Chapter 18: The Shortcut Out of the Inner Palace

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“Although Zhao Ji has already married Empress Xiangong, she will die at age twenty-five, living only eight more years.”

“But Empress Xiansu is different—by the time of the Jingkang Humiliation, she was still alive and well; if the Jingkang Humiliation hadn’t happened, she might have lived to seventy or eighty.”

“Looking at it this way, if we steer history back on track and keep Zhao Ji as emperor, my chances of becoming empress are greater.”

“But Empress Xiangong will bear Zhao Ji’s legitimate eldest son, Zhao Huan. Historically, Prince Yun Zhao Kai once topped the imperial examinations, Prince Su Zhao Shu had a photographic memory, and Prince Jing Zhao Qi was exceptionally filial—all of them lost to Zhao Huan, who became Emperor Qinzong. Can my son compete with Zhao Huan? Remember, Zhao Huan’s reputation as a prince and crown prince was excellent—he knew how to pretend and how to bide his time.”

“No, no—if we let Zhao Ji become emperor, we’re just returning to the path of the Jingkang Humiliation.”

“The Jingkang Humiliation happened mainly because Zhao Ji, Zhao Huan, and Zhao Gou—the father-son trio—were too cowardly; otherwise, they could never have reached that point. We must replace him with the resolute Zhao Yu.”

“As for how I can become Zhao Yu’s empress? We’ll figure that out later. I’m a time-traveler who knows history—how could I lose to this petty native, Empress Xiansu?”

“Moreover, our current status and positions are far too low, and the time left for Zhao Yu to replace Zhao Ji is far too short. If Zhao Yu doesn’t marry Empress Xiansu and Imperial Consort Yisu, he truly has little chance of defeating Zhao Ji and becoming emperor.”

“By the way, why would Zhao Yu even want to marry Empress Xiansu and Imperial Consort Yisu? Did he suddenly decide this because I told him he could become emperor? If so, then he’s not just bold and ambitious—he’s also exceptionally politically astute.”

“I can’t fathom how such a formidable Zhao Yu could have lost to Zhao Ji in history—and why the historical records mention nothing about it.”

While mentally weighing these thoughts, Zhang Chun admitted without flinching: “I told Zhao Yu to marry Zheng Yaban and Wang Yaban. I’ve planned this for a long time—only this way can Zhao Yu have a chance to replace Zhao Ji and become emperor.”

Yuan Qingcheng said: “Jiaojiao and I thought the same, so we came to confirm it with you—and to ask if we need to do anything.”

Zhang Chun understood why Ma Xiao Jiao and Yuan Qingcheng were so anxious. The five of them were trapped in the inner palace like prisoners; seeing Zhao Yu was extremely difficult, and they had only five months left before the emperor would change. Naturally, they wanted to maximize this rare opportunity to meet him.

Zhang Chun said: “You don’t understand history or politics well—you might mean well but end up causing harm. Let me handle contact with Zhao Yu. Hmm… this way: you keep watch on when Zhao Yu leaves, and see if we can meet again. It was too rushed just now—I haven’t had time to give him all the necessary instructions.”

Yuan Qingcheng agreed and returned to Ma Xiao Jiao’s side.

Ma Xiao Jiao asked: “Was it Pure-sister who gave Zhao Yu the idea?”

Yuan Qingcheng said: “She said it was.”

Ma Xiao Jiao patted her chest: “Good, good. We’re finally changing history. Qingcheng, do you know? I was terrified we wouldn’t change anything—that the Jingkang Humiliation would still happen, and we’d have come here for nothing.”

Yuan Qingcheng wanted to say: “I feel Pure-sister is acting strange—I suspect this idea wasn’t hers.”

But first, Yuan Qingcheng had no proof; second, she didn’t want to dash Ma Xiao Jiao’s hopes.

So she swallowed the words she had meant to say.

At that moment, Yuan Qingcheng noticed the other four palace maids enthusiastically gossiping. She asked Ma Xiao Jiao: “What are they talking about?”

“They’re discussing who will be chosen as the teaching maid to initiate Zhao Yu into the ways of man and woman,” Ma Xiao Jiao said.

“Initiate him into the ways of man and woman?”

After a moment’s reflection, Yuan Qingcheng suddenly understood.

After all, she had been bombarded by information overload—even if she’d never eaten pork, she’d certainly seen pigs run.

Besides, after listening closely for a while, Yuan Qingcheng could hear exactly what the four maids were saying.

Broadly speaking:

China’s imperial courts throughout history placed great emphasis on progeny, viewing it as vital to the eternal continuity of the realm.

Thus, imperial males typically married young, usually before eighteen, often between thirteen and seventeen years old.

At such a young age, marriage sometimes meant imperial males were ignorant of sexual matters, hindering reproduction.

Moreover, Empress Dowager Xiang was an old-fashioned woman who strictly regulated such matters and would certainly not permit the princes to take women too early and damage their health.

Of course, whether the princes secretly took concubines behind closed doors is another matter—after all, palace maids serving the princes could be used at their whim.

We won’t dwell on that.

Simply put, according to formal procedure, before a prince marries, Empress Dowager Xiang usually assigns four teaching maids to instruct him in the ways of man and woman.

Zhao Bi and Zhao Ji, who recently married, both underwent this process.

This was standard practice in imperial courts throughout history.

For example, Emperor Hui of Western Jin, a mentally impaired ruler, married at thirteen; his father, Emperor Wu, knowing he was ignorant of sexual matters, sent the palace maid Xie Jiu to the Eastern Palace to teach him. When Xie Jiu left the Eastern Palace, she was already pregnant, and later gave birth to a son in another palace chamber.

In other words, the teaching maid assigned to instruct Zhao Yu has a chance to conceive his child—if she wins this lottery, she will rise to unimaginable heights, becoming a phoenix perched on the highest branch.

Even if she fails to conceive, if she gains his favor, she will earn a formal title.

Even if she gains no title, if she guides him well, she may become his personal maid, offering herself when he desires, continuing her path upward.

At worst, if Zhao Yu takes no interest in her and ceases to favor her, she will still be granted status and position, typically becoming a female official of the Shen Prince’s household—far freer than ordinary maids who merely serve tea and water, with greater rights and sufficient wealth to sustain herself.

Moreover, due to the era’s patriarchal ideology, even if they gain nothing, these maids will regard serving Zhao Yu as an honor.

Of course, these maids so eagerly desire to instruct Zhao Yu because many have used this path to gain repeated favors and rise to the rank of Cairen; some with exceptional beauty or intelligence even succeeded in becoming imperial consorts, and the most outstanding became beloved Imperial Consorts.

In short, for a palace maid, instructing Zhao Yu in the ways of man and woman is a tremendous fortune—some have even used this role to bring supreme glory to their entire families.

Yuan Qingcheng listened for a while, when Ma Xiao Jiao suddenly said: “Hey, Qingcheng, do you think the five of us could take this path to leave here?”

…

(End of Chapter)