From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 186: Matron

The old lady who stepped into Weiyang Hall was attired in plain garb made of cheap fabric that had already faded from countless washings; a servant’s fare. Still, they were kept spotless just like her hair, which was pulled back into a tight bun with not a strand out of place. She was a sharp contrast to the opulence of the imperial city, her status so lowly that no official worth his salt would have paid her any mind should they have crossed her path out in the streets.

Today, however, all eyes fell upon her as she made her way up the aisle to present herself before the throne with unerring dignity.

"This servant pays humble respects to Your Majesty," she said, the stern lines on her face and the solemnity of her tone making it impossible for the rest of the hall to disregard her reason for being there. She folded into a kowtow, the hunch of her back not preventing her from executing it flawlessly, giving away that she had been trained as a high-ranking servant, at odds with the shabbiness of her clothes.

"You may rise," Liu Yao said. "This sovereign grants you permission to speak while standing."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

As she struggled slowly to get back onto her feet, Liu Yao recalled an incident that had occurred a while ago, when he’d come across Ah Yun and Liu An flying kites in the imperial garden. Liu An had tripped over himself in his excitement, and Cao Mingbao, who had been closest, had rushed over with an exclamation to check on the little ancestor. Before Cao Mingbao could kneel, however, Ah Yun had reached out firmly and stopped him, kneeling onto the gravel underfoot to tend to Liu An without hesitating about whether his fine robes would be soiled.

Liu Yao had only realised then that Cao Mingbao was limping subtly. A lifetime spent kneeling meant that the old eunuch’s knees weren’t what they used to be, especially when the weather turned colder and wetter (1). He’d spent the evening reflecting on why it came so naturally for Ah Yun to care about others, and had concluded that the fault lay with him for not noticing that someone he cared for as an elder and a valuable subordinate was suffering in silence.

Watching Matron Wang move, he could practically hear her joints creaking in protest. He could not in good conscience ask her to kneel, especially not when she hadn’t committed any transgressions and was here at his invitation. Perhaps, one day, he would gain enough support in court to push through some reforms about the rules regarding court and social etiquette.

"Matron Wang, this sovereign thanks you for your service to the throne. Don’t worry, no one will harm you today, you only need tell the court what you learnt about Prime Minister Yan’s death." He could see that beneath a steely exterior was a frisson of nervousness at being in an environment out of her depth. The pressure of speaking in Weiyang Hall in front of the emperor and the highest ranking ministers in the land was terrifying even for newly promoted officials, let alone an elderly servant who hadn’t been trained for the situation.

After a moment’s pause, Matron Wang seemed to have gathered herself together. She took a deep breath and began.

"Your Majesty, this servant is grateful that I can finally put down the terrible burden I’ve been carrying in my heart all these years. I accompanied the old mistress when she married into the Wu Clan and served by her side. Given the closeness between the Wu and Liang families, I watched the two young mistresses of the Liang Family grow up over the years. My mistress favoured Young Mistress Qing’s hand for her eldest legitimate son but it was Young Mistress Hui who eventually married in to become our new mistress."

It was no secret in court that Minister of Rites Wu and Prime Minister Yan had been bosom friends (2), having studied together for the imperial examinations in the same classroom for decades. Even after achieving success, their friendship had only blossomed further, was independent of the politicking, and on display with forthrightness in front of the emperor. Their respective marriages to daughters of the same family had once been regarded as a beautiful story and back then no one could have imagined the part Wu Shengqi would come to play in the downfall of his closest and dearest companion.

"After the death of the old mistress, I was tasked with serving Mistress Hui to help her take on her new role as mistress of the household. However, perhaps because Mistress Hui resented my old mistress for preferring Young Mistress Qing over her, they had a strained relationship and she didn’t trust the master either. Mistress Hui was often anxious that when the master said he was not to be disturbed in his study, he was secretly having relations with women whom he didn’t intend to take into the household as concubines. In fairness to the mistress, she had good reason for her suspicions."

Bringing up the scandals of the Wu Household was risky for Matron Wang. As a servant, she was bound by the law to respect her masters and speaking ill of them and tarnishing their reputation was a punishable crime. The disapproval radiating off some officials was enough testament of that. Others were obviously entertained but would not be quick to defend her if her reprehensible behaviour was called into question.

Without Liu Yao’s protection, there was no means for her to reproach her master in any way.

"Then, slightly before Prime Minister Yan was accused of treason, my master started locking himself up in his study again, allowing no one but Steward Yang to attend to him. The last time he did this, the mistress discovered it was because someone in court had bribed him with a pair of exotic dancers. Fearful that it would happen again, she sent me to find out what he was up to."

The story that started to unfold was a far more sinister picture than Matron Wang had imagined. Instead of discovering her master in the arms of another brazen hussy, she’d overheard a dark truth; a corpse lay in a corner of Wu Shengqi’s study and her master was casually discussing the disposal of the body with another man whose voice she didn’t recognise.

"They spoke at length about the dangers of the corpse’s identity coming to light," Matron Wang elaborated stonily. "Fearing for my life, this servant chose to leave at this point and the last thing I heard was that he could not be buried outside as he was known in the lowest levels of society as an expert fraud, often asked by the gambling dens and some less reputable businesses to forge books on their behalf. Even some officials, who commissioned replicas of artworks and calligraphy, would call upon his services."

"Where was he buried?" Liu Yao asked, for the benefit of the court since he already knew the answer. After Fifth Official Wu had discovered Matron Wang’s sympathies towards the late prime minister and his family, the Kaiming had kept a close watch on her to determine whether she would be of use to Liu Yao’s agenda or not. They had noted how she had chosen to move to the kitchens away from her master and mistress, an elected demotion that had confused everyone, even Liu Yao when he’d read the reports they’d sent back to him. It was only after they’d approached her directly that it became evident why she wanted as little to do with the members of the Wu Family as possible. She had also furnished them with what they’d needed to know, in exchange for some peace of mind.

"In response to Your Majesty, this servant didn’t hear about the whereabouts of the burial. However, the next day, a new section of the west wing of the estate had been set aside for the master to indulge in his gardening." Her gaze turned sorrowful for a moment before hardening once more. "This servant didn’t know the implications of what I’d overheard back then. It was only a month later, when word of Prime Minister Yan treacherous’s letters permeated the streets, that I realised what must have happened. The one to report him was the master, who was being praised for his dedication to righteousness over his bond of camaraderie, but all I could think about was the corpse in the study and how everything had gone wrong."

When she was done speaking, a long pause greeted her.

Then, "Preposterous," someone said dismissively. "Surely Minister of Rites Wu is not such a fool that he would discuss dangerous matters without guards around his study. How was it possible for a mere servant like you to get close enough to eavesdrop?"

Matron Wang remained unfazed. "In response to your lordship, this servant does not presume to understand the reasoning behind the master’s decisions. All I know is that there was no one around to guard the study and that we were told in no circumstances was anyone allowed near, on pain of death."

The incredulous noises made by the court were not baseless. But Liu Yao’s opinion on it was different; whoever Wu Shengqi had the gall to plot against Prime Minister Yan with, his identity was so sensitive that Wu Shengqi could not afford for anyone to find out about it. It was to the point where he trusted no one apart from his closest of servants to attend to him.

"Conveniently, all the relevant suspects are already under arrest," Right Prime Minister Ren spoke up, referring to the earlier seizure of the entire Wu Family. "This old subject trusts that Your Majesty has already sent the brocade guard to investigate the matter of the dead fraud?"

Liu Yao smiled thinly. "Beloved Subject Ren knows this sovereign well." It hadn’t come as a surprise to him when the Kaiming brought back the unclean skeletal remains found buried in the location Matron Wang had specified. But nevertheless, the idea that a minister of the imperial court could stage a plot so effortlessly and then get away with murder without a second thought, would leave a bitter taste in any emperor’s mouth.

Let revenge be the betrothal gift to the Yan Family. Wu Shengqi would not be leaving his cell except to head over to the executioner’s block.

"Your Majesty seems determined to open this case for a retrial." Right Prime Minister Ren’s tone remained impassive but the mild-mannered ease by which he liked to conduct himself felt forced. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Liu Yao shook his head. "This sovereign isn’t asking for the institutions of justice to retrial, merely to compile the evidence and submit a report to me. I am the retrial." He didn’t spend endless nights alone in Tianlu Pavilion pouring over legal texts for nothing. "As emperor, this sovereign has the ultimate call, this just isn’t a prerogative easily exercised as it warrants great censure by the literati."

"Yes, hence this old subject would like to advise against doing anything to threaten imperial reputation. But, of course, the decision lies in Your Majesty’s hands." Those in his faction were quick to follow up with a deep bow and a resounding, "May Your Majesty please reconsider thrice!"

"Thrice? This sovereign has thought this through over the last five years." He’d been waiting for this moment ever since he left Prime Minister Yan’s cell. Catching Grand Preceptor Du’s eye again, he asked, "Teacher, this sovereign humbly seeks your opinion."

Grand Preceptor Du stroked his beard and gave Right Prime Minister Ren a lofty side-glance. "This old subject sees things from a different angle to Right Prime Minister Ren, I only hope I don’t offend anyone by sharing my opinion." His tone clearly indicated that he was dying to do the exact opposite of what he’d just said.

Right Prime Minister Ren inclined his head politely but didn’t comment.

"If Your Majesty wishes to strengthen the imperial reputation, then this old subject says, retrial the case! Return justice to where it’s due! It thus becomes imperative that Your Majesty ensure Prime Minister Yan’s wrongs are righted if they truly exist. After all, never has there been a prime minister more beloved by civilians in Great Ye’s history, is that not true, Right Prime Minister Ren?"

It was Left Prime Minister Zhao who nodded solemnly and concurred. "This subject believes that there is much sense in what Grand Preceptor Du has said. If this subject recalls correctly, there was much outcry amongst the masses that Prime Minister Yan had been framed."

Some of the literary officials from the Hanlin Academy, whose role was to scrutinise the emperor’s every move and provide guidance in the form of censure, were no longer having any of it.

"With all due respect, this suggestion that His Majesty abandon filial piety just to clear the name of his favourite consort’s family is outrageous! Should everyone follow suit, Great Ye will lose all of the values that we are so proud of! What will happen to society should we stop emphasising the teachings of our ancestors?"

A quiet cough from Counsellor Tang drew attention to his unobtrusive corner. The Hanlin official was relatively green and it would look like bullying should Grand Preceptor Du or Left Prime Minister Zhao tear into him but Liu Yao’s latest watchdog, the youngest official in the imperial faction, was a different story.

"No one is saying to do away with filial piety," Counsellor Tang said calmly. "There are always exceptions to a rule and this humble subject believes that His Majesty has a very special set of circumstances that provides for such an exemption."

"What could be more valuable than filial piety, which has formed the bedrock of our society since ancient times?"

"Another prized trait, of course," was Counsellor Tang’s matter-of-fact answer. "A great righteousness that destroys family (3)."

The protests in court didn’t stop there. There were those who tried to stop Liu Yao from proceeding because they were feeling as guilty as thieves (4). Others might not have such nefarious intentions but just weren’t able to wrap their heads around the break in tradition. The notion of a current emperor criticising the late one was too much for them.

Liu Yao didn’t care. He had laid down enough groundwork by now to proceed with or without their permission.

"Congratulations on obtaining your wishes, Your Majesty," Right Prime Minister Ren said, barely audible over the chaos. "Can we take it to mean that a new niang niang will soon be announced as part of the harem?"

Liu Yao returned his mirthless smile with one of his own. "Whatever gave you that idea? An empress’ sister, on good terms, could be made a princess, however."

Ah Yun, I’ve finally taken that first step to repay what I owe.

It’s only the beginning.