Chapter 17: Awakening

However, the dance and music did not continue for much longer after that. With what had just happened, no one was in the mood to watch further.

Princess Yizhen glanced at the sky and said she was leaving the palace.

Soon, the imperial concubines also took their leave one by one.

When Consort Shu returned to her palace, she was arranging the pot of tamarisk, thinking it would be best placed in a prominent spot in the hall. Just then, someone walked in through the hall entrance.

“Your Ladyship, I went to ask around. They said they suddenly discovered a piece of clothing was missing, so Lan Wu went back to the Music Bureau to retrieve it and didn’t make it back in time.”

That was why she wasn’t seen during the dance.

Consort Shu gently stroked the leaves of the tamarisk, repeating curiously, “Only her clothing was missing?”

“That’s the strange part—only Lan Wu’s clothing was missing.”

Consort Shu withdrew her hand and couldn’t help but frown. Seeing the palace maid’s hesitant expression, it seemed she had more to say.

“What else?”

The palace maid stammered, “Logically, Lan Wu should have returned to the Music Bureau, but I also went to ask there just now… They said she never went back. On the way, when passing by the Imperial Garden, I heard… heard the palace servants there say…”

The palace maid cautiously glanced up at Consort Shu, then was frightened by her cold, stern gaze and knelt on the ground, bowing her head as she said, “The palace servants said His Majesty came to the Imperial Garden this afternoon and happened to run into Lan Wu. Lan Wu seemed to be ill and was… was taken by His Majesty back to Taichen Palace…”

“What did you say!” Consort Shu grabbed the palace maid’s clothing, forcing her to lift her head.

The trembling palace maid nodded hastily and repeated the words.

As soon as she finished speaking, the palace maid was released.

Consort Shu was no fool. Knowing that Lan Wu had been lured away, she realized that the one who should be angry now was the incompetent fool who had bungled things.

But who could it be?

“Is she still in Taichen Palace now?” Consort Shu frowned slightly and asked the servant below.

“The Music Bureau said Lan Wu hasn’t returned yet, so she should still be in Taichen Palace.”

“Go to the Imperial Medical Academy and find out what illness she has.”

“Yes, Your Ladyship.”

Consort Shu turned back to look at the pot of tamarisk, her displeasure growing, and ordered someone to carry it out.

Two young eunuchs entered, glanced at each other, and asked Consort Shu, “Your Ladyship, this is an imperial gift. Where would be appropriate for us to move it?”

Consort Shu was already seething with anger, and their question only infuriated her further. “With such a large backyard in Yifang Hall, you can’t find a suitable place?—A bunch of fools!”

The two eunuchs hurriedly knelt and begged for forgiveness, then carried the potted plant to the backyard.

She hadn’t originally planned to cause any trouble for Lan Wu at this flower-viewing banquet. There was no need for her to lift a finger—as long as Lan Wu appeared before the imperial concubines, things would have gotten lively. She also knew that Lan Wu had come to dance in hopes of seeing His Majesty, but His Majesty would never show up. Her hopes were bound to be dashed, and in front of everyone, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t make a mistake. There would have been plenty of ways to deal with her then.

But she never expected Lan Wu not to appear at the banquet and instead be taken away by His Majesty halfway.

Now that she knew about this, it wouldn’t be long before all the imperial concubines in the rear palace learned that a beautiful dancer had moved into His Majesty’s Taichen Palace.

“You must be joking with me?” Wu Guipin said, covering her face with a fan and chuckling softly.

But after she laughed, she did not see any change in the other’s expression, and her own face darkened as well: “That is Taichen Palace, His Majesty’s bedchamber. What kind of servant girl is she to be able to stay there?”

Zhaorong Yun, sitting below, gently shook her head and corrected her: “Not an ordinary servant girl, but a dancer.”

“A dancer?” Wu Guipin thought for a moment, then remembered something and asked, “The dancer who performed at the Longevity Festival last time?”

“Yes.”

The main seat in Qǐ Wén Hall belonged to Wu Guipin. She had already reached the rank of Guipin, and one more step would elevate her to the rank of Consort. She had no intention of aligning herself with either Consort Shu or Consort Rou, but she was not particularly favored either. Her current rank was simply due to her long tenure by His Majesty’s side and her own clear-headedness.

“She is also the dancer who offended Consort Shu last time and received His Majesty’s grace, summoning an Imperial Physician to treat her injuries,” Zhaorong Yun took a sip of tea and said slowly.

Wu Guipin had also heard about this matter, but she hadn’t paid much attention at first. The palace servants had spread the story so widely, but in reality, it might have just been His Majesty casually giving an order.

They had all seen how stunningly beautiful and alluring that dancer was. With such looks, who knew if she had seduced His Majesty.

“Has His Majesty granted her a rank?” she pondered for a moment before asking.

Zhaorong Yun shook her head: “Not yet. It seems His Majesty… has other plans.”

It was almost dusk. Could it be that the dancer would stay overnight in Taichen Palace, wait until she served His Majesty, and then receive her reward tomorrow?

It wasn’t impossible.

They waited until nightfall, but there was still no movement from Taichen Palace.

No one dared to keep a close watch on Taichen Palace, so they could only focus on the Music Bureau, waiting to see if Lan Wu would be sent back.

－

Lan Wu had just woken up when Chu Mingheng returned to Taichen Palace. After drinking the medicine, she had stopped making a fuss. Perhaps it was the familiar scent that made her sleep exceptionally soundly, so much so that when she woke up, she didn’t immediately recall what had happened before.

Lan Wu remained silent after waking, and those outside had no idea she was already awake. It was only when Luo Yun periodically checked on her condition that she discovered Lan Wu sitting up on the soft couch, wearing a thin inner garment, her gaze filled with confusion as she looked around without saying a word.

Luo Yun promptly announced to the outside that the young lady had woken up, then quickly walked over to Lan Wu to inquire about her condition.

“Young lady? Are you alright?” Luo Yun asked softly, afraid of startling Lan Wu. But as soon as she met Lan Wu’s bewildered gaze, her heart sank—had the young lady lost her senses?

Of course, Lan Wu hadn’t lost her senses. Her head was just heavy and foggy, her mind blank, and she was slowly piecing her thoughts together.

She nodded at Luo Yun, then pressed her fingers against her temples, looking around and realizing it was already dark, yet she was still here.

This was Taichen Palace.

“Is your head hurting, young lady?” Luo Yun reached out to help massage her temples, whispering, “The Imperial Physician said it’s normal to feel a throbbing headache and weakness in your limbs after waking up. It’s a side effect of the medicine. It will gradually improve after a while.”

Side effect of the medicine.

These words pierced through the fog in her mind, and memories slowly flooded in.

Right, she had been drugged. On her way to the Music Bureau, she had climbed a tree to hide, and then she saw Chu Mingheng approaching… and then…

How did she get down?

Did she fall?

So high up, she wouldn’t have hurt her face, would she?

Lan Wu instinctively reached up to cover her face. One hand wasn’t enough—she used both to shield it, carefully checking for any wounds.

“What are you touching?” Before she could finish, a familiar, stern voice rang out from nearby, footsteps drawing closer.

At the same time, Luo Yun’s hand resting on Lan Wu’s head withdrew, quietly stepping back.