Chapter 80

Chapter 80: It Was All My Doing "Thousand Carp Pond?" Zhen Huan stood up. "Isn't that near Yikun Palace? Could it be Consort Hua..." "Shi Lan?" The Emperor also rose. "What happened to her?" "Your Majesty need not worry. Wan Chang Zai has misunderstood. Consort Hua is unharmed. It's that today, Noble Lady Shen and Changzai Gong went to Yikun Palace for instruction. On their way back, an accident occurred." Hearing it involved Shen Meizhuang, Zhen Huan grew tense again. After Xiao Xiazi explained clearly and she learned it was Sun Miaoqing who had fallen into the water, she felt somewhat relieved. Sun Miaoqing had often visited Suiyu Pavilion even when Zhen Huan was out of favor. Now that she was in trouble, Zhen Huan couldn't not go to see her. When the Imperial Carriage arrived at Yanxi Palace, Noble Lady Fucha, An Lingrong, and Fangjia Chunyi, who shared the same palace, were already there. Shen Meizhuang was also inside. Consort Jing, hearing that Sun Miaoqing had an accident near Yikun Palace, surmised that Nian Shilan would surely come. Upon hearing the news, she hurried over. Consort Qi, unable to sleep because the Emperor had come and then left tonight, heard there was trouble in Noble Lady Fucha's palace and also came over. Now, as the Emperor entered, everyone in the room bowed to him in unison. "Greetings to Your Majesty." Consort Qi's feelings were simple—she still disliked Consort Hua over the "Pink Charm" incident and was not much affected by Zhen Huan following behind the Emperor. Noble Lady Fucha, however, seeing Zhen Huan behind the Emperor, had more active thoughts: Shouldn't the Emperor be at Changchun Palace? Why did he come with Zhen Huan? I must ask Sister Consort Qi properly later. "How is Changzai Gong?" the Emperor asked, noticing the Empress. "Your health is poor. Why are you here so late?" "Your subject consort heard about Changzai Gong's accident and was too worried to stay away." The Empress's expression and tone were filled with concern, leaving no room for fault. Yanxi Palace was right next to Jingren Palace. With such a commotion, it would hardly fit her virtuous image for the Empress to pretend not to know. Moreover, Sun Miaoqing had gone to Yikun Palace to learn about the affairs of the Six Palaces and fell into the water upon leaving. If one said this had nothing to do with Consort Hua... the Empress didn't believe it. She had to come and see for herself. "Your Majesty, rest assured. Changzai Gong regained consciousness a moment ago. The imperial physician said she inhaled water and suffered a fright. He has gone to prescribe medicine. After she drinks it and follows the prescription for recuperation, she should recover soon. However..." "However what?" The Emperor was somewhat anxious: She couldn't just die, could she? The Empress could hear the concern in the Emperor's tone and inwardly scoffed: The Emperor truly manages myriad affairs daily—holding one in hand, worrying about another in heart, thinking of yet another in mind. None are neglected. "However, Changzai Gong has been overworked for days, and her pulse is weak and feeble. I'm afraid she will need careful recuperation for some time before her body fully recovers." Meaning, during this period, you should not summon her for the night. The Emperor nodded. "Your health has always been poor. You've worked hard." Then he walked through the crowd to the bedside, glanced over, and sat on the soft stool by the bed. Jian Qiu, seeing her mistress's stool was gone, brought another embroidered stool. The Empress sat slightly behind and to the side of the Emperor. Zhen Huan leaned over the bedside. "Sister Gong..." Shen Meizhuang crouched beside her, holding one of Zhen Huan's hands. "She's not in serious danger. Don't worry too much." Zhen Huan squeezed her hand tightly: Thankfully, it wasn't you. "How did you serve your mistress?" The Emperor looked at the maids and eunuchs nearby. Hongqu, Han Ying, and Xiao Lezi immediately knelt and begged for mercy. "Your Majesty, forgive us! Your Majesty, forgive us!" "Speak carefully, how did Changzai Gong fall into the water in the middle of the night?" The Empress meant for them to "weigh their words carefully," not to "speak in detail." It was a warning to measure their words, speak properly, and avoid saying anything they shouldn't. "This servant/this slave does not know." The Empress frowned. "You are Changzai Gong's personal attendants. How could you not know?" Han Ying stepped forward first to distance herself. "In reply to Empress, this servant stayed in the palace the whole time. It was Sister Hongqu and Xiao Lezi who attended the mistress. This servant knows nothing." Xiao Lezi kowtowed. "Empress, please calm your anger. This slave was ordered to fetch fish food. On the way, I heard the mistress had an accident and hurried back, not knowing what happened." The Emperor questioned suspiciously, "Fetch fish food?" Just as Hongqu was about to speak, Su Peisheng approached. "Your Majesty, Consort Hua has arrived." Immediately after, Nian Shilan appeared, leaning on Songzhi's hand. Her graceful figure swayed with each step, as if proclaiming with every movement: I did it, I did it. Everything that happened tonight was my doing. The Empress sighed inwardly: Couldn't she be a little more restrained? If only her makeup and hairpins were slightly more modest. The Emperor glanced at Nian Shilan. "It's late at night outside. Why have you come?" "Your subject consort heard that Changzai Gong had drowned and hurried over." [To see if that little wretch has drowned or not?] Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, holding hands, unconsciously tightened their grip. Consort Jing, standing behind the Empress, twisted her handkerchief. The Empress's heart tightened, her peripheral glance shifting toward the Emperor. The Emperor: "..." "Is Changzai Gong any better?" Nian Shilan's concern was so obviously feigned that even the palace maids in the hall could see through it—except perhaps Consort Qi. The Empress closed her eyes for a moment: Why doesn't she just go outside and announce it with drums and gongs? "Go and see for yourself," the Emperor waved his hand. Nian Shilan was unafraid. [Who was it that caused Shen Meizhuang to fall into the water in her previous life? Does the Emperor not know?] [The old man knows perfectly well, but a mere Noble Lady wasn't worth his effort to save.] [Now it's just a little Attendant, and one who hasn't even cut ties with my Nian Family. Who can do anything to This Consort?] Nian Shilan approached the bedside. Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang stepped aside to make way. She sat on the edge of the bed, placing her hand adorned with a protective nail on the quilt. "How pitiful, such a beautiful person." [Why didn't she drown?] The Empress's heart raced. The Emperor was already prone to suspicion, and the room was filled with her rivals. She couldn't speak up for her at this moment. Couldn't she say less in her thoughts? If this continued, she might end up playing herself to death ahead of time. Nian Shilan clearly felt Sun Miaoqing's hand twitch: [Oh, pretending to be unconscious in front of This Consort?] [Dare to stay unconscious all night!] "Consort Hua, don't worry too much. The imperial physician has already examined her. Changzai Gong is fine and will wake up soon." The Empress was reminding Consort Hua: If this was your doing, prepare your excuses in advance and be careful not to let anyone catch your fox tail. But she had arrived in the middle of the night, dressed in full regalia, with all her intentions written plainly on her face. What need was there to hide them in her thoughts? The Emperor wasn't blind. "Fortunately, the guards near Yikun Palace rescued her in time. Otherwise, if a great disaster had occurred, it would have been due to Your subject consort's incompetence in assisting in managing the Six Palaces, and even Empress would not have escaped blame." ["In my previous life, I merely made a polite remark about lax patrols by the palace guards, and that little wretch Zhen Huan seized upon it, forcibly replacing the guards near my quarters and making it inconvenient for me to come and go. This time, I won’t be so foolish."] After clearing her name, Nian Shilan turned to Hongqu and said sharply, "You foolish thing, how did you serve your mistress? You’ve worried His Majesty." "Such a useless servant is nothing but a burden to Changzai Gong. Your subject consort believes it would be better to send her to Shenxing Si." Nian Shilan remembered how, in her past life, Consort Jing had spoken up for Shen Meizhuang, insisting on keeping those two incompetent servants. After speaking, she instinctively glanced at her. The look was too piercing. Consort Jing’s shoulders trembled slightly: Why is she looking at me? I haven’t said anything! Consort Jing’s nature was such that in her previous life, she had spoken up for Shen Meizhuang because they resided in the same palace. As the principal consort, she could not escape responsibility for the faults of the servants and had no choice but to offer support. But now… she was merely here to watch the drama unfold and had no reason to invite trouble upon herself. Consort Jing lowered her head and remained silent, though she was genuinely curious: Noble Lady Shen and Changzai Gong were both at the Thousand Carp Pond—one unharmed, the other met with misfortune. Was it because Noble Lady Shen had conspired with Consort Hua to push Changzai Gong into the water, or was there another reason? What exactly happened tonight? The Emperor and the Empress were also puzzled, especially the Emperor, who was most wary of military officials joining forces. If Shen Meizhuang had aligned herself with Consort Hua, then she would have to become the sacrificial lamb in tonight’s incident.