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Translator's note: Finally there are advance chapters availaible on Kofi
Chapter 94
The bright moon hung high, tree shadows scattered loosely, and lanterns hung around the traveling palace, yet they only accentuated the oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.
Lu Yu had remained in Yongyou Hall the entire time. Gu Han had also washed up early and gone to bed, but she sat upright holding her brocade quilt, without a trace of sleepiness in her eyes, her gaze falling through the latticed window onto the crescent moon in the sky.
She didn't know how long she waited quietly before finally hearing a series of urgent knocking:
"My lady, wake up quickly, something's happened outside!"
Soon, the entire vacation palace was ablaze with lights. The palace was quite cold at night. Gu Han wrapped herself in a cloak, without even combing her hair, and hurried to Panting Lake. When she saw the scene clearly, her eyes suddenly widened, and she immediately covered her mouth to suppress the exclamation about to escape.
Another corpse.
Kneeling beside the body, crying hysterically, was someone Gu Han recognized well, Rong Bǎolín's personal servant, Xiao Jiu.
She held Rong Bǎolín, crying until her face was covered in tears, her sobs full of grief, making others involuntarily feel sorrow. Someone couldn't bear to watch and turned their head away. Gu Han even heard someone curse:
"Who knows which damned killer has taken three lives consecutively, so lawless!"
Gu Han glanced at the person, it was Yuan Cáirén speaking with righteous indignation. This person was strange and contradictory. She loved stirring up trouble, and kneeling punishments and slaps were commonplace for her, but she rarely killed anyone. When encountering such matters, she would curse and complain.
Lu Yu arrived somewhat late. Upon arrival, he saw Gu Han covering her eyes, unwilling to witness the scene before her. Her face was somewhat pale, her delicate brows furrowed in a way that evoked pity. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, clearly having been awakened and rushed here.
The imperial palanquin descended. Everyone bowed in greeting. Gu Han was pregnant, and before she could bend down, Lu Yu had already helped her up first.
Consort Shu lowered her eyes indifferently.
The Imperial Guard Commander knelt on the ground, his expression terrible: "This subject has failed in his duty. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Lu Yu didn't bother looking at him and asked directly:
"Where are those on patrol?"
A team of Imperial Guards had long been kneeling behind their commander, almost in tears. They buried their heads respectfully and replied:
"Your Majesty, after evening, it was our turn to patrol. During the patrol, aside from Rong Bǎolín and her maid, we saw no one else pass through here."
Consort Shu sensed something amiss and frowned: "You saw Rong Bǎolín?"
Otherwise, with so many consorts, how could these Imperial Guards possibly recognize Rong Bǎolín?
After these guards explained in detail, everyone learned that when they encountered Rong Bǎolín, they had politely suggested she not approach Panting Lake. With so many incidents recently at the lake, they feared being held responsible—such caution was reasonable.
"But Rong Bǎolín said she had eaten too much at the evening meal and wanted to walk around to aid digestion, so we continued our patrol."
These words made some consorts frown. Gu Han also glanced at the guard. His words carried some implication of shirking responsibility, but no one could reproach him for anything. No matter how out of favor Rong Bǎolín was, she was still a mistress. If she wanted to walk nearby, they naturally didn't dare stop her.
Everyone in the harem was sensitive. Someone immediately said:
"With such incidents at the vacation palace, I can't even sleep peacefully, yet this Rong Bǎolín was so carefree she could overeat."
As soon as the words fell, many people's expressions changed, looking suspiciously at Xiao Jiu, who continued crying.
Lu Yu glanced at Liu An, who quickly left.
Xiao Jiu shuddered. Her mistress's death had left her completely lost. Now hearing the consorts' words with implied suspicion, she didn't know what to say. She buried her head against her mistress's corpse and wept bitterly.
But soon, Liu An returned. He seemed to be holding something. When he drew near, everyone could see clearly—he held a jade hairpin.
His sleeve was wet, and the hairpin had a broken corner, stained with some dirt.
Liu An presented the hairpin respectfully: "This servant found this object where Rong Bǎolín fell into the water. It appears it didn't just fall into the lake."
Everyone witnessed Xiao Jiu's body tremble.
Yuan Cáirén's eyes widened:
"Song Baolin must have been harmed by Rong Bǎolín! Today she discovered the hairpin was missing, so she made up an excuse to come to Panting Lake to destroy the evidence? But the night was dark and the path slippery, so she herself fell into the lake?"
The more Yuan Cáirén spoke, the more she felt this conjecture might be true. She even brought up the guards' testimony:
"The patrolling guards already said they saw no one else pass through here except Rong Bǎolín. If she wasn't guilty with a troubled conscience, could it be the place is haunted?!"
As soon as the word "haunted" came out, Lu Yu's face darkened: "Silence!"
Yuan Cáirén immediately covered her mouth, knowing she had spoken out of turn. She awkwardly stepped back, but even so, she felt she wasn't wrong.
Consort Shu glanced at the Emperor's hand supporting Gu Han, whether intentionally or not. Impatient to continue staying, she said airily:
"Rong Bǎolín is dead, but isn't there still someone alive?"
Xiao Jiu collapsed limply. Seeing this, who didn't know these master and servant had problems?
Gu Han heard Yuan Cáirén mutter softly: "Looks like even Heaven couldn't stand it anymore and took her."
Gu Han lowered her eyelids, pressing her lips without speaking. Was Heaven truly just?
Hearing their mistress had drowned, the palace servants attending Rong Bǎolín all rushed over. Gu Han's gaze imperceptibly fell on a certain spot for an instant. She covered her mouth, her brow showing discomfort. She said quietly:
"Your Majesty, I'm not feeling well. I'd like to return first."
Liu An had already had someone take Xiao Jiu away. The course of events still needed interrogation. This matter finally came to a conclusion.
Lu Yu looked at Gu Han and without thinking said directly: "I'll escort you."
The woman's face was deathly pale, as if she'd suffered some great ordeal. Lu Yu couldn't possibly let her return alone.
After the Emperor left with Noble lady Zhao, the others gradually dispersed. Even without the Emperor saying so, the Imperial Guard Commander went to receive his punishment. In the end, only Consort Shu's entourage remained at the original spot.
Ya Luo looked at her worriedly: "Your Ladyship, it's late. You should return to rest."
Noble Consort Shu unhurriedly withdrew her gaze from where the Emperor had departed. She asked casually:
"How many times has this been that His Majesty has abandoned me because of Noble Lady Zhao?"
Ya Luo lowered her head. She hadn't counted and didn't dare to count.
Noble Consort Shu seemed to feel this question had no meaning. Supporting herself on Ya Luo's hand, she walked toward Panting Lake. Ya Luo, not understanding, could only carefully support her.
Drawing near to Panting Lake, Consort Shu crouched down, her delicate fingers rubbing the soil there.
Ya Luo frowned: "It's dirtying Your Ladyship's hands."
The soil had been trampled, wet and shapeless. Noble Consort Shu carefully rubbed it between her hands. When she detected that trace of oil, diluted and mostly washed away, she laughed softly.
Wiping her hands clean with a handkerchief, she stood and only then said with lowered eyes:
"Skilled methods."
Ya Luo was terrified: "Rong Bǎolín didn't fall into the water herself?"
Consort Shu looked at her with amusement:
"Song Baolin and Jiang Zi were probably both harmed by her. That Song Baolin's matter still hasn't been traced to her shows how cautious she was. An accidental fall into the water couldn't possibly happen to someone like her."
Consort Shu hadn't thought much of it originally. Only when she saw Xiao Jiu's reaction did she sense something was wrong.
If Song Baolin was truly harmed by Rong Bǎolín, someone so cautious shouldn't have made such a careless mistake. She just didn't know whose scheme Rong Bǎolín had fallen into.
Ya Luo said softly: "Should we tell His Majesty?"
Noble Consort Shu was helped to stand and walked toward Xufang Hall. Hearing this, she pulled her lips into a smile, her eyes coolly indifferent:
"She killed Song Baolin and the other, completely disregarding me. Now that things have finally settled, why would I stir up trouble again?"
On this journey to the vacation palace, she coordinated many matters. Any mishap was her failure.
As for Rong Bǎolín, whether she fell into the water accidentally or was schemed against, this matter had to end here.
Consort Shu was tired of the continuous incidents, especially the looks those noble madams gave before leaving yesterday, all seeming to say that if only the Empress were here.
Especially yesterday when the Emperor bypassed her and handed the investigation to Liu An, that was the real blow to Consort Shu.
In the past when troubles arose in the harem, the Emperor always handed them to the Empress to handle. Why was it different with her?
In the Emperor's eyes, was she inferior to the Empress?
Consort Shu knew she shouldn't think this way, but she couldn't control it.
***
Gu Han had no idea what happened after she left. After being escorted back to Yuqing Court by the Emperor, she couldn't control herself and retched for a while. She kept the Emperor outside the second curtain.
Lu Yu's face was livid with anger. He lifted the curtain to enter.
Gu Han heard the movement and called out in panic: "Don't come in!"
Gu Han didn't dare gamble. She knew exactly how wretched she looked right now. The strange smell filling the room was difficult even for her to bear. If the Emperor saw it, who knew whether he would feel pity or disgust?
Even if it was pity, upon reflection afterward, he would probably feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Gu Han was unwilling to do anything that would damage her image, so she simply wouldn't let the Emperor in to see, eliminating this possibility.
But in the end, Lu Yu still came in. Gu Han covered her face and turned her back to him. Palace servants hurriedly covered the spittoon, and with the latticed windows wide open, the smell in the room dissipated somewhat. Lu Yu looked at the woman with dark eyes:
"Turn around. Let me see."
Gu Han shook her head. She wiped the corners of her mouth and rinsed with salt water. After quite a while, she slowly turned around and looked at Lu Yu accusingly: "Why did Your Majesty have to come in?"
Without waiting for Lu Yu to speak, she said listlessly again: "Your Majesty has seen all of my unseemly state."
Lu Yu's temples throbbed with a headache. What was she thinking all day?
Even in disarray, a beauty was still beautiful in her dishevelment. She sat on the soft couch, her hair hanging loose over her body, her cloak removed, the loose palace robes slipping somewhat with her movements. Lu Yu thought he glimpsed some spring scenery, but he hadn't looked closely at all.
The physician arrived quickly and took her pulse, only saying she should rest more and eat well. He didn't even prescribe medicine, showing she was truly fine.
Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief before irritably flicking her forehead:
"Stop overthinking everything all day."
"If I were tired of you, I wouldn't set foot in your hall at all."
Actually, Lu Yu was also surprised. Knowing there were unpleasant things in the room, he still had to enter because he was worried something might happen to this woman. This point was indeed unexpected for him.
Lu Yu couldn't say he had a cleanliness obsession, but he truly didn't like filth and disorder.
As for these matters, Lu Yu glanced at Gu Han and didn't say a word to her, afraid she would become smug.
What Gu Han had eaten for the evening meal had long been vomited out completely. Lu Yu ordered someone to prepare light food to bring in, but unfortunately Gu Han had no appetite and barely ate anything.
Lu Yu watched, imperceptibly frowning. Remembering the physician had said to keep her mood comfortable, he said:
"Tomorrow I'll issue an edict allowing the Marchioness to come to Yuqing Court to care for you during our time at the vacation palace.”
---
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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