Though Qian Jiaoniang said all that, she thought with so many fine girls gathered, Xing Pingchun would surely take a liking to one. Yet when he came after court, his face was full of reluctance.
Qian Jiaoniang raised her brows. “What boy under heaven wouldn’t envy such fortune, and here you look like you’re being marched to the execution ground.”
Xing Pingchun pulled a bitter face. “Mother, I’m still young. There’s no need to rush this matter.”
“You’re not young. At your age, your father and I already had you.” She sent word to have the selected ladies brought to Changle Palace, then crooked a finger to beckon him closer, whispering: “I’ve discussed with your father. He says he’ll rule a few more years, steady your foundation, then pass the throne to you. He and I will go wandering the world together. So if you’re married and have children early, you can bring them up together with your younger brother. Once you have an heir, won’t it all be simpler?”
Xing Pingchun only caught the first half. He yelped, “What’s this? You two really plan to abandon me and my brother, and go enjoy yourselves as a couple? I want to go wandering too!”
Qian Jiaoniang patted his shoulder meaningfully. “Don’t worry, your father understands your mind. After some time, he’ll let Mister Cao and the others take you traveling for study, so you can see the people’s hardships yourself. Then you’ll return better prepared to be emperor.”
Xing Pingchun said quickly, “If I’m going traveling anyway, what need is there to take a wife now? Better wait until I come back!”
“You can take a wife with you! Husband and wife of one heart—their strength can cut through gold!” Qian Jiaoniang clapped his back, laughing heartily as she walked on.
Xing Pingchun sighed, his head drooping as he followed behind.
Seeing her son so downcast, Qian Jiaoniang tugged him close, coaxing him as she had when he was a child. “Are you still scared of that princess? Having a wife who suits your heart is a good thing. Look at your father and me—isn’t that good? Believe your mother. If you meet the right girl, you’ll feel joy in your heart, different from anyone else. If you two are well matched, your days will be sweet and full.”
Xing Pingchun was silent a moment, then said, “I understand, Mother.”
Qian Jiaoniang knew her son too well. Hearing that, her spirits lifted. “The way you said that—have you someone in your heart?”
“No, no!” Pingchun denied in a rush.
Qian Jiaoniang was deeply disappointed, and pulled him along toward Changle Palace.
The selected maidens from all over the land were already standing in Changle Palace. When Qian Jiaoniang looked carefully, sure enough, they were all beauties of fifteen or sixteen, with a few who looked even younger, fresh and dewy-faced. Qian Jiaoniang, being a woman herself, almost felt her own heart stirred.
When the maidens heard that the Empress and the Crown Prince had arrived, they all dropped neatly to their knees.
“Mother, you must be careful. These girls may not necessarily have come for the Eastern Palace.” Xing Pingchun supported Qian Jiaoniang up the steps, whispering in her ear.
“Your father has no such thoughts.” Qian Jiaoniang whispered back.
Hearing his mother speak with such confidence, Xing Pingchun only smiled and said no more. He feared if he spoke further, he’d end up beaten by his imperial father.
But no matter how graceful and lovely the maidens were, Xing Pingchun couldn’t take a liking to a single one out of the two hundred. Qian Jiaoniang was not the kind of mother to force her son, and could only apologize and dismiss them.
Later, when she mentioned it to Xing Muzheng, he frowned slightly but said nothing more.
Thus, the first group of maidens left the palace in defeat, not even getting a glimpse of the Emperor.
A few days later, while Qian Jiaoniang was discussing the founding of a women’s academy with Di Qingya and Qian Meinang, Hongjuan came rushing in, saying that the Crown Prince had been beaten by His Majesty in the Imperial Study.
Everyone was shocked. Qian Jiaoniang was stunned for a moment, then laughed: “What sort of nonsense is this? Perhaps his father gave him a slap out of impatience and now he goes about saying he’s been beaten?”
“It’s not like that! Chief Steward Li sent word—His Majesty, for some unknown reason, flew into a rage, and the Crown Prince’s face is all swollen!”
Only then did Qian Jiaoniang take it seriously. Di Qingya said, “You’d better go and see.”
Qian Jiaoniang thought for a moment. “That’s a matter between father and son. Let them sort it out themselves.”
“Between father and son in the royal family, nothing is small,” Di Qingya pressed. “Besides, His Majesty always valued the Crown Prince. How could he strike him without cause?”
Qian Meinang was anxious too. “Yes, sister, whatever it is, you’d better mediate. They both listen to you!”
Seeing everyone so nervous, Qian Jiaoniang went to the Imperial Study. By the time she arrived, Xing Pingchun had already been sent away. Xing Muzheng was reviewing memorials; when he saw her, he lifted his eyes briefly but his vermilion brush never stopped moving. Li Qingquan, seeing her come, led the eunuchs to bow and then quietly withdrew.
Qian Jiaoniang did not bow. The Ritual Bureau had once said that even the Empress must kneel before the Emperor, but Xing Muzheng had abolished that rule. She walked over and asked, “Why such a commotion? Chou’er is grown now—if you beat him, how will he ever hold up his head before others?”
Xing Muzheng still hadn’t cooled down. He opened his mouth, then finally clicked his tongue. “Go ask him!”
“Where is he?”
“How would I know where that brat ran off to? You go back to the palace first. I’ll have someone find him for you. I still have urgent memorials to review, and later there’s court deliberation. Whatever needs saying, we’ll talk tonight.”
Seeing he truly was busy, Qian Jiaoniang didn’t press. She bent down and kissed his lips. “All right, then. Don’t overwork yourself.”
As she was about to leave, Xing Muzheng’s long arm hooked her in, pulling her into his lap. Holding her chin, his voice rough, he said, “So eager to go?”
“Aren’t you busy?” Qian Jiaoniang’s eyes were misty with charm.
Xing Muzheng bent down, pecked at her lips, and laughed low. “I still have this little leisure…” His words were swallowed in the deep kiss that followed.
Qian Jiaoniang, however, still remembered the matter. Not long after she returned to the inner palace, Xing Pingchun was dragged in. As Hongjuan had said, half his face was swollen. Di Qingya and Qian Meinang were distressed, immediately ordering medicine for his bruises. Qian Jiaoniang, in contrast, showed no urgency. Instead, she said coolly: “Your father is Emperor now, so he rarely lays hands personally. Yet you’ve got the ability to anger him into doing so.”
Xing Pingchun only gave a foolish laugh, showing no resentment.
“Well then, out with it—what happened?”
He kept grinning, burying himself in pastries.
Seeing this, Di Qingya and Qian Meinang wisely rose and excused themselves. Qian Jiaoniang urged them to stay for dinner, but they politely declined. Taking Lian Jie’er and Ping Ge’er—who had been playing in the side hall with Little Ni Xue—they left. Ni Xue, tired from play, soon fell asleep in his mother’s arms.
Qian Jiaoniang had someone carry Ni Xue away, dismissed Hongjuan and the maids, then came back, lifted Xing Pingchun’s chin, and examined his injury. Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Well? How did you provoke your father?”
Xing Pingchun opened his mouth, but still hesitated. “Better let Father tell you himself, Mother!”
“Enough of this dithering! Out with it, I’m busy!”
Scratching his head and stalling a long while, Xing Pingchun finally mumbled, “Father brought up the matter of my choosing a wife today. He asked me a question. I answered, and he got angry.”
“What question?”
“He asked… if I was… you know…”
“You know what?”
“You know… that thing… if I had Longyang…” Xing Pingchun mumbled, sneaking glances at her face.
“Longyang what?” Qian Jiaoniang was baffled.
“Ugh, it means cut-sleeve*!”
* homosexual
Qian Jiaoniang frowned and tilted her head. She had learned to read many books by now, but she really hadn’t come across this “cut-sleeve” or “Longyang” business.
Xing Pingchun smacked his forehead, seeing she didn’t understand, and simply blurted it out: “It means not liking women, but liking men!”
At last Qian Jiaoniang understood. “Ah—so, a rabbit-lord!”
Xing Pingchun choked violently, then could only nod.
Qian Jiaoniang rolled her eyes. “Your father is ridiculous, asking you such nonsense. How could you be a rabbit-lord! Then why did he hit you?”
Xing Pingchun buried his head on the table, silent for a long time.
Qian Jiaoniang waited and waited, but no answer came. Slowly, realization dawned, leaving her dumbfounded.
That night, when Xing Muzheng returned to the bedchamber, Qian Jiaoniang was still dazed. He dismissed the attendants, lifted her sleeve, slipped off her old bracelet, and slid a jade bangle onto her wrist. “So, the boy told you?”
“Told… what is this?”
“This bangle is better than your old one. Wear it.”
Qian Jiaoniang lowered her head to look at the green jade bangle on her wrist. She turned it around twice with her fingers, lifted it up for a closer look, then tilted her head up at him. “It’s pretty.”
Xing Muzheng smiled, kissed her once, then rose to change his clothes. Qian Jiaoniang got up to help him, her eyes still somewhat dazed. “I heard… isn’t that an illness?” She truly knew very little about it—once, she had heard somewhere that it was a sickness.
Xing Muzheng sighed. “It’s not an illness.”
“Not an illness? Then it’s normal?” Qian Jiaoniang clutched at his belt, blurting out eagerly.
Xing Muzheng had spent long years in the army, and he had seen much of this. “Mm. Not an illness. Just that they don’t care to share a bed with women. Some don’t mind men and women both. Among nobles it’s common enough—wives and concubines at home, yet still keeping a boy lover.”
“Oh heavens.” Qian Jiaoniang felt her head spin. This truly troubled her. But hearing that it wasn’t called an illness, she breathed a little easier. “So our Chou’er… he only loves men?”
At that, Xing Muzheng’s face darkened, and he gave a heavy snort.
“Oh heavens.” Qian Jiaoniang belatedly cried out again. “But then what about our grandson? If he only loves men… men can’t bear children.”
“What about it? You find him a wife, get him drunk, send them to the bridal chamber and be done with it.” Xing Muzheng stripped off his dragon robe and tossed it to the ground, his face full of displeasure. Though he understood the matter, he was very unwilling. Two men clinging to each other—what kind of propriety was that!
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