Chapter 11: Peace Negotiations

Changchun Palace.

After paying her respects to the Empress Dowager and lingering for nearly an hour, Consort Xian-De, Jia Yuanchun, finally returned to her own palace, entering the bedchamber that had always felt so desolate.

Several noble ladies and beauties who resided in the Changchun Palace came to pay their respects to her. After sitting with them for a while, Yuanchun dismissed them, telling them to return to their own quarters.

Although she held the high rank of one of the Four Consorts, she was not particularly favored by the Emperor. With the current palace housing the Emperor, the Retired Emperor, and over two hundred concubines of varying ranks, the six eastern and western palaces were becoming cramped.

Seeing that no one was around, Yuanchun took a letter from her cabinet and, by the light of a palace lantern, began to read it carefully. She had barely read a few lines before she could not stop the tears from falling.

"Grandmother... Father, Mother, when will I ever be able to see you again?"

This letter was over a year old. It mentioned affairs within the Jia household and urged her to be extremely cautious within the palace. Whenever Yuanchun felt stifled by sorrow, she would take out these old letters to read.

"My Lady!"

Her maid, Baoqin, hurried in. Yuanchun quickly wiped away her tears, tucked the letter away, and composed herself, asking, "Why are you in such a panic? Even though these are turbulent times, we must not abandon decorum. You have been with me for many years; you should know that this palace is not like our home."

Baoqin was a personal maid who had followed her from the Jia estate, serving her since childhood. In the imperial palace, Yuanchun only felt she could speak her true thoughts to Baoqin or the Empress Dowager.

"My Lady!"

Baoqin could no longer hold back. She stepped forward and whispered, "Those eunuchs sent by the Empress are hinting that they want silver. I gave them two hundred taels, and they told me the Empress has ordered them to prepare three feet of white silk, to be kept for later use!"

"Ah!"

A look of terror appeared on Yuanchun’s delicate, moon-like face. Even the most foolish person would understand what three feet of white silk was intended for. If the rebel army breached the city walls, the eunuchs would use this white silk to ensure the concubines ended their own lives, preserving the final dignity of the Shun Dynasty.

Yuanchun stood frozen, stunned. It was only after Baoqin called her name several times that tears began to fall, and she turned to face the window, silent.

"My Lady!" Baoqin knelt and wept, "You entered the palace at nine years old. It has been nearly ten years—ten years of enduring hardships just to be granted the rank of Noble Consort. But Heaven is blind; just as you attained this honor, before you could even bear an imperial prince or princess, this catastrophe of the rebels besieging the city falls upon us... And now, to have to follow the Emperor... How can the heavens be so heartless!"

Though named "Embrace-the-Lute," she had a fiery temper. With disaster looming, she dared to say anything.

"Baoqin, say no more."

Yuanchun’s face was numb, her heart seemingly turned to ash. "Since I arrived in this wretched place, I knew this day might come. If the rebel army breaks through the city, you must take advantage of the chaos to escape. Return home; Grandmother and Mother will not abandon you."

"My Lady..." Baoqin looked at her mistress, her heart filled with bitterness.

After a long while, she walked out. She looked up at the palace in the night, dark and somber, with the faint sound of coughing echoing in the surroundings.

Baoqin paced outside the palace gate for a long time. The eunuchs, having just received the silver, ignored her and sat playing cards.

"It cannot be! Absolutely not... How can I let my Lady die like this?"

Baoqin made up her mind. She hurried back to the bedchamber, lit a lamp by her bed, and spent the night writing a letter. Tomorrow, she would find the eunuchs close to Eunuch Xia and have the letter sent to the Jia household. Whether it would be of any use or not, it was the only way she could think of.

...

The night passed and the sun rose. The brilliant spring sunlight shone over the capital of the Great Shun Dynasty. The common people woke one by one; some hurried through the streets, meeting acquaintances only to offer a quick bow before rushing off to tend to their own affairs.

There were only two days left before the Prince of Qian launched his final assault. The people, unless absolutely necessary, no longer ventured out, locking their doors and windows to wait quietly for the days to pass.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony.

"Clack!"

The ceremonial eunuch cracked his long whip, signaling the start of the morning court session. Jia Zheng stood outside the hall, looking around, a sense of desolation on his face. Compared to yesterday, the number of capital officials attending court this morning had halved again. Even the Prince of Zhongshun did not appear, hiding in his own mansion and only sending word that he advocated for surrender to the Prince of Qian.

Without needing to be told, the many lesser officials gathered outside the hall, listening closely to the arguing inside. However, the voices today were much quieter than the previous two days; most of those who advocated for surrender had, like the Prince of Zhongshun, claimed illness and stopped coming to court.

The oppressive atmosphere was felt even by Jia Zheng outside the hall.

Half an hour later, the court session ended. As the ministers filed out, Jia Zheng hurriedly approached his brother-in-law. Wang Ziteng did not hide anything; in front of everyone, he uttered two words:

"Negotiate peace."

The crowd waiting outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony was in an uproar. Jia Zheng, however, felt a weight lifted from his heart, as if a stone had fallen to the ground. He stroked his beard and nodded, "Given the current situation, we can only temporarily negotiate with the rebel prince. I wonder who the Emperor has sent?"

Wang Ziteng replied, "It is still being discussed. Orders have been sent to summon the Prince of Zhongshun; perhaps I will go as well."

One minister, filled with worry, remarked, "Ever since the Prince of Qian raised his army, he has never acknowledged the court’s surrender decrees. It is rumored that once he breaks the city, he will loot all the wealthy households to reward his subordinates... This peace negotiation will likely require the court to be bled dry by his demands before he is satisfied!"

Jia Zheng glanced at him and realized it was a counselor from the Military Council. Even he was calling the rebel the "Prince of Qian" now?

After discussing for a moment, Jia Zheng—a minor official—could not influence the peace talks, so he returned home and sat alone in his study. He sat for an entire hour without anyone coming to find him. His brother, Jia She, and Jia Zhen of the Eastern Mansion seemed as if none of this concerned them, remaining indifferent to the state of the court. As for his clansman Jia Jing, he was only interested in refining pills and seeking immortality in a Taoist temple outside the city, just like the Retired Emperor.

"Sigh."

Jia Zheng sighed deeply. If the city fell, what would become of the Jia family? If the family were to be destroyed and its members scattered... Jia Zheng dared not think further.

At that moment, a servant called from outside, "Master, Lord Lian is here."

"Lian'er?"

Jia Zheng felt a stir of hope. Of the Ning and Rong households, only Jia Lian was capable of handling affairs. His own son, Jia Baoyu, had some minor and eccentric talents, but unfortunately, he refused to apply them to the path of an official career.

"Let him in," Jia Zheng said.

Jia Lian quickly entered the study, bowed, and said, "Master, the Consort has secretly sent a letter from the palace. I dared not read it without authorization, so I have brought it to you!"

"What? She... how could she be so reckless?"

Jia Zheng was deeply shaken. The rules of the Shun Dynasty’s inner court were strict; for a consort to communicate privately with outsiders was, at worst, an act of treason, and at best, punishable by loss of salary and demotion in rank.

Jia Lian said, "With such chaos imminent, we cannot worry about those rules. Master, please read the letter!"

With that, he presented the letter with both hands. Jia Zheng opened it in a hurry, his expression becoming increasingly panicked as he read.

"Master, Master."

Jia Lian asked twice before he heard his master say, "This letter was sent out by Baoqin."

"What does she say?"

"..."