Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 186: An Appointment

   It is either the east wind that overpowers the west wind, or the west wind that overpowers the east wind. Today, the contest between Yanxi Palace and Chengqian Palace would finally see a clear victor.

Li Yu arrived at Chengqian Palace in a hurry, leading a group of people. He paid his respects: “This servant greets Her Majesty the Empress.”

The Step-Empress forced a smile. “Why has Chief Eunuch Li come here?”

Li Yu pointed at Yuan Chunwang. “Seize him!”

The eunuchs surged forward and grabbed Yuan Chunwang.

Yuan Chunwang struggled but did not dare resist too fiercely. He could only lift his head to look at Li Yu: “Eunuch Li, what is the meaning of this?”

Li Yu smiled coyishly. “Yuan Chunwang, was it not you who, on His Majesty’s orders, cut off all food supplies to Yanxi Palace?”

Yuan Chunwang’s heart jolted, yet on the surface he cried injustice: “Consort Ling suffers from a stomach ailment, which is why she is supplied only plain congee each day. This servant did it for Consort Ling’s own good!”

“What stomach ailment? Consort Ling has been carrying the dragon fetus for more than three months—the dates match exactly with those recorded by the palace historian.” Li Yu flicked his horsetail whisk. “If you wish to explain, do it at the Shixing Division. Take him away!”

To “invite” him to the Shixing Division was naturally not an invitation for tea.

“Chief Eunuch Yuan, forgive the offense!”

One blow after another landed heavily on Yuan Chunwang’s back. He clenched his teeth and made no sound. Soon the clothing on his back was soaked through with blood.

“Look at that—we slaves serve our masters loyally; that’s only right and proper. But one must also know how to weigh the risks. To end up like this—millennia of cultivation lost in a single morning—what a pity!” The duty officer gloated as he lectured the two young eunuchs beside him. “Don’t blame your master for not teaching you: in the Forbidden City, rises and falls happen all the time. Don’t be so eager to stomp on someone the moment they stumble. Step carelessly on a hibernating snake, and you’ll end up paying for it with your own life!”

“Who are you calling a snake?” Xiaoquanzi suddenly appeared from behind him, smiling sweetly as he asked.

The duty officer jumped three feet into the air. When he saw who it was, without another word he began slapping his own face: “Eunuch Quan! Look at this rotten mouth of mine—it deserves to be beaten, deserves to be beaten!”

He slapped himself repeatedly with loud smacks, then barked at the two young eunuchs to fetch a stool and serve tea.

Xiaoquanzi wasn’t short of that sip of tea anyway, and he had no desire to linger any longer in this sunless, dismal place. He waved his hand dismissively: “Fine, let him go.”

Yuan Chunwang, who had remained utterly silent until now, slowly lifted his head: “…Are you here to mock me?”

Yes—mockery.

What else could it possibly be?

Yuan Chunwang simply could not believe that Wei Yingluo would really let him go…

“You’ve been pardoned,” Xiaoquanzi said with contempt as he looked down at him. “Also, Consort Ling has a message for you: what she owed you, she has repaid in full this time. From now on, bridges are bridges, roads are roads—each of you goes your separate ways. You owe each other nothing!”

Yuan Chunwang’s expression changed instantly.

“…Stop!” He struggled to his feet and shouted at Xiaoquanzi’s retreating back: “Go back and tell her—she can never repay what she owes me in a lifetime! Don’t even think she can cut ties with me so easily! Don’t even think it!”

Everything that happened in the Shixing Division was naturally reported to Step-Empress.

With a thud, Zhener knelt before her, attempting to plead for Yuan Chunwang: “Your Ladyship…”

“Do you know why Li Yu didn’t wait until Yuan Chunwang had left the palace gates before arresting him?” Step-Empress asked without turning around, as she toyed with the parrot on its stand.

Zhener froze.

“Consort Ling suffered, and the Emperor blamed me for it. This was his way of punishing Yuan Chunwang in public—to humiliate me in front of everyone!” Step-Empress said sharply. “Under these circumstances, how could you expect me to speak up for him?”

A person must first protect themselves before they can afford to care for others.

Right now, Step-Empress was barely able to protect herself. She even had to temporarily bow her head to Wei Yingluo due to the circumstances. At a moment like this, how could she possibly spare any effort to save Yuan Chunwang?

Zhener understood at last. She lowered her head and wept silently.

“…You’re twenty-nine this year,” Step-Empress sighed, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Ordinary palace maids are sent out of the palace at twenty-five. Only you couldn’t bear to leave me and have stayed by my side all this time.”

“Your Ladyship…” Zhener raised her tear-filled eyes.

“I’ve long prepared a dowry for you, and I’ve even selected several reliable men for you to choose from—but you rejected every single one.” Step-Empress asked gently, “Tell me the truth: have you fallen for Yuan Chunwang?”

Her words struck directly at the heart of the matter. Zhener hurriedly lowered her head again, but the tips of her ears slowly flushed red with embarrassment.

“Yuan Chunwang has an exceptionally handsome appearance. Spending day after day with him, it’s only natural that fanciful thoughts might arise. Unfortunately, in the matter of Consort Ling, someone must take responsibility.” Step-Empress’s tone grew serious. “Moreover, that man is ruthless and cruel—he is truly not a good match. Zhener, you should find someone else to like.”

With that, Step-Empress ended the conversation. She ordered her palace servants to prepare several chests of gifts, then set out with full ceremonial pomp and procession toward Yanxi Palace.

Upon arrival, she was greeted by Wei Yingluo, who stood waiting with her prominently pregnant belly—clearly having received advance notice. The moment she saw Step-Empress, she smiled and asked: “Has Your Ladyship come to plead for Yuan Chunwang?”

“He’s merely a servant—I don’t take him seriously at all,” Step-Empress replied with a faint, indifferent smile. “Consort Ling, my dear sister, carrying the imperial heir and extending the royal line—this is such wonderful news. Of course I had to come personally to offer my congratulations.”

She glanced at the table, which was piled high with gifts: from jewelry and precious ornaments to silks and satins, from rare books and calligraphy to antique curios—some sent by other consorts, others bestowed by Hongli himself. Every item was of the finest quality.

“Look at the furnishings in this hall,” Step-Empress said, making no pretense of ignoring them. She walked slowly around the room, her expression one of appreciation. “From the smallest ruyi incense burners to the largest rosewood tables and chairs—everything matches His Majesty’s tastes perfectly. It’s clear how much care the Emperor has put into you.”

Wei Yingluo gave her a sidelong glance, knowing full well that the next words out of her mouth would surely begin with “but…”

“But…” The Step-Empress suddenly shifted her tone, her smile fading. “You are indeed clever and dedicated, but let me remind you of one thing: no matter how much favor you gain, I am the Empress of the Great Qing, and no one can replace me!”

Her words made Wei Yingluo instantly understand her true purpose.

Rather than a visit to check on her, this was more about marking her territory. Wei Yingluo smiled. “Do you know what I just sent Xiaoquanzi to do?”

The Step-Empress raised an eyebrow.

Wei Yingluo: “I told him to take yesterday’s unused yam and goat milk soup to Yangxin Hall and exchange it for a plate of Suzhou-style braised pork.”

The Step-Empress let out a scoff. “You really have some nerve!”

Wei Yingluo replied confidently, “That’s right! I dare to do anything, and I can do anything—that’s the privilege of a favored consort! But if I were to become Empress, bound by rules and restrictions at every turn, I could never manage it!”

The Step-Empress fixed her with a steady gaze for a moment before saying slowly, “You’re telling me you have no ambitions.”

Wei Yingluo smiled. “As long as Your Majesty the Empress doesn’t provoke me, I naturally have no ambitions.”

The Step-Empress: “And if you give birth to a prince, will you truly not plan for his future?”

“With His Majesty’s temperament, would he ever allow the harem to influence the choice of heir?” Wei Yingluo burst into laughter, as if a weight had lifted from her heart, allowing her to speak freely and unrestrained. “Let me be frank with you: I, Wei Yingluo, have never feared a fight. The more I fight, the more invigorated I become. If you wish to continue, I’ll keep you company to the end! But you can’t bring me down, and I can’t topple you. All this fighting back and forth is nothing but wasted effort! You’ve softened your stance today, clearly seeking peace, so why keep testing me? I’ll say this clearly: instead of fighting to the death, why not call a truce and let us both live in peace?”

“You’re certainly straightforward!” The Step-Empress laughed, thinking to herself: This woman’s next word will surely be ‘but’…

“But,” Wei Yingluo said, right on cue, “I have one condition.”

If she hadn’t mentioned any conditions at all, the Step-Empress would have doubted her sincerity.

The Step-Empress: “Speak.”

Wei Yingluo gently caressed her abdomen, her previously spirited expression softening instantly. “Your Majesty the Empress must promise me that no matter the time or the circumstance, you will never harm a child.”

The Step-Empress, sharp as ever, asked, “Your child, or someone else’s?”

Wei Yingluo looked at her deeply and emphasized, “The children of the Forbidden City!”

The Step-Empress sneered, “I have no interest in harming innocent children. To suggest otherwise underestimates me!”

“Good! As long as Your Majesty keeps your word, the Forbidden City will remain calm, and all will be at peace!” Wei Yingluo extended a hand. “Let us make a pact!”

The Step-Empress struck her palm in agreement. “It’s a deal!”

Their hands clasped, and from that moment, the Forbidden City knew peace.

   Time passed, year after year. The gardenia flowers in front of Yanxi Palace bloomed and fell. Though rivalries and struggles persisted in the harem, they no longer endangered the children.

   On the rare occasions when the Step-Empress couldn’t restrain herself, consorts—whether pregnant or leading their children—would kneel before Yanxi Palace, and she would reluctantly back down. The courtyard filled with gardenia flowers became a sanctuary for the children, guarding them and protecting them as they grew up safely.

The consorts who benefited from her protection and knew the truth couldn’t help but sigh: “With her here, tragedies like that of the former Empress will never happen again.”

The tender cries of “Your Ladyship Consort Ling” gradually turned into clear, confident calls of “Your Ladyship Mother Consort Ling.” In the blink of an eye, the children she had cared for—those who had flown kites and caught crickets with her—had grown into dashing young men and graceful young women.

In the 30th year of Qianlong’s reign, at the martial training field:

   From left to right, two young men and a boy held bows and arrows, aiming at the targets ahead.

With a whoosh, the arrows flew from their bows, their tips striking the targets with a series of sharp thud-thud-thud sounds.

A eunuch announced in a singsong voice: “The Fifth Prince fired thirty arrows and hit thirty.”

The young man standing in the very center lowered his bow, revealing a handsome and refined face. His demeanor was that of a scholar from the Wenyuan Pavilion; it was hard to believe he was actually a divine archer who never missed.

The boy had grown up—this was none other than the Fifth Prince, Yongqi, whom Consort Yu had entrusted to Wei Yingluo. Although Wei Yingluo herself had little interest in raising children, this boy had possessed a steady temperament from a young age. Even without anyone supervising him, he still studied books and practiced martial arts every day without ever slacking.

And so, little by little, he had grown into the most outstanding among all the princes.

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