Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 134: Secret Rendezvous

   Hate?

   Wei Yingluo quickly turned her face away, as if avoiding him—or perhaps avoiding her own feelings: “I don’t!”

“I promised to marry you as my wife, yet in the end I married the Xitara woman.” Fuheng said bitterly, “Given your temperament, you would never forgive me in this lifetime.”

“…Fuheng, you really think too highly of yourself.” Wei Yingluo seemed finally to have steadied her emotions. She slowly turned back to face him, her expression calm and unruffled as she said faintly, “Only where there is love can there be hate. Since I no longer love you, naturally I no longer hate you either.”

Compared to this flat, indifferent response from her, Fuheng would almost have preferred her to curse him out.

“…You will never forgive me, will you?” His tone was half question, half resigned statement of his own fate. His smile was bitter. “This… is truly my own fault.”

He hated himself for being too young back then, for so easily believing Erqing’s words. He hated himself for hesitating, for not asking her directly when he could have, and instead waiting until he returned from the battlefield.

One wrong step led to every step being wrong, until finally the two of them parted ways and walked in opposite directions—two paths that, in this lifetime, would likely never cross again.

This heavy emotion pressed down on Wei Yingluo’s shoulders until she could hardly breathe.

To be loved so unconditionally and without regret by such an unparalleled man in the world would fill any other woman with pure joy. Yet Wei Yingluo only felt stifled and irritated.

Some words, once missed, should never be spoken again. Some people, once missed, should never be seen again—otherwise they only bring more trouble. Wei Yingluo took a deep breath: “Fucha Fuheng, you do not belong in the Forbidden City. This place is full of traps and schemes. You belong on the battlefield, where you can achieve great deeds and fulfill your lifelong ambitions. Go—leave right now!”

This harem was ultimately a battlefield for women. He was an outer minister; even if he uncovered the truth, he was unlikely to be a match for those women.

The Empress’s revenge would ultimately have to be carried out by her!

“But, Yingluo…” Fuheng looked at her. “I cannot rest easy leaving you here.”

“Enough!” Wei Yingluo cut him off sharply.

“If I stay, at least I can see you.” Fuheng said gently. “When you are in danger, I can do something for you.”

Some feelings, even when missed, remain unforgettable. Some things, once missed, bring endless regret. Fuheng had always regretted leaving so quietly back then. If he had cared for her a little more, perhaps she would not have entered the palace alone, carrying a secret purpose to become one of Hongli’s concubines…

   The two of them… would not have ended up with such a regretful outcome today.

“Fucha Fuheng!” Wei Yingluo could not help shouting his full name. “I’m telling you again—enough!”

She became even more resolute: she absolutely could not let him know the truth, and especially could not let him know her purpose in becoming a concubine. Otherwise, with him already so emotionally overwhelmed now, if he learned the truth later…

Fortunately, Fuheng had excellent self-control. Though his feelings ran as deep as the sea, he would never cross the line. He still maintained the proper distance of lord and subject, only his gaze remained as gentle as ever as he said to her: “No matter what you truly intend to do, I only want to tell you one thing: my sister truly hoped for your happiness.”

Wei Yingluo was stunned.

“To set you free and let you be happy—that was my sister’s only wish before she passed away.” Fuheng glanced once more at the portrait hanging on the wall. “You must always remember this. Don’t sacrifice yourself for anyone. For your own sake, you must live happily! If you ever encounter any difficulty, don’t always try to shoulder it alone. Tell me. No matter where I am, I will come to help you…”

Before he could finish speaking, there was a sudden loud bang—the door was violently shoved open.

Ming Yu stood at the doorway, her face deathly pale. She tried to step inside but was immediately blocked by two eunuchs.

The one who had given the order was Hongli. He stood at the threshold, staring darkly at the two people inside the room.

“Your Majesty, look at these two,” said Concubine Xiaojia, who had come along with him to pay respects. Her gaze swept over them with contempt. “Back when we were still in Changchun Palace, they were already glued together like that. Now that Concubine Ling has been promoted to an imperial woman, they still refuse to give up and are stirring things up again!”

“Concubine Xiaojia, please refrain from speaking nonsense,” Ming Yu said, wrenching herself free from the two eunuchs’ grasp. “Today is the anniversary of the late Empress’s death. Concubine Ling once served the late Empress—this is merely a chance encounter!”

“Where in the world are there so many ‘chance encounters’? It’s clearly premeditated,” Concubine Xiaojia sneered. Turning to Hongli, she added fuel to the fire: “Your Majesty, today is the late Empress’s memorial day, yet these two chose this very place for a secret rendezvous. Not only is it shameless—it is utter disrespect!”

“A secret rendezvous?” Wei Yingluo looked at her. “Did you personally witness us being intimate? We merely exchanged a few words, and that becomes a rendezvous? Are all the dozens of palace maids and eunuchs in Changchun Palace dead?”

Her reasoning was sound—even if they were having a secret meeting, no one would choose such a crowded, public place. But Concubine Xiaojia had no intention of reasoning with her. She merely gave a mocking laugh and said, “You two calculated that His Majesty is soft-hearted and would believe such nonsense, which is exactly why you picked this time and place! Your Majesty, these two have long had a private affair. Today they were caught red-handed, yet they still try to quibble. Please do not believe their lies!”

Hongli stared at Yingluo. “Concubine Ling, apart from ‘chance encounter,’ do you have any other explanation?”

“Your Majesty!” Fuheng had not expected such an accident. He hurriedly tried to explain for her: “Today is my sister’s death anniversary. I came especially to pay my respects. Because I was delayed by an unexpected matter, I happened to run into Concubine Ling. We only spoke a few words, and they were all related to the late Empress…”

“I did not ask you!” Hongli cut him off sharply. “I am asking her! Wei Yingluo—give me an explanation!”

Seeing him advance menacingly toward Wei Yingluo as though he might strike her, Fuheng panicked and—forgetting his own position—stepped in front of her to shield her. This only further enraged Hongli. Without thinking, he shoved Fuheng with one palm. Fuheng staggered back several steps. With a clink, a hairpin slipped from his waist and fell to the ground.

Before he could react, Concubine Xiaojia had already darted forward, picked up the hairpin, and cried out dramatically: “Oh my! Isn’t this Concubine Ling’s hairpin?”

It was a pure-gold hairpin, its head shaped like a gardenia flower with six petals layered upon one another. Hongli had noticed how much she loved gardenias and specially ordered the palace workshop to craft them—four in total, in red, blue, white, and purple, all sent exclusively to Yanxi Palace. There were no duplicates.

“And you still claim it was a misunderstanding,” Concubine Xiaojia said with barely concealed triumph. “Even the token of love has appeared. This is truly catching adulterers in the act—both the person and the evidence!”

Hongli gripped the hairpin tightly, slowly raising his eyes to stare coldly at Wei Yingluo. “Wei Yingluo—is this your answer to me?”

Ming Yu cried out in shock: “Your Majesty, this hairpin is something Her Ladyship lost! Someone deliberately planted it to frame her—this is a frame-up!”

By now Fuheng had also realized he had fallen into a carefully laid trap. With his martial skills, it should have been impossible for anyone to plant something on him without him noticing—unless…

“It was that little eunuch!” Fuheng suddenly came to his senses and said urgently to Hongli, “Just now a eunuch brought in sacrificial offerings and bumped into me, causing me to spill something on my clothes. I took off my outer robe to change—that was when someone must have taken the opportunity! Your Majesty, please summon the eunuch named Xiaoluzi. One interrogation will reveal the truth!”

But there was no need to summon him. A thin, small figure darted out from the crowd, threw himself to the ground with a thud, and began kowtowing frantically to Hongli. “Your Majesty, this humble servant is Xiaoluzi, but this servant has never seen any hairpin!”

“You—” Fuheng nearly drew his sword in fury, hating himself for being too soft-hearted. Not only had he harmed himself, but now he had harmed Wei Yingluo as well.

Hongli’s expression grew darker and darker; he looked on the verge of exploding in rage.

Suddenly, Wei Yingluo burst into loud laughter directed at Concubine Xiaojia. “Concubine Xiaojia, your acting is so clumsy I can’t even bear to watch anymore… Xiaoquanzi—kneel!”

Xiaoquanzi looked utterly bewildered, not understanding why she had suddenly called his name. Under so many watchful eyes, he could only shuffle forward and kneel.

“Speak,” Wei Yingluo said calmly. “Who instructed you to steal that item? If you won’t say… then I shall hand you over to Noble Consort Chun.”

Everyone found it strange. If a palace servant had committed an offense and needed to be punished, why not hand them over to the Bureau of Careful Punishment? Or at the very least, deliver them to the Empress? What on earth did handing them over to Noble Consort Chun mean?

Only Xiaoquanzi shuddered, staring at her in horror as the realization struck him: She knows everything.

Wei Yingluo looked at him coldly. Of course she knew. From the very beginning, she had suspected that Xiaoquanzi had most likely been bought off by someone. Otherwise, why would he steal a handkerchief of all things? A handkerchief couldn’t fetch much money at all, but it was perfectly suited for framing someone.

That was why she had never truly trusted him. The only reason she had kept him around was because he still had his uses.

—and that use was precisely for today! This very moment!

“Think carefully. Noble Consort Chun is not me.” Wei Yingluo stared at Xiaoquanzi, her words carrying heavy implication. “She will certainly… punish you very thoroughly.”

Once Noble Consort Chun learns that it was you who bought back the stolen goods and sold them at her Jiangnan market stall, she will make you wish for death but be unable to die!

   Xiaoquanzi understood the meaning behind her words. His face turned deathly pale in an instant. Only now did he realize why Wei Yingluo had never pursued the crime of his theft. Earlier he had secretly rejoiced, even thinking she was weak and easy to bully. Now he understood it had all been one long, interlocking trap.

Gritting his teeth, he decided that rather than offending both Noble Consort Chun and Wei Yingluo at the same time, he would rather offend Concubine Xiaojia. He immediately shouted loudly:

“It was Concubine Xiaojia! It was all instigated by Concubine Xiaojia! She ordered this slave to steal Her Ladyship Concubine Ling’s hairpin. Although this slave did steal the hairpin, I never intended to use it to slander Her Ladyship Concubine Ling! Your Majesty, have mercy! Concubine Ling, have mercy!”

Concubine Xiaojia turned pale with shock. She had never expected this worthless dog of a servant to turn on her so easily and completely. She hurriedly cried out:

“Nonsense! You’re slandering me with blood on your tongue! Your Majesty, this little eunuch belongs to Yanxi Palace—of course he would speak up for Concubine Ling!”

If she didn’t bring Concubine Xiaojia down now, she would surely face vicious revenge later. Xiaoquanzi simply went all in:

“The gold Concubine Xiaojia gave this slave is all hidden under my bed! The person who handled it was her senior palace maid, Lan’er. If Your Majesty does not believe me, just subject her to strict interrogation—she will confess everything!”

Lan’er was an old servant Concubine Xiaojia had brought from her own family—a girl from a small, humble household with naturally timid character. She didn’t even need to be tortured; the scene before her eyes alone was enough to terrify her. With a thud, she dropped to her knees.

—Which was as good as a confession.

   A thousand calculations, ten thousand schemes, and in the end she was defeated by such a coward. Concubine Xiaojia was furious beyond measure. She raised her hand and slapped Lan’er hard across the face—but in the very next moment, Hongli delivered a slap to her.

Hongli looked at her coldly:

“From this day forward, Concubine Xiaojia is confined to Chuxiu Palace. Without my command, she is not permitted to leave!”

“Your Majesty, no! This concubine knows she was wrong! This concubine knows her mistake—please do not confine me, I beg you!” Concubine Xiaojia crawled forward on her knees, clinging desperately to Hongli’s boots and weeping bitterly. But Hongli ignored her completely. With one kick he sent her sprawling and strode away.

Watching his departing figure, then looking down at the sobbing Concubine Xiaojia, and finally turning to Wei Yingluo—who stood there smiling calmly—Fuheng suddenly understood everything.

—The reason Wei Yingluo had deliberately kept him behind to talk today was most likely so she could leave an obvious flaw for Concubine Xiaojia to step right into this trap.

“Wei Yingluo!” At last Concubine Xiaojia realized the truth. Hair disheveled, she whipped her head around. “You set me up!”

Wei Yingluo laughed softly.

“Was it you who set me up, or was it I who set you you?”

If one harbors no intent to harm others, one will never step into such a trap.

In the end, before Concubine Xiaojia bent down to pick up that hairpin and began framing her, Wei Yingluo had no idea who had instigated Xiaoquanzi, nor did she know who would be the one stepping into the trap today.

One phrase summed it up perfectly: One reaps what one sows.

“Hah, do you think you’ve won?” Concubine Xiaojia snarled viciously at her. “Let me tell you something—His Majesty may despise me now, but he has not forgiven you either! Your secret rendezvous are a fact. He will never see you again! Concubine Ling, I may be finished, but you won’t come out of this unscathed either!”

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