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Translator's note: Finally there are advance chapters availaible on Kofi
Chapter 100
The Empress was granted a seat. The physician knelt to take her pulse, but just as he touched her pulse point, Physician Dan couldn't help but frown imperceptibly.
The pulse was chaotic, indicating this person's body was extremely weak, yet judging only by the Empress's complexion, one couldn't tell at all.
Physician Dan had doubts in his heart. He carefully checked her pulse. After a moment, the Empress's complexion improved. Physician Dan released her hand, respectfully lowering his head:
"After a brief rest, Your Majesty the Empress will be fine."
Consort Shu looked at the Empress. Her complexion had indeed improved considerably. Half-leaning against Mu Qiu, this person who was habitually resilient now also showed some vulnerability. Consort Shu barely averted her gaze.
Having contended with the Empress for so long, she was very clear that even if today's incident was truly the Empress's doing, it would be difficult to find evidence against her.
She had imperceptibly arranged for the Emperor to be away for two months. During that time, with her methods, she would have been able to accomplish many things.
Sure enough, when Liu An returned, he brought no good news.
The servant who shared sleeping quarters with Xiao Zezi, after receiving several strikes of the rod, cried that he knew nothing. He only remembered being sound asleep when there was movement from the bed next to his, but he thought Xiao Zezi was getting up in the night and paid no attention.
The thread of investigation truly broke at Xiao Zezi.
Lu Yu's expression was terrifyingly dark.
Suddenly, footsteps came from outside the hall. Everyone turned to look and saw a servant rushing in. Consort Shu recognized him, a young eunuch from the Emperor's quarters. The young eunuch held something in his hands, saying to Liu An in a low voice:
"Master, this was found under Xiao Zezi's bed."
Xiao Wenzi had acknowledged Liu An as his godfather, but in front of others, he always called him Master. One could say Liu An's most trusted person was him, so Liu An had just sent him to search Zhongsheng Hall.
Xiao Wenzi presented the bundle. Everyone cried out in surprise. Zhou Měirén frowned sarcastically:
"What a servant, even richer than me."
When the bundle was unwrapped, gold hairpins and jade bracelets clattered to the ground. Zhou Měirén's words were exaggerated, but they also illustrated that a servant could never possibly possess these things.
Eunuch Cheng's face turned livid with anger. For problems to occur under his jurisdiction, the charge of inadequate supervision was one he couldn't escape no matter what.
Consort Shu was somewhat shocked in her heart. She straightened up, staring intently at those gold hairpins and jade ornaments, saying crisply:
"A servant who tends a peach grove couldn't possibly save up this much silver. Xiao Zezi is already dead, there's no testimony to be had. If we want to find the true culprit, perhaps we should start with this pile of gold hairpins."
Aside from the plain silver hairpins that palace servants everywhere possessed, every single item in this palace was recorded.
When the gold hairpins fell to the ground, the Empress seemed to pause. She raised her eyes to glance at the gold hairpins on the ground. Before others could clearly see the expression in her eyes, she casually averted her gaze, placing her hand on her lower abdomen, furrowing her brow as if somewhat uncomfortable.
Palace servants took these gold hairpins away to examine them. The results came quickly. Liu An stammered:
"Your Majesty, the source of all these accessories is Kun—Kunning Palace..."
After speaking, Liu An kept his head firmly lowered.
After a wave of astonishment, the hall fell deathly silent. The expression on the Empress's face was also very surprised. She sat up straight, frowning at that pile of accessories, shaking her head in denial:
"Impossible!"
Lu Yu's pitch-black eyes were unfathomably deep as he looked coldly at the Empress: "The evidence is right here. How does the Empress still wish to explain?!"
The Empress looked up in shock. After quite a while, she finally recovered her lost voice:
"Just a pile of gold hairpins, and Your Majesty has determined it was me?"
Lu Yu said nothing. At this moment, silence was equivalent to acknowledgment. The Empress was helped to stand by Mu Qiu, as if wounded by the Emperor's heart. She closed her eyes, but still raised her head to look at the Emperor:
"I will not admit to things I have not done. Xiao Zezi was not instigated by me either."
Lu Yu asked coldly:
"The Empress's meaning is that someone stole these items from Kunning Palace and hid them under Xiao Zezi's bed to frame you?"
The Empress pressed her lips together without speaking, but her expression said nothing less than "precisely so."
Lu Yu was almost laughing from anger:
"You are the mistress of the six palaces! You're now telling me that someone stole a large quantity of accessories from your palace, and you knew nothing of it?!"
"Empress, do you not find this laughable?!"
The Empress frowned: "If this was truly done by me, why would I give him accessories from Kunning Palace? Isn't this clearly telling everyone that Xiao Zezi was instigated by me?"
She paused before lowering her eyes to add:
"I'm not that foolish."
What the Empress said wasn't without reason. Just as the consorts were somewhat hesitant, Consort Shu interrupted her words:
"The Empress speaks wrongly. The Empress is indeed clever, but servants aren't stupid either. To do such a beheading-worthy deed for someone, if they didn't hold some leverage in their hands, how could they be at ease?"
The Empress turned back, her gaze meeting Consort Shu's in the air. The Empress narrowed her eyes and said coldly:
"I would not do such a thing."
Noble Consort Shu gave a light scoff, groundlessly mocking: "Who knows."
The Empress refused to confess, but with evidence right before everyone's eyes, whether the Empress wanted to admit it or not, she had to. Mu Qiu stared at that pile of accessories, her eyes flickering slightly. She suddenly stepped forward and knelt:
"Your Majesty, this matter was absolutely not done by Her Majesty. These accessories aren't in Her Majesty's private treasury at all. Long ago, they were bestowed by Her Majesty upon Rong Bǎolín."
As the words fell, some people frowned. Consort Shu said:
"How laughable. Do you think that by pushing all the blame onto a dead person, there will be no testimony to refute it?"
Zhou Měirén silently added: "Moreover, why didn't Her Majesty the Empress mention these things earlier?"
No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like desperate sophistry that Mu Qiu had thought up in her urgency.
The Empress glanced at Mu Qiu without speaking. Mu Qiu kowtowed:
"If Your Majesty and Noble Consort Shu don't believe me, you may send someone to search Wanxi Hall. This pair of twin lotus bracelets is a set, both bestowed by Her Majesty upon Rong Bǎolín."
Lu Yu looked at the Empress with somber eyes. After a moment, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Consort Shu's heart immediately sank to the bottom. She turned her head away.
Soon, the palace servants who went to search returned, likewise bringing back the other twin lotus bracelet from Wanxi Hall, proving Mu Qiu's words were not false.
Noble Lady Lin, receiving a suggestive look from Consort Shu, muttered:
"It's also possible that Her Majesty only rewarded Rong Bǎolín with a single bracelet at the time."
At this moment, Mu Qiu took every whisper to heart. She suddenly turned to look at Noble Brilliant Lady Lin: "This servant doesn't know how Noble Lady Lin usually rewards others, but for Her Majesty, there has never been a reason to give only half of a set of accessories."
Noble Lady Lin's face alternated between green and red, extremely embarrassed.
But standing behind Mu Qiu was Her Majesty the Empress. Before Her Majesty the Empress had clearly fallen, Noble Lady Lin truly didn't dare retort confidently.
Now all suspicion seemed to fall on Rong Bǎolín. Only Zhou Měirén said very puzzledly:
"Her Majesty and Rong Bǎolín have no relationship whatsoever. Why would she bestow so many accessories on her?"
This wasn't just one or two pieces, but an entire bundle, enough to buy a mansion in the capital if pawned outside the palace.
Mu Qiu paused before saying in a low voice:
"Previously, Her Majesty's head constantly ached. It was Rong Bǎolín who offered a method that cured Her Majesty's illness. Seeing that Rong Bǎolín usually dressed plainly, Her Majesty bestowed these accessories upon her."
In just a few words, Mu Qiu had thrown all the dirty water onto Rong Bǎolín.
Consort Shu fell silent. Zhou Měirén didn't know what to say for a moment. The matter seemed settled. Regarding why Rong Bǎolín would want to harm Noble lady Zhao, no one had any objections, these two had long had friction between them.
Lu Yu pressed his thumb ring tightly. After a long while, he said:
"Even so, the Empress bears the fault of inadequate oversight. Regarding the affairs of the six palaces, I will request Mother Empress to temporarily take charge."
Previously, when the Empress had been divested of her power to manage the six palaces, it had all been at her own request. This was the only time she was forced to hand over power. The Empress paused before saying:
"I receive the decree."
And the culprit, Rong Bǎolín, had long since perished. Lu Yu couldn't punish a dead person. After the consorts dispersed, they all felt that today's events had been a complete reversal of fortune for the Empress.
Jiu Nian offered no opinion on the Emperor's actions. She only memorized all the details to tell her mistress when she woke. She didn't believe Rong Bǎolín had such capability!
Moreover, even if it was Rong Bǎolín's doing, then who had killed Xiao Zezi?
These were all obvious loopholes, but Consort Shu and the others hadn't exposed them. Jiu Nian knew at the time that today they wouldn't be able to bring down Her Majesty the Empress.
Zhongsheng Hall.
Eunuch Cheng had just returned to the hall when he waved his hand to dismiss those following him. He passed through the covered corridor and entered a side room. Sure enough, he heard several coughs from within, the person inside hadn't gone to sleep at all.
Eunuch Cheng pushed the door open. The person inside looked up at him. Illuminated by candlelight, the smile on his face was weak yet gentle:
"Eunuch has arrived.”
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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