Escaped Fish (2)
Taking advantage of the deep night when everyone was meeting with Zhou Gong, Ji-shi wrapped her newborn son in cloth, kissed his tiny face, looked at him again and again, then with reddened eyes, tearfully handed the child to a palace maid named Qiu Yue.
Ji-shi cried: “Take the child and hand him over to Eunuch Zhang at the gate, have him send the child out of the palace to be abandoned. Whether the child lives or dies, it will be left to fate.”
Qiu Yue timidly asked: “What if the Emperor finds out?”
Ji-shi said sorrowfully: “I’m afraid that before the Emperor knows, Consort Wan will already know.”
Yes, this was the only way out.
Just as Qiu Yue was about to leave with the child, Ji-shi suddenly said: “Wait.” Despite her weakness, she struggled to get up and take one last look at her child. Perhaps this farewell would be their last in this lifetime.
The child’s small face was red, with blood not yet wiped off.
Having just been nursed by Ji-shi, he was full and had closed his eyes, sweetly asleep.
Ji-shi gritted her teeth and said firmly: “Go.”
The child was handed to eunuch Zhang Min.
Zhang Min was kind-hearted and loyal to the Emperor. He couldn’t bear it and thought of helping the Emperor: The Emperor still had no living son, and now that a child had finally appeared, complete with eyes, nose, and mouth, how could he be abandoned?
Zhang Min was experienced and cunning, having seen more and known more people in the palace than Ji-shi. He secretly took the child to Empress Wu, hoping she would help, knowing they shared a deep hatred for Wan Zhen’er. Zhang Min was certain Empress Wu would not refuse.
Wu took great care of this little prince, hiding him in a secret chamber and rationing food, saving up powdered milk and honey-like foods, with Zhang Min or herself caring for and feeding the prince every day.
The prince grew day by day.
He learned to walk.
He learned to speak.
Even more, the prince would call Wu “Your Highness” and Zhang Min “Gongong”. But he would not call out “Father” or “Mother”, because the prince did not know who his father or mother were, having never seen them.
