A Crane Cries in Huating

Everything has a start, but not all things have an end.

One afternoon, when A-Bao was about to hang up the freshly washed clothes, the Senior Maid, Madam Li, suddenly walked into the courtyard. She looked around and asked her, “Why are you the only one here, what about the rest?” 

A-Bao raised her head and replied, “It’s meal-time, and all the sisters have gone to eat.” 

Senior Maid Li thought for a moment before ordering, “There’s an urgent order, so come with me to deliver clothes to Li Fengyi and Guo Fengyi.” 

A-Bao knew that Fengyi[1] was the most humble rank among the concubines under the crown prince. The Senior Maid was only obliged to make this trip, and for that reason perhaps did not want to take the trouble to find someone else. Thinking on these lines, it was quite reasonable for her to order A-Bao, and so she agreed at once.

She wiped up her hands, took the rope off her shoulders, and followed Senior Maid Li to her residence, picking up the two boxes of packed clothes present there.

Ever since entering the West Garden, A-Bao had always been confined in the Laundry House, never going out, let alone going to a place like a palace courtyard. Due to this, as she went along, she would eagerly look at the scenery in the garden.

That was when she saw that lotus blossoms were gone, and the sweet osmanthus tree had yet to bloom; she remembered that it must be already halfway past autumn. She never expected the time to flow so quickly; but to her surprise, it had already been almost half a year since she came here from home. 

A-Bao was ruminating in her heart when she suddenly heard Senior Maid Li’s order, “I will go ahead and deliver Li Fengyi’s clothes. You don’t have to follow me, just stay here and wait for me.” 

A-Bao agreed again with a “Yes”, holding the remaining box of clothes as she watched Senior Maid Li walk away.

Senior Maid Li, on the other hand, handed over the clothes to the palace maid responsible for the crown prince’s concubine Li Fengyi and asked why there was a sudden hurry this time. The maid responded while beaming in delight, saying that Fengyi was summoned to serve the crown prince that night. So by all possible means, she needed ironed fragrant clothes before evening. The two stood and chatted for a while before Senior Maid Li returned to the place where she separated from A-Bao to see that only the box of clothes she made A-Bao hold was still present, while A-Bao herself was nowhere to be seen. 

She felt something strange in her heart. She looked around when she suddenly saw a eunuch running along the palace wall. As the eunuch saw her, he struck a question, “Is that pale skinny maid your subordinate?” 

Senior Maid immediately nodded and said, “Are you talking about A-Bao, little brother? Where is she?” 

The childish ring of that eunuch’s voice had not yet disappeared, yet his manner of speech was already arrogant. He raised his eyebrows and curled his lips, “She only said that her surname is ‘Gu’, and that she is a palace maid recruited in the Laundry House. However, I don’t know what her name is…” He glanced at Senior Maid Li once again before continuing: “It seems that she is indeed yours. You look like you’ve been working in the palace for quite a while, but how could you indulge such an undisciplined person? We asked her many times under orders, yet she refused to disclose her identity. Because of this, His Highness had sent me to inquire about her. Now that I ran into you, can you take care of this?” 

Only after hearing from him did the Senior Maid Li realise that he was actually a close aide to the crown prince. Being subjected to his intimidating words without getting informed about what grave matter it was all about, Senior Maid Li nervously rubbed her hand in confusion. She changed her words and asked with her hands crossed, “Could you please inform me of her offence?” 

The eunuch then remembered that he had not mentioned that part yet, leading to a nameless denunciation. So holding his anger back, he said coldly, “She startled His Highness.”

Hearing this, Senior Maid Li became so anxious that she could go insane. She quickly appealed, “Where did this come from? I was merely away for a moment, she’s usually quick to understand and even well-behaved, how did she even collide with His Highness?” 

The eunuch said angrily: “She’s your subordinate and you’re asking me? Are you saying it wasn’t her who bumped but His Highness; that he deliberately managed to bump into her? Listening to your nonsense, I presume you aren’t even capable of teaching your subordinates the necessary set of rules and etiquette. How dare you run your mouth loose!? Are you afraid that you’ll miss your chance to explain when you are in front of His Highness?” 

After having his say, he turned his head to leave. 

Torn with anxiety, Senior Maid Li walked unsteadily as if treading on mud, following the eunuch inside the corner gate and later around the pond. All her way hoping that the girl was not A-Bao till she reached. However, at the auspicious stone beside the pond, sure enough, she saw the figure of A-Bao kneeling beside the path, surrounded by several servants and maids; and on the stone bench in the middle sat a boy, around the age of seventeen or eighteen years, embellished with a lotus jade headpiece, donning a pale blue wide-sleeved robe, without a cummerbund, and dressed at home. If it was not Crown Prince Xiao Dingquan, who else could it be? One couldn’t help but feel faint just by being in his presence.

TN Notes↲1奉仪 – Fèngyí was one of the titles of the crown prince’s concubines. It is the lowest rank, 9th rank, among the official wives and concubines and may comprise up to 24 people.