Chapter 58

Chapter 58: The Rupture of Sihuan Though praised, Nian Shilan still disdained further conversation with the Empress. She raised a hand to smooth her hair, disheveled by the branches and leaves, her thoughts continuing to race. [That year during the apricot blossom downpour, you claimed to be Guo Zili. We were wrong from the very start!] [Now it seems, none of this was a mistake—it was all your own doing!] Empress: "The palace will grow even livelier from now on." Nian Shilan: "Our Emperor truly is a man of many affections." [The Dog Emperor really has no shame.] [Prince Guo is delicate—how old is he now? How dare he impersonate his brother-in-law!] "Who could disagree?" The Empress responded to her inner thoughts. [That wretch Zhen Huan, knowing full well the age didn’t match, still believed him!] [One pretends to be a palace maid in Yimei Yuan, the other pretends to be a prince in the Imperial Garden. Truly, like attracts like—these two should be tied together with a rope.] The Empress nodded. "Consort Hua speaks with great reason." Nian Shilan: "..." [It seems the Empress is no longer the second biggest fool in the harem.] The Empress felt slightly comforted, thinking she was finally about to hear something pleasant. She was willing to listen attentively. [She’s already the biggest fool in the harem.] Empress: "..." [My one remark about the Emperor’s many affections actually saddened her so much.] [Having witnessed twice with her own eyes the Emperor’s tender flirtations with other women, isn’t the difference in treatment obvious enough?] [Hah, those people on the bullet comments all say this old woman Empress is clever, that I’m not clever enough. Where exactly is her cleverness?] [All her cleverness is spent on causing miscarriages.] [Hmm? Wait, she’s deeply scheming and loves to complain about me behind my back to the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Could she be noting this down to exaggerate and report it to the Dog Emperor later?] Nian Shilan glanced at the Empress, her large eyes filled with vigilance, and she fell silent. Consort Hua’s Xinsheng faded away, and the Emperor departed. The Imperial Garden grew quiet. After a long while, confirming no one was around, Zhen Huan emerged from the green thicket with Liuzhu. Liuzhu helped pick fallen leaves from Zhen Huan’s clothes, puzzled. "Mistress, why didn’t you return earlier? Why did you pull me to hide here?" Zhen Huan gazed toward the end of the path, where that unseen bright yellow had vanished. "Liuzhu, that wasn’t Prince Guo..." While on the swing, she had faintly heard Consort Hua’s Xinsheng, but with "Prince Guo" present, her attention was divided and she couldn’t hear clearly. When leaving, she deliberately walked toward the source of the voice, hiding along the necessary exit path. Following cautiously behind the fence for a stretch, she clearly heard Consort Hua’s final segment. Now she could be certain—the one who discussed the flute and flowers with her was none other— "Not Prince Guo?" Liuzhu blinked. "Then which prince was it?" "The former Prince Yong, now the Son of Heaven." Liuzhu gasped sharply, covering her mouth with both hands. "The... the Emperor?" "This... that..." Liuzhu’s mind went blank. After a moment, she said with a serious expression, "Then Mistress must definitely come in five days!" Zhen Huan shook her head. "There will be a heavy downpour in five days." Though she said this, even she herself was uncertain—should she come in five days or not? "Ah?" Liuzhu was a bit confused. "How does Mistress know there will be a heavy downpour?" Zhen Huan’s thoughts were in turmoil, her mind a mess. "Regarding today’s events, don’t speak of them to anyone for now, lest you bring trouble upon yourself." "Oh~" Liuzhu nodded repeatedly. To be fair, she admired the talent of this "Prince Guo," but if he were the Emperor... As night fell, Zhen Huan played the zither in her room, recalling Consort Hua's words: "That year during the heavy rain among the apricot blossoms, you said you were Prince Guo. From the very beginning, it was all wrong." Though the phrase "we" was used, it clearly did not refer to Consort Hua and the Emperor, but to herself. It wasn't hard to guess that her own ending with the Emperor was not a happy one. "Self-inflicted..." Zhen Huan murmured, "What outcome have I brought upon myself?" Liuzhu, who was making the bed, turned and asked, "What did you say, Mistress?" Zhen Huan shook her head, "Nothing." Liuzhu walked over, "Why is Mistress unhappy now that she knows he is the Emperor?" Yes, she should be happy. The person she admired was her own husband. In the future, she could meet him openly and honorably. Why, then, was her heart filled with melancholy? "I don't know." Strumming the zither strings, Zhen Huan inexplicably recalled the line, "My thoughts linger on the distant path." Consort Hua seemed to have accurately guessed her thoughts, vaguely hinting at it. Distant path... Her father's name. Would she ever speak it aloud? Zhen Huan also seemed to recall hearing, "Zhen Yuandao will face imprisonment." How could her father possibly face imprisonment? If something happened to her father, what about her mother and sister? What exactly happened afterward? Why did the Emperor disguise himself as a prince to meet her? "Cunxing Xuan." Zhen Huan whispered the words. What did this mean? Huanbi happened to enter the room and, hearing the word "apricot," casually asked, "Does Mistress wish to eat apricots?" Seeing her mistress in low spirits, Liuzhu quickly chimed in, "Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the Imperial Kitchen to ask if there are any, alright?" "No need. Let's retire early." Over whether to keep the appointment, Zhen Huan had been absent-minded these past two days. Keeping the appointment meant feigning illness for half a year and still having to wade into the murky waters of the harem. If she didn't keep the appointment, she might never have another chance to receive favor. In that case, if her father were imprisoned, how could she save him? No, she shouldn't think about how to save her father if he were imprisoned. Instead, she should take precautions in advance to spare him from imprisonment. Since Consort Hua knew about future events, and since she could hear Consort Hua's Xinsheng... Why not take the initiative to make use of it? She didn't care about her past life, nor could she control it. In this life, she might not necessarily be Consort Hua's enemy! The day of the appointment soon arrived. Torrential rain pounded against the roof tiles, roaring in her ears. "Mistress truly has a knack for divination, predicting heavy rain and it arrives," Liuzhu remarked. Zhen Huan held a book in her hand, but her eyes were not on the pages. She knew it wasn't her who had a knack for divination—it was Consort Hua. Even the weather was known so clearly, proving that Consort Hua truly knew the future. "In Mistress's heart, she actually likes Prince Guo..." Realizing her slip of the tongue, Liuzhu quickly corrected herself, "I mean the Emperor." She leaned forward and said, "If that person were a prince, Mistress indeed shouldn't go out. But now that you know he is the Emperor, why not go and meet him?" Yes, why not? Zhen Huan couldn't explain it either. "This servant thinks the Emperor is also very fond of Mistress." Even if she went today, it would be a missed opportunity. Her inner turmoil wasn't about that, but about whether to accept the Emperor's affection. Whether to receive favor. Whether to... involve herself in the murky waters of the harem? Zhen Huan set down the book and looked out the window, where raindrops formed continuous lines under the eaves. To do so would mean opposing Consort Hua. She hated herself so intensely, wishing she could tear her own skin and bones apart. Once she gained the Emperor's favor, who knew what troubles would arise? No... In this Suiyu Pavilion, as desolate as the cold palace, she would no longer have the chance to hear Consort Hua's Xinsheng. If her father were imprisoned in the future, what could she, a mere Attendant, possibly do? Favor could be forsaken, but she must leave Suiyu Pavilion! After several consecutive days of rain, it finally ceased. Zhen Huan had made up her mind.