Chapter 308

Chapter 308 Concubine Lu had heard before that the Empress Dowager did not favor the Empress. But at that time, it was Noble Consort Rou who disliked Princess Consort Jing. Now that the two had exchanged positions in the palace, their stances should have shifted accordingly. Yet the Empress Dowager still did not favor the Empress. Xie Run saw it clearly: "There can only be one mistress of the harem. Noble Consort Rou yearned for it for most of her life, and now that she has finally ascended to the seat of Empress Dowager, she likely wants to taste the flavor of power as well." The Empress Dowager had never been particularly fond of the Empress to begin with; now she was simply wearing her displeasure openly due to the conflict of interests. Concubine Lu: "Judging by the Empress Dowager's demeanor today, it seems she wants to elevate Noble Lady Xian to spar with the Empress?" "We've only just arrived in the harem and aren't familiar with this Noble Lady Xian. We don't know what kind of temperament she has, or whether she'll accept the Empress Dowager's elevation." Judging from Noble Lady Xian's behavior today, she herself seemed caught off guard. Xie Run thought for a moment: "The Emperor won't allow the Empress Dowager to interfere in harem affairs." So whether Noble Lady Xian received elevation or not didn't matter. Even if the Empress Dowager initially intended to elevate Noble Lady Xian to spar with the Empress, if she gained no advantage after one or two attempts, she would stop focusing her attention on Noble Lady Xian. But Concubine Lu misunderstood and nodded: "That's true. I think Noble Lady Xian is like Lady Hua—her heart and eyes are full of the Emperor, so she probably won't do anything to displease him." Xie Run paused. She thought to herself—hadn't Lady Hua done plenty of things that displeased the Emperor? Speaking of Noble Lady Xian, Concubine Lu added: "Today at the gates of Cining Palace, before the Empress even spoke, Noble Lady Xian hurried forward with a concerned expression to greet the Emperor." "From the way she acted, I wouldn't say she's inherently bold. It's just that perhaps before everyone entered the palace, she was already accustomed to interacting with the Emperor this way." Concubine Lu looked at Xie Run, a hint of worry in her eyes: "Sister, aren't you concerned?" Xie Run shook her head. "It's not yet time to be concerned." Compared to Noble Lady Xian, Xie Run was more worried about Wan Linlang, who might have vanished through a death-escape. The two passed by the Huanxi Pool, and Xie Run reached up to pluck a willow leaf, asking softly: "Tell me... does Noble Lady Xian bear any resemblance to Concubine Wan?" Concubine Lu looked utterly bewildered. "Noble Lady Xian and Concubine Wan?" She thought for a long while, then seriously shook her head. "Forgive my dull eyes, but I truly cannot see any resemblance between the two." Back then, in order to gather information about Concubine Lian for Xie Run, Concubine Lu had dealt with Wan Linlang quite a bit and was fairly familiar with her. Concubine Lu said, somewhat puzzled: "Concubine Wan is already dead. Why has Sister Xie suddenly brought her up?" Xie Run snapped off a willow branch and idly pulled off a leaf with her fingertips: "Noble Lady Xian gained the Emperor's regard by presenting the Seasonal Plague remedy, which inevitably reminds me that Wan Linlang did the same back then." Seeing that Concubine Lu was still hesitant, Xie Run lowered her voice: "At Concubine Wan's funeral, Xiurong Gong said something to me when she saw me." Concubine Lu asked curiously: "What did she say?" Xie Run: "She said, 'Do you truly believe she's dead?'" Concubine Lu instinctively opened her mouth, then raised a hand to cover it, afraid of revealing too shocked an expression. After a moment, Concubine Lu regained her composure. "Back then, Concubine Wan and Xiurong Gong accompanied the Emperor to Yunzhou together. Later, when Concubine Wan died, rumors circulated in the residence that Xiurong Gong had killed her." Xie Run said quietly: "That part is true." Concubine Lu's mind raced. "Since Xiurong Gong is so certain, there might really be a possibility!" She was bold in her thinking too, and immediately jumped to the idea of substitution—swapping one person for another. Concubine Lu tried hard to think of similarities between Noble Lady Xian and Wan Linlang. After a while, she said helplessly: "I truly haven't noticed any resemblance between the two. Not to mention temperament, even their height and foot size are different." Xie Run was struck by that remark. "Height and feet?" Concubine Lu gestured with her hands. "Concubine Wan was only as tall as me when she wore her hair in a bun. But today, Noble Lady Xian, even with her hair in a bun, was still an inch shorter than me. It's not obvious, but I remember clearly." It wasn't that Concubine Wan and Noble Lady Xian were short—rather, Concubine Lu herself was quite tall. "Moreover, I once saw Concubine Wan and Concubine Fang making shoes together, and the size was somewhat different from what I saw of Noble Lady Xian's today." Concubine Lu paused, then said softly: "Sister Xie probably didn't notice, but Noble Lady Xian has a pair of small feet." Xie Run didn't care for embroidery and generally wouldn't notice such minor details. But hearing Concubine Lu's analysis, the possibility that Noble Lady Xian was Concubine Wan was ruled out. Concubine Lu's expression also turned serious. "Could it be that Concubine Wan had private dealings with Noble Lady Xian? And this time, presenting the Seasonal Plague remedy was also Concubine Wan helping Noble Lady Xian?" By now, she had already tacitly accepted that Wan Linlang was still alive. Xie Run: "For now, this is just speculation. As for the specifics, we still need to find evidence." Concubine Lu's eyes lit up. "Sister Xie, I think Noble Lady Xian seems like an easy person to get along with. In a couple of days, I'll go find her and get closer to her, to see if I can glean any information." In truth, Concubine Lu herself was also quite curious about the relationship between Noble Lady Xian and Wan Linlang. She was even more curious about whether Wan Linlang was truly dead or alive. As a gossip lover, Lady Lu couldn't sleep at night without getting to the bottom of this matter. Xie Run thought for a moment. "You don't need to go out of your way to investigate anything. Just interact with her normally, and if there's any suspicion, we'll talk about it then." Lady Lu nodded repeatedly. "I'll be careful about this, for sure." Bringing up gossip again, Lady Lu added, "I heard that Concubine Yang and Consort Jing were close friends before entering the palace. Now that both have entered the palace, they should logically be closer than others. But I can see they don't seem to want anything to do with each other?" Xie Run said, "We weren't born into prominent families, so naturally we wouldn't know how the great families in the capital interact with each other or how they educate their children." The reasoning wasn't hard to guess. Both women entered the palace with the goal of gaining favor, making them natural competitors. The best thing about the Emperor's harem right now was that no factions had formed. Even if there were schemes for favor, everyone acted independently. Under these circumstances, how could Concubine Yang and Consort Jing possibly remain close? "These two come from similar family backgrounds, and their talents are probably comparable. But Consort Jing's face has been ruined, so she'll likely struggle to gain favor in the future." "Concubine Yang just entered the palace and is still fresh and new. She'll probably make waves in the coming days, so Consort Jing probably can't get close to her." Lady Lu agreed upon hearing this. "Today, Consort Jing and Noble Lady Xian came to Fengyi Palace together, and I could see the displeasure on Consort Jing's face was practically overflowing." "Sister, you arrived late, so you don't know—while at Fengyi Palace, Talented Lady Wu was also butting heads with Talented Lady Ye." "Talented Lady Wu is younger than Talented Lady Ye. Back in the residence, she used to call Talented Lady Ye 'elder sister.' After entering the palace, since they're both Cairen, they should logically continue as before." "But today at Fengyi Palace, Talented Lady Wu arrived a moment after Talented Lady Ye. The moment she came in, she called out 'Younger Sister Ye' and even asked Talented Lady Ye to move so she could sit above her." The seating at Fengyi Palace wasn't arranged randomly—positions from high to low represented status from high to low. Talented Lady Wu asking Talented Lady Ye to give up her seat was her way of relying on the child in her belly, believing her status was more honorable than Talented Lady Ye's. Xie Run said, "Fengyi Palace was full of people. When Talented Lady Wu asked Talented Lady Ye to give up her seat in front of everyone, Talented Lady Ye probably couldn't refuse without making a scene. And since she's not particularly sharp-tongued, she likely had no choice but to swallow this loss quietly." "Exactly!" Lady Lu laughed. "The others looked down on their little squabble and didn't pay attention." "But I was sitting nearby and saw that after Talented Lady Ye and Talented Lady Wu switched seats, her face was completely red, and the handkerchief in her hand was about to be twisted to shreds." "Back in the prince's residence, you couldn't tell, but now that she's in the palace, Talented Lady Wu is relying on her belly and starting to act arrogant." Xie Run genuinely hoped Talented Lady Wu would safely deliver her child and give the Emperor more healthy sons. But seeing Talented Lady Wu's behavior upon entering the palace, Xie Run began to worry for her. Who in the Emperor's harem was a pushover? After chatting for a while, Lady Lu followed Xie Run to Zhaohua Palace to see Taotao. Lady Lu played with Taotao for a bit, then laughed. "I think the Fifth Prince has gained a bit more weight. A few days ago, when I had free time, I made a tiger-head hat. I just have the last two stitches left. Once it's embroidered, I'll put it on our Fifth Prince—he'll look mighty and spirited!" Xie Run smiled. "Your embroidery skills are excellent, unlike mine..." Xie Run's words were cut off mid-sentence when someone came to report: "Your Highness, Talented Lady Wu has fallen into the lake." Lady Lu stood up excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "Did she fall in herself, or was she pushed?" "Which lake did she fall into?" Lady Lu added, "She would have to pass by Wenchang Lake to return. Could it be that something happened at Wenchang Lake?" "I remember that Talented Lady Ye and Concubine Fang also take that route back." For the Empress's convenience, aside from the Nine Concubines being spread across the Six Palaces, those below the Nine Concubines were arranged nearby. Because Lady Lu was close to Xie Run, she had been assigned to Luoyue Pavilion, next to Zhaohua Palace. Lady Lu glanced at Xie Run. "Sister Xie, Talented Lady Wu is pregnant after all. As someone who came from the residence, I must go check on her." As she said this, her eyes blinked rapidly. She wasn't going to visit Talented Lady Wu at all—she was clearly going to watch the drama. Xie Run smiled helplessly. "Go ahead, and take a look for me as well." Talented Lady Wu was only a Cairen, while Xie Run currently held the highest rank in the harem besides the Empress, so it wouldn't be appropriate for her to rush to someone else's palace over such a small matter. Lady Lu said eagerly, "Then I'll be off." Xie Run couldn't help but laugh at her hurried footsteps. Even Xiaoshu couldn't help but say, "This Lady Lu really does love watching a good spectacle." Xie Run said, "Everyone has their own nature." By the time Lady Lu arrived at Talented Lady Wu's Yulan Pavilion, she saw Talented Lady Ye looking like a drowned rat. Lady Lu felt a bit proud of herself—it seemed she had guessed right that Talented Lady Wu and Talented Lady Ye had clashed. Just as she was about to go in and see Talented Lady Wu, the eunuch at the door led the way and announced, "The Empress has arrived." Lady Lu followed the crowd in performing the ritual. Once the Empress had entered, Lady Lu immediately rose and, lifting her skirts, hurried in after her. Behind her, Cuiniao kept tugging at her dress, trying to get her to calm down. Talented Lady Wu lay pale-faced on the bed. Seeing the Empress arrive, she couldn't help but redden around the eyes. "I beg the Empress to seek justice for me!" The Empress's tone was indifferent: "What happened? How did you end up falling into the water for no reason?" Talented Lady Wu lowered her head and wiped her tears. Her senior palace maid, Yushan, stepped forward and said in a tearful voice, "Reporting to the Empress, it was Talented Lady Ye!" "My mistress was speaking cordially with her, when she suddenly grabbed my mistress and shoved her into Wenchang Lake!" Talented Lady Ye immediately spoke up: "I did not! I never pushed her—she was the one who grabbed me first, and she deliberately threw herself into the lake to frame me!" "I beg the Empress to clear my name!" As she spoke, Talented Lady Ye rolled up her sleeve, revealing the bloody marks on her wrist. "Your Majesty, look—these are the scratches Talented Lady Wu left when she seized my arm!" Talented Lady Ye added: "I was born in Minzhou and have known how to swim since childhood. It was I who pulled Talented Lady Wu out of the water." "If I truly had pushed her in, why would I have bothered to save her?" Talented Lady Wu lifted her gaze, her eyes full of shock, tears slipping from the corners like transparent beads. "Sister Ye, this is the first time in my life I've learned you can twist black into white like this!" "The wounds on your hand were clearly scratches I made while you were pushing me into the water." "You pushed me in, intending to harm me. Your later rescue was only because I dragged you down with me and clung to you in the water—you couldn't break free, so you had no choice but to pull me back up." Talented Lady Wu said with a pained heart: "Sister Ye, when I fell into Wenchang Lake, you kicked me several times. Your footprints are still on my dress! And you still claim it wasn't intentional?!" Talented Lady Ye was stunned speechless. "You..." She turned and bowed to the Empress. "I beg the Empress to see clearly. When I fell into the water, I was frightened as well, and Talented Lady Wu dragged me down with her." "I was swimming with all my might—of course my hands and feet were moving. Talented Lady Wu was clinging to me—how could she not have been kicked?!" After hearing this, the Empress asked: "So at the time, there were only the two of you and your maids?" Talented Lady Ye: "That is correct. And because Talented Lady Wu said she wished to speak with me in private, she specifically asked me to dismiss all my maids." Talented Lady Ye shot a hateful glance at Talented Lady Wu: "She kept saying I deliberately harmed her, but she was the one who called me over to talk, and she was the one who grabbed me first. In my view, she's trying to use the child in her belly to frame me!" Talented Lady Wu also looked utterly shocked and wept: "Sister Ye, if I hadn't kept holding onto you in the water and refused to let go, you would have pressed me under and drowned me long ago. And now you turn around and say I'm the one setting a trap for you?!" "How cruel your heart is!" Talented Lady Ye retorted: "How could that compare to your cruelty in using the Emperor's child to frame me?!" The two accused each other, each insisting on their own account, and there was no third party present. The Empress listened with a cold expression. "Talented Lady Wu, Talented Lady Ye says you were the one who approached her to talk and asked her to dismiss her attendants?" Talented Lady Wu wiped her tears: "Yes." "What did you speak of?" Talented Lady Wu: "Today at Fengyi Palace, I displeased Sister Ye. When I left, she kept giving me a cold face. I thought that since we are sisters after all, I didn't want us to grow distant over this. Who would have known..." There was no need for Talented Lady Wu to say more. Constantly accusing the other of wrongdoing—saying too much would only invite antipathy. Talented Lady Ye chimed in: "I'm quite curious about that myself."