The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 223
by Little PandaThe Phoenix Crown
Lin Xizhao looked at Qu Sheng’s joyful expression, startled for a brief moment. She hurriedly asked, “Did Third Brother wake up?”
Hearing Qu Ting mentioned, Qu Sheng shook her head.
Lin Xizhao lowered her gaze for a second, then quickly smiled. “Did Father wake up?”
Lin Xizhao had guessed twice and missed both times. Although Qu Sheng hoped for both Qu Ting and Qu Jinian to wake up, she felt a pinch of disappointment when Lin Xizhao failed to guess the actual reason.
Lin Xizhao sat up. Seeing the faint pout on Qu Sheng’s face, she arched her delicate brows slightly and asked in a gentle voice, “What’s the matter?”
One couldn’t blame Lin Xizhao. Qu Sheng had originally set a specific date to announce the investiture of the Empress. However, while attending Xiao Bingying and Cheng Xi’s wedding banquet the previous night, she’d felt such profound envy that she’d secretly made up her mind right then and there.
When she’d demanded the imperial edict this morning, the officials of the Ministry of Rites had to draft the formal document in a frantic rush, running back and forth several times before finalizing it. The timing of the proclamation had indeed been rather hasty.
“I had the imperial decree for your investiture as Empress proclaimed ahead of schedule.”
Hearing Qu Sheng’s words, Lin Xizhao stared at her without blinking, appearing quite caught off guard.
“Are you unhappy, my wife?” A trace of anxiety flickered across Qu Sheng’s face.
Lin Xizhao’s momentarily dazed expression quickly melted into a warm smile. She said, “No, of course not. Why did you change the date so suddenly?” Even as she spoke, she reached her own conclusion. Given how Qu Sheng had acted last night, announcing it early was entirely natural.
Qu Sheng chuckled upon hearing this. “A day early or a day late makes no difference.”
She said so, but that wasn’t what she truly thought. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have rushed to have the edict read ahead of schedule.
Lin Xizhao’s eyes curved into elegant crescents. Dropping the subject, she asked, “I had the servants prepare breakfast. Have you eaten?”
Qu Sheng shook her head. As Lin Xizhao made to rise, Qu Sheng reached out to support her, helping her slip into her shoes before fetching Lin Xizhao’s palace attire from the side to dress her.
Lin Xizhao looked back at Qu Sheng, who was carefully dressing her from behind. The delicate little child from her memories had truly grown up, and from now on, she would protect her. What more could she possibly ask for in this lifetime?
By the time the imperial decree to invest the Empress reached the Lin Residence, the two Lin brothers had already heard it with their own ears in the Court Assembly Hall.
One had been promoted to Minister of Revenue, while the other was transferred from the Ministry of War to the Ministry of Personnel to serve as the Vice Minister of Personnel. With autumn fast approaching, Qu Sheng issued a decree to hold the imperial civil service examinations this year, putting Lin Xirui in full charge of the administration and uniquely permitting female candidates to participate.
Due to the severe shortage of officials, Qu Sheng intended to make an exception by recruiting a larger number of candidates during this imperial examination. She planned to expand the quotas for all three tiers of the civil service roster to bring in more talented individuals.
There were also special provisions for female candidates: this year, any female aged fifteen or older was permitted to register for the examinations at the local prefecture or county level. Those who passed would become Provincial Tribute Candidates1, earning the right to travel directly to the capital for the metropolitan examination.
Considering the vast distances involved and the immense population of the Quzhao Dynasty, Lin Xizhao had suggested to Qu Sheng that they establish a secondary examination center in the northern territories.
Qu Sheng had adopted the suggestion. When the time came, Qu Yu would be dispatched to the north, leading a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Personnel to supervise the examinations.
Xiao Bingying, having been granted a half-month rest day, completed the traditional homecoming2 with Cheng Xi. After visiting the guest residence, she formally assumed her duties at court.
Cheng Feng stayed for a few days, paying a visit to his sister’s quarters. Seeing how highly the Zhao family regarded her, he returned to the Haichao Kingdom with a peaceful mind.
The defense of the imperial city was fully entrusted to Xiao Bingying and Feng Qi. As for the Liang family, Qu Sheng kept Fifth Uncle Liang in charge of the capital city’s defense. The Liang family also received important appointments from Qu Sheng because of Lin Xizhao.
As the grand ceremony for the investiture of the Empress drew closer, Qu Sheng was immersed in joyful anticipation each passing day. Although the daily memorials still contained remonstrances from upright, unbending officials arguing that a woman must not be crowned Empress, Qu Sheng simply reviewed them and set them aside without another thought.
Whether they deemed it acceptable or not, she would crown Lin Xizhao as her Empress. The only person who would ever stand by her side was Lin Xizhao.
On this day, as Qu Sheng sat in the Imperial Study reviewing memorials, an official from the palace workshops arrived to present the Phoenix Crown3 that she had commissioned immediately upon her ascension to the throne.
Presented in an exquisitely crafted, high-priced wooden box, the crown possessed an aura of priceless luxury even before its contents were revealed.
“Your Majesty.”
Qu Sheng nodded. Restoring her vermilion brush to its stand, she lifted the hem of her robes and rose from her seat.
“This is the Phoenix Crown crafted for Her Majesty, the Empress. It is inlaid with a total of one hundred and twenty precious gemstones and three thousand six hundred and fifty pearls. Over a hundred master artisans participated in its creation. This humble subject can guarantee that no other phoenix crown in this world can compare to it.”
Qu Sheng glanced at him as she listened, then opened the box.
Shimmering with vibrant red and blue gemstones set in intricate filigree, and adorned with top-grade tribute pearls of various sizes, it was exactly as the workshop official had described—a magnificent, peerless masterpiece of incomparable worth.
Qu Sheng circled the crown, studying it intently for a long time. An involuntary smile blossomed on her face as she envisioned how Lin Xizhao would look wearing it.
“Your Majesty? Your Majesty?” Seeing Qu Sheng smiling all the while, the palace workshop official grew anxious, unable to tell whether she was pleased or dissatisfied.
Pulled from her thoughts, Qu Sheng looked over and nodded. “Very good. Deliver it to the Ministry of Rites. Tell them to guard it with the utmost care; there must not be the slightest mishap.”
“Understood.” The official breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face.
“Send down my command: every artisan who took part in its crafting is to be rewarded with one thousand taels of silver and… and three years of extra salary.” Knowing how much Lin Xizhao would love it, Qu Sheng was exceedingly generous with her rewards.
“This humble subject thanks Your Majesty for the reward on behalf of the workshop!” Overjoyed by the immense bounty, the official fell to his knees to offer his gratitude.
Qu Sheng nodded with a smile. “Rise and see to it.”
As the official carefully carried the priceless crown out of the room, Qu Sheng’s gaze followed him until the doors were closed by the attendant. Only then did she withdraw her gaze, looking down at the imperial desk with a smile, though her mind was no longer on the piles of administrative reports before her.
Lin Xizhao had been away from the palace for some time, having mentioned that she was visiting Cheng Xi to ask about something. Lately, her own medicine had also been stopped, and they were waiting for the right days.
The Zhao Residence.
Lin Xizhao rested her wrist on the table as Cheng Xi took her pulse. Since her wedding, Cheng Xi seemed to have gained even more leisure time. She spent her days studying medical texts and frequently ran over to Nanting Courtyard. There were certain matters that Liu Wuxiang found too awkward to discuss with Lin Xizhao directly, so he left it to his disciple to convey them on his behalf.
“Do I also need to take medicine?” Lin Xizhao asked in her soft voice.
“Yes,” Cheng Xi replied, withdrawing her hand. “The mother’s body is of paramount importance, and it will suffer some depletion when the time comes. I have ready-made pills here; you can just take them.”
As she spoke, Cheng Xi brought over a small wooden box. Lin Xizhao received it and opened the lid. Zhao Jiayu immediately leaned forward to peer inside. “Is that a tonic? Can my Ah Yu take it as well?”
Hearing this, both of them turned to look at her. Cheng Xi chuckled. “This medicine is a yin-nourishing supplement4. It would indeed benefit your husband, but I’ve only prepared a dose for Xizhao today. I’ll brew another batch tomorrow.”
Zhao Jiayu nodded with a grin. “No rush.”
Qu Yu had been assisting with state affairs recently. Even though his workload wasn’t overly heavy, she still felt he was pushing himself too hard. Consequently, whenever she came across any restorative remedy, her first thought was always of him.
Lin Xizhao smiled gently. “In that case, why don’t I give my portion to you, Jiayu? I can return tomorrow to pick up the fresh batch.”
Seeing that Lin Xizhao wanted to yield her share, Zhao Jiayu hurriedly waved her hands in refusal. “Ah, no, no! My Ah Yu already has plenty of tonics. I was just asking out of curiosity; it really didn’t matter if he took it or not.”
This was a preparation custom-made by Cheng Xi for Lin Xizhao. If Qu Sheng ever found out she had taken it, there was no telling how mercilessly she’d tease her.
In the past, Qu Sheng had played dumb and rarely spoke, and it was usually Zhao Jiayu who talked her into silence. Now, however, that was no longer the case. She was so sharp-tongued that sometimes Zhao Jiayu couldn’t even understand the words she used, making her regret not studying harder in her youth.
Lin Xizhao and Cheng Xi laughed in unison. Cheng Xi gave her several more medical precautions to keep in mind. By midday, Lin Xizhao prepared to return to the palace. Yet, before she could say her farewells, a servant arrived to announce that Qu Sheng and Xiao Bingying had arrived at the residence.
Since Zhao Dian was away training troops in the capital’s outskirts and wasn’t present, Mother Zhao came out to greet them. As she began to bow, Qu Sheng quickly smiled and stopped her. “Auntie, there is no need for such formality. When there are no outsiders present, Sheng’er is still just your junior.”
Mother Zhao nodded, her eyes warm as she looked at Qu Sheng. Of all the young girls, Qu Sheng was the youngest, yet she had proven to be the most brilliant. In the past, Zhao Jiayu used to run off to the Qu Residence all the time and insist that Qu Sheng wasn’t actually foolish. Mother Zhao hadn’t believed her back then, but looking back, she realized that they had all been outmatched by a mere child.
Fortunately, her second daughter was guileless and had no ambition to climb the social ladder, which was why the Qu family adored her so much.
Qu Zhimu, who’d been clinging to her grandmother’s side, was scooped up into Xiao Bingying’s arms as they made their way to the rear courtyard. By then, Lin Xizhao and the other two women had walked out. Seeing them approach, Zhao Jiayu beamed. “How perfect. Let’s all have lunch together today.”
Qu Sheng had already received an invitation from Xiao Bingying prior to her arrival, so she readily agreed to stay for the midday meal.
During lunch, none of the others were permitted to drink alcohol, leaving Zhao Jiayu to enjoy her wine alone. Sitting nearby, Qu Zhimu stared intently at her mother’s cup, her eyes wide with a longing that suggested she wanted a taste as well.
Lin Xizhao noticed Qu Zhimu’s longing look and quietly nudged Zhao Jiayu. Zhao Jiayu, who was only sipping lightly and had no intention of getting drunk, decided to tease her daughter. “Mu’er is still too small. Drinking wine will ruin your brain. You can only drink once you’ve grown up.”
“Is Mama’s brain also ruined from drinking?” Qu Zhimu tilted her little head, her eyes blinking in pure curiosity.
At Qu Zhimu’s words, Zhao Jiayu’s expression went from utter disbelief to sudden realization, and she looked at the others around the table. Who on earth had been telling her daughter that her brain was ruined?!
Xiao Bingying smiled and remarked, “It was probably Mother who let it slip without thinking.”
Mother Zhao was always nagging Zhao Jiayu for not being composed enough. Since she was now a Princess Consort, her every move was scrutinized, yet she remained as carefree as ever. That must have been why Mother Zhao remarked that her brain was probably ruined by punishments when she was young.
Hearing this, Zhao Jiayu instantly deflated and set her cup down. For the sake of her daughter, she resolved to quit drinking.
Seeing Zhao Jiayu’s adorable distress, Lin Xizhao and the others smiled as they served her some dishes, gently advising her to refrain from drinking, or at least not to do so in front of Qu Zhimu.
After lunch, they sat in Xiao Bingying’s courtyard, chatting comfortably. Cheng Xi quietly detailed some instructions for Lin Xizhao, while Qu Sheng silently calculated the days in her head.
The investiture ceremony was only a few days away; the timing would match perfectly.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty! King Kang has awakened!” A guard dispatched from Nanting Courtyard by Jin Yunfei rushed in to deliver the wonderful news.
Qu Ting was awake.
Qu Sheng stood frozen in shock for a long time upon hearing this. Only when Lin Xizhao rose and asked the guard for confirmation, receiving a resounding yes, did Qu Sheng suddenly snap back to reality. She took Lin Xizhao by the hand and hurried out the door.
When Qu Sheng had originally bestowed the title of King Kang upon him, her deepest hope had been for his swift recovery.
The group quickly boarded the carriages waiting outside and returned to Nanting Courtyard. As soon as they entered the residence, they saw a crowd gathered in the room around Qu Ting, who was sitting up and smiling warmly as he spoke with Jin Yunfei and the others.
The author has something to say:
Qu Sheng: “If you ask how deeply I love my wife—every month of the year, all three hundred and sixty-five days.”
Zhao Jiayu: “Damn it, I’m practically half-paralyzed at this rate.”
Qu Sheng: “!”
Footnotes
- Xianggong refers to candidates who passed the local or prefecture-level civil service examinations and were qualified to take the metropolitan exam in the capital.
- Huimen is the traditional custom of a newly married bride returning to visit her parental home after the wedding, typically representing her first visit home as a married woman.
- Fengguan is an elaborate ceremonial crown worn by empresses and high-ranking noblewomen in imperial China, decorated with metalwork, pearls, and gemstones.
- Ziyin refers to the traditional Chinese medicine concept of nourishing yin, focused on replenishing bodily fluids and essence to support maternal health and prepare for pregnancy.
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