Chapter 365

Chapter 365 After thinking everything through, Wu Baolin could no longer hold back her tears. "Consort Wen, you have no idea how difficult these past days have been for me." "Consort Sun sends people to bring me things every few days, clearly intending to raise my child as her own. It's not that I don't respect Consort Sun, but with her temperament, how could I dare to give her my child?" Wu Baolin's eyes were blurred with tears as her hand unconsciously touched her belly. "Besides, this child is still in my womb. I'm just an ordinary person—how could I accept that he must call someone else 'Mother Consort' before he's even born?" "The reason I went out for a walk today was simply because I was feeling so troubled and restless. I finally saw the sun, and the people around me urged me to go out and clear my mind." She said with grievance, "Today's incident happened so suddenly, and I had no warning at all. I was so frightened that I lost my composure and ended up causing a scene before Her Majesty the Empress." Consort Wen quickly comforted her, saying it was not her fault, and added a few words about Consort Sun's improper behavior, saying they would report the matter to the Empress. After all that reassurance, Wu Baolin's emotions finally settled down. Only after understanding the entire situation did Consort Wen go with her people to see the Empress. The Empress was lying on the couch resting, having someone massage her temples. She asked in a slow voice, "How do you plan to handle this?" Consort Wen hesitated for a moment before asking, "Sister, may I presume to ask two questions?" The Empress didn't even open her eyes, her voice crisp and clear. "Ask." Consort Wen: "The Emperor has always doted on Consort Zhaode. This time, with the poisoning incident involving the Imperial Heir, the Emperor hasn't even come to look... Is there another reason for this?" The Empress: "And the second question?" Consort Wen: "Sister is taking this so calmly—do you know something? Or rather, does Sister know who administered the medicine to Wu Baolin that prevented her wound from healing and left a scar?" The Empress slowly opened her eyes, and a rare hint of amusement appeared in her dark, phoenix-shaped eyes. She beckoned to Consort Wen. "Come, sit here." Seeing the Empress's expression, Consort Wen felt about seventy or eighty percent certain. It seemed the Emperor and Empress both knew about this matter, which was why they were acting so unusually. She sat down beside the Empress. The Empress said softly, "This matter isn't actually a big deal." "The one who poisoned her was Gong Cainü, who has already been sent to the Cold Palace." "Baiyu wasn't lying either—Hongyu was indeed poisoned to death." Consort Wen's heart skipped a beat. She asked quietly, "Who..." Sister had only mentioned that Gong Cainü poisoned Wu Baolin, which meant the person who poisoned Hongyu was not Gong Cainü. Nor could it be Consort Zhaode, who had nothing to do with this matter. That left only... Consort Wen met the Empress's overly calm eyes and asked with difficulty, "Was it the Emperor?" The Empress said nothing, but Consort Wen knew that her silence was confirmation. Consort Wen couldn't help but ask, "But why would the Emperor want Hongyu dead?" "Gong Cainü had already made her mistake and been sent to the Cold Palace. He could have simply announced all her crimes—then Wu Baolin would have gotten the truth, and there wouldn't have been this incident of falsely accusing Consort Zhaode?" The Empress looked at her quietly, waiting until Consort Wen had finished voicing her confusion before slowly speaking: "Naturally, because the Emperor finds it troublesome and doesn't want more incidents in the harem." "Troublesome?" This answer plunged Consort Wen into silence. The Empress then reminded her of one thing: "You've forgotten someone." Consort Wen looked up at the Empress. The Empress said, "Consort Sun." "Back then, when her face was injured, it shouldn't have been that severe. But someone administered medicine to her, causing her wound to never heal properly, leaving such a large scar." "Since entering the palace, because of the scar on her face, she has clashed with countless people and caused no end of trouble, big and small. Now her temperament has grown increasingly extreme." "As you said, Gong Cainü has already been dealt with by the Emperor, and the matter was finally settled." "But if Consort Sun learned the truth, how could she possibly let it go?" the Empress said calmly. "She would likely stir up more trouble and cost more lives." "Better to handle this matter quietly. Everyone stays safe, and the harem remains peaceful." Consort Wen hesitated. "But... but..." The Empress said coldly, "There is no 'but'! If the Emperor wants the Six Palaces to be quiet, then the Six Palaces must be quiet." Consort Wen dared not speak further. The Empress continued: "Consort Sun's face was ruined because of Beauty Duan and the First Prince, as well as Gong Cainü's secret scheming. The Emperor understands her grievances and has already shown her much forbearance in secret. Otherwise, do you think she could hold her Fei rank steadily with neither favor nor a son?" "But I fear she won't be satisfied. If she learns the truth, she'll desperately seek revenge and throw the Six Palaces into chaos again. The Emperor and I would have countless more troubles to deal with." The Empress asked seriously, "So I ask you—how do you intend to handle this matter?" Consort Wen: "Sister, Wu Baolin has made a big scene out of this. Consort Sun is no fool; she'll likely be watching this matter closely." "This matter can't be pinned on Consort Zhaode, so there must be a true culprit. When that happens, Consort Sun will definitely not let it rest." All of the Emperor's original plans would be wasted. Consort Wen suddenly understood why the Emperor hadn't come to Fengyi Palace even once to see Wu Baolin. By making such a fuss over this matter, Wu Baolin had likely displeased the Emperor the most. Consort Wen lowered her eyes: "Now we can only wait for Bai Yu's confession before convicting Lady-in-waiting Gong, so as to appease the masses." In truth, who had administered the poison didn't matter—what mattered was what the Emperor thought. Though everything seemed unclear on the surface, as long as the Emperor understood in his heart, that was enough. Even if everything seemed resolved, if the Emperor was displeased, it would be better left unresolved. After Consort Wen had fully grasped the situation, she knew that once Wu Baolin had brought the matter to light, the Emperor would also take the opportunity to announce Lady-in-waiting Gong's crimes without any further concealment. When that happened, Consort Sun would surely go after Lady-in-waiting Gong, and the harem would be thrown into turmoil once again. The Empress said, "Since you have a clear picture, then do as you see fit." Seeing that Consort Wen still showed no sign of leaving, the Empress smiled. "Do you have any other questions?" Consort Wen nodded. "This sister simply doesn't understand—whose person is Bai Yu, really? What does she hope to gain by stirring up this trouble?" "Or rather, what does the person behind her hope to gain?" The Empress replied, "Since you don't know, then investigate." "Since there's no need to conceal this matter anymore, you might as well dig to the very bottom and see what difference there is between the harem of the Yu Dynasty and that of the Xia Dynasty." Fangcheng returned to the palace before sunset. Upon suddenly hearing that Wu Baolin had falsely accused her mistress of poisoning her, her face turned pale with fright. Upon further inquiry—learning that Wu Baolin had sworn her mistress had harmed her because Fangcheng had once had dealings with Hongyu from Wu Baolin's palace—she was so frightened she fell to her knees. Pale-faced, she said, "Your Ladyship, I am wronged! Utterly wronged!" "When did this servant ever become familiar with Hongyu?!" "It was merely that when Wu Baolin and Lady-in-waiting Ye had their falling out, Your Ladyship sent this servant to deliver gifts on behalf of Zhaohua Palace a few times, and I never saw her again afterward!" "These tasks were arranged by the two senior sisters, and this servant only followed orders—my movements can all be verified!" Fangcheng truly felt as though a black pot had fallen from the sky and landed squarely on her head. She had simply delivered a few things to Wu Baolin as her mistress instructed—how had that become her poisoning Wu Baolin on her mistress's behalf? For no reason at all, how could she be so unlucky?! Xie Run said gently, "Don't be anxious." "This matter was not done by this palace, so of course I will not admit to it. With the Emperor and Empress's abilities, they will eventually uncover the truth and clear my name." "I've called you back now only to ask you some questions about Hongyu, so we can better determine who is secretly causing trouble." Fangcheng's heart settled somewhat, and she said with a hint of grievance, "As long as Your Ladyship believes this servant, I fear nothing!" "Of course. I have done nothing to be ashamed of, and you all need not be afraid—just speak freely." Dantao asked Fangcheng on Xie Run's behalf: "Were you familiar with that Hongyu?" Fangcheng quickly replied, "Not familiar—I only met her a few times, and each time it was this servant delivering things as instructed, with Hongyu receiving them on Wu Baolin's side." "During those meetings, did you notice anything unusual about Hongyu?" Dantao reminded her. "Think carefully—don't miss anything." Fangcheng thought very carefully. "There was nothing unusual, except that she was especially warm toward this servant. Every time I delivered something on Your Ladyship's behalf, she would personally greet me and see me off, never showing the slightest neglect. Once, because a minor maid served tea that wasn't to my liking, she even scolded that maid specially." "But such things are common. After all, anyone from our palace—which palace wouldn't be eager to curry favor? So this servant never thought anything of it." Dantao looked at Xie Run: "Your Ladyship, Fangcheng's account seems sound." "Wu Baolin holds a low rank, so the people in her palace have a harder time—it's only natural they'd fawn over those from our palace. This servant also visited Wu Baolin a few times on your behalf, and Hongyu received me then too, being just as obsequious." Xie Run asked again, "Is there anything else?" Fangcheng thought carefully and shook her head seriously. "This servant actually disliked Hongyu's fawning nature, so I never stayed long at Wu Baolin's place. Later, I didn't even exchange words with Hongyu—I would deliver the things and hurry back." Xie Run sighed. "Then this truly is a disaster falling from the sky." "Whoever has it out for Fang Yuan'er—she's already in the Cold Palace, and they still won't let this matter go?" Xie Run murmured, "Could it be they think Fang Yuan'er being cast into the Cold Palace isn't miserable enough?" Dantao led Fangcheng aside, and only when they were alone did she quietly tell her that Hongyu was already dead—poisoned to death. Fangcheng was stunned, unable to recover for a long while. Zhaohua Palace remained calm and undisturbed, but Ritualist Hui's Yongming Palace was in dire straits. What had happened at Fengyi Palace spread throughout the Six Palaces within moments. Ritualist Hui was initially pleased that the Emperor hadn't rushed to Fengyi Palace upon hearing the news—at least he still considered her and the Third Princess. She might not be favored, but the Third Princess had her Imperial Father's love, and that was a good thing. Unexpectedly, the Emperor did not go to Fengyi Palace, but upon hearing this matter, his face turned cold, and a low, oppressive aura emanated from his entire being. The more news that came in from Fengyi Palace and the Department of Punishments, the darker the Emperor's expression became. Ritualist Hui was not out of favor because her appearance or talents were lacking. On the contrary, her looks, talents, and temperament were among the finest in the palace. It was just that she maintained an aloof and proud bearing, unable to bend her back or speak sweet words to please others. Coupled with her sometimes blunt nature, her words inevitably rubbed people the wrong way, and she was gradually neglected and distanced by the Emperor. Now that the Emperor was displeased, everyone serving in Yongming Palace was trembling with fear. She stood to one side, not knowing what to say to soothe the Emperor's mood, nor did she know what had angered him. Ritualist Hui could only attend to him uneasily, her heart pounding with anxiety, truly experiencing the feeling of being in the presence of a tiger while serving a monarch. The Emperor said nothing either, only wearing a brooding, displeased expression. The tea on the table grew cold, was replaced with fresh, and then grew cold again after a short while. The only thing Ritualist Hui dared to do now was to refill the Emperor's tea or change out the refreshments. She feared making any mistake that would incur the Son of Heaven's wrath and bring punishment upon herself. After the sun had set, word came from the Department of Punishments: "Your Majesty, the palace maid Bai Yu has confessed everything." Jing Wu kept his head lowered. "Bai Yu said she was instructed by Consort Li to deliberately make Wu Baolin believe that Consort Zhaode had harmed her, so as to blow the matter out of proportion and force Your Majesty to publicly announce Gong Cainü's crimes and severely punish her." Jing Wu paused mid-sentence and raised his head slightly, seeming somewhat hesitant. The Emperor gave him a cold glance. "Continue!" Jing Wu: "Consort Li calculated that even if Your Majesty did not punish Gong Cainü, given Consort Sun's temperament, she would never allow Gong Cainü to continue living." "Consort Li schemed all this precisely to ensure Gong Cainü met a miserable end." "Bai Yu's confession mentioned that before her death, Consort Li harbored daily hatred for Gong Cainü and cursed her countless times." "Gong Cainü had committed many evils, yet Your Majesty only had her thrown into the Cold Palace for lifelong imprisonment. Consort Li could not let go of her resentment, and in her final days, she devised this scheme." The Emperor laughed coldly. "Fine! Very fine!" "Even in death, she still left behind this scheme, determined to stir up chaos in my harem!" Jing Wu: "Bai Yu, guided by Consort Li, said that Wu Baolin, being pregnant and prone to overthinking, would not be able to sit still upon hearing that someone was trying to harm her." "Wu Baolin, lacking ability herself and fearing Consort Zhaode, would surely find a way to seek help. Whether she made a scene at the Empress's palace or before Your Majesty, the matter of Gong Cainü harming Consort Sun and Wu Baolin would inevitably become known throughout the Six Palaces... At that point, Consort Li's goals would all have been achieved." The Emperor's voice turned icy: "Is that wretch still alive?" The wretch the Emperor referred to could not possibly be the already-dead Consort Li. It could only be Bai Yu. Jing Wu kept his head lowered: "I beg Your Majesty's punishment. Bai Yu had poison hidden between her teeth, and after confessing, she quietly bit open the poison capsule and took her own life." The Emperor let out a cold laugh. "Dismember her by five horses and bury her beside her mistress, so she may continue to serve loyally in the afterlife." Jing Wu's cold face betrayed little emotion; he only lowered his head and acknowledged the order. Back then, after Consort Li's death, she was not buried in the imperial mausoleum. Some in the court had mentioned that Consort Li had died young, and having died of poisoning, burying her in the imperial mausoleum would be inauspicious. The Emperor approved the Ministry of Rites' memorial, so she was buried instead at Merit Mountain, which was nearby. Now burying Bai Yu beside Consort Li was convenient enough—no need to make the trip to the imperial mausoleum.