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Translator's note: Finally there are advance chapters availaible on Kofi
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." Today, we join together in remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross and the profound sacrifice that changed the world forever. Have a blessed and reflective Easter season.
Chapter 79
The Emperor didn't favor the Empress, but he'd always shown her great respect. Forget the new consorts who had entered through the selection, even the consorts who had followed from the old residence had rarely seen the Emperor and Empress confront each other like this.
The Empress gripped Muqiu's wrist, her chest heaving violently, revealing her inner turmoil:
"Noble Lady Zhao once said something, she'd only heard of needing evidence to prove someone guilty. Since when did proving someone innocent also require evidence?"
Back when Lady Yu gave birth, Gu Han had used this line to silence everyone.
But now, the same words from the Empress's mouth achieved completely different results. Lu Yu raised his eyelids and looked at the Empress, his eyes emotionless and cold:
"That only works if your legitimate younger sister is truly innocent."
The Empress suddenly looked up, staring intently at the Emperor. After a long moment, she said hoarsely: "What does Your Majesty mean?"
Lu Yu was impatient to continue this dispute. He said coldly:
"Remember—you are the Empress, not merely Lady Lin's elder sister."
With that, Lu Yu directly flicked his sleeves and left.
Everyone in the hall stole glances at the Empress's expression, so nervous they didn't dare breathe. Zhāoróng Ling sighed silently. She rose and performed a difficult courtesy:
"This consort's health is poor. I'll take my leave first."
The Empress closed her eyes. Though she said nothing, her attitude had already given tacit consent. After Zhāoróng Ling left, Consort Shu glanced at the Empress, curled her lips rather boredly, casually bent her knees, and likewise turned to leave.
In no time, the consorts in the hall had all dispersed.
By now, Lu Yu had already entered the inner hall. The night had long grown deep. Gu Han lay on the bed sleeping soundly, only her delicate brows slightly furrowed, as if even her dreams weren't peaceful. Lu Yu reached out to smooth her brow.
Zhou Měirén, similarly pampered and spoiled, found the soft couch extremely uncomfortable to sleep on. Woken by the commotion, she barely opened her eyes and froze. She made no sound, only quietly watching as Cousin Emperor tucked in the covers around Noble Lady Zhao.
From Zhou Měirén's angle, she couldn't see the man's expression clearly—only that his movements were somewhat inexperienced but could definitely be called gentle.
The woman on the bed didn't seem to feel anything at all.
Zhou Měirén's heart felt stuffy and oppressed. She lay on the soft couch pretending to sleep, unwilling to face or speak with her cousin.
Morning court time was approaching. Lu Yu didn't stay long at Changchun Hall. He glanced at Zhou Měirén sleeping restlessly, frowned, and instructed A You:
"Wake your mistress and have her sleep in the side hall. When the rain stops, she can return to her palace on her own."
He paused, glanced at the woman who'd finally fallen asleep on the bed, and added: "Keep your movements quiet. Don't wake Noble Lady Zhao."
Zhou Měirén, who was pretending to sleep, immediately twitched her lips. The stuffy, complicated emotions in her heart vanished into thin air. She couldn't control herself and rolled her eyes. After Lu Yu left and A You woke her, she suddenly said:
"Familiarity breeds contempt."
The more time she spent with her cousin, the less Zhou Měirén understood why she.had liked him in the first place.
She clearly preferred gentle, refined men with good manners. Zhou Měirén pursed her lips. It must have been because they'd met so rarely before that she'd developed this illusion about Cousin Emperor.
Hearing such inappropriate words, A You's eyelids jumped violently: "My little ancestor, please shut your mouth!"
Zhou Měirén didn't take issue with A You's impertinence. The rain outside was indeed very heavy. She didn't refuse the Emperor's arrangement and moved into the side hall. If she really slept on that soft couch all night, she'd probably be ruined when she woke up.
The heavy rain fell like beans, pattering down. In Chonghui Palace, coughing sounds rang out continuously.
The palace maid felt deeply pained: "My lady, this servant will go fetch the physician right away!"
Noble Consort Ling stopped her:
"It's so late, cough cough cough... don't make a fuss... cough..."
She spoke the sentence intermittently, an unusual flush appearing on her forehead. After the itch in her throat subsided, she said: "Have them brew another dose of the palace medicine. I'll be fine after taking it."
Fu Ling quickly had the servants brew medicine, then couldn't help saying quietly:
"The Empress and the others went too far. With my lady in such condition, they still had to drag her into this disaster."
They knew full well that a small cold could take her lady's life, yet they still chose such a day to make her make this trip.
Zhāoróng Ling gently curved her lips: "The Empress's dislike of me hasn't been just a day or two."
Otherwise, how could she have been dragging out this existence, clinging to life with this broken body?
For someone like her, living one more day in this world was just one more day of suffering.
But she still had a daughter, a daughter with congenital deficiencies. With the slightest inattention, the little princess could die. With the Empress still in the palace, how could Noble Consort Ling rest easy and let go?
Fu Ling's voice grew hoarse. Bringing up this matter, she couldn't help but hate the Empress.
Zhāoróng Ling's lips curved. Her words remained gentle, showing she didn't care about other matters. Only regarding the Empress could she expend some energy. She said:
"However, today's trip gave me a surprise."
Fu Ling didn't understand her meaning. After a long moment, she said quietly: "Does my lady mean Noble Lady Zhao?"
Fu Ling was also surprised that the Noble Lady Zhao who'd been favored since entering the palace somewhat resembled her lady. Unlike other consorts' speculation, those in the know understood their own affairs, the Emperor's treatment of her lady could indeed be called trust, but it was only because of gratitude.
Favor someone else because of her lady?
Fu Ling didn't dare imagine this possibility. Just looking at how often the Emperor visited Chonghui Palace would give the answer.
Fu Ling said quietly: "This servant doesn't understand."
She didn't understand the surprise her lady mentioned, nor did she understand what the Empress was trying to accomplish today.
Noble Lady Zhao was unharmed. Zhou Měirén had only bumped herself slightly. Only Lady He and Lady Lin in the Cold Palace had lost their lives. If the person who planned today's incident was truly the Empress, it could only mean she'd lost both the lady and her soldiers.
Fu Ling voiced these thoughts to her mistress. Zhāoróng Ling only smiled:
"Do you know what life in the Cold Palace is like?"
Every woman in this harem had been pampered and spoiled. Who could get used to the mad, deranged life in the Cold Palace?
Fu Ling paused, not immediately understanding why her lady suddenly asked this question. After a long moment, her expression changed in shock:
"No... it can't be..."
A servant happened to bring in medicine. Zhāoróng Ling stopped talking. After drinking the medicine and having Fu Ling help her lie down, she heard her say:
"Perhaps before I close my eyes, I truly can have my wish."
Fu Ling looked up in shock.
**
Gu Han slept until dawn. By that time, Zhou Měirén had already been carried back to Changning Courtyard. She also learned the previous day's results from Jiu Nian.
Gu Han sat before the bronze mirror having her hair dressed. Hearing this, she imperceptibly furrowed her brows:
"So it really was her."
Jiu Nian was puzzled: "Who is my lady referring to?"
Gu Han glanced in a certain direction. Jiu Nian was somewhat surprised, yet felt it was both unexpected and expected.
She lowered her voice: "But His Majesty didn't find any connection between that person and this matter."
Gu Han imperceptibly shook her head:
"The more he can't find, the more suspicious it is. Besides, just looking at His Majesty's punishment, you can guess about half the truth."
The Emperor wasn't cruel. If Lady Lin truly had nothing to do with this matter, the Emperor had no need to slap the Empress's face and still take Lady Lin's life. This action itself explained many things.
Gu Han couldn't help recalling that not long after entering the palace, the message Xie Chang'an had sent her, beware of the Empress.
That was the only time Xie Zhangang had actively contacted her. But for so long, the Empress had made no moves. Apart from treating the Empress with more respect and caution, Gu Han had long stopped paying constant attention to her.
Gu Han had Little Fang Zi go gather information. Learning that Lady Lin had received white silk just last night, Gu Han couldn't help rubbing her forehead:
"What exactly does she want to do?"
From last night until now, many people wanted to know the answer to this question.
Only the master and servant pair in Kunning Palace truly knew the answer. Muqiu entered, exhausted. Seeing her lady sitting silently by the window, she approached with light steps and said quietly:
"My lady, the young miss has passed."
The woman by the window's movements paused. Muqiu couldn't bear it: "This servant watched over her. The young miss didn't suffer."
Muqiu still remembered that day she went to the Cold Palace to visit the sick Fifth Miss. The woman who'd been so elegant when first entering the palace had been tormented beyond recognition. Fifth Miss had clutched her hand, crying and begging:
"I don't want to stay in the Cold Palace anymore. I beg the Empress."
Even in the Cold Palace, an imperial consort couldn't commit suicide. Once they truly did so, it would be a crime implicating three generations of their clan.
The day Muqiu brought back this news, her lady had sat still just like now for an entire day. The next day, her Majesty had said hoarsely:
"I understand."
Returning to the present, Muqiu looked at the Empress before her and sighed quietly: "It just rained yesterday and there's still a chill. Please, my lady, take care of your health."
The Empress laughed coldly:
"Take care of my health?"
"Tell me, if Father and I hadn't thought of the method of borrowing a womb to bear a child, wouldn't the result have been completely different?"
Muqiu fell silent. She couldn't give any answer to this question.
After a long while, Muqiu seemed to see the empress with her back turned, wiping her cheeks, exhaling deeply: "I've become obsessed."
She turned around, her expression long since returned to normal:
"Noble Lady Zhao has always been cautious and careful. I never thought such small tricks could cause her to miscarry."
Of course Muqiu knew what her lady wanted to do. She still lowered her head without speaking. The Empress paid no mind, unhurriedly lowering her eyes as she asked:
"Any news from Chonghui Palace?"
"I heard they summoned the physician first thing this morning."
Muqiu heard her lady seem to laugh with satisfaction.
She sighed inwardly. Her lady had no real objective. Going through such a big circle, she was merely satisfying Fifth Miss while ensuring Zhāoróng Ling had no peace.
---
Translator's note: guys please i am looking for a volunteer editor, chat me up on dis cord if you are interested. Discord: d_ladypresident
Author's Note:
Kunning Palace: Empress
Yi'an Palace: Consort Shu
Xianleng Palace: Imperial Consort De
Zhaoyang Palace → Main Hall: Xiuyi He
Zhaoyang Palace → Side Hall: Rong Baolin
Yihe Palace → Changchun Pavilion: Female Lead
Rongcui Hall: Beauty Miao
Cuizhu Pavilion: Beauty Lin
Changning Courtyard: Zhou Meiren
Hanleng Palace → (Main Hall transferred to Side Hall): Talented Lady Yuan
Also appearing: Noble Lady Lin, Liu Baolin
Here are the ranks of imperial consorts:
- Empress (皇后 Huánghoù) — Head of the Imperial Harem
- Imperial Noble Consort (皇贵妃 Huáng Guìfēi) — Rank 1
- Noble Consort, Pure Consort, Virtuous Consort, Worthy Consort (贵妃、淑妃、德妃、贤妃 Guìfēi, Shūfēi, Défēi, Xiánfēi)** — Senior Rank 1 (The Four Consorts, with Noble Consort as the highest)
- Consort (妃 Fēi) — Junior Rank 2
- Bright Deportment, Bright Countenance (昭仪、昭容 Zhāoyí, Zhāoróng) — Senior Rank 3
- Cultivated Deportment, Cultivated Countenance (修仪、修容 Xiūyí, Xiūróng) — Junior Rank 3
- Noble Lady (贵嫔 Guìpín) — Senior Rank 4
- Imperial Concubine (嫔 Pín) — Junior Rank 4
- Beauty (美人 Měirén) — Senior Rank 5
- Talented Lady (才人 Cáirén) — Junior Rank 5
- Precious Grove (宝林 Bǎolín) — Senior Rank 6
- Imperial Woman (御女 Yùnǚ) — Junior Rank 6
- Palace Maid (宫女子 Gōngnǚzǐ) — Senior Rank 7
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