Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 52: Buried Alive

   “Bury this evil spawn right here on the spot!”

“Yes, Your Ladyship!”

“Waaah! Waaah!”

“No! Your Ladyship Noble Consort, no—please!” Noble Lady Yu struggled desperately, but she could not break free from the grip of the two eunuchs. She could only watch helplessly as her own child was lifted by one leg, dangling like a chick about to be slaughtered, and carried to the flower bed.

The jasmine flowers in the bed had been brutally shoveled away, leaving only a gaping black pit. The poor child was tossed into it, and from all sides, shovelfuls of yellow earth rained down onto his small body.

The palace maids led by Ming Yu, fearing they would bring trouble upon themselves, kept their mouths shut as if sewn with thread—furious but not daring to speak. Noble Lady Yu could not bear to watch the child she had carried for ten months be buried alive. She sobbed violently a few times, then her head tilted to one side as she fainted.

“Splash her awake!” Noble Consort Hui sneered coldly. “I want her to see with her own eyes what happens to those who oppose me!”

Splash!

A basin of icy well water was thrown onto Noble Lady Yu’s face. She slowly came to, her eyes still dazed. Only when she clearly saw what was happening before her did she realize that everything prior had not been a nightmare—it was reality unfolding right in front of her.

“Your Ladyship!” Noble Lady Yu struggled to her knees before her. “I beg you—spare my child! He truly is not a demon!”

Her humble and wretched appearance reflected in Noble Consort Hui’s eyes. A trace of cruel satisfaction crossed Noble Consort Hui’s face as she looked down at her and said:

“On the day of the lychee banquet, weren’t you so smug? And now you come begging me so quickly?”

With a glance from her, the two eunuchs released their hold. Freed, Noble Lady Yu immediately crawled to her feet like a dog and kowtowed frantically:

“Your Ladyship Noble Consort, even if I have offended you, the little prince is innocent—he has done nothing wrong! I beg you—if punishment is due, punish me instead! Spare his life! I beg you, I beg you, I beg you!”

Yet Noble Consort Hui only smiled and watched her, saying neither yes nor no.

In her ears rang the sound of the eunuchs shoveling earth—shovel after shovel. The little prince was still crying, each cry weaker than the last. Noble Lady Yu’s heart gradually turned to ice. She stopped pleading with Noble Consort Hui. Instead, she threw herself forward, covering her child with her own body—using her hands, her back, her frail frame to shield him from the falling dirt, refusing to let anyone harm him even a little more.

“Hah. How touching—such deep motherly love,” Noble Consort Hui said with a contemptuous laugh. “Very well then, since you insist, let mother and son go on the road together… What are you all waiting for? Do it!”

Several palace servants shivered but had no choice but to raise their iron shovels again, flinging handful after handful of yellow earth onto the two of them.

Just as it seemed the mother and son would be buried alive, a furious voice suddenly rang out.

“Stop!!”

Noble Consort Hui turned to look and sneered:

“You finally showed up. Come—seize her! This woman dares interfere with This Palace’s handling of demons. She must be in league with them. What are you waiting for? Take her down at once!”

“Your Ladyship Noble Consort!” Wei Yingluo strode forward, clutching a brocade box in her arms. She glared at Noble Consort Hui and said:

“This is Changchun Palace—not your Chuxiu Palace. You cannot run wild here! And all of you—”

Wei Yingluo swept her gaze across the surrounding palace servants, finally fixing it on Ming Yu’s face. She frowned and said:

“When Her Majesty the Empress left, what did she instruct? If anything happens to Noble Lady Yu’s Fifth Prince, none of us will survive!”

People tend to follow the crowd—especially this group of palace servants and lower attendants. Having served for so long, they had gradually lost any will of their own; they only followed orders. Few dared to take initiative or make decisions. Now that Wei Yingluo had spoken, it was as if they had found their backbone. They stopped floundering like headless flies. With visible relief, they rushed to the edge of the pit—some snatched the shovels from the eunuchs’ hands, some reached in to pull Noble Lady Yu out, others hurriedly brushed the dirt from her body.

Noble Consort Hui was furious at the sight:

“What are you doing? How dare you defy me—do you all want to rebel?!”

The group hesitated and looked toward Wei Yingluo.

“The ones defying orders are not us—it’s you!” Wei Yingluo scoffed with icy disdain. Suddenly she raised the golden brocade box high in both hands. “The Empress’s golden seal is here! None of you may act recklessly!”

Seeing the seal was akin to seeing the person herself. The palace servants immediately knelt in the direction of the box. Noble Consort Hui alone did not kneel; her eyes remained fixed intently on the brocade box in Wei Yingluo’s hands.

“The Empress’s golden seal represents the will of the mistress of the Six Palaces. Whether the Fifth Prince is truly a demon, and how Noble Lady Yu should be dealt with—all of it must await Her Majesty the Empress’s decree. No one—” Wei Yingluo stared straight at Noble Consort Hui and spoke each word deliberately—” may act on their own authority!”

Noble Consort Hui gnashed her teeth, about to say something, when suddenly a sharp, drawn-out announcement came from outside:

“This humble servant respectfully greets Your Majesty and wishes You eternal peace!”

“His Majesty!”

Noble Consort Hui was momentarily stunned. Seizing the chance to strike first, she rushed forward, grabbed the Emperor’s arm and said,

“Noble Lady Yu has given birth to a monstrous creature covered entirely in reddish-yellow! With the Empress absent from the palace, this consort has been temporarily entrusted with enforcing palace rules and must deal with both mother and child! Yet the people of Changchun Palace—especially this palace maid Wei Yingluo—dared to openly obstruct me!”

“Your Majesty, this servant did not dare to block Noble Consort from carrying out the law,” Wei Yingluo knelt to one side and explained, “However, before the Empress departed, She repeatedly instructed us servants to take good care of Noble Lady Yu. Until Her Majesty returns to the palace, no one is permitted to arbitrarily dispose of them. Moreover… whether the young prince is truly ill or is some kind of monster cannot be judged by the naked eye alone. Surely we must at least summon the imperial physicians for a proper diagnosis? Noble Consort’s action seems far too hasty!”

The Hongli Emperor gave her a glance, then quickly strode to Noble Lady Yu’s bedside. He lifted a corner of the swaddling cloth and looked inside. Instantly, his sword-like brows knitted tightly together.

Noble Consort Hui watched coldly from the side, inwardly delighted—only to hear the Emperor say:

“Li Yu, summon the Imperial Academy of Medicine for a joint consultation!”

Moments later, two imperial physicians hurried into Changchun Palace carrying their medical cases on their backs.

“Well?” The Emperor stood with hands behind his back beside the bed. “Is the prince sick?”

The two physicians exchanged a look. The older one replied helplessly,

“Your Majesty, this humble servant has diagnosed many cases of neonatal jaundice, but never has there been one where even the pupils are golden-yellow. Therefore…”

“There, you see! It really is a monster!” Noble Consort Hui sneered.

“No! The little prince is not a monster—he is not!”

Noble Lady Yu rushed forward, trying to snatch her child back from the physician’s hands, but the surrounding palace servants blocked her. At a signal from the Emperor’s eyes, they dragged the extremely agitated Noble Lady Yu out of the room.

“Your Majesty.” Noble Consort Hui pressed her advantage, holding onto the Emperor’s arm as she continued, “This consort knows Your Majesty has ten thousand feelings of reluctance in your heart. But throughout the dynasties, whenever a monstrous birth occurs, it must be dealt with immediately! If this matter is not resolved tonight, tomorrow when the sun rises, news that a Noble Lady in the Forbidden City gave birth to a demon will spread across the realm as if it had grown wings. A demon descended from Heaven heralds calamity and disaster—panic will spread, and the consequences will be uncontrollable! Therefore this consort can only steel her heart and become the villain who buries a prince alive. This consort does this for Your Majesty, for the Great Qing—even if it means bearing the condemnation of all under Heaven, I will not shrink from it! Your Majesty, please do not hesitate any longer!”

Seeing the Emperor’s expression begin to soften slightly, Wei Yingluo hardened her heart. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone’s attention was elsewhere, she sprang forward, snatched the infant into her arms, silently apologized in her mind, and then viciously pinched his little arm.

“Waaah—”

“Your Majesty, listen,” Wei Yingluo said, cradling the child and looking earnestly at the Emperor. “Though the little prince’s whole body is yellow, his cry is loud and strong. He is a living human being, connected to you by blood. How can we simply bury him alive?”

Hongli; the Emperor gazed at her quietly.

“Moreover, the imperial physicians have served in the palace for many years. Though their medical skills are superb, the cases they have seen are limited. Perhaps they simply cannot recognize this condition!” Wei Yingluo paused, her tone carrying a trace of pleading. “Besides… Noble Lady Yu endured untold hardship to give birth to the Fifth Prince. He has only just opened his eyes!”

“There are thousands of consorts and concubines in the harem—do we fear there will be no more heirs in the future?” Noble Consort Hui said coldly. “Leaving this monster alive will bring endless calamity! Your Majesty, please do not hesitate any longer—give the order!”

One word would decide life or death. Everyone’s eyes turned to Hongli; the Emperor, waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to decide the fate of a child.

“…Consort Xian.” The Emperor finally spoke slowly. “Last time at the lychee banquet, I recall you mentioning a renowned physician from Jiangnan?”

“Yes.” He had not come alone; Consort Xian had accompanied him. Understanding the hint immediately, she replied, “As it happens, that renowned physician is currently in the capital conducting consultations. Does Your Majesty wish to summon him here to take a look?”

The Hongli Emperor slowly nodded.

“Someone.” Consort Xian promptly issued the order on his behalf. “Invite Ye Tianshi—”

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