As the saying goes, “What a coincidence!” But the truth is, in such a vast capital city, in an era of strict separation between men and women, how could meetings be so frequent?
All coincidences are nothing more than careful planning.
When Xie Xuanying received the message from Bai Mu and learned that Cheng Danruo had left the palace, he immediately began calculating whether he could run into her when she returned.
The timing wasn’t hard to guess. She rarely left the palace, and returning before the gates were locked would inevitably mean wasting time, so he took a gamble and went to patrol the East Glorious Gate.
He was just half a step too late. By the time he arrived, she had already passed the palace gate inspection, and he hadn’t been able to make her wait for the guard shift change so they could exchange a few words.
During official duties, it was inconvenient to discuss private matters, and with so many eyes watching, it would easily draw sidelong glances. Xie Xuanying only glanced at her, saw that she wore a lake-blue plain gauze robe, her face unchanged and not haggard, and merely gave a slight nod. Their eyes met, and he walked away as if nothing had happened.
After he walked away, Cheng Danruo, who had stepped aside to the wall, resumed walking her own path.
She thought to herself: sunset, a beauty strolling – what a lovely scene this would make in modern times.
She returned to the Bureau of Food to report back from leave. There was no time to go to the Inner Hall of Peace and Joy, so she simply went back to her room early to rest. The weather was growing hotter, and there were more mosquitoes in the palace. With nothing else to do, it was a good time to make some mosquito coils.
The ancients had long had the habit of using mugwort and sulfur to repel insects, and there were insect-repellent medicines on the market as well, with varying formulas and passable effects.
The formula she adopted was relatively mature and remained in use all the way into the late Qing Dynasty. The ingredients were simple: rosin powder, mugwort powder, tobacco powder, arsenic, and sulfur.
The others were easy enough, but arsenic was not available in the palace, so she had to do without it.
The method was similar to making incense: grind the medicinal materials into powder, mix with binding powder, add water, adjust to the proper consistency, and seal in a jar.
After half an hour, take it out, roll it into incense sticks, and place them in a cool place to dry.
By the time she finished, it was already lamp-lighting time. She washed up briefly and went to sleep.
She did not know that at Huiyuan Temple on the outskirts of the capital, a disturbance had already quietly occurred.
How many departments would need to be mobilized for the Empress Dowager and the imperial consorts to go to Huiyuan Temple to worship the Buddha?
The act of worshipping the Buddha lasted seven days, and clothing, food, housing, and transport were all indispensable. Therefore, the Palace Clothing Office of the Bureau of Apparel (clothes and jewelry), the Palace Adornment Office (towels, combs, ointments, and washing items), and the Palace Insignia Office (bearers of ceremonial insignia) would all have to be mobilized.
Second, since the Empress Dowager and the consorts would be residing outside the palace, the Palace Furnishing Office of the Bureau of Bedchamber (bed curtains, mats, sweeping, and arrangement) and the Palace Transport Office (carriages, palanquins, umbrellas, and fans) were also indispensable.
Furthermore, although Huiyuan Temple had vegetarian meals, in case they were not used to the food or had other needs and wanted to add some snacks themselves, the Provisioning Office of the Bureau of Food would also have to go along.
Of the six bureaus and twenty-four services, at least six services would need to be mobilized.
That was still not enough.
Female officials and palace maids were all personal attendants, and when going out, the work of eunuchs was also indispensable.
For example, the Directorate of Capital Notification – when the emperor traveled, they were needed to clear the way ahead as outriders, and the same applied to the Empress Dowager. Inner ceremonial officials and attendant retainers were also needed: the former responsible for guiding ceremonial protocol during the trip, the latter for carrying boxes and luggage. Escorting guards and female chair-bearers to carry the palanquins were also indispensable.
On the day of departure, the entire Huiyuan Temple would be mobilized: the temple would be closed off, the meditation rooms swept clean, and the party of consorts welcomed.
On the first day, they worshipped the Buddha and toured the temple.
On the second day, they listened to sutra lectures and tasted vegetarian food.
On the third day, they enjoyed the mountain scenery.
The trees in the temple formed deep shade, and being on the mountain, it was naturally cooler than in the palace, and the scenery was quite beautiful as well. Accompanied by the morning bell and evening drum and the summer breeze, not only the Empress Dowager but also the consorts felt quite relaxed.
And once outside the palace, many rules were not so strict either.
Rarely leaving the palace to worship the Buddha, the Empress Dowager graciously permitted the palace staff, when they had free time, to also make offerings and pray for blessings on behalf of the state and their families.
This naturally earned the gratitude of many palace staff. While the consorts expressed their appreciation for the Empress Dowager’s compassion, they followed suit and did the same.
On the fifth day, Wang Yongxu, who was accompanying Princess Rong’an, suddenly began vomiting and having diarrhea. That in itself was nothing unusual, but the trouble was that just before this, she had eaten a bowl of pastries bestowed by the princess.
The pastry was called “Milk-Sugar True Snow,” said to be a recipe handed down from the Song Dynasty, made from granulated sugar and cow’s milk. There was none of this in the palace; it had been brought by the Commandery Princess Consort Cheng when she came to visit, to let everyone try something new.
Princess Rong’an had a weak stomach and did not dare eat cold foods and drinks. She only looked at it for novelty’s sake and then bestowed it upon her favorite female official.
After eating it, Wang Yongxu felt unwell, but seeing that no one else was affected, she assumed it was simply due to her own weak stomach and did not dare make a fuss, quietly resting in her room.
The next day, other palace staff also began vomiting and having diarrhea.
Collective diarrhea was no small matter. The palace staff did not dare be negligent and reported it to the noble consort.
Among those around her were naturally steady and experienced people who analyzed. “Whenever an epidemic causes dysentery, it spreads throughout a neighborhood and a household, infecting high and low alike. If Records Supervisor Wang had contracted an epidemic, there would certainly be others in Xiefang Palace who fell ill. Yet those who have sickened this time include people from the Empress Dowager’s quarters, the princess’s quarters, and Consort Li’s quarters – they have no connection to one another.”
This reasoning was sound, and the noble consort ordered a strict investigation into everyone’s food and drink.
The investigation indeed uncovered something abnormal.
The cow’s milk in the kitchen had spoiled.
Although this kitchen was part of Huiyuan Temple’s grounds, it was used exclusively by the Provisioning Office and ordinarily made pastries for the consorts.
The noble consort immediately called the Provisioning Officer to account.
The Provisioning Officer said, “The food supplied to the Empress Dowager, the Empress Consort, the Imperial Consort, and the others all passed through my own hands. Spoiled cow’s milk has a sour smell – it would have been impossible to use it without noticing. This is what was left over after use; there was no time to dispose of it.”
The Imperial Consort believed her words were not false, but the problem was: if there was nothing wrong with the food, why had so many people come down with diarrhea?
Then something worse happened.
Palace rules were strict. The son of Prince An had not seen his sister for many days and had come specially to visit her. They had only chatted in the morning, but in the afternoon, while playing at the foot of the mountain, he suddenly developed unbearable abdominal pain and also began vomiting and having diarrhea.
Once the masters were involved, it was impossible to make a big matter small or a small matter nothing.
The Imperial Consort had people question him carefully and learned that Prince An’s son had consumed only a few things since arriving at the temple: tea, vegetarian meals, and sushan. The tea and vegetarian meals were both prepared by the monks and had been eaten by more than one person, with no one affected.
Then was it the sushan?
Sushan was a cold dessert invented in the Tang Dynasty. It was similar to Milk-Sugar True Snow – both were made from cow’s milk – but it was more refined than the former. First, cow’s milk was made into paste, which was then heated and mixed with honey, drizzled into the shape of mountain peaks, and placed in an ice cellar to freeze.
This was the Empress Dowager’s favorite summer dessert. Although she could not eat much of it, she often wanted a taste. Therefore, the Provisioning Office had specially brought a female scribe skilled at making this pastry, in case she was summoned.
Sure enough, during yesterday’s outing, the abbot of Huiyuan Temple said that there was a spring in the mountains whose water was sweet and cold, and that drinking from the upper reaches could prolong life; if used for sprinkling purification, it could remove impurity and dispel evil.
The Empress Dowager was greatly pleased and ordered the Provisioning Office to use ice made from the spring water to prepare sushan.
Today, when the son of Prince An came to pay his respects, the Empress Dowager rewarded him with a dish of it.
Sushan required cow’s milk, so from this perspective, it did seem that the Provisioning Office was indeed at fault.
But the Provisioning Officer flatly denied it, believing that when the sushan was made and placed in the ice cellar, it must still have been fine. It was possibly the eunuchs guarding the ice cellar who had neglected their duties and caused the temperature to drop, spoiling it.
The eunuchs naturally cried out that they had been wronged, saying: this ice cellar is a natural cavity in the mountain, with naturally low temperatures. The ice blocks inside had not even melted – how could the sushan possibly have spoiled? They in turn accused the Provisioning Officer, saying: perhaps only the sushan spoiled because our work was not done well, but Wang Yongxu and other palace staff also had diarrhea – surely that is not our fault?
If they were to say, perhaps the problem lay with rubing.
Rubing was one of the common palace medicinal dishes: “Take one dou of cow’s milk, filter through silk, put into a pot and boil three to five times, add vinegar dissolved in water to curdle the milk, let it gradually set, strain it out, wrap it in silk cloth, and press it with a stone.” The palace method was even more refined, capable of being pressed into different molds for offering before the Buddha.
The Empress Dowager was devout in worshipping the Buddha and ordered the Provisioning Office to make fresh ones every day. The rubing removed in the evening was distributed as rewards to the palace staff, letting them share in the Buddha’s grace.
With the eunuchs saying this, the blame was cast far and wide.
The Provisioning Officer would not sit idly by waiting for death and retorted: rubing is found everywhere, and it was even given to the monks at the temple – why has no one heard of the monks falling ill, only the palace staff feeling unwell?
The eunuchs held firm, saying that at present, the only food linking all the patients was cow’s milk. In today’s heat, cow’s milk spoils easily if not stored properly, and that must be the cause.
Each side stuck to its own account, and it was difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong.
The Imperial Consort had managed palace affairs for many years and had methods of her own.
She kept all the palace staff, consorts, and the son of Prince An in place, while she herself, together with Princess Rong’an and one other, escorted the Empress Dowager back to the palace, and immediately reported the matter to the emperor.
The emperor indeed took it seriously and ordered Li Bao’er, the superintendent of the Eastern Depot, to investigate thoroughly.
Eunuch Li accepted the order. “I will certainly investigate this matter clearly.”
But after Palace Matron Hong learned the whole story from the Imperial Consort, she immediately requested an audience and asked to bring along the Directorate of Palace Discipline. “The Directorate of Palace Discipline is charged with investigating and correcting matters within the palace. If the Eastern Depot investigates and the Directorate of Palace Discipline evaluates, then matters can be fully secure.”
Eunuch Li said amiably, “Palace Matron Hong jests. This matter involves a great deal; it is not a case of palace staff shirking work or being slippery. You see, the Inner Discipline Office has no part in this either – is that not so?”
The Directorate of Palace Discipline managed palace staff, while the Inner Discipline Office managed eunuchs. Since the emperor had not mentioned the Inner Discipline Office, it was clearly none of the Directorate of Palace Discipline’s business either.
Palace Matron Hong said, “Inside and outside are different. Whether it is interrogation or medical treatment, it is more appropriate for the Directorate of Palace Discipline to handle it. Also, please permit me to send people from the Dispensary Office to go along, so as to treat the sick and guard against the unforeseen.”
Eunuch Li did not argue with her either. Who would go and who would not, who would be in overall charge – these depended not on words but on the emperor’s heart.
He merely bowed toward the emperor and waited for his instructions.
The emperor naturally saw their open strife and veiled struggle, and one could even say this was a tacit understanding among the three parties. But as a sovereign, what he considered and worried about was not merely balance of power.
“The Imperial Consort acted cautiously, fearing excessive contagion of illness within the palace, and kept everyone at Huiyuan Temple. Sending the Directorate of Palace Discipline is also convenient.” He pondered and said, “Let it be so: the Directorate of Palace Discipline shall assist the Eastern Depot and investigate the cause as quickly as possible.”
Eunuch Li said respectfully, “Yes, I will certainly do his utmost.”
Palace Matron Hong frowned. Her ideal outcome was for the Directorate of Palace Discipline to investigate the Provisioning Office, so that whether the result was good or bad, it could be controlled. But with the Eastern Depot in charge, it was different. With its power, it would be easy as turning over the hand to keep them from intervening.
At that point, they would be the meat on the chopping block, and would the Eastern Depot not simply say whatever it wished?
The emperor had probably thought of this too, and asked, “Who is on duty today?”
The attendant replied, “It is Young Master Xie.”
“Summon him.”
Xie Xuanying was quickly summoned. “Your Majesty.”
The emperor said, “Xianjun (the son of Prince An) is unwell. Take the imperial physician and go to Huiyuan Temple on my behalf to examine him. Tell him to rest assured and recover, and that all medicinal materials will come from the inner treasury. Also, for matters there, you are temporarily to keep watch and report back to me once you have clarified them.”
Although Xie Xuanying did not yet know what the matter was, he immediately assented. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Eunuch Li and Palace Matron Hong also took their leave together.
The three left the palace hall and conferred at the corner.
When Xie Xuanying learned the ins and outs, he knew the problem could be big or small and did not dare delay. “I will go to the Imperial Medical Institute first. The two of you, send people as quickly as possible.”
Having said that, he wanted to ask Steward Hong whom she planned to send – whether it was Cheng Danruo – but on second thought, he let it go. Why should she wade into these murky waters? So he cupped his hands in salute and left quickly.
But Palace Matron Hong had no other candidate.
She returned to the rear palace and immediately summoned Cheng Danruo, explained the situation briefly and concisely, and instructed, “You will go together with Director Pan. As for what should be said, ask her opinion more often.”
Cheng Danruo was truly astonished, but she accepted without shirking responsibility. “Yes.”
When the news reached the Directorate of Palace Discipline, Director Pan selected one discipline officer to go with her and brought nothing else.
“Director, the Eastern Depot has great numbers and influence…” the others said with considerable worry.
Director Pan, however, said, “Handling an assignment does not depend on how many people you have, but on how you go about making the master satisfied. What is the use of taking so many people? It is precisely because we have few people that we can show our ability.”
She met Cheng Danruo at the palace gate. The three of them got into a carriage together and, facing the evening glow, hurried to Huiyuan Temple.
By then, it was just getting dark.
Xie Xuanying told them a piece of bad news. “The imperial physician says it is dysentery.”
