Yeongyang bowed her head and declined, saying,
"Today's seating order is tomorrow's rank; how could I dare not be cautious from the very beginning?"
Princess Nanyang said,
"In the Spring and Autumn period, the wife of Zhao Cui — a statesman of Jin who aided Duke Wen to become hegemon — who was the daughter of Duke Wen of Jin, yielded to the proper wife who had usurped her place; how much more so is she my elder sister — what doubt could there be?"
Jeong Sojeo's declining lasted quite some time, but the Empress Dowager ordered them to be arranged according to age, and from then on, the palace referred to her everywhere as Princess Yeongyang.
The Empress Dowager showed the compositions of the two princesses to the Emperor. The Emperor also praised them, saying, "Both compositions possess subtle charm, but Yeongyang's piece drew upon the meaning of the Classic of Poetry and redirected virtue toward the empress, thus achieving great propriety."
The Empress Dowager also said,
"Your Majesty's words are correct."
The Emperor spoke again,
"The Empress Dowager's love for Yeongyang has reached such a degree that it is truly unprecedented. I also have something I wish to humbly request."
Saying so, he reported the entire story, past and present, of Jin Jungseo.
"Although Jin Chaepung's father committed a crime and died, his ancestors were all loyal subjects of the court. I ask that you consider his true nature and allow him to follow the Princess in marriage, taking him as a yingqie — a concubine attendant who serves the principal wife — and I beg that the Empress Dowager look upon this with sympathy and grant permission."
When the Empress Dowager looked to the two princesses, Nanyang said, "Jin had already spoken to me of this matter. I am already intimately bound by righteousness and have no wish to part from her; even if Your Highness had not made this arrangement, this heart of mine was already set."
The Empress Dowager summoned Jin Chaepung and instructed,
"As the Princess intends to share life and death with you, I specially make you Yang Sangseo's concubine attendant; henceforth, devote yourself fully and repay the Princess's kindness."
Jin was overwhelmed and shed tears, expressing her gratitude. Then the Empress Dowager again instructed, "The marriages of the two princesses have been happily settled, and suddenly a joyful magpie came to announce an auspicious sign. I have already seen the compositions of the two princesses; you too compose a piece to share in this celebration."
Jin received the command and immediately composed a piece and presented it.
A joyful magpie chatters as it enters the palace;
A spring breeze arises upon the phoenix-palace flowers.
It does not wait to build its nest in comfort and fly south,
For the Three-Five Stars are scattered right in the east.
The Empress Dowager, sharing the reading with the Emperor, was greatly delighted and said, "In olden days, the talented woman who chanted poems on snow (Xie Daoyun) could not have surpassed this. Moreover, in this composition she draws upon the Classic of Poetry and well maintains the distinction between principal wife and concubine; this is even more commendable."
Princess Nanyang said,
"The source material for this topic was not abundant to begin with, and since we sisters had already composed pieces, there were no phrases left to borrow. Cao Mengde's so-called 'Though surrounded by three layers of wood, there is scarcely a branch to rely upon' was not originally an auspicious saying, so it is difficult to borrow those words. Yet this piece blended Mengde, Du Zimei, and the Classic of Poetry, sweeping them into one flowing composition without the slightest awkwardness. Truly, it is as if the ancients had composed this beforehand for Jin."
The Empress Dowager said,
"Since ancient times, women capable of composing literature were only Ban Jieyu (a female attendant of Emperor Han Wu, a woman of letters), Cai the Lady, Zhuo Wenjun, and Xie Daoyun — only these four. Now three transcendent women have gathered in one place; this may be called a truly rare sight."
Princess Nanyang said,
"The literary talent of Princess Yeongyang's maid, Ga Chun-un, is also marvelous."
Just then, as the day gradually drew to a close, the Emperor returned to the outer palace, and the princesses also withdrew to rest in their sleeping chambers. The next morning, when the rooster crowed its first call, Yeongyang entered to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and requested to return home, saying,
"When I entered the palace, my parents must have been astonished and overwhelmed. Today, I wish to return to see my parents and boast of the Empress Dowager's grace and this humble girl's glory to all our relatives; I prostrate myself and beg that Your Highness permit this."
The Empress Dowager answered,
"My daughter, how could a princess's body trouble itself to leave the inner palace? I have matters to discuss with your birth mother."
The Empress Dowager immediately issued a decree summoning Lady Choi to enter the inner court.
At this time, Jeong Sado and his wife, having heard the news conveyed by their daughter's secret letter that very morning, were just beginning to calm their startled hearts and could not contain their emotion. But suddenly, receiving the Empress Dowager's summons, they hurriedly entered the inner palace.
The Empress Dowager received Jeong Sado and his wife, saying,
"I brought your daughter here chiefly for Princess Nanyang's marriage. But once I beheld her lovely face, I could not overcome my affection and adopted her as a daughter, making her Princess Nanyang's elder sister. Surely she must be my daughter from a previous life, born into your household in this world. Since Yeongyang has already become a princess, she should properly be granted the state surname; yet I considered deeply that you have no children, so I did not change her surname. You, my lady, must receive this with utmost devotion."
Thereupon, Lady Choi bowed her head to the Empress Dowager and said, "This humble woman bore but one child late in life and cherished her, yet in the end her marriage was once mismanaged and she was sent back in divorce, making me wish only for death. But Princess Nanyang graciously descended to our humble home many times, befriending my lowly daughter, and then brought her into the palace, where she received a grace unparalleled in the world. I must certainly devote my full heart and strength, wishing to repay even one ten-thousandth of this heavenly favor. Moreover, my husband is old and ill, having already resigned his post, and I too am old, so I have no way to follow palace maids and wipe away the dust of the ceremonial paths. With what shall I ever repay a grace equal to Heaven and Earth? I can only be overwhelmed and shed tears."
Then Lady Choi rose, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and prostrated herself weeping until her sleeves were soaked. The Empress Dowager, feeling pity, said,
"Yeongyang has already become my daughter; you cannot take her back again."
Lady Choi prostrated herself and said,
"That mother and daughter cannot dwell together in harmony to praise this grace equal to Heaven — this is a lasting regret."
The Empress Dowager said with a smile,
"After the marriage is completed, Nanyang too will be entrusted to you, my lady, so regard Yeongyang just as I do."
Then she summoned Princess Nanyang to meet her. Lady Choi repeatedly apologized for her countless impolite faults over the past thousand days.
The Empress Dowager spoke, saying,
"I have heard that you have Ga Chun-un by your side; I ask to see her once."
Lady Choi immediately did her utmost to summon Chun-un, and Chun-un came to meet the Empress Dowager below the palace hall. The Empress Dowager praised Chun-un's beauty and bade her come forward, then instructed,
"Having heard Nanyang speak of your talent, would you now compose a piece for me to see?"
Chun-un prostrated herself and replied,
"How could this humble servant dare compose so brazenly before Your Majesty? Yet I wish to hear the topic, if only as a trial."
The Empress Dowager presented the compositions of the three people written previously and said, "Can you compose to match the meaning of these pieces?"
Chun-un took up the brush on the spot and composed a piece to present.
I alone know the small sincerity that announces joy;
From friendship, I am fortunate to follow the rites of the phoenix.
The spring light of the phoenix banner blooms as flowers upon a thousand trees;
Though surrounded by three layers, how could there be no branch to borrow?
Having finished reading, the Empress Dowager showed Chun-un's composition to the two princesses, saying,
"I had not imagined that a servant girl's literary talent could be thus."
Princess Nanyang said,
"This composition compares herself to a magpie and compares me to a phoenix; the propriety is clear. In the final line, fearing that I might not mutually permit her adherence, she wished to borrow a single branch to perch upon, gathering the writings of ancients and excavating the meanings of the poetic tradition to combine them into one phrase. Truly, the meaning is exquisite and the craft nimble. I recall the old saying, 'When a bird relies on a person, the person naturally pities it' — this is an aphorism fitting for this girl."
Then she ordered Chun-un to withdraw and be introduced to Jin. At that time, Princess Nanyang introduced her, saying,
"This female secretary is the daughter of the Jin family of Hwaeum-hyeon, the one who will grow old together with Chun-un."
Chun-un asked in surprise yet delight,
"If so, are you the lady who composed the Yangnyusa?"
Startled by these words, Jin asked in return,
"From what person did Chun-rang hear of the Yangnyusa?"
Chun-un answered,
"I happened to hear that Lord Yang Sangseo constantly thinks of you and recites that composition."
Hearing these words, Jin longed for Yang Sangseo and cried out sorrowfully, "Lord Yang has still not forgotten me!"
Chun-rang said,
"Why does my lady speak thus? Lord Yang carries the Yangnyusa upon his person, and I have often seen him recite it shedding tears and sighing."
Jin answered,
"If old feelings remain in Lord Yang, then even if I cannot see him again and die, I shall have no regrets."
She then told of receiving Lord Yang's writing on a silk fan, and Chun-rang also said, "The treasures I carry upon my person are all known to Lord Yang."
As they were about to continue speaking, a palace maid announced that Lady Jeong Sado would soon depart; a message was conveyed, and the two princesses entered to attend her. The Empress Dowager then instructed the lady,
"Yang Soyu will soon return. The former divorcee will naturally re-enter your household gate again, but since Yeongyang is now my daughter, I intend to hold the weddings of your two daughters together; do you permit this?"
Lady Choi prostrated herself and replied,
"This humble woman only awaits the Empress Dowager's disposition."
The Empress Dowager laughed and said,
"Yang Sangseo thrice defied the state's arrangements for Yeongyang's sake, so I too wish to test him once. The fortune-teller had said, 'It is an ill-omened bamboo road,' so after Lord Yang returns, tell him, 'Jeong Sojeo happened to fall ill and unfortunately passed away.' Also, I wish to test whether he recognizes her face from before."
Having received Lady Choi's instructions and taken leave, as she was about to depart, Yeongyang came outside the gate to bow and see her off, calling Chun-un aside to quietly tell her the trick to deceive Yang Sangseo. Chun-un asked, "I have already become both an immortal and a ghost in deceiving Lord Yang, and that still weighs on my mind; to carry out another trick again — would it not be too rude and unseemly?"
Princess Yeongyang said,
"This is not something we are doing; it is an order from the Empress Dowager."
Chun-un withdrew with a smile.
Chancellor Yang Returns to Jeong Sado's House
At this time, Marshal Yang fed his troops with the waters of Baengnokdam, and the soldiers’ morale became as it had been before. Since all of them wished for a single battle, the marshal summoned all his generals, settled their strategy, and at the sound of one drumbeat advanced at once. Chanbo had just received the pearl sent by Sim Yoyeon and, learning that Marshal Yang’s army had already passed Bansagok, was greatly startled and afraid. As he was discussing going out to surrender, all his generals seized Chanbo, bound him, and came to Marshal Yang’s camp to submit. Thus the battle ended without incident.
The marshal once again put the ranks of his army in order, forbade pillage in the enemy capital, and cared for and comforted the people. He ascended the Kunlun Mountains (China’s greatest mountain range), erected a stone stele recording the might and virtue of the Tang, then turned his army back, singing songs of triumph. As he was hastening home, he reached the land of Jinju, and by then it was already autumn. The mountains and streams were desolate, heaven and earth bleak; cold flower petals stirred sorrow, and flying geese evoked grief, making the loneliness of a traveler’s window all the more keen.
That night the marshal entered a guest lodging. His thoughts were gloomy, and the long night was only still and silent, so he could not fall asleep. In his heart he thought to himself, “It has already been three years since I left my homeland. Mother’s strength cannot be as it was before; to whom has her nursing been entrusted, and when shall I attend upon her morning and evening? I have quelled the rebellion and achieved my aim today, yet I have still not fulfilled my desire to serve my aged mother. This is not the way of a man’s son. Moreover, for several years I have been occupied with affairs of state and have yet to take a wife, and it will also be difficult to be certain of my marriage with the Jeong family. Now that I have recovered five thousand li of territory and subdued a million enemy soldiers, the Son of Heaven will surely bestow upon me a great office as reward, repaying the hardships of this body that raced across the battlefield. If I return that office and report these circumstances in detail, begging that he permit my marriage with Miss Jeong, perhaps he may grant it.”
When his thoughts reached this point, his heart eased somewhat. He laid his head on the pillow and dozed for a moment. In his dream, his body flew up into the heavens, where a palace of seven treasures shone with splendid painted beams and five-colored clouds gleamed exquisitely. Then two maidservants said to the marshal,
“Miss Jeong requests the marshal’s presence.”
Marshal Yang followed the maidservants into a wide courtyard where flowers were in full bloom. Three fairy maidens were gathered and seated atop a white-jade tower. Their attire was like that of imperial consorts, and the radiance of pearls and jade dazzled the eyes. They were leaning on the railing, playing with flowering branches, but when they saw the marshal enter, they left their seats and welcomed him in. After he was seated, the fairy maiden in the upper seat asked first, “Marshal, have you been well since our parting?”
The marshal looked closely and saw that she was Miss Jeong, with whom he had once discussed the melodies of the geomungo. Startled and delighted, he wished to speak, but instead could find no words. The fairy maiden said, “Now I have already parted from human ties and have come to wander in Heaven. When I think of old days, I am saddened. Even if you should see my parents, you will not hear news of me.”
Then, pointing to the two fairy maidens beside her, she said,
“This one is the Weaver Maiden Immortal, and that one is the Great Fragrant Jade Maiden. If they first form a fine pledge with the marshal, then this humble one too shall have something to rely upon.”
At this, the marshal looked at the two fairy maidens. The one seated in the lowest place had a face that, though familiar, he could not recall.
Presently he was startled awake by the sound of drums. It had been but a spring dream, and when he thought of the matters in the dream, none of them seemed auspicious.
Marshal Yang then sighed to himself,
“Lady Jeong has surely died. Gye Seomwol’s recommendation and Du Ryeonsa’s matchmaking were all not the guidance of the Old Man under the Moon. We failed to fulfill our destined bond, and she has already gone to another world—is this fate, or is it Heaven? They say even the ominous may turn auspicious; could those words perhaps have referred to my dream?”
So he said.
After some time had passed, the vanguard had already reached the capital. When the Son of Heaven personally came out to Wei Bridge to receive him, Marshal Yang wore a phoenix-plumed purple-gold helmet and golden chain armor, riding a thousand-li Dayuan horse. Before, behind, left, and right, he was escorted by the white yak-tail standard, the yellow battle-axe, and banners painted with dragons and phoenixes bestowed by the Emperor. Chanbo was confined in a prisoner’s cart and placed before the army, while the kings of Tubo’s thirty-six armies each carried tribute goods and followed behind the ranks. The grandeur of it was rarely seen through the ages.
The marshal dismounted and bowed his head to the ground before His Majesty. His Majesty personally took Marshal Yang by the hand and raised him, praised him for accomplishing his military merit, and immediately issued an edict to the court.
Following the old precedent of Guo Fenyang, he granted him land and enfeoffed him as a king, richly rewarding him.
Marshal Yang revealed his sincerity and firmly declined, refusing to accept. His Majesty followed Marshal Yang’s loyal intention and issued another imperial decree, making Yang Soyu Grand Chancellor, enfeoffing him as Duke of Wei, and granting him a fief of thirty thousand households. The other rewards were so numerous they cannot be recorded here one by one.
Chancellor Yang followed the Emperor’s carriage into the palace and expressed his thanks. His Majesty at once ordered that a Banquet of Great Peace be held, showing the favor of treating him with due ceremony. He also commanded that Chancellor Yang’s portrait be painted in the Qilin Pavilion (a pavilion built by Emperor Xuan of Han, where the portraits of eleven meritorious officials were painted and hung).
When the chancellor withdrew from the palace and came to the house of Situ Jeong, all the relatives of the Jeong family were gathered in the ceremonial hall and welcomed the chancellor with bows. As each of them congratulated him, the chancellor first asked after Situ Jeong and his wife. Jeong Sipsam replied, “My uncle and aunt are still alive, but after suffering the bereavement of my younger sister, they grieved so bitterly that they fell ill. Their strength has grown feeble, and they cannot come out to the ceremonial hall to meet the chancellor. I ask that the chancellor enter the inner hall with me.”
Hearing this sudden tale, the chancellor seemed drunk, or as if he had gone mad, and could not bring himself to ask in haste. After being lost in thought for a while, he asked, “When did my father-in-law suffer the loss of his daughter?”
Jeong Saeng answered,
“My uncle had no sons and only this one daughter. Heaven’s way is heartless, bringing him to such a sorrowful pass, so how could he not be stricken with grief? When the chancellor enters, please take care not to show a sorrowful expression.”
The chancellor grieved and wept sorrowfully, his tears pouring down like rain and soaking his collar. Jeong Saeng consoled him, saying,
“Though the chancellor’s marriage pledge was firm as metal and stone, the fortune of our household was unfortunate, and this great affair has already gone awry. I ask that the chancellor think only of propriety and strive to comfort them.”
The chancellor shed tears and thanked Jeong Saeng, then entered the inner hall with him and paid his respects to Situ Jeong and his wife. They only rejoiced and congratulated him, and their words did not touch upon the young lady’s early death. The chancellor said,
“I had hoped that, fortunately relying upon the nation’s might, I would humbly receive a reward for my merit, express my gratitude, and also present my private matter to His Majesty so as to turn the August Emperor’s intention and fulfill the pledge of former days. But the morning dew has already dried first, and the spring light has already waned—how could I not have feelings over life and death?”
Situ Jeong frowned once, then composed his face and said, “Today is a day when the whole household gathers to congratulate a happy event, so let us set aside sorrowful talk.”
At the same time, Jeong Saeng gave the chancellor a firm look, so the chancellor ended his words and went out into the flower garden. Chun-un came down below the stone steps and welcomed him with delight. The moment the chancellor saw Chun-un, it was as though he had met Miss Jeong herself, and his sorrowful feelings grew still more acute; his tears would not cease.
Then Chun-un knelt and comforted the chancellor, saying,
“My lord, my lord! How could today be a day for my lord to grieve? I humbly beg my lord to turn his heart, gather his tears, and deign to listen to my words.
Our lady was originally an immortal of Heaven and came to the human realm in exile. Therefore, on the day she ascended to Heaven, she said to this lowly maid,
‘You too must sever your ties with Minister Yang and follow me again. Since I have already abandoned the human world, if you return again to Minister Yang, how could I part from you? When the minister returns sooner or later, if he thinks of me and grieves, be sure to convey my words to him, saying: “Since the betrothal gifts have already been returned, we are no different from people meeting upon the road. Moreover, there is the former suspicion of his having heard my geomungo. If he thinks on me excessively and grieves too much, he will be disobeying His Majesty’s command and following private affection, and this will bring blame even upon the dead. How could that not be troubling? Also, if he holds rites at my grave, or weeps before the spirit-tablet shrine, then he is treating me as a woman of improper conduct. Even beneath the earth, how could I not feel disappointed? Furthermore, I hear that His Majesty is waiting for the minister’s return to discuss again a marriage with the princess. I have heard that the dignity and virtue of Guan Ju (short for “Guan guan cry the ospreys, on the islet in the river”; that is, when the ruler and his consort are harmonious, that virtue naturally reaches those below) are fitting for a gentleman’s mate. To obey the imperial command and not fall into guilt is what I hope for.”’
That is what she said.”
When the chancellor heard Chun-un’s words, his sorrow welled up still more, and he said, “Though the young lady’s last words were like this, how could I endure my grief? Even if I died ten times over, it would be difficult to repay her grace.”
Thereupon the chancellor told her of the dream he had had in the army camp. Chun-un shed tears as she listened, and when the chancellor finished speaking, she said,
“The young lady must surely be in the Jade Capital. After a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, how could there be no appointed time for the chancellor to meet her again? Please do not grieve too much and harm your vital energy.”
The chancellor asked again,
“Aside from this, did the young lady say nothing else?”
“Though there was something she said to me alone, it is difficult for Chun-un to speak it with her own mouth.”
The chancellor straightened his face and said,
“Do not conceal what you heard. Report it all, one by one!”
Chun-un said,
“The young lady also said to this lowly maid,
‘Chun-un and I are as one body. If the minister cannot forget me, and sees Chun-un as he would see me, and in the end does not abandon her, then though my body enters the earth, it will be as if I personally receive the minister’s grace.’
That is what she said.”
When the chancellor heard the words Chun-un conveyed, he grieved still more and said, “How could I abandon Lady Chun? Moreover, since the young lady entrusted this to me, even if I were to take the Weaver Maiden as my wife and Consort Fu (the goddess of the Luo River) as my concubine, I swear I would not betray Lady Chun.”
So he swore.
The next day, the Son of Heaven summoned Chancellor Yang to see him and instructed him, “Previously, because of the princess’s marriage, the Empress Dowager issued an especially stern punishment, and Our heart too was uneasy. Now that there is nothing else to consider, We have waited for your return in order to conduct the princess’s wedding. However, you are still young, and in your hall there is your honored mother, so how could you distinguish all the rites by yourself? Moreover, the residence of the Grand Chancellor cannot be without a mistress, and in the ancestral shrine of the Duke of Wei, the second offering (the second libation made by the mistress during a sacrifice) cannot be omitted. We have already built the chancellor’s residence and the princess’s palace, and are only waiting for the day of the ceremony. Will you still not consent now?”
The chancellor bowed his head to the ground and replied,
“Your subject’s crime of having disobeyed several times would not be regrettable even if he died ten thousand deaths. Yet Your Majesty repeatedly issues imperial instructions, and Your words are warm and generous, so this subject is truly terrified and grateful, and has nowhere to die even if he wished it. This subject truly has no ability, his family standing is lowly, and his talent shallow, so he is not fit for the position of imperial son-in-law.”
His Majesty was greatly pleased and immediately issued an edict to the Qintianjian (the office in charge of astronomy, calendrical calculations, divination, and forecasts), ordering them to choose an auspicious day and present it. The Grand Astrologer chose the fifteenth day of the ninth month as the auspicious day and reported it to His Majesty, so only a few dozen days remained.
His Majesty again instructed the chancellor,
"The other day, because the marriage was not fully settled, I could not yet tell you. In truth, I have two sisters; both are of extraordinary noble blood. Though I would seek again a person like Your Excellency, where could such a one possibly be? Therefore, receiving the Empress Dowager's command, I intend to send both sisters down to you in marriage."
The Chancellor suddenly recalled the dream he had had at the Pearl Guesthouse and found it very strange in his heart. He prostrated himself and said,
"Since your servant received the selection as Prince Consort, I have been overwhelmed with awe. Now Your Majesty intends to bestow two princesses upon one man's person—a thing unheard of since the founding of the state. How could your servant dare to bear it?"
The Emperor consoled him, saying,
"Your merits are sufficient to rank first in the state, yet there is no way to repay such service. Therefore, I have the two sisters attend you. Moreover, the sisterly love between them springs from Heaven itself, so that when they stand they follow each other, when they sit they rely upon each other, and they wish never to part even in old age. Thus, to marry them to one husband is also the Empress Dowager's wish. You must not refuse. Furthermore, the palace lady Jin is the daughter of a family of officials for generations. She possesses beauty and literary talent, and the princesses love her as dearly as their own hands and feet. Thus, when bestowing this marriage, we wish to make her a concubine as well. I hereby inform you of this too."
At this, the Chancellor, unable to overcome his awe at the Emperor's consideration, expressed his thanks and withdrew from the palace.
By this time, Princess Yeongyang had already resided in the palace for several months. She served the Empress Dowager with the utmost devotion, and moreover, with Princess Nanyang and Lady Jin, her heart was as one with them, like blood sisters. For this, the Empress Dowager loved her all the more. As the wedding date drew near, she quietly addressed the Empress Dowager: "When I first determined the left-right seating with Nanyang, my being in the upper seat was extremely presumptuous. Had I refused to the end, it would have seemed to defy the Empress Dowager's loving kindness, so I followed reluctantly, but this was not my original intention. Now, returning to Chancellor Yang's house, if Nanyang yields the first seat, this too would be improper. I humbly beg that the Empress Dowager and His Majesty consider the proper rites and set our positions aright, so that all four of us may be at ease and the family laws not fall into disorder."
Princess Nanyang, who was at the Empress Dowager's side, said,
"Her virtue and talent are in every way a teacher to me. Though she belongs to the Jeong clan, I ought to yield to her as a younger sister yields to her elder. Since we have become sisters, how can there be any distinction between wives? Though I become the second wife, I shall not lose the dignity of being the daughter of a benevolent ruler. Yet if I were placed above, where indeed would be the Empress Dowager's original intention in raising her?"
The Empress Dowager discussed the matter with His Majesty:
"How should we handle this?"
The Emperor replied,
"Nanyang's yielding comes from the utmost sincerity. Yet since the founding of the state, I have never heard of such a thing regarding an imperial princess. I pray that Your Majesty regard her humble, yielding virtue as beautiful, and allow this beautiful intention to be fulfilled."
The Empress Dowager said,
"The Emperor's words are correct."
So she spoke.
Thereupon, His Majesty issued an edict: Princess Yeongyang was made Left Madame; Princess Nanyang was enfeoffed as Right Madame; and Lady Jin, being the daughter of a family of officials, was enfeoffed and made a concubine.
By precedent, a princess's wedding was held outside the palace gates, but this time the Empress Dowager specially issued an edict commanding the ceremony to be held within the inner palace. When the auspicious day arrived, Chancellor Yang performed the rites with the two princesses, wearing an official robe and jade belt (a robe embroidered with a qilin and a belt bound with jade).
The splendor of their dress and the grandeur of the ceremony are beyond description. After the ceremony, when seats were taken, Concubine Jin also paid her respects and then stood in attendance beside the princesses. When the Chancellor offered them seats, it was as if three immortal maidens had descended from Heaven, resplendent and dazzling, so that the Chancellor wondered if he were not in a dream.
That night, the Chancellor shared a pillow with Princess Yeongyang. The next morning they paid their respects to the Empress Dowager early, and she hosted a banquet in their honor. The Emperor and Empress also stood in attendance to the left and right of the Empress Dowager, enjoying themselves all day. That night, the Chancellor again shared a blanket with Princess Nanyang. On the third day he went to Concubine Jin's chamber. The concubine suddenly shed tears, and the Chancellor asked in surprise, "Today it is right to laugh, yet it is not right to cry! There must be some reason; speak the truth."