Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 127: Rumors

After that night, Wei Yingluo was no longer the sole favorite.

Hongli began to visit this palace for a while, then that one, as if the novelty of a certain person had finally worn off, and he was resuming the practice of spreading his favor evenly.

That day he came to Chuxiu Palace again, but his mood remained low throughout. He held a cup of wine for two whole hours without drinking more than a sip; it was still full. As bedtime approached, he suddenly stood up and said, “I just remembered there are still several important memorials I haven’t finished reviewing. I’ll return first.”

“I will see Your Majesty off.” Concubine Xiaojia lowered her eyes for a moment, then lifted her gaze with a smile. She took Hongli’s arm and led him out of the sleeping chamber, deliberately taking a longer route. She raised the lantern in her hand, illuminating the garden full of gardenia flowers. “Your Majesty, I plan to build a new pavilion here and name it the Jade Capital Pavilion. What do you think?”

“‘The flowers of Shu are all gone, yet the peaches of Yue are now in bloom. Their color seems to lean against jade trees, their fragrance like it comes from the Jade Capital.’” Hongli gazed at the garden full of gardenias and smiled. “Not bad. This patch of gardenias is blooming quite beautifully.”

In his heart, he found it somewhat amusing. Last time she had imitated Wei Yingluo by pretending to be ill; this time she was imitating her by planting gardenias in the garden. Why go to such trouble? No matter how much she copied, she was still herself—unique and irreplaceable.

“However… the very best gardenias are not in my possession…” Concubine Xiaojia drawled the words out.

“Hm, hm…” Hongli thought to himself, Of course they’re not with you—they’re with Wei Yingluo.

   Everyone in the palace knew that Wei Yingluo loved gardenias the most.

To please her, Hongli had people collect many of the finest specimens and plant them all over her Yanxi Palace. Over time, some of the lower-ranking servants jokingly began calling her the Gardenia Palace Mistress instead of the Mistress of Yanxi Palace.

“…but in the Fucha residence,” Concubine Xiaojia finished her unfinished sentence.

Hongli froze and turned sharply to stare at her.

His expression was so dark that Concubine Xiaojia couldn’t help swallowing hard. Trembling slightly with fear, she asked, “Your Majesty… did I say something wrong?”

“Do you really take me for a fool?” Hongli said coldly. “Every word and line are full of insinuation, slandering Concubine Ling!”

With her thoughts laid bare, Concubine Xiaojia decided to throw caution to the wind. She threw herself into his arms and sobbed, “Your Majesty, the one who truly loves you, you don’t care for. Those who love vanity, you hold close to your heart. Even if you kill me today, I must still say it—Concubine Ling has wronged you!”

Hongli shoved her away, sending her sprawling to the ground. Without looking back, he turned and strode off.

“Your Ladyship, why do you do this to yourself?” Zhener hurried over to help her up. “To wound the enemy by a thousand, you injure yourself by eight hundred.”

Concubine Xiaojia scoffed with a sneer, used Zhener’s hand to stand, then laughed viciously. “His Majesty is the supreme Son of Heaven, high above all. If the most favored consort is coveted by a subject, can he possibly bear it on his face? What’s a little risk? I want that vixen to never rise again!”

Rumors spread like flocks of birds, blotting out the sky, flying throughout the entire rear palace, reaching every ear.

In the end, they also reached Hongli’s ears.

That day the Empress was drinking tea when she heard chaotic footsteps outside. She turned and saw Hongli storm in, seething with anger. Before she could rise to greet him, he waved his hand and said, “Empress, lately rumors are running rampant in the palace. Have you heard them?”

“Rumors?” The Empress was taken aback. “Do you mean the ones about Concubine Ling and Lord Fucha…?”

Hongli’s face grimed. “Even you have heard them? It seems the entire rear palace already knows. Isn’t that so?”

The Empress sighed: “Your Majesty, during this period, you have been favoring Concubine Ling so much that it has naturally provoked jealousy among the six palaces and given rise to all sorts of gossip. It is unavoidable. Rest assured, I will thoroughly investigate this matter and ensure Concubine Ling receives justice.”

Hongli asked: “So you believe she is innocent?”

The Empress smiled: “Your Majesty, Lord Fucha has been away on campaigns for years, and Concubine Ling has been deep within the palace. If they happened to meet by chance and exchanged a few words, it is hardly excessive. After all, Concubine Ling was once the late Empress’s trusted palace maid. The bond between them was always different from that with others.”

Hongli’s fingers, resting on his knee, suddenly clenched into a fist. “…Bond?”

From the corner of her eye, the Empress noticed his fist but continued calmly: “Your Majesty, you have misunderstood my meaning. I only meant that those are things of the past. Ever since the late Empress passed away, Concubine Ling has lived quietly in the Yuanmingyuan and has never met Lord Fucha again. Now that she has become Your Majesty’s consort, she is even more cautious and rule-abiding in every way. What is there to criticize? Your Majesty is magnanimous; such minor matters never troubled you before…”

Yet the human heart is unpredictable. Sometimes the things one is told not to take to heart are precisely the ones that become impossible to let go.

Hongli suddenly raised his head and spoke word by word: “From this day forward, anyone who dares to discuss this matter again will be beaten to death with staves!”

“Your Majesty…” The Empress was stunned by the order. Even after he left, she remained staring at his departing figure in a daze.

Zhener approached: “Niangniang, regarding this matter…”

“I have never seen His Majesty make such a fuss over a woman before. What exactly has this Wei Yingluo done to him…” The Empress scoffed with icy disdain. “It seems Noble Consort Chun has finally met her match!”

The order was quickly issued, but it had little effect. On the surface, the palace servants kept their mouths shut, but behind closed doors the gossip continued to spread.

“I’ve already inquired about it,” Ming Yu said worriedly in Yanxi Palace. For nearly half an hour she had been unable to comb her hair properly; the ox-horn comb in her hand creaked under the pressure of her grip. “Recently, rumors about you and Lord Fucha have been circulating in the palace. Some say you two were already promised to each other back in Changchun Palace. Others say Lord Fucha, in order to advance his career, offered his beloved to the Emperor. And still others claim you two are still entangled to this day… It is precisely because of these rumors that His Majesty has not come to Yanxi Palace.”

Indeed, Hongli had not set foot in Yanxi Palace for a full month.

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