Chapter 218: A Small Palace Struggle

…

Zhang Chun understood how to draw cakes.

Once the grand project of compiling the Hongwu Dian was proposed, Li Qingzhao—who had already been eager to organize and translate Tibetan, Yan-Yun, and Western Xia texts—became even more invested in the matter.

Li Qingzhao clearly understood that compiling the Hongwu Dian would effectively demonstrate the Zhao Song dynasty's formidable national strength and rich cultural resources, showcasing its political, economic, and cultural dominance both domestically and abroad, thereby consolidating the Zhao Song dynasty's status and influence.

Moreover, systematically organizing and compiling vast numbers of ancient texts would preserve and promote the finest traditions of Chinese culture, ensuring the survival and transmission of countless precious documents, and advancing cultural inheritance and development.

Compiling the Hongwu Dian would also strengthen the people's sense of identity and belonging to Chinese culture, uniting the nation's spirit and reinforcing national unity on the ideological and cultural level.

Crucially, compiling the Hongwu Dian represented the affirmation and construction of cultural order, establishing official standards for organizing and interpreting cultural texts, regulating the direction of scholarly thought and cultural transmission, and fostering a stable political-cultural environment to maintain social and ruling order.

To Li Qingzhao, this was the protection and advancement of culture itself.

Thus, upon receiving the assignment, Li Qingzhao was filled with unprecedented passion and a profound sense of mission. She knew this was not merely a rescue of ancient texts, but a deep inscription of the nation's memory.

Yet Li Qingzhao also understood that the chief director of such a monumental cultural project—sure to be recorded prominently in history—would attract countless scholar-officials and even the greatest Confucian masters eager to compete with her.

Li Qingzhao's advantage was that she could begin organizing and translating Tibetan, Yan-Yun, and Western Xia texts even before the Hongwu Dian project was officially launched; if she performed this task well—closely related and similar to the larger project—she would gain experience in large-scale cultural compilation that no other scholar-official or Confucian master possessed.

Of course, as long as she retained the emperor's favor, she had an even greater advantage—Zhao Yu's staunch support.

Thus, even though she was a woman, she had a chance to accomplish this epoch-making feat, earn lasting fame, and claim a place in the male-dominated realm of culture!

Yet despite her excitement, Li Qingzhao did not lose her composure; she knew that to compile the Hongwu Dian—even merely to organize and translate Tibetan, Yan-Yun, and Western Xia texts—she still needed the support of one person.

That person was Zheng Xiansu.

To accomplish this, she would need to mobilize numerous imperial consorts and palace women, particularly those with talent.

As everyone knew, talented people usually had some pride, and women were no exception; they did not bow to just anyone, and Li Qingzhao was no different.

Take Cai Xuan and her faction—they would certainly not heed Li Qingzhao's orders, nor would the Liao women or Western Xia women.

In this world, only two people could make all these women obey without question.

One, naturally, was their shared man: Zhao Yu.

The other, naturally, was their mistress: Zheng Xiansu.

Zhao Yu, however, was occupied daily with state affairs and rarely interfered in the affairs of the harem.

The one who truly managed the harem's personnel and matters was Zheng Xiansu.

Although Zheng Xiansu had grown increasingly low-key lately, and the harem had been flooded with new beauties from Liao, Western Xia, and the Western Regions, making the environment far more complex than before, as a veteran of the harem, Li Qingzhao knew full well that no one could shake Zheng Xiansu's position—Zheng Xiansu could certainly bring order to every corner of the harem, ensuring every woman, no matter who, obeyed her without hesitation.

And if Li Qingzhao could secure Zheng Xiansu's support, she could not guarantee becoming chief compiler of the Hongwu Dian, leading the Confucian scholars, and shining the light of Huaxia civilization across history—but she could certainly lead Zhao Yu's consorts and palace women to successfully organize and translate the Tibetan, Yan-Yun, and Western Xia texts.

Put simply, in Zhao Yu's harem, dragons must coil, tigers must lie down—or Zheng Xiansu would teach them their place.

This was not merely Li Qingzhao's understanding; it was the universal consensus among all women in Zhao Yu's harem, even the most favored: Zhang Chun, Li Lin, Ye Shi Yun, Ma Xiao Jiao, and Yuan Qing Cheng were no exception.

Thus, after parting from Zhang Chun, Li Qingzhao immediately went to Kunninggong to pay respects to Zheng Xiansu, report the matter, and request her assistance.

To Li Qingzhao's surprise, Zheng Xiansu had a visitor.

It was a woman dressed in Western Xia attire, but with a oval face, sharp facial contours, prominent cheekbones, and a distinct three-dimensional structure differing from typical Western Xia features.

Upon closer inspection, her eyes were slender, almond-shaped danfeng eyes, with eye sockets slightly deeper than those of Central Plains people, and brown irises; her eyebrows were fine and long, her nose high and straight, with a longer bridge; her lips were relatively thin. Though not as tall as Guo Ting or Wei Shi, she was significantly taller than most women (about 1.77 to 1.78 meters).

With her extensive experience, Li Qingzhao needed only a glance to recognize: this woman was a Khitan. Yet she wore the everyday dress of a Western Xia woman—her identity was obvious.

Empress Yelu Nanxian!

Li Qingzhao did not greet Yelu Nanxian first; she went straight to Zheng Xiansu.

Approaching closely, Li Qingzhao bowed gracefully and spoke warmly: "Sister, I pay my respects!"

Zheng Xiansu did not exchange pleasantries; she cut straight to the point: "You've come about organizing and translating the texts?"

Li Qingzhao smiled: "Sister sees through all things. Little sister has come precisely for this matter."

Zheng Xiansu smiled too: "This task should be mine, but I am too occupied—so I've burdened you. If you ever need me to intervene, come to me directly… though that would be troublesome…"

After a moment's thought, Zheng Xiansu turned to a young woman of seventeen or eighteen, who bore a striking resemblance to her: "Meiniang, draft an imperial decree ordering all consorts and palace women to obey Li Zhaoyi's commands and assist her in organizing and translating the texts."

After instructing Zheng Meiniang, Zheng Xiansu turned back to Li Qingzhao: "I'll also assign Meiniang as your deputy to help you coordinate the details. You two must not let down the emperor's trust."

Zheng Meiniang was Zheng Xiansu's own niece, her rank not much lower than Li Qingzhao's; she had already been summoned to the emperor's bed and bore him a daughter—her status and background were far from insignificant.

Li Qingzhao understood clearly: Zheng Xiansu intended to let Zheng Meiniang share in the credit, so she could be promoted later.

Li Qingzhao understood perfectly and replied: "Then I am indebted to sister Meiniang."

Zheng Xiansu smiled even brighter: "Why be so formal with her?"

Only then did Zheng Xiansu introduce Yelu Nanxian to Li Qingzhao: "This sister is Yelu Chongyuan. You'll need her help for this task."

Zheng Xiansu then introduced Li Qingzhao to Yelu Nanxian: "This is Li Zhaoyi, the emperor's favorite consort, our Great Song's foremost literary talent. Her ci poetry is uniquely styled, emotionally delicate, and linguistically fresh and natural—widely circulated throughout our realm."

"The two of you, greet each other properly and support one another henceforth." Chongyuan evolved from the Southern Dynasties' "Chonghua." Chonghua was originally the lowest of the Nine Concubines under Emperor Wu of Jin, demoted below the Nine Concubines in Southern Song, reinstated as one of the Nine Concubines in the Sui, ranked thirteenth in the harem. In early Tang, it was renamed "Chongyuan," a title retained by the Zhao Song dynasty. Among Zhao Song's consort ranks, Chongyuan was the final rank of the Nine Concubines, Grade 2 Senior.

On paper, Yelu Nanxian's rank did not seem low.

But considering she was once a Liao princess and Western Xia empress, now barely elevated to one of the Nine Concubines, one could not help but feel a pang of sorrow.

Then again, given that Western Xia had fallen, Yelu Nanxian was effectively a war captive; to grant her even a concubine title was already an act of magnanimity by Zhao Yu and Zheng Xiansu.

Moreover, upon entering, Li Qingzhao noticed: Yelu Nanxian, when visiting Zheng Xiansu—the Empress of the Zhao Song dynasty—wore Western Xia attire, not Zhao Song clothing, clearly still attached to her homeland, or perhaps disrespectful toward Zheng Xiansu.

Under these circumstances, for Zheng Xiansu to still grant Yelu Nanxian a concubine title and to engage her with tact was already an act of extraordinary generosity, made possible only by Zheng Xiansu's broad-mindedness and recognition of Yelu Nanxian's former status; otherwise, she might not have even received the rank of a beauty.

Realizing these nuances, Li Qingzhao nodded politely but kept a deliberate distance, speaking formally: "I am responsible for organizing and translating Western Xia texts. I will surely cause you trouble in the future; please forgive me."

Yelu Nanxian had not expected Li Qingzhao's literary cultivation to be so high, nor had she expected Zhao Yu to entrust the task of organizing and translating Western Xia texts to Li Qingzhao.

Added to that, Zheng Xiansu treated Li Qingzhao with warmth.

Unaware of the true depths of Zhao Yu's harem, Yelu Nanxian did not take offense at Li Qingzhao's reserve but replied warmly: "If you need anything from me, Zhaoyi, please speak plainly."

The three chatted a while longer, then Zheng Xiansu served tea and dismissed them.

After leaving Kunninggong, Yelu Nanxian warmly engaged Li Qingzhao in conversation.

Li Qingzhao could see: Yelu Nanxian wished to befriend her—and also Zheng Xiansu—without any arrogance or defiance.

After a moment's hesitation, blunt and straightforward as ever, Li Qingzhao could not help but advise Yelu Nanxian: "Chongyuan, why wear left-lapel robes?"

Yelu Nanxian heard this, her expression shifting with hesitation, and replied: "A loyal minister does not serve two masters; a virtuous woman does not marry two husbands. Western Xia is my homeland, and the Xia Zhu is my former husband. My homeland has fallen, my former husband is imprisoned—I have surrendered to China, becoming Your Majesty's concubine, to atone for the sins of my homeland and my former husband. Now I am a Song Ren; whatever Your Majesty commands me to do, I will face death without hesitation. My loyalty to Great Song and to Your Majesty is as steadfast as my former loyalty to my homeland and my former husband. But I could never betray my roots. If I were to harbor disloyalty toward my homeland and my former husband, how could I possibly remain loyal to Great Song and to Your Majesty?"

Yelu Nanxian added voluntarily: "I have already spoken with Her Majesty the Empress. I am a distant barbarian, and today, blessed by heaven and earth's great grace, I vow to devote my life to Great Song, to Your Majesty, and to Her Majesty—even if I must walk through boiling water, face sharp blades, and be shattered into fragments, I do so willingly. Whatever order you give, no matter the task, I shall carry it out with a heart prepared for death. I beg you, Sister, to convey my heart to Your Majesty."

When she finished, Yelu Nanxian wept like rain.

Li Qingzhao had never imagined Yelu Nanxian thought this way.

At first hearing, Yelu Nanxian's words held some logic.

But upon closer thought, no matter how beautifully Yelu Nanxian spoke, was she not still wavering between two sides?

Western Xia had fallen, but the Liao Empire had not.

'Could it be she still clings to her homeland?'

Thinking this, Li Qingzhao gave a self-deprecating smile: 'Even I can see this—how could the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress not see it? Besides, this is the imperial harem of Great Song; she is merely Your Majesty's plaything. Even if she longs for her homeland, what use is it?'

Li Qingzhao was wrong.

Yelu Nanxian's insistence on wearing Western Xia attire was not without purpose. She was doing it for the Western Xia women who still mourned their homeland.

As long as Yelu Nanxian maintained this posture—raising the banner of Western Xia—her identity as the former Western Xia Empress would earn her the support of Western Xia women and make them her leader.

Thus, Yelu Nanxian would have her own faction within Zhao Yu's harem.

If Yelu Nanxian could further persuade Zhao Yu to endorse her "loyalty," even praising her conduct, her image would be firmly established.

At that point, Yelu Nanxian would not only secure her position in Zhao Yu's harem but also influence his decisions, especially regarding Western Xia refugees or diplomacy with the Liao.

In other words, if Yelu Nanxian's "loyalty" gained Zhao Yu's favor, it would become a powerful political card in her hands, granting her a place in this deep palace—and possibly allowing her to maneuver skillfully, becoming leader of the Western Xia people and the Liao's representative within the Zhao Song court.

One must admit, Yelu Nanxian's calculations were truly sharp.

Li Qingzhao had no interest in this—it was not her concern.

Seeing Yelu Nanxian would not be swayed, Li Qingzhao said nothing and parted from her.

Immediately after, Li Qingzhao went to find Xiao Puxian.

Li Qingzhao did not know whether Yelu Nanxian would become leader of the Western Xia women, but she knew well what status Xiao Puxian held among Liao women and even among Hu Ren women. To accomplish the collation and translation of Qingtang Tubo, Yan-Yun, and Western Xia texts, she would certainly need Xiao Puxian's help and cooperation.

Soon, Li Qingzhao arrived at Xiao Puxian's quarters, only to be told by Xiao Puxian's attendants that Xiao Puxian was working in the Eastern Warm Chamber of the Chui Gong Hall.

Li Qingzhao then went to the Chui Gong Hall, intending to find Xiao Puxian in the Eastern Warm Chamber.

When Li Qingzhao arrived, she happened to meet Zhang Chun, who had just come to the Eastern Warm Chamber.

Zhang Chun, aware of Li Qingzhao's purpose, directly led her into the Eastern Warm Chamber.

As soon as they entered, Zhang Chun and Li Qingzhao heard Xiao Puxian advising Zhao Yu: "All the women of Western Xia have become widows of a fallen state, yet they refuse to submit, still wearing Western Xia attire and refusing to assimilate. This trend must not be allowed to grow; such women must not be permitted to form factions within the palace, lest they destabilize the Emperor's harem and even influence his decisions regarding Western Xia refugees and Liao diplomacy."

Zhao Yu said: "This matter is for the Empress to decide. Consult her."

Xiao Puxian replied: "Your servant has already discussed this with Her Majesty the Empress. The Empress said: 'To shoot a man, first shoot his horse; to capture a bandit, first capture their leader. Your Majesty should visit Yelu Nanxian first; the rest, I can handle on your behalf.'"

Zhao Yu was stunned—no one else could truly replace him in this matter…

…

(End of Chapter)