CRASH!
"Xiling-shi rearing silkworms?!"
Concubine Jia flinched back as a teacup flew across the hall and shattered at her feet. She had barely walked a few paces into Chuxiu Palace when the second followed and smashed, splattering the ends of her dress in water.
"Niang-niang, what happened? How comes you are so angry?" She asked, stepping around the shattered porcelain.
"Is his majesty trying to tell me to be a diligent little concubine?" Raged Noble Consort Gao, as she stepped from the shadows, "Ever since entering the palace, she has always been the high and mighty Qing Empress."
Ah. Thought Concubine Jia, It's the Empress.
"Her annual allowances have been one thousand ounces of silver, while I have four hundred less!" Noble Consort Gao continued to pace, "Changchun Palace uses golden plates, Chuxui Palace uses silver! She uses the Yijia sedan chair, but I must use Yizhang. And even then at the Spring Festival, she is much better rewarded than I am!"
She folded her hands delicately in front of herself, "All of this I have put up with... but now his majesty.... he did not even spare me a glance- he is besotted with her! How can you ask me to put up with that? And now he's gifted me that painting- Xiling-shi! Can you believe it! He's telling me I'm going too far! I'm bullying his precious little Empress!" She sneered in scorn.
"My lady," coaxed Concubine Jia, "You must have misunderstood."
"Misunderstood?" She exclaimed indignantly, "What could I have possibly misunderstood?"
"Niang-niang, the Emperor has given gifts to all of the six palaces and instructed the imperial artists to create these twelve paintings depicting historical concubines for all our palaces. Ping-qie thinks that the Emperor wants us to imitate all these pious concubines, it can't possible be aimed at just you." Concubine Jia smiled soothingly, "You mustn't be upset."
"Oh?" huffed Noble Consort Gao, rasing one sculpted brow, "Well, you were born with a silver tongue." Somewhat pacified, she gestured to the chair, "Sit down."
"Ping-qie is without talent, I only reflect your ladyship's brilliance." Concubine Jia smiled, effectively coaxing her into a better mood.
"Then tell me," Noble Consort Gao wondered, fiddling with her nail guard, "What does his majesty mean by this?" she waved an elegant hand towards the painting.
Concubine Jia complied, "Ping-qie thinks that when all the twelve paintings are put together, they represent his majesty's ideal concubine. For example the painting, 'Consort Xu's Complaint' tells us that we should be like Noble Consort Xu; to be outspoken and brave, willing to point out where the Emperor made a mistake."
Noble Consort Gao's eyes sparkled with mirth, she laughed, "So does that mean the painting 'Empress Cao in the Fields' is the Emperor telling the concubines to plant rice as farmers?"
"Niang-niang!" Concubine Jia, giggled indulgently, swatting her gently with her fan, "His majesty wants the concubines to be like Renzong Emperor's Empress Cao. Modest, thrifty and respectful of agriculture." Noting her senior's good mood, she continued, "and the painting 'Jieyu and the Bear' is his majesty suggesting that he wants someone who will protect him in times of distress like how the concubine Feng Jieyu did for Emperor Yuan."
Noble Consort Gao thought for a moment, "So, you mean that his majesty wants us to be beautiful and elegant yet hard-working and filial yet brave and outspoken?"
She turned to her confidante and asked, amused by the hilarity of his expectations,
"Does he want a woman? Or does he want a goddess?"
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Story of Yanxi Palace - An English Narrative
Ficción históricaIf you liked Yanxi Palace, here's a narrative of the entire drama in English, as accurate to the events as seen in the show as possible :) disclaimer: the plot and characters are not mine, however the English narration of the events and arrangement...
