Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 58: Bitterness and Sweetness

   Several days later—

“Where is that lowly maid?”

Ye Tianshi was in the middle of packing up the medical case on the table. Hearing this, he turned around. “Your Majesty, are you referring to Yingluo?”

“Who else could it be besides her?” From behind the bed curtains came the shadowy outline of a figure, speaking in a voice as cold as frost. “Summon her here. I want to personally skin her alive!”

The Empress sat on the edge of the bed, holding a porcelain bowl filled with brownish medicinal decoction. The liquid was still a little hot, so she kept stirring it with the spoon to cool it down. At his words, she looked up and smiled. “Your Majesty, Yingluo only spoke recklessly because she wanted to cure your illness. Now that you have cleared the bloody phlegm and your spirit has greatly improved, in this consort’s view, Yingluo is not only blameless—she has rendered a great service.”

“…What kind of bewitching potion did that stinking girl pour into your ears that you would believe her words like this?” Hongli said coldly. “In Our opinion, if those words hadn’t already been buried deep in her heart, how could she have spoken them so fluently? She clearly used the pretext of treating Our illness as an opportunity to vent her anger and take revenge!”

The Empress sighed. “Even if Your Majesty wants to settle accounts with someone now, I’m afraid it’s no longer possible.”

Hongli suddenly fell silent. The bed curtains hid his expression, leaving only the gaunt, illness-wasted silhouette of his profile projected onto the fabric. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “…Why?”

“As soon as Yingluo returned, she developed a high fever and broke out in large red rashes all over her body. Physician Ye said she caught the illness while caring for Your Majesty and could no longer hold on—she has collapsed.” The Empress reached out and lifted the curtain in front of her. “Even if Yingluo has ten thousand faults, considering how attentively she served you and how she contracted this serious disease in the process, Your Majesty really shouldn’t blame her for a momentary slip of the tongue! Otherwise, in the future, who would still be willing to exhaust themselves and risk everything to serve you?”

From behind the curtain emerged Hongli’s pensive face. He suddenly turned toward the Empress and gave her a dark, chilling smile. “Very well. I will not blame her. Not only will I not blame her—I will reward her handsomely…”

In a side chamber of Yangxin Hall, several palace maids arrived bearing Hongli’s bestowed gifts.

“This… this is…” Wei Yingluo was half-propped up in bed. When she saw the bowl of black medicinal soup being carried toward her, the corner of her eye twitched uncontrollably.

“Yingluo, this is the medicine His Majesty specially instructed Physician Ye to prescribe for you. Please take your medicine quickly!” One palace maid stepped to the bedside, helped her sit up, while another brought the spoon filled with the medicine to her lips.

When it is bestowed by the Emperor, how can one refuse?

   Wei Yingluo had no choice but to drink a mouthful extremely unwillingly. The result was immediate—she spat it all back out with a loud “wah,” coughing violently for a long time with one hand clutching her throat before she finally managed, in horror, to ask, “W-why is it so bitter? What on earth did you put in this?”

The palace maid answered honestly, “Coptis root.”

Wei Yingluo immediately sensed something was wrong. “But the medicine Physician Ye prescribed for His Majesty didn’t contain any coptis!”

Palace maid: “His Majesty’s portion doesn’t have it, but the prescription Physician Ye wrote for you absolutely must include it.”

Wei Yingluo said in astonishment: “Why?”

“Special instruction passed down from His Majesty.” The palace maid’s face remained expressionless, yet Wei Yingluo felt as though she could see a petty, calculating expression behind those words. “Coptis root clears heat, dries dampness, purges fire, and resolves toxins!”

“…Is it possible not to drink it?” Wei Yingluo stared in dread at the large, brimming bowl of coptis soup.

“Serving Yingluo her medicine.” The palace maid answered with action rather than words.

At the same moment, inside the sleeping chamber of Yangxin Hall.

   Ye Tianshi attended beside Hongli, holding a similar medicine bowl in his hand. The liquid inside looked almost identical—except for the conspicuous absence of coptis.

Even so, Hongli drank with his brows tightly furrowed. As if to lessen his own suffering, he spoke up: “Physician Ye, has that girl taken her medicine yet?”

His temper really flared up quickly and faded just as fast. That morning she had been “that lowly maid,” and by evening she had become “that girl.” Who knew what she would be called tomorrow. With this thought in mind, Ye Tianshi replied aloud: “With His Majesty’s verbal decree, of course she must drink it. However, this humble subject doesn’t understand—why did you insist on making her take coptis?”

Hongli scoffed with a sneer. “That girl is full of cunning tricks—enough malice to ooze poison. Coptis purges fire and resolves toxins; it suits her perfectly! What other symptom-relieving Chinese medicine is the most bitter?”

When he threw a tantrum, even the Son of Heaven became like any ordinary man—a petty, vindictive one at that. Ye Tianshi could only adopt the attitude of “better a fellow Daoist die than a poor one” and cautiously reply: “Among the most bitter medicines, coptis, akebia, gentian root—all are unbearably bitter. The absolute worst is sophora flavescent (Ku Shen)—”

Hongli waved his hand dismissively. “Then starting today, three doses a day, each with a different kind of bitter medicine, rotating the varieties to make her drink them! If she refuses, force it down her throat! Good medicine is bitter to the taste but beneficial for the illness. I am doing this for the sake of saving my benefactor’s life. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Ye Tianshi replied.

“Hehehehe…” Perhaps picturing the pitiful sight of her gagging and spitting while drinking, Hongli’s mood suddenly improved dramatically. When the medicine bowl was brought to his lips again, he no longer minded the taste; he drank it all down with a beaming smile.

Seeing this, Ye Tianshi’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t dare say a word.

Yet receiving this assignment from Hongli wasn’t entirely a bad thing—at the very least, he no longer needed to rack his brains for excuses or reasons to visit Wei Yingluo.

After leaving Yangxin Hall, he carried his medicine chest and hurried without pause to the side hall’s ear chamber.

The palace servants had already received word; no one obstructed him along the way. He strode boldly through the door, closed it behind him with a backward push, and addressed the figure lying on the bed: “Ms. Wei, it’s me!”

Wei Yingluo, who had been barely breathing and looking on the verge of death from illness, suddenly sprang up like a startled rabbit the moment she heard his voice. Her face full of complaint: “Physician Ye, can you please stop adding coptis? It’s way too bitter!”

“That’s not up to me—it’s an order from above.” Ye Tianshi pointed upward, hinting that this was a direct imperial command. Then he opened his medicine chest, rummaged inside, and pulled out a small medicine bottle. “Sulfur ointment treats scabies—it’s not the right medicine for this. Let’s switch to this one instead!”

After a brief pause, he tentatively asked: “Yingluo, there’s something I don’t understand…”

Wei Yingluo took the bottle with both hands. “Ask away.”

“You’ve known since childhood that you’re severely allergic to peanuts—why deliberately consume them to trigger such a widespread rash? And on top of that, you even asked me to forge medical records claiming it was scabies…” Ye Tianshi asked. Recalling Hongli’s behavior, a vague answer was already forming in his mind.

There was nothing difficult about answering this; in fact, it was better to give him the truth so he wouldn’t start imagining things on his own.

“…I deliberately provoked His Majesty. The moment he came to his senses, the first person he would come after to settle scores would be me. But if I’m ‘sick,’ even if he’s furious enough to smoke from all seven orifices, he can’t very well punish me anymore.” Wei Yingluo smiled coyishly; her face carried the sickly pallor of illness. “After all, everyone knows I caught this illness while attending to His Majesty.”

Ye Tianshi was slightly surprised, but upon reflection he found it completely logical. He nodded in genuine admiration. “Yingluo you are intelligent, loyal, and righteous—few others could come close. Rest assured, this humble physician will do everything possible to cover for you. I won’t let even the slightest flaw show!”

Wei Yingluo smiled but said nothing.

Only after Ye Tianshi had left did she murmur to herself: “Loyal and righteous? I’m just taking the chance to vent the anger in my heart. Who told him to treat the Empress like that…”

Like a lotus blooming unsullied from the mud, the Empress’s character stood out in the palace as truly spotless and pure. Wei Yingluo liked her very much; sometimes she couldn’t help but compare the Empress to her own sister, only to conclude… the two were remarkably alike, both in their moral integrity and in the gentle, caring way they looked after her…

Wei Yingluo had been willing to enter the palace alone for the sake of her sister, and she was equally willing to berate Hongli to his face for the sake of the Empress.

“Scolding him felt good in the moment, but the days ahead are going to be rough…” She let out a soft sigh, yet she felt no regret. There was no one attending her now, and she didn’t dare let anyone near. She uncorked the small bottle, scooped some ointment onto her fingers, and with difficulty applied it to the places she could reach. Then she blew out the candle and lay down to sleep.

The pain was unbearable. Wei Yingluo shifted uncomfortably, and the areas she couldn’t reach—the spots still untreated—itched and burned fiercely.

…Who is it?

Wei Yingluo didn’t open her eyes. She continued to pretend to be asleep.

A cool hand settled gently on her forehead, quietly checking her temperature for a long moment before withdrawing.

Then came the soft sound of a bottle being uncorked. The hand returned to her skin, carrying the faint, fresh scent of the ointment. The movements were light and slow—along the backs of her arms, the nape of her neck, the curve of her shoulders… precisely those places she couldn’t reach herself. He applied the medicine with care, yet never once overstepped. He avoided entirely the areas a man should not touch—her back, her waist—even though she was “asleep,” even though she would not have blamed him even if she had been awake.

Yes, this was unmistakably a man’s hand.

The hand of a man she knew.

The bottle was recapped. The room fell silent once more.

Wei Yingluo kept her eyes closed. Her body felt much more comfortable now, but her heart was both itchy and numb. She didn’t know whether she should open her eyes at this moment, whether she should look at him and give him a smile.

Yet she was also afraid he would flee in panic, as he always did.

Until a tender kiss landed on her eyelashes—like a dragonfly skimming the water’s surface, like a fierce tiger gently sniffing a rose.

Wei Yingluo had to exert all her self-control to keep her lashes from trembling the way her heart was—fluttering wildly out of rhythm.

Only when the soft sound of the door closing reached her ears did she finally open her eyes. She let out a quiet sigh and raised her hand to cover the eyelashes he had kissed.

“…This illness,” she murmured into the pitch-black night, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curving upward, “isn’t entirely a bad thing.”

Illness comes like an avalanche, but recovery is slow as silk being drawn from a cocoon. On the tenth day of taking Ye Tianshi’s decoction, in the Imperial Guard station, Fuheng was leafing through a military treatise when a pair of hands suddenly reached from behind and covered his eyes.

“Yingluo, why are you here?” Fuheng let her keep his eyes covered, instantly recognizing her by touch alone. He smiled and asked, “Has your illness fully recovered?”

“How did you know it was me?” Wei Yingluo lowered her hands and moved to his side. The recent days of sickness seemed to have left her even slimmer, her waist appearing fragile and delicate, as though it could be encircled with a single hand. Yet the smile on her face had grown more captivating. The way she smiled at him was always different from the way she smiled at anyone else. “I’m all better now—thanks to a certain ‘snail gentleman’ who took such meticulous care of me. Every night he changed the cool cloth on my forehead and wiped my hands and arms with cold water.”

“Ahem.” At the term “snail gentleman,” Fuheng awkwardly raised a fist to his lips and coughed once. “And who might this person be?”

Seeing him play dumb, Wei Yingluo decided to play along. She put on an expression of surprise. “Wasn’t it you?”

Fuheng shook his head.

“…Then what am I to do?” Wei Yingluo bit her lip gently, leaving faint white marks from her snow-white teeth on her red lips. “I thought it was you, so I allowed him to apply the medicine to those places. Those areas—I would never let any other man touch them…”

Fuheng froze at her words.

“Since it wasn’t you, then I’ll be going.” Wei Yingluo gave a soft sigh and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Fuheng could sit still no longer. He stood up and caught hold of her arm.

“…Do you have something more to say to me?” She turned her face away, refusing to look at him.

“I…” For a moment, Fuheng truly didn’t know what to say to her.

Truly reaping what one sows—why had he told such a lie? Now how was he supposed to get out of this mess?

“Fuheng!” Just as Fuheng was agonizing over it, his friend’s booming voice burst through the door. “Ten straight days on duty—I’m falling apart—”

With a loud bang, the door flew open. Hailancha remained frozen in the act of pushing it, eyes darting left and right. He gave an awkward laugh. “Did I… interrupt something? I’ll leave right now, right now. You two carry on, carry on, haha…”

“…Ten days?” Wei Yingluo suddenly spun around and punched Fuheng squarely in the chest. Her cheeks were as crimson as her lips—not so much from anger as from embarrassment. Gritting her teeth, she said, “And you still claim it wasn’t you!”

Fuheng watched her storm out the door. He couldn’t help but raise a hand to his chest. He felt as though he, too, had fallen ill. That spot felt both ticklish and soft—like soaking in warm soup, like bathing in a sea of flowers.

“I really didn’t mean to,” Hailancha said. Seeing Wei Yingluo run off, he assumed it was his fault. He rubbed his hands together ingratiatingly. “How about… I cover another day of your shift for you?”

Fuheng slammed a fist into his friend’s chest. Unlike Wei Yingluo’s light, decorative punches, this one carried the force of splitting stone and nearly made Hailancha cough up blood.

“No need!” Fuheng laughed. “You big-mouthed idiot!”

His heart bloomed like a flower, layer upon layer unfolding. By comparison, another person’s mood was far less beautiful.

“What did you say?”

In Yangxin Hall, another teacup shattered.

The Hongli Emperor sat on the edge of the bed with a dark expression. “You’re saying that lowly maid has already returned to Changchun Palace? When? Wasn’t she still ill?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Wei has fully recovered. She moved back to Changchun Palace last night,” Li Yu replied cautiously.

At those words, Hongli; the Emperor’s fury erupted. He swept the nearby bronze basin off its stand. It rolled across the floor, spilling warm water everywhere, while everyone in the hall dropped to their knees.

“She clearly caught the illness after me—her course of sickness should last at least a month!” Hongli; the Emperor said coldly. “How could she recover before me?”

“This… this…” Li Yu stammered. “Perhaps… her case was milder?”

“Because she was never sick to begin with!” Hongli; the Emperor roared. “Bring that lowly maid here—this time I will personally skin her alive!”

“What’s wrong with Your Majesty? Such a terrible temper.” A gentle, soothing voice suddenly rang out. Everyone turned toward the sound and, seeing her smile, felt their hearts settle.

In this world, only two women possessed smiles with such calming power: one was Guanyin, the other was the Empress.

Even Hongli; the Emperor, upon seeing her smile, felt half his anger drain away. Just as he was about to unleash the remaining half, she spoke again:

“This consort walked all the way here and heard many palace servants praising Your Majesty.”

“Oh?” The Hongli Emperor was slightly surprised. “What did they say?”

“A great many things.” The Empress sat down on the edge of the bed. “For example, that Your Majesty can endure what ordinary people cannot. When Wei Yingluo offended you in the course of treating your illness, you did not hold it against her at all—you are a magnanimous and enlightened ruler.”

The Hongli Emperor’s expression turned strange.

“Not only did you not blame her, but after learning she had been infected with the same serious illness by you, instead of sending her away, you allowed her to remain in Yangxin Hall and arranged for the best physicians to treat her. Truly a ruler of virtue, rare throughout the ages…” the Empress continued.

“Enough!” The Hongli Emperor could bear it no longer and cut her off.

The Empress stopped speaking and simply looked at him with a gentle, smiling gaze.

Li Yu cautiously glanced between their faces. Seeing that neither of them spoke, he finally ventured,

“Your Majesty… shall we still bring Wei Yingluo back?”

Hongli was in no mood to direct his anger at the Empress. Seeing Li Yu walk right into the line of fire, he immediately turned his fury on him instead. With a kick from his dragon-embroidered boot squarely to Li Yu’s chest, he sent the eunuch sprawling. Hongli roared in rage, “Didn’t you hear?! She deliberately provoked Us to save Our life! She caught a serious illness while attending to Our sickness! Even if word of it spreads, everyone will praise her as a loyal servant who fears neither power nor danger! And what’s more—she’s already completely recovered; there’s no handle left to grasp against her! If We were to punish her now, wouldn’t that make Us an ungrateful, muddle-headed ruler?! This is truly like a mute man forced to swallow coptis—bitter beyond words, with no way to speak of it!”

As he spoke, a genuine look of bitterness crept across his face, as though he had just swallowed one dose after another of coptis, akebia stem, gentian root, sophora root…

All those bitter medicines he had ordered poured into Wei Yingluo’s bowl were now being swallowed by him instead.

Truly bitter—unbearably so.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 57: Fury

Of course Wei Yingluo hadn’t actually gone to the trouble of personally gathering aloe juice.

The “aloe juice” had actually been obtained from Ye Tianshi.

Since it had proven effective, she went back to ask for another portion—and, while she was there, to inquire about the matter she truly cared about.

“Physician Ye, following your instructions and regularly taking the Fifth Prince out to sunbathe, not only has his jaundice completely faded, but he’s now plump, fair, and utterly adorable!” she said. “Is there anything else we should pay attention to going forward?”

“Nothing more. Just make sure he eats well and sleeps well, and he’ll grow up healthy and steady.” Ye Tianshi smiled. “By the way—you only seem concerned about the Fifth Prince. Aren’t you worried about His Majesty’s condition at all?”

“Who cares about him?” Wei Yingluo plastered a smile on her face. “Of course we care. Physician Ye, when will His Majesty finally recover fully?”

“His Majesty’s scabies could have healed in a month, but now it has been dragged on for so long…” Ye Tianshi hesitated, as if unsure whether to continue. “After reviewing the medical records the imperial physicians prepared for His Majesty, I have some differing opinions.”

“Oh?” Wei Yingluo’s heart stirred. “Physician Ye, what do you mean?”

“His Majesty’s scabies may not have been transmitted by infection from another person, but rather…” Ye Tianshi beckoned her closer, then leaned down slightly and whispered a few words into her ear.

The more Wei Yingluo listened, the more shocked she became. “This…”

“Well?” Ye Tianshi straightened up again. “Yingluo, if you are unwilling, I naturally won’t force the matter. This is inherently risky—one misstep, and heads will roll…”

Wei Yingluo guessed he hadn’t come to her alone. He must have approached others first, and they had all flatly refused. So after searching high and low, he had settled on her—a mere low-ranking palace maid.

“…But if it succeeds, it will be a great accomplishment,” Ye Tianshi said with a smile. “The primary credit would naturally go to you, young lady. I would at most take a small share of the reward.”

Yet all the risk would fall on Wei Yingluo alone. If it succeeded, fine—but if it failed, she would be the only one to bear the punishment.

Still, when she thought of Hongli’s sarcastic and venomous face, and of the Empress growing thinner day by day from praying for him every night, Wei Yingluo smiled.

“There is no good thing in this world that comes without any risk… I’ll do it.”

Time passed like a white colt flashing past a gap—several days went by in the blink of an eye.

Inside Yangxin Hall, chaos reigned. Hongli tore at his clothing, his fingernails raking across his flesh, leaving behind long, shocking scratch marks.

“Your Majesty, you mustn’t scratch! You really cannot touch them anymore!” Li Yu was sweating anxiously at the side. “The scabs that have already formed will all tear open again!”

“Where is Wei Yingluo?” Hongli endured for a moment, but the torment was unbearable. His nails dug back into his skin. “Hurry and call her—bring the aloe juice she applied last time!”

His pain was felt not only in his body, but also in the Empress’s heart. She stood helplessly nearby, reaching out several times to hold his arm and stop him from tormenting himself further, only to be hurriedly pulled back by the palace servants around her.

One emperor was already ill—they absolutely could not afford to let the Empress fall ill too.

Hearing Hongli’s words now, the Empress seized on them like a lifeline and quickly called out:

“Yingluo! Did you hear? Is there any aloe juice left? If there is, bring it quickly!”

“Your Ladyship.” Wei Yingluo responded obediently, stepping to her side. “Aloe treats the symptoms but not the root cause. Court Physician Zhang said His Majesty must rest quietly and recover—impatience will only make things worse…”

Crash! Bang! A loud clatter rang out—Hongli, in a fit of rage, had overturned the nearby antique shelf. Rare treasures and curios tumbled to the floor; several porcelain pieces shattered into countless fragments. One shard flew outward amid the crowd’s startled cries and sliced across the back of the Empress’s hand.

“Your Ladyship!” Wei Yingluo rushed forward at once, seizing her hand to look. On the back of that pampered, well-protected hand now lay a long, glaring wound. Fresh blood slowly welled from it, dripping drop by drop onto the floor.

An irrepressible surge of fury rose in Wei Yingluo’s chest. She turned her head and said coldly:

“Your Majesty, lashing out at others in this manner is not the conduct of a wise ruler.”

In the midst of such towering rage, no one dared provoke Hongli—least of all with such direct criticism.

Not even the people around him could believe their ears, let alone Hongli himself. After a long silence, he stared at Wei Yingluo in disbelief:

“…What did you just say? Say it again!”

Anyone else would never have dared repeat it—would have denied ever saying such words in the first place.

“Your Majesty, lashing out at others in this manner is not the conduct of a wise ruler.” Not only did Wei Yingluo repeat it, she added even harsher words: “The entire palace is filled with consorts and concubines. When they heard Your Majesty was ill, their mouths overflowed with concern, yet their feet spun like wind-and-fire wheels—one running faster than the next! Only Her Majesty the Empress has remained by your side day and night, never loosening her robes to rest. Yet Your Majesty, without distinguishing right from wrong, inflicts your pain upon her. Hah—what a fine emperor, what a fine husband.”

When had Hongli; the Emperor ever been spoken to in such a manner? He immediately became so furious that his vision darkened, pointing at her, unable to utter a word.

“Yingluo, how dare you contradict His Majesty like this!” The Empress cried out in alarm. “Get back at once!”

Out of concern for Wei Yingluo, she was offering her an escape, yet unexpectedly Wei Yingluo not only refused the lifeline but shouted even louder:

“This servant hasn’t said anything wrong! Ever since Noble Consort Hui was reinstated, His Majesty’s rewards have poured into Chuxiu Palace like flowing water. And Changchun Palace? We haven’t seen so much as a single thing! Why is that!”

“Yingluo, shut your mouth!” The Empress was so anxious that her hands began to tremble.

The Hongli Emperor finally regained his voice. In a rage unlike anything anyone had ever witnessed, he roared:

“Speak! I want to hear what she has to say!”

Many of the palace servants were so frightened that they dropped to their knees, inwardly cursing their bad luck at being on duty today. Even the innocent bystanders trembled in fear of being scorched by the Emperor’s blazing wrath—yet the instigator herself acted as though she were a dead pig unafraid of scalding water. Raising her voice, she continued:

“Everyone is saying that the reason His Majesty suddenly lifted Noble Consort’s confinement was to give face to Lord Gao Bin, the Governor-General of Zhili!”

“Yingluo!”

The Empress rushed forward and raised her hand to cover her mouth.

But Wei Yingluo pulled the hand away from her lips. In the eyes of everyone present, she seemed utterly unafraid of death as she went on:

“His Majesty goes to such lengths to placate Noble Consort just because one minister is competent! The ruler of an entire nation, stooping to fawn over a woman with such petty attentiveness—what difference is there between that and the girls in the pleasure houses fawning over men? This vast Forbidden City has turned into a Qin Tower or Chu Pavilion, and Your Majesty has become the most popular courtesan of them all! After soothing Chuxiu Palace, who will be next in line!”

The most popular courtesan.

   The most popular courtesan!

   The most popular courtesan…

   With a sharp metallic clang, Hongli; the Emperor yanked the ceremonial sword that hung as decoration on the wall from its sheath. The blade gleamed with cold light as it thrust straight toward Wei Yingluo.

Wei Yingluo had anticipated this. Before the long sword reached her, she had already rolled under the table. The table took the blow in her place, nearly cleaved in two by a single stroke.

“Your Majesty, calm your anger! Calm your anger!” the Empress hurriedly cried.

Wei Yingluo rolled and crawled until she was beneath the Empress’s skirts. Laughing loudly, she called out from afar to Hongli; the Emperor:

“Your Majesty is so furious—it only proves this servant spoke the truth! On a grand scale, you claim it’s for the country and the people; on a small scale, you’re just playing both sides to keep everyone happy. You’ve sold yourself out, and that’s fine—but don’t take your temper out on others! A perfectly good Son of Heaven has truly become a nation-toppling beauty!”

Having never suffered such humiliation in his entire life, Hongli; the Emperor suddenly felt dizzy with rage. The people before him and the sword in his hand began to double and blur in his vision. He swayed slightly, feeling the fury surge like fire from his chest straight up into his throat:

“Guards! Guards! Drag this lowly maid away—immediately—”

Before he could finish, that surge of rage erupted from his throat.

With a violent “wah,” a mouthful of blood-streaked phlegm splattered onto the floor—red mixed with black, black tinged with red, faintly giving off a nauseating, fishy stench.

“Haha, good, good!”

The doors burst open at that moment. Ye Tianshi strode in briskly, circled the pool of bloody phlegm several times, then looked up with a radiant expression:

“His Majesty’s illness—this time it can be completely cured!”

Wei Yingluo promptly knelt on the ground, putting away her earlier infuriating demeanor and adopting a meek, respectful tone:

“Yingluo spoke wildly and outrageously, all for the sake of treating His Majesty’s illness. I beg His Majesty and the Empress to forgive my offense.”

The Empress’s gaze darted back and forth between her and Ye Tianshi:

“This… what exactly is going on here?”

“Empress, allow this humble commoner to explain.”

Ye Tianshi cupped his hands in salute. “Earlier, when this commoner reviewed His Majesty’s medical records, I discovered that the illness had lingered so long because of excessive mental strain and accumulated stagnant blood-phlegm. Therefore, this commoner asked Yingluo to assist by deliberately provoking His Majesty’s anger, in order to release this long-suppressed clot of blood-phlegm. Only then could His Majesty’s mind and body find relief, allowing full recovery.”

The Empress ignored everything else and focused on one thing alone:

“So you’re saying… His Majesty’s illness will soon be cured?”

“Of course!” Ye Tianshi declared with complete confidence. “In as little as seven days, or at most half a month, His Majesty will be full recovered!”

The imperial physicians always aimed for safety—never seeking great merit, only avoiding mistakes—so their prescriptions were invariably mild and lukewarm. When asked how long until recovery, they would only give vague answers like “soon, soon.”

It wasn’t that no one had thought of this method; it was that no one dared to prescribe it. Only a renowned physician like Ye Tianshi would have the audacity to issue such a fierce, tiger-and-wolf remedy. One could only say that in pursuit of great achievement, he did not fear losing his head.

“That’s good, that’s good.”

The Empress pressed her palms together as though praying to the Buddha.

Hongli’s appearance at this moment was far from good. His throat made a rasping, clicking sound, and for a long while he couldn’t utter a single word. He could only extend one trembling finger, pointing straight at Wei Yingluo in front of him.

Wei Yingluo quickly said, “Empress, His Majesty has just coughed up bloody phlegm and is very weak. We should help him lie down at once!”

Only then did the Empress come back to her senses. She nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes! What are you all waiting for? Hurry and assist His Majesty to lie down!”

Li Yu and the others rushed forward in a flurry to support him, but Hongli struggled and refused to lie down. His bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Wei Yingluo, as if he wanted to devour her alive. Yet when he opened his mouth, no words came out.

No one in the world understood him better than the Empress. Without him needing to speak, she already knew what was on his mind. Somewhat helplessly amused, she said, “Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. Yingluo only spoke so provocatively because she was thinking of curing your illness. She had no intention of offending you!”

“Ka… ka…” There was still only the sound of his throat rasping. Hongli remained unrelenting, continuing to point at Wei Yingluo with his finger.

The Empress had no choice but to shoot Wei Yingluo a meaningful glance.

“Ah!” Wei Yingluo immediately rolled her eyes upward. “This servant… this servant suddenly feels dizzy…”

“Oh dear, what’s wrong with you? Could it be that you’ve caught His Majesty’s illness?” The Empress cried out in feigned alarm. “Quick, quick—carry her away to rest! Physician Ye, please examine Yingluo!”

A group of people hurriedly lifted Wei Yingluo and carried her away. Behind them, Hongli’s gaze remained rigidly fixed in her direction.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 56: Aloe Vera Juice

   She fled in panic.

Wei Yingluo had no idea why Hongli; the Emperor had looked at her that way. She only felt uncomfortable all over. So she hurriedly found an excuse, saying that according to the imperial physician’s instructions, she needed to handle the used bedding and sheets. Then, under the Emperor’s displeased gaze, she gathered up an armful of quilts and linens and left the sleeping chamber.

Though they were items to be disposed of, they had been used by the Emperor himself and could not be treated carelessly. Therefore, after she left, Li Yu came out to help her deal with them as well.

This is truly a good opportunity.

Seeing no one else around, Wei Yingluo immediately put on a smiling face and asked, “Eunuch Li, on the tenth day of the first lunar month, during the imperial clan banquet in the Qianqing Palace, I picked up a jade pendant in the garden. Its appearance is clearly no ordinary item. I figured that if it wasn’t lost by His Majesty, then it must have been lost by one of the clan members. Could you help me take a look and appraise it?”

If she hadn’t previously taken that troublesome errand upon herself, Li Yu would surely have closed his eyes to rest at this moment and not bothered to reply with even half a word. But not only had she tactfully shouldered the task herself, she had handled it beautifully—and Li Yu could never forget the special look Hongli had given her…

“No need to look. I can tell you right now.” So Li Yu smiled and replied, “The jade pendant you picked up definitely does not belong to His Majesty or any member of the imperial clan.”

“Oh?” Wei Yingluo was stunned. “Eunuch is so certain?”

“That night His Majesty toasted everyone one by one—who would dare leave their seat?” Li Yu said with certainty. “The item doesn’t belong to them, because not a single person at the banquet left the feast.”

Wei Yingluo’s face showed disappointment. She let out a soft sigh. “So that’s how it is… Thank you, Eunuch…”

Li Yu, wanting to do her a favor, spoke again: “Do you have that jade pendant on you? Let me take a look—perhaps I can spot something telling.”

“…I left the jade pendant back in Changchun Palace and didn’t bring it with me. But I still remember the pattern on the tail of the jade.” As she spoke, Wei Yingluo used her hand to trace the design in the air for him.

After she had gestured a few times, Li Yu on the opposite side suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Ah—Fucha! This isn’t something belonging to the Empress; it’s the jade pendant of Fucha, the imperial guard!”

Wei Yingluo’s expression froze for a moment, but she quickly feigned delight and said, “After going in such a big circle, it turns out to be a joke! Very well—once I return to Changchun Palace, I’ll return it to its rightful owner! Many thanks, Eunuch!”

Such a trivial matter was nothing to Li Yu, yet he hoped she would keep it firmly in mind.

Because he could see that the way Hongli looked at this woman was distinctly different…

“Bang!”

The teacup shattered on the floor, and a person dropped to their knees with a thud.

“Such scalding hot tea—how is anyone supposed to drink it?” Hongli sat on the edge of the bed, his face covered in fury.

Several days had passed since Hongli fell ill, yet his temper had only grown more explosive. The slightest misstep would cause him to hurl cups and smash bowls, making life miserable for those who served him.

Fortunately, not everyone had to suffer—Hongli only liked to have one particular person attend to him.

“Where is Wei Yingluo?” Hongli asked coldly. “Where has she run off to?”

The young eunuch inwardly groaned in misery. If she had been present, how could it possibly have fallen to him to come in and serve? Still, he answered truthfully: “Yingluo… she was just in the courtyard a moment ago. Right now, this slave doesn’t know where she went…”

Hearing this, Hongli’s anger flared up again. He kicked the eunuch over and roared, “Get out! All of you, get out!”

The young eunuch scrambled away on hands and knees. At that moment the door behind him suddenly opened. Wei Yingluo leaned against the doorframe. Seeing the scene inside, she hurried in and said, “Does Your Majesty have any orders?”

At the same time, she gave a small wave behind her back. The young eunuch understood at once, shot her a grateful look, and hurriedly fled the sleeping chamber.

Hongli noticed her little gesture but paid it no mind. He only glared at her with blazing eyes and demanded, “Where did you just run off to?!”

Wei Yingluo was somewhat mentally and physically exhausted by now. Her original purpose in coming here had been to get close to the people around Hongli so she could pry clues about the culprit from their mouths. Yet somehow Hongli kept summoning her to serve by his side every single day. To outsiders this looked like great favor; to Wei Yingluo it felt like eight lifetimes of rotten luck.

Unable to hold back, she let her true feelings slip out: “Your Majesty, there are still other people in the room to serve you…”

Why do you only torment me?!

Hongli’s expression flickered unnaturally for a moment. Then, embarrassed and angry, he snapped coldly, “I itch all over and can’t stand it. Are you telling me to let those clumsy, rough-handed people scratch for me?”

Wei Yingluo looked carefully and noticed several fresh scratch marks on his collarbone—bright red and vivid. If one didn’t look closely, one might mistake them for a woman’s rouge lip prints.

Knowing that the unbearable itching was tormenting him—although intellectually he understood that scratching would only worsen the condition—he still couldn’t stop himself…

Letting it continue like this was no solution. Whenever the itching flared up, he would scratch furiously, and the more he scratched, the angrier he became. But that anger wasn’t directed at himself—it was unleashed on the people attending him… especially on Wei Yingluo.

“Your Majesty, please don’t be angry. This servant has a way to ease your discomfort.” Wei Yingluo presented what she was holding. “Please turn your back to me.”

She had expected to need some persuasion, but to her surprise, Hongli glanced at her hand, then at her face, and without a word turned around. There was a faint rustling as he slowly shed his outer robes, exposing the broad, strong back of a man to her gaze.

Wei Yingluo lowered her eyes. Even now, she still wasn’t entirely accustomed to seeing a man’s body.

But mindful of their respective positions, she quickly set aside her embarrassment and began applying the fresh aloe vera juice she held to his back.

“Physician Zhang said that prolonged use of sulfur ointment can make the skin slightly dry. This servant picked fresh aloe, pounded it into juice, and applied it. While it cannot cure the root cause, it should at least make Your Majesty feel more comfortable.” As she spoke, the dark green aloe juice slid along her fingers onto Hongli’s back, then slowly trailed down the line of his spine and disappeared into the cloth wrapped around his waist.

Hongli was silent for a moment before speaking with his back still to her: “So this is how you curry favor with the Empress—coaxing her until she dotes on you so much, isn’t it?”

Wei Yingluo replied calmly: “The Empress treats this servant with genuine kindness, so naturally this servant repays her with sincerity.”

Hongli scoffed with icy disdain. “I treat you so harshly—surely you must hate me to the bone.”

Of course she did—but such honest thoughts could never be spoken aloud. Wei Yingluo merely smiled and answered: “How would this servant dare?”

Hongli snorted, clearly unconvinced.

Whether he believed her or not didn’t matter to Wei Yingluo. Rather than arguing about herself, she preferred to keep talking about the Empress: “Your Majesty, last night the Empress stayed by your bedside the entire time, fanning you. This servant begged her to rest, but she refused. This morning when I looked, her wrist could barely move.”

Hongli remained silent. With his back to her, Wei Yingluo couldn’t see his expression.

“This servant knows there are countless beautiful women in the Forbidden City, but only the Empress would attend to Your Majesty’s illness despite knowing it was contagious.” Wei Yingluo continued to speak well of the Empress. “Such genuine affection… there will never be another like it in this world…”

“Enough!” Hongli suddenly shouted.

The hand applying the aloe juice paused. Wei Yingluo looked at him in confusion, unsure which of her words had offended him.

“Your Majesty…” she ventured cautiously.

Hongli abruptly turned around. Ignoring the aloe juice still on her hands, he seized her wrist in a tight grip. The sticky juice acted like glue, binding their hands together.

Wei Yingluo was startled and quickly tried to pull away, but whether because the aloe was too viscous or because Hongli was unwilling to let go, she couldn’t free herself for the moment…

“Your Majesty!” she called again.

Only then did Hongli seem to snap out of it. He released her hand, lowered his head, and stared blankly at his own palm for a long moment before suddenly glaring at her with fury: “Since when is it a servant’s place to comment on my affairs? Get out!”

Serving a ruler was like accompanying a tiger—especially one whose moods were so unpredictable and impossible to read.

“…Yes.” Wei Yingluo had been hoping for exactly that. She hurriedly gathered up the remaining aloe juice and retreated. Once outside, she leaned her back against the door and let out a long breath.

Unbeknownst to her, behind the closed door Hongli continued staring in the direction she had left, lost in a daze.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 55: Attending the Sick

Weeds had sprung up in the courtyard, competing with the jasmine for nutrients.

A woman’s hand reached into the cluster, ruthlessly yanking out the weeds around the jasmine one by one, her movements rough, as though she bore them a deep grudge.

“Who wronged you so badly that you have to take it out on a bunch of weeds?” A man’s voice suddenly rang out.

Wei Yingluo turned her head and saw Fuheng standing behind her with a faint smile. He reached out as though to brush away a fallen leaf stuck to her temple, but she tilted her head to avoid his touch.

“Don’t talk to me,” she muttered sullenly. “Right now, just seeing a man makes me angry.”

Fuheng thought for a moment. “Is it because of Noble Consort Hui?”

“…Noble Lady Yu and the Fifth Prince nearly lost their lives before she received even the slightest retribution.” The mere mention of the name ignited fresh anger in Wei Yingluo’s heart. “Who would have thought that in just two months, she would rise again! Hah, of course—she is the unrivaled beauty of the harem. What are one or two human lives compared to that?”

Fuheng actually laughed. “She is indeed the unrivaled beauty of the harem…”

Seeing that he could still laugh, Wei Yingluo felt even more irritated—and faintly sour. She flung the handful of weeds at him and said coldly:

“Do you know that last night the Empress waited in the freezing night wind for an entire hour, only to learn that he had gone to Chuxiu Palace instead? You are Her Ladyship’s own brother—shouldn’t you feel indignant on her behalf? How can you still laugh?”

“Before I answer that, you have to answer one question for me first.” Covered in grass, Fuheng didn’t mind at all; he simply patted his chest lightly. “That blood-written letter—was it you who framed Noble Consort Hui?”

Wei Yingluo raised an eyebrow. He actually suspected her? She scoffed with icy disdain. “No!”

“That’s good. That matter was done too hastily and too deliberately. His Majesty is extremely intelligent—he knew at once that someone was framing her. But Noble Consort’s behavior has been far too arrogant; she did need a lesson.” Fuheng sighed helplessly. “It’s just that… her father, Gao Bin, opened rivers and built dams, tamed the Yellow River, and brought lasting benefit to the people. His achievements will endure for a thousand years. Even for his sake, His Majesty must show leniency toward Noble Consort Hui. Do you understand now?”

Wei Yingluo fell silent.

“What’s wrong?” Fuheng felt that she was acting unusually today. He unconsciously took a step closer, his voice carrying genuine concern.

Wei Yingluo took a step back, muttering under her breath: “Out of nowhere, you actually started suspecting me…”

When Fuheng heard this, he couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. So she had let go of her grudge against the Emperor, yet she still harbored resentment toward him. He quickly took her hand and explained:

“I wasn’t suspecting you. Like His Majesty, I suspect someone else…”

Wei Yingluo didn’t press him to say who it was. The matter was already a settled fact—dwelling on it further would be useless. Better to focus on the present, and on what came next.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore.” Fuheng gently squeezed her hand and continued, “The thing you asked me to investigate—I’ve already looked into it. On the night your sister met with disaster, no member of the imperial clan left the Qianqing Palace banquet!”

“Is that true?” Wei Yingluo was stunned.

“I personally confirmed it with the chief eunuch on duty at Qianqing Palace.” Fuheng nodded. “It’s true!”

Wei Yingluo stared at him for a long time before letting out a soft sigh: “I believe you… Since we can’t get answers from the Qianqing Palace eunuchs, then we’ll have to start with those closest to His Majesty.”

But how exactly could she get close to the Emperor? How could she approach the people he trusted most?

Wei Yingluo thought of many possible ways, but she rejected each one herself. Some were too deliberate and would inevitably arouse suspicion of ulterior motives; others were too slow and passive—she might have to wait eight or ten years before achieving anything.

What should she do?

The more mental energy she poured into this problem, the less she had left for other matters. As a result, Wei Yingluo was almost the last person in Changchun Palace to hear the news…

“His Majesty is ill?” Wei Yingluo blinked in surprise. “What illness?”

“How is it that such huge news only just reached you now?” Ming Yu shot her a glare. “It’s scabies!”

Wei Yingluo had heard of the disease before. Those afflicted suffered unbearable itching; most patients couldn’t resist scratching, which often led to secondary infections, making the condition even harder to treat.

“The Empress is deeply worried about His Majesty and plans to bring one person with her to move to Yangxin Hall to care for him.” Ming Yu spoke in a brisk, businesslike tone. “She has chosen you. Hurry back and pack your belongings.”

Erqing, who had been watching coldly from the side, could no longer stay silent. She said evenly:

“Ming Yu, Her Majesty already gave instructions: I am to remain behind and guard Changchun Palace, while you are the one who should pack and move to Yangxin Hall. How can you push this burden onto Yingluo?”

Wei Yingluo glanced at Ming Yu. She knew exactly what the other woman was thinking—most likely terrified that the Emperor’s scabies might be contagious and trying every possible way to shove this unpleasant duty onto someone else.

But in Wei Yingluo’s eyes, this was hardly a hardship.

On the contrary, it was a rare and precious opportunity: a chance to get close to the Emperor, and to the trusted confidants around him.

“Very well.” Wei Yingluo smiled. “I’ll go back and pack right now.”

Ming Yu and Erqing had both assumed that once she learned the truth, she would certainly refuse and find an excuse not to go. They were stunned when she agreed so readily. Only after she had left did Erqing turn to Ming Yu with a complicated expression and say:

“Are you satisfied now?”

Ming Yu turned her face away. “She volunteered—it’s not as if I forced her!”

“Ming Yu, you always complain that Her Majesty no longer favors you, that she has grown distant. But have you ever reflected on what you yourself have done?” Erqing stared at her with an unfamiliar coldness. “When Her Majesty was away from the Forbidden City, you pushed Consort Yu and the Fifth Prince forward to take the fall! And now, when it’s your turn to go to Yangxin Hall, you make excuse after excuse! The mistress sees everything clearly—do you really think she can’t tell? Forget Her Majesty the Empress—even among everyone in Changchun Palace, who still trusts you?”

Ming Yu was left speechless. She watched Erqing flick her sleeve and walk away, and for the first time, she murmured to herself:

“Have I… really done something wrong?”

Trust is like water: it accumulates drop by drop into a river, or leaks away drop by drop until only desert remains.

   When the Empress heard that Ming Yu was unwilling to go, she merely said calmly, “I understand,” without any reproach. But the look in her eyes toward Ming Yu grew increasingly indifferent—eerily similar to the gaze Erqing had given her earlier. Ming Yu’s heart pounded with unease. She vaguely sensed that she had made a terrible mistake, yet there was no chance left to take it back…

The group soon moved into Yangxin Hall.

When the Emperor suffered an attack, the Empress would be by his side to comfort him, talking to him softly to ease his pain somewhat. As for the dirty and laborious tasks, those fell to palace servants like Wei Yingluo.

“Before applying the medicine, His Majesty’s body must first be cleansed with alum tea.” The imperial physician placed a box of ointment in Wei Yingluo’s palm. “After His Majesty has bathed, spread the sulfur ointment over his entire body, applying an extra layer to the affected areas.”

“Yes.” Wei Yingluo received the ointment with both hands.

She had never seen a man’s body before—let alone a naked one.

After taking several deep breaths to steady her racing heart, Wei Yingluo gathered her composure and stepped into the sleeping chamber of Yangxin Hall.

The temperature inside the chamber was slightly elevated. The wooden bathtub had just been removed, but lingering warmth still hung in the air, carrying a faint scent of alum tea.

In the vast palace hall, only one person sat there. From a distance, he looked solitary and forlorn—truly a lonely ruler.

“…It’s you?” The Hongli Emperor slowly opened his eyes and said coldly, “Get out!”

Wei Yingluo had been worrying exactly how she was supposed to attend to a naked man. Hearing him say this, she immediately felt relieved. She placed the ointment on a nearby table and replied, “Yes.”

The door closed—only to open again almost immediately. This time it was Li Yu who entered.

“Your Majesty, allow this servant to attend to you.” Li Yu steeled himself and stepped forward. Though his movements were careful, he still caused pain to the broken skin.

The Hongli Emperor drew in a sharp breath, then kicked out in anger. “Get lost! Call someone else!”

Wei Yingluo’s voice came through the door:

“Your Majesty, most of the people in Yangxin Hall have been cleared out. Those who remain are mostly eunuchs. The Empress was worried they might be too rough and clumsy and hurt your body, which is why she instructed this servant to come. If you call for someone else now, they won’t be much better than Chief Steward Li.”

To the Hongli; Emperor’s ears, these words sounded almost like a self-recommendation—an attempt to get closer to him. He couldn’t quite identify the strange feeling in his heart. With a half-smile that wasn’t quite a smile, he said, “So you’re not rough and clumsy?”

Wei Yingluo had no desire to get close to this ill-tempered man. But upon careful reflection, she realized her goal was to approach the people closest to him—and one of the most crucial figures was none other than the chief eunuch by his side, Li Yu. Even if she couldn’t win his favor, she absolutely could not afford to make him resent her. Pushing her own unpleasant duties onto him was something she could never do. If she did, though Li Yu might say nothing now, the seed of grievance would be planted in his heart—who knew when it might sprout and bear fruit?

“This servant was formerly a palace maid in the embroidery workshop. The fabrics we worked with were all top-grade silks and satins. To avoid scratching the brocade, I developed the habit of meticulously caring for my hands every day.”

And so Wei Yingluo patiently explained, “Your Majesty, if you refuse Chief Steward Li and also refuse this servant, the Empress will come personally to apply the medicine.”

The Hongli Emperor fell silent for a moment. In the end, he could not bear to let the Empress come near him in such a state. Talking with her was one thing—but applying medicine would inevitably involve touching his wounds. What if the infection spread to her?

“Come in!” he said with faint irritation. “Apply the medicine for me!”

“Yes.”

With a creak, Wei Yingluo pushed the door open once more. She took the ointment from Li Yu’s hands, dipped her already thoroughly washed fingers into a small amount, and gently applied it to the Emperor’s afflicted areas.

The Hongli Emperor felt a cool sensation on his wounds—he couldn’t tell whether it came from the ointment or from her fingertips.

As the Son of Heaven, he had never lacked for women by his side. He had thought himself long accustomed to a woman’s touch—yet somehow, her touch felt strangely unfamiliar.

This sensation was entirely new to him. In an instant he felt both embarrassed and annoyed, and the urge to lash out rose again. But when his gaze met her calm, steady eyes, it was as though a prairie fire met a downpour, or blazing snow encountered a thread of spring breeze—the flames died, the grass revived, the ice and snow melted away.

When Wei Yingluo looked up, she caught him staring at her in such a dazed manner.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 54: Waiting

   Though the matter was settled, its aftershocks continued to ripple.

First was Ming Yu, who lost favor and trust. Out of consideration for her many years of service, the Empress did not openly punish her—but she no longer trusted her as she once had. Ming Yu was left dejected and heartbroken, yet powerless to change anything.

The other person affected was Noble Lady Yu.

“Congratulations,” the Empress said, gently rocking the swaddled infant in her arms and smiling. “A few days ago, This Palace spoke to His Majesty on your behalf. His Majesty, recognizing your merit in bearing a child, intends to raise your rank. Tomorrow, when the imperial decree is issued, you will become Consort Yu, the principal mistress of Yonghe Palace!”

“Empress!” Noble Lady Yu was so moved that she could barely speak. She had always worried that her low rank would prevent her from keeping the Fifth Prince by her side to raise him herself. Now that worry was no longer an issue. “This concubine doesn’t know how to thank Your Majesty for such great kindness and virtue…”

“You only need to take good care of yourself and take good care of the Fifth Prince—that will be enough.”

The Empress smiled kindly. At that moment, the Fifth Prince in the swaddling clothes suddenly stretched out his chubby little hand, grabbed a strand of her hair, and let out a few “ah-ah” sounds.

“Oh dear! Fifth Prince, let go quickly! Don’t pull and hurt the Empress!” Noble Lady Yu said anxiously.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

The Empress, however, looked delighted. She let the little prince treat her hair like a toy, gently stroking his cheek with her finger, her eyes shining with maternal tenderness.

Wei Yingluo watched from the side, deep in thought.

After Noble Lady Yu left carrying the Fifth Prince, Wei Yingluo ventured cautiously,

“Our Changchun Palace should have a little master of its own by now, shouldn’t it?”

“You!” The Empress reached out and lightly tapped her forehead. “An unmarried girl saying such things—aren’t you ashamed?”

Wei Yingluo rubbed her forehead, showing no trace of embarrassment. She grinned and asked,

“Will His Majesty come tonight?”

This time it was the Empress who became flustered. She lowered her head and gave a soft “mm,” her cheeks faintly blushing—a truly girlish demeanor.

That night, the imperial palanquin made its way toward Changchun Palace. The Hongli Emperor reclined inside, one fist propping up his temple, eyes closed in rest, exhaustion evident on his face.

“Life in this world is but a spring dream; let this slave drink a few cups with open heart.”

A kunqu melody drifted on the wind—plaintive, mournful, filled with longing and resentment.

“…Stop.” The Emperor said.

The palanquin halted, but the singing did not cease. Accompanied by the desolate, slanting-sun-like sound of the huqin, the voice continued its sorrowful song.

The direction the song came from… was Chuxiu Palace.

Once bustling with visitors, Chuxiu Palace was now deserted. An autumn wind swept through, scattering fallen leaves—an unspeakable scene of cold desolation.

A gatekeeper dozing at the entrance suddenly heard voices. Opening his eyes and seeing the Emperor’s palanquin, he started in shock and was about to announce the arrival when Hongli; the Emperor raised a hand to silence him.

Slowly descending from the palanquin, slowly pushing open the door, the Emperor brought only Li Yu with him. In silence they walked deeper into Chuxiu Palace, approaching the person who was singing.

Three or four palace servants sat in the courtyard: one holding a huqin, one with a horizontal flute, one cradling a wine pot. And Noble Consort Hui herself was dressed like an actress—painted brows, rouged face—performing the aria “The Drunken Noble Consort.”

“Life in this world is but a spring dream; let this slave drink a few cups with open heart.”

She drained the cup in one gulp, flung it aside with a wave of her hand. The sound of shattering jade rang out. Amid the broken shards, she bent backward into a dance—her slender waist impossibly fine, her movements graceful and ethereal, like the goddess of the Luo River treading waves.

Halfway through the dance, her foot suddenly gave way and she fell into a strong embrace.

The Hongli Emperor lowered his head and inhaled—only to catch a strong whiff of real alcohol. Frowning, he asked,

“Why is Noble Consort drinking actual wine?”

The huqin and flute fell silent. Zhilan set down the wine pot, stood up, and explained,

“Your Majesty, please forgive us. The consort was in low spirits and said she wanted to sing to dispel her melancholy. She also ordered this servant to open a jar of wine. This servant did not dare to stop her—”

“Utter nonsense!” the Emperor scolded.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty…”

The beauty in his arms seemed half-drunk, half-awake. She called him several times in a daze, then began to cry.

Helpless, Hongli; the Emperor had no choice but to pick her up and carry her toward the sleeping chamber.

No one knew what would happen next. Whether Li Yu or Zhilan, both knew better than to follow. They tactfully remained outside the door. Inside the bedchamber, only Hongli; the Emperor and Noble Consort Hui remained.

“Noble Consort.” The Emperor placed her on the bed, somewhat helplessly. “Why are you crying?”

Noble Consort Hui threw her arms around him like a drowning person clutching at a life-saving straw. Raising her tear-streaked, beautiful face, she said in a piteous, heartbroken voice:

“Your Majesty… why don’t you call me Xin’er anymore?”

Hongli frowned.

Noble Consort Hui pressed her cheek against his chest and sobbed softly. “If it were possible, I would rather not be a Noble Consort. I would just be your Ning Xin’er again.”

Hongli lowered his head to look at her. “Noble Consort, you’re drunk…”

“No, I’m not drunk.” Noble Consort Hui exhaled a breath laced with the sharp scent of wine, making her words sound all the more like heartfelt truths spoken under the influence of alcohol. “In the past, I loved to sing and dance the most, and Your Majesty loved to watch me the most. But after entering the palace, Your Majesty rarely comes to see me anymore, and you’ve grown distant toward me.”

“It is not that We have changed.” Hongli held her. Her body was feverishly warm, yet his own remained cold—even the words that left his lips carried an icy chill. “It is you who have changed.”

“No, it isn’t!” Noble Consort Hui suddenly cried out, staring at him with bloodshot eyes, her lips trembling. “Once Ning Xin’er became a Noble Consort—a Noble Consort of the Great Qing—if I continued to spend my days singing and dancing as I did before, people would laugh and call it utterly improper! So Ning Xin’er dared not sing anymore, dared not dance anymore! That is why Your Majesty no longer likes me, isn’t it?”

All at once she burst into loud, childlike sobs, as though deeply wronged. She clung desperately to the man before her, begging for his pity, his forgiveness, begging him to look at her once more. “I don’t want rules anymore, I don’t want propriety! If Your Majesty no longer pities me, then what use are any of these things to me! Your Majesty, Your Majesty, do not leave me, do not abandon me. In this vast Forbidden City, the only one I can rely on is you!”

“What foolish things are you saying.” Hongli could only pat her back soothingly. “You still have your family…”

“I have no one!” Noble Consort Hui’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Your Majesty, do you know how my mother died?”

The Yellow River floods. Water bandits roamed in bands. Noble Consort Hui’s father, Gao Bin, led the main force to suppress the bandits and control the floods. The people on both banks benefited, the court benefited—only one person suffered: Noble Consort Hui’s mother.

“The water bandits came for revenge. My father escaped. My uncle escaped. Only my mother and I could not get away.” Noble Consort Hui murmured. “That year, I was five…”

The boat used for flood control was deliberately holed. Shouts of killing and fighting erupted from all directions. The water bandits, who had long lain in ambush around them, swarmed onto the boat like a plague of locusts.

   Under the desperate protection of the guards, Gao Bin and his younger brother narrowly escaped with their lives, but they left wife and child behind on the boat.

   Five-year-old Ning Xin’er only knew how to cry.

   “Don’t cry, don’t be afraid.” Lady Chen hid her daughter inside a wooden barrel, then pushed it hard, sending it floating out onto the Yellow River.

   “Mother!” Noble Consort Hui clung to the rim of the barrel, watching helplessly as one man’s hand after another reached out from behind her mother, seizing her arms, covering her mouth…

   When Lady Chen appeared before her again, she was already a mutilated corpse, her clothes in disarray.

   “What happens to a woman who falls into the hands of water bandits? Everyone knows the answer. That is why the Gao family would not allow Mother to be buried in the ancestral grave, would not allow her name to enter the ancestral hall! My mother bore children for my father, served her parents-in-law with filial piety, and in the end she was torn limb from limb, with nowhere to rest.” Noble Consort Hui spoke without expression. “Less than a year later, my father remarried. Do you know what he said to me when he came to see me not long ago?”

Noble Consort Hui gave a bitter, mirthless laugh and imitated Gao Bin’s tone, repeating the words he had spoken that day:

“He told me: ‘Ning Xin’er, you may act willfully and recklessly, you may wallow in despair—but do not forget, I still have four daughters! Apart from the second one married to Eshi, you still have your third and fourth younger sisters—each one in the prime of youth, each one outstanding in beauty!’”

As she spoke, her voice began to choke with sobs.

A person with a pitiful background always easily wins sympathy—especially when that person is an unrivaled beauty with a tragic past.

Even a man as cold as Hongli, whose heart seemed frozen for ten thousand years, could not help but sigh at this moment. He drew her fragile body into his arms. “Xin’er, you have suffered greatly.”

Noble Consort Hui buried her face in his chest. Her eyes blazed with hatred as memories surged back, yet her voice remained extraordinarily gentle. “Your Majesty, Ning Xin’er did not harm the Fifth Prince. I truly did not… Your Majesty, I can swear to Heaven…”

Hongli gently patted her back. “Enough. We believe you.”

“Really?” Noble Consort Hui looked up at him cautiously, as though terrified he might suddenly deny it all. “Your Majesty is not deceiving me!”

Hongli gave a soft chuckle. “We are not deceiving you. You have drunk too much. Be careful not to harm your health. Go rest early.”

He rose to leave, but Noble Consort Hui reached out and tightly grasped his sleeve. Gazing at him with a face full of attachment, she adopted a rare, fragile demeanor—utterly unlike her usual domineering self—and pleaded softly:

“Then… would Your Majesty stay and keep me company… please?”

Outside Changchun Palace, the night wind was bitterly cold.

A palace maid holding a lantern couldn’t help but yawn, lifting her hand to rub away the sleepy tears at the corners of her eyes.

Ahem. The Empress covered her lips and coughed lightly.

“Your Ladyship.” A cloak settled over her shoulders. Wei Yingluo fastened the ties for her while speaking in a low voice, “It’s cold out here. You should return inside the palace and wait.”

The Empress gently shook her head. “No need. The Emperor will be here soon. I will wait for him right here.”

Wei Yingluo opened her mouth, then closed it again. The sky was already beginning to lighten—how could the Emperor possibly come now?

“Look!” The Empress’s eyes suddenly brightened. “He’s coming!”

A faint point of light emerged through the thin mist—the swaying flame of a lantern. As the lantern drew nearer, the smile slowly faded from the Empress’s face. She asked:

“Eunuch Li, where is His Majesty?”

Li Yu carried the lantern and offered her an apologetic smile. “Your Majesty, His Majesty will not be coming tonight. Please retire early and rest.”

“Is His Majesty still occupied with affairs?” A trace of worry flickered in the Empress’s eyes. “Even at this hour… Someone, go to the Imperial Kitchen and hurry along a bowl of silver ear and lotus seed soup. This palace will personally deliver it to Yangxin Hall.”

“His Majesty is not at Yangxin Hall,” Li Yu said helplessly, finally revealing the truth in halting words. “His Majesty… has gone to Chuxiu Palace instead.”

Wei Yingluo immediately turned to look at the Empress.

   The white of the night mist was no match for the pallor that now drained the Empress’s face.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 53: The Road Turns at the Peak

   Everyone had expected to see an elderly, white-bearded physician of great dignity and piercing gaze. Who could have imagined that when the door opened, a drunken young man would stumble in headfirst and nearly fall flat on his face.

Noble Consort Hui couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“This… is the famous Jiangnan physician?”

Ye Tianshi slowly raised his head. He possessed an extremely handsome face—not like that of a renowned physician, but more like a popular opera star, his every glance and gesture enough to attract admirers like bees to flowers. He appeared somewhat drunk, his eyes hazy and unfocused as he gazed first at Noble Consort Hui, then at Consort Xian, then at the palace maids all around, before finally fixing his gaze on Wei Yingluo’s face.

“Ye Tianshi!” Hongli frowned. “We summoned you here to treat an illness. Instead of examining the patient, what exactly are you looking at?”

“May Your Majesty forgive this offense.” Whether he was speaking in drunken jest or from the heart was unclear, but he actually laughed and said, “This entire room is filled with such a riot of flowers—splendid brocade, a riot of purples and reds. This humble subject was simply dazzled!”

Hongli’s expression immediately darkened.

Wei Yingluo hadn’t expected this famous physician from Jiangnan to court death so boldly. Fearing he would be dragged out and beheaded by Hongli in the very next moment, she hurriedly stepped forward, cradling the little prince in her arms. “Please, Physician Ye, examine the little prince!”

“Oh, oh, yes, of course, of course.” Ye Tianshi agreed cheerfully, looking even more like a drunken fool.

But the moment his gaze fell upon the little prince, the frivolous, dissolute air about him vanished completely. Even the drunken haze in his eyes cleared in an instant, replaced by a bright, piercing clarity.

After a long moment of examination, he announced his diagnosis: “The little prince has jaundice.”

“Impossible!” Noble Consort Hui immediately cried out. “I have seen jaundice in children before—never have I seen a case where even the pupils turned golden yellow!”

Ye Tianshi glanced at her and said coolly, “That is merely because Your Ladyship has long resided deep within the palace and remains ignorant of many things.”

Noble Consort Hui trembled with rage and shot a fierce look at the imperial physicians. Unable to avoid it, one of them stepped forward and said, “We imperial physicians can hardly be called ignorant. Ordinary neonatal jaundice appears only on the face, neck, and limbs—when has it ever spread to the pupils?”

“The type of jaundice you describe is physiological, a congenital condition that resolves spontaneously within seven days even without treatment. But the little prince’s jaundice is pathological, commonly associated with severe bile stasis in the mother during pregnancy—” Seeing the disbelief still on everyone’s faces, Ye Tianshi simply smiled. “Very well then. This humble subject will prescribe a jaundice-clearing formula. I guarantee that within half a month, every trace of yellow on the little prince will disappear! If I fail, Your Majesty may take this head of mine!”

When a man dares to stake his own head as collateral, he must be ten-tenths certain of success.

Noble Consort Hui’s face was livid, but Wei Yingluo finally breathed a sigh of relief. She held the little prince more tightly to her chest and thought to herself: At least this matter is settled…

No—this matter was far from over.

“This consort respectfully greets Your Majesty and wishes You eternal health!”

Consort Chun suddenly entered from outside, followed by two eunuchs who carried a stretcher between them. Lying on the stretcher was a corpse that had clearly died only recently.

“Ah!” Noble Consort Hui hurriedly raised her sleeve to cover her eyes, unable to bear the sight.

Consort Chun stopped, smiled at her, and said, “Noble Consort, when you murdered someone, you showed no fear—yet now, seeing a corpse, you’re suddenly afraid?”

Hearing the pointed implication, Noble Consort Hui quickly lowered her sleeve. “Consort Chun, what do you mean by that?”

“Noble Consort.” Consort Chun stepped aside, revealing the stretcher behind her, and pointed at the body. “Do you recognize this person?”

Noble Consort Hui took only a brief glance before averting her eyes. “I do not.”

“This man was a Mongolian cook from the Imperial Tea and Food Service,” Consort Chun said, staring at her. “He was also the one who prepared meals for Noble Lady Yu.”

With that, she clapped her hands. A palace maid entered carrying a food box. Consort Chun lifted the lid and pointed to the neatly stacked flatbreads inside. “This cook’s food has also been brought here at my command!”

“Hmm? Let me see.” Ye Tianshi stepped forward, picked up one of the flatbreads, turned it over and examined it closely, then—to everyone’s stunned disbelief—actually took a bite.

You’re not afraid it’s poisoned? everyone inwardly screamed.

Cheeks puffed out as he chewed, Ye Tianshi mumbled, “Buckwheat flour… beef… mutton…”

With a gulp, he swallowed, then looked around at the others. “Besides these flatbreads, what else did that Noble Lady Yu like to eat?”

“Sugar cakes,” Wei Yingluo answered. Since Changchun Palace and Yonghe Palace were on friendly terms, the Empress had often sent her to visit Noble Lady Yu, and sometimes she had even been invited to stay for meals. Naturally, she knew what Noble Lady Yu liked. “All kinds of sugar cakes—she hardly ate any staple food at all.”

“I get it, I get it!” Ye Tianshi suddenly slapped his thigh. “I finally understand what’s wrong with the little prince’s condition!”

“Oh?” Hongli looked at him. “Go on.”

“Your Majesty, everything has its limits—too much of anything becomes poison. Even medicine can turn toxic beyond a certain amount, and the same goes for food.” Ye Tianshi replied. “Take these sugar cakes and meat-stuffed grilled pancakes, for example. You can eat them once a day, but you absolutely cannot have them for both meals every single day for months on end—that’s excessive!”

“Physician Ye, are you saying…” Wei Yingluo asked tentatively, “…that because the Fifth Prince consumed too many grilled pancakes and sugar cakes, he was born with jaundice?”

If what he said was true, then this wasn’t a natural calamity at all—it was man-made disaster.

“Consort Chun!” Hongli looked down coldly at the body on the stretcher. “Why did this person die?”

“With the precedent of the Fourth Prince in mind, I naturally became suspicious of Noble Lady Yu’s diet. I ordered people to investigate the Imperial Tea and Food Bureau first. Who would have known that the moment they arrived, the person had already committed suicide out of guilt!” At this point, Consort Chun’s peripheral vision swept toward the direction where Noble Consort Hui was standing. “If you ask who the real mastermind is behind this, one only needs to see who was so determined to bury the Fifth Prince alive—it becomes perfectly clear!”

“Consort Chun, you’re slandering me with no evidence!” Noble Consort Hui snapped sharply.

There was no concrete proof, and relying solely on Consort Chun’s one-sided words could indeed be called baseless slander.

But there’s an old saying: “Three people spreading a rumor can make a tiger real.” When enough people repeat the same accusation in unison, even falsehood can start to sound like truth, and slander can find its target.

“Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince is only an infant still in swaddling clothes—what crime could he possibly have committed? Unless someone simply could not bear to see him born safe and sound.” Wei Yingluo suddenly spoke up. The tiny prince in her arms whimpered weakly like a newborn kitten. “If you think about it carefully: ever since Noble Lady Yu became pregnant, Noble Consort has been making things difficult for her at every turn—first the fright in the Imperial Garden, then repeating the same trick at the lychee banquet. And when Noble Lady finally gave birth, Noble Consort was the first to rush to Changchun Palace and insisted most strongly on burying the Fifth Prince alive. To say she has no connection to this matter is truly hard to believe.”

“You filthy little maid, stop slandering me!” Noble Consort Hui cried out anxiously. “Your Majesty, are you really going to convict this consort based on a single corpse? This consort absolutely refuses to accept it! Who knows whether this person was forced to death and deliberately used to frame me!”

“Noble Consort,” Consort Chun sighed, “even now, at this point, you still refuse to give up your excuses.”

Noble Consort Hui stared at Consort Chun’s calm, confident face, and a trace of fear gradually rose in her heart.

Then Consort Chun took out an envelope from her sleeve, along with several gold ingots, and presented them to Hongli. “Your Majesty, this consort ordered a search of the Imperial Tea and Food Bureau and found this blood-written letter along with twenty taels of gold. It is clear that this person had a premonition and deliberately left evidence behind beforehand!”

Hongli took the letter, unfolded it, and saw that it was indeed written in blood. Someone had dipped their finger in blood and scrawled:

“The one who silences me by murder is none other than the master of Chuxiu Palace!”

   Noble Consort Hui felt everything go black before her eyes; her body swayed. Zhilan hurriedly reached out to support her, but she pushed Zhilan away and stumbled toward Hongli. “It’s fake! This consort has never seen this person! It’s fake—he’s fake, and this letter is fake too!”

Hongli raised his hand, avoiding the one she stretched toward him, then issued a cold command:

“From this moment onward, Noble Consort Hui is confined to Chuxiu Palace. Without my explicit decree, no one is permitted to enter or leave!”

With that, as if he could no longer bear the foul atmosphere in the palace, he turned and left.

“Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship!” Behind him came Zhilan’s sobbing voice. “Your Majesty, Her Ladyship has fainted!”

Her cries did not stop Hongli’s footsteps.

“Your Majesty!” Yet another figure seemed to have been waiting at the doorway all along. The moment he appeared, the person rushed forward and knelt before him, halting his steps. “This servant wishes to accuse someone!”

Hongli, already irritated, grew even colder. “Who do you wish to accuse?”

Kneeling before him was none other than Ming Yu. She prostrated herself and said:

“Earlier, when Noble Consort wanted to execute the Fifth Prince, one person took out the Empress’s golden seal to stop her. But in truth, the Empress never granted anyone such a seal. That person clearly forged an imperial decree!”

“Oh?” Hongli said indifferently. “And who was that person?”

Ming Yu raised her head.

“Wei Yingluo.”

“Wei Yingluo…” Hongli slowly turned back and looked at the young woman standing behind him, cradling the infant in her arms. “Do you admit your guilt?”

This child was truly strange. Whoever held him would make him cry loudly, yet in her arms, he would at most let out soft whimpers, as though he instinctively knew who could be trusted and who would truly protect him. Wei Yingluo knelt down while cradling the child, careful not to startle him, and spoke in a gentle, hushed voice:

“Your Majesty, this servant deserves ten thousand deaths. I deceived Your Ladyship Noble Consort. I beg Your Majesty to punish me.”

“Deceived Noble Consort?” Hongli immediately caught the implication in her words. “Not deceived Me?”

“How could this servant dare to use the Empress’s golden seal? That would be the grave crime of falsely transmitting an imperial decree,” Wei Yingluo said deferentially. “But in that urgent situation, if this servant had not protected Noble Lady Yu and the Fifth Prince, they would never have lived to see Your Majesty arrive. For the sake of Noble Lady and the young prince’s lives, this servant had no choice but to take the risk! Of course, deceiving Your Ladyship Noble Consort was indeed a fault. I beg Your Majesty to forgive my crime.”

Her words sounded perfectly submissive, yet every action she had taken was anything but.

Hongli stared at her in silence for a long moment, then suddenly raised his hand and pointed:

“Drag her away and give her fifty strokes of the cane!”

The eunuchs surged forward at once. Ming Yu stood stunned for a second before panicking and crying out in terror:

“How—how could it be me? Your Majesty, Your Majesty, spare me!”

Since the brocade box did not contain the golden seal, Ming Yu’s actions amounted to blatant framing and entrapment. That alone was serious enough—but what was far worse was that her true intention had been seen through by Hongli: she had attempted to use him to dispose of her rival, Wei Yingluo.

Did she deserve to be beaten or not?

Hongli shot a fierce glare at Wei Yingluo. She too was someone who deserved a beating, but for the moment he could find no justification to punish her. Frustrated, he flicked his sleeve and left.

The others followed suit and departed. Halfway out, Consort Chun noticed Wei Yingluo quietly slip to her side. In a voice only the two of them could hear, she said:

“Your Ladyship Consort Chun, may I have a private word with you?”

Perhaps Consort Chun was in a good mood, or perhaps it was because she knew Wei Yingluo was currently in favor with the Empress—whatever the reason, Consort Chun raised her hand to dismiss the palace servants around her and walked with Wei Yingluo into a side hall.

“This servant ventures to ask one question,” Wei Yingluo said directly, wary of eavesdroppers and not wanting to drag things out. “Was the Fifth Prince’s jaundice truly caused by Noble Consort Hui?”

Consort Chun looked at her with a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“When I saw the body of that Mongolian cook, something already felt off to me. If the goal was to silence him and eliminate evidence, why choose such a critical moment? Wouldn’t that only invite suspicion?” Since Consort Chun did not answer, Wei Yingluo continued speaking on her own. “Moreover, if Noble Consort truly wanted to kill and cover it up, why handle it so sloppily that he was able to leave behind a blood-written message?”

“You knew full well there was something wrong with the matter—why did you still say those words, causing Noble Consort Hui to receive such a heavy punishment?” Consort Chun suddenly asked.

She had come intending to question her, yet unexpectedly found herself being questioned in return. Wei Yingluo fell silent for a moment before slowly replying:

“The child is innocent. If she had remained safe and unharmed, then the little prince would have been the one in danger. Between the two, I could only choose to let Your Ladyship Noble Consort suffer—so that the little prince could be saved.”

“A temporary safety, nothing more,” Consort Chun said with a faint smile. “This child was born inside the Forbidden City. His fate was sealed from the moment he entered this world—he is destined to be entangled in struggles for power. If he dies young, that is his destiny. Even if he grows up safely, he will still face the life-or-death battle for the throne. To enjoy brocade robes and jade meals comes at a price!”

Wei Yingluo stared at her intently.

Though Consort Chun had not said it outright, the meaning between the lines was almost an open admission: she had used the Mongolian cook and the young prince to frame and bring down Noble Consort Hui.

“…This servant can understand Your Ladyship Consort Chun’s words, but I cannot agree with them,” Wei Yingluo said slowly. “Only ferocious beasts devour their young. If a human being harms an innocent infant, how is that any different from an animal? Please forgive this servant for taking her leave.”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 52: Buried Alive

   “Bury this evil spawn right here on the spot!”

“Yes, Your Ladyship!”

“Waaah! Waaah!”

“No! Your Ladyship Noble Consort, no—please!” Noble Lady Yu struggled desperately, but she could not break free from the grip of the two eunuchs. She could only watch helplessly as her own child was lifted by one leg, dangling like a chick about to be slaughtered, and carried to the flower bed.

The jasmine flowers in the bed had been brutally shoveled away, leaving only a gaping black pit. The poor child was tossed into it, and from all sides, shovelfuls of yellow earth rained down onto his small body.

The palace maids led by Ming Yu, fearing they would bring trouble upon themselves, kept their mouths shut as if sewn with thread—furious but not daring to speak. Noble Lady Yu could not bear to watch the child she had carried for ten months be buried alive. She sobbed violently a few times, then her head tilted to one side as she fainted.

“Splash her awake!” Noble Consort Hui sneered coldly. “I want her to see with her own eyes what happens to those who oppose me!”

Splash!

A basin of icy well water was thrown onto Noble Lady Yu’s face. She slowly came to, her eyes still dazed. Only when she clearly saw what was happening before her did she realize that everything prior had not been a nightmare—it was reality unfolding right in front of her.

“Your Ladyship!” Noble Lady Yu struggled to her knees before her. “I beg you—spare my child! He truly is not a demon!”

Her humble and wretched appearance reflected in Noble Consort Hui’s eyes. A trace of cruel satisfaction crossed Noble Consort Hui’s face as she looked down at her and said:

“On the day of the lychee banquet, weren’t you so smug? And now you come begging me so quickly?”

With a glance from her, the two eunuchs released their hold. Freed, Noble Lady Yu immediately crawled to her feet like a dog and kowtowed frantically:

“Your Ladyship Noble Consort, even if I have offended you, the little prince is innocent—he has done nothing wrong! I beg you—if punishment is due, punish me instead! Spare his life! I beg you, I beg you, I beg you!”

Yet Noble Consort Hui only smiled and watched her, saying neither yes nor no.

In her ears rang the sound of the eunuchs shoveling earth—shovel after shovel. The little prince was still crying, each cry weaker than the last. Noble Lady Yu’s heart gradually turned to ice. She stopped pleading with Noble Consort Hui. Instead, she threw herself forward, covering her child with her own body—using her hands, her back, her frail frame to shield him from the falling dirt, refusing to let anyone harm him even a little more.

“Hah. How touching—such deep motherly love,” Noble Consort Hui said with a contemptuous laugh. “Very well then, since you insist, let mother and son go on the road together… What are you all waiting for? Do it!”

Several palace servants shivered but had no choice but to raise their iron shovels again, flinging handful after handful of yellow earth onto the two of them.

Just as it seemed the mother and son would be buried alive, a furious voice suddenly rang out.

“Stop!!”

Noble Consort Hui turned to look and sneered:

“You finally showed up. Come—seize her! This woman dares interfere with This Palace’s handling of demons. She must be in league with them. What are you waiting for? Take her down at once!”

“Your Ladyship Noble Consort!” Wei Yingluo strode forward, clutching a brocade box in her arms. She glared at Noble Consort Hui and said:

“This is Changchun Palace—not your Chuxiu Palace. You cannot run wild here! And all of you—”

Wei Yingluo swept her gaze across the surrounding palace servants, finally fixing it on Ming Yu’s face. She frowned and said:

“When Her Majesty the Empress left, what did she instruct? If anything happens to Noble Lady Yu’s Fifth Prince, none of us will survive!”

People tend to follow the crowd—especially this group of palace servants and lower attendants. Having served for so long, they had gradually lost any will of their own; they only followed orders. Few dared to take initiative or make decisions. Now that Wei Yingluo had spoken, it was as if they had found their backbone. They stopped floundering like headless flies. With visible relief, they rushed to the edge of the pit—some snatched the shovels from the eunuchs’ hands, some reached in to pull Noble Lady Yu out, others hurriedly brushed the dirt from her body.

Noble Consort Hui was furious at the sight:

“What are you doing? How dare you defy me—do you all want to rebel?!”

The group hesitated and looked toward Wei Yingluo.

“The ones defying orders are not us—it’s you!” Wei Yingluo scoffed with icy disdain. Suddenly she raised the golden brocade box high in both hands. “The Empress’s golden seal is here! None of you may act recklessly!”

Seeing the seal was akin to seeing the person herself. The palace servants immediately knelt in the direction of the box. Noble Consort Hui alone did not kneel; her eyes remained fixed intently on the brocade box in Wei Yingluo’s hands.

“The Empress’s golden seal represents the will of the mistress of the Six Palaces. Whether the Fifth Prince is truly a demon, and how Noble Lady Yu should be dealt with—all of it must await Her Majesty the Empress’s decree. No one—” Wei Yingluo stared straight at Noble Consort Hui and spoke each word deliberately—” may act on their own authority!”

Noble Consort Hui gnashed her teeth, about to say something, when suddenly a sharp, drawn-out announcement came from outside:

“This humble servant respectfully greets Your Majesty and wishes You eternal peace!”

“His Majesty!”

Noble Consort Hui was momentarily stunned. Seizing the chance to strike first, she rushed forward, grabbed the Emperor’s arm and said,

“Noble Lady Yu has given birth to a monstrous creature covered entirely in reddish-yellow! With the Empress absent from the palace, this consort has been temporarily entrusted with enforcing palace rules and must deal with both mother and child! Yet the people of Changchun Palace—especially this palace maid Wei Yingluo—dared to openly obstruct me!”

“Your Majesty, this servant did not dare to block Noble Consort from carrying out the law,” Wei Yingluo knelt to one side and explained, “However, before the Empress departed, She repeatedly instructed us servants to take good care of Noble Lady Yu. Until Her Majesty returns to the palace, no one is permitted to arbitrarily dispose of them. Moreover… whether the young prince is truly ill or is some kind of monster cannot be judged by the naked eye alone. Surely we must at least summon the imperial physicians for a proper diagnosis? Noble Consort’s action seems far too hasty!”

The Hongli Emperor gave her a glance, then quickly strode to Noble Lady Yu’s bedside. He lifted a corner of the swaddling cloth and looked inside. Instantly, his sword-like brows knitted tightly together.

Noble Consort Hui watched coldly from the side, inwardly delighted—only to hear the Emperor say:

“Li Yu, summon the Imperial Academy of Medicine for a joint consultation!”

Moments later, two imperial physicians hurried into Changchun Palace carrying their medical cases on their backs.

“Well?” The Emperor stood with hands behind his back beside the bed. “Is the prince sick?”

The two physicians exchanged a look. The older one replied helplessly,

“Your Majesty, this humble servant has diagnosed many cases of neonatal jaundice, but never has there been one where even the pupils are golden-yellow. Therefore…”

“There, you see! It really is a monster!” Noble Consort Hui sneered.

“No! The little prince is not a monster—he is not!”

Noble Lady Yu rushed forward, trying to snatch her child back from the physician’s hands, but the surrounding palace servants blocked her. At a signal from the Emperor’s eyes, they dragged the extremely agitated Noble Lady Yu out of the room.

“Your Majesty.” Noble Consort Hui pressed her advantage, holding onto the Emperor’s arm as she continued, “This consort knows Your Majesty has ten thousand feelings of reluctance in your heart. But throughout the dynasties, whenever a monstrous birth occurs, it must be dealt with immediately! If this matter is not resolved tonight, tomorrow when the sun rises, news that a Noble Lady in the Forbidden City gave birth to a demon will spread across the realm as if it had grown wings. A demon descended from Heaven heralds calamity and disaster—panic will spread, and the consequences will be uncontrollable! Therefore this consort can only steel her heart and become the villain who buries a prince alive. This consort does this for Your Majesty, for the Great Qing—even if it means bearing the condemnation of all under Heaven, I will not shrink from it! Your Majesty, please do not hesitate any longer!”

Seeing the Emperor’s expression begin to soften slightly, Wei Yingluo hardened her heart. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone’s attention was elsewhere, she sprang forward, snatched the infant into her arms, silently apologized in her mind, and then viciously pinched his little arm.

“Waaah—”

“Your Majesty, listen,” Wei Yingluo said, cradling the child and looking earnestly at the Emperor. “Though the little prince’s whole body is yellow, his cry is loud and strong. He is a living human being, connected to you by blood. How can we simply bury him alive?”

Hongli; the Emperor gazed at her quietly.

“Moreover, the imperial physicians have served in the palace for many years. Though their medical skills are superb, the cases they have seen are limited. Perhaps they simply cannot recognize this condition!” Wei Yingluo paused, her tone carrying a trace of pleading. “Besides… Noble Lady Yu endured untold hardship to give birth to the Fifth Prince. He has only just opened his eyes!”

“There are thousands of consorts and concubines in the harem—do we fear there will be no more heirs in the future?” Noble Consort Hui said coldly. “Leaving this monster alive will bring endless calamity! Your Majesty, please do not hesitate any longer—give the order!”

One word would decide life or death. Everyone’s eyes turned to Hongli; the Emperor, waiting for him to speak, waiting for him to decide the fate of a child.

“…Consort Xian.” The Emperor finally spoke slowly. “Last time at the lychee banquet, I recall you mentioning a renowned physician from Jiangnan?”

“Yes.” He had not come alone; Consort Xian had accompanied him. Understanding the hint immediately, she replied, “As it happens, that renowned physician is currently in the capital conducting consultations. Does Your Majesty wish to summon him here to take a look?”

The Hongli Emperor slowly nodded.

“Someone.” Consort Xian promptly issued the order on his behalf. “Invite Ye Tianshi—”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 51: Childbirth

With the Emperor’s personal entrustment, the Empress naturally had to show concern. Noble Lady Yu was soon moved into Changchun Palace to rest and prepare for delivery.

The Empress was carefully pruning a potted bonsai on its stand. Wei Yingluo practiced calligraphy at the side table, occasionally stealing glances at the Empress. Finally, the Empress couldn’t hold back and asked, “What is it? You look like you want to say something but won’t.”

Wei Yingluo weighed her words carefully before speaking plainly: “Your Majesty, you shouldn’t have brought Noble Lady Yu to Changchun Palace.”

The Empress looked at her quietly and asked, “Why not?”

Wei Yingluo never hid her true thoughts in front of the Empress. She said directly, “Noble Lady Yu’s delivery is approaching, and there are many things to be cautious about. If she eats too much at one meal or too little at another, and something goes wrong with her care, outsiders will inevitably blame Your Ladyship.”

The Empress was slightly surprised and asked, “Yingluo, you have defended Noble Lady Yu many times before. Why have you changed your mind this time?”

Wei Yingluo answered almost coldly, “I believe that not being afraid of trouble does not mean actively seeking it out.”

The Empress set down her scissors, walked over to Wei Yingluo’s side, and asked with amusement, “Do you think that me inviting Noble Lady Yu to Changchun Palace is actively courting trouble?”

Wei Yingluo did not deny it. “This slave is ignorant. If I have thought wrongly, please forgive me, Your Ladyship.”

The Empress took the brush from her hand, bent over the desk, and wrote a single character. Then she asked, “Do you know what this character is?”

Although Wei Yingluo had been learning to read and write under the Empress, she did not recognize the character the Empress had written. She shook her head.

The Empress patiently taught her, “At the bottom left is a ‘mouth,’ and at the top right is a ‘hand.’ This is the origin of the character ‘Hou’ (後, meaning ‘empress’ or ‘queen’) in oracle bone script. The Forbidden City—this colossal place—houses countless consorts and palace maids. The Empress is the leader of all consorts, the umbrella over the Six Palaces. She must provide shelter for the women here.”

Wei Yingluo immediately understood the Empress’s meaning. Yet though she understood, she could not fully accept it. Frowning, she said, “But they are all here to compete with you for His Majesty’s favor!”

A kind of indescribable sorrow and compassion appeared in the Empress’s expression. Looking at the character “Hou” on the white paper, she said gently, “They have left their parents and family behind, confined to the depths of the palace for their entire lives—that is already pitiful enough. If I were also filled with jealousy and constantly attacked others, the example set from above would surely cause the entire palace to descend into chaos and disorder. My strength is limited, but I can at least offer them a little warmth, so that when they suffer injustice, they will not have nowhere to turn and weep. Yingluo, you must always remember: I am first and foremost the Empress, and only secondarily a woman.”

Wei Yingluo stood rooted to the spot in a daze. Looking at the Empress, she seemed to see another person—the one who had once spoken to her so tenderly: “Yingluo, survival is not easy for anyone. You must do your utmost to help those you can help. Do you understand?”

Noticing the tears glistening in Wei Yingluo’s eyes, the Empress asked with some bewilderment, “Yingluo, what’s wrong?”

Wei Yingluo hurriedly wiped away her tears and said in a low voice, “This slave has an older sister. Just now, the way Your Ladyship spoke reminded me so much of her. Please forgive me, Your Ladyship—you are of priceless worth, and this slave should never have compared you to my sister. I only feel that you and my sister are both kind-hearted people. Heaven will surely protect you.” And I will protect you too.

The Empress lovingly touched Wei Yingluo’s forehead and chided gently, “Crying already? What a little girl you are.”

Wei Yingluo smiled with an embarrassed tint.

The Empress continued, “Yingluo, this Palace is going to Changchun Garden to accompany the Empress Dowager in paying respects to the Buddha. Erqing will accompany me. After that, everything in Changchun Palace will be entrusted to you.”

Wei Yingluo let out a surprised “Eh?” and quickly said, “Your Ladyship the Empress, this slave cannot bear such a heavy responsibility. It would be better to leave it to Ming Yu.”

The Empress took Wei Yingluo’s hand. “Ming Yu has been with me for many years and our bond is deep, but her temperament is not steady enough. I want you to guard Changchun Palace well!”

With the matter spoken so plainly, Wei Yingluo no longer refused. She answered seriously and solemnly, “Yes.”

The next day, the phoenix carriage departed the palace.

After the Empress left, although everyone had heard Her Ladyship order Wei Yingluo to take charge of affairs, Ming Yu felt unwilling to accept it. She proactively took on the assignment of all major and minor tasks and directed everyone accordingly. Wei Yingluo had no desire to clash openly with Ming Yu. Moreover, Ming Yu was indeed far more familiar with the affairs of Changchun Palace than she was. As long as nothing went wrong, she would not fight for authority.

That night, Wei Yingluo was sleeping soundly in her room when suddenly a woman’s piercing, wretched scream shattered the silence. She jolted awake from her dream. From far away came the urgent shout of the palace maid He Ye: “Noble Lady is going into labor! Quick—quick, fetch the midwife!”

Wei Yingluo immediately threw on her outer robe and hurried to the inner courtyard. The place was already in chaos. She gathered her hair with one hand and barked sharply, “What are you panicking for? Hupo, go fetch the midwife at once!”

Hupo snapped back to her senses and hurriedly ran off.

Wei Yingluo quickly collected her thoughts and issued orders in rapid succession: “Zhenzhu, prepare the hot water and scissors we’ll need later. Ask the midwife about anything else. Feicui, tell the wet nurses to stand by at all times, and start boiling a pot of ginseng soup!”

With tasks finally assigned, everyone calmed down and went about their duties.

Ming Yu bit her lip on the side, her face full of resentment and unwillingness.

Once the ginseng soup was ready, Wei Yingluo picked up the bowl and was about to enter the hall when Ming Yu suddenly blocked her path. With a dark, unfriendly expression, she said:

“I’ll take it in! You go to the back courtyard and wash the dirty clothes. Don’t get in the way here!”

Wei Yingluo felt a surge of anger, but hearing Noble Lady Yu’s increasingly shrill, agonized screams from inside the hall and the midwives urgently urging her on, she knew now was not the time to argue. She let Ming Yu snatch the ginseng soup and carry it into the chamber.

Inside the side hall, Noble Lady Yu’s screams grew higher and more piercing with each wave. Palace maids hurried back and forth without pause, carrying out basins of bloody water and quickly returning with clean hot water.

The midwives were drenched in sweat from anxiety. One encouraged her:

“Your Ladyship, push harder!”

Suddenly Noble Lady Yu let out a scream so sharp it nearly pierced everyone’s eardrums. Immediately afterward, the loud, clear cry of a newborn filled the room. Everyone’s hearts relaxed in relief!

Noble Lady Yu collapsed weakly onto the bed, her long hair disheveled, her breathing faint and labored. She asked in a trembling voice:

“Is it an elder brother… or a little princess?”

The two midwives glanced at the baby, then at each other. Both saw raw panic in the other’s eyes.

Noble Lady Yu asked again, urgently:

“What is it—tell me! An elder brother or a princess!”

One midwife answered in a shaking voice:

“It… it is a little prince, Your Ladyship.”

Joy flooded Noble Lady Yu’s heart. With great effort she raised her hand:

“Let me see the child.”

The other midwife stammered nervously:

“Your Ladyship… this…”

Noble Lady Yu frowned. A sudden sense of unease rose in her chest. She insisted:

“Hurry, bring him here. Let me see him!”

Ming Yu stepped closer to the midwife, caught a clear look at the baby—and recoiled half a step in horror.

From outside the door came the voices of palace maids:

“This servant pays respects to Noble Consort!”

Ming Yu stamped her foot, turned, and quickly ordered Feicui and Manao:

“You two take good care of Noble Lady Yu. Noble Consort is here—we cannot let her see the little prince. I’ll go stop her!”

With that, Ming Yu hurried out.

Noble Lady Yu’s voice had begun to tremble. She looked blankly at everyone in the room and asked:

“What… what’s going on? Why do you all look like that?”

Everyone lowered their heads in silence.

Outside, a large group escorted Noble Consort Hui as she swept grandly into the inner courtyard of Changchun Palace.

Ming Yu wiped her sweat, curtsied deeply:

“This servant greets Noble Consort!”

Noble Consort Hui didn’t even glance at her. With a casual wave of her hand she said:

“Dispense with formalities. This palace heard that Noble Lady Yu’s delivery was imminent, and since the Empress is not in the palace, as Noble Consort it is only proper that I come in her stead to show concern.”

Ming Yu forced a smile:

“Please, Noble Consort, rest in the main hall. This servant will serve tea at once.”

From inside the room came the loud, healthy cries of the infant. Noble Consort Hui’s lips curved in an interested smile. Without pause she walked straight forward:

“No need. This palace will go see the child.”

Ming Yu hurriedly blocked her:

“Noble Consort, the birthing chamber is unclean—it could harm Your Ladyship’s precious health!”

Noble Consort Hui gave Zhilan a meaningful glance. Zhilan immediately snapped:

“Get out of the way! How dare you block Her Ladyship’s path?”

A group of eunuchs promptly seized Ming Yu and held her back. Seeing that Ming Yu could not stop her, Zhenzhu turned and ran toward the back courtyard to find Wei Yingluo.

Noble Consort Hui strode boldly into the side hall. The midwives and palace maids stood frozen, at a complete loss. Spotting one midwife holding a swaddled bundle, Noble Consort Hui immediately said:

“Oh my, congratulations to my little sister on a smooth delivery. Let me see how adorable this child is.”

An older mama stepped forward quickly, snatched the infant from the midwife’s arms, and presented him to Noble Consort Hui.

Noble Consort Hui lifted the swaddling cloth. Her whole body jolted. In shock she cried:

“You—you gave birth to a monster!”

Noble Lady Yu was stunned:

“What monster? What nonsense are you talking about!”

A midwife, unable to hide it any longer, trembled like a sieve as she spoke: “Noble Lady Yu, the little prince’s eyes are golden yellow, and his whole body is terrifyingly sallow. This servant has delivered so many children, but I have truly never seen anything like this!”

Next, in Chengqian Palace, Consort Chun and Consort Xian were playing chess. Yuhu hurried over to Consort Chun’s side and whispered a few words in her ear.

Consort Chun abruptly stood up: “Really?”

Yuhu nodded: “Absolutely true.”

Consort Chun tossed the chess piece in her hand aside: “Noble Lady Yu has given birth to a monstrous infant. I’m afraid we won’t be finishing this game! Come on, let’s go take a look.”

Consort Xian looked surprised: “Alright.”

Yuhu added quietly from the side: “Noble Consort Hui has already gone ahead. She will surely handle it according to palace regulations. Your Ladyship, we must hurry and save them!”

Consort Xian had already risen to her feet, but after hearing Yuhu’s last words, Consort Chun suddenly stopped in her tracks and said: “Wait.”

Saving someone was as urgent as putting out a fire—Consort Xian and Yuhu couldn’t understand what there was left to wait for.

Consort Chun calmly returned to her seat with an air of composure: “Tell me, why would a perfectly fine Noble Lady Yu suddenly give birth to a monstrous child?”

Consort Xian asked in confusion: “What do you mean by that, little sister?”

A faint smile appeared on Consort Chun’s lips. She picked up a chess piece and placed it on the board: “Noble Consort has always been overbearing and tyrannical. Why not present her with a grand gift? I have another matter to attend to, so I’ll have to trouble Elder Sister to go to Yangxin Hall first!”

(One flower blooms into two branches—each story told separately.)

   Wei Yingluo hurried after Zhenzhu toward the side hall. She was just about to step forward when Ming Yu reached out to block her: “You can’t go in! Didn’t you hear the commotion inside? Noble Lady Yu has given birth to a demon creature. Noble Consort is handling it according to palace rules—no one is allowed to interfere! If you want to court trouble for yourself, don’t drag us into it!”

Wei Yingluo’s gaze turned icy in an instant. She raised her hand and slapped Ming Yu hard across the face.

The slap carried no restraint whatsoever. Five clear finger marks immediately bloomed on Ming Yu’s cheek. She covered her face in disbelief: “You hit me? Have you gone mad?!”

Zhenzhu, seeing the two start quarreling, hurriedly intervened: “Yingluo, let’s talk calmly!”

Wei Yingluo said coldly: “What reason is there to speak with something that doesn’t even know how to talk like a human? Let me tell you, Ming Yu—while Her Majesty the Empress has been away from the palace these past two days, you’ve been throwing your weight around. I didn’t bother to settle scores with you because I didn’t want to disturb Noble Lady Yu’s rest during her pregnancy—not because I’m afraid of you! Now Noble Lady Yu and the little prince are in mortal danger. Since you refuse to care, then get out of my way!”

Ming Yu clutched her face, her eyes blazing with both fury and hatred. She shouted: “Wei Yingluo, you cannot interfere in this! If you meddle with that demon creature, you’ll be defying the ancestral rules. Do you want to drag Her Majesty the Empress down with you?”

Wei Yingluo replied impatiently: “Her Majesty the Empress instructed me to protect Noble Lady Yu. That’s the one order I recognize!” With that, she strode swiftly toward the side hall’s door—only to find a group of eunuchs blocking the entrance.

Ming Yu sneered contemptuously: “Anyone can talk big. Do you actually have the ability to do anything?”

Wei Yingluo swept her gaze over the menacing eunuchs, then abruptly changed direction and charged straight toward the Empress’s bedchamber.

Zhenzhu panicked and chased after her: “Yingluo, what are you doing?!”

Ming Yu let out a scornful laugh, both angry and resentful: “I’d like to see just how she plans to handle this!”

The Empress’s bedchamber had already been turned upside down by Wei Yingluo. Zhenzhu was so anxious she was on the verge of tears: “Yingluo, do you actually have a plan or not?!” From outside came the continuous cries of a child, each wail pressing harder and harder on the two of them.

Zhenzhu stomped her foot in desperation, her voice trembling with sobs: “Yingluo, it’s too late—”

STORY OF YANXI PALACE CHAPTERS HOME

  

   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 50: Investigation

   Hailancha yawned, handed a register to Wei Yingluo, and asked: “Yingluo, what do you want with the duty roster for the tenth day of the first lunar month?”

Wei Yingluo took the register and replied simply: “It’s useful.” With that, she flipped to the page for the tenth day of the first month and examined it carefully:

Tenth day of the first month — Duty guards: Tongjiayu Qing, Suochuoluo Fukang, Hesheli Liguo, Fucha Fuheng, Soulun Duola’er Hailancha, Niohuru Zhaofeng.

Hailancha looked puzzled: “What’s so useful about this?”

Wei Yingluo answered lightly: “Useful is useful.” She was about to turn to the next page when a hand pressed down on the register. Fuheng held it firmly in place and said to Hailancha: “Hailancha, I have something I want to say to Yingluo.”

Hailancha understood immediately. With a knowing smile, he stood up: “Alright, alright, you two talk. I’ll head out first.”

Fuheng’s hand showed no sign of releasing the register. Wei Yingluo raised an eyebrow and asked: “What does Young Master mean by this?”

Fuheng closed the register: “No need to look further. On the tenth day of the first month, the men in the palace were not limited to the Emperor and the guards. That day, the Emperor hosted a banquet for the princes and imperial clansmen in the Qianqing Palace. All princes, Prince of Third Rank, Prince of Fourth Rank, and imperial clansmen of the fourth rank and above attended.”

Wei Yingluo murmured thoughtfully: “Imperial clansmen…”

Fuheng’s expression was filled with worry: “Yingluo, if what you say is true—that A-Man was murdered—then the person who killed her to silence her certainly does not want this matter to spread. If you continue investigating, first, the scope is too broad and hard to narrow down; second, once you’re discovered, you will put yourself in great danger.”

Wei Yingluo lifted her eyes to look at Fuheng and said seriously: “Thank you for the reminder, Young Master. But if it concerns Her Majesty the Empress—if something were to happen to her—what would you do?”

Fuheng was stunned and could not answer.

Wei Yingluo smiled and said, “Put yourself in my shoes. You and Her Highness share a deep bond—how could it be any different between me and my sister? I must pursue the truth. If you want me to give up, it will only happen over my dead body.”

Fuheng was silent for a moment. Put yourself in my shoes—she has a sister, and so does he. He couldn’t stop her, so he could only help her. Having made up his mind, Fuheng asked, “Then—what do you plan to do?”

Wei Yingluo already had a plan. With calm confidence, she replied, “Since the night banquet is being held in Qianqing Palace, anyone who leaves the banquet that evening will surely leave a trace. The eunuchs on duty in Qianqing Palace and those close to the Emperor will likely remember. As long as we patiently investigate, I’m certain we can catch the culprit!”

Fuheng thought for a moment and said, “I’ll help you look into the eunuchs of Qianqing Palace. Promise me you won’t act rashly!”

Wei Yingluo was somewhat surprised. She disapproved, saying, “Young Master, why would you wade into this muddy water?”

Fuheng threatened her firmly, “If you won’t promise, I’ll go tell my sister right now and have her send you out of the palace!”

Wei Yingluo’s gaze gradually softened. She gave Fuheng a slight smile and said, “All right, I promise you.”

Though she had the pretext of carrying out business for the Empress, as a palace maid it was still inappropriate to linger too long in the guard station. Wei Yingluo hurried back to Changchun Palace, where Ming Yu informed her that His Majesty had arrived.

Wei Yingluo didn’t know why, but it seemed the Emperor particularly disliked many of the palace servants in Changchun Palace. She quietly returned to her own room to avoid causing trouble.

In the bedchamber, a eunuch brought in a small table and set out dishes. The Empress said with concern, “Your Majesty has been busy all day—you must be hungry. Please eat something.” With that, she personally handed a small bowl of soup to Hongli.

Influenced by the warm atmosphere, Hongli’s tone softened considerably. “Empress, you should eat with me too.”

The Empress was slightly surprised and reminded him, “Your Majesty, consorts and concubines are not permitted to dine together with the Emperor. This is a rule handed down by our ancestors.”

Hearing the expected reply, Hongli felt a touch of disappointment. He smiled and said, “Empress, you are still the same as ever—strictly observing propriety, never overstepping.”

The Empress replied gravely, “As the model for the six palaces, this concubine dares not transgress.” A gentle breeze stirred the gauze curtains. The Empress turned her head and instructed, “Erqing, close all the windows. The night wind is strong—don’t let His Majesty catch a chill.”

Hongli looked at the Empress and said no more. He lowered his head and drank the soup.

The next morning, as always, the Empress personally helped Hongli dress. Hongli suddenly sighed with feeling, “Sometimes, I really wish I didn’t have to attend court.”

The Empress frowned slightly and admonished him, “Since Your Majesty wishes to be a wise ruler, you must not slack off in the slightest. Otherwise, it would be this concubine’s fault.”

Hongli was mildly displeased. “If I don’t want to attend court, what does that have to do with the Empress?”

The Empress took a step back, solemnly knelt, and kowtowed. “The Empress has the duty to remonstrate. If Your Majesty neglects state affairs, this concubine is naturally at fault.”

Hongli paused. The jade belt and golden crown lay to one side. A wave of weariness suddenly rose in his heart. After a moment, he personally helped the Empress to her feet and said helplessly, “I’ve told you many times—you do this, and even I feel exhausted for you. My Empress is neither jealous nor envious, tolerant and benevolent. I cannot find the slightest flaw in you, and I take pride in having such a virtuous consort.”

Being praised so directly made the Empress slightly uncomfortable. She lowered her head a little and said, “This concubine is not so perfect… In truth, over the past three years, this concubine has had far too many shortcomings.”

Once the court robes were properly adjusted, Hongli set out for court. At the doorway, he seemed to remember something and turned back to instruct, “Noble Lady Yu will soon give birth. I must ask you to take extra care of her.”

The Empress nodded and replied, “Your Majesty may rest assured. This concubine will do everything in her power to look after Noble Lady Yu properly.”

Hongli gazed at his wife’s beautiful face, unable to tell whether he felt more joy or more melancholy. He smiled and said, “I trust you will handle everything perfectly.”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 49: Idle Gossip

   “Have you heard?”

“Heard what?”

“About Noble Lady Jia and Consort Xian! It’s caused such a huge uproar! Earlier, didn’t His Majesty entrust the Fourth Prince to Consort Xian for upbringing? Noble Lady Jia kept begging His Majesty to take the Fourth Prince back, and in the end it blew up—turns out Noble Lady Jia deliberately made the Fourth Prince fall ill just to frame Consort Xian and get him back. His Majesty has already issued an order: Noble Lady Jia is demoted to an Attendant, her title is stripped, and she’s been moved to the Northern Three Compounds!”

“Noble Lady Jia really is ruthless… They say even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs.”

“Exactly. But I also heard that Noble Consort Hui wanted to take over raising the Fourth Prince, yet she still didn’t succeed. Noble Lady Jia has always followed her lead obediently, and yet she still tried to snatch someone else’s child.”

“From now on, Consort Xian really has the Fourth Prince by her side. I think Her Ladyship Consort Xian is actually quite a good person.”

The two little palace maids were chattering excitedly as they sat under the corridor when suddenly someone cleared their throat. The pair jumped in fright and turned around in panic—only to see Wei Yingluo standing there with her arms crossed, watching them. They let out a collective sigh of relief and pouted, “Sister Yingluo, why did you scare us like that!”

Wei Yingluo flicked each of them on the forehead and threatened, “How many lives do you two think you have, daring to gossip behind people’s backs? If it had been anyone else who overheard you today instead of me, your tongues would already have been pulled out!”

The two little maids, still shaken, quickly admitted their fault: “…We understand. We won’t do it again.”

Wei Yingluo was about to give them another scolding when Ming Yu spotted her from a distance and called out, “Wei Yingluo, what are you doing over there? The Empress is looking for you—do we need to send a sedan chair to carry you here?”

Wei Yingluo quickly replied, “Coming!” As she walked away, she turned back and pointed at the two maids. “Next time I catch you, I’ll have you beaten on the palms!”

The two little maids giggled and scampered off.

In the main hall of Changchun Palace, the Empress and Erqing were also discussing the matter.

The Empress took a sip of tea, frowned, and asked, “How did Attendant Jin (Noble Lady Jia’s title having been revoked, she was now referred to only by her surname) end up taking her own life? She didn’t seem like someone who couldn’t endure hardship.”

Erqing replied, “People accustomed to brocade and fine food naturally can’t bear life in the Northern Three Compounds. Attendant Jin’s funeral arrangements have already been properly handled.”

The Empress set down her teacup and nodded. “Very well. It’s just a pity for little Yongcheng—so young and already without his own birth mother.”

Erqing hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, “If Your Majesty the Empress feels pity for the Fourth Prince, why not bring him to Changchun Palace to be raised here?”

The Empress sighed. “I preside over the Six Palaces and is occupied with countless affairs. Consort Xian, on the other hand, is of noble character, upright and selfless—she is the most suitable person to care for Yongcheng. Moreover, she has just lost a close relative. Having the Fourth Prince by her side… is at least some comfort to her.”

Erqing opened her mouth, then closed it again before venturing, “Your Majesty the Empress, forgive this servant for speaking out of turn, but Changchun Palace is far too quiet. It is time to add a little prince here. You are the principal wife and Empress; you ought to bear His Majesty a legitimate son to inherit the orthodox line of the Great Qing.”

The Empress’s expression changed instantly. She rebuked sharply, “Erqing, how could even you say such things!”

Erqing dropped to her knees with a thud and earnestly pleaded, “This servant knows that you are magnanimous and tolerant, a true mother to the realm, treating the children of other consorts as your own. But Noble Consort has always been watching like a tiger waiting to pounce. If the Chuxiu Palace manages to bear a dragon son first, your position will surely be shaken!”

The Empress was already deeply displeased. She slammed her hand on the table and snapped, “Enough! Say no more!” But as soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly drew in a sharp breath, clenched her teeth, and sat back down heavily.

Seeing that the Empress appeared unwell, Erqing hurriedly stood and stepped forward. “Your Ladyship?”

When Wei Yingluo entered the main hall, she walked right into this scene. She quickly came over and asked, “What’s wrong with Her Ladyship?”

Erqing, flustered and at a loss, said, “The imperial physician… I’ll go summon the imperial physician!”

The Empress grabbed Erqing’s arm tightly and said calmly, “It’s nothing. Do not alarm anyone else. I am merely suddenly fatigued. Help me to the bed to rest.”

Erqing protested anxiously, “But—”

The Empress gripped Erqing’s arm with such force that it almost caused her pain. She repeated firmly, “Obey.”

With no other choice, Wei Yingluo and Erqing could only first help the Empress to the couch to rest. Wei Yingluo asked softly:

“Your Highness, are you really alright?”

The Empress nodded, then added:

“Invite Consort Chun here. It’s been a long time since I last saw her. Suddenly I feel like having a few private words with her.”

Wei Yingluo and Erqing exchanged a glance and answered in unison:

“Yes, Your Highness.”

A palace maid soon led Consort Chun to Changchun Palace. Wei Yingluo originally thought she would still need to wait on them, but Erqing pulled her outside the door. Not a single other palace servant was allowed to remain in the hall.

Erqing and Wei Yingluo sat in front of the door, each lost in their own thoughts. Wei Yingluo asked in a low voice:

“What do you think Her Highness the Empress wants to talk about with Consort Chun that even the two of us aren’t allowed to stay inside?”

Erqing looked equally puzzled but replied:

“This is the master’s business. We shouldn’t ask too many questions.”

Wei Yingluo smiled:

“That’s true.”

But the doubt in her heart only grew deeper.

It was no secret in the palace that the Empress often summoned Consort Chun for conversations and would dismiss all attendants when they spoke.

In Chuxiu Palace, Zhilan whispered a few words into Noble Consort Hui’s ear.

Noble Consort Hui was astonished:

“Really?”

Zhilan nodded.

Noble Consort Hui sneered:

“These two women are truly strange. Consort Chun has been chronically ill and hasn’t served in the Emperor’s bed for years, yet the Empress treats her like a blood sister. They’re clearly romantic rivals, but there’s not the slightest grudge between them!”

Zhilan also looked amazed:

“Exactly. Consort Chun takes care of the Empress even more attentively than she would the Emperor! And though Her Majesty is magnanimous and tolerant toward everyone, she has never been as intimate with anyone as she is with Consort Chun. These two are just too bizarre.”

Noble Consort Hui cracked melon seeds idly and said:

“What could possibly be strange about two women? It’s not as if they could be—”

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Wait a minute… in this world, what thing is truly impossible? Once she thought of it that way, every odd detail suddenly made perfect sense!

   Zhilan was also stunned:

“Your Highness, are you saying—?”

Noble Consort Hui was so delighted she tossed the melon seeds in her hand outward and laughed:

“They’ve handed me the handle myself! It would be a shame not to use it! Zhilan, go spread a little rumor for me!”

She beckoned Zhilan closer and whispered a few instructions in her ear.

Zhilan was shocked:

“Your Highness, is this true?”

Noble Consort Hui gave a light laugh, extremely pleased with herself:

“If you want to build a spotless reputation, you have to do good deeds your whole life. But the moment even the tiniest stain appears, the whole building can collapse in an instant! Remember this one sentence: no matter how absurd it is, as long as people believe it, it becomes the truth!”

Over the next few days, Consort Chun went to report to the Empress at Changchun Palace every single day. At the same time, a bizarre rumor began to spread wildly through the palace.

Last night, Hongli had stayed overnight at Changchun Palace. When it came time for the morning court, the Emperor and Empress rose. The Empress personally helped the Emperor dress.

As the Empress fastened the jade belt around Hongli, he gazed at the beautiful, dignified face of his wife of many years and suddenly said:

“Does the Empress know there is a rumor circulating in the palace?”

A rumor serious enough for the Son of Heaven to mention himself was naturally no ordinary gossip. The Empress finished securing the belt and asked gently:

“Oh? What rumor is that?”

Hongli was silent for a moment before saying:

“They say the relationship between the Empress and Consort Chun is overly intimate… and improper.”

The Empress burst out laughing, unable to hold it in:

“Your Majesty, you actually believe such nonsense?”

Hongli thought about it and also chuckled:

“Now that I think carefully, it really is absurd. Let’s just treat it as a joke.”

The Empress took the jade crown from the eunuch’s hands and placed it on the Emperor’s head, speaking softly and warmly:

“Your Majesty need not worry. This subject-wife will certainly investigate thoroughly whoever is spreading these rumors and properly rectify palace discipline.”

Hongli nodded and said:

“However, the Empress should also keep a tighter rein on the people around you. I am speaking of that Wei Yingluo.”

Hearing the displeased tone in the Emperor’s voice, the Empress said helplessly:

“Your Majesty, you have a prejudice against Yingluo.”

Hongli said impatiently:

“Enough! I don’t want to argue with you about this. I can’t stand people who are always stirring up trouble and wind.”

The Empress gave a wry smile and could only reply:

“Yes. This subject-wife will pay more attention.”

As soon as the Emperor left, Consort Chun came again to Changchun Palace to report. Wei Yingluo was just about to withdraw along with the others when the Empress suddenly said: “These days the rumors in the palace have grown increasingly clamorous. This Palace merely exchanged a few casual words with Consort Chun, yet it has already provoked so much suspicion. Never mind—Yingluo, you stay behind to attend to me.”

Everyone looked surprised. Ming Yu’s face was filled with obvious jealousy. Wei Yingluo bowed her head and replied: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

With only the three of them left in the hall, Consort Chun cast a hesitant, appraising glance at Wei Yingluo.

Wei Yingluo stood to one side with lowered eyes and a meek expression. The Empress said: “Yingluo, lift your head. Many people are guessing what exactly happened between me and Consort Chun. Are you curious too?”

Wei Yingluo answered honestly: “Yes, I am curious.”

The Empress asked again: “If I truly had some illicit connection with Consort Chun, what would you do?”

Wei Yingluo was inwardly startled, but her face remained calm. She replied: “On the surface, I would pretend to know nothing. In secret, I would protect you with all my strength.”

The Empress was astonished: “That would be the crime of deceiving the monarch—and yet you would still protect me?”

Wei Yingluo answered solemnly: “Your Majesty the Empress has taught me to read and write, and how to conduct oneself in the world. You are one of the rare truly good people in this world. No matter what choice Your Majesty makes, as long as you have need of me, I am willing to give my life for you.”

Both the Empress and Consort Chun were visibly moved. The Empress let out a soft sigh and said: “Consort Chun, show her.”

Consort Chun nodded, walked to a cabinet, took out a set of moxibustion tools, and placed them in front of Wei Yingluo. Wei Yingluo was stunned: “This is…?”

A faint sorrow appeared between the Empress’s brows as she explained: “Ever since I gave birth to the Second Prince, cold qi has spread through my body. After this winter passes, it has grown even worse. All night long I feel pain deep in my bones and cannot sleep. I keep breaking out in cold sweats, and every half hour I have to change my clothes.”

Consort Chun continued: “That is why Her Majesty asked me to perform moxibustion treatment for her. But moxibustion is a forbidden technique in the Qing palace—it must be done in secret, away from others. We never expected—”

The Empress frowned angrily: “We never expected that this would give rise to such absurd rumors spreading wildly through the palace! In the harem, children are everything. Tell me—how could a woman whose body is so permeated with cold ever bear children or secure her position as Empress? That is why I dared not trouble the Imperial Medical Bureau and could only ask Consort Chun for help. Yingluo, from today onward, you and Erqing will stand guard together over Changchun Palace for This Palace!”

Wei Yingluo answered resolutely: “Yes.”

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