Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 68: Blood for Blood

Inside Shou’an Palace, a coffin had been placed. The mourning hall was arranged very simply—there wasn’t even a spirit tablet, only a single sheet of paper with the character “Sacrifice” fluttering in the cold wind.

With all her strength, Wei Yingluo gritted her teeth and dragged Hongzhou little by little into the coffin. The jolting woke him. He looked around in panic and realized he had been placed inside the coffin—right on top of a female corpse. His face drained of color. He struggled desperately to speak, but his voice came out weak and faint: “You… what are you going to do? Where… where exactly is this place?!”

Wei Yingluo laughed, almost maniacally, as she asked: “Prince He, doesn’t the scent of mandala powder smell wonderful? This is Shou’an Palace—the residence of Dowager Consort Guo. Even during the previous emperor’s lifetime, she never enjoyed favor. After the previous emperor passed, she could only support herself by selling embroidery. All the savings of her lifetime amount to nothing more than this thin coffin! Just like scum like you, who were born a prince, while countless kind people must face the yellow earth and toil their entire lives. It really is unfair, don’t you think?”

With that, Wei Yingluo calmly took out a small wine jar, pulled out the stopper, and slowly poured the wine from the jar over Hongzhou’s face. Hongzhou choked, unable to speak, in extreme agony.

Wei Yingluo said with delight: “Didn’t you love lying in a coffin, basking in the pleasure of everyone weeping over you? Tomorrow, the whole world will know that Prince He got drunk, crawled into the old consort’s coffin, and—by a moment of carelessness—suffocated to death inside!”

Hongzhou’s eyes widened in terror. He shook his head desperately, pleading: “Let me go… I was wrong… please… I really know now… I was wrong… please… don’t kill me… don’t kill me!” As he spoke, tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

Wei Yingluo let out a soft chuckle, leaned close to the coffin, and asked in a gentle yet low voice: “Prince He, right now—are you very afraid? Very desperate? Very regretful?”

Hongzhou nodded frantically with what little strength he had left, whispering hoarsely: “Please! I beg you!”

But Wei Yingluo’s expression suddenly darkened. She cursed furiously: “My sister must have been just as terrified back then—but who ever let her go? I just want you to taste it for yourself—the despair and pain as death closes in step by step!”

Hongzhou’s teeth chattered uncontrollably.

Wei Yingluo raised a finger to her lips. “Shh! What’s there to be afraid of? Aren’t you a noble of the imperial clan, a favored son of Heaven? Look at you—snot and tears everywhere. How unsightly!”

She then drew out the handkerchief that had been clutched in the old consort’s hand inside the coffin and gently wiped away his tears bit by bit, saying with satisfaction: “Starting tomorrow, you will be known as a criminal who, in a drunken stupor, defiled the corpse of his late father’s consort. No matter how much the Emperor favors you, he won’t be able to silence the mouths of the world. Your reputation will be a hundred times, a thousand times worse than my sister’s. I want Aisin Gioro Hongzhou to be reviled and stink for ten thousand years!”

Hongzhou stared in horror as Yingluo slowly pushed the coffin lid closed. In desperation, he struggled to pull the hairpin from the old consort’s hair and stabbed it hard into his own arm. The sharp pain jolted him awake. With all his remaining strength, he braced himself against the lid of the coffin, gripped the hairpin, and thrust it toward Wei Yingluo!

The hairpin struck her shoulder. Wei Yingluo instinctively stepped back. Using his very last ounce of energy, Hongzhou scrambled out of the coffin and fled in a panic.

Wei Yingluo pressed a hand to her wounded shoulder and quickly gave chase.

The Imperial Garden was brightly lit with lanterns. In the cool pavilion, Hongli was painting a moonlit garden scene when he suddenly seemed to hear someone crying for help. Frowning, he asked: “What’s that sound?”

Li Yu was about to send the young eunuchs to investigate when Hongli had already stepped out of the pavilion.

Hongzhou saw countless people approaching with lanterns and broke into a relieved smile. But Wei Yingluo was right behind him. Acting decisively, she tore her sleeve open with force, exposing the wound on her shoulder where the hairpin had pierced her. She strode past Hongzhou and cried out loudly: “Help! Someone, come quickly! Help me!”

Hongzhou stared in disbelief as Yingluo overtook him. In the instant she brushed past, she turned her head and gave him a strange, eerie smile.

Before Hongzhou could react, Wei Yingluo had already rushed forward.

Hongli walked at the front of the group. Yingluo, running too fast, stumbled and fell straight into his arms. She clutched desperately at Hongli’s sleeve and gasped: “Your Majesty, save this servant!”

Hongli saw the tears glistening in Wei Yingluo’s eyes and froze for a moment.

Hongzhou arrived panting for breath and pointed at Yingluo in fury: “Imperial Brother, this woman tried to kill me!”

Wei Yingluo, as though overwhelmed with fright, immediately hid behind Hongli and cried in a voice on the verge of breaking: “Your Majesty, Prince He has gone mad! He just crawled into Dowager Consort Guo’s coffin and tried to undress her! When I discovered him and tried to stop him, he tried to silence me by killing me!”

Hongzhou was dumbfounded. He stammered in defense: “Imperial Brother, don’t listen to her nonsense! She deliberately lured me there—she wanted to kill me! She drugged me, sealed me inside the coffin, and tried to suffocate me alive!”

Hongli turned to look at Wei Yingluo. She clung tightly to his sleeve, her voice trembling: “Your Majesty, Prince He reeks of alcohol and is holding a weapon. The wound on this servant is proof that he tried to kill me to silence me! If you don’t believe me, go and look at Dowager Consort Guo’s coffin—see whether her clothes are disheveled and her hairpins scattered—”

Hongzhou threw the blood-stained hairpin in his hand to the ground and declared, “That was me who crushed her!”

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

Realizing he had spoken carelessly, Hongzhou said in furious agitation, “That’s not what I meant! She deliberately locked me inside the coffin, that’s why the Imperial Noble Consort’s body got crushed!”

Wei Yingluo clung tightly to Hongli and refused to let go. With red eyes she said, “The palace gates have already been locked for the night. You, a dignified prince, are lingering in the palace dressed in eunuch clothing—this is clearly treacherous intent. After I discovered you, you even fabricated such a lie. How could a weak woman like me possibly scheme to lock a prince inside a coffin? It’s simply absurd!”

Hongzhou roared in rage: “You lowly wretch!”

Seeing Hongzhou in eunuch attire with disheveled clothes, Hongli was instantly furious. He slapped him hard across the face: “Beast! Look at the disaster you’ve caused!”

Hongzhou staggered back half a step in disbelief and stammered, “Imperial Brother, how can you believe her? I’m your own flesh-and-blood brother! What is this woman even worth? She—”

Hongli closed his eyes as if he could no longer bear it: “Gag his mouth. Send people to investigate the scene at Shoukang Palace.”

Not long after, the guards who went to investigate returned. Shoukang Palace reeked of alcohol; the floor was covered with shards of wine jars, and the Imperial Noble Consort’s coffin was in complete disarray. With both witnesses and physical evidence, Hongzhou was temporarily detained in his residence, while Wei Yingluo was taken back by the Empress.

A few days later, while Wei Yingluo was pruning branches in Changchun Palace, Erqing walked over with a troubled expression and said, “Yingluo, Dowager Consort Yu wishes to see you…”

Wei Yingluo suddenly raised her head. Their eyes met, and then Dowager Consort Yu knelt down.

Wei Yingluo knew this elderly consort was Hongzhou’s birth mother. She hurried forward to help her up: “Dowager Consort, what is the meaning of this?”

Yet Dowager Consort Yu refused to rise: “Yingluo, I have just come from Prince He’s residence. I now know the whole sequence of events. It was all Hongzhou’s fault. As his mother, I apologize to you on his behalf!”

Wei Yingluo replied calmly, “One person should bear the consequences of their own actions. What does this have to do with you Dowager Consort?”

Dowager Consort Yu’s face was full of pleading: “Hongzhou is my own flesh and blood son. If he committed wrongdoing, it is because I failed to discipline him properly! Now he has fallen into convulsions and coma; his condition is grave. The imperial physicians say he will lose at least ten years of life! I know ten years cannot repay A-Man’s life, nor can it dissipate the hatred in your heart! That is why I beg you—come at me instead, and spare Hongzhou!”

Wei Yingluo asked quietly, “Dowager Consort Yu, did you come today to ask me to tell everyone that Prince He had only gone to pay respects to Dowager Consort Guo, that I myself misjudged the situation for a moment and nearly caused a misunderstanding—is that it?”

Dowager Consort Yu’s eyes lit up: “As long as you are willing to forgive Hongzhou, no matter what condition you propose, I will agree!”

Wei Yingluo shook her head: “The Empress once strongly defended me in front of His Majesty. If I were to go back on my word now, what position would that put Her Majesty in?”

The palace maid Bailing beside Dowager Consort Yu angrily said, “Wei Yingluo, you are merely a little palace maid. The Dowager Consort is of such high status and has knelt to beg you—don’t go too far!”

Dowager Consort Yu raised her hand to stop her. She gave Wei Yingluo a long, deep look and said, “Don’t blame her. I came today to do what a person can do, and leave the rest to fate. That Hongzhou has ended up like this is no one else’s fault. Yingluo, I have troubled you.”

Wei Yingluo watched Dowager Consort Yu walk away, her expression thoughtful. Erqing came over, patted her hand and said, “The Empress has been greedy for coolness again and drank watermelon juice. Go inside, serve her and try to persuade her.” Wei Yingluo came back to herself and answered, “Yes.”

Inside the main hall of Changchun Palace, the Empress looked displeased: “Yingluo, you’ve become truly audacious—now you’re even controlling me!”

Wei Yingluo was massaging the Empress’s shoulders and spoke softly: “Your Majesty, watermelon juice may taste good, but it is very cooling in nature. You must not drink a second cup.”

The Empress said helplessly, “I order you—pour another cup!”

Wei Yingluo pressed her lips together: “Whatever Physician Ye says, that is what this servant will do. As long as it is good for Your Majesty, this servant is willing to accept any punishment!”

The Empress was simply helpless against her.

Outside the hall, a man’s voice suddenly rang out: “Why is it so lively? What is the Empress doing?” It was none other than His Majesty the Emperor, who had arrived in person. Everyone was startled and hurriedly paid respects to the Emperor.

The Empress immediately rose and curtsied: “This subject-wife respectfully greets Your Majesty and wishes you well.”

The Emperor took the Empress’s hand and said gently, “The weather is too hot. I remember you’ve always feared the summer heat, so I specially ordered them to send more ice blocks over. Does it feel better now?”

The Empress smiled and replied, “This subject-wife thanks Your Majesty for your concern. This year, Wei Yingluo came up with a new idea, and it’s actually very effective at relieving the heat.”

The Emperor subtly furrowed his brow, then gave a cool, indifferent “Oh,” before his gaze fell on the wooden box nearby. He asked, “Is this the thing? What’s so special about it?”

Wei Yingluo lowered her head, opened the box, and the Emperor stepped forward to look inside. He saw that the interior of the wooden box was lined with a layer of lead foil; wooden partitions divided it into sections, with one layer of ice blocks, then a layer of fruit, covered with a cotton quilt for insulation.

The Emperor finally showed some interest and asked, “What is this lead foil for?”

Wei Yingluo, still keeping her head lowered, answered, “In reply to Your Majesty, it can block out external heat and maintain the low temperature inside the box.”

The Empress looked at Wei Yingluo with appreciation and said happily, “With this, whenever we want to eat iced fruit or drink something cold, it’s very convenient!”

The Emperor thought for a moment and said, “Li Yu, have the Imperial Household Department make two more and send them to Yangxin Hall. Also send one to the Empress Dowager!” Then, as if casually, he added, “Empress, there is one more thing I must tell you. After consultation by two imperial physicians, it has been confirmed that Prince He’s condition is grave and he needs quiet rest and recovery. I can only wait until he is fully healed before considering anything else.”

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze. After a moment, the Empress sighed and said, “Your Majesty’s decision carries the full weight of pressure from the imperial clan and must suppress all the various criticisms directed at Prince He. You treat him with such generosity and leniency; I only hope he will recognize his mistakes, reform, and cherish Your Majesty’s grace!”

While speaking to the Empress, the Emperor’s eyes remained fixed on Wei Yingluo. With deliberate meaning, he said, “Hongzhou is my own younger brother. No matter what mistakes he has made, it is for me alone to deal with him. I will absolutely not allow anyone to overstep their bounds and interfere.”

Wei Yingluo stood respectfully to the side, remaining completely silent, though inside her sleeve her fist was clenched in anger.

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