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"That's quite it！" rejoined lady Feng smiling sarcastically， "to those whom he looks upon as relatives， he's kindhearted， but with me and his mother he's as hard as steel."
"What you say， my lady， is very considerate，" remarked nurse Chao， "and I'm really so full of delight that I'll have another glass of good wine！ and， if from this time forward， your ladyship will act as you think best， I'll have then nothing to be sorry for！"
Chia Lien did not at this juncture feel quite at his ease， but he could do no more than feign a smile. "You people，" he said， "should leave off talking nonsense， and bring the eatables at once and let us have our meal， as I have still to go on the other side and see Mr. Chia Chen， to consult with him about business."
"To be sure you have，" ventured lady Feng， "and you shouldn't neglect your legitimate affairs； but what did Mr. Chia Chen tell you when he sent for you just a while back？"
"It was about the visit （of Yuan Ch'un） to her parents，" Chia Lien explained.
"Has after all permission for the visit been granted？" lady Feng inquired with alacrity.
"Though not quite granted，" Chia Lien replied joyously， "it's nevertheless more or less an accomplished fact."
"This is indeed evidence of the GREat bounty of the present Emperor！" lady Feng observed smirkingly； "one doesn't hear in books， or see in plays， written from time to time， any mention of such an instance， even so far back as the days of old！"
Dame Chao took up again the thread of the conversation. "Indeed it's so！" she interposed； "But I'm in very truth quite stupid from old age， for I've heard every one， high and low， clamouring during these few days， something or other about 'Hsing Ch'in' or no 'Hsing Ch'in，' but I didn't really pay any heed to it； and now again， here's something more about this 'Hsing Ch'in，' but what's it all about， I wonder？"
"the Emperor at present on the Throne，" explained Chia Lien， "takes into consideration the feelings of his people. In the whole world， there is （in his opinion）， no more essential thing than filial piety； maintaining that the feelings of father， mother， son and daughter are indiscriminately subject to one principle， without any distinction between honorable and mean. The present Emperor himself day and night waits upon their majesties his Father and the Empress Dowager， and yet cannot， in the least deGREe， carry out to the full his ideal of filial piety. The secondary consorts， meritorious persons and other inmates of the Palace， he remembered， had entered within its precincts many years back， casting aside fathers and mothers， so how could they not help thinking of them？ Besides， the fathers and mothers， who remain at home must long for their daughters， of whom they cannot get even so much as a glimpse， and if， through this solicitude， they were to contract any illness， the harmony of heaven would also be seriously impaired， so for this reason， he memorialised the Emperor， his father， and the Empress Dowager that every month， on the recurrence of the second and sixth days， permission should be accorded to the relatives of the imperial consorts to enter the palace and make application to see their daughters. The Emperor， his father， and Empress Dowager were， forthwith， much delighted by this representation， and eulogised， in high terms， the piety and generosity of the present Emperor， his regard for the will of heaven and his research into the nature of things. Both their sacred Majesties consequently also issued a decree to the effect： that the entrance of the relatives of the imperial consorts into the Palace could not but interfere with the dignity of the state， and the rules of conventional rites， but that as the mothers and daughters could not gratify the wishes of their hearts， Their Majesties would， after all， show a high proof of expedient grace， and issue a special command that： 'exclusive of the generous bounty， by virtue of which the worthy relations of the imperial consorts could enter the palace on the second and sixth days， any family， having extensive accommodation and separate courts suitable for the cantonment of the imperial body-guard， could， without any detriment， make application to the Inner Palace， for the entrance of the imperial chair into the private residences， to the end that the personal feelings of relations might be gratified， and that they should collectively enjoy the bliss of a family reunion.' After the issue of this decree， who did not leap from grateful joy！ The father of the honourable secondary consort Chou has now already initiated works， in his residence， for the repairs to the separate courts necessary for the visiting party. Wu T'ien-yu too， the father of Wu， the distinguished consort， has likewise gone outside the city walls in search of a suitable plot of ground； and don't these amount to well-nigh accomplished facts？"
"O-mi-to-fu！" exclaimed dame Chao. "Is it really so？ but from what you say， our family will also be making preparations for the reception of the eldest young lady！"
"That goes without saying，" added Chia Lien， "otherwise， for what purpose could we be in such a stir just now？"
