Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 178: Suspicion

   Li Yu cautiously observed Hongli’s expression.

After learning that Wei Yingluo had disappeared, Hongli had been restless and uneasy. Then word came from the palace staff at Baoyue Tower that they had seen Wei Yingluo enter Changchun Palace, and Hongli had rushed over without a moment’s delay.

Who could have expected he would witness that scene…

A consort and an outer-court official secretly meeting in the inner palace—Hongli not immediately stepping forward to confront them was already the greatest mercy. Otherwise, neither of them would have survived the day.

A young eunuch suddenly entered from outside and reported: “Your Majesty, Her Ladyship Consort Rong requests an audience outside the hall.”

Hongli lifted his eyelids slightly. The almost overflowing rage in his eyes sank back in an instant. He said calmly, “Let her in.”

Chenbi entered with a face full of delight, presenting an embroidered screen to him like a treasure.

Hongli looked down at it. “What is this?”

Chenbi: “I learned embroidery from Yingluo, and then asked the masters at the embroidery workshop for guidance. Only then was I able to complete this standing screen. Your Majesty, take a look—do you like it?”

With just one glance, Hongli recognized its origin. “Broad bean and dragonfly design.”

Chenbi: “I thought for a long time about what to embroider for Your Majesty. Yingluo has a handkerchief with this pattern—I found it interesting, so I copied it exactly.”

Hearing that name again and again, Hongli’s expression gradually shifted. He said with growing impatience, “Is that so?”

Chenbi seemed oblivious. “I really like this pattern. I begged Yingluo for a long time, but she simply wouldn’t give it to me! Oh, right!”

She suddenly clapped her hands and laughed innocently: “Lord Fucha has something similar.”

Hongli’s eyelid twitched. “…When did you see him?”

“Your Majesty didn’t know? On my way to the capital, I nearly fell off a cliff. It was Lord Fucha who saved my life.” Chenbi tilted her head as if recalling the past. “Back then I noticed he wore a sachet at his waist with the exact same pattern embroidered on it… Hehe, who would have thought a man like Lord Fucha would like the same things as women…”

“Enough!” Hongli could no longer suppress his anger. He gave a low shout. “Chenbi, I still have official business. You may return first.”

Once suspicion takes root in a person’s heart, everything that had once been forgotten resurfaces, clear as mountains emerging after the mist clears.

   Wei Yingluo returned to Ming Yu’s room. The palace servants had already cleaned away all the bloodstains inside. They had originally intended to pack up and remove everything Ming Yu had used, to avoid letting any ill omen taint noble lady, but Wei Yingluo had stopped them.

Nowadays, the comb Ming Yu used, the rouge she favored, and the hairpins she ordinarily loved to wear all lay quietly on the dressing table. Wei Yingluo placed her hand on the table and slowly brushed across it inch by inch, until her gaze finally fixed on that unfamiliar set of golden items. She said coldly, “Where did this come from?”

Xiaoquanzi stepped forward: “In reply to Mistress, the day before Ming Yu left the palace, a senior palace maid named Yizhu from Consort Rong’s side came to see Ming Yu. This servant saw that she was holding a carved box in her hands.”

Yingluo: “Was it this one?”

Xiaoquanzi: “Yes.”

Yingluo picked up the golden tweezers and toyed with them.

“…Mistress?” Xiaoquanzi cautiously watched her.

The golden tweezers had already dug deeply into Wei Yingluo’s palm. She gripped them tightly, as if strangling an enemy’s throat, and said coldly, “Where is Consort Rong now?”

After leaving Yangxin Hall, Chenbi went straight back to Baoyue Tower.

Tower beyond tower, mountain beyond mountain—all were shrouded by heavy rain.

Chenbi danced to the rhythm of the raindrops. She danced and sang softly, the tune vaguely resembling a nursery rhyme.

Her dance was very beautiful, yet the gaze with which Yizhu watched her carried a trace of fear.

Because she was clearly performing a duet dance.

It was as though an invisible person stood before her, their hand resting in Chenbi’s palm: when she advanced, “it” retreated; when she retreated, “it” advanced; when she spun, “it” spun with her.

Chenbi smiled in a dazed, dreamlike way, seemingly lost in a beautiful dream that only she could see—until, by accident, she glanced toward the bronze mirror and saw her own reflection: dressed in Manchu flag attire, dancing alone. Her song stopped abruptly, as if someone had jolted awake from a dream. Her eyes remained blank and lost for a long moment before she suddenly threw herself at the mirror, pounding the surface again and again.

“M-Mistress…” Yizhu called out in a trembling voice.

Chenbi seemed not to hear her and continued to hammer the mirror, as though a mortal enemy were hidden inside it.

“Mistress.” Suddenly a palace maid’s voice came from outside the door. “Her Ladyship Consort Ling has come to visit.”

Chenbi roared ferociously: “Shut up!”

The voice outside fell silent.

Very, very slowly, Chenbi turned her head. She giggled eerily: “Dear Yingluo, wait just a moment—I’ll be right there.”

Laughing wildly all the while, she walked toward the door. When she passed Yizhu, the maid instinctively recoiled several steps, staring at her retreating figure as though looking at a demon.

The moment she stepped outside, the innocent, guileless smile of old reappeared on Chenbi’s face. “Yingluo, I was just thinking of coming to find you.”

Wei Yingluo slowly turned her head and regarded Chenbi with a scrutinizing gaze: “Find me?”

Chenbi nodded and hurried over to stand in front of her: “After I came back, I thought about it for a long time. I bear responsibility for Ming Yu’s death.”

Wei Yingluo: “Oh? What responsibility do you bear?”

Chenbi: “Earlier, Ming Yu once told me that she was ill, but she begged me to keep it secret. I was afraid you would be heartbroken, so I kept delaying and didn’t dare tell you. I never imagined she would become so despairing that she would take her own life!”

Wei Yingluo suddenly laughed.

Chenbi: “Yingluo, what’s wrong?”

Between them stood a table. Wei Yingluo reached out and pushed a box toward her: “Was this something you gave her?”

The box was already open. Inside lay the complete set of golden items—including the very pair of golden scissors that had previously been embedded in Ming Yu’s heart, now cleaned and neatly placed back inside.

Chenbi’s gaze swept over the golden scissors. She sighed: “I saw that all of Ming Yu’s things were old, so I sent her a new set of golden utensils. I never expected…”

“If I hadn’t asked you about it today, were you never going to tell me at all?” Wei Yingluo gave a mocking laugh. “This thing… it was actually you who sent it.”

“…I can’t say!” Chenbi suddenly raised her head to look at her. “It was so hard for me to finally win your trust. If I told you, you would distance yourself from me! But Yingluo, Ming Yu did something foolish, and I kept it from you too—yet our original intention in both cases was to protect you!”

Wei Yingluo shot to her feet: “Speak! What exactly is your purpose in deliberately getting close to me?”

Chenbi: “I want to become your very best friend.”

Wei Yingluo: “Your best friend keeps everything from you?”

Chenbi: “I haven’t!”

Wei Yingluo suddenly pulled the golden scissors from their case and drove them hard into the tabletop, shouting furiously: “Then why did you force Ming Yu to her death?!”

Everyone in the room was startled by her action. The more timid palace maids let out frightened cries. Yet Chenbi remained perfectly calm—even placing her hand gently over the one Wei Yingluo still gripped on the scissors’ handle, smiling at her: “Yingluo, Ming Yu was beyond saving. But you must live well. Prolonged suffering is worse than a swift end. Even if you had kept her here, how long could you have kept her? A day? Two days? A month?”

What kind of “prolonged suffering is worse than a swift end”? Wei Yingluo was furious at her choice of words and snapped: “Whether it concerns Ming Yu or me is none of your business!”

“You might be able to accept her, but the Soulun family could not,” Chenbi said gently. “They would resent her—for knowingly being on the verge of death yet still marrying into the Soulun family and ruining their only son. And then they would all turn their hatred on you, because it was your idea… Yingluo, I didn’t want you to be resented by anyone—especially not by the Ming Yu you loved most. I was helping you. How can you blame me?”

Wei Yingluo stared at her as if looking at a madwoman: “You’re insane…”

Chenbi tilted her head and smiled at her—a smile indescribably eerie.

Another round of startled gasps. Under everyone’s shocked or fearful gazes, Chenbi suddenly pulled the golden scissors out of the table.

Wei Yingluo was greatly alarmed. She had only just taken a step back when she saw Chenbi reach out and offer the golden scissors to her.

The handle was turned toward Wei Yingluo; the sharp points aimed at Chenbi herself.

“Yingluo,” Chenbi’s voice was bewitching and hypnotic, “Ming Yu lived in great pain. For her, death was actually a release. You are human, not a god—you cannot bear everyone’s joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures. By sending Ming Yu away… you can finally be free.”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 177: Missing

   With the scissors plunged into her heart and so much blood having flowed, anyone with eyes could see at a glance that Ming Yu was already beyond saving.

Wei Yingluo knew it too, but she refused to believe it.

Everyone is the same—they refuse to accept that a loved one or family member has simply left them forever. They torment the doctors, torment themselves, until finally they break down and burst into sobs.

“Guard Soulun, what are you doing?!”

“Quick—stop him!”

“Don’t let him disturb Her Ladyship!”

The eunuchs grabbed his arms, others clutched his legs. Hailancha’s eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted in fury, the veins near his temples bulging violently—no one dared let such a man get close to Consort Ling.

“Soulun guard, my mistress has ordered that she will see no one!” Xiaoquanzi cried while clinging to his leg. “Barging in like this is making things difficult for us servants!”

“Get out of my way!” Hailancha’s mind had already been scorched by the dreadful news. He kicked the man aside and lunged toward the bedroom doors. “Consort Ling, come out! I have something to ask you!”

The doors remained tightly shut; no one answered. Just as Hailancha was about to force his way in, Chenbi arrived from outside with her attendants. Seeing the scene, her expression immediately darkened:

“Consort Ling is overwhelmed with grief and does not wish to see anyone. If you have something to say, you can say it to me.”

“I only want to ask her one thing…” Hailancha stared fixedly at the closed doors. “Why did Ming Yu die?”

Chenbi sighed:

“When we reached Ming Yu’s room, she had already taken her own life. She left no message behind.”

That explanation was worse than none at all. Hailancha broke free of the others, threw himself against the door, and pounded on it:

“Consort Ling! Ming Yu was your closest friend, your most trusted confidante. Is this all you have to say about her death? Come out!”

His commotion was so great that it finally alerted Hongli.

With a single command from Hongli, guards rushed into Yanxi Palace and dragged Hailancha back to Yangxin Hall in restraints.

“Hailancha, you are truly outrageous!” Hongli glared at him furiously. “Who gave you permission to cause such a disturbance in Yanxi Palace and frighten Consort Ling?”

Hailancha knelt on the ground, head bowed, stubbornly refusing to offer a single word of explanation.

Under normal circumstances, he would have been severely reprimanded, but today, considering the pain of losing his beloved, Hongli chose not to press the matter. His gaze shifted to Ye Tianshi, who was kneeling on the other side.

Unbidden, the face of Chenbi rose in his mind—along with the words she had spoken to him that very morning:

“Your Majesty, regarding Ming Yu… I have something to report…”

“Ye Tianshi,” Hongli said coldly. “Speak.”

Ye Tianshi had already been kneeling for some time. He sighed and answered honestly:

“The young lady once came to see this humble servant. I diagnosed that the silver needle had already pierced her heart and lungs—there was no medicine that could save her. Ming Yu instructed me not to tell anyone. I never expected she would… take her own life—”

Halfway through the explanation, Hailancha could bear no more. He lunged forward, seized the other man by the collar, and roared:

“She told you not to say anything, so you said nothing at all?!”

Another chaotic scuffle erupted. Hongli shouted sternly to stop it; Li Yu stepped forward to intervene and finally pulled Hailancha away. After taking several deep breaths, Hailancha suddenly choked with sobs:

“It’s my fault… all my fault. She didn’t say anything, and I didn’t ask…”

A man may shed blood but not tears—unless the pain reaches the heart. After Hailancha was escorted away, Ye Tianshi asked in a low voice:

“Your Majesty, regarding Consort Ling…”

“There is no need to tell her,” Hongli replied.

Ye Tianshi felt uneasy. At first he had believed that keeping a patient’s confidence was only right and proper. But after witnessing Hailancha’s misery, regret began to creep in. He even wondered whether, if he had told Hailancha earlier—or told Wei Yingluo—Ming Yu might have met a different fate.

After hesitating for a moment, he said:

“Your Majesty, this servant committed a grave error by withholding information. To continue concealing it from Consort Ling now would be…”

“There is no need to make extra trouble,” Hongli said, gazing in the direction of Yanxi Palace, his expression complicated. “She didn’t understand before, but now she should have figured it out.”

Yet some things in this world, even when one can reason them out, are still impossible to accept in the moment.

Ding-ling, ding-ling, ding-ling…

Inside Baoyue Tower, soft songs and graceful dances filled the air.

Skirts swirled through the air, tiny bells chimed crisply. Chenbi danced with joy, bending backward in a perfect arc that outshone all others, her smile bewitching, enchanting—and utterly innocent.

“Lady.” Yizhu came to her side and spoke cautiously, “We just received news… Consort Ling has gone missing.”

The dance steps halted. Chenbi turned her head. “Where did she go?”

“I don’t know.” Yizhu shook her head. “His Majesty just sent people to look for her, but she wasn’t in the palace. Now the whole of Yanxi Palace is going mad searching for her.”

Chenbi let out a soft laugh. “I see… Bring me my shoes.”

The sound of her anklet bells rang out like a melody from a foreign tune, drifting from Baoyue Tower all the way to the palace gate. Chenbi waited for a long time until she finally spotted the person she was looking for. Smiling, she called out, “Lord Fucha!”

Fuheng had entered the palace on official business and was now finished, about to leave. Seeing her again, he couldn’t help but frown.

Chenbi hurried over, her voice carrying a note of urgency. “Yingluo has disappeared!”

She quickly recounted the tragedy that had occurred in Yanxi Palace, then sighed. “She blames herself deeply for Ming Yu’s death. I’m really afraid something might happen to her.”

Fuheng was silent for a moment before replying, still maintaining his distance, “Consort Rong, I am merely an outer-court official. I cannot interfere in inner-palace affairs. My apologies.”

He gave a courteous bow and stepped forward, about to pass through the palace gate, when he suddenly turned to look back.

Behind him was empty air. Chenbi had disappeared at some point without a trace.

Fuheng hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and turned back toward the direction of the inner palace.

Changchun Palace, now without its mistress, was always filled with falling leaves and an overwhelming sense of desolation. Over time, aside from the occasional birds and sparrows, no one came anymore.

Today, however, was unusual. From within the empty palace came the sound of sweeping—slow, steady strokes, one after another.

“You really are here.”

The broom paused for a second, then resumed its motion.

Fuheng stepped in from outside and spoke to the person across from him. “You are no longer the little palace maid of Changchun Palace back then. You are Consort Ling now. If people find out you’re here sweeping the floors, what will they think?”

With that, he reached out abruptly, snatched the broom from her hand, and tossed it aside.

Wei Yingluo glanced at him blankly, showing neither resistance nor anger. Suddenly she knelt down on the ground. Beside her was a bucket of water with a cleaning rag draped over the rim. She deftly wet the rag, wrung it out, and began wiping the floor—just as if she were still that little palace maid of Changchun Palace.

Fuheng said sternly, “Wei Yingluo! The late Empress is gone. Ming Yu is gone. Of all the people who used to be together, you’re the only one left. So what? You are Wei Yingluo. Even without them, you can stand on your own!”

Wei Yingluo could not get up. She remained kneeling on the ground, wiping the floor without pause.

“Enough!” Fuheng dropped to one knee in front of her and placed both hands firmly on her shoulders, trying to shake her awake. “This is not your fault. Even if she hadn’t taken her own life, she wouldn’t have lived much longer. Didn’t the imperial physicians already say so? The needle pierced her lungs—there was no cure!”

“No… it is my fault.” Wei Yingluo closed her eyes, tears falling as she spoke. “Because of my selfishness…”

Fuheng: “What selfishness?”

“The Empress once said that in the future she would personally see me off in marriage. Unfortunately, she never got to see it.” Wei Yingluo’s eyes were blurred with tears. “I wanted Ming Yu to marry, to wear that bright red wedding dress, to fulfill the dream that I could never achieve myself…”

Fuheng stared at her in stunned silence.

He kept telling her not to cling to the past—but could he do the same?

If he truly could, he would not still keep the letters sent by old friends, the old robe woven by his wet nurse, the old books given by classmates, and that old sachet Yingluo once gave him.

Fuheng was, in fact, the most sentimental person in the world.

“Do you understand now?” She lifted a pair of tear-filled eyes to look at him and murmured, “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have forced a dream I could never fulfill onto Ming Yu.”

This isn’t just your dream—it’s mine too… Fuheng gazed at her in a daze, almost believing he had merely been trapped in a nightmare. He had never married Erqing, and she had never married Hongli. They were still young, still in their prime: she a little palace maid of Changchun Palace, and he her young master…

   But alas, this was no dream.

Wei Yingluo cried for a long time before finally calming down somewhat. She glanced at the hand still resting on her shoulder and unobtrusively pushed it away. “I’m sorry, Lord Fucha. I lost my composure.”

Fuheng: “Yingluo…”

Wei Yingluo stood up. Though she was still dressed in a palace maid’s attire, her demeanor had already returned to that of a consort. “Lord Fucha, it is improper for you to address me that way.”

Fuheng forced back his sorrow: “Your Ladyship Consort Ling, please take good care of yourself.”

Wei Yingluo walked out without looking back. Halfway there, she suddenly stopped. “…Lord Fucha, who told you I was here?”

Fuheng: “I ran into Consort Rong on the way. She said you had gone missing. I guessed you would be here.”

Consort Rong? Wei Yingluo was momentarily stunned, then fell into thought. “Consort Rong… Consort Rong… Wait, could it be…”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 176: The Golden Scissors

   “By the grace of the Empress Dowager’s benevolent decree, thou, Concubine Rong of the Hezhuo clan, hast conducted thyself with propriety and grace, displayed gentle virtue and exemplary conduct, served with utmost diligence and caution in attendance upon the Empress Dowager’s residence, fulfilled thy inner duties without fault, and long adhered faithfully to the admonitions of the female historians. Now, in accordance with the gracious command of the Empress Dowager, thou art hereby promoted and enfeoffed as Consort Rong. So it is decreed.”

In Baoyue Tower, Li Yu read out the imperial edict.

Chenbi, together with a group of palace servants, knelt in front. “We thank His Majesty for his great grace.”

Li Yu did not dare let this newly favored noble lady remain kneeling for long. With a quick wave of his hand, the eunuchs filed in carrying the ceremonial court robes, necklace, and other regalia befitting a consort.

Li Yu smiled obsequiously. “Your Ladyship Concubine Rong, His Majesty has already appointed Grand Scholar Yin Jishan and Grand Secretary of the Cabinet Maila Xun as chief and deputy envoys. Once Your Ladyship has fully recovered, the formal ceremony will be held. Please rest and recuperate in peace.”

“Very well.” Chenbi replied indifferently. She didn’t even glance at the court robes or necklace before gesturing for the palace maids to put them away.

“This woman really is extraordinary,” Li Yu thought, observing coldly. “Things that others can only dream of, she doesn’t care about in the slightest…”

Li Yu considered himself well-versed in reading people, yet he had never encountered anyone like her. Everyone has desires; everyone wants something. What did Consort Rong seek? What did she desire? He could not see through her at all.

Watching Li Yu leave, Chenbi glanced out the window: “Yizhu, where has he gone?”

On the corridor, Fuheng halted his steps.

From this vantage point, looking into the distance, he could see a corner of Changchun Palace’s upturned eaves. A bird circled above it, then suddenly folded its wings and landed, its slender toes perching delicately on the tile.

Everything about Changchun Palace filled him with nostalgia—whether it was his sister, or Yingluo…

Suddenly, a clear chime of bells rang out on the quiet corridor. He turned his head, then quickly lowered it again.

A pair of jade feet adorned with ankle bells passed before his eyes. Unintentionally, a handkerchief dropped from her sleeve. Embroidered on the handkerchief was a pair of dragonflies nestled close together—exceptionally distinctive.

Chenbi bent down to pick up the handkerchief, then turned her head with a start: “Oh! Lord Fucha!”

“Your Ladyship Consort Rong.” As an outer-court official, Fuheng’s demeanor at this moment was impeccable—polite yet maintaining a clear sense of distance.

“You traveled thousands of miles to escort me all the way to the capital, and you even saved my life. I’ve never properly thanked you.” Chenbi’s eyes were full of innocent sincerity.

“No need for thanks. It was only my duty.” Fuheng replied.

“Thanks to you, I’m living very well now. Both His Majesty and Consort-Ling take good care of me.” Chenbi held out the handkerchief for him to see. “Look—this is the pattern Consort-Ling taught me to embroider. She has one exactly like it. I loved it so much, but no matter how I begged, she wouldn’t give it to me—so I had to embroider a matching one myself.”

Seeing that Fuheng’s gaze lingered on the handkerchief for a long time, she tilted her head. “What is it? Is this embroidery pattern… something special?”

“It is the seventh piece from Han Ximeng’s Embroidered Album of Famous Song and Yuan Paintings. Women usually embroider flowers and plants; this design is truly unusual, which is why it caught my attention.” Fuheng slowly withdrew his gaze and said expressionlessly, “It is getting late. I must leave the palace. Farewell.”

Chenbi smiled brightly as she watched his retreating figure, her thoughts drifting back to that day on the journey to the capital.

—Neigh!

   With a long whinny from the horse, Chenbi tumbled from its back. The horse plunged over the cliff, and she was about to follow.

   A hand suddenly reached out from the side and yanked her back up from the edge of the abyss.

   Who was it?

   “Lord Fucha!” someone nearby shouted. “Are you all right?”

   The maids surrounded her protectively. Through the gaps between them, Chenbi’s gaze remained fixed on that Lord Fucha. First he ordered someone to prepare another horse for her and personally inspected it. Then his expression suddenly changed. He returned to the cliff edge and began searching everywhere.

   Finally, he let out a breath of relief, bent down, and picked up an old sachet.

   Because her eyes had never left him, Chenbi clearly saw the pattern on the sachet—a pair of dragonflies nestled lovingly together.

   It was only much later, after she entered the palace, that she learned from Wei Yingluo: that pattern was the seventh piece from Han Ximeng’s Embroidered Album of Famous Song and Yuan Paintings.

   Fuheng’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, and her recollection ended there as well. Chenbi lowered her head, gave the handkerchief in her hand a half-smiling, enigmatic look, then tucked it away again and headed toward Yanxi Palace.

Today was the day Ming Yu would complete her service and leave the palace.

   As soon as Chenbi arrived, she saw the table covered with boxes of all sizes. She casually lifted one lid and found twelve flat hairpins inside—some of jadeite, some of fine jade, some of agarwood, some of tortoiseshell inlaid with gemstones. They were used for styling the Manchu banner head; when inserted to hold the hair in place, they would gleam with the subtle luster of jade and gold.

She opened another box: twelve hairpins of varying lengths. The long ones were gilt-silver kingfisher-feather ear-pick hairpins inlaid with rubies; the short ones were coral branches dotted with clusters of red beans. Long and short, in the shapes of flowers or fish, each one beautifully distinct.

Chenbi went through the boxes one by one, eyes wide with amazement: “All of these are for Ming Yu?”

Wei Yingluo smiled and nodded.

“Such extravagance.” Chenbi picked up a plum-blossom hairpin, held it playfully in front of her face, and laughed. “You’re going to scare the Soulun family out of their wits.”

Wei Yingluo: “Ming Yu’s family background is humble. I have to stand up for her and give her support.”

Chenbi gazed steadily at Yingluo: “You really treat her so well.”

“She treats me well too.” Wei Yingluo looked around. “Today is the day she leaves the palace—why hasn’t she come out yet?”

A palace maid hurried to reply: “Sister Ming Yu said she wants to dress up properly and make herself look beautiful before setting off.”

Wei Yingluo laughed softly. “Go hurry her again.”

The maid: “Yes, ma’am.”

But Chenbi set down the hairpin in her hand and said to Wei Yingluo: “Waiting here is so boring. Let’s go find her together.”

Thinking that time was getting late, and besides the dowry items on the table, she still had many final instructions and words of advice to give Ming Yu, Wei Yingluo stopped waiting. She stood up and headed toward Ming Yu’s room.

Along the way, Chenbi chattered away like a cheerful magpie: “I love the broken-branch flower patterns on wedding dresses the most—they’re so interesting and pretty. You’ve really put your whole heart into Ming Yu’s marriage.”

Though the wedding dress was beautiful, in Wei Yingluo’s eyes, the most beautiful thing was the bride wearing it. She said with considerable pride, “On the day she marries, our Ming Yu will surely be the most beautiful bride of all.”

The two arrived at Ming Yu’s door. Wei Yingluo raised her hand and knocked: “Ming Yu.”

There was no response for a long time.

Wei Yingluo knocked again, her smile slowly fading from her face: “Ming Yu, are you in there? Ming Yu!”

“Yingluo…” Chenbi looked toward her with some worry.

Wei Yingluo was even more anxious inside than she was. Gritting her teeth, she ordered: “Someone—break the door open!”

Xiaoquanzi brought people over. Together they counted—one, two, three—and slammed against the door with all their strength until it burst open.

Pushing Xiaoquanzi aside, Wei Yingluo rushed in several steps, then froze stock-still.

Ming Yu lay face-up on the bed. Her hair had been combed neatly and smoothly; at her temples, a little jasmine oil had been applied, making her black hair shine even more like dark clouds. Around her neck was the silver circle Yingluo had once given her; on her wrist was a lustrous jade bracelet. And on her body was the wedding dress with broken-branch flower embroidery—every flower, every leaf, every single stitch the product of Wei Yingluo’s own painstaking effort.

“Ming Yu…” Wei Yingluo staggered forward.

Ming Yu had been so considerate. Perhaps to fulfill one last wish for Wei Yingluo, even though she had not wanted to, she had still put on the wedding dress, applied the hair oil, and dressed herself up as a bride—just so that Wei Yingluo could see her… one final time…

“Ming Yu…” Wei Yingluo’s legs gave way; she dropped to her knees beside the bed. Tears fell in large drops. “Why…”

A pair of golden scissors was embedded in Ming Yu’s chest.

Fresh blood had poured out, dyeing the wedding dress a grotesque, demonic red. Wei Yingluo did not dare check for breath at her nose, did not even dare feel for a pulse. In a trembling voice she cried out loudly: “Imperial physician… call the imperial physician, quick! Hurry—hurry!”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 175: More Gratitude

   There were not many things that could truly concern Wei Yingluo, but Ming Yu’s marriage was one of them.

This girl had been with her for many years. Though nominally mistress and servant, they were truly like sisters. Wei Yingluo’s own life had been full of hardship, so she hoped Ming Yu would not follow the same path. After careful scrutiny, she had finally chosen a suitable match for her.

“Mistress, about Ming Yu…” Xiaoquanzi hesitated at the door, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Wei Yingluo was stunned for a moment, then pushed the door open. The room was in utter disarray—betrothal gifts scattered across the floor. Ming Yu sat with her back to her and said coldly, “Get out!”

“Ming Yu!” Wei Yingluo frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

The betrothal gifts had been delivered by the guard commander Hailancha. This man was currently highly favored by Hongli, and what was even more valuable was his upright character. The elders in his family had only ever taken one wife each—no concubines. Growing up in such a household, Hailancha was very likely to marry only one woman as well.

If it meant a lifetime with just one partner, then even if his family was somewhat poor, it hardly mattered. In any case, Wei Yingluo had already prepared a generous dowry, more than enough to support the couple’s household.

Ming Yu turned around. Seeing it was her, she said coolly, “I won’t marry.”

If she had opposed the match from the very beginning, Wei Yingluo naturally would not have forced her. But now the exchange of birth charts had already taken place—what did she mean by saying this now? Wei Yingluo frowned: “Ming Yu, you and Hailancha are deeply in love. The betrothal gifts have already been sent. Why are you suddenly saying you won’t marry?”

Ming Yu: “I don’t care. In any case, I cannot marry him. I absolutely cannot!”

Wei Yingluo: “If you won’t marry, at least give me a reasonable explanation.”

Ming Yu’s eyes gradually reddened. How could she possibly tell Wei Yingluo the truth?

Years ago, Noble Consort Chun had tormented her by inserting many needles into her body. Some had been removed, but others remained buried deep in her lungs and vital organs. Over time, they had become fatal curses. Ye Tianshi had said… there was no cure.

With a body like this, how could she ruin someone else’s life? Ming Yu pushed Wei Yingluo aside and rushed toward the door: “I just won’t marry anyone—never!”

“Ming Yu!” Wei Yingluo hurriedly chased after her.

The commotion they made was so great that it could not be hidden from the servants nearby.

Whether Ming Yu married or not, the betrothal gifts could not simply be left scattered on the floor. Xiaoquanzi brought several palace maids in to clean up. By the time they finished, it was nearly time for lunch. Among them, two found a shaded spot to eat, while one quietly slipped away from the others and went to Baoyue Tower.

Inside Baoyue Tower, the Empress Dowager removed a string of jade beads from her own wrist and slipped them onto Chenbi’s. The beads were green as spring water, accentuating the fair, lotus-root-like whiteness of Chenbi’s arm even more beautifully.

The Empress Dowager stroked Chenbi’s hair, smiling kindly with benevolence:

“The more time I spend with you, the more familiar and dear you feel to me. This is just a small gift—accept it.”

Chenbi leaned against her knees, like a child basking in maternal affection, gazing at her with tender warmth:

“Empress Dowager, I have traveled thousands of miles to reach the capital. You are not the first person to show me care, but you are the first to make me feel the warmth of a mother.”

No words could be more touching than these. The Empress Dowager was instantly moved, grasping her hand and saying:

“If you’re willing, from now on, treat me as your mother.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Chenbi bit her lip, looking at her somewhat hesitantly. “If Your Majesty truly cherishes me, could you allow me to make one request?”

“What do you want?” If she could hear her call her “Mother” even once, the Empress Dowager would pluck the moon from the sky for her.

Chenbi: “Empress Dowager, Consort Ling has been diligently teaching me the rules and etiquette, and I am deeply grateful to her! Seeing her hands covered in wounds from copying the blood sutras, I truly can’t bear it. I humbly beg Your Majesty’s mercy to spare her from this painful task.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression shifted slightly: “Did she complain to you?”

Chenbi looked somewhat flustered, waving her hands repeatedly: “No, no, Consort Ling hasn’t said a word. Please don’t misunderstand, Your Majesty!”

The Empress Dowager’s heart sank, but to reassure her, she smiled and said: “You’re right. Drawing blood harms the body and goes against the Buddhist principles. Very well, she’s excused.”

“Your concubine thanks Your Majesty’s grace on behalf of Consort Ling!” Chenbi said with great joy.

The two shared a midday meal. The Empress Dowager, being advanced in age, returned to Shoukang Palace for a nap after eating. After seeing her off, Yizhu came to report: “Mistress, news from Yanxi Palace.”

“Oh?” Chenbi smiled. “What good news?”

Yizhu recounted the matter of Ming Yu refusing a marriage proposal, then pursed her lips, somewhat puzzled: “Mistress, I haven’t seen Consort Ling treat you particularly well. Why do you keep helping her time and again? You even specifically pleaded with the Empress Dowager to spare her from that hardship…”

“What do you know?” Chenbi touched the ruby pendant on her earlobe, giving a half-smile. “It’s not enough, far from enough… I must continue to repay her.”

Suddenly, she removed the pendant from her ear, placed it in a brocade box, and instructed Yizhu to deliver it to Yanxi Palace. Since she frequently sent gifts to Yanxi Palace, Wei Yingluo wasn’t surprised. In the spirit of reciprocity, she had Ming Yu deliver a box of nourishing supplements in return.

“Ming Yu,” Chenbi casually set the supplements aside and took Ming Yu’s hand. “I heard you’re about to get married?”

Ming Yu froze for a moment, assuming Wei Yingluo had told her, and gave a muffled hum in response.

“Is your health up to it?” Chenbi let out a soft gasp, looking at her somewhat sheepishly. “Actually, that night, I overheard your conversation with Ye Tianshi…”

“You—you know?” Ming Yu said, a little panicked.

“Poor Ming Yu.” Chenbi raised her hand to gently stroke her face. “You haven’t told Yingluo, have you? It must be so hard to keep it bottled up inside.”

Ming Yu bit her lips tightly, the pressure turning them red, as if blood might seep out.

“There’s no cure—you will surely die,” Chenbi said softly. “But what’s truly terrifying isn’t death itself, but the process of dying. One day, one month, one year… You don’t know when it will strike. But when that day comes, your husband will resent you, your mother-in-law will hate you, and they’ll even turn their hatred toward Yingluo. They’ll say, ‘Oh, Consort Ling, how could you marry a dying woman into our Soulun family?’”

“Stop it!” Ming Yu shouted, then pleaded, “Please, don’t say any more…”

“You could choose not to marry, but then the only one who would suffer is Yingluo,” Chenbi sighed. “She loves you so much, trusts you so completely, treats you like her own sister. She personally selected a husband’s family for you, sewed your wedding dress with her own hands… only to watch you die suddenly in the end.”

“No, no!” Ming Yu covered her face with her hands, tears spilling through her fingers. “I don’t want this, I don’t want this…”

“But you have no other choice,” Chenbi rested her chin on Ming Yu’s shoulder, her bright red lips brushing against her ear, her voice beguiling and hypnotic. “Ming Yu, remember my words: as long as you’re still alive, you must step onto that bridal sedan…”

A few days later, at Yanxi Palace.

A delicate hand parted the beaded curtain, the beads clinking together with a crisp sound, like pearls large and small falling onto a jade plate.

Ming Yu emerged from behind the curtain, dressed in a rainbow-hued ceremonial robe with phoenix crown and swaying hairpins, adorned with layers of jeweled necklaces that tinkled softly with every step.

Like any doting parent watching their daughter about to marry, Wei Yingluo looked her up and down, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes. “Turn around.”

Ming Yu reluctantly spun in a circle. The hem of her skirt flared out, spreading a vivid field of red through the air.

“Good, good, good!” Like every foolish parent in the world, at that moment Wei Yingluo could only repeat the one word: good.

Suddenly Ming Yu grabbed her hand. Her bright, beautiful face was filled with panic. “Yingluo… I can’t bear it. I really can’t bear it. I don’t want to marry. Please, I beg you—don’t make me go through with this marriage!”

Her fear stemmed from a matter of life and death, but Wei Yingluo mistook it for ordinary pre-wedding nerves.

“Ming Yu, you are like a little sister to me.” Wei Yingluo took her hand and spoke softly to comfort her. “Back then, my older sister told me that when I got married, she would personally make my wedding dress for me. Unfortunately, such beautiful clothes are something I will never have the chance to wear in this lifetime. But—I hope that you can wear them.”

Ming Yu froze.

“If the Empress were still here and saw you getting married, she would surely be happy too.” Wei Yingluo gently stroked her cheek, a trace of melancholy mixed with consolation in her voice. “Our wishes have all come to nothing. So, Ming Yu, you must be happy. Please—you have to be happy!”

Ming Yu closed her eyes. Tears streamed down without stopping.

At that moment, Xiaoquanzi came to report that Concubine Rong had arrived at the palace to learn court etiquette.

“She hasn’t fully recovered yet—what etiquette is there to learn?” Wei Yingluo shook her head. “Ming Yu, I’ll go keep her company. You stay here.”

Dressed in full wedding attire, Ming Yu was in no condition to receive outsiders. She watched Wei Yingluo leave, then slowly turned her gaze to the rhombus-shaped mirror. Reflected in the glass was the wedding dress—all crimson, like blood that had not yet dried.

Knock, knock, knock. A few gentle taps at the door. “Ming Yu, it’s me—Yizhu.”

Ming Yu came back to herself and opened the door. “Yizhu, why are you here?”

Yizhu was holding a box in her hands. It looked like another gift, but this time the recipient was not Wei Yingluo. Smiling sweetly, she placed the box beside the rhombus mirror. “My mistress said that the last time she saw your accessories, they were all quite old. So she specially had a set made of pure gold as a little something to add to your dowry.”

She left the box and departed. Ming Yu remained silent for a moment before reaching out to open it.

Inside the box, it was as if a small sun had been placed there. A sudden burst of golden light shot out. Ming Yu narrowed her eyes. After a while, she could finally make out the contents clearly: a pure-gold pair of tweezers, a gold ear spoon, a gold mirror, and a pair… of gold scissors.

Her gaze fixed on the golden scissors. In a daze, the voice that had once sounded so bewitching and seductive echoed again in her ears: “Ming Yu, the rice is already cooked. Remember my words—as long as you are alive, you will have to board the bridal sedan.”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 174: Musk Pills

   An uninvited guest had arrived at Chengqian Hall.

The Step-Empress leaned lightly against the back of her chair, her eyes filled with wariness:

“Concubine Rong, what is so urgent that you had to come see me?”

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but today Chenbi seemed even more beautiful.

Other women grew more haggard with age—hair turning white, crow’s feet appearing at the corners of their eyes. Even the Step-Empress herself, burdened with managing so many affairs in the rear palace, had prematurely grayed several strands of hair. Yet the woman before her, already nearing thirty, showed not the slightest sign of aging. Instead she grew more beautiful and radiant with each passing day. Merely looking at her for an extra moment filled the Step-Empress with an additional pang of fear and jealousy.

Chenbi curtsied:

“Greetings to Your Majesty Empress. I have come uninvited today in order to clear up a misunderstanding.”

The Step-Empress came back to her senses and laughed mockingly:

“There has never been any interaction between us—how could there be a misunderstanding?”

Chenbi shook her head:

“No, there is a misunderstanding. Your Majesty has misunderstood that I wishes to compete for favor, and misunderstood that I would threaten your position.”

What kind of misunderstanding was that? The Step-Empress said with faint sarcasm:

“Concubine Rong, the very day you entered the palace, the Emperor overruled all objections to build the Baoyue Tower for you. Within three months of entering the palace, you enjoyed the Emperor’s sole and exclusive favor, causing resentment to fill the entire rear palace. And now you stand here and tell me that all of this is just a misunderstanding? Ha—this really is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard.”

Chenbi: “Empress, I have always been puzzled as to why you would condescend to make things difficult for me. It was only recently, after slowly coming to understand the past of the Forbidden City, that I finally grasped the mystery behind it! You are afraid that I will monopolize the Emperor’s favor, and that if I give birth to a son in the future, it will repeat the calamity of the time of Taizong Emperor Wen!”

The Step-Empress raised an eyebrow. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”

“Taizong Emperor Wen doted solely on Boerzigit Hailanzhu. Because of the birth of the Eighth Prince, he issued a general amnesty throughout the realm, causing unrest in both court and country. Shunzhi Emperor was infatuated with Consort Dong E, treating the Fourth Prince almost as his legitimate heir and even contemplating naming him heir on three separate occasions. As for the previous Emperor, because he favored Consort Nian excessively, even an emperor as decisive and ruthless as he treated Prince Fuhui as if the boy were a treasure beyond price! If those beloved children had not all died young, who knows what might have happened afterward!” Chenbi sighed. “Now, the Emperor’s favor toward me far surpasses what he once showed Consort Ling. You are worried that if I have children in the future, they will block the path to the throne for your two noble princes!”

The Step-Empress sneered. “Listen to that. See how spoiled the Emperor has made you—you dare to utter such treasonous words!”

Chenbi smiled coyishly. “Your Majesty deals with me precisely because of the matter of heirs. If I can remove this future threat for you, would you then let it go and never make trouble for me or Consort Ling again?”

The Step-Empress: “And how would you remove it?”

Chenbi took out a small bottle. “It is said that musk herb has the effect of rendering one childless. This bottle contains musk pills. Your Majesty, please look carefully!”

The Step-Empress had been calm and composed until this moment. No matter what Chenbi said or did, the initiative had remained firmly in her own hands. But now, seeing the medicine bottle in Chenbi’s hand, her expression changed abruptly. She gripped the armrests of her chair tightly and shouted toward Yuan Chunwang, who was standing closest to Chenbi: “Quick, stop her!”

But Chenbi had already moved with lightning speed. She poured all the pills from the bottle into her palm, tilted her head back, and swallowed them in one gulp.

Yuan Chunwang arrived too late. By the time he reached her, he could only seize her throat and try to force her to spit out the pills she had already ingested. In the struggle that followed, this chief steward of the inner palace proved no match in strength for Chenbi, who had grown up on horseback.

After shoving him away, Chenbi wiped the corner of her mouth and smiled sweetly at the Empress. “Your Majesty, if I can no longer bear children, will you finally let us go?”

A beautiful woman is not frightening. What is truly frightening is a beautiful woman who is ruthless even toward herself.

The Step-Empress felt a chill run through her entire body. Of all the places this woman could have taken the medicine, she deliberately chose to do it right here in Chengqian Palace. Clearly, she intended for the entire capital to know that the Empress, out of jealousy over her favor, had driven her to such desperate measures. What would the Emperor think? What would the Empress Dowager think?

From now on, the moment she so much as caught a cold or complained of a headache, everyone would immediately suspect the Step-Empress.

What cunning. What audacity!

“Summon the imperial physician…” The Step-Empress ground her teeth in hatred, forcing the words out one by one through clenched jaws. But before she could finish the sentence, a crowd surged in from outside the door: Chenbi’s maid Yizhu, Li Yu, and… Hongli.

In that instant, two words flashed through the Step-Empress’s mind—It’s over.

Hongli was furious to the core, yet he knew this was not the moment to lose his temper. He shot the Step-Empress a fierce glare, then bent down and lifted Chenbi into his arms. Perhaps because she had swallowed so much medicine, her body had gone limp, and her face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

“Summon Ye Tianshi at once!” Hongli ordered, carrying her back to Baoyue Tower.

Ye Tianshi hurried over. He took her pulse, administered medicine, and worked from morning until evening. Chenbi vomited again and again, until her stomach was almost completely emptied.

Hongli could not bear to watch her suffer. He stepped outside and, on his way, gave Yizhu a meaningful look.

Yizhu followed him. Once they were both outside, Hongli turned and asked her: “Where did the musk herb come from?”

Yizhu: “My mistress told the Imperial Pharmacy that she needed it to compound the Supreme True Red Jade Ointment. It took a full month before they could gather enough of the ingredient.”

Hongli: “Supreme True Red Jade Ointment? No wonder she has been studying fragrance recipes so intently. Tell me—where did this book come from!”

Yizhu answered nervously: “My mistress brought it back from the Yangxing Study in the Imperial Garden.”

Hongli scoffed with icy disdain. “Drag her away.”

Li Yu: “Yes, Your Majesty!”

Li Yu waved his hand, and two eunuchs hurriedly entered, clearly about to drag Yizhu away.

Yizhu panicked: “No, no! Your Majesty, it was Yanxi Palace! The incense recipe was brought back from Yanxi Palace!”

Hongli’s expression subtly changed. “Yanxi Palace?”

Yizhu kowtowed frantically like pounding garlic: “Your Majesty, Her Ladyship Consort-Ling was teaching this servant’s mistress how to make incense, and this very incense manual was given to the mistress. But this servant truly didn’t know that the mistress would harbor such intentions! The mistress was afraid of implicating Consort-Ling, so she strictly instructed this servant not to speak of it. This servant would never intentionally deceive Your Majesty!”

Hongli’s gaze lingered on the incense manual lying at the edge of the table. He remained silent for a long time.

Li Yu: “Your Majesty…”

Yingluo, was it Chenbi who harbored such thoughts, or was it you? Hongli closed his eyes for a moment, then suddenly tossed the incense manual in his hand to Li Yu. “Burn it!”

Li Yu: “Yes, Your Majesty!”

The incense manual was burned, and the only piece of evidence pointing to Yanxi Palace vanished into smoke. Yet the spark of suspicion drifted into the depths of Hongli’s heart—he didn’t know whether he should suspect Chenbi or Wei Yingluo. Fortunately, at that moment a guard came to report urgent military affairs, which conveniently extricated him from the situation.

Hongli had barely left when Wei Yingluo arrived right after.

She hadn’t received the news too late, but neither had she come especially early, so she only hurried over at this moment. Seeing Chenbi lying weakly on the bed, she couldn’t help but sigh: “Chenbi, why did you go to such lengths?”

Chenbi lifted her sweat-drenched face and gave a playful smile: “A concubine who can no longer bear children—no longer a threat. The Empress won’t come after me anymore, and she won’t be able to drag you down either!”

Wei Yingluo: “You were far too reckless! Musk pills are for treating external wind-damp invasion and bodily pain—whoever said they cause infertility!”

Chenbi hesitated, then admitted: “It wasn’t just musk. I also added a bit of mercury to the pills.”

Wei Yingluo: “You—”

“On the grasslands, there were women who wore musk herbs year after year and became permanently infertile—so that’s how I came up with the idea.” Chenbi’s smile turned somewhat sly. “There, there, don’t make that face. No matter what the actual effect of the musk pills turns out to be, as long as everyone believes the Empress forced me to take them, that’s enough!”

Wei Yingluo stared at her for a long time: “You… why would you do this?”

This method was one that killed a thousand enemies while wounding oneself eight hundred. If it was merely to deal with the Step-Empress, wasn’t it far too shocking and extreme? Wei Yingluo asked herself whether she could ever do such a thing, and she couldn’t understand why Chenbi dared to go this far.

“Yingluo, for my sake, you were willing to make an enemy of the Empress.” Chenbi looked at her gently. “I won’t let you regret helping me. From now on, because of her own reputation, she will have to think twice before acting… You can finally be at ease.”

Just as she said, for a very long time afterward, the Step-Empress would have to watch her every word and deed. With the precedent of “forcing” a favored consort to take musk pills hanging over her, she would either do nothing at all—or if she did act, people would interpret her every move in the worst possible light.

Was this Chenbi’s goal? To tie the Step-Empress’s hands and feet, thereby granting freedom to everyone else? It certainly sounded like her style—just like the day she first used force and then reason, roping Yongcheng to a tree with a sheep-herding lasso before finally talking sense into him.

After a long silence, Wei Yingluo asked softly: “But… what if you really can never have children again?”

Chenbi replied indifferently: “Then I won’t have any!”

Wei Yingluo was both exasperated and amused: “Childish!”

“Having children hurts too much. I don’t want to hurt anymore.” Chenbi murmured dreamily.

Wei Yingluo froze: “What did you just say?”

“Did I say something?” Chenbi smiled again, innocent and guileless, as though the murmured words had been nothing more than Wei Yingluo’s imagination. She affectionately hugged Wei Yingluo’s arm. “I’m tired. Stay and sleep with me.”

Wei Yingluo was pestered by her until she had no choice. Remembering that Chenbi had ended up in this predicament because of her, after some reluctance and evasion, she finally nodded in agreement. The two lay down side by side, pressed close together—one leaning against the other—so that any outsider who saw them would surely think they were an inseparably intimate pair of sisters.

In the dead of night, at the third watch, Chenbi suddenly opened her eyes wide. Perhaps because of her foreign bloodline, her eyes gleamed with a faint green light in the darkness.

From outside came the faint sound of conversation. Both voices were deliberately hushed, but she could make out that it was Ming Yu speaking with Ye Tianshi. Chenbi listened for a moment, then silently removed the ankle bells from her feet and slipped off the bed.

She was skilled at dance, and thus masterful at controlling her body: she could make the bells all over her sing in harmony with her steps, or she could move so that her footsteps were as silent as a cat’s.

Barefoot and soundless, she drew near the two people outside the door. They remained completely unaware.

Ming Yu: “…Is there really no way to cure it? If it’s just missing some medicine…”

Ye Tianshi: “There is no medicine that can save her.”

“What should I do? How am I supposed to tell Yingluo?” Ming Yu murmured, her voice gradually taking on a sobbing tone. “She knows my family is poor, so she personally prepared my dowry for me. Even my wedding dress—she sewed it with her own hands. She said she wanted me to marry in grand style, but I… I…”

Chenbi listened quietly, her eyes sparkling brightly, like a child who had just heard a fascinating story.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 173: Reincarnation

   Hongli released her, leaned back into his chair, and let out a laughing sigh. “As expected.”

Chenbi tilted her head, studying his expression. “Your Majesty already guessed?”

“Yingluo has always stayed by the Empress Dowager’s side and is intimately familiar with everything about her. If she wanted to drive a wedge between you, your little head—” Hongli tapped her forehead lightly with one finger and smiled, “—would have already rolled off your neck long ago!”

Chenbi became angry, but not for herself. “Then why do you still turn a blind eye to her?”

Hongli was silent for a moment. “I’m happy about it.”

“No, Your Majesty is not happy! And Yingluo is not happy either!” Chenbi studied him a little longer, then suddenly burst into laughter. “I understand now—you’re deliberately using me to provoke her!”

Hongli: “Nonsense!”

His affected denial couldn’t even fool himself—how could it possibly fool Chenbi?

“Your Majesty, I have eyes and a heart. I can see and judge for myself. You treat me very, very well, but in your heart, another woman has long since taken up residence.” Chenbi suddenly knelt at his knees, gazing up at him with devotion, like a kalavinka bird regarding the Buddha it serves. “Your Majesty, I; Chenbi is willing to help you test Yingluo’s true feelings!”

Hongli froze.

Chenbi continued: “In Your Majesty’s heart, it’s perfectly normal for the women of the harem to be jealous and scheme against one another. But among the Huolan clan, wives can live together in harmony.”

Hongli: “Chenbi, you…”

Chenbi took hold of Hongli’s hand and said earnestly, “Your Majesty, you’ve gone to such lengths to provoke Yingluo because you want to know whether she truly cares about you! As long as I cooperates well, you will surely be able to find out her true feelings—I guarantee it!”

Hongli laughed despite himself. “I used you. You really aren’t angry?”

Chenbi: “You have given me far more. You respect my customs, you sympathize with my homesickness. A man like you are worth my devoting everything to love.”

Hongli: “Chenbi, I absolutely never imagined you would say such words.”

Chenbi gently pressed her cheek against the back of Hongli’s hand and said softly, “Your Majesty, Chenbi is willing to give you the very best things in the world.”

While the two gazed at each other with tender affection, Ming Yu was inside Yanxi Palace, sighing heavily.

“What exactly are you trying to achieve?” She was practically furious with disappointment. “You gave her a brilliant future, and now you’re caught in the middle with the Empress—neither side happy with you!”

“Do you really think the Empress is one of us?” By now Wei Yingluo had thought it through clearly. She smiled a little. “She specializes in killing with a borrowed knife. This time is probably no different. If the Empress Dowager, in a moment of rage, kills Concubine Rong, it will surely provoke His Majesty’s fury. His Majesty is extremely filial to his mother—he could never blame the Empress Dowager over a woman. So whom would he direct his anger toward? The Empress? Consort Shu? Consort Jia? No. The first person he would blame is me—because I stay by the Empress Dowager’s side, I am her confidante…”

She paused, then let out a soft sound. “…and therefore the most likely person to have sown discord.”

If she were seen as the true culprit behind Concubine Rong’s death, who would ultimately benefit? None other than the Step-Empress.

Ming Yu stared at her for a long time before sighing. “Why say so much? In the end, you just can’t bear to do it.”

Wei Yingluo was stunned for a moment, then gave a helpless, bitter smile. “Yes… Although Concubine Rong and I are romantic rivals, her crime does not deserve death.”

After the incident, Concubine Rong returned to her carefree life—riding horses and shooting arrows every day, or dancing gracefully in the Baoyue Tower. Her days passed in great happiness. But Wei Yingluo did not dare relax her vigilance. She knew very well that the Empress would never let Concubine Rong go just like that. On the contrary, the more favored Concubine Rong became, the more determined the Empress would be to strike her down.

Wei Yingluo waited quietly until, seven days later, she received a summons from the Empress Dowager.

“This servant respectfully greets the Empress Dowager and wishes Her Majesty eternal peace and health.” She knelt and performed the greeting, glancing sideways at the Empress Dowager from the corner of her eye.

The Empress Dowager seemed somewhat restless; she held her teacup for a long time without drinking. “Yingluo, Master Guangji said that a reunion in reincarnation happens to only one or two people in a thousand. I’ve turned it over and over in my mind for a very long time, and the more I think, the more something feels wrong. Tell me honestly: is the mark on Concubine Rong’s face somehow related to you?”

The moment Wei Yingluo heard this, she immediately understood.

Not long ago, not only had the Step-Empress sent people to re-gild the Buddha statue, she had also donated rice, grain, and silver to help Wanshou Temple comfort the displaced people. She had done so much, and done it so well, that even if Master Guangji of Wanshou Temple was a high monk who would never bend for five pecks of rice, he would now have to speak a few “fair words” on her behalf.

Her mind raced. On the surface, Wei Yingluo defended herself: “His Majesty favors Concubine Rong so deeply. Even if I bear no grudge against her, I would never deliberately deceive the Empress Dowager just to help her.”

But the Empress Dowager was not convinced by a single sentence. “Yingluo, you have been by my side for three years. I understand you better than anyone. You, little girl, are covered in thorns yet full of cunning. Who knows whether you might lie to save Concubine Rong.”

Just as Wei Yingluo was about to argue further, Aunt Liu suddenly said, “Empress Dowager, Concubine Rong has arrived.”

The Empress Dowager nodded. “Since you refuse to tell the truth, I have no choice but to let you confront Concubine Rong face to face! Let her in!”

Chenbi walked in from outside, once again dressed in Manchu qizhuang. She was naturally beautiful, so she looked stunning in anything—even an ordinary set of flag dress on her became as exquisite as a seamless celestial robe woven from colored clouds.

“This concubine respectfully greets the Empress Dowager and wishes Her Majesty eternal peace and health.” She performed the proper greeting toward the Empress Dowager, yet her eyes kept darting toward Wei Yingluo, making Wei Yingluo’s eye twitch. She wished she could immediately distance herself from her.

Seeing her behave this way, the Empress Dowager grew even more suspicious. Her face grimed as she said, “Concubine Rong, was everything you said last time the truth?”

Chenbi glanced at Wei Yingluo again. Seeing how stubbornly she refused to play along, sweat broke out on Wei Yingluo’s forehead. She thought desperately: This little ancestor—how can she be so clueless? Doesn’t she know that right now she should pretend she doesn’t know me… or better yet, pretend we’re enemies?

What made Wei Yingluo’s insides burn with anxiety even more was that, after a moment’s hesitation, Chenbi suddenly knelt before the Empress Dowager: “I beg the Empress Dowager’s forgiveness—I did not tell the truth.”

Everyone was shocked.

Wei Yingluo was just about to speak when the Empress Dowager shot her a fierce glare, forcing the words back down her throat. Then, in a grave voice, she said:

“Concubine Rong, explain yourself clearly. If anyone instigated you to lie, I will never forgive them!”

Chenbi hesitated again for a moment, then finally gritted her teeth:

“Empress Dowager, I have deceived you. They were right—I really am a demonic evil.”

The Empress Dowager had been furious beyond measure, ready to harshly punish both her and Wei Yingluo once the matter was explained clearly. But now she was somewhat stunned:

“What exactly are you talking about?”

“When I was first born, everything was normal. But by the age of three, I kept falling ill nonstop. I kept saying that I lived in a crystal house, and every day I cried for Wen Mama and for little dancing figures. It frightened everyone.” Chenbi closed her eyes, as though throwing caution to the wind. “Later, a wandering lama passed by and performed a ritual on me. Only then did I return to normal. He said this was called ‘seizing the womb.’ Fortunately it was discovered early, otherwise my life could not have been saved!”

She didn’t open her eyes, so she couldn’t see the expressions in the room. Aunt Liu was horrified, the Empress Dowager was overjoyed, and as for Wei Yingluo… she was full of suspicion.

After rambling on and recounting her entire background, Chenbi kowtowed hard against the floor:

“Empress Dowager, I know that concealing this is the same as deception. If you wish to punish me, then punish me!”

There was a sharp clink—the sound of a teacup falling to the ground. The Empress Dowager had already lost her composure. She pushed away Aunt Liu’s supporting hand, walked over to Chenbi herself, and personally helped her up. She tried hard to suppress the joy surging in her heart, but her voice still trembled:

“Good child, to have encountered such a fate is a blessing bestowed by Heaven. How could I possibly blame you? It’s all right now. Don’t be afraid, okay?”

Chenbi slowly raised her head to look at her. The smile on her face was gentle and docile—the exact kind the Empress Dowager loved most. But… it was far too different from her usual innocent and naive appearance.

Wei Yingluo’s heart gave a sudden chill.

When the two of them finally left Shoukang Palace, both breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what, they had managed to get through this crisis.

“That speech just now—even I didn’t know about it. Who taught you?” Wei Yingluo asked, already knowing the answer.

Whether Chenbi was truly the reincarnation of Princess He’an, she herself knew better than anyone. At most she could add two tiny moles under the other woman’s lips to fool the Empress Dowager for a short time—but the story she had just told might actually be able to deceive the Empress Dowager for a lifetime…

Sure enough, Chenbi replied without the slightest guard:

“The Emperor, of course!”

Wei Yingluo’s heart sank. As expected…

“The Emperor was afraid it would be exposed, so he specially told me!” As if completely unaware of Wei Yingluo’s disappointment, Chenbi imitated Hongli’s serious manner and continued: “Chenbi, remember this—when little He’an took medicine as a child, she would wail and cry loudly. The Empress Dowager had many exquisite glazed objects placed in the room, using their clear, crisp clinking sounds to distract her, just like a crystal house. She was very dependent on her wet nurse Momo Wen. Every dusk she would start looking for her, and no one could comfort her. Oh, and the Empress Dowager even specially had a string-pulled little wooden puppet made just to cheer her up…”

Wei Yingluo replied expressionlessly:

“The Emperor really treats you well.”

“You treat me well too.” Chenbi suddenly turned her head to look at her, her gaze sincere and almost devout, like a devout believer before the Buddha. “You told a monstrous lie for my sake—how could I possibly expose it? You protect me, and I want to protect you too. Don’t worry, I will act very well. I will definitely repay you!”

Wei Yingluo gave a few casual hums, not taking her words to heart at all, and certainly never imagining that one day she would repay her in exactly that way.

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 172: Demon and Evil

   The fifteenth day of the fifth month—the anniversary of Princess He’an’s death.

Before the offering table, the shamaness presented wine; the sacred knife-wielding shaman kowtowed and prayed three times.

Inside Shoukang Palace, all was solemn. Everyone joined the Empress Dowager in reciting the rebirth mantra: “Namo Amitabhaya tathagataya, tadyatha amṛtod bhave…”

The shaman drum began to beat. The shamaness chanted a divine song and danced to the rhythm; the string of bells tied around her waist jingled with every movement.

While the Empress Dowager was reciting sutras, Chenbi approached, paid her respects, and then respectfully presented a volume of scripture: “This concubine respectfully wishes the Empress Dowager eternal health and peace. This is the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra that I copied for the princess. May the princess be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.”

The Empress Dowager nodded slightly.

Chenbi walked toward the offering table and was just about to place the Buddhist scripture down when suddenly there was a “pa-ta” sound. She looked up and saw that the small offering flowers on the altar had spontaneously ignited without any flame. In an instant, the fire spread like a greedy tongue, licking from the flowers all the way up to the portrait.

The portrait depicted a chubby, adorable little girl. Though still young, her features were delicate and well-formed—a true little beauty in the making. Most distinctive were the two small moles on her chin.

“He’an! He’an!” The Empress Dowager’s face changed dramatically. She threw herself toward the portrait without regard for anything. The Empress Dowager’s successor quickly held her back and shouted loudly: “Someone! Put out the fire!”

Unfortunately, only women were inside the hall at the time. One after another they screamed and fled, paying no attention to the portrait. The guards outside could not enter so quickly. In the end, it was Wei Yingluo who rushed forward in a few strides, snatched the portrait down, burning half her sleeve and blackening one side of her face in the process.

“Empress Dowager.” She handed over the portrait.

The Empress Dowager hurriedly took it and held it in her arms like a child, her eyes red-rimmed: “He’an! Oh, He’an!”

At that moment, Prince Yuan Chunwang finally arrived belatedly. He directed a group of eunuchs and guards to extinguish the fire on the offering table.

Looking at the messy, ruined altar, the Empress Dowager frowned and raised her head toward the shaman standing solemnly to the side:

“Madame Shaman, something went wrong with the ceremony. Will this affect An’er?”

The shaman slightly lifted her eyelids:

“The princess died in childhood because her front yin had already ended while her back yin had not yet arrived—she originally had no fortune to depart to the west. For the sake of allowing the princess to be reborn in ultimate bliss, Your Majesty has spent a lifetime doing good deeds and accumulating vast merit. In another two years, great accomplishment would have been achieved. Unfortunately, all those years of effort have been destroyed today by a single demonic evil!”

Everyone was shocked.

The Step Empress: “What demonic evil?”

The shaman’s turbid eyes fixed on Chenbi. She raised her hand and pointed directly:

“The moment she appeared, the Buddhist flowers spontaneously combusted and all the offerings were ruined—she must be that demonic evil! Empress Dowager, kill her. Use her fresh blood as a sacrifice to appease the anger of the spirits!”

Chenbi: “What demonic evil? You’re talking nonsense—I haven’t done anything!”

The Empress: “Concubine Rong, you must not be disrespectful to the shaman. Madame Shaman, are you absolutely certain of what you’re saying?”

The shaman scoffed with icy disdain:

“You people actually dare to doubt me?”

Even though they didn’t truly believe it in their hearts, the various concubines and consorts still agreed verbally and began to chime in one after another.

“Empress, I know Your Ladyship has always been merciful, but Concubine Rong is excessively beautiful and has bewitched His Majesty—how can we be sure she isn’t some demonic creature?”

“Exactly! Madame Shaman is the intermediary between humans, ghosts, and the divine—she transmits messages across the three realms. How could we possibly doubt her words?”

“Empress Dowager, thirty years of accumulated merit, all lost today! Because of this demonic evil, the princess’s chance to reach ultimate bliss has turned into bubbles. If you continue to indulge her, who knows how many more people will be implicated!”

At other times the Empress Dowager might have shown mercy, but when it concerned her most beloved deceased daughter, and with everyone piling on accusations, she finally darkened her face and said:

“Seize Concubine Rong!”

Yuan Chunwang had been waiting for this command for a long time. With a wave of his hand, the eunuchs immediately rushed forward to capture Chenbi.

Chenbi swiftly threw herself at the Empress Dowager’s feet, clutching her skirt hem tightly and crying miserably:

“Empress Dowager, this is someone framing me! I don’t know what happened at all!”

The Empress Dowager looked down from above:

“Framing you?”

Chenbi: “It is a frame-up! Someone must have bribed Madame Shaman, and the altar itself was tampered with! Now that everything has been burned to ashes, I have no evidence to show—but if you interrogate Madame Shaman, the truth will come out!”

“Insolent!” the Empress snapped. “What kind of person is Madame Shaman? Even the Empress Dowager treats her with courtesy—how dare you slander her!”

The Empress sighed:

“Take her away!”

Chenbi refused to let go of the Empress Dowager’s skirt, clinging to it like a lifeline:

“Empress Dowager, please look carefully at your servant—I have flesh and blood, I am a living person!”

Originally the Empress Dowager had been completely focused on the altar and hadn’t truly looked at her. Only now, hearing her wretched cries, did she finally turn her gaze toward her. But the moment she looked properly, her eyes froze. She suddenly reached out, gripped Chenbi’s chin, and her voice trembled slightly:

“You—”

Although no one knew exactly what was happening, judging from the Empress Dowager’s expression, the situation had clearly changed. The Empress frowned and gave the order:

“Take her!”

Chenbi simply threw herself into the Empress Dowager’s arms like a frightened child:

“No, Empress Dowager, no!”

To everyone’s astonishment, the Empress Dowager actually shielded her the way one would protect a child, placing one hand on her back:

“Stop!”

The whole room was stunned. Countless eyes fixed on the arm with which the Empress Dowager was protecting her.

The Empress Dowager took a deep breath, stared at Chenbi, and said word by word:

“You. Come with me.”

With that, she actually left everyone in the room behind, turned, and walked into the inner chamber. Chenbi glanced back once at Wei Yingluo, then got up and hurried after her.

The Empress had kept her attention on Chenbi the entire time and naturally did not miss that glance. She slowly turned her head, her gaze locking onto Wei Yingluo’s face, and gave a cold smile.

Wei Yingluo lowered her head and said nothing, but in her heart she understood: from this moment onward, she and the Empress were no longer on the same side.

Inside the inner chamber.

   The Empress Dowager dismissed everyone else, leaving only Aunt Liu and Chenbi in the room.

Chenbi knelt before the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager lifted her chin and studied her carefully for a long time. Her gaze grew stranger and stranger until she suddenly asked, “When is your birthday?”

Chenbi was startled.

The Empress Dowager: “Answer me.”

“September fifteenth, at the hour of Zi.” Chenbi quickly replied, then cautiously looked at her. “Your Majesty, why do you ask this?”

The Empress Dowager murmured to herself, “September fifteenth, at the hour of Zi…”

After a long silence, she waved her hand. “Take her away.”

Chenbi opened her mouth, about to explain further, but Aunt Liu spoke first to cut her off: “Concubine Rong, the Empress Dowager understands your grievances. Please follow this servant for now.”

Chenbi had no choice but to follow her out. Not long after the two left, the door opened again. Wei Yingluo stepped over the threshold. “Your Majesty, you summoned me?”

The Empress Dowager sat in her chair, the portrait of Princess He’an laid across her knees. She slowly stroked the image of the little girl in the painting, her expression complex. After a long while, she finally spoke slowly: “I know the Empress intends to kill with a borrowed knife. But someone must be held accountable for ruining the memorial ceremony—for my He’an! The shaman lady is a divine messenger; her words are the will of the gods. That is why I resolved to punish Concubine Rong! But I never expected…”

Wei Yingluo: “What is it?”

The Empress Dowager hesitated for a long moment before finally saying, “Do you remember when I told you that, the year He’an fell gravely ill, I visited every temple, kowtowed and burned incense before every Buddha, begging to trade ten years of my life for hers?”

Wei Yingluo nodded.

“At that time, a high monk told me that if I left a mark on the princess, even if I could not keep her in this life, there might be a chance to reunite in the next. I steeled myself and lightly pierced two small dots under He’an’s chin—like this.” The Empress Dowager pointed to the spot just below her own lips. “Just now, the moment Concubine Rong rushed forward, I personally saw that she also has…”

Wei Yingluo: “Your Majesty, the idea of reincarnation is truly absurd. You should not believe such things.”

The Empress Dowager grew agitated: “But she was also born on September fifteenth at the hour of Zi—the exact same time, the exact same mark. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”

Wei Yingluo: “You are simply missing the princess too much. But Concubine Rong comes from the Huolan tribe—how could she possibly be the princess reincarnated?”

The Empress Dowager: “There have already been cases of reincarnated spirit children. In the folk tales, many babies are born with strange marks, and everyone says these are bonds left by parents from a previous life!”

Wei Yingluo: “Your Majesty!”

The Empress Dowager: “Perhaps you are right. But what if? What if she truly is—”

The heart of parents under heaven is pitiful; as long as there is even the slightest possibility, they will cling to it desperately. The Empress Dowager said no more. She only lowered her head to gaze at the portrait on her lap, staring at the two tiny moles beneath the little girl’s chin.

Suddenly the door opened. Hongli’s voice broke the stillness of the room. He sounded slightly out of breath: “This son respectfully greets the Empress Dowager’s benevolent peace!”

Wei Yingluo turned and curtsied to him. “This servant respectfully greets Your Majesty’s peace.”

Hongli didn’t even glance at her. “Empress Dowager, where is Concubine Rong?”

Seeing that she did not answer, he grew anxious. “Empress Dowager, the shaman lady’s words cannot be trusted. Chenbi is absolutely not some demonic creature!”

Only then did the Empress Dowager slowly raise her head. “You granted the shaman lady honor and respect, yet you forbid me to believe her words. Is that not contradictory?”

Hongli scoffed with icy disdain. “Empress Dowager, I granted the shaman lady status and reverence so that she may perform her role in the morning and evening sacrifices, in order to preserve the old customs of our ancestors and remind all of Great Qing that this realm was not easily won. It was never my intention to let her dominate your thoughts or dictate your decisions. Please trust me—Chenbi is merely an ordinary beauty. She is absolutely not some evil spirit!”

“Your Majesty!”

Hongli suddenly turned around and saw Aunt Liu pushing the door open, with Chenbi standing unharmed behind her. His face immediately lit up with joy as he reached out and said, “Chenbi, come here!”

To avoid seeing their hands clasped together, Wei Yingluo quickly lowered her head—only to see the feet of the two of them walking past her side by side.

“Wait!” the Empress Dowager suddenly called out.

Hongli abruptly tightened his grip on Chenbi’s hand. “Empress Dowager, do you have any further instructions?”

The Empress Dowager smiled. “No need to be nervous. I won’t harm the one you love. I simply felt an instant affinity with Concubine Rong. If she is willing in the future, she may come often to Shoukang Palace to keep me company and chat.”

Hongli was stunned.

After returning to Yangxin Hall, his brows remained furrowed. He dismissed everyone around them, pulled Chenbi to sit beside him, and said, “Tell me—what exactly happened?”

Chenbi answered honestly: “Today, this concubine attended the princess’s memorial ceremony, hoping to win the Empress Dowager’s favor. Who would have thought the offerings would suddenly catch fire? The shamaness pointed at me and called me a demon, insisting that the Empress Dowager deal with me!”

She vividly recounted everything that had happened that day. When she reached the most thrilling parts, even Hongli wiped a cold sweat for her. Yet his doubts only deepened. “How did you escape this disaster?”

Chenbi rolled her eyes. “This concubine doesn’t know either. The Empress Dowager was about to have me killed, then suddenly changed her mind.”

Hongli seized her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, and said gravely, “Chenbi, I want the truth.”

If Wei Yingluo had seen the look in his eyes at that moment, she would have known that Hongli did not love Chenbi. Love is a poison that makes people foolish, biased, and gullible—yet right now his gaze was terrifyingly calm, sharp as a sword piercing straight into the heart.

After merely meeting his eyes for a moment, Chenbi lowered her head and sighed. “Consort-Ling saved me.”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 171: Unwilling to Change

   The strings and drums struck together as sleeves rose; like whirling snowflakes and tumbling tumbleweeds, Chenbi danced gracefully in the center of the floor. Hongli reclined on the couch, watching her swirl and spin.

Palace gossip never escaped him. Lately there had been talk that Chenbi wanted to be friends with Consort Ling and was constantly going to her.

Beside him, Li Yu reported, “Your Majesty, on Her Ladyship Consort Ling’s instructions, the Imperial Household Department is currently cleaning Shoukang Palace.”

At the mention of Consort Ling’s name, Chenbi’s dancing toes missed a beat.

…It seemed the rumor was not baseless. Hongli asked, “Is the Empress Dowager returning?”

Li Yu answered, “This servant inquired. Her Ladyship Consort Ling only said that today is the tenth day of the fifth lunar month, and that if this is told to Your Majesty, you will understand.”

“The tenth of the fifth month?” Hongli repeated it silently, then suddenly realized. “No wonder…”

Li Yu: “Your Majesty?”

Hongli: “Do everything exactly as Consort Ling instructed. Make sure everything is perfectly arranged before the Empress Dowager returns.”

Li Yu: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Once Li Yu had left, Chenbi planted her toes on the ground, spun once in mid-air with a cascade of bell-like chimes ringing from her costume, and leapt straight into Hongli’s arms. She settled onto his lap, tilted her head back, and looked up at him. “Your Majesty, what’s so special about the tenth of the fifth month?”

Hongli replied, “Every year on the fifteenth of the fifth lunar month is the anniversary of He’an’s death. The past two years the memorial rites were held at the Yuanmingyuan. This year, it seems they will be held back in the Forbidden City.”

Chenbi: “He’an?”

Hongli stroked her hair gently. “My own younger sister—the only pearl in the Empress Dowager’s palm.”

Knowing the Empress Dowager had always disliked women who were too flirtatious or overly bold, Hongli patiently explained to her how she should behave in the Empress Dowager’s presence.

But halfway through, Chenbi grew impatient. “Enough, enough—I understand. I’m going to find Yingluo now. Today we’re still practicing how to walk.”

When it came to the ways of being a consort, Chenbi was like a child who had to start learning even how to walk from the beginning. Yet Hongli knew she was not someone who liked to follow rules. He shook his head and asked, “What are you planning to give her today?”

Chenbi’s eyes lit up. She quietly pulled out a small box and opened it to reveal a necklace of pearls inside—large, perfectly round beads that shimmered with a soft, lustrous glow. “This is the gift I’m giving her. Do you think she’ll like it?”

“I’m guessing no,” Hongli said with a smile.

The gift sent by a rival in love, no matter how precious or beautiful, Wei Yingluo presumably would not like it at all.

Chenbi disappointedly set down the box. “Then what does she like? As long as I have it, I’ll give it to her.”

Hongli was silent for a moment before saying, “Then send her a pot of mutton soup.”

Chenbi tilted her head, looking at him in confusion. “But Yingluo said she doesn’t like to eat that.”

“But mutton soup is good for her stomach.” The words slipped out of Hongli’s mouth before he realized he had spoken too freely.

He wasn’t indifferent to her tastes; rather, he cared more about her stomach than her preferences. That was why, the last time Wei Yingluo came to Baoyue Tower, he had insisted she take an entire jar of mutton soup back with her.

The lost look in Wei Yingluo’s eyes was still vivid in his mind. He felt a mix of regret and secret delight. He simply… wanted to see more of her jealous expression, just as he was always jealous of Fuheng.

“Your Majesty, you treat Yingluo differently from everyone else.” Chenbi gazed at him and suddenly said this. Before Hongli could respond, she smiled brightly and continued, “Fine then, mutton soup is good for the stomach. I’ll send her a jar right away.”

At that moment, Wei Yingluo was not in Yanxi Palace. She was at Shoukang Palace.

Eunuchs and palace maids came and went, constantly cleaning the hall. the current Empress took her by the arm and said, “The Empress Dowager personally appointed you to organize the memorial ceremony. It has truly been hard on you. I just took a look, and everything is arranged perfectly. It’s only thanks to you understanding the Empress Dowager’s wishes so well that it could be done so beautifully.”

Wei Yingluo replied, “Your Majesty flatters me. I merely did my utmost to prepare. Since Your Majesty has seen it, would you kindly offer some guidance?”

“There is actually nothing else improper.” The Empress’s gaze swept across the offering table. “The only thing missing is a small Buddha flower. If it is burned in front of the offering table, the Empress Dowager will be even more pleased.”

Wei Yingluo: “A small Buddha flower?”

The Empress nodded. “Every year at the end-of-year anniversary of death, only then is the small Buddha flower used. When the Empress Dowager personally sees how much importance the Emperor attaches to Princess He’an’s death anniversary, mother and son will surely be reconciled as before.”

Wei Yingluo: “Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty. I will remember.”

The Empress gave a meaningful smile. “The Empress Dowager has not yet met Concubine Rong. On that day, I will have to trouble you; Consort Ling to personally make the introduction.”

Wei Yingluo froze for a moment and instinctively looked toward the Empress, only to see the smile on the other woman’s face deepen. A chill ran through her heart.

After making a few more arrangements, it was time for dinner. Wei Yingluo excused herself first. The moment she stepped out of Shoukang Palace, her expression immediately darkened. Ming Yu, who was beside her, couldn’t help but ask, “Yingluo, what’s wrong?”

Wei Yingluo: “The Empress is about to make her move.”

Ming Yu: “Make her move?”

Wei Yingluo nodded. “Concubine Rong—she is in great danger.”

There were too many eyes and ears around, so Ming Yu didn’t ask further. She planned to wait until they returned to Yanxi Palace to ask in detail. But just as they stepped through the main gate of Yanxi Palace, the clear tinkling sound of anklet bells rang out. No need to guess who it was.

Wei Yingluo’s footsteps paused. “…Why are you here again?”

“You’re finally back!” Chenbi came over with a beaming smile and grabbed her hand. “I brought mutton soup. It’s very good for your stomach. It’s already cooled down, but I’ve asked the kitchen to heat it up for you!”

On the table was not only the mutton soup, but also a box of pearls—each one valuable enough to buy an entire courtyard in Jiangnan. Similar treasures had been arriving at Yanxi Palace for some time, all sent by her. Yet Wei Yingluo felt no joy at all, because every one of those rare and precious items had been bestowed upon her by Hongli. Each piece served as a reminder of how deeply he favored her.

“I don’t want to drink it.” Wei Yingluo shook her head. “In the future, stop sending things here. What will people say when they see this?”

Chenbi didn’t care in the slightest. “What others say has nothing to do with me. Sending gifts to a good friend is only natural.”

Wei Yingluo: “You and I are not friends.”

Chenbi said with great confidence: “It definitely will be from now on.”

This person was like a piece of sticky toffee; Wei Yingluo really couldn’t win against her persistence, so she had no choice but to reluctantly drink that jar of mutton soup together with her. At first it tasted unpleasant, with a strong gamey smell the moment it entered her mouth, but after the soup went down, a warm feeling gradually spread through her body. The stomach that always ached faintly actually felt much more comfortable because of it.

Chenbi kept serving her dishes and ladling soup for her, busily and happily. In a moment of carelessness, the jade plaque tied to her wrist slipped off and fell with a plop into the jar of mutton soup. When Chenbi lifted her hand, the jade plaque rose along with the red string on her wrist, dripping soup with pattering sounds.

“Ming Yu, bring a clean handkerchief,” Wei Yingluo instructed.

Ming Yu fetched a handkerchief, and Wei Yingluo wiped the jade plaque clean. From the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the characters engraved on it and suddenly froze.

Jingying Chenbi.

“What’s wrong?” Chenbi noticed where her gaze had landed. She untied the red string and handed the jade plaque to her. “This was given to me by the Emperor, but I don’t really understand Han poetry. I can’t read what’s written on it.”

A sour feeling welled up in Wei Yingluo’s heart, yet her expression remained cold and distant. “The Emperor is praising you. ‘Like flawless jade in still water, perfect and unblemished.’”

The mutton soup in her mouth instantly became tasteless. Wei Yingluo pushed the jade plaque back. “I’m tired. I won’t teach you etiquette today. Ming Yu, see the guest out.”

Chenbi was stunned. “Yingluo, why are you suddenly angry? Is it because of this jade plaque? If you don’t like it, I’ll never wear it again!”

Her voice made Wei Yingluo feel irritated and restless. After Ming Yu escorted her away, she lost all interest in eating. Dragging a body that felt completely drained of strength, she stumbled back to her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly.

After seeing Chenbi off, Ming Yu returned to her side, hesitating to speak.

“Ming Yu,” Wei Yingluo murmured while staring at the ceiling, “do you know what Baoyue Tower is?”

Ming Yu shook her head. She sat beside her, holding her ice-cold hand, listening attentively like the most loyal confidante.

“During the Yongzheng era, when the current Empress Dowager was still Consort Xi, she gave birth to the Eleventh Princess. But the princess had been frail and sickly since childhood. At that time, the shamaness selected Baoyue Tower, saying its feng shui was excellent. To help her daughter, Consort Xi did everything she could to persuade the previous Emperor to renovate Baoyue Tower so she could move in with the child. The construction was about to begin when Empress Xiaojingxian resolutely opposed it, saying there had never been such a precedent in the Great Qing.” Wei Yingluo sighed. “In the end, the little princess died just after her first birthday. All these years, the Empress Dowager has never let go of that regret.”

Ming Yu suddenly understood. “So you’re saying the Empress wants to make use of the Empress Dowager? But the Empress Dowager has always been at odds with her…”

“If she can use me, why can’t she use the Empress Dowager? In this harem, there are only permanent interests, never permanent friends.” At the word “friends,” Chenbi’s face floated into her mind again. Wei Yingluo sat up irritably and said coldly, “The Emperor is a man and careless in these matters. The Empress Dowager might not have minded before, but with the Empress pushing, she will soon feel… that Concubine Rong moving into Baoyue Tower is like a dove occupying a magpie’s nest!”

Ming Yu was silent for a moment, then softly said, “…Wouldn’t that actually be good? If the Empress’s plan succeeds, it removes a thorn in your side. In my opinion, why don’t you just pretend you know nothing and let things play out?”

Wei Yingluo was stunned by her words.

Just as Ming Yu said, all she had to do was close her eyes, pretend she saw nothing, and sit back while everything unfolded—she could reap the benefits without lifting a finger. If the Empress succeeded, she would lose one thorn in her side; if the Empress failed, she would lose nothing.

But… could she really do that?

Days passed like autumn leaves falling one by one. Chenbi still came to play with her every day, and never empty-handed: sometimes a box of precious stones, sometimes an unusually beautiful fallen leaf, sometimes a string of exotic waist bells full of foreign charm. Chenbi offered everything she had to please her.

Each gift was different, but one thing remained unchanging—every single day, one jar of mutton soup.

Looking at her innocent, guileless smile, Wei Yingluo grew increasingly silent and withdrawn.

Until the fifteenth day of the fifth month.

For once, Chenbi had changed out of her dance skirt and into extremely formal Manchu attire. She awkwardly stepped into a pair of flower-pot platform shoes, pushed the maids aside, and took a few steps on her own. After great effort she finally found her balance, then immediately broke into a delighted smile:

“Yingluo, I can walk by myself now.”

Her maid glanced at Wei Yingluo, gave a light snort, and said, “You can’t even walk properly in those flower-pot-bottom shoes. What if you fall? Wouldn’t that be utterly embarrassing? Consort Ling Your Ladyship, look—you’ve taught her for so long, and our mistress still doesn’t know how to walk.”

Hearing the sarcasm in her words, before Wei Yingluo could even speak, Chenbi had already rebuked her first: “This has nothing to do with Consort Ling. It’s all because I’m not used to them! From now on, you are not allowed to speak ill of her again! Withdraw!”

The maid shut her mouth aggrievedly. Chenbi walked a few more crooked steps, then her ankle twisted and she nearly fell to the ground. Wei Yingluo hurriedly reached out to steady her. Seeing her drenched in sweat, she couldn’t help but say, “You don’t have to change the qipao, but at least change back into the shoes you’re used to wearing.”

Chenbi wouldn’t listen to her maid, but she was willing to listen to her. She gave a sweet smile: “Okay.”

She changed back into her familiar shoes, took a few light steps, and moved gracefully like a little deer hopping by the water’s edge.

“Your Ladyship, it’s time for us to go,” the maid reminded her. “This is the first time the Empress Dowager has summoned you to Shoukang Palace. You must not be late.”

Chenbi nodded, then turned back to Wei Yingluo and said, “I’ll go ahead now. I’ll come find you to play later. You have to wait for me—don’t eat too much. I’ll bring mutton soup and we can eat it together.”

She left with a smile, unaware that she might never return, and would never taste that last mouthful of mutton soup.

“Yingluo…” Ming Yu looked at Wei Yingluo with worry.

“Ming Yu, I’m sorry.” Wei Yingluo raised her hand and touched the tears on her own cheek. “I… don’t want to become the kind of person I hate the most.”

Chenbi had already reached the entrance of Shoukang Palace.

Just as she was about to go in, hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind.

A hand reached out abruptly from behind her, grabbed her, and pulled her away.

“Yingluo?” Chenbi stumbled along, looking at the person in surprise. “What are you doing?”

Wei Yingluo said in a low, grave voice: “Saving your life.”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 170: Friends

   As the years passed, Yongrong’s appearance grew more and more like his mother, Noble Consort Chun—delicate and refined, like the small bridges and flowing streams of Jiangnan. Though beautiful, he was excessively frail, so much so that when his brothers hung him from a tree, he had no strength to resist.

“Who gave you the nerve to badmouth me behind my back?” Yongcheng said, then lashed him with the horsewhip—again and again. Seeing Yongrong’s cries grow louder, he ordered the companions beside him: “Stuff his mouth!”

The two study companions had no choice but to step forward and gag Yongrong. One of them hesitated for a moment and said, “Fourth Prince, perhaps we shouldn’t make this too big. If anyone finds out…”

Yongcheng cut him off impatiently: “His mother, Noble Consort Chun, is a convicted criminal! Imperial Father doesn’t even glance at him—what are you afraid of!”

With that, the whip fell like rain. He paid no heed to the fact that the same blood ran in their veins; he beat the other boy as though he were no more than livestock.

No matter how unfavored Yongrong was, he was still a prince who had grown up pampered and sheltered. How could he endure such treatment? After one more lash, he fainted.

“You can’t bully people like this, you know!”

Yongcheng was just about to order the companions to fetch water and splash the boy awake when a voice suddenly rang out from behind, startling him badly. When he turned and saw who it was, his face changed color.

It was Concubine Rong!

Yongcheng felt a surge of annoyance—why did it have to be this woman who saw? Afraid she would report him to Hongli, he quickly set down the whip and forced a smile: “Concubine Rong, I was just joking around with Sixth Brother.”

Chenbi walked toward him, her waist chain and ankle bells chiming softly with each step. “You two are blood brothers—you should love and care for each other. You can’t do this. Hurry and let him down!”

The two companions looked toward Yongcheng. He barked: “Didn’t you hear what Concubine Rong said? Let him go!”

Only then did the two of them hurriedly and clumsily set Yongrong down. Yongcheng had no desire to linger any longer. Everyone in the palace knew how favored Concubine Rong was—Hongli could hardly bear to be apart from her for a moment. If he stayed any longer, Hongli might very well show up right behind him. So he said:

“Concubine Rong, Your Ladyship, today was merely some playful sparring between us brothers. There’s no need to take it to heart. Since everything is fine now, I won’t disturb your enjoyment of the scenery any further. I’ll take my leave.”

He turned to go, but he had only taken a few steps when something shot toward him from behind like a snake, wrapping tightly around his ankle. Yongcheng let out a miserable scream. In the next instant, he was flipped upside down and hoisted into the air, dangling from a tree.

Staring at the culprit, Yongcheng cried out in shock:

“You—what are you doing?!”

Chenbi dusted off her hands:

“I’m used to lassoing lambs back home, so I always carry a rope snare with me. I never thought I’d actually get to use it one day!”

Yongcheng: “Let me down! Let me down right now! Concubine Rong, I am the Empress’s son! How dare you treat me this way—release me at once!”

The innocent expression on Chenbi’s face instantly darkened:

“Shut your mouth!”

Yongcheng froze.

Chenbi, who always wore an innocent, pure expression as radiant and beautiful as a celestial maiden, now looked faintly sinister:

“You’re already sixteen. In our tribe, boys your age have long since gone to the battlefield, wielding weapons and fighting enemies to the death. Yet here you are, acting like a spoiled child—only knowing how to bully your own brothers—and still putting on an act in front of me! If His Majesty finds out what you did today, do you know what will happen?”

Yongcheng tried to muster his courage:

“I—I am the Empress’s…”

Chenbi scoffed with a sneer:

“Even someone like me, who has only recently entered the palace, knows that the Empress now has the Twelfth Prince and Thirteenth Prince. A foster son like you has long been useless. Yet you’re still daydreaming!”

Yongcheng: “You’re lying! You’re trying to drive a wedge between me and my mother!”

Chenbi: “Dear sweet Fourth Prince, how is it that you’ve only grown taller and not smarter? Your kind, benevolent Royal Mother would love nothing more than for you to keep making mistakes—the more mistakes, the better! With the Eldest Prince out of favor, and you constantly getting into trouble, the throne will eventually fall to her own flesh-and-blood son!”

Yongcheng was stunned:

“No… that’s impossible… impossible…”

Chenbi circled around him. With every sentence, she gave him a push, making him sway dizzily:

“Look at that pitiful, abandoned-puppy expression on your face. Tsk, how sad. Didn’t your Royal Mother always tell you: ‘It doesn’t matter if our Yongcheng doesn’t like to study—Manchus rule the world through riding and archery!’ ‘It doesn’t matter if your study companions don’t obey—Mother will find you clever, quick-witted ones!’ ‘It doesn’t matter if your teachers dislike you—they’re the ones without insight!’ She gave you whatever you wanted, never blamed you, always cared for you, always protected you in every way. Fool—she dotes on you to death. She spoils you until you become a complete idiot!”

Yongcheng was deeply shaken. Tears streamed down his face as he listened:

“No… it’s not like that… you’re lying to me… Royal Mother isn’t that kind of person…”

Chenbi: “The Sixth Prince has no birth mother—truly pitiful. But you? You have a venomous-hearted foster mother sitting in a high position. Your situation is a hundred times, a thousand times worse than his—and yet you still don’t know how to restrain yourself!”

Yongcheng struggled while shouting:

“I’m going to ask Royal Mother!”

Chenbi giggled:

“Go ahead! If you dare breathe even half a sentence of what I said today to her, that Royal Mother of yours will make sure you ‘die of illness’ without anyone ever suspecting a thing. Understand?”

Yongcheng was so terrified he couldn’t speak.

Chenbi gently stroked his cheek:

“Go straight back to the Prince Residence and bury yourself away. If you ever dare bully the weak again, next time I’ll pierce a hole through your tongue and hang you up by it. Got it?”

Yongcheng trembled as he nodded.

“So cute. Good boy.” Chenbi praised him, then released the rope. Yongcheng fell to the ground with a heavy thud, dazed and disoriented. He didn’t dare utter a single complaint. After one frightened glance at her, he fled as if he had seen a ghost.

Chenbi no longer bothered with him. She returned to the still-unconscious Yongrong, gazing at him tenderly for a long moment before gently shaking him awake.

The instant Yongrong woke, he curled up like a small animal caught in a trap—panicked, clutching himself tightly, his wide, terrified eyes darting everywhere.

“Don’t be afraid,” Chenbi said softly. “I’ve already chased your Fourth Brother away.”

Only then did Yongrong realize she was beside him. When he heard her words, his delicate, scholarly face immediately flushed bright red. He stammered:

“Concubine Rong, Your Ladyship… I’m sorry… I caused trouble for you.”

“Sixth Brother, you didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no need to apologize.” Chenbi sat beside him. A gentle breeze lifted her long hair, and the tiny bells tied in it chimed softly like a song. “Wolves chasing sheep is a common sight on the grassland—no one finds it strange. But the children of the grassland never bully one another because of differences in strength. They rely on each other and stand together against enemies. So Yongrong, you are not at fault.”

No one had ever spoken such words to him before. Yongrong felt both moved and ashamed. He lowered his head to look at himself—if he had merely fainted, that would have been one thing, but he had actually been so frightened by Yongcheng that he wet his pants. Why did it have to happen now, of all times, and right in front of her?

Chenbi seemed not to notice the damp patch on his trousers at all. She simply smiled and said, “What happened today—I’ll keep it a secret for you. But in return, you have to promise me one thing, all right?”

Yongrong lifted his head and looked at Chenbi. In that moment, he felt he would agree to anything she asked.

Chenbi continued: “I know that the Manchu princes study in the morning and practice riding and archery in the afternoon. You must promise me that you will train hard at your martial skills, become strong as soon as possible. If he gives you one punch, you give him two in return.”

Yongrong was stunned. “But he’ll bring people to beat me together.”

Chenbi replied calmly: “No matter how many people come at you, you only hit him—one person. Hit him until he’s afraid of you.”

Yongrong was dumbfounded.

“The Fourth Brother bullies you because the difference in strength between you is too great. But once you grow strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with him—no, once you become even stronger than he is—you’ll be able to conquer your own fear. Don’t be afraid.” Suddenly Chenbi gave him a mischievous wink. “Besides, if you really can’t win the fight, the worst you can do is show your wounds to your Imperial Father. No matter how much he dislikes you, he won’t tolerate brothers harming each other.”

Yongrong’s face turned even redder. He nodded repeatedly, then ran off. After going quite a distance, he still turned back and called: “Thank you!”

Chenbi watched him leave with a smile, then prepared to turn and go herself.

Wei Yingluo stepped out from her hiding place. Behind her, Ming Yu stood gaping in astonishment.

“Oh dear, I accidentally revealed my true nature!” Concubine Rong grinned playfully, then sighed. “Will you tell the Emperor?”

Wei Yingluo: “Tell him what?”

Chenbi blinked. “Tell him that I’m a two-faced person who can change faces?”

Wei Yingluo laughed.

She had come at Yongqi’s request to help Yongrong. How could she have known she would witness such a wonderful scene?

Chenbi sighed again, came over, and took Wei Yingluo’s hand. “I want to beg you not to do it. He might very well send me back to the tribe. Although my brother has become the leader, he’s an arrogant and conceited fellow—he would definitely mock me as a ‘returned gift.’ My days would become unbearable! Will you tell him?”

Wei Yingluo looked down at their joined hands. “What do you think?”

Chenbi hung her head dejectedly. Then suddenly she threw it back, lay down on the grass in a fit of self-abandonment, and said: “I don’t like the Forbidden City—not one bit. If you want to tell the Emperor, go ahead. Let him send me back soon so I can still make it to the grand tribal celebration.”

Wei Yingluo: “What is your celebration like?”

Chenbi sat bolt upright from the grass, suddenly full of childlike excitement: “We roast whole sheep in front of the tents—crispy and charred on the outside, the fragrance drifting for miles! The children run around happily, just as excited as when you people celebrate the New Year! Travelers passing by often stop; the bolder ones even try to buy some roast mutton! And then I shout at them—’No sale! No matter how much silver you offer, we won’t sell!’”

At this point she burst into proud, hearty laughter. Her carefree, unselfconscious manner left Wei Yingluo both surprised and… a little envious.

Chenbi went on: “When they’re drooling with hunger, I give them a whole roasted sheep leg. Watching their stunned, dumbfounded faces—I can laugh about it for a whole year! How could guests from far away go home empty-handed? We have plenty of meat, specially prepared for them!”

Wei Yingluo: “The Forbidden City’s celebrations also have roast mutton.”

“Not the same—not the same at all!” The pride slowly faded from Chenbi’s face. She spoke with a touch of melancholy: “Just like the sunsets in the Forbidden City—beautiful, yes, but they don’t taste the same—”

Wei Yingluo looked at her the way one might look at a gust of wind locked inside a cage.

“Consort Ling, you’re not like those other consorts either,” Chenbi suddenly said, lifting her head to gaze at her. “I like you.”

Wei Yingluo was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by how abruptly the topic had shifted, but she soon laughed softly. “You and I are both His Majesty’s consorts. We’re hardly in a position to simply admire each other.”

Chenbi looked puzzled. “Why not? My father has many wives, and they all get along peacefully.”

Wei Yingluo echoed, “Peacefully?”

Chenbi nodded. “Yes! Father treats everyone equally. The gold bracelets he bought for my mother, he bought one for every concubine too! He takes turns spending the night in their tents, never favoring one over the others. All the concubines have very good relationships with each other!”

Wei Yingluo listened without comment. Whether it was truly good or not, outsiders could never tell. On the surface, the consorts of the rear palace could appear harmonious and joyful, but behind closed doors it was an entirely different story.

Chenbi continued, “Since I came to the Forbidden City, no one likes me except His Majesty. I’m just an outsider here. But now I’ve met you—and they don’t like you either, do they?”

Before Wei Yingluo could answer, Chenbi took hold of her hand. “You keep my secret for me, and I’ll be your friend—okay?”

Wei Yingluo replied, “I don’t need friends.”

But Chenbi laughed, a smile that was both mischievous and strangely perceptive. She reached up and pinched Wei Yingluo’s cheek, her voice sweet and childlike: “Your face is clearly written all over with ‘I’m very lonely, I need Chenbi to be my friend.’”

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   Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 169: Former Enemy, Now Friend

The next day, Hongli came to Chengqian Palace to visit Yongjing.

Yongjing was a chubby, tiger-headed little boy, with brows and eyes that strongly resembled Hongli’s. Lying in his swaddling clothes, he babbled happily and kept reaching out his small, plump hands toward Hongli. Hongli adored him. He personally picked the child up, held a rattle drum, and played with him until Yongjing grew tired and began to doze off. Only then did he carefully place him back into the cradle.

Yongjing rolled over, hugged a finely crafted cloth tiger, and fell asleep.

“This cloth tiger was the Dragon Boat Festival gift Consort Ling sent to Yongjing,” the Step Empress’s voice sounded beside his ear. “Everyone else sends gold and silver ingots, bracelets, and longevity locks. Hers is actually much more thoughtful.”

Hongli glanced at her but pretended not to hear.

The Step Empress didn’t seem to care much. She simply instructed Court Physician Zhang, who stood nearby: “Court Physician Zhang, later go to Yanxi Palace and take Consort Ling’s peaceful pulse. She has been looking after the Empress Dowager at the Yuanmingyuan all this time, paying no attention to her own illness. Since she suffers from sleepless nights and has little appetite, we must have the imperial physician properly regulate her condition.”

Hongli continued to act as though he hadn’t heard or seen anything.

Following the Step Empress’s orders, Court Physician Zhang left Chengqian Palace and went straight to Yanxi Palace. After diagnosing Consort Ling and leaving a medical prescription, he had barely taken two steps out of the palace gates when someone suddenly grabbed his arm.

Who is this? So rude and lacking in manners! Court Physician Zhang was just about to scold the person when he turned his head—and his face instantly paled. “Y-Your Majesty?”

“How is Consort Ling’s condition?” Hongli asked coldly.

Court Physician Zhang hurriedly replied: “Your Majesty, aside from insomnia, Consort Ling also suffers from disharmony of the liver and stomach. This minister has prescribed the Xiangsu Hewei Decoction to slowly regulate her condition for Her Ladyship.”

Hongli frowned. “Disharmony of the liver and stomach?”

“Her Ladyship’s irregular eating habits have caused pain in the stomach region…” Court Physician Zhang hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Moreover, this minister has heard that Consort Ling has been copying the Avatamsaka Sutra in her own blood. Even after going to the Yuanmingyuan, she has not stopped for a single day. Over time, this has led to a depletion of qi and blood, resulting in food damage syndrome, which in turn has caused the stomach to lose its nourishment…”

Hongli’s expression changed dramatically. Without another word, he turned and strode toward Yanxi Palace.

The eunuch at the entrance was about to announce him, but Hongli raised a hand to stop him. He walked straight into the bedchamber and then stood silently, gazing at the person on the bed.

It felt as though they hadn’t seen each other for years, yet also as though they had parted only yesterday. The long separation had not created any real distance between them. On the contrary, all those memories he had deliberately tried to forget surged back like the rising tide, crashing against his heart again and again.

“Ming Yu?” Even though it was broad daylight, Wei Yingluo looked utterly exhausted. She lay reclining on the couch with her eyes closed, her left hand propping up her temple as she instructed: “Sort the twenty scrolls and have someone send them to the Yuanmingyuan.”

There was no response for a long time.

Only then did Wei Yingluo slowly open her eyes. When she saw Hongli, she started and sat up abruptly. “Why has Your Majesty come here!”

But Hongli’s gaze was fixed on her left wrist.

She had been supporting her head with her left hand; her sleeve had naturally slipped down halfway, revealing a strip of white cloth wrapped around her wrist. Fresh blood had seeped through, staining the white fabric half red, half white.

Hongli tried to pretend he didn’t care, but in the end he couldn’t hold back. He seized her hand. “What is this?”

Wei Yingluo hurriedly pulled her hand back, lowered her sleeve, and said calmly as if nothing were wrong: “It’s nothing—just the wound from bloodletting.”

Hongli was furious. “Are you trying to throw your life away? I order you: you are not allowed to continue writing!”

Wei Yingluo: “Your Majesty, please forgive me, but I cannot obey.”

Hongli’s anger flared. “You—”

Wei Yingluo: “Since I promised the Empress Dowager to complete all eighty-one scrolls, I cannot stop halfway. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

Hongli was speechless. After a long silence, he swallowed his anger and sat down to one side. “I originally intended to let you fend for yourself. Only because you have carefully served the Empress Dowager did I come to warn you. If you insist on refusing to listen, there is nothing more I can do. But whatever consequences come, you must bear them yourself. If in the future the Empress Dowager blames anyone, it will have nothing to do with others.”

Wei Yingluo: “I understand.”

The more Hongli looked at her, the angrier he became. He stood up and headed for the door.

“Does Your Majesty still remember the promise you made to me?” Wei Yingluo suddenly called out from behind him.

Hongli’s footsteps halted.

“Your Majesty once said you would not allow anyone to bully me.” Wei Yingluo sighed. “Tonight Your Majesty came to Yanxi Palace—everyone in the rear palace has seen it. If you simply turn and leave now, how can I possibly hold my ground in the harem? I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to stay in this Forbidden City for even a single day.”

Hongli: “Tonight I will stay overnight at Yanxi Palace and preserve your face in full. As for anything else—don’t even think about it!”

Having said that, he instructed Li Yu to tidy up the side hall. He would rather sleep alone in the side hall than share a bed with Wei Yingluo. Li Yu worked efficiently and soon had the side hall spotless. After helping Hongli settle in for the night, he stood guard alone at the door.

In the middle of the night, Hongli tossed and turned, unable to sleep—not because he was unaccustomed to sleeping alone, but because the moment he closed his eyes, he saw the wound on Wei Yingluo’s wrist.

He turned over again, then suddenly opened his eyes. The room was unlit, pitch dark, impossible to see even a hand in front of one’s face, let alone discern the face of the person before him. Yet he still recognized her—by her breathing, by the warmth of her skin, by the fragrance in her hair.

Hongli said coldly, “Get out.”

Wei Yingluo, who had somehow slipped into bed beside him at some unknown moment, shook her head and said pitifully, “Your Majesty, there are rats in my sleeping chamber. I’m afraid.”

It was truly a laughable excuse. Hongli repeated, “Get out!”

“Your Majesty, when I came over, I forgot to put on my shoes,” she tried another excuse. “The floor is so cold—I can’t walk back.”

Hongli still refused to accept it and barked sharply, “Get out!”

After a long silence, Wei Yingluo suddenly sighed softly and said in a gentle voice, “Your Majesty, I took the contraceptive medicine… because I was afraid!”

The words “get out” had already reached Hongli’s lips, but what finally came out was: “…What are you afraid of?”

“Afraid of losing you.” Wei Yingluo gave a bitter smile. “Once I become pregnant, I’ll turn into a big, fat woman. I’ll become uglier and uglier, and my body will start to smell strange. You’ll quickly grow tired of me and go to other women.”

Hongli listened seriously and said, “…I am not that kind of person.”

“And also… I’m very afraid of dying.” Wei Yingluo pressed her forehead against his chest, her voice trembling with lingering fear. “When the Empress had a difficult labor, I was right by her side the whole time. Giving birth is like passing through the gates of hell. I don’t have her kind of courage. I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Hearing her repeat “I’m sorry” over and over, Hongli remained silent for a long time before finally saying softly, “Stop talking. I don’t blame you.”

“Really?” Wei Yingluo raised her hand to caress his cheek, her eyes wet as she looked at him.

Hongli’s body stiffened for a moment, but in the end he did not push her away, nor did he shout at her to leave.

His silent permission emboldened her. She cautiously leaned closer, tentatively brushing her lips against his in a light peck—like a little bird stealing a grain of millet—then quickly pulling back. After a moment, seeing no resistance, she pecked again… and again…

Suddenly, Hongli’s large hand pressed against the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

The hibiscus curtains warmed the spring night. Within the translucent canopy, two bodies entwined until Wei Yingluo, exhausted, fell into a faint. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind. She heard Hongli whisper gently in her ear, “You should have told me earlier… As long as you don’t want to, I will never force you.”

The corners of Wei Yingluo’s lips had just begun to lift when tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

Night passed, dawn arrived. The person was gone, the pillow empty.

In the warm bed, Wei Yingluo slowly woke. She reached out—empty. The bedding had long since turned cold.

“Your Ladyship, you’re awake.” Ming Yu came in carrying a basin of water, ready to help her wash.

“It’s still not the same after all,” Wei Yingluo murmured, staring at the ceiling. “In the past, he would always wait for me to wake up. We’d get up together, eat together… Now who is he eating with?”

Ming Yu paused in wringing out the towel. After a long moment, she replied, “His Majesty… has gone to Baoyue Tower. He is having breakfast with Her Ladyship Concubine Rong.”

“…Is that so?” A hollow feeling rose in Wei Yingluo’s heart. She said no more, simply staring blankly at the ceiling.

Seeing her like this, Ming Yu’s heart ached. She almost opened her mouth to advise her to let go—but then she thought: let go, and go where? Yingluo was now at the peak of her beauty. Was she supposed to retire to the Yuanmingyuan like the Empress Dowager and grow old there? In the end, she swallowed the words of comfort, stepped forward to help her wash, and dressed her in fresh clothes.

Just as the clothes were put on, Xiaoquanzi came running in with hurried steps. “Your Ladyship! His Majesty summons you to Baoyue Tower to attend him at the meal.”

Baoyue Tower was built overlooking the water. From afar, it resembled the Moon Palace of legend. Across from it stood the Hui Muslim camp and a mosque. When Concubine Rong looked out from the upper floor, it was as if she were seeing the scenery of her homeland.

Upon entering the building, Wei Yingluo discovered that Hongli’s favor toward Concubine Rong went far beyond what she had imagined. The interior was resplendent with gold and splendor; the attending palace servants were all dressed in Hui (Muslim) style, and even the dishes laid out on the table were entirely Hui cuisine—hand-grabbed rice, stir-fried mutton with scallions, and other rich, heavily spiced dishes with an overpowering sandalwood aroma. None of it aligned with Hongli’s usual tastes, yet he ate with great relish.

…Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say: as long as Concubine Rong was happy, he felt happy.

Wei Yingluo stood off to the side for a long while before he finally noticed her. He smiled and said, “You’re here?”

Concubine Rong turned her head to look at her, eyes full of curiosity. “Is she Consort Ling?”

“Yes.” Hongli used his handkerchief to wipe the grease from her face, his tone indulgent. “Didn’t you say the Momo who teaches etiquette is very strict and you don’t like her? When a new consort enters the palace, most of the rules are learned from high-ranking concubines. For example, Consort Ling—she learned her etiquette from the late Empress back then. I was thinking of sending you to Yanxi Palace to study under Consort Ling. Would you be willing?”

Concubine Rong tilted her head and studied Wei Yingluo for a moment, then smiled with innocent delight. “Sure, I like her.”

But Wei Yingluo could not bring herself to like her.

Hongli told her to sit and ordered a portion of food brought for her. He knew full well that her stomach was delicate and she could only handle plain congee and light dishes—yet he still placed a whole pot of mutton soup in front of her. The soup smelled excellent, but she could not swallow a single mouthful.

Steam rose from the pot. Through the haze, she watched the two people opposite her, utterly bewildered. If he didn’t care about her, then the sweet words he had whispered in her ear last night still rang clearly. If he did care, then why torment her like this? Being intimate with another woman was one thing—but deliberately making her watch?

“Once, his heart held only me. Now his heart is split in two… and I occupy only the smaller half.” Wei Yingluo thought to herself. Unable to bear it any longer, she dabbed her mouth with her handkerchief and said, “Your Majesty, I’m full. I’ll take my leave first.”

Hongli waved his hand indifferently, as if he couldn’t care less whether she stayed or left. Halfway to the door, she heard Chenbi call after her:

“Her Ladyship Consort Ling really doesn’t like mutton soup? Actually, just one sip and you’ll know—it’s delicious.”

Hongli immediately ordered: “Li Yu, take this pot of mutton soup back to Consort Ling. Stand there and make sure she finishes it.”

Wei Yingluo’s heart felt even heavier; her eyes stung with unshed tears. Afraid she would lose composure in front of Concubine Rong, she quickened her steps and left Baoyue Tower. When she returned to Yanxi Palace, she found Yongqi waiting for her. The moment he saw her, he hurried over: “Mother Consort Ling, please save Sixth Brother!”

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