Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Turmoil in the Rear Palace Su Peisheng entered to announce that the medicinal soup was ready. The Emperor instructed Sun Miaoqing to lie down on the bed first, and only then did the accompanying junior imperial physician bring in the soup. "Your subject consort has brought two fine mountain ginseng roots. They are excellent for calming the nerves and nourishing the body." [After searching the storeroom for a long time, all I found were high-quality century-old ginseng. In the end, I had to dig into Songzhi's savings to find these two two-year-old little radishes. She's getting off cheap.] "You are constantly preoccupied with the affairs of the Six Palaces. It's so late, and you're still toiling. You should return early to rest." When all the imperial consorts and concubines were present, the Emperor usually chose to go to the Empress's palace. Nian Shilan had not prepared any donkey-hide gelatin and longan soup this time. Without hesitation, she curtsied and said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. Your Majesty still has the morning court session tomorrow and should not overexert yourself either. Your subject consort will take her leave now." Once Consort Hua left, the Emperor and Empress rose. Everyone offered a few symbolic words of comfort to Sun Miaoqing before departing one after another. Noble Lady Fucha pulled Consort Qi to her own hall. "Wasn't it Sister's name on the Emperor's plate tonight? Why did Wan Chang Zai come with the Emperor?" Consort Qi shook her head, indicating she didn't know. "What's there not to know?" Noble Lady Fucha concluded directly, "She must have seduced the Emperor to go with her. Otherwise, why would the Emperor, having chosen Sister's plate, end up going to her place?" Consort Qi listened and thought it seemed somewhat reasonable. By the time she left Yanxi Palace, the palanquin carrying Nian Shilan had already entered Yikun Palace. The candlelight was bright. Zhou Ninghai stood bowing before Nian Shilan, flattering and praising: "Your Highness is truly brilliant, placing pebbles on the stone steps nearby in advance. With her foot slipping like that, both person and stones fell into the water, leaving no trace behind." Songzhi presented a cup of hot tea and asked curiously, "How did Your Highness know she would definitely go to the viewing platform nearby?" "That fool thinks of herself as the huadan on the opera stage, performing every scene exactly by the book, unchanging. Little does she know she's just a clown!" Songzhi seemed to understand but not quite. "Even if she were the huadan, it should be Your Highness." "No!" Nian Shilan pinched the teacup lid and snorted a laugh. "This time, This Consort will be the playwright!" "The playwright?" Songzhi was completely bewildered. Nian Shilan idly skimmed the foam on the tea. "This Consort will write this script. They will take the stage and perform for This Consort!" With a clink. She released her hand. The teacup lid settled firmly on the cup, covering the layers of ripples on the tea's surface. Nian Shilan looked at the entwined-branch patterned lid: The lid thinks that by staring at the tea's surface, it believes all the ripples, however many layers, are within its sight. Little does it know, only the water knows how many layers of ripples there are. She is now the water. The good show has only just begun. Zhen Huan walked together with Consort Jing and Shen Meizhuang. As they neared Xianfu Palace, Zhen Huan pulled Shen Meizhuang aside and said, "It's quite late today. Could I stay overnight at Sister's place?" At night, the Imperial Garden was eerie with the wind blowing and shadows moving. Shen Meizhuang was uneasy about Zhen Huan returning alone and was naturally willing, but she couldn't not seek the opinion of the principal consort. "Consort Jing..." Consort Jing nodded kindly. "Go ahead." Zhen Huan followed Shen Meizhuang to Cunju Hall. At the entrance, she looked up at the plaque. She inexplicably thought of Hongxing Pavilion. Green Chrysanthemum and Red Apricot—truly sisters. "You're staying overnight today because you want to ask about the Thousand Carp Pond incident, aren't you?" With no one else in the hall, the sisters lay together on the same bed. Shen Meizhuang got straight to the point. Zhen Huan made no attempt to conceal her thoughts. "Yes, I find it too coincidental. So much so that it seems less like an accident and more like deliberate action." "Regardless, she brought it upon herself, thinking everyone harbors malicious intentions like she does." "Malicious intentions? Sister, are you saying Changzai Gong brought this upon herself?" "Naturally, she..." She wanted to replace you. Although Shen Meizhuang did not know what Sun Miaoqing intended to replace Huan'er with in the future, it was clear at present that Sun Miaoqing had seized Huan'er's Imperial Favor. Consort Hua's Xinsheng could also corroborate this. Zhen Huan did not press Shen Meizhuang about her abrupt silence. After a long pause, she asked, "What do you think Consort Hua's purpose was in going to Yanxi Palace tonight?" "What purpose could it be? Given Her Ladyship's temperament, since the Sun Clan opposed her and ended up in the water, she naturally wanted to see..." "If she had drowned." As Shen Meizhuang spoke, she heard Huan'er utter the same words simultaneously. She was slightly taken aback, as if realizing something. Silence filled the tent for a moment. Zhen Huan lay flat, gazing at the canopy above. "Sister, do you believe people have past and present lives?" "Why... bring this up so suddenly?" "Sun Miaoqing and Consort Hua have both been reborn, haven't they?" "You..." Shen Meizhuang turned to face her. "You can hear it too?" "I had my suspicions earlier. How could someone of your temperament so easily trust Consort Hua upon entering the palace? Always speaking well of her. During our walk in the Imperial Garden, I remained vigilant. Just now, when Her Ladyship said, 'I came to see if that little wretch had drowned,' you tightened your grip on my hand. I thought my guess was correct." "So your relentless efforts to get close to Her Ladyship were also because of this?" "Yes!" Zhen Huan turned to face Shen Meizhuang directly. "She said the Emperor dotes on me in every way because of Empress Chunyuan, and that the Zhen Family will face great calamity in the future. I must prepare early." Shen Meizhuang grasped her hand. "Huan'er, I didn't mean to hide it from you. It's just that this matter is too bizarre. I didn't believe it at first, and later, I didn't know how to bring it up." "It was on the day of the joint palace audience that you could hear it, wasn't it?" With these words, some things no longer needed to be spoken aloud, much like how sisters both know how to weave green hats. The two began exchanging information. Not long after Sun Miaoqing fell into the water, Suzhou presented two bolts of Song brocade embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in water to Jingren Palace. The meaning was clear: Sun Zhuhe hoped the Empress would take extra care of his younger sister, Sun Miaoqing. "Your Ladyship, do you intend to intervene in the matter of Changzai Gong's fall into the water?" Jian Qiu asked. "She fell in by her own carelessness. The Emperor has already formed his judgment. Would This Consort, for the sake of a mere Attendant, distort the truth, disrupt the harem, and trouble the Emperor?" The Empress glanced at the mandarin ducks on the brocade from the corner of her eye—truly an eyesore. "Go to the Imperial Pharmacy and fetch some tonics. Instruct them to take good care of Changzai Gong." Since Sun Miaoqing was aware of the affairs within the harem, she must know Baojuan was problematic. Her personal maidservant had already been sent to Shenxing Si, and Baojuan was untrustworthy, leaving only Han Ying to rely on. "Yes, Your Ladyship." Jian Qiu bowed and left. Sun Miaoqing, Baojuan... Could this possibly be a signal? The Empress tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table.