Chapter 348

Chapter 348 Xie Run smiled helplessly. "Alright, alright, I have no conscience. Then let that little glutton at home come keep you company instead?" The Emperor: "?" Turning around, Xie Run had someone bring Taotao over. She reported her grievance with complete confidence: "Just now His Majesty said I was so anxious I wanted to pry food out of his mouth. But he, on the other hand, thought I was feeding him and opened his mouth to bite me." Xie Run raised her hand to show the Emperor. There was a distinct set of teeth marks on it. The Emperor chuckled. "You're going to fuss over a greedy little child?" Xie Run smiled too, looking innocent. "I'm not fussing over him, am I? I'm just making a small complaint, so His Majesty can fuss over him instead." The Emperor laughed helplessly and pinched Taotao's nose. "Naughty boy!" That night, the Emperor stayed at Zhaohua Palace. No one brought up what had happened at the banquet. The next morning, the Emperor had his day off. When Xie Run got up, she saw the Emperor practicing his sword in the courtyard and was dazed for a long moment. Only then did she realize that last night had been the Empress's birthday, and the Emperor should have stayed at Fengyi Palace. The Emperor not going to the Empress's palace most likely meant something had happened at Fengyi Palace again. Before Xie Run could even send someone to inquire, someone with sharp ears had already brought her the news: "Reporting to Your Ladyship, last night the Empress felt unwell and retired early. This morning, at first light, she sent for the imperial physician." Xie Run couldn't help but add a trace of worry to her eyes. With the Empress's health like this... how much longer could she hold on? After attending to the Emperor's breakfast, Xie Run left Taotao with the Emperor and went to pay her respects. Halfway there, she encountered a palace attendant from Fengyi Palace delivering a message. "The Empress is unwell today and has excused the Six Palaces from morning greetings. We apologize for troubling Consort Zhaode to make this trip in vain." Seated in her palanquin, Xie Run said gently, "Since I've already come this far, I might as well go see the Empress while I'm here." By the time Xie Run arrived at Fengyi Palace, she found quite a few people already gathered there. Consort Wen, Consort Jing, and Noble Lady Xian were all present, and the lesser concubines below were seated quietly as well. Only Consort Li, who had just been poisoned, and Hua Zhaorong, who was pregnant, were absent. Upon seeing Xie Run, everyone rose to pay their respects. "Greetings to Consort Zhaode." Xie Run: "Rise. How is the Empress?" Just then, Tinghe lifted the curtain and came out. Seeing Xie Run, a hint of surprise flickered in her eyes before she bowed. "Greetings to Consort Zhaode." Xie Run asked again. Tinghe replied unhurriedly, "The Empress only has a slight headache. Her condition is no longer serious, and she will not be receiving anyone." Hearing this, the others rose one by one, preparing to leave. Consort Jing let out a low laugh. "I've never heard of the Empress having headaches before. Now she's suddenly developed such an ailment..." This was insinuating that the Empress had made up an excuse not to see them. Xie Run shot her a glance. "The wind was strong yesterday. Perhaps the Empress caught a chill." Consort Jing fell silent. Yesterday, it wasn't just the wind that was strong—the waves were even stronger. No matter how stubbornly she dwelled on things, she knew yesterday's events were no simple matter and dared not discuss them casually. Xie Run had originally wanted to see the Empress herself, but Tinghe stopped her. Tinghe gave her a bitter look, smiling with great difficulty. Xie Run understood then—the Empress was truly ill, and the situation was likely not good. She had just returned to Zhaohua Palace when she ran into two unfamiliar young palace maids. Xie Run asked casually, "Which palace are you from?" The leading maid lowered her head in a bow, and the moment she spoke, her voice carried a bone-deep charm and softness: "Reporting to Your Ladyship, this servant is from Fanghua Palace." Xie Run paused. "One of Hua Zhaorong's people?" The maid replied, "Yes. Our mistress is feeling unwell. Having heard that His Majesty is at Zhaohua Palace, she specially sent this servant to request an audience." A faint smile curved at the corner of Xie Run's lips. So Hua Yu, having gained favor, was starting to show her tail feathers again. Everyone else was tense about the shifting winds in the palace, but only Hua Yu was foolishly playing at competing for favor at a time like this. Did she really think everyone who went to Fengyi Palace today was there out of respect for the Empress? Xie Run glanced at the maid. "Dantao, did you hear that?" "Hua Zhaorong is unwell. Take these two to find the imperial physician, and make sure to confirm Hua Zhaorong is fine before coming back to report." At these words, a flicker of surprise crossed the maid's face. She was about to say something, but Xie Run had already turned and led her people into Zhaohua Palace. Dantao smiled warmly. "Since Hua Zhaorong is unwell, we should hurry to summon the physician." The maid said, "Sister Dantao, my mistress doesn't lack for physicians. She simply wishes to see His Majesty. Is Consort Zhaode refusing to allow it?" Dantao's smile deepened, but her words were anything but polite. "Slandering Her Ladyship's reputation—you have quite the nerve." She cast a sidelong glance at the maid. "Or is it that you're relying on Hua Zhaorong's influence to be so arrogant and look down on everyone?!" The maid was about to retort when the attendant who had come with her quickly tugged at her sleeve. Dantao continued, "No matter how great the matter, nothing is more important than the Imperial Heir in Hua Zhaorong's belly." Seeing the maid about to puff up with pride again, Dantao's tone shifted, turning sharp: "The two of you should be hurrying to summon the physician to examine Hua Zhaorong, yet here you are wasting time with idle words. Are you tired of living?!" "Surely Consort Hua cannot tolerate such behavior from you. It would be better for Zhaohua Palace to punish you on her behalf, lest you bring trouble upon Consort Hua." Dantao waved her hand, and young eunuchs immediately came forward to restrain the two servants. She also deliberately sent for an imperial physician and personally went to Fanghua Palace to visit Consort Hua. Hua Yu and Xie Run had clashed many times before, and even now that she had gained favor, she still felt somewhat intimidated by Xie Run. She could only keep a dark expression as the physician brought by Dantao took her pulse. By the time Dantao was sent away, the sun had already set. She could only vent her frustration by scolding the two palace maids. Meanwhile, Xie Run had barely sent her people off when she entered Zhaohua Palace and encountered the Emperor practicing swordsmanship with Taotao. The Emperor had somehow found Taotao a small wooden sword, and he himself held a larger one, the two of them playing about. Taotao was playing with great joy and focus, swinging the little wooden sword with no technique whatsoever. Xie Run drew a handkerchief from her sleeve, walked closer slowly, and wiped the sweat from Taotao's brow. "Why hasn't Your Majesty gone to the Imperial Study today?" "Finally getting a day of rest, why would I go listen to those old fellows argue?" The Emperor looked somewhat disdainful. "I have no habit of seeking hardship for myself." Xie Run smiled, then said, "If Your Majesty doesn't leave Zhaohua Palace, someone will naturally come to Zhaohua Palace to find Your Majesty." The Emperor asked casually, "Who came to find me?" "Consort Hua of Fanghua Palace, saying she felt unwell and wished to request Your Majesty to visit. However, I sent her away." The Emperor had been listening with no particular expression, but upon hearing Xie Run's words, curiosity sparked. "How did my beloved consort send her away?" Xie Run's peach-blossom eyes narrowed with a smile as she met the Emperor's gaze. "Consort Hua carries Your Majesty's imperial heir in her womb. If she feels unwell, she should seek the imperial physician." "I was concerned for the imperial prince in her belly, and bearing the responsibility of managing the six palaces, I feared I could not simply stand by." The Emperor laughed aloud and did not mention the matter again. Clearly, he too had no desire to see Hua Yu. It was not until after the midday meal, when the Emperor and Xie Run were strolling through the small garden of Zhaohua Palace, that he finally spoke: "Regarding yesterday's matter, have you nothing you wish to say?" Xie Run's hand gently brushed over a blooming, gorgeous rose. "I originally had many doubts, but from the moment Your Majesty came to visit me, all my doubts dissipated." The Emperor's expression remained calm. Xie Run continued, "As long as Your Majesty is willing to look after me and Taotao from time to time, and as long as I harbor no wicked or greedy thoughts, life will ultimately be comfortable." Xie Run had said such things to the Emperor many times before. But heard under different states of mind, the Emperor's reactions differed. Now that he had become Emperor, holding the world's power in his hands, he had grown ever more unfathomable, and his emotions no longer showed on his face as they had when he was in the prince's residence. The Emperor merely took Xie Run's hand and patted it. "This is precisely what I love most about you." Xie Run smiled. But in her heart, she thought that the former Emperor would never have said such a thing. Loved or not loved, he only kept it in his heart. The rest day ended, and the Emperor became busy once more. The harem's attention was still fixed on Fang Yuan'er and Consort Li. By all rights, since Consort Li had been poisoned, Xie Run ought to visit her at Chonghua Palace. But she didn't go—she simply didn't want to. After all, she was now the foremost person beneath the Empress, and she had that privilege. Lady Lu had gone to visit Consort Li, and upon returning, she came to speak with Xie Run: "Everyone gathered at Chonghua Palace cursing Imperial Concubine Gong. I didn't dare speak, so I just watched from the side." "Blood-sealing Throat cinnabar-top red—Consort Li drank a mouthful and yet showed no serious illness. She's fortunate to be alive." Lady Lu had merely made a casual remark, but Xie Run's eyes flickered, and in an instant, that possibility surfaced in her mind again. She asked softly, "Do you think it could be because she is Wan Linlang that she survived the cinnabar-top red poison?" Lady Lu's eyes widened in shock. In truth, she had originally made that guess offhandedly, and over these days had long since cast aside that unrealistic speculation. She had been so busy watching the harem's dramas that she had never thought of it again. Now hearing Xie Run bring it up, her mind was in a whirl, and it took her a long while to find her voice: "This... if she is Concubine Wan, why would she drink that cinnabar-top red?" Xie Run: "...Cinnabar-top red is colorless and odorless. No matter how formidable she is, she cannot detect poison out of thin air." Lady Lu nodded repeatedly. "Right, right." After a pause, she raised her voice, "Could Consort Li really be Concubine Wan?" She continued, "Then Imperial Concubine Gong risking execution to poison her—that becomes understandable after all." Lady Lu's thoughts gradually cleared. "Right! I remember that when Consort Li took up residence in Chonghua Palace, the first thing she did was pick a fight with Imperial Concubine Gong." "Back when we were still in the residence, I heard that the moment Concubine Wan entered the household, the then-Imperial Concubine Gong brought people to her door to bully her, causing quite a stir." At Lady Lu's mention, Xie Run also recalled the old affairs of the past. At that time, Fang Yuan'er, perhaps because she had transmigrated and knew the script in advance, wanted to eliminate Wan Linlang, her mortal enemy, first. And now? Why would Consort Li, upon taking charge of Chonghua Palace, immediately target Fang Yuan'er? Once the fragmented clues were strung together, they increasingly confirmed that absurd speculation. Lady Lu grew more agitated with every thought, while Xie Run grew more silent. If this were the truth, she had a doubt. Where did Wan Linlang get the ability to impersonate the princess of the Luosha Kingdom? A person's life trajectory was set; she wouldn't be reborn with new abilities just because she disappeared for three to five months, fabricating a real and noble identity for herself. To be reborn required time to polish. To fabricate a new and noble identity required a certain power base as backing. How could Wan Linlang accomplish all this with her own strength?! Xie Run suppressed her doubts deep in her heart, not daring to think further. She asked Lady Lu, "Imperial Concubine Gong was thrown into the Imperial Prison. Has any new news come out?" Lady Lu shook her head. "No word at all has reached the harem, and everyone is afraid to discuss it. As for news outside the palace, we can't find out either." Xie Run said nothing more. The next day, an imperial decree suddenly arrived at Zhaohua Palace, ordering Xie Run to go to the Imperial Prison to see Fang Yuan'er. After hearing the decree, Xie Run was dazed. Why would the Emperor issue a decree for her to see Fang Yuan'er for no reason? Could it be that he suspected her of being involved in the poisoning? At her signal, Dantao handed a pouch to the eunuch delivering the decree. The eunuch squeezed it, seeming to feel a jade bracelet, and his face filled with smiles as he said in a low voice, "Your Ladyship need not worry too much. I hear that Imperial Concubine Gong in the Imperial Prison is demanding to see you, refusing to confess otherwise." Xie Run smiled. "Thank you for the reminder, Eunuch. You nearly startled me just now—I thought the Emperor was displeased with me." "How could that be? Your Ladyship has raised the Fifth Prince so well; the Emperor dotes on you and would never be displeased." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xie Run took Xiaoshu to the Imperial Prison. On the way, two eunuchs ran along the palace road delivering news. "Great victory at the front! Great victory at the front!" "Our Yu Dynasty has the aid of the Fire God; we will surely defeat the Xia Dynasty!" This was a palace road on the outskirts of the inner palace, where harem consorts normally never set foot. Whenever major news came from inside or outside the palace, messengers were sent along this road to deliver it first. Xie Run stopped in place, listening to the eunuchs' shouts, and murmured, "Aid of the Fire God?" When two armies clashed, how could there be talk of the Fire God's aid? Could it be like the war between Liu and Wang, where a meteor fell from the sky to lend strength? Such an absurd thing shouldn't happen in the Yu Dynasty of today. Xiaoshu asked softly, "Your Ladyship, what's wrong?" "Is it that you're unfamiliar with this road? Or perhaps uneasy?" What Xiaoshu asked was also what she herself felt anxious about. Xie Run shook her head. "I'm just curious about the Fire God the two young eunuchs mentioned." Xiaoshu immediately said, "Once we leave the Imperial Prison, this servant will go find out." Xie Run said nothing, taking it as tacit approval. The prison warden leading the way knew Xie Run's status and attended to her meticulously the whole way, afraid of causing her the slightest discomfort. When she saw Fang Yuan'er, disheveled and dejected in the prison cell, Xie Run's heart was exceptionally calm. Someone brought a chair over, and Xie Run sat down, speaking in a gentle, calm tone, "Imperial Concubine Gong, you wished to see Ben Gong. Is there something you want to say?" Since being suddenly thrown into the Imperial Prison that day, Fang Yuan'er had been in the dungeon for nearly three days, and the word "bedraggled" radiated from her entire being. Hearing Xie Run's voice, she seemed to react slightly, slowly raising her head. Through the prison bars, the two met each other's eyes. Fang Yuan'er said, "I want you to save me." Before Xie Run could speak, Fang Yuan'er had already said, "Don't speak yet—listen to me first!" Xie Run wisely closed her mouth. "The first thing Consort Li did upon entering Chonghua Palace was find an excuse to punish me."