Chapter 1496: The Consorts

1496. Chapter 1496: The Consorts

"Father Emperor bears the weight of all under heaven; Mother Empress and the honored consorts will surely understand." He lifted his head and looked at his father with fervent emotion. "Your son will take Father as his model, practice diligence and frugality at all times, and soon share Father's burdens!"

"This child — the tutors weren't hired in vain, he's become so well-spoken!" The Emperor laughed heartily, then patted him on the shoulder.

The next evening, the Emperor set out with the Crown Prince, riding into the city and entering the imperial palace. By then, only two days remained until the New Year.

Although it was the imperial palace, the area from the East Prosperity Gate to the Assembly Gate of the Forbidden City had already been granted by the Emperor to the Grand Secretariat for use as government offices, so the space the imperial family now occupied was far narrower and more cramped than under the former Ming.

After a large force of Imperial Guard soldiers moved in, the palace was placed under martial law — a sentry every three paces, a guard post every five — exuding a somber, lethal air inside and out. Yet within that somberness, the patrolling guards and attendants also brought a long-absent vitality back to the palace.

As everyone knew, the Emperor was frugal and, after securing the realm, had always been unwilling to take up residence in the former Ming palace. With the Emperor setting such an example, the imperial family naturally could not overstep, so its members generally did not live in the palace either, residing instead in civilian houses not far from the military camp. However, for major festivals or gatherings — since civilian residences were, after all, cramped — the imperial family would assemble in the Forbidden City, living there while preparing to receive the homage of the inner and outer courts.

The Emperor was not particularly drawn to women. Though sovereign of a nation, his number of wives and concubines was small, and their titles were very simple. Xu Zhenzhen, the wife he married when he first rose in Xuzhou, was naturally made Empress after the new dynasty was founded. Her eldest son, Zhao Long, was named Crown Prince; her second son, Zhao Hu, was enfeoffed as Prince of Qi; and her eldest daughter, Zhao Feng, was made Princess of Xinping. As the legitimate children born of the primary wife, these three received treatment different from the other imperial offspring.

Mu Shulan was made Imperial Noble Consort, with all treatment equal to the Empress in every respect. Her son Zhao Qi was enfeoffed as Prince of Liang, Zhao Rui as Prince of Zheng, and her daughter Zhao Yan as Princess of Xiping — their status was also very high. This special, exceptional treatment stemmed partly from the deep bond between the Emperor and her as childhood companions, and partly from the Imperial Noble Consort's own immense influence.

To unify the people's thinking and keep the weapon of religion in his own hands, the Emperor had carried out a religious reform when he first rose in Xuzhou, incorporating the system of the Smelling Incense Sect into the reform and vigorously promoting it within the army. After years of effort, the army's New Smelling Incense Sect had essentially established a complete theoretical and political framework, greatly aiding the Emperor's ideological control and command over the military. As the former Holy Maiden of the Smelling Incense Sect, Mu Shulan had always held an extremely high position in the minds of the Great Han court's religious officials. Thus, by making Mu Shulan the sole Imperial Noble Consort in the rear palace and granting her exceptionally high treatment, the Emperor also partly intended to placate this faction.

The Emperor often stayed in the military camp handling state and military affairs, so naturally the daily internal matters of the imperial household were mainly managed by the Empress and the Imperial Noble Consort. The Empress came from a great merchant family, and Consort Mu had also studied many things in her early years, so both handled household affairs with great ease. Moreover, both had very modest and amiable temperaments, so under their management, the Great Han imperial household remained quite tranquil.

Below the Empress and Imperial Noble Consort were several consorts. Among them, the one of relatively higher rank was Meng Ziqi, titled Consort Hui. She had borne a son, Zhao Sheng, and a daughter. Zhao Sheng had already been enfeoffed as Prince of Yue, though despite his princely title, his status and treatment were, upon closer examination, somewhat inferior to those of the first two ladies' sons. Her daughter, still too young, had not yet received a princess title.

Consort Hui's elder brother was the veteran artillery officer Meng Zhiqi, now enfeoffed by the court as Count of Handan and counted among the honored nobles the court relied upon. Thus, Consort Hui held the highest status among the consorts.

The other three consorts had all been married by the Emperor at various points during his rise and consolidation of power. They entered the Zhao imperial household relatively late, so the children they bore had not yet received any titles, and their status and treatment could not compare with those of the earlier princes and princesses.

The former Ming court had a multitude of imperial consorts and concubines, with a jumble of ranks and titles. The Emperor, after founding the new dynasty, was not particularly keen on such matters, so the consorts and concubines in the palace numbered only these six. Consequently, the attendants needed to serve them were also few, and the scale of palace attendants was drastically reduced compared to the former Ming.

Although such a small rear palace seemed somewhat inconsistent with the dignity and proper scale of an imperial household, the ministers, for one, considered this the Emperor's family affair, and for another, thought it a good thing that the Emperor did not indulge in rear palace pleasures. Moreover, the Emperor already had many children, so there was no worry about the risk of lacking an heir. Thus, the Chancellor and other high officials merely offered a few casual words of remonstrance and then ceased to interfere.

In the northern winter, night fell early. By the time the Emperor finished his bath, the sky had already darkened. Throughout the palace, large red lanterns had been lit everywhere, dyeing the palace, together with its red walls, into a crimson world. The palace halls had been freshly repainted before the Emperor's arrival, with artificial flowers made of silk and gauze everywhere. Male and female attendants, dressed in brand-new uniforms issued not long ago, chatted and laughed merrily.

Because the Cloud Mountain Firm and the former Ming imperial estates had been transferred to the Grand Secretariat, the Great Han imperial family's income, though unable to match that of the former Ming court, was still an enormous sum. Given their usual frugality, the Empress and Imperial Noble Consort had consulted and decided to loosen expenditures slightly during the New Year period, so that everyone, high and low, could enjoy a good year.

When the Emperor, surrounded by attendants, arrived at the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the rear palace consorts and concubines led by the Empress and Imperial Noble Consort, as well as the imperial children led by the Crown Prince, had long since dressed in fresh, immaculate attire and were all waiting there.

In addition, apart from these members of the imperial family, the current Empress's younger brother, the Minister of Industry and Duke Protector of the Realm Xu Housheng, along with his primary wife and his eldest legitimate son Xu Hecheng — already designated as heir — were also in the imperial palace today. Their family had been specially summoned by the Emperor and Empress to accompany them at the banquet. Because of their connection to the Empress, the Duke Protector's family had an extraordinary relationship with the imperial family, arguably even closer than that of the Chancellor.

According to imperial family regulations, the Crown Prince's attendants were all youths selected from the various noble houses. They accompanied the Crown Prince in his studies and, in doing so, could build rapport with him, ensuring that the next generation of nobles would be of use to the Crown Prince. As the heir of the reigning Duke, Xu Hecheng was naturally one of the Crown Prince's close attendants, often accompanying him in his studies, and their relationship was very intimate.

When they saw the Emperor enter, they all joyfully saluted him.

Amidst a chorus of "Ten thousand blessings upon the Emperor!", "Ten thousand blessings upon Father Emperor!", and "Long live our Emperor!", the Emperor walked smiling to the dining table. At this moment, he was a husband and a father, not the sovereign of a vast empire stretching ten thousand li.

After the salutations were complete, the consorts, the Duke Protector's family, and the princes and princesses all gathered around the dining table and sat down one by one according to the prearranged order, ready to begin the evening meal.

Under the former Ming, banquets were very rarely held in the Palace of Heavenly Purity. Private meals between the emperor and his consorts were seldom taken together, and imperial clansmen such as princes were not permitted to dine with the rear palace consorts, even on festive occasions like New Year's Day or the emperor's birthday.

After the new dynasty was established, the Emperor streamlined the palace bureaucracy on one hand and reduced the burdensome rules and formalities on the other. Whether in the private civilian residences where they usually lived or in the Forbidden City palace, he always had his wives, concubines, and children gather to eat together, without many rigid rules. He felt that this was what made it feel like a family.

Furthermore, because a portion of the palace had been allocated to the Grand Secretariat for office use, when in the Forbidden City, the imperial family members were mainly concentrated in the three great halls of the rear court. Thus, gathering together for meals in the Palace of Heavenly Purity at mealtimes naturally became the standard practice.

However, compared to the extravagantly lavish imperial feasts of the former dynasty, the new dynasty's imperial family was not particularly particular about food. No rare delicacies from land and sea were served; generally, it was just meat dishes like chicken, duck, and fish, paired with some finely prepared vegetables, with an emphasis on refinement and simplicity.

After the Emperor took his seat, to avoid making his wives and children wait too long, he directly picked up his chopsticks and took food from the bowl before him. "Everyone, eat — don't go hungry!"

Once the Emperor began eating, the consorts and the princes and princesses then moved their chopsticks. After the imperial family members had all started, the Duke Protector's family also began to eat.

Imperial family banquets were traditionally solemn affairs, but the Emperor was not such a stickler. He often chatted and laughed freely at family banquets, making small talk and joking with his wives, concubines, and children. Today was no exception.

"Today is a fine day indeed! During the meeting, I told those ministers that in a few more days it'll be the New Year, and I'm giving the entire court a holiday — anyone who can rest should rest well. Hey, they were overjoyed." The Emperor laughed as he spoke, making several of the children laugh along. "Ah, I can also take this chance to rest well. I truly hope for peace under heaven, so I can relax a while longer."

"The Emperor bears the weight of the world; he has truly toiled." The Empress looked at the Emperor with some concern. "Busy as you usually are, this season comes but once a year — rest well for a while. The various ministers are all diligent in their duties, and now the realm is largely pacified. You can afford to rest well for a time."