Chapter 28: Inquiries

The two of them kept their eyes on Wei Baohua’s retreating figure until she vanished from sight. Only then did they turn away. Wei Baozhen smiled and asked, “Kangping, why did you send your eldest sister away? If you don’t like her, it’s enough to keep your distance; there’s no need to be so obvious.”

Wei Baofu replied with a careless smile, “Sister, you’re overthinking. I just didn’t want to bother with pleasantries, so I simply forced her to leave. It may be a bit petty, but at least it gives me some satisfaction. Who doesn’t have a little temper now and then?”

Both sisters were clever and saw no need for roundabout speech. At this, Wei Baozhen found herself rather liking Wei Baofu’s straightforwardness, though she still felt obliged to offer some gentle advice. “It’s better not to seek momentary satisfaction like this in the future. The eldest sister may not be especially cunning, but she holds grudges and cares about her reputation. Sooner or later, she’ll make things difficult for you.”

Were it not for her desire to ask Wei Baozhen about some matters, Wei Baofu wouldn’t have chosen this moment to offend Wei Baohua. She nodded in gratitude, “Thank you for the warning, cousin. I’m not afraid if she tries to trouble me. If you have time, why not come sit in my quarters?”

Wei Baozhen did not refuse, and with her personal maid, followed Wei Baofu toward the side hall. The side hall of Cining Palace was spacious—even if not as lavish as the main hall, it had a charm all its own. Wei Baozhen commented with a smile, “It’s clear that Grandmother Empress truly favors you. Look at these furnishings—any one of them would be a treasure elsewhere. It’s just as well our eldest sister didn’t see this.”

Wei Baofu didn’t think much of it. She had plenty of curiosities herself, and besides looking nice, they served little purpose. “If you like them, cousin, I can send you a few another day. I may not have much else, but these little trinkets I have in abundance.”

Wei Baozhen covered her mouth with a laugh. “I almost forgot—our Princess Kangping is quite wealthy. I’d be a fool not to take advantage of it. Don’t just say it; I’ll be waiting for your gifts.”

Wei Baofu was generous by nature. It was rare to find a kindred spirit and she saw no reason to be stingy. “If you don’t mind, why not just call me Sister Zhen? ‘Cousin’ still sounds a little formal.”

Princess Duanhui wasn’t so easy to get along with for most people. Though she sometimes attended banquets with other noblewomen, aside from her cousins on her mother’s side, she seldom bothered with outsiders—most of those young ladies were too calculating for her taste.

“‘Sister Zhen’ is a lovely title. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other, so there’s no need to stand on ceremony,” Wei Baofu replied sincerely. Though many things remained uncertain, both Princess Duanhui and Consort Yu were shrewd women; there was no harm in frequent association.

“If you have anything to ask, just say it. My maid Zhuyu is discreet and won’t breathe a word,” Wei Baozhen assured her, knowing that Wei Baohua had been sent away for a reason.

“You’re overthinking, Sister Zhen. I do have some questions, but nothing shameful. If you know anything, I’d like you to tell me about Consort Shu and the Fourth Prince. You know our relationship is a bit complicated, and the Marquis Yongyi’s family has been making moves. I need to know more to feel prepared.”

Wei Baozhen was no naive girl; her mother, Consort Yu, often shared things with her. She knew something of Wei Baofu’s parents and felt sympathy for her, but she and Consort Shu had always maintained a polite distance—she didn’t know much beyond that.

“Sister Zhen, it’s mainly that I caught a glimpse of the Fourth Prince at yesterday’s family banquet. Although his mother isn’t close to me, we are more closely related than most, and we’ll inevitably interact in the future. I’d like to know more about him.”

Seeing that Wei Baozhen hadn’t answered at once, Wei Baofu, a little anxious, pressed again.

Wei Baozhen, realizing what she was being asked, laughed, “I thought you were going to ask something troublesome! If it’s about our fourth brother, I have nothing to hide.”

“To tell the truth, though the Fourth Prince is still young, he’s the brightest among the brothers. He’s playful, but knows his limits—a rare, good child. You really should get closer to him. After all, Grandmother Empress won’t be able to protect you forever. We’re of the imperial clan, but when we marry, we’ll still need people we can rely on from our own family, won’t we?”

She spoke with genuine concern. Wei Baofu nodded in agreement, “You may not know this, Sister Zhen, but though I have no great affection for Consort Shu, I am quite willing to befriend the Fourth Prince. He doesn’t seem much younger than the Third Prince, does he?”

Wei Baofu didn’t want to ask too directly. Though palace gossip was never secret for long, she had only just entered the court and already felt countless eyes upon her. Any misstep would be noticed, so caution was best.

“The fourth and third brothers are only a few months apart. I remember the Fourth Prince was born on the twenty-third day of the eleventh lunar month. I was young then, but I recall Consort Shu nearly died in childbirth. Rumor had it the Empress and Noble Consort Yao had a hand in it, but I was too young to remember clearly.”

Wei Baofu did the math silently. Her mother had learned she was pregnant around the second month, so if the child was truly hers, the Fourth Prince should have been born in September or October, not in winter.

“I heard Consort Shu was bedridden for more than half a year afterward, and her health was permanently damaged. The Emperor was furious, and for a time, everyone in the palace was on edge, afraid to upset him.”

A trace of melancholy crossed Wei Baofu’s face. Since realizing Consort Shu was her aunt, she had begun to wonder whether her own mother had already passed away. Her grandmother couldn’t tell the sisters apart, and perhaps the Marquis Yongyi’s family couldn’t either—but Wei Baofu could, for she remembered well that her mother’s eyes were different from her aunt’s.

If her aunt had become Consort Shu, then clearly the Emperor had never distinguished them. How, then, had her mother managed to switch places? If her aunt hadn’t been pregnant, it would have been impossible to fool the imperial physicians. But if she had been, then where was that child?

It was as though one riddle led to another. Wei Baofu’s brow furrowed deeply. Wei Baozhen asked in curiosity, “What’s wrong, Baofu? Is something amiss?” Wei Baofu shook her head and pressed, “Did anyone from my maternal grandmother’s family come to care for Consort Shu?”

“There were several, actually. At the time, everyone said the palace would belong to Consort Shu in the future. Luckily, she wasn’t one to seek trouble, so there were no major conflicts.”

Wei Baofu was beginning to piece the story together. Her mother, devastated by her father’s death, must have tried to protect her unborn child while fending off the Emperor’s advances and hiding her condition. She remembered her aunt often hid in her mother’s quarters to read.

It would have been easy for her mother to hide things from others, but not from her aunt. At that time, only her aunt could have saved her. The thought chilled Wei Baofu—what price had her aunt paid to take her mother’s place? After giving birth to her younger brother, where had her mother gone? Was it possible she was still alive?

Wei Baofu longed to ask Consort Shu, but abandoned the idea. If her mother were still alive, she would never have let her aunt endure all this. Wei Baozhen saw her deep in thought and did not disturb her, instead rising to study the furnishings around the room.

There was no conclusive evidence, but Wei Baofu’s instincts told her she was right. Otherwise, Grandmother would not hate Consort Shu so much, mistaking her for her own daughter, not knowing that her real daughter was likely long gone.

Did the Marquis Yongyi’s family know all this? Wei Baofu doubted it. Her aunt’s closest confidant was her mother, and if her aunt had covered for her, she surely wouldn’t have confided in the entire family. Perhaps the whole world believed her aunt was her mother.

Suppressing her sorrow, Wei Baofu managed a smile and said, “Thank you, Sister Zhen. I’ve always kept to myself and am unsure how to get along with others. I’ll need your guidance in the future.”

Wei Baozhen smiled warmly. “Don’t be so formal—we’re sisters. The Fourth Prince is a good child. Yesterday, I could see he’s very fond of you. If you wish, you should spend more time with him.”

Wei Baofu said, half in jest, “You know how Grandmother dislikes Consort Shu. If I visit him often, she’ll be displeased. I’ll just have to see him in secret.”

Wei Baozhen understood; she had grown up with the Empress Dowager and placed her feelings above all. “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word to Grandmother. The Fourth Prince is careful, too. You just need to watch out for your eldest sister—she’s trouble. The others are no easier to deal with, so be cautious.”

If she didn’t truly care for Wei Baofu, Wei Baozhen wouldn’t have said so much. It was rare for two precocious girls to find such a connection.

“Don’t worry, Sister Zhen. If I’m ever uncertain, I’ll come to you for advice. Just promise you won’t tire of my questions.”

Wei Baozhen laughed. “How could I ever tire of you? You’re welcome to talk to me anytime. I think Grandmother’s meeting should be ending soon. Let’s go see her. I promised my mother I’d lunch with her today—she’d make a fuss if I missed it. You’ll see in time, my mother is a very easy person to get along with.”