A Crane Cries in Huating

The year’s curtain call on yin and yang ushers shortening scenes

At the end of the world, the blizzard clears up on a cold night.[1]

Wang Shen personally escorted the crown prince back to West Garden and rushed to bring the imperial physician. Because the crown princess had passed away just last year, this time, only a few high-ranking side-concubines could be summoned. Soon after, there was chaos in the pavilion, crying and chanting Buddha’s name.

Dingquan woke up amidst the sound of crying and weeping, feeling more and more irritable in his heart. Seeing him open his eyes, several side concubines immediately gathered around the bed to check. Dingquan could see their vermilion mouths agape in confusion, but could not tell what they were talking about. 

After a long time of exertion, with a quivering body, he said with gritted teeth, “Go out. It won’t be too late before I bother you to cry once again after I really die!” 

Startled, the side concubines looked at each, and could only continue weeping. The imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital arrived shortly after that. As soon as he entered through the door, he ordered the attendants to fetch him warm water while he began inspecting the crown prince’s injuries. He saw that the bloodstains on the bed sheet had turned ochre and had already coagulated on the wound. He sighed and said, “Your Highness, please be a bit patient.” 

Giving Dingquan a few mouthfuls of ginseng soup, he slowly cut the sheet with scissors to clean up the wound for him till nightfall.

A-Bao timidly put up a quilt for him. Dingquan felt exhausted at the moment; although his whole body was in pain, feeling like a scorching knife cutting through, he was finally slowly able to close his eyes and fell asleep. 

Kouzhu and A-Bao were watching the night together in the pavilion. They could hear the crown prince mumbling in his sleep all night long. When they brought over the lamp to check, his forehead was completely covered in sweat. The two had no choice but to get warm water again and wipe off his sweat. Suddenly, they heard him call “Mother” in a low voice, as a line of tears trickled from the corners of his eyes and down his cheeks. A-Bao felt very surprised. She raised her head dubiously and looked at Kouzhu, but only to see her staring blankly at the crown prince’s pale face. After a long time, Kouzhu sighed before remembering that there was another person there. She became a bit uncomfortable and simultaneously turned her face away. Then, taking a twisted towel, she gently wiped off the tear on the face of the crown prince.

When Dingquan received the beatings, he was sweating profusely. Furthermore, with the weather being chilly, he was unavoidably cold. When they checked upon him again the next morning, he appeared to have a low fever. 

The prolonged medical treatment felt like a chore. Fortunately, however, he fell asleep more often during his illness, and although everyone was busy, he did not cause them much trouble. To tell the truth, some even secretly hoped every day that his illness would last just a little longer.

One day, while the lights were still on, Dingquan woke up and found A-Bao standing beside him. “What’s that sound?” 

A-Bao replied, “Firecracker sounds, Your Highness. As today is New Year’s Eve.”

Dingquan listened quietly for a while, then suddenly asked, “I seem to see you here about every day these past few days.” 

A-Bao replied, “Everyone has gone to prepare things for the holidays, and this slave girl has got nothing to prepare for the event.” 

Dingquan said, “I know that this is a long-standing custom. You’ll have to bring some personal things back home during the New Year’s festival, as awful it may be — But why don’t you also go with that flow?” 

A-Bao explained, “You see Your Highness, my family does not reside in the Capital.” 

Dingquan seemed to be much gentler tonight, and asked again, “Then where is your family home?” 

A-Bao said, “My home is in Qinghe County.” 

Dingquan smiled, “Listening to your accent alone, I assumed you were from somewhere in the south.” 

A-Bao said, “My mother is from the south.” 

Dingquan continued, “What does your family do for a living?” 

Seeing A-Bao hesitate for a while after being asked that, he couldn’t help but laugh, “Let me guess. Your family is from the scholar class up to your father or brother, and so, even if it isn’t rich, it’s well-to-do, isn’t that right?”

A-Bao’s face couldn’t help but turn pale in shock as she blurted out, “Your Highness?!” 

Dingquan laughed ever jovially and said, “Although you have been washing clothes for several months, your fingers are thin and white. Also, when you grind ink for me, your strength is just about right. When you wiped my sweat, your face was flushed, and you never dared to look at my body. Moreover…” Dingquan suddenly took hold of A-Bao’s right hand and pulled her towards him, taking a closer look at her hand. A-Bao didn’t know why he was suddenly like this, but still, she felt that his fingers were abnormally cold, it was like touching frozen water, snow. She couldn’t help but shiver and broke away from his grasp without much thought.

But Dingquan did not get angry at that. He just paused for a moment and asked again with a smile, “Your middle finger is slightly calloused, is it from being rubbed by a pen?” 

Seeing her complexion turn deathly pale, he pried on her again, coldly, “I had someone run a background check on you. You are guilty of infiltrating the palace. Tell me, who on earth are you?” 

Seeing A-Bao mumbling, he sneered calmly, “It’s okay if you don’t want to speak. The fasting period is over, and I’m not afraid of killing. Now, I can simply kill you with a staff, do you believe me?” 

A-Bao saw the mysterious look he had on his face, with his eyes that were staring coldly at her. Yet, even though she somehow felt that he was not threatening, she suddenly shuddered. Thinking for a long time, she said with gritted teeth, “Your Highness, this slave deserves death.” 

Dingquan said, “Just blurt it out already.” 

A-Bao said, “This slave dare not deceive His Highness, but even though this slave is recruited to a lowly position, she still thinks that she deserves some semblance of dignity.” After clenching her jaw for a long time, she finally continued in a low voice: “My father was a graduate scholar in the eighth year of Qitai. Because his ancestors held some social standings, he also served as a prefect. My father had countless concubines, and my mother was the maidservant of his first wife. Later when they had me, she was still a half-maidservant and half-concubine, enduring the rest of her days at home. This slave girl was not sensible when she was young, so when I saw my brothers and sisters go to study, I also begged my mother for the same. Although later I was able to read and write to some degree, for that, I didn’t know how many times my mother endured bullying for this by my stepmother. A few years ago when my father passed away, my brothers divided up the family business and expelled us mother and daughter with a little property. My father never loved me. I was young when he passed away, so he didn’t make a marriage agreement for me. Mother and I alone could come up with nothing, so my mother had to take me to the capital to find my aunt and her husband. But who would’ve thought that my aunt had disappeared long ago. By that time, even my mother was also afflicted with the plague. Before dying, she advised me, ‘You are also the daughter of a well-read household. You must not belittle yourself. You should go back. You can always have a father in a brother. He could still have a bowl of rice for you.’ I thought it was hard to turn back, so I tried, and managed to find a distant relative in the capital. Assuming the name of his adopted daughter, I entered the palace and begged for food and clothing for life.”

Whilst recounting up to this point, she was already choked up and could not make any sound many times in between. But still, biting her lips fiercely, she held back her emotions and tears from spilling out of her reddened eyes, she then continued.

Dingquan looked at her in silence, and asked coldly, “Your mother is right, you’ll find a father in a brother, why don’t you go back and find them?” 

A-Bao shook her head, “Even though they are my brothers, they are as good as passers-by. Or maybe this slave girl is stupid to harbour such a foolish idea. Although my mother said that while having my benefit in mind, I do not want to have anything to do with that family anymore.” 

Dingquan smiled lightly and said, “Is that so?” 

A-Bao turned her face the other way, and after a long time, nodded quietly. 

Dingquan remained speechless, pulling up his nightdress, he noticed that she was still hanging her head and holding back her tears. Since he had no intention of getting up to help, he snorted, “Cry if you want to cry.” 

A-Bao said softly, “This slave girl dare not act presumptuously before Your Highness.” 

Dingquan rebutted, “But when your lord asks a question, you only know how to nod and shake your head. Tell me, is that not considered presumptuous?” 

Seeing her speechless, he continued, “Who gave you your name?” 

A-Bao was taken aback, but still answered, “It was my mother.” 

Dingquan nodded, and didn’t ask any more questions, but only ordered, “Go and see if Director Zhou is outside.” 

A-Bao complied and asked for someone to fetch him in the meantime.

Zhou Wu entered the pavilion soon after. Looking at Dingquan in good spirits, he was naturally overjoyed and hurriedly ordered the palace servants to prepare a light meal. Dingquan shook his head and said instead, “I want to eat cheese.” 

For some reason, there was a hint of pleading and earnestness in that voice. Dingquan was very into cool and sweet things. Everyone knew this, therefore, when Zhou Wu heard this, he was dumbfounded for a moment, before his eyes suddenly showed tenderness. After a long while, he replied in a low voice, “Your Highness, this is the West Garden, hence we haven’t prepared…” But as if he couldn’t bear to refuse him out flatly, he said again, “However, since Your Highness wants it, I will send someone to buy it after the holiday.” 

Dingquan showed a little disappointed expression, but he didn’t insist. He just said, “If you don’t have it, it’s fine, I don’t want it.” After which, he rolled in and laid there, not moving henceforth. Presumably, he fell asleep again.

The sound and air of firecrackers outside the palace walls made the courtyard look increasingly colder and colourless. And with that, the night of New Year’s Eve quietly slipped away.

TN Notes

TN Notes↲1From Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu’s A Night on the Watchtower (阁夜).