Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 145: Black Pieces, White Pieces

When news arrived that Consort Ling had fallen from her horse, Noble Consort Chun felt extreme joy in her heart, yet she didn’t let the slightest trace show on her face.

Because Hongli was sitting right across from her. For a long time he said nothing. When he finally spoke, it was:

“You’re very happy?”

Noble Consort Chun’s heart jolted. She quickly lowered her head and sighed:

“When Your Majesty comes to Zhongcui Palace, of course I am happy. But Consort Ling has suffered a serious injury, and the imperial physicians have been coming and going from Yanxi Palace without stop. When I heard about it, I was deeply worried. If not for Your Majesty’s strict order forbidding anyone from disturbing her lightly, I would have gone long ago to visit my younger sister Consort Ling.”

Between them lay a red sandalwood chessboard, black and white pieces arranged across it. It was Hongli’s turn to move. Slowly he picked up a white piece from the box, but he didn’t place it right away. Holding it between two fingers, he lightly tapped it against the edge of the board: tap, tap, tap…

Just like the sound of Noble Consort Chun’s heartbeat at that moment.

“Someone tampered with the horse Consort Ling was riding.” Tap—he finally placed the piece on the board.

“Who would dare to be so bold?” Noble Consort Chun lifted a black piece.

“I thought that the Empress, as the Mother of the State, could not have her position threatened no matter how favored Wei Yingluo became. As for the other consorts, they wouldn’t easily have the nerve to do such a thing.” Hongli quickly placed another piece on the board and said calmly, “So tell me—who do you think it could be?”

Noble Consort Chun hesitated over her move, her chest rising and falling for a moment. Suddenly she knelt down and said:

“Your Majesty must not suspect… me. From the time You were still at Your princely residence, I have served You, spending my days with the qin and chess, keeping company with poetry and painting. Apart from a little of Your Majesty’s pity and affection, I ask for nothing! Even if You suspect everyone else in the world, You should not suspect me!”

Hongli looked down at her from above: “Before Consort Ling, you were the one who received the most favor. After she entered the palace, wasn’t the drop in status the greatest for you?”

Noble Consort Chun’s eyes brimmed with tears as she said softly:

“Your Majesty, in the past when I was favored, I often felt pity for my sisters’ loneliness and frequently urged You to spread Your affection evenly, so that the harem could live in harmony. Consort Ling may be wonderful in every way, but she has never been willing to let Your Majesty visit anyone else’s palace—she is truly overbearing to an excessive degree. I have advised her many times, yet she remains willful and unrestrained, flaunting herself too much. It is not impossible that someone, driven by momentary jealousy and hatred, would deliberately retaliate. But I can swear to Heaven—this matter truly has nothing to do with me!”

Her weeping appearance was the most moving, like the gentle Jiangnan rain, pattering softly onto the bluestone steps, washing even the surrounding air clean with her tears.

It was precisely this image of solitary elegance, untouched by worldly dust, that had once moved Hongli and allowed her to rise all the way to Noble Consort. Yet now, as he looked at her tearful face, his heart remained remarkably calm. He gave a mocking smile and said:

“Last night, I ordered that all the eunuchs from the Imperial Stables who had committed offenses be released. Guess where they went?”

Noble Consort Chun’s face gradually paled; she already knew the answer in her heart.

“Most of them went back to sleep. But one… the little eunuch who once led a horse for Consort Ling.” Hongli stared at her, enunciating each word clearly. “In the dead of night, he ran straight to your Zhongcui Palace!”

“I have never seen this person!” Noble Consort Chun said, her face ashen.

“That little eunuch was extremely alert. The moment he realized someone was following him, he immediately turned back. My guards caught him and questioned him for a long time, and he insisted he had never seen you. But if he had never seen you, why did he come to your Zhongcui Palace in the middle of the night?” Hongli leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes with weary disappointment, and said, “I also want to believe your words. I also hope this has nothing to do with you…”

Hongli did not act against her immediately—first, because there was still no concrete evidence; second, because they had once been husband and wife for many years, and that bond of affection remained. They even shared a son they had raised together.

Even so, the position of Zhongcui Palace in his heart was no longer what it once had been, and the small ambition that had existed in Noble Consort Chun’s heart would now come to nothing.

“Mother.” The Sixth Prince rubbed his sleepy eyes as he walked out, his hands small, his feet small, his steps small—like an adorable little doll.

“Child.” Noble Consort Chun reached out and embraced him, choking with sobs against his shoulder.

“Mother, why are you crying?” The Sixth Prince raised his little hand to wipe the tears from her face.

“Mother isn’t crying.” Noble Consort Chun smiled at him, thinking to herself: I haven’t lost yet. I cannot cry.

After coaxing the Sixth Prince back to sleep, Noble Consort Chun gently wiped the tears from her face. Her expression turned extremely cold as she said:

“Yuhu, go and invite Consort Yu here.”

Among all the consorts in the harem, few had any real connection with Wei Yingluo. Consort Yu was one of the few who could be considered on relatively good terms with her.

Unlike Wei Yingluo and Noble Consort Chun, both of whom had been granted consort titles because of favor, Consort Yu was different. She had only toiled bitterly her way up to consort rank after bearing a son. Out of three hundred and sixty-five days in a year, she could see Hongli only on major festivals and holidays; at all other times, he almost never set foot in her residence.

A person like her naturally stood lower in the presence of someone like Noble Consort Chun, who had both a son and a high consort rank.

Now she sat upright and proper in the chair. Beside her was placed a jade box containing a root of century-old ginseng. Its tendrils resembled hands and feet; among the common folk, such a ginseng root was called a ginseng baby or a ginseng spirit.

Consort Yu lived frugally and had no means to present such a grand gift. On the contrary, this was a gift from Noble Consort Chun to her.

“I heard the Fifth Prince has fallen ill,” Noble Consort Chun said with a smile. “Take this ginseng back and use it to nourish him.”

There is no courtesy without a reason—either treachery or theft. Consort Yu replied nervously:

“This consort is deeply grateful for Your Ladyship concern and will remember it in her heart. However, Prince Yongqi is only suffering from a cough. The imperial physicians have been treating him steadily with fritillaria. I truly dare not use such a strong tonic as ginseng and can only disappoint Niangniang’s kind intentions.”

Noble Consort Chun: “Ordinary coughs indeed should not use ginseng. But I have already consulted the imperial physicians. The Fifth Prince’s cough is caused by lung qi deficiency. This particular root was specially selected to supplement his qi. The Imperial Storehouse has thousands of pounds of ginseng—I chose the one most suitable for the Fifth Prince. You may use it with complete peace of mind.”

Consort Yu looked at her, then at the ginseng, and suddenly stood up and knelt down, saying: “Whatever Your Ladyship commands, I will certainly obey. I only beg Your Ladyship to spare the Fifth Prince…”

“The one who understands the times is the wise one.” Noble Consort Chun beckoned to her. “Come here. I have something to instruct you to do.”

…

“Ming Yu.”

Inside Yanxi Palace, Wei Yingluo suddenly opened her eyes and asked Ming Yu, who was attending her: “Guess what Noble Consort Chun’s next move will be?”

The inner palace was like a chessboard. She and Noble Consort Chun were opponents — one holding white pieces, the other black.

Click — Wei Yingluo made the first move.

   She deliberately let the news of riding lessons spread, hoping to provoke Noble Consort Chun into acting. But even if the other side didn’t take the bait, it didn’t matter.

   Wei Yingluo could arrange to fall from the horse herself.

   Then she would bribe a little eunuch from the Imperial Stables to lead Hailancha to Zhongcui Palace.

   One move after another, ultimately forcing Noble Consort Chun into a desperate position. Now it was the other side’s turn to move — and this next piece would decide the outcome of the entire game.

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