26 Lodging a Complaint

When the Princess Royal arrived, she was naturally greeted by all with kowtows and prostrations. When she departed, she was just as naturally surrounded by a host of attendants, with countless people vying to wait upon her. It was not enough that Lady Wei personally escorted her to the entrance; a multitude of noble matrons and young ladies of official families also knelt to see her off, creating a scene of heavy, solemn, and imposing pageantry.

This atmosphere of strict order was shattered by a young maidservant.

Whenever a person of high status travels, a retinue is essential alongside the ceremonial guard. As the hosts, the Wei family naturally had to provide a corresponding number of attendants, though these young maids were not there to serve the Princess Royal herself, but rather her attendants, assisting them as they boarded their carriages.

The Wei family did not keep hereditary servants, so these young maids were a motley crew. Although they were dressed in uniform, festive clothing, they still appeared timid and unrefined. When the Princess Royal boarded her carriage, these maids were kept at the perimeter by the palace attendants. No one expected a young maid to suddenly dash out from the end of the line, drop to her knees, and cry out in a clear, ringing voice, "I beg the Princess Royal to save the orphans of our Zhenbei Army!"

The girl was slight and thin, yet her voice was so high and bright that it drowned out the surrounding clamor, shocking everyone. Lu Wenyin, quick to react, immediately commanded, "Drive her away! Where did this wild girl come from, daring to obstruct Her Highness!"

In truth, her words were intended to protect the interests of the Wei family, but she was not the one in charge here. The Princess Royal’s female official, surnamed Su, immediately frowned and shot her a look. Recognizing that she had overstepped, Lu Wenyin quickly looked toward Lady Wei.

Even if Lady Wei had been ruthless enough to have the maid dragged away before the Princess, it was unlikely she would have succeeded. Furthermore, being unfamiliar with the intricacies of the capital's power circles, she could only kneel and apologize, "My servant has been rude; I beg Your Highness to forgive this offense."

The Princess Royal ignored her. A palace attendant had already stepped forward to seize the girl. The Princess merely said calmly, "Who are you? Come forward and speak."

The girl looked to be no more than eleven or twelve, scrawny and sallow-complexioned. As she prostrated herself, her thin spine shivered beneath her festive red garment, yet her words remained clear and steady.

"In reply to the Princess Royal, I am a descendant of the Zhenbei Army. My father was a centurion in the Lin Battalion named Lü Jingguo, who died in battle at Luoying Gorge three years ago. My nickname is Erya, and my mother calls me Erniang. We live in Ping'an Ward, and we can barely survive. I beg the Princess to save us."

"A member of the Lin Battalion?" "Is she really from the Zhenbei Army?" The people around began to whisper. The noble ladies of the capital dared not speak, but the womenfolk of the Zhenbei Army themselves, unaware of the strict court etiquette, were less restrained. Lady Luo, in particular, was shocked and stepped forward, saying, "Little girl, are you truly an orphan of our Zhenbei Army? Why didn't you come to us if you were in need..."

As she spoke, she tried to reach out to pull the girl up, but before she could get close, a palace attendant shot her a sharp look and said, "Presumptuous." She had no choice but to retreat.

In reality, she may not have been entirely sincere; she likely feared the girl might say something unflattering and wanted to pull her away quickly.

"Since you are an orphan of the Zhenbei Army, why did you not seek help from Lord Wei instead of coming to me?" the Princess asked coolly.

Not only the Princess, but all the noble ladies, young misses, the people of the Wei estate, and the soldiers of the Zhenbei Army present were waiting for the girl's answer.

Lü Erniang remained on her knees, her voice tinged with tears.

"In reply to the Princess, I truly had no other choice. It has been three years since my father died in battle, and the pension has long since run out. My mother said that since the war is not over and funds are desperately needed, we must not cause trouble for the Imperial Court. But my grandmother is ill, my mother's hand is injured, and we cannot make it through this winter. I heard Lord Wei had returned to the capital, so I tried to seek help, but I was turned away at the door. I signed a short-term contract to become a maid in the estate, hoping to earn money to treat my mother and grandmother. They all say that Lord Wei will not care about the affairs of us orphans, but the Princess is a devout Buddhist with a kind heart, and perhaps you could save us. That is why I dared to rush forward." She looked up, her face covered in tears, pleading pitifully, "I know I have committed a crime by obstructing Your Highness. I beg you to punish only me, but please save my mother, my grandmother, and the hundred-plus families in Ping'an Ward. Otherwise, we will all starve to death this winter."

Though she spoke through tears, her words were logical and sincere. Some of the more tender-hearted ladies were moved to sorrow. Lady Shen added, "Your Highness, judging by the child's tone, she is a filial and kind-hearted girl; she surely would not lie."

The Princess Royal listened calmly, seemingly weighing the truth of her words. As Ye Qinglan had once said, for a member of the royal family, being waylaid by someone crying out for justice was neither the first time nor would it be the last. She knew how to handle it.

***

An experienced matron whispered a few words into her ear. The Princess glanced at the female official, Su, who nodded in return, before she asked unhurriedly, "You say there are over a hundred families in Ping'an Ward, all orphans like yourself?"

"In reply to Your Highness, it began with the widow of Old General Yan of the Fire Battalion. After the General passed away, she lived in Ping'an Ward and helped these destitute orphans of the Zhenbei Army. Later, my mother moved there, and others gradually gathered together—some from the Zhenbei Army, some auxiliary troops from Liangzhou—totaling over a hundred households. We have helped one another for three or four years now. But this winter is exceptionally cold, and we can no longer go on..."

Erya’s answers were reasonable and did not exceed the knowledge of a young girl, making them seven or eight parts credible.

"I heard the Zhenbei Army families looked after one another, but it seems that only those who survived did so; those who truly died for the country have long since fallen into such destitution," a lady remarked coolly from the back.

With so many people, it was impossible to tell who had spoken, but the women of the Zhenbei Army felt their faces burn with shame. Lady Wei hurriedly said, "Your Highness, since it is the negligence of the Zhenbei Army, I shall naturally make amends..."

"Now that we are in the capital, there is no distinction between Zhenbei Army or otherwise; all are the subjects of the Emperor," the Princess said faintly. "Since they are the orphans of soldiers who died for the country and have sought my help, I shall naturally handle the matter. Stand up, your name is Lü Erniang, is it not?"

A palace maid came forward to help the trembling Erya to her feet. With tears still drying on her face, she answered timidly, "Yes."

"If I find that everything is as you say, I will naturally help you settle the families in Ping'an Ward. Allocating some farmland for them to cultivate would not be difficult." The Princess’s gaze enveloped her like moonlight. "But you must not lie..."

Erya immediately knelt again, raising her hand to swear, "Princess, if I have spoken even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning, and I will accept any punishment you deem fit."

"If you were struck by lightning, how could I punish you then?" the Princess said with a smile.

The noble ladies immediately laughed, praising the Princess’s wit.

"Get up. You are a filial and brave child," she said lightly. "If it is confirmed to be true, stay by my side and let my female officials instruct you. It is not a long-term solution for the families of martyrs who died for the country to be left to drift among the common folk."

Erya stood stunned until the official, Su, pressed her down, saying, "Silly child, why haven't you thanked Her Highness?"

Erya realized what was happening and quickly knelt to perform a grand salute: "Thank you, Princess. May Your Highness live for a thousand years, and may your blessings and longevity be boundless."

"The Princess is truly kind-hearted!" "No wonder even a child knows it; the Princess's reputation for goodness has long been known to all!" "With the Princess's guidance, this child will surely have a bright future!" The ladies immediately crowded around to offer congratulations. The quick-witted ones even took out gifts—gold bracelets and white jade pendants—and adorned the girl with them. The Princess Royal merely said faintly, "The matter has not been investigated yet. Perhaps the Zhenbei Army has not been negligent in their care for the orphans after all..."

At these words, Erya hurriedly tried to plead her case again, but was pinched by Official Su, who whispered, "Silly child." Erya was clever; she realized the Princess’s words were not meant for her, so she fell silent, her clear, black-and-white eyes fixed only on Lady Wei.

Lady Wei felt as if she were being pricked by needles. She bit the bullet and stepped forward, saying, "It is my own failing in health; I have been too preoccupied with estate matters and neglected to visit these orphans. I beg Your Highness to forgive me..."

"That only shows you have been keeping to your duties well; do not take it to heart," the Princess said lightly, and leaning on the hand of her female official, she boarded her carriage. She beckoned to Erya, who, bold enough, climbed up and sat by her side, looking curiously at the phoenix-adorned carriage decorated with gold, jade, and silk.

"We respectfully see off Her Highness's carriage as it returns to the palace." The ladies knelt to bid her farewell, each harboring their own thoughts. Those close to the Wei family and those who distanced themselves each had their own agendas. Those skilled in power dynamics knew that the Wei family had done nothing inherently wrong—Lady Wei could hardly visit orphans upon her return to the capital, as that would be seen as colluding with old subordinates to cultivate private soldiers, a path to ruin. By comparison, gaining a reputation for being cold and ungrateful due to "neglect," and being publicly slighted by the Princess, was a minor matter.

***

Wrong either way, the true power lay not with the Princess, but with the mastermind behind this incident. At such a perfect moment, using such an ingenious event, in such a grand setting, they had managed to strip the Wei family of their dignity and highlight the Princess’s benevolence. The Wei family had been dealt a massive, silent blow and could not utter a word of protest.

It was said the Wei family was flourishing and red-hot with power, but in the capital, other great families were watching like tigers. The Shen family associated with the Fire Battalion, the young mistress of the Chen family was close to Lady Wei—the board was slowly becoming clear. One wondered which expert had played this move today.

The crowd buzzed with speculation. Meanwhile, the Princess Royal's carriage passed through the southern city and arrived back at her estate. Before she had even stepped down, the news had already arrived.

A palace attendant hurried over, weaving through those preparing to assist the Princess, and whispered something to the matron. The matron then leaned in to whisper to the Princess. The Princess listened and glanced at Erya, who looked back with an expression of unwavering sincerity.

"Princess, I did not lie, did I?" she asked earnestly.

The Princess smiled. She reached out to stroke Erya’s hair; her long, slender fingers, adorned with gemstone rings, felt slightly cold, but Erya didn't flinch.

"You didn't lie, but how is it that I heard a kind-hearted young lady from a noble family has been providing for you and even found you work?" She continued to stroke Erya’s hair unhurriedly. "That doesn't sound like you were unable to survive the winter."

"I did not deceive the Princess." Erya stood up stubbornly. "My mother said one must have integrity. We cannot accept charity from others out of pity; the neighbors in Ping'an Ward all say the same. Miss Ye does not owe us anything. My father died for the country, so if we are to seek help, it should be from Your Highness. That is why I came to you!"

"Alright, alright, we know you have integrity." Official Su laughed, stepping in to mediate. "How dare you be so stubborn with Her Highness? Hurry and apologize. With this temperament, how will you learn the rules in the future?"

Erya bit her lip stubbornly, but obediently apologized to the Princess: "Erniang should not have offended the Princess. I beg Your Highness to forgive me."

"You learn quickly." The Princess did not get angry; instead, she laughed and waved a hand at Official Su. Su understood and immediately led Erya away, chatting as they walked: "Look how thin you are, like a little monkey. How old are you really? Twelve? Don't you dare lie..."

The Princess Royal's estate had not seen a new face in over a decade; it was no wonder Official Su found the child a novelty, treating Erya like a new toy.

Princess Minghua alighted from the carriage, and the matron came to support her, saying in a low voice, "That Miss Ye..."

Before she could finish, the Princess curled her lips, and the matron, understanding, couldn't help but laugh. "What kind of situation is this?"

"They say Ye Zhongqing is a scholar of the third rank, full of tricks, so it is no surprise his daughter is clever," the palace attendant on the side mocked.

One daughter behaved like a proper young lady, with remonstrations that could rival Wei Zheng’s advice to Emperor Taizong of Tang—sincere and for the good of all, regardless of whether the Wei or Shen families benefited. The other daughter, however, took such an unexpected, silent path, dealing the Wei family such a heavy blow.

The capital’s Flower Festival this year was becoming increasingly interesting.