33. A Tale Worth Telling

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The ladies did not care whether Cui Jingyu had settled on an exact date. They immediately carried the news before Her Highness the Grand Princess. At once, the Grand Princess’s expression shifted slightly. She sent someone to summon Cui Jingyu back in, then asked Lady Wei, “Marquis Cui was born in the Year of the Dragon, was he not?”

“Yes. Jingyu was born under the Dragon, exactly six years after my Yushan. Yushan was born in the first month, while he was born in the tenth, so it was not quite a full six years…” Lady Wei answered with due respect and considerable detail.

Had Ye Lingbo been present, she would have rolled her eyes again. It was plain that Lady Wei was a fool. The Sovereign was precisely at his most wary of the Wei family forming a faction. Cui Jingyu had routed the Northern Rong at Mingsha River, slain their Left Prince, killed fifty thousand of their men, and nearly annihilated their heavy cavalry. With such a heaven-shaking achievement, even granting him a marquisate had been done reluctantly. What else could the Sovereign’s fear of the Wei family conspiring with Cui Jingyu mean?

As a member of the imperial clan appointed by the Sovereign to preside over the Flower Messenger Banquet, the Grand Princess was naturally of one mind with him. Yet she kept mentioning Jingyu and comparing him to Wei Yushan, speaking as though he were her own nephew. She was practically announcing to the Sovereign that Cui Jingyu had been orphaned in his youth, had studied the art of war under Marshal Wei from the age of ten, and regarded the Wei couple as his own parents.

Still, the Grand Princess would naturally never reveal such thoughts on the surface. She merely said mildly, “That is indeed the age when one should begin looking for a bride. It cannot be delayed any longer.”

“Exactly, exactly. How can the distinguished Dingyuan Marquis’s residence remain without a mistress?” the ladies echoed one after another.

Like the old tale of the donkey from Qian, which revealed its weakness once it had exhausted its tricks, Lady Wei had been an imposing presence when she first arrived in the capital. The ladies had watched her cautiously, treating her with both care and reverence. But as they gradually saw through her, they realized that although the marquis’s lady appeared noble, she understood nothing of the capital’s intrigues. Inevitably, they began to grow bolder, and were already making their moves against Cui Jingyu right in front of her.

Had it been another lady, whether or not she had intended to marry Wei Leshui to Cui Jingyu, she would never have tolerated such a thing. Could anyone allow another to sleep peacefully beside one’s own bed? At the very least, she would have ensured that their probing came to nothing, thereby displaying the authority of the marquis’s household.

Yet Lady Wei, whether she had failed to notice or for some other reason, merely smiled and joined in their agreement.

Only after Cui Jingyu was summoned inside did the Grand Princess ask him a few questions. Upon hearing that he truly intended to hold a banquet celebrating his marquisate, she said, “It is certainly a joyous occasion. Since Marquis Cui has the inclination, I am afraid the ladies will have to trouble themselves.”

The ladies understood from the Grand Princess’s words that she probably would not take part. That was only natural. Her personal presence at the Wei family’s marquisate banquet had already bestowed immense honor upon the Wei faction. To attend Cui’s as well would be excessive. After all, she had not attended the marquisate banquet of Marquis Jing’s household. Now that the Northern Frontier Army had finally managed, with great difficulty, to establish a balance in which the realm was effectively divided between two powers, she could not favor the Wei faction too openly and disrupt that balance. Such was the logic of political equilibrium.

The ladies, however, had no such concerns. The Grand Princess’s words meant that they could now display their talents freely and compete at the Cui residence for the future “top scholar” of this Flower Messenger Banquet.

Cui Jingyu merely said, “It is only a small gathering. I fear I would slight the ladies.”

But the ladies were unwilling to let his marquisate banquet remain small. Each began offering suggestions. Lu Wenyin’s mind was the quickest, and she said, “Your Highness, I have an idea, though I do not know whether it will work.”

“Speak,” Lady Su, the palace official, said. She was somewhat displeased that Lu Wenyin had gone directly to the Grand Princess instead of first approaching her.

Lu Wenyin immediately corrected herself. Glancing at Cui Jingyu, she said, “Chief Lady Su, the custom in the capital has always been that the twenty-four banquets for women and the four banquets for men are arranged together. Since the Sovereign has entrusted the twenty-four Flower Messenger Banquets to Your Highness, in principle the four men’s banquets should also be arranged by Your Highness. Marquis Cui’s household has no mistress, and most of his associates are military officers. In my opinion, why not entrust one of the four men’s banquets to Marquis Cui as well? It would give him an opportunity to become acquainted with his fellow officials in the capital, and it would make the occasion livelier.”

She had noticed that the Grand Princess regarded Cui Jingyu with esteem, unlike her cool attitude toward the Wei family, and guessed that she too would be willing to elevate him.

Holding one of the four men’s banquets was a rare honor. In the past, only the most eminent ministers of the court had been allowed to host them. For one thing, there were only four such banquets for men, and too many contenders for too little broth. For another, everyone attending was a son of one of the capital’s great families, a high official, or a prince and nobleman—someone either wealthy or powerful. To host one of the four banquets was equivalent to entering the ranks of the capital’s foremost aristocratic houses.

For the past ten years, the arrangements for the Flower Messenger Banquet had constantly changed. Only the four men’s banquets had remained fixed, hosted without fail by the Prince of Ying’s residence, the Prince of Ping Commandery’s residence, the Prince of Liang’s residence, and the residence of a certain Minister Shen. This alone showed how difficult the qualification was to obtain, and how high the honor stood.

If the Grand Princess agreed, the Shen family, which ranked last, would conveniently be pushed out. The Chen family would naturally be delighted, while Cui Jingyu would owe Lu Wenyin a personal favor. If she refused, Lu Wenyin would still have done him a favor with little effort. She had no fear that Cui Jingyu would fail to thank her.

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The Grand Princess pondered for a moment. The ladies beside her held their breath and waited in silence, knowing that this was not a matter on which they could venture an opinion.

“Xilan, what do you think?” the Grand Princess asked.

Xilan was the personal name of the Princess of Ping Commandery. She smiled and said, “Your Highness, how could I dare say? I had originally thought that the Orchid Banquet suited my name perfectly, and since I am fond of orchids, I was considering whether I should host it. Who would have thought that Marquis Cui would seize the opportunity first? That alone would be fine, but now he also wishes to host one of the four men’s banquets. I have no objection to the others, but if Marquis Cui wants to hold the horse-racing banquet, my prince will weep when he hears of it.”

Everyone naturally burst out laughing, and the Grand Princess laughed as well. “Then you may host the Orchid Banquet. As for the horse-racing banquet, we shall discuss it later.”

“Never mind, never mind. Let Marquis Cui have the Orchid Banquet after all. As long as my family’s horse-racing banquet is preserved, I can go home and claim credit from my prince.” The Princess of Ping Commandery smiled.

Ever since the Grand Princess had taken charge of the Flower Messenger Banquet, the Princess of Ping Commandery had cooperated wholeheartedly. She had even been more respectful than the elderly and steady Princess Dowager of Liang. This was the first time she had contradicted the Grand Princess. Though none of the ladies showed anything on their faces, they were all secretly turning the matter over in their minds.

“The horse-racing banquet is a grand affair. My residence is modest and ill-suited to such an event, so it would naturally be better for the prince to host it. I need only hold an ordinary gathering for the officials of the capital. Thank you, Your Highness, for thinking so highly of me.” Cui Jingyu’s tone remained mild.

He had always been excessively aloof. His willingness to hold a banquet at all was already an unexpected delight. No one had expected him to speak with such tact. His words seemed courteous and yielding, yet beneath them lay an unmistakable firmness. Clearly, his political wisdom was in no way inferior to that of the great men of the capital. He had merely kept it hidden and unused.

Lu Wenyin’s eyes filled with delight, to say nothing of the other ladies.

The Grand Princess’s expression remained unchanged.

“Then you will have to trouble yourself, Marquis Cui. Hold the Orchid Banquet first. As for the horse-racing banquet or the winding-water cup banquet, we shall discuss them after the New Year.”

Cui Jingyu bowed. “Yes, Your Highness. I shall obey.”

His bow indicated that he intended to withdraw, but the Grand Princess said, “There is no need to hurry.”

As she spoke, she rose. The palace officials naturally moved to support her, while the Princess of Ping Commandery and the Princess Dowager of Liang hurried forward as well. The Grand Princess placed her hand upon the arm of the Princess of Ping Commandery.

The moment she stood, every lady and young woman in the hall rose as well. Realizing that she had something to say, they left their seats and stood with their hands lowered, listening to her instructions. Their eyes remained cast downward, fixed upon the carpet spread across the center of the hall—a single piece of richly colored velvet embroidered with brocade, dragons, fish, flowers, and a phoenix surrounded by a hundred birds. None dared look directly upon the imperial countenance.

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“The palace entrusted me with presiding over the Flower Messenger Banquet in great haste, and I came here in equal haste. I have not yet explained my purpose, so I imagine you are still confused and do not know why I have come.” The Grand Princess spoke neither quickly nor slowly. “As Marquis Cui’s matter today has reminded me, perhaps this is a good opportunity to make everything clear. You all understand why the palace attaches such importance to this year’s Flower Messenger Banquet. The soldiers of the Northern Frontier Army are returning to the capital, and among them are many unmarried heroes like Marquis Cui. The affairs of state have been settled; it is precisely the time for them to establish families and careers. If marriages can be arranged at the capital’s Flower Messenger Banquet, that too will become a fine story to tell.”

As she spoke, the Grand Princess’s gaze swept lightly over the wives of the Northern Frontier Army’s generals standing behind Lady Wei. Just as expected, several of them looked unable to contain themselves.

People often presumed to guess the Sovereign’s intentions. They might imagine that, given Lady Wei’s lack of ability, the Grand Princess was pleased to see matters unfold as they would. Yet they did not understand that compared with someone like the Princess of Ping Commandery, who was far too “strong-minded,” a fool was often more troublesome to those in power. If someone could obtain something from one’s hands through careful plotting, that was at least a demonstration of skill.

But Lady Wei, who should have been managing the womenfolk of the Northern Frontier Army, could not keep matters under control. The trouble had therefore been passed upward.

“Of course, the unmarried are to be rewarded, but the married deserve rewards even more. The Northern Frontier Army has endured four years of bitter war, and its womenfolk have suffered greatly as well. The palace will naturally issue imperial honors to commend these couples who endured hardship together. The ladies of the capital must also treat the wives of the Northern Frontier Army with the same kindness with which your own husbands treat their generals, and welcome them properly.” The Grand Princess turned to Cui Jingyu. “Marquis Cui, I must also trouble you to convey these words to the gentlemen outside.”

“Your Highness speaks with perfect justice.” The Princess of Ping Commandery was the first to react. She hurriedly bowed and said, “We subjects’ wives will obey.”

The ladies of the capital’s great families followed her in graceful curtsies. Only then did Lady Wei understand, and she led the other military wives in offering their thanks.

The Princess Dowager of Liang, being an outsider to the matter, emerged at just the right moment to sum things up with a smile. “Your Highness’s benevolence is truly thoughtful. Everyone has a reward, and everyone has a place. The soldiers and their wives can now set their hearts at ease. The Sovereign’s trust in Your Highness to preside over the Flower Messenger Banquet has certainly not been misplaced.”

Amid the chorus of praise, the Grand Princess remained perfectly calm. Having long been accustomed to being a person of rank, she naturally understood that no matter what she said, those beneath her would hail her wisdom. Whether she was truly wise or not would only gradually emerge with time.

Amid the bustle filling the hall, Lady Su raised her eyes and looked toward Ye Qinglan.

Those who remained too close to power, after surviving their initial trepidation, often developed the illusion that they themselves possessed power. Having followed the Grand Princess for so many years and accepted the obeisance of countless people, it was difficult not to imagine that the obeisance was directed at her as well. A sentence, a piece of advice—once accepted, once put to use, once spoken as though it were an infallible imperial pronouncement—could make even the most noble ladies in the capital kneel and obey, singing praises of its wisdom…

At moments like this, even someone as dignified and composed as Ye Qinglan could hardly keep the hand hidden in her sleeve from trembling faintly beneath the surge of emotion.

Yet Lady Su had not expected the Grand Princess’s next course of action.

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