Chapter Nine: Meeting Mother
“Your child pays respects to Mother. May you be blessed with great fortune and peace.”
He Chong’an immediately corrected himself and felt a wave of relief within. At this moment, the single word “Mother” signified Lady He’s recognition.
“Rise and sit,” Lady He said, inviting He Chong’an to take a seat beside her. She then introduced him, “Your father and your two elder brothers are currently in the Western Sea. This is your sister, He Wan—you’ve met her before.”
He Chong’an promptly bowed and said, “I have met Sister.”
He Wan smiled in return, “Greetings, Third Brother.”
“This is your younger sister, Rou’er.”
He Rou was only seven or eight years old, with two little braids, her eyes sparkling as she looked at He Chong’an, speaking in a sweet, delicate voice, “So you’re the new Third Brother.”
Finding He Rou adorable, He Chong’an replied, “Indeed.”
He Rou stood up and gave He Chong’an a deep bow, saying, “Greetings, Third Brother,” then reached out her hand.
He Chong’an was momentarily taken aback.
He Rou said, “Isn’t it customary to give a gift when meeting a new elder? Aren’t you an elder, Third Brother?” She looked up at him with eager eyes.
He Chong’an was at a loss; he had nothing on him to offer as a gift.
Lady He laughed, “If you need anything at home, just ask for it. Don’t mind her, Third Son.”
He Chong’an smiled as well, “Little Sister Rou’er, I have nothing prepared now, but rest assured, I will make it up to you.”
He Rou beamed, “Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Lady He said, “Rou’er is very uninhibited. Please forgive her.”
He Chong’an said, “Rou’er is innocent and unrestrained, but I, as the elder brother, am rather short on means.”
Yet He Chong’an liked Rou’er very much.
Since entering the Marquis’s residence, he had seen many people and had grown used to their strange gazes. For example, He Wan, even after confirming his identity, still held a slight distance.
But Rou’er, upon calling him brother, truly treated him as such. Children have fewer schemes and possess a sincerity that adults often lack.
Soon after, Lady He called over the household managers one by one, introducing them to He Chong’an.
Some were already familiar to him, but this occasion was different—it was a welcome banquet in his honor. This marked Lady He’s formal acknowledgment of He Chong’an’s identity.
Third Young Master of the He family.
He Chong’an drank a few cups with Lady He, feeling a slight warmth.
A great burden in his heart was lifted, at least for the moment.
***
After the dishes and cups were cleared away, the serious discussion began.
“Third Son, what kind of craftsman do you think could make a pocket watch?”
He Chong’an had anticipated this question. When courtesy is shown, there is always a request behind it. Lady He’s treatment was meant to enlist his help.
He Chong’an replied, “Mother, I cannot say for sure. I am not familiar with the craftsmen of Beijing. But I do believe there is one place where such skill must exist.”
He Chong’an trusted that even with historical changes, some things remain constant.
Lady He’s eyes brightened, as if she had an idea. “I think I’ve thought of it.”
“I’ve thought of it too,” He Ziqi suddenly smiled.
Lady He laughed, “Let’s write it down and see if our thoughts align.”
The three wrote on paper and revealed their answers.
He Chong’an wrote: “The Imperial Palace.”
Lady He wrote: “The Inner Court.”
He Ziqi wrote: “The Imperial Household Department.”
Indeed, they all thought of the same place.
Lady He said, “The finest craftsmen in the land are all in the Imperial Household Department. If they cannot make it, then no one else can. The problem is, the eunuchs there are known to be arrogant and difficult to deal with.”
“I know these men. They’re famously driven by money. As long as there’s enough silver, anything can be negotiated.”
“The problem is, we don’t have the money,” Lady He said.
He Chong’an said, “This pocket watch should sell well. My skill is such that if the Imperial Household Department made pocket watches for sale, wouldn’t they make a profit?”
Lady He and He Ziqi both shook their heads slightly but did not explain why.
He Ziqi said, “Whatever the case, we have to make the trip.”
“Take the Third Son with you,” Lady He said. “Since we are family, family matters must be taken care of.”
Though He Ziqi was entrusted with important duties, he was still a branch of the He family and, to outsiders, merely the steward. When he went on errands, he was not given much respect. Even though He Chong’an was a son by a secondary wife, he was the son of the Marquis of Wuning.
That made a difference in how seriously he was taken.
“Third Son, you must also do your duties well.”
“Please rest assured, Mother.”
***
The reigning emperor seldom resided in the Forbidden City, preferring the Western Gardens. The emperors of the Great Xia Dynasty had all shaped the gardens to their liking. Compared to the later layout of Beijing, it was almost unrecognizable, though the Forbidden City itself had changed little.
After all, with the front halls and rear chambers, the three great halls, and the rituals passed down from the Tang and Song dynasties, much remained the same.
The Great Xia’s palace was strictly guarded, but treatment varied depending on the individual.
The Marquis of Wuning’s residence had been passed down for generations—a noble house, not a nouveau riche family. They were not forbidden from entering the Forbidden City, but elsewhere was no problem.
He Ziqi took He Chong’an to the Imperial Workshop.
The Imperial Workshop was where the emperor’s personal items were made, located in a corner beneath the city walls of the palace.
It held authority over all the craftsmen of the Imperial Household Department. If the emperor needed something not made there, a single document could summon craftsmen from the subordinate divisions.
Therefore, the head eunuch of the workshop, Eunuch Qin, could call upon any craftsman.
However, Eunuch Qin was notoriously difficult to deal with.
Upon arriving, after He Ziqi explained their purpose, Eunuch Qin leisurely sipped tea and smoothly offered the usual pretense: “The Imperial Workshop serves His Majesty exclusively. How could we do work for outsiders? Your request is difficult to fulfill.”
Difficult did not mean impossible.
He Ziqi quickly slipped him a silver note. “Please, sir, offer your guidance.”
Eunuch Qin glanced at the note—one hundred taels—and his face immediately darkened. Then he put on an air of incorruptibility, saying, “What do you mean by this? I serve His Majesty with all my heart. You insult my integrity.”
Clearly, one hundred taels was far from enough to satisfy Eunuch Qin.
But He Ziqi had little silver on hand. Even if they added a few hundred taels, it likely wouldn’t suffice.
He Chong’an said, “Sir Qin, I have an idea. I wonder if I may speak freely.”
Eunuch Qin smiled again. “Speak. What is there that cannot be said?”
His methods of accepting payment were flexible—if no silver, then something else would do.
He Chong’an explained the profits from the pocket watch. “The profit margin on these watches is enormous. We are willing to hand over all profits to you, Sir Qin, if you will allow the Imperial craftsmen to produce fifty pocket watches for us.”
Eunuch Qin snorted coldly, “Young Master He, you think to catch me with nothing but empty promises. What you call huge profits are just castles in the air. The watches I make for you, however, are real and tangible.”
“Do you take me for a fool?”