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Translator's note: Finally there are advance chapters availaible on Kofi
Chapter 125
In Chonghui Palace, Fu Ling entered the inner hall with a grave expression. Just as she lifted the second curtain, bringing in a gust of cool air, the person inside began coughing incessantly. Regret flashed through Fu Ling's eyes as she hurried forward:
"This servant was careless in my haste and forgot Your Ladyship cannot be exposed to cold air."
With difficulty, Ling Zhāoróng finally calmed the itch in her throat. Veins protruded on the back of her hand. She shook her head, unconcerned with these matters: "What's happening at Kunning Palace?"
Fu Ling lowered her head:
"News came that the Empress seems to be having a difficult birth. The midwife asked His Majesty whether to preserve the child."
Ling Zhāoróng was stunned, then suddenly laughed aloud. She laughed with such satisfaction, her body continuously trembling. After quite a while, she said, unable to suppress her laughter:
"Look—Heaven still has eyes! Before I could even act, she's about to destroy herself!"
"In that case, Your Ladyship, should we still continue?"
Ling Zhāoróng 's laughter stopped abruptly. She looked up at Fu Ling, saying slowly:
"Why not?"
Fu Ling feared something would happen to her mistress:
"The Empress is already in such a state, Your Ladyship has no need to implicate yourself!"
"It's merely a difficult birth. It may not take her life." Ling Zhāoróng calmly interrupted her words.
She wanted to ensure absolute certainty. She would never leave the outcome to Heaven's will. Otherwise, what had she been suffering through all these years for?
Fu Ling bit her lip hard, holding back tears that threatened to surge from her eyes.
Ling Zhāoróng tenderly stroked her forehead, weakly managing a smile:
"Bring the young princess here."
She'd buried all her regrets in her heart. From now on, she couldn't accompany the princess as she grew up, couldn't watch the princess come of age and marry. How could she not feel regret?
Fu Ling wiped her tears. For the first time, she didn't follow her orders, kneeling to plead with her:
"Even if we must continue, Your Ladyship has no need to expose yourself! I beg you, please reconsider. The young princess cannot do without you!"
Ling Zhāoróng only looked at her tenderly, saying nothing more.
Fu Ling said many things, ultimately collapsing on the ground in despair, wailing. She'd served by Her Ladyship's side since she'd entered the manor. To her, Her Ladyship wasn't merely a mistress, but like a sister, like a mother.
In a daze, she glimpsed Her Ladyship's eyes—beneath the tenderness lay some sadness. Suddenly she hated the Empress to the extreme.
If not for the Empress! Why would Her Ladyship have suffered so much all these years?!
Fu Ling could say no more words of persuasion. She staggered out and brought the young princess back. She knew—this time, Her Ladyship wanted to spend time with the young princess.
At the same time, Kunning Palace was in complete chaos.
Noble Lady Yao knelt on the ground, looking at the civet cat thrown on the floor. It could only weakly meow a few times, but she absolutely didn't dare step forward to pick up A Ya. She even wished to distance herself from it!
Noble Lady Yao was going mad. Why had A Ya gone to startle the Empress?!
Noble Lady Lin lowered her head, hiding herself in the crowd.
Gu Han glanced at Noble Lady Lin, connecting together everything she'd done during this time. She roughly guessed today's incident couldn't be separated from Noble Lady Lin, but the problem was—why would Noble Lady Lin want to harm the Empress?
Noble Lady Lin had always been Consort Shu's person. She had no direct grievance with the Empress. She didn't even have imperial favor or heirs. Harming the Empress brought her no benefits whatsoever.
Moreover, based on Gu Han's understanding of Noble Lady Lin, she was someone who curried favor with the powerful but was also selfish and self-interested. Even if Consort Shu forcibly required her to harm the Empress, she would only make excuses. She'd never invite such trouble upon herself.
In this palace, to harm someone, there were mainly three reasons: profit, revenge, or framing someone else.
Noble Lady Lin didn't qualify for the first two, so it was the last one?
Gu Han narrowed her eyes slightly. She was quite curious, if it truly was as she speculated, then who did Noble Lady Lin want to frame using this incident?
Gu Han believed she'd had no significant grievances with Noble Lady Lin since entering the palace. Even if there were any, they weren't enough to make her take such a risky move. Once discovered, this was a capital crime that could destroy entire clans.
Moreover, even if she luckily escaped with her life, the Lin family in the court wasn't easy to provoke.
Noble Lady Yao clutched Lu Yu's robe, crying like a person made of tears:
"Your Majesty! You must believe me, I have no reason to harm the Empress! Moreover, A Ya went missing before evening. I've been sending people to search for her. If this were truly my doing, why would I make such a spectacle?!"
"I beg Your Majesty to see clearly, someone must be trying to frame me!"
Lu Yu also didn't believe today's incident was Noble Lady Yao's doing. Not because she didn't have malice, but because she didn't have the brains!
Noble Lady Yao was frightened to the bone. No matter how stupid she was, she knew what crime it was to plot against the mother of the nation. Even if her father and brothers doted on her, they couldn't protect her and would even be implicated by her. Perhaps in desperation, Noble Lady Yao suddenly looked at Noble Lady Lin:
"It's her! It's Noble Lady Lin!"
Now Noble Lady Yao had no regard for her friendship with Noble Lady Lin: "A Ya is very shy with strangers, but this evening, Noble Lady Lin suddenly sent me a message telling me to take A Ya out for a walk. Moreover, it was after she held A Ya that A Ya ran away in distress!"
"Your Majesty! It must be Noble Lady Lin deliberately scheming against me!"
Gu Han imperceptibly raised an eyebrow, quite unable to understand this situation. Everyone had witnessed Noble Lady Lin's recent behavior. So what exactly was Noble Lady Lin trying to do?
Who did Noble Lady Lin actually want to harm? And she had to drag herself into this muddy water too.
Everyone's gazes followed Noble Lady Yao's words to land on Noble Lady Lin. Under everyone's stares, Noble Lady Lin's expression changed repeatedly. Her legs seemed somewhat weak as she frantically explained:
"It has nothing to do with me! Why would I harm Her Ladyship?!"
But how could Noble Lady Yao easily let her clear her suspicion? She desperately thought about what Noble Lady Lin had done during this time. Suddenly, she said through gritted teeth:
"Your Majesty! It was Noble Lady Lin who hinted that I should raise A Ya. Otherwise, how would I suddenly think to raise such a thing?"
Civet cats were precious. Even with her high status in Yaomo, they were rarely seen. After coming to the capital, if someone hadn't deliberately reminded her, she'd never have thought to raise a cat.
Noble Lady Yao wished she could skin Noble Lady Lin alive. By now, how could she not know, Noble Lady Lin's recent friendship with her was all to frame her! She was both angry and resentful:
"What vicious thoughts you have! I actually thought we'd developed some sisterly feelings. I even thought of putting in a good word for you when I saw His Majesty. But you had ill intentions all along! Bitch!"
Clearly the current situation was so tense no one dared breathe heavily, but when Noble Lady Yao's words came out, many people felt rather speechless. She herself hadn't seen the Emperor in ages, where did this sense of superiority come from that she could put in good words for others?
Even Gu Han couldn't help pressing her hand to her forehead.
Noble Lady Lin was also disgusted by her shamelessness, but her eyes darted about evasively, clearly feeling somewhat guilty about Noble Lady Yao's words. She subconsciously glanced at Consort Shu.
Consort Shu's heart immediately sank.
Ever since Noble Lady Yao accused Noble Lady Lin, she had vaguely felt something was wrong. When Noble Lady Lin looked over with that glance, she knew her guess was correct. Today's incident, it was actually aimed at her!
Gu Han raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Suddenly, Xiao Fangzi leaned close to her ear and said softly: "Today in the pavilion, Consort Shu told Noble Lady Lin not to visit Yi'an Palace anymore."
Xiao Fangzi should have reported this news to Gu Han earlier, but the Empress's incident happened so suddenly that he'd temporarily forgotten.
Gu Han understood. So these two had fallen out.
She recalled that time Consort Shu had intercepted Noble Lady Lin's favor and felt the current scene wasn't at all surprising. Noble Lady Lin had always been vengeful. Previously, Yuan Cáirén had merely offended her slightly, and she'd held a grudge. After Yuan's demotion, she had suffered quite a bit of torment from Lin.
Many people saw that glance. Someone immediately asked:
"Why are you looking at Consort Shu?! Could it be..."
The person beside her didn't finish speaking, but that drawn-out tone invited endless speculation. Gu Han glanced at her, knowing she was from the Empress's camp. The Empress and Consort Shu had never gotten along. Their subordinates also had many conflicts.
Plus Consort Shu had been favored for many years, already making others jealous. Naturally people wanted to take this opportunity to pull Consort Shu down.
Consort Shu sneered coldly, her face grim with mockery:
"If Xiao Cáirén has something to say, speak clearly!"
Xiao Cáirén, after being squeezed, immediately reddened her eyes: "I meant nothing by it. The Empress's condition is currently unclear. I simply don't want to overlook any clues. If I've offended Consort Shu, please forgive me."
Saying this, she knelt on the ground, sobbing a few times, wiping tears with her handkerchief.
Lu Yu's expression grew increasingly grim. Noble Lady Lin had long since panicked. She seemed to think of something, her face turning white. Then her eyes looked resentfully at Consort Shu:
"Your Majesty! I truly didn't know! Noble Lady Yao's cat—I did indeed hint for her to get it."
Before Noble Lady Yao could bite back, she hurriedly added: "But I was also being manipulated!"
"It was Consort Shu! After Consort Shu's A Li was expelled from the palace by the Empress Dowager, she had been melancholy. Later when Noble Lady Yao moved into Yi'an Palace, she had me hint for Noble Lady Yao to adopt A Ya."
Consort Shu was almost laughing from anger: "Just a cat—if I wanted to raise one, must I do it through someone else's hands?"
Noble Lady Lin retorted:
"I advised Your Ladyship the same way then, but Your Ladyship knew the Empress Dowager wouldn't agree to you raising a cat, so you thought of this inferior plan."
"Even today was Consort Shu's manipulation!"
Noble Lady Yao looked dumbfounded, momentarily not knowing whom to hate. Noble Lady Lin said:
"I had clearly already met with Noble Lady Yao before noon. If not for Your Ladyship's instructions, why would I have Noble Lady Yao come out to meet again in the evening? Wouldn't that invite suspicion for no reason?"
"Your Ladyship raised cats before and understands feline nature best. You told me to hold A Ya harder, causing A Ya pain so she'd flee. Though I don't know why A Ya came to startle the Empress, clearly all of this was Your Ladyship's scheme!"
Consort Shu laughed coldly several times:
"Complete nonsense!"
Noble Lady Lin clutched her handkerchief, crying terribly, completely ignoring Consort Shu and talking to herself: "If I'd known Your Ladyship harbored thoughts of harming the legitimate son, how could I have followed orders? This is a capital crime that destroys entire clans!"
Gu Han was dumbstruck. In Noble Lady Lin's unreasonable pestering, Gu Han actually saw shadows of Yuan Cáirén from back then.
Noble Lady Yao also looked at Consort Shu suspiciously. After all, in terms of benefit, Noble Lady Lin truly had no reason to harm the Empress. Consort Shu was more likely.
As long as the Empress was eliminated, Consort Shu would be the highest-ranking consort in the palace.
That position wasn't unimaginable.
Even Gu Han couldn't help becoming somewhat suspicious of Consort Shu. For a moment, everyone exchanged glances, each with their own calculations.
Consort Shu seemed to sense something. She looked up at the Emperor:
"Does Your Majesty also believe her one-sided words?"
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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