[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [18] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

Chapter Eighteen: A Moonlit Encounter at the Palace, a Beauty Seated by a Brocade Screen,
a Pledge to Be Lifelong Partners. Emperor Yang, fearing the palace was deserted and treacherous, summoned General Yuwen Huaji to the palace and personally instructed him to deploy the Imperial Guards to guard the various quiet palaces and alleys day and night against potential thieves. Yuwen Huaji accepted the decree and selected five hundred strong young soldiers, personally leading them into the palace to guard the quiet palaces and alleys. They were divided into four shifts, rotating day and night, and four junior officers were also dispatched to inspect the palace regularly. These junior officers were all recommended by the sons of high-ranking officials.
Among them was a lieutenant, the fourth son of Yuwen Huaji, named Yuwen Qingde. He was tall and strong, with handsome features. From childhood, he loved playing with swords and spears, and was an expert archer with a bow of immense strength, hitting the target every time. Yuwen Huaji doted on this son the most; the other three were all serving in the army, leaving only Qingde by his side as a noble lieutenant.
At that time, he was ordered by his father to enter the palace to inspect the Imperial Guards. Their orders were that patrols be conducted from the third watch of the night until the fifth watch, the most crucial time. These four lieutenants, along with their soldiers, had to patrol the deserted palace alleys. The night was deep and still, the air cold and damp; groping through the long, desolate palace alleys was a difficult task, but having received the emperor's salary, it was unavoidable.
At the third watch of the night, Yuwen Qingde was leading a troop of imperial guards on patrol along the long corridor of Yanqing Palace. Just as they rounded the back courtyard, they heard a creaking sound from the northeast corner gate, followed by a red gauze palace lantern slowly moving along the corridor. Upon seeing this, Yuwen Qingde immediately stopped, quietly instructing his soldiers to retreat to the front courtyard and wait. He himself quickly blew out his lantern and hid at the foot of the arched gate. The sky was filled with a cold moon, and frost covered the ground. The vast courtyard was dark and silent; the flowers and trees along the courtyard wall, of varying heights, crouched low, the moonlight like water, shining on the leaves and emitting dappled, cold light. As the red lantern on the corridor moved closer and closer, the moonlight in the courtyard grew brighter, while the corridor became increasingly shrouded in darkness. The red lantern was still quite far away, and Qingde strained his eyes to see, but still couldn't make out who it was. Emperor Yang of Sui often groped around in the shadows when he visited palace women; Yuwen Qingde had never seen the emperor before, and he thought, "What if it's His Majesty? How can I possibly see him?" Thinking this, his heart pounded. Then he remembered that His Majesty had sent them to patrol the palace because he feared assassins lurking in the deep alleys. Could that be an assassin coming from ahead? At this thought, even his body trembled. Then he thought of the recent hauntings in the palace; could that be a ghost? At this thought, even his legs began to shake. As the red lantern drew closer, Yuwen Qingde instinctively drew his sword, ready to pounce.
The red lantern slowly moved into the moonlit corridor, revealing a figure dressed entirely in black, carrying a red lantern in one hand and a stove tray in the other, walking gracefully—it was a woman. Looking at her face, Qingde was startled again; her hair was styled in a high bun, her face a jet black, indistinguishable in features. This was clearly a ghost! Qingde was so frightened that his legs went weak. When he tried to turn around, his feet seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move an inch; when he tried to raise his arms, it felt as if ten ropes were bound to his body. He could only stare wide-eyed at the ghost. The ghost, however, continued walking towards Yuwen Qingde without stopping. Qingde was utterly terrified, almost screaming out loud. Then he thought again, "I consider myself exceptional among my companions, yet I'm so cowardly at the sight of this female ghost. If I were to cry out, all my heroic reputation would be ruined." He quickly covered his mouth and patted his chest to bolster his courage. Just then, he saw the female ghost turn and slowly descend the white stone steps, standing in the center of the courtyard, gazing at the moonlight. He watched as she placed the incense burner on the stone table in the courtyard, then slowly reached out and removed the black veil from her head, revealing a face as white as jade.
He watched as she lit three incense sticks, knelt down, and inserted them one by one into the burner; then bowed deeply before standing up. Seeing that she was very slender, he realized she was a palace maid, not a female ghost. Yuwen Qingde then mustered his courage, grabbed his sword, and rushed into the courtyard. Hearing someone approaching from behind, the palace maid hurriedly covered her head and face with her black veil, picked up the stove tray, and turned to flee. However, Yuwen Qingde blocked her path. Seeing the gleaming knife in his hand, the maid cried out in fright, dropping the stove tray and collapsing to the ground. Qingde, quick as lightning, rushed forward and caught her in his arms. The poor maid had already fainted!
Qingde reached out and lifted the black veil from her head, revealing her face. In the moonlight, he was astonished! This palace maid was an absolute beauty.
Her arched eyebrows, high nose, small lips, and round face, reflected in the moonlight, captivated Qingde, making him almost believe he had encountered a celestial being.
Yuwen Qingde, a twenty-four-year-old young man, was considered handsome among his companions. He was proud and ambitious, vowing never to marry without a beautiful woman.
His parents had repeatedly urged him to take a wife, but Yuwen Qingde, preoccupied with horsemanship and archery, knew nothing of tenderness or affection. Now, his good fortune had arrived. In the dead of night, deep within the palace, he encountered this peerless beauty. His eyes were fixed on her jade-like face, and his nose inhaled her intoxicating fragrance. He was aroused by a passion he had never experienced since birth. While she was still asleep, he pressed his lips against her breasts, gently caressing her cheek. After a while, the beauty's starry eyes flickered, and she realized she was in a man's arms. Embarrassed, she quickly pushed him away, stood up, picked up the brazier from the ground, and turned to leave. Yuwen Qingde was unwilling to let her go and rushed forward to stop him. The palace maid, seeing the knife in Qingde's hand, assumed he was there to kill her. She immediately knelt down, tears streaming down her cheeks. Qingde went to help her up, but the maid quickly backed away, pointing at Qingde's knife. Knowing she was afraid, Qingde sheathed the knife. The maid stood up, and Qingde asked her her name, which palace she worked in, and why she had come to burn incense in this quiet palace at this late hour. The maid, caught off guard by his questions, remained silent, only sighing softly and wiping her tears with her sleeve. Upon seeing this beautiful woman, Qingde forgot his duties and approached her, asking, "Don't panic, I will never bully you, nor will I tell anyone about your situation; if you have any troubles, just tell me. If you allow me to help you, I'll risk my life for you!" It was unexpected that this usually proud and unyielding young master would utter such pitiful words upon seeing this palace maid.
He was captivated by her beauty, and he had already made up his mind: if he, Yuwen Qingde, were to not love women in this life, so be it; but if he were to love a woman, he would never let this palace maid escape. Therefore, no matter how cold and silent the palace maid was, he kept pleading with her. The palace maid, harassed by his persistent advances, coldly said, "General, are you willing to help me? I only ask that you grant me two requests: First, please allow me to continue coming to this courtyard to burn incense every night, without telling anyone outside; second, if you encounter me again, please do not speak to me." Having said this, the maid hurriedly turned and left, carrying her tray.
If anyone else had heard these words, Yuwen Qingde would have displayed his spoiled nature and drawn his sword. However, he had already fallen in love with this palace maid, and no matter how she berated him or how coldly she acted, he remained unmoved. Not only was he unmoved, but he also wanted to see this palace maid every day, so he obtained the nightly patrol duty at Yanqing Palace from his father. Every night, he would bring a squad of imperial guards into the palace, first arranging for the soldiers to disperse and instructing them to wait in the front courtyard. He would then go alone to the back courtyard to watch the palace maids come out to burn incense. After she finished burning incense and carried the incense burner into the side gate, he would turn around and walk out of the front courtyard, taking the soldiers to patrol elsewhere.
As time went by, the palace maid no longer felt afraid of Qingde. However, they had agreed beforehand not to speak, and Qingde, as if acting on an imperial decree, met with the palace maid every night but dared not utter a single word to her, fearing that if he did, the beauty would be angered. Eventually, the palace maid could no longer resist and asked softly, "General, why are you here every night?" Qingde respectfully replied, "I see you are a delicate young woman, burning incense in this deep palace late at night. I fear that some ghosts might frighten you, so I come here every night to protect you." These words, filled with tenderness, would move even the most hard-hearted person to gratitude; let alone a sentimental girl, who, upon hearing this, couldn't help but smile sweetly on her cheeks. He whispered, "Thank you!" From then on, the handsome man and beautiful woman confided in each other every night in the secluded courtyard of the palace. The palace maid asked, "Why didn't you speak to me the first few nights you saw me?" Qingde replied, "It was because I was following your instructions, and I was afraid that if I spoke, I would offend you and become less beautiful; besides, even if I didn't speak, just standing quietly by and watching your actions was enough to satisfy me." Readers should know that all women in the world have the same flaw: if you call them beautiful to their face, they feel very proud and grateful. Now, Yuwen Qingde had made progress and was calling the palace maid "beautiful" repeatedly. The palace maid, far from being annoyed, instead displayed a hundred kinds of charm and a thousand kinds of allure. The two found her increasingly adorable, and their conversation grew ever more frequent. Imagine a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman, in the stillness of the night, in a secluded palace courtyard, under the moon and amidst the flowers, quietly facing each other. How could they not be stirred with tender feelings? Even the palace maid, seeing this young man under the moon, found him utterly adorable, and unconsciously began to chat and laugh, growing affectionate. The two often held hands and leaned on each other's shoulders. Later, as their conversations went on longer, they felt the cold dew on the moss and the chill of the moon seeping into their skin. Yuwen Qingde then boldly and secretly opened the main hall of Yanqing Palace. This main hall was originally prepared for Emperor Yang to use when summoning his concubines. In the center was a soft-cushioned dragon throne, surrounded by embroidered screens. Qingde helped the palace maid to sit on the dragon throne, while he himself sat on an embroidered stool at the palace maid's feet, talking to her, and felt very warm.
The palace maid told him in detail that she was originally a daughter of an official, her nickname was Fengjun, her father was currently the governor of Fanyang, and she had been raised by him since childhood, studying with her brother in the study. My parents doted on me, but two years ago, my father offended the military governor of Xi'an in official business, and the governor wanted to impeach him, accusing him of a crime punishable by exile. My father was desperate and had no way to extricate himself. Just then, a palace eunuch arrived, ordered to select beautiful women in Fanyang. My father, desperate to clear his name, hardened his heart and offered his own daughter to the eunuch, sending her to this Jiangdu Palace. I had already left my parents and dear brother, traveling thousands of miles to this quiet and lonely palace. I had also heard that the current emperor was a passionate ruler, and that any palace maid who was even slightly pretty would be favored by him. How could someone as coarse and ugly as me withstand his favor? As soon as I entered the palace, I discussed with my sisters how to preserve my chastity. We collected all my jewelry and money and gave it all to the palace eunuch in charge. Fortunately, the palace eunuch took pity on me and, having received my filial piety, arranged for me to serve as a maid in this desolate palace. This palace is full of disgraced and elderly concubines; His Majesty has never visited them, so I was spared this misfortune.
Yuwen Qingde then asked her: "What do you pray for every night when you burn incense?" The Phoenix Princess replied: "My first incense is for my parents' health; my second, for my brother's early success in the imperial examinations; and my third, for myself." She paused, feeling a lump in her throat. Qingde, hearing this, continued for her: "I pray for myself to find a noble husband!"
"As he spoke, he couldn't help but lean closer and whisper, 'Am I right, my beauty?' He kept asking, making Fengjun blush and lower her head. Later, when Qingde pressed her, Fengjun couldn't help but chuckle, poking Qingde's forehead with a slender finger, and said, 'General, you're such a clever little devil.' Qingde seized the opportunity to pounce on her, embracing her slender waist, pleading, 'My beautiful lady, my beloved, I'll be your son-in-law! You must know how proud I am, my father...'" My mother has repeatedly arranged marriages for me, and many wealthy young ladies, including a princess from His Majesty's household, have offered to be my wife. But I have sworn in my life that I must marry a woman of unparalleled beauty, or I will live a life of solitude. Now I have met you, my beauty. Firstly, your face is truly stunning; secondly, it is fate. I don't know why, but ever since I saw you, I have been thinking of you in my dreams. My very soul is yours. If you do not agree to this marriage, I cannot live with myself.” He then buried his face in Feng Jun's breasts, and a few tears welled up in his eyes. Feng Jun listened to his long, rambling speech and saw him bowing his head and weeping. A man's tears have great power, and Feng Jun's heart softened. She took her delicate hand and lifted his head. Yuwen Qingde straightened up, stood up, and cupped Fengjun's rosy cheeks, about to kiss her cherry lips. Fengjun quickly turned her face away, and like a fleeting glimpse of a startled bird, fled from the dragon throne, hiding behind the embroidered screen. Only her face peeked out, smiling at Qingde with pursed lips.
At that moment, moonlight shone into the hall, and Fengjun's rosy cheeks, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared even more delicate and captivating. Qingde was about to grab her, but Fengjun quickly waved her hand and said, "Our love is not for such frivolous behavior. Now that the general has fallen in love with me and wants me to marry him, I am willing. However, I am not an ordinary woman. I have vowed to marry an extremely noble husband, and I am willing to remain a spinster for life. Now that the general is willing to marry me, I ask you, what kind of wealth and status do you possess?" Upon hearing this, Yuwen Qingde patted his chest and said, "I am now in my twenties and have become a junior lieutenant in the palace guards. How can I not be noble? My family has a father who has inherited a fortune of millions. How can I not be rich?" To his surprise, Fengjun simply shook her head. Qingde continued, "My father is now a general of the garrison, second only to the emperor. How can he not be noble?" Upon hearing this, Fengjun shook her head again. Qingde continued, "When my father is promoted in the future, I'm afraid I'll be a ready-made garrison general too.
" Qingde kept exaggerating, while Fengjun kept shaking her head. Yuwen Qingde ran out of things to say, so he stared blankly at Fengjun's face and asked her, "According to you, my beauty, how much wealth and status would satisfy you?" She calmly walked to the dragon bed, clapped her hands on it, and said, "Only when the general can sit on this dragon bed one day will this servant be satisfied." Upon hearing this, Yuwen Qingde felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his ears, and he took three steps back, speechless. Fengjun, however, still smiled broadly, turned her waist, and stood before him. Yuwen Qingde, seeing her charming beauty, couldn't bear to leave her. A surge of courage welled up from his dantian, and he hurriedly asked, "Does my beauty dare to lie?" Feng Jun pointed to the moon in the sky and said, "The bright moon above bears witness." Yuwen Qingde quickly stepped forward, took Feng Jun's slender hand, and led her out of the courtyard, where they both knelt. Feng Jun softly prayed to the moon, "On the day of your success, General, if anything is not as you wish, may this hairpin be yours." She then pulled the jade hairpin from the cloud-patterned ornament, smashed it on the stone table, breaking it in two, and each of them held one half. Yuwen Qingde also said eloquently, "If anything is not as you wish, my beauty, may this robe be yours." With one hand, he lifted the hem of the robe, and with the other, drew his sword, and with a swift movement, cut off a brand-new hem, handing it to Feng Jun. He then helped her up, embraced her, and leaned in to kiss her lips. Feng Jun smiled and parted the corner of his robe, saying, "Keep this as a gift for your future success, General." He turned and slipped it from his robes, disappearing like smoke up the steps. Qingde chased after him, but Feng Jun turned back and said only, "General, strive diligently. We will meet again on the day of your success." With that, he vanished through the side gate like a wisp of smoke. Here, Yuwen Qingde stood alone on the mossy ground, gazing at the sky in a daze. Suddenly, he stopped, muttering to himself, "I'll risk my life for it." He strode to the front hall, leading a troop of imperial guards, and quietly left the palace.
From that night on, Yuwen Qingde resolved to overthrow the Sui dynasty and seize the throne from Emperor Yang. Although he led the Imperial Guards to patrol Yanqing Palace every night as usual, he would go to the backyard to wait every night, but he never saw Fengjun come out. From then on, the room was close but the person was far away. The more Qingde longed to see his beloved, the more urgent his desire to rebel became.
During the day, he would wander around the homes of various civil and military officials, listening to their opinions and keeping an eye out for opportunities to start a rebellion. Yuwen Qingde was originally very close to Sima Dekan, Pei Qiantong, and Yuan Li, all of whom were from Guanzhong. They had come to Jiangdu with the emperor against their will. They had only expected that the emperor's visit to Jiangdu would last at least a hundred days, and at most half a year, before returning to Guanzhong. However, three years had passed, and they had never heard Emperor Yang mention returning to the capital. They all had families living in Guanzhong, and how could they not miss home after such a long absence? Now, they heard of rebellions everywhere, and that Guanzhong had fallen into the hands of bandits. They themselves were preoccupied with imperial duties, and seeing their hometown engulfed in flames, unable to return home, how could they not feel resentment and bitterness? Whenever they felt resentful, they would gather a few close officials in a secluded courtyard to discuss matters. Yuwen Qingde was often invited by them to discuss important matters.
Six months prior, Emperor Yang had issued an edict ordering Feng Deyi to construct a palace in Danyang. He also ordered the capture of hundreds of thousands of laborers to dig a new 800-li (approximately 400 km) canal from Danyang to Yuhang, in preparation for the future relocation of the capital to Danyang and the imperial tour of Yongjia, which would be the route for dragon boats. Now, the deadline had arrived, and Feng Deyi had completed all the work and returned to report. Emperor Yang, tired of his stay in Jiangdu, was overjoyed to hear of the Danyang palace's completion! He issued an edict praising Feng Deyi's achievements and rewarding him with gold, silver, and silk. He also issued an edict to all officials and the imperial guards, ordering them to prepare their carriages and troops within a month to accompany the emperor to the Danyang palace; anyone who delayed or disobeyed would be immediately beheaded.
This edict did little to offend other officials, but it angered Yuan Li, Sima Dekan, Pei Qiantong, and other generals. With Yuwen Qingde further instigating the situation, they arranged to meet at dusk in the imperial camp to discuss the matter. Sima Dekan said, “We have been away from our hometowns for several years. Who doesn’t miss their parents and families day and night? Recently, I heard that Liu Wuzhou has occupied Fenyang Palace, and that Li Yuan has broken through Guanzhong. I can see that my parents and wives are about to suffer at his hands. Thinking about this, my heart is filled with unspeakable bitterness! Now the imperial edict has been issued to move the capital to Yongjia. This journey will block the north and south, and there will be no hope of returning home. Gentlemen, do you have any brilliant plan to change the emperor’s mind about moving the capital?” Yuan Li listened and then said, “Yongjia is definitely not a place to go. It would be better to gather the imperial guards, tell the emperor about our plight, and ask for an exemption from crossing the river.”
Pei Qiantong hurriedly shook his head and said, "This is no plan. The emperor is licentious and immoral, only seeking pleasure in wine and women. He doesn't even care about the country and its people, let alone our suffering. In my humble opinion, it would be better to deceive the emperor and secretly escape back to Xijing to see our parents and wives. Wouldn't that be cleaner?" Sima Dekan and Yuan Li's group all agreed, "That's excellent!" They then dispersed to make preparations for their escape.
However, their conversation on the road was overheard by a palace maid behind a screen. She quickly reported it to Emperor Yang. But Emperor Yang was furious with the palace maid and shouted, "I have already decreed that no one is allowed to talk about state affairs or news from the two capitals. How dare you, you vile woman, report this! Moreover, those generals and guards are all people I have promoted and trusted. How could they possibly escape? If I don't kill you, how can I stop others from speaking ill of us!" With that, he ordered his men to drag her out and kill her. The poor palace maid, who had meant well, was beaten to death without any explanation. After Emperor Yang had her killed, the other eunuchs, though they heard of the matter again, dared not interfere. Among them was a general named Zhao Xingshu, who, upon hearing of the incident, was deeply troubled and secretly visited someone to discuss it. To find out what happens next, please read the next chapter.

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[Romantic Anecdotes of the Tang Dynasty Court] [18] [Author: Xu Xiaotian]

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