suo and the others, disheartened and deeply doubting their professional competence, to clean up in her wake.

Roughly thirty minutes later, eight eunuchs arrived carrying two bamboo baskets filled with copper coins – each containing twenty thousand coins. It was not that the disbursing officer had miscalculated the amount; the extra thirty thousand coins were rewards for the palace staff of the Imperial Household Department.

The Director murmured, “Vice Commissioner Chi, and the others truly did not deceive me.”

He had previously inquired with Chi Yi and Zhang Luo for insights. Both had said the Emperor was fond of reading. Hou Suo had initially thought they were merely being discreet, avoiding disclosure of confidential matters. But after today’s interaction, he realized it was true – this was a wise and enlightened sovereign who genuinely loved reading. Despite so many exquisite amusements laid out before her, she had remained entirely unmoved.

Someone asked in confusion, “Why did Her Majesty take a liking to that wilted potted plant?”

The Director let out a long sigh. “I wouldn’t have understood it before, but now I think I do.” He added, “By deliberately choosing a plant with faded blossoms, Her Majesty was hinting at a desire to seek virtuous talent!”

In traditional symbolism, “fragrant plants” represent virtuous, loyal, and capable individuals. In the Director’s view, Wen Yanjun’s action clearly conveyed her expectation to recruit and promote worthy and talented people.

Every word and deed of Her Majesty was guided by concern for the state and its people. Truly, this was a ruler destined by heaven.

The Director asked the eunuch, “What kind of plant is this?”

The eunuch bowed and replied, “Your Excellency, this plant is called ‘cotton.'”

The Director leaned in for a closer look, somewhat surprised. “Is this the cotton used for weaving cloth?”

The eunuch responded, “Indeed, it is.”

At present, most common people still primarily used hemp cloth. Cotton, on the other hand, was just beginning to emerge. Due to its low yield and the preference of official families for silks and satins, it had not yet seen widespread use.

The Director had little insight into the Emperor’s knowledge of plants, but his estimation of her wisdom far exceeded reality. Suddenly, a look of enlightenment crossed his face. “So this is the ‘fragrant plant’ that shields against the cold… How profound Her Majesty’s symbolism is!” He instructed the eunuch, “The other plants matter little, but this pot of cotton must be tended to with the utmost care!”

The eunuch lifted his head and promptly acknowledged the order, vowing not to fail his superior’s trust.

Another official from the Imperial Household approached with a worried expression and asked in a low voice, “Your Excellency, given the circumstances, should we still strive to win Her Majesty’s favor?”