HMAM CH 58 An Unchaste Woman Is Like An Impotent Man
Feng Ling finished speaking and placed the book back on the shelf, then took his leave.
With matters at hand, Jing Ye picked up the lantern from the ground and acknowledged the situation as it was.
A ruler is a ruler, and a subject is a subject.
After returning to the palace and having dinner, he opened the poetry collection and found a long poem titled “Xuanpu Lecture”, composed by a scholar from the previous dynasty, with the opening line being “The white essence has faded with the dusk, and the black radiance marks the beginning of its cycle."
Five days after the noble ladies entered the palace, a banquet was set in the Weiyang Palace, with the emperor himself attending to assess the appearances and virtues of the young women.
Jing Ye sat at the head, looking down at the girls sitting properly with bowed heads, and glanced at Ye Mao.
Ye Mao understood, turned to face the rest of the attendees, and announced, “Ladies, you’ve been in the palace for several days now. I trust the palace maids responsible for your education have guided you through seeing the Imperial Garden. Before we begin the banquet today, please compose a poem. There are no restrictions on rhyme; just depict the sights in the garden.”
Coming from scholarly families, they all had studied the Four Books and the teachings for girls from a young age, so writing a poem was not an issue. The problem, however, was that these poems were to be presented to the emperor; it wouldn’t do to express excessive sorrow or too much joy, nor should they use overly flamboyant language nor be too bland. They were anxious and unsure how to respond.
Jing Ye discreetly yawned; he himself did not know how to write poetry, let alone appreciate others’ poetry.
Less than half a stick of incense later, the first noble lady to rise and submit her poem was wearing a pomegranate red skirt, acting decisively and without the hesitation of the others.
Jing Ye smiled and called out, “Which family do you come from?”
The young lady curtsied, her eyes shimmering with intelligence as she looked up at Jing Ye before lowering her head again. “This subject's daughter is a daughter of the Gu family, surname Gu, with the given name Mei.”
Jing Ye smiled, “Gu Mei? The youngest daughter of Prime Minister Gu? Zhen often hears your brother mention you.”
Gu Mei curtsied again, saying, “This subject's daughter is… a clumsy person by nature, and does not dare to hope for Your Majesty’s favor.”
Jing Ye chuckled, “In the palace, women are often subject to many rules and constraints; one cannot cultivate a personality like yours in such an environment.”
These words tightened the hearts of those present; does that mean the emperor likes this brashness?
Gu Mei bit her lip and said, “This subject's daughter feels quite frightened.”
This was her first time seeing her "love rival," and she found him not as monstrous as the rumors suggested, but rather more gentle than the usual image of the emperor imagined by the people.
The second person to present her poem was Lin Min.
In contrast to Gu Mei’s casually chosen pomegranate red skirt, Lin Min wore a more dignified outfit. Born in the south of the Yangtze River, she inherited the unique gentleness typical of Jiangnan women, blending grace with a hint of charm.
Gradually, more people presented their papers, and Jing Ye casually asked questions while letting them take their seats. Among them was Yang Yuying; Jing Ye remembered that she had written “Cherish your beauty” on the paper she tied with silk.
Once the banquet began, Jing Ye found the gathering dull and opted to let Ye Mao take the poetry manuscripts, returning to the palace for lunch.
Inside the hall, Gu Hong, Lin Xiaosheng, and Lu Baizang were all present. The latter was teasing a few small children with prepared pastries. Upon seeing Jing Ye enter, he stood up and bowed, smiling mischievously, “I thought with so many beauties at once, Your Majesty might find it hard to resist staying in Weiyang Palace for endless nights of spring.”
Jing Ye shot him a sideways glance and replied, “The one who can’t resist is you. Why don’t zhen take all twenty-four of them into the palace to keep you company?”
Lu Baizang quickly responded, “This subject didn’t mean it like that.”
Jing Ye scoffed.
Lu Baizang, a bit confused, coaxed, “Is Your Majesty upset? It’s only natural, this subject isn't happy seeing so many women either…”
Seeing the line “The white essence has faded with the dusk” along with Gu Mei's expression at the banquet, Jing Ye, being well aware of worldly matters, understood that this was definitely the result of Villa Master Lu’s flirtations. (TN: the name Bai Zang comes from that line)
Even if Lu Baizang was not intentionally stirring up hearts, it was his habitual flirtation that had given rise to these one-sided affections.
His Majesty the Emperor began to contemplate whether it was a mistake to associate with a man who leaves a trail of romantic entanglements behind him.
Of course, Lu Baizang had no way of guessing what he was thinking. The sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating Jing Ye’s clear features, which retained the youthful innocence of a boy yet also displayed the calmness and warmth of maturity. His complexion was pale, his posture straight but slightly thin, and clothed in his dignified dark robe embroidered with gold, he looked even more fragile.
However, this fragility only intensified the desire within men to embrace and possess; at least Lu Baizang felt a strong urge to take him to bed and engage in activities that the emperor had strictly designated for nighttime only.
Villa Master Lu always gave into his whims, so he tilted his head, expression intimate, and softly inhaled the scent from near Jing Ye’s ear, speaking in a low tone, “Your Majesty, you seem tired. Would you like to have lunch?”
Jing Ye snapped back to the moment, meeting his gaze, “En?”
Lu Baizang looked at the color of his lips, finding them increasingly enticing, truly…
Just as Villa Master Lu was about to make his move, a pair of chubby hands tugged at his sleeve vigorously, shouting, “Snacks!!!”
It was the little prince, impatiently demanding attention, eager for something to eat, so urgent that he had nearly perfected his pronunciation.
With his plan thwarted, Lu Baizang felt the person in his arms being pulled away by Gu Hong, who asked, “Did Your Majesty bring back the poetry written by the noble ladies from the banquet?”
Jing Ye replied, “Ye Mao is holding onto them; do you want to see them?”
Gu Hong smiled and said, “This subject would like to see how Gu Mei did.”
“Alright, let him bring them in,” Jing Ye nodded and then said to Lu Baizang, “It’s time for lunch; zhen wants to eat lion’s head meatballs.”
“…”
If there was anything that still attracted Jing Ye to Villa Master Lu, it was probably just that.
After lunch, they took a break. Gu Hong leaned against the side of the bed and casually flipped through the poetry manuscripts, laughing, “She has never been good at poetry since childhood, so there's no need to discuss it. But there is one poem written by a noble lady that is different from that of ordinary women.”
Jing Ye asked, “Which one?”
Gu Hong glanced at the signature and replied, “Yang Yuying, writing about the spring willows in the Imperial Garden, subtly conveying great meaning through small things, though the satire towards the world is a bit harsh.”
Jing Ye thought for a moment and asked, “What about the eldest daughter of the Lin family?”
Gu Hong shook his head, saying, “It’s overly intricate.”
Days later, the emperor issued an edict that all the noble ladies, except for Lin Min, were to leave the palace immediately, escorted back to their families.
What did this mean? It meant that Lin Min, who remained in the palace, had surpassed all the competitors and was about to become the mother of the nation. Her family would become relatives of the imperial family, and she would enjoy the highest honors for life, eventually being buried alongside the emperor.
Almost everyone from the Lin family came to congratulate her, nearly trampling the doorstep in the process.
Lady Feng received a first-class title granted by Jing Ye, allowing her to visit her daughter in the palace before the grand wedding.
She instructed Lin Min to send away her attendants, leaving only her personal maid who had accompanied her into the palace, and then asked, “Are you happy?”
Lin Min smiled and replied, “Of course, this daughter is happy.”
Lady Feng sneered, “Happy?”
Lin Min's smile faded, used to following her mother’s words and feeling somewhat bewildered by her expression.
Lady Feng said, “As long as you haven’t taken that seat, there’s nothing to be truly happy about.”
Lin Min said, “Mother… you are right.”
Lady Feng looked at her and asked, “Do you know why your father was able to become the head of the Lin family?”
Lin Min answered, “Because…”
Lady Feng continued, “Because your uncle had no sons throughout his life. And why did that wretched whore lose to me?”
Lin Min hung her head in silence. Lady Feng stated, “Because she came from a tainted background, a courtesan lacks moral stature.”
Lady Feng raised Lin Min’s chin, her voice cold, “You must remember, a woman without chastity is like a man who is impotent; even if you possess extraordinary wisdom, with no foundation, everything is meaningless.”
Lin Min shivered slightly, watching as Lady Feng took out a small portrait of a man from her sleeve. Though hastily drawn and not detailed, its outline was still visible.
She turned her gaze to the personal maid standing by, who met her eyes and knelt, saying, “My lady…”
As Lin Min watched, the image was ignited by the candlelight, the flames licking at it, turning everything to ashes.