Chapter 45: Spending the Night in the Palace of Heavenly Purity

On the night Prince Qian entered and took control of the capital, the gates of the Palace of Heavenly Purity were thrown wide open, ablaze with brilliant illumination.

Having finished his affairs, Chu Yan strode in through the Gate of Heavenly Purity. Since he had not yet ascended the throne, he did not use an imperial sedan chair.

Before the Palace of Heavenly Purity lay a sprawling plaza traversed by an imperial pathway paved with bluish-gray sandstone slabs, elevated slightly above the surrounding ground to signify the supreme dignity of the Son of Heaven.

Thus, Chu Yan walked alone upon the raised imperial pathway, while eunuchs such as Xia Shouzhong walked on the ground along both sides, evoking the ancient realization of why emperors referred to themselves with the solitary titles of grief and solitude.

At this moment, upon that pathway, there was only Chu Yan.

At the far end of the pathway, before the main hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, knelt more than twenty imperial consorts and concubines. From Empress Zhang, noble mother of the nation, to Princess Qinghe, of royal blood, down to Jia Yuanchun, second only to none among the Twelve Beauties of Jinling, all knelt in welcome as he passed through the Gate of Heavenly Purity.

Along the corridors of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, nearly a hundred palace maids and eunuchs knelt as well, awaiting the privilege of serving his evening repast.

Chu Yan ascended the stone steps and stood before Empress Zhang and the others, looking down at their slender figures wrapped in luxurious gowns as they knelt.

Through two thousand years of feudal dynastic evolution, imperial authority had reached its absolute zenith.

"Rise, all of you."

Chu Yan gave the command, reaching out to lift the kneeling Empress Zhang and Jia Yuanchun to their feet, then casually helping Princess Qinghe up as well. Seeing her flushed and apprehensive little face, he smiled and took her hand as he walked into the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Qinghe stumbled and followed along behind him.

Jia Yuanchun, Noble Consort Wu, Noble Lady Zhou, and a throng of other young consorts followed in orderly succession, their expressions a mixture of varied emotions. Some of the concubines, seeing Chu Yan for the very first time, cast stolen glances at him, only to lower their heads in sudden terror upon beholding the tall and formidable back of Prince Qian.

Empress Zhang stood rooted to the spot, her dignified and stern face devoid of expression, watching him lead Qinghe by the hand into the hall, and watching the numerous consorts—who once belonged solely to her husband, the late Emperor Yongning—file in one after another.

"Empress Mother, you...?" Xia Shouzhong stepped forward to inquire.

"Ah. The thunder's wrath and the rain's bounty are both imperial favors."

With a cold expression and lowered eyes, Empress Zhang slowly walked into the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

She had already seen through his game. Prince Qian had allowed the senior dowagers and empress dowager to remain without relocation, bestowing gifts upon them first only to summon them later to sing and dance for his amusement, crushing the arrogance they once held as imperial consorts and letting them all know that he, Prince Qian, held the power over their very lives and deaths.

And the same applied to the present moment.

Prince Qian had commanded them to gather here tonight, and then personally raised a few of them to their feet—this was merely another application of the exact same tactic.

She could perceive Prince Qian's methods, but Qinghe might not. Between terror and intimidation, Qinghe would likely be subdued within three to five days, obediently going to his bed to serve him.

Yet, what could she do?

Empress Zhang smiled bitterly to herself. Perhaps, much like Qinghe, submitting earlier would grant her a peaceful existence; once he grew tired of her, she would finally find tranquility.

She stepped inside.

Within the main hall, Chu Yan sat beside a temporarily arranged small table. Two maidservants brought forth food boxes they had carried in from outside the palace and served him.

Qinghe stood beside him, watching as he dined tonight on merely a bowl of pearl millet porridge, four small side dishes, and a single cup of wine poured by the maid, with nothing else besides.

He did not eat the food prepared within the palace.

Nor had his personal guards entered the Palace of Heavenly Purity; they stood guard outside the doors. If a group of eunuchs had conspired together to capture him, they might indeed have seized him.

Yet Qinghe knew that no one left in the palace still felt any loyalty to the Shun Dynasty. Even if they managed to kill Prince Qian, the soldiers outside would storm the gates; the maids, eunuchs, and even the concubines would all be put to death, the imperial palace would be burned to the ground, and the entire capital would be plundered to desolation by his subordinates.

"Begin."

Chu Yan gave the command, picking up his chopsticks to eat and taking a small sip of wine.

Qinghe stood closest to him, noticing that although there was no trace of exhaustion on his face, his expression carried a hint of fatigue.

Ever since entering the city in the morning, followed by the capture of her imperial brother, the subjugation of the inner palace consorts, and the stabilization of the capital's situation, he had accomplished countless tasks in a single day, only now finding a moment to rest.

Empress Zhang was the last to enter, and he paid her no heed.

"Your Highness."

Jia Yuanchun stepped forward, asking softly, "I wonder what kind of music and dance Your Highness wishes to hear?"

She was merely feigning composure; since the empress made no move, she had to step up.

"What do you have?" Chu Yan asked.

"There is *The Ten Thousand Years of Spring*, *The Millennium Age*, *The Lotus-Picking Dance*..."

Jia Yuanchun listed a few options. "The first two are joyous and lively pieces featuring acrobatics in the middle, while the *Lotus-Picking Dance* has twenty-four dancers imitating the expressions and movements of lotus-gathering maidens from the Jiangnan region, though perhaps the consorts might find it difficult to capture its true essence..."

The crowd of young consorts all looked toward her. Noble Lady Zhou smiled and said, "Can the virtuous and virtuous consort still not tell? What Prince Qian desires is for the beautiful consorts of the inner palace to sing and dance for his entertainment. How could ordinary dancers ever compare to imperial concubines?"

She was flaunting her own status and trying to curry favor with Prince Qian.

Chu Yan smiled. "There is no need for any professional dancing. Just pick something simple; whatever the performance, there will be rewards."

"Thank Your Highness for the reward!" Noble Lady Zhou beamed with joy, and Noble Consort Wu and the others quickly offered their thanks as well.

Some of the other consorts expressed their gratitude with genuine relief, while others hesitated, repeatedly casting glances toward Empress Zhang.

After pondering for a moment, Jia Yuanchun looked at Chu Yan and suggested, "How about performing the *Pipa Dance* for Your Highness?"

Chu Yan gave a hum of assent.

Thus, the dancers of the Music Bureau stepped forward, holding the specialized lutes used for the dance and distributing them among the consorts. Empress Zhang also accepted one, holding it in her hands with an expression that remained cold.

Yet, as she was the central figure of the night, she had no choice but to step forward with the lute in hand, coming to a halt five paces in front of Chu Yan and concealing her face behind the instrument.

Chu Yan raised an eyebrow, momentarily wondering if she was using this to show defiance, but he quickly saw two of the most slender palace dancers also hiding their faces behind their lutes, realizing this was simply the opening posture of the dance.

Ah, Empress Zhang had undoubtedly seen this *Pipa Dance* before and remembered how it began.

Or perhaps she had frantically crammed the routine that very afternoon.

However, Empress Zhang wore a silver-white silk pleated skirt with buttons fastened tightly around her fair neck, wrapping her form entirely from head to toe—a stark contrast to the alluring attire of the two dancers, who wore half-sleeved short garments, tied-waist long skirts, and light gauze draped over their midriffs.

Yet Chu Yan found himself rather pleased.

Dignity and majesty befitting an empress were precisely what he wanted!

"This concubine will play the lute for Your Highness."

Jia Yuanchun knelt to one side, extending her delicate hands to pluck the strings of the low table zither.

*Ting.*

As the first note of the zither rang out, the pretty faces of the two palace dancers emerged from behind their lutes, casting cheerful smiles toward Chu Yan.

The remaining consorts, including Empress Zhang, were half a beat behind, their movements ragged and uncoordinated. Empress Zhang maintained her stern, bright, and dignified expression, causing Chu Yan to burst into loud laughter. Seeing her face darken even further, he chuckled, "Good, well danced... Pay no attention to me, go on and dance!"

At this moment, Empress Zhang could no longer conceal her expression; her face flushed with shame and anger, and she came close to smashing the lute against the ground!

Yet she knew that if she were to do so, Chu Yan would undoubtedly find another way to humiliate her until she submitted completely!

Hesitating for a moment, Qinghe stepped behind Chu Yan and extended her soft, white, jade-like hands to gently massage his shoulders. Seeing her imperial sister-in-law maintaining that frozen expression, she could not help whispering, "Please, Your Highness, forgive me and my imperial sister-in-law..."

"Only this once."

Chu Yan said indifferently, "I know you are not skilled in singing and dancing, and even if I told you to learn, you wouldn't be able to master it."

Qinghe did not dare speak further.

Prince Qian was deliberately humiliating them, and by extension, humiliating the royal house of the Shun Dynasty.

Chu Yan leisurely ate his midnight snack while enjoying the spectacle of the consorts dancing and playing music for him. Jia Yuanchun's zither skills were indeed quite good; no wonder she was grouped with the other three springs under the collective mastery of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Just as he was eating, the sound of weeping suddenly arose.

Chu Yan raised a hand to halt their performance, summoned the weeping consort before him, and asked, "Why are you weeping?"

The atmosphere within the hall instantly grew intensely oppressive, and every maid and eunuch lowered their head.

Trembling all over, the concubine dropped to her knees. "I—this concubine deserves death... I thought of the Emperor, I thought of my younger brothers and sisters at home. I beg Prince Qian for mercy!"

Qinghe's heart leaped into her throat. She recognized this consort as the daughter of the Marquis of Ninghai, who had entered the palace only a year ago.

Chu Yan nodded and said, "Shall I send you to Wangjiang Tower to keep him company?"

"No, no, I beg Prince Qian to spare my life! This concubine does not wish to be locked away for the rest of her life..."

"Rise."

Chu Yan said, looking at the assembled women, "All those who came forward to dance today shall be relocated to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility to live alongside the Empress Dowager and the Senior Dowagers. Once the court affairs are settled in due course, arrangements will be made for you to leave the palace."

Though some of these young consorts possessed fair appearances, most had been taken into the palace by Emperor Yongning for political purposes, and Chu Yan held little regard for them.

Weeping and kowtowing, the consort withdrew.

The rest resumed their dancing.

Only then did Qinghe's suspended heart slowly settle back into place, and she earnestly resumed massaging his shoulders.

Having finished his midnight snack, Chu Yan instructed them, "Noble Lady Zhou and Noble Consort Wu shall stay. The rest of you may return to rest."

The consorts looked amongst themselves before finally turning their gaze toward the Empress.

Empress Zhang gave him a deep look, wanting to kneel in gratitude for the pardon, but Chu Yan waived the formality and bade them all withdraw.

Just as they were about to leave, Chu Yan suddenly spoke again. "The two lead dancers stay as well."

Empress Zhang snapped her head back, her expression peculiar, before finally uttering after a long pause, "His Highness is truly possessed of great vigor and strength!"

Chu Yan smiled. "You will know in due time."

A single remark caused Empress Zhang's face to flush crimson. She raised her sleeve to shield her face and hurried away, pulling the unmarried Qinghe along with her.