Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Causing Trouble in Yimei Yuan She certainly wasn’t asking for Nian Shilan’s opinion; she wanted to know how such situations were handled in her previous life and what followed in Yimei Yuan. Nian Shilan hadn’t indulged in drinking as she had in her past life. Just as her silver chopsticks picked up a piece of fish, her hand paused mid-air: [Has the Empress had too much to drink? In the past life, didn’t she decisively send the younger brother of the wife to follow? Why is she asking me now?] [If you ask me, if the Emperor forbids anyone from following, then don’t follow. Let him fall to his death, then directly replace him with the next emperor. We’ll be promoted to Tai Fei, and my brother won’t have to die either…] [That’s right. If the Emperor dies from a fall, won’t everything in the harem come to an end?] [He fell to his death himself—it has nothing to do with anyone else.] Nian Shilan felt a surge of delight in her heart. This was a brilliant idea. The Empress, upon hearing this, felt a wave of melancholy. Even though she disliked the Emperor, the Empress couldn’t ignore the bigger picture. The Emperor had only just ascended the throne, and the court situation was unstable. The influence of the Eighth Prince and Ninth Prince still lingered, and the Fourteenth Prince, whom the Empress Dowager favored, was still at the imperial mausoleum. If the Emperor were to pass away at this time, the throne would certainly not pass to his sons. In that case, forget about becoming Empress Dowager or Tai Fei—whether these women would even survive was uncertain. “The Emperor forbids anyone from following…” The Empress interrupted Nian Shilan, “Seventeenth Brother.” She didn’t want to follow the course of her previous life, but at the moment, there really was no one more suitable than Prince Guo. Su Peisheng followed Prince Guo as he left. Zhen Huan had sent someone earlier to request permission, saying she was unwell and thus unable to attend the family banquet. The Empress was quite curious: how could someone who couldn’t attend the palace banquet go to the plum garden to seduce the Emperor? After a moment of thought, an idea came to her. “Consort Hua, are you all right?” Nian Shilan was still angry that the Empress had asked her to speak only to interrupt her. Using the music as cover, she pretended not to hear. “The night snow and plum blossoms hold a unique charm. I’m feeling a bit tipsy, Consort Hua. Accompany me outside to sober up.” [It’s freezing cold outside—I’m not going.] The Empress realized she had been too subtle. “Let’s go to Yimei Yuan to pick a few plum branches.” Nian Shilan slowly turned her head to look at the Empress, doubting her own hearing. The Empress nodded in confirmation. Only a fool would miss out on such excitement. The two left the banquet one after the other. Upon reaching the entrance of Yimei Yuan, the Empress instructed all attendants to remain outside. On New Year’s Eve, there was no moon, and Yimei Yuan was sparsely lit. The white snow reflected enough light to see and move around without hindrance. Nian Shilan and the Empress entered the garden, both instinctively lifting their skirts and treading lightly, careful not to make any noise. “…One wish…” “Over there—” Nian Shilan pointed toward the source of the voice, and the Empress immediately covered her mouth. “Shh!” The two highest-ranking women in the harem now crouched low beneath the flowering trees, creeping forward stealthily. Nian Shilan was the first to spot the back of someone else hiding. [Yu Ying’er! Good heavens, so she was hiding here all along? Where’s Zhen Huan? Where is that wretched woman Zhen Huan?] Nian Shilan had forgotten one crucial detail: the small portrait had been cut out by Xiao Yunzi. In other words, without Xiao Yunzi, there would be no small portrait. And without Cui Jinxi, no one would have told Zhen Huan that hanging a beloved item on a high branch on New Year’s Eve could bring blessings. That is to say, without these two people, it was nearly impossible for Zhen Huan to leave her quarters tonight. Moreover, Kang Luhai and his disciples were not diligent in their duties. Zhen Huan, remembering Shen Meizhuang’s warning, was not entirely at ease with the servants of Suiyu Pavilion. Out of caution, she dared not venture out recklessly. After finishing her evening meal early, she sat under the lamp to read. Today, Suiyu Pavilion was quiet and deserted, with no one stepping outside. But thanks to Sun Miaoqing, the story of Yimei Yuan unfolded just as it had in her previous life. "...My second wish is to live peacefully in the palace for the rest of my days." Hearing the voice, the Empress, fearing Nian Shilan might speak again, once more covered her mouth. Yet a doubt crept into her mind: Why did that voice sound so familiar? It didn’t seem like Zhen Huan’s. "Wish!!!" [That wretch is nothing but a wretch! Raising her voice so suddenly—is she afraid she won’t get noticed?] "If the contrary wind understands my heart, let it spare these fragile blossoms—" [If the contrary wind understands my heart, it just loves picking up the wife’s younger brother!] The Empress couldn’t help but frown: No wonder there was this snowy night romance—it turned out to be a poem Rouze often recited when she first entered the Prince’s Mansion. Didn’t Consort Hua say Zhen Huan was the top scholar of the harem? How could she make such a simple mistake? Cui Daorong’s "Plum Blossoms" clearly says "north wind," so how can a "contrary wind" understand anything? And what kind of twisted verse was Consort Hua adding? And "just loves seventeen"... Suddenly, the Empress thought of something and gasped sharply: Could it be that the one having an affair with Zhen Huan is Prince Guo? Whether it was Consort Hua’s Xinsheng that had carried over or the Empress had inadvertently made a sound just now— "Who? Who’s there? Who?" The Emperor’s voice called out in their direction. Nian Shilan and the Empress crouched down in tacit understanding, trying to minimize their presence. The Emperor looked around and, spotting a flicker of light deep within the plum grove, headed toward it. "If no one speaks, I’ll have the entire Yimei Yuan turned upside down." [Old man, at such a critical moment, you’re not calling yourself ‘Zhen’ anymore?] The Empress wholeheartedly agreed: He’s doing it on purpose! Sun Miaoqing quickly hid behind the bridge and blew out her lantern. [Though the snow’s reflection allows some visibility, it’s still dim at night. In this light, could Zhen Huan really see the coiled dragon dense pattern on the Emperor’s robe? Is she some monkey spirit transformed?] Coiled dragon dense pattern? The Empress strained to look: This is nonsense! Even though she had examined it closely at the banquet earlier, trying to make out the patterns on the Emperor’s robe now was truly difficult. From her position, not only was it hard to see the robe’s patterns, but even distinguishing its color was no easy feat. "This humble maid is a palace maid of Yimei Yuan. I did not mean to disturb Your Excellency. I beg for your forgiveness." [Wretched maid! How dare she deceive the Emperor! This Consort will have her dragged out right now and given a hundred strokes!] Nian Shilan seethed inwardly. Listening to the voice, the Empress felt something was off—this person was most likely not Zhen Huan. Events that hadn’t happened yet, even Zhen Huan herself wouldn’t know. Besides Nian Shilan, the only one who could know was— Sun Miaoqing, also reborn!!! The Empress whispered a reminder: "Don’t move!" At this moment, she felt her age, struggling to hold Consort Hua back. "You really should eat less on ordinary days." Nian Shilan: "..." [This old woman... is she saying I’m fat?] Emperor: "Have you studied? What is your name?" Sun Miaoqing: "This humble maid’s lowly name might soil Your Excellency’s ears." [This humble maid’s lowly name might soil Your Excellency’s ears.] Nian Shilan’s Xinsheng once again overlapped with Sun Miaoqing’s words. However, having been married to Consort Hua for many years, the Emperor was particularly familiar with her voice. Right now, he only wanted to know: Amid such beautiful scenery, who would be reciting Wanwan’s favorite poem beneath the red plum blossoms she loved? Thus, Consort Hua’s Xinsheng at this moment was truly spoiling the mood. The drawback of coming out alone became apparent. The Emperor looked around, wanting to find Nian Shilan and drive her away.