Chapter 368

Chapter 368 The Empress earnestly instructed Consort Wen, saying, "If Wu Baolin were truly so useless and cowardly, where would she find the courage to come to Zhaohua Palace and file a complaint?" Consort Wen listened to the Empress's words, seeming dazed for a long moment before speaking: "Sister, in truth, the harem of the Yu Dynasty is no different from that of the Xia Dynasty." "It only appears more calm on the surface, but within, it is equally filthy and rotten." The Empress looked down at her, seeming to carry a hint of pity, yet also appearing detached and devoid of desire. "As long as you can see through it clearly, that's enough." Seeing through it clearly meant there would be no excessive hopes. After she was gone, Consort Wen would not have to endure the days in the harem the way she herself once had. ... The next day, before the Emperor went to court, he summoned Jing Wu for questioning. "How is the investigation into the Gu parasite matter from last time going?" Jing Wu kept his head lowered: "Reporting to Your Majesty. The Gu parasite was sent by Consort Li through the hands of the Luosha Kingdom's envoy to the eunuch in the Imperial Kitchen." "The head eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen nominally entered the palace through his connection to the former Prefect of Yunzhou, but in truth, he was once adopted by a Luosha Kingdom national and is a spy that Luosha has planted in the palace." The Emperor's face showed no expression upon hearing this, and he only said calmly: "The Luosha Kingdom and the Yu Dynasty are on friendly terms. If this matter comes to light, it would be detrimental to diplomatic relations between the two countries." "Find a way to pin the crime on Lady-in-waiting Gong." This "finding a way" naturally meant altering the contents of the confession. Jing Wu never questioned the Emperor's decisions. He only lowered his head in acknowledgment and immediately went to carry out the task. By the time it was fully light, the imperial edict for dealing with Lady-in-waiting Gong had been transmitted to the Six Palaces. "In the confession produced by the Department of Punishments, only Lady-in-waiting Gong's use of drugs to prevent Consort Sun's and Wu Baolin's wounds from healing was mentioned. There was no mention that the true owner of the white jade was Consort Li." "The Emperor seems to want Consort Li to remain Consort Li and does not want her to have any connection whatsoever with Concubine Wan. Thus, in the end, this matter fell solely on Lady-in-waiting Gong." "The Emperor also investigated and found that the person who had placed the Gu parasite on our Fifth Prince and Hua Zhaorong was also Lady-in-waiting Gong." "With the two crimes combined, the Emperor ultimately issued an edict granting Lady-in-waiting Gong poisoned wine." Xie Run's monthly cycle had come today, and feeling unwell, she had simply requested leave and did not go to pay her respects. All this news was brought back to her by Xiaoshu. Xie Run was startled upon suddenly hearing this news. "The Emperor investigated and found that the one who placed the Gu parasite on Taotao was Lady-in-waiting Gong?" Xiaoshu nodded: "That's what the person delivering the edict said. This servant secretly glanced at the confession, and it was indeed written so." "It was also said that Hongyu was poisoned to death by Lady-in-waiting Gong, because Hongyu had carried out two poisoning tasks for her, and Lady-in-waiting Gong poisoned her to silence her." Xie Run fell silent: "So the case was closed just like that?" Xiaoshu confirmed it was so. Dantao sensed that her mood was off, and only when there was no one around did she ask: "Is Your Ladyship worried about something?" Xie Run shook her head, a look of sudden realization curving her lips. "Not worried—rather, I finally know the true culprit behind the Gu parasite." "I was just wondering why the Emperor suddenly 'investigated' this matter out of nowhere." Dantao was startled: "Your Ladyship, do you mean to say that the person who placed the Gu parasite to harm you was not Lady-in-waiting Gong?" Her mind turned, and she made a cautious guess: "At this juncture, if it wasn't Lady-in-waiting Gong, could it be the deceased Consort Li?" Xie Run looked at her quietly: "Dantao, you're becoming more and more clever." Dantao's heart jolted—she had actually guessed correctly. Dantao gave a bitter smile: "Your Ladyship, don't mock this servant." "Those two must have been mortal enemies in a past life. Whatever misfortune befell Lady-in-waiting Gong must have been related to Wan—and to our Consort Li. And whatever misfortune befell Consort Li must have been related to Lady-in-waiting Gong." "Those two hated each other to the bone." Dantao had nearly slipped and called out "Concubine Wan" just now. Xie Run leaned back in her chair and said softly: "At the time, I actually suspected Wan Linlang. After all, in the harem, there was no one other than her who could use Gu parasites." "But at that time, she had just faked her death and escaped, so she shouldn't have had any way to extend her reach into the palace." "Later, the investigation led to Noble Lady Xian's father, and the case ended there, leaving an unresolved mystery." Xie Run had also suspected Noble Lady Xian's younger sister at the time. But later, when Noble Lady Xian's father was dismissed from office for corruption, her sister never even had the chance to show her face before being implicated as the descendant of a disgraced official. Who knows where she was scraping by now. At that time, Xie Run knew this person was merely a decoy. A smoke screen deliberately released by the poisoner to lead them to speculate in that direction, thereby obscuring the poisoner's own existence. Too much time had passed, and the matter had been forgotten by everyone. Who would have thought that after so long, the Emperor would suddenly say it was Fang Yuan'er who did it. Xie Run said: "I was careless too." "At that time, Wan Linlang should have just obtained her new identity, living a good life as a princess of the Luosha Kingdom. Using Luosha's influence to extend her hand into the palace wasn't impossible." Dantao said: "At that time, everyone had just entered the palace, and everything was in chaos. Many of the problems left over from the Retired Emperor's era had yet to be resolved..." She asked in confusion: "But how is Your Ladyship so certain it was Consort Li who did it?" Xie Run smiled with a hint of meaning: "Probably because I understand the Emperor." The Emperor must be disgusted that Consort Li pulled this trick before her death, shattering the hard-won peace of the harem. But this incident certainly also served as a reminder to the Emperor. There are still many unresolved cases in the harem, and the case of the gu parasite planted on the Fifth Prince and Hua Zhaorong is the most critical of all. That matter also involves a prince and two high-ranking consorts. If someone with malicious intent were to drag it up again, who knows what trouble might arise. But the mastermind behind the gu parasite was Consort Li, who was a princess of the Luosha Kingdom, with her identity arranged entirely by the Emperor himself. Though the fighting at the front has temporarily ceased, the two nations are still at war. The Luosha Kingdom had pledged allegiance to the Emperor from the very beginning, and they had worked hard to elevate one of their own to the Fei rank in the Yu Dynasty. They couldn't let that reputation be tarnished now, affecting diplomatic relations between the two nations. The Emperor probably mulled it over and pinned the crime on Fang Yuan'er. Even without much evidence, Xie Run had already guessed most of it. Xie Run: "Right now, Fang Yuan'er probably can't swallow this even in death." Dantao: "Lady Gong was such a strong-willed person, fighting with Consort Li her whole life. If she dies taking the blame for Consort Li, she'll surely die with her eyes open." Xiaoshu added softly: "My Lady, the Fang family has also been raided." The Fang family was Lady Gong's natal family. But given Fang Yuan'er's temperament, she probably wouldn't care. Xie Run only sighed. "Enough, this matter ends here." She leaned back in her chair to rest, eyes closed, but her heart was far from peaceful. The Emperor suddenly bringing up the gu parasite matter—was he afraid she would make a scene like Consort Sun and stir up trouble in his harem? The longer the Emperor reigned, the harder Xie Run found it to fathom his nature. As time passed, she suddenly realized the Emperor had become far more suspicious than before. Consort Sun, under house arrest in Yongning Palace, was unusually quiet. When Wu Baolin went to Fengyi Palace to accuse Xie Run, she still had the mood to watch the commotion on the sidelines, exchanging cold remarks and sarcasm with Lady Xi. But when the Emperor's decree came down and Bai Yu's testimony was laid before everyone, Consort Sun immediately sensed something was wrong. After sitting in her own palace thinking for a long while, Consort Sun finally realized belatedly: "So my face was ruined by Lady Gong?" "But if she did it, she would have confessed when she was first thrown into the Imperial Prison. Why wait until today to reveal the truth?" Consort Sun didn't believe the Emperor would have thrown Lady Gong into the Imperial Prison without subjecting her to torture and interrogation. She also vaguely knew that after Lady Gong was imprisoned, the Emperor uncovered many of her crimes before deposing her to the Cold Palace. Consort Sun's temper might be erratic, but she wasn't stupid. After mulling it over for half a day, she felt a chill creep into her heart. "So the Emperor must have known all along that Lady Gong ruined my face." "If not for Wu Baolin making a fuss, I might have stayed in the dark forever!" "But why did the Emperor never reveal this matter?" At first, Consort Sun felt wronged, even wanting to go confront the Emperor or make a scene. But she no longer had any favor, and with her title stripped and under house arrest, how could she dare to cause trouble? The more she thought, the heavier her heart felt. Xie Run could guess the Emperor's concerns, and Consort Sun figured them out too. After a long while, Consort Sun picked up the already cold tea on the table and took a sip. As if jolted awake by the chill, she suddenly opened her eyes wide, her smile tinged with bitterness and a hint of madness. "The Emperor is afraid I'll make a scene, afraid that once I learn the truth, I'll insist on Lady Gong's life!" "But when have I ever been so ruthless?" Since entering the palace, though she'd had verbal spats with many in the Six Palaces, she had never harmed anyone without cause. The Emperor didn't trust her in the slightest—he was even wary of her. Consort Sun laughed and laughed, then suddenly felt like crying. But back when her face was ruined, she had cried too many times alone in the night. Now, even wanting to cry, no tears would come. "Not worth it." It truly wasn't worth it. She had married into the Prince's mansion with so many hopes and affections for the Emperor, treating him in her heart as a husband to respect and love. After her face was ruined, she had hated the First Prince, resented Beauty Duan, but never once harbored resentment toward the Emperor. Even when her disfigurement cost her the Emperor's affection, she only wallowed in self-pity, never daring to feel the slightest discontent toward him. Until today, she still held a faint hope—that one day the Emperor would remember her, come to Yongning Palace, and visit her. But now, suddenly learning that the Emperor had always been wary of her, with not a shred of trust, Consort Sun felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her heart. A nameless disappointment welled up inside her. Disappointment that the husband she married turned out to be so suspicious and cold-hearted. Disappointment that even knowing someone had harmed her, he never showed her the slightest pity or compassion. Just then, the palace attendant serving her said with a smile: "My Lady, good news, wonderful news." Consort Sun dabbed at the nonexistent tears at the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, asking without much interest: "What wonderful news?" "Her Majesty the Empress, mindful that you and Wu Baolin were schemed against by villains, and pitying how difficult your lives in the palace have been, has specially issued an edict permitting your families to visit you in the palace. She has also lifted your house arrest." Consort Sun's expression remained flat. "I see." The palace maid was somewhat surprised, feeling that her mistress's mood was off, but she dared not say anything and obediently withdrew. Consort Sun sat in place for a moment, and a surge of anger suddenly rose in her heart. She grabbed the teacup on the table and hurled it to the ground. The crash startled the attendants outside. A palace maid asked worriedly, "Lady, has something happened?" Consort Sun: "Nothing happened. I accidentally dropped my teacup, that's all. No need for you to come in and attend to me." Palace maid: "Yes." Once the surroundings quieted down, Consort Sun curled her lips in a smile that did not reach her eyes. Having spent a long time in the palace, she had come to understand things clearly. Everything the Empress said and did was the Emperor's will, without exception. Just after discovering that Lady Gong had schemed against her, the Empress graciously allowed her family to enter the palace to visit. Was this favor or a warning? Perhaps both. Giving her a little benefit like tossing a bone to a lapdog, telling her not to make a fuss over such a small matter. Then having her family come to the palace to admonish and warn her properly, telling her not to do anything that would affect the family, and to stay obediently in Yongming Palace as Consort Sun. She could even imagine how her family would urge her to be docile once they entered the palace. Snow had begun to fall outside without anyone noticing. A palace maid asked through the curtain, "Lady, it's time for your meal." Consort Sun no longer had the same spirit as before. She said in a flat voice, "Prepare it." She had little appetite and only ate a few bites before rinsing her mouth and washing her hands. She asked the palace maid beside her, "When will the Emperor deal with Lady Gong?" Palace maid: "They say tomorrow." Consort Sun's hands tightened, and she felt dazed. Those two simple words shattered her last illusion. Was the Emperor forcing her to choose between the two? At Zhaohua Palace, Xie Run also received word that the Empress had specially permitted the Xie family to enter the palace to visit tomorrow. Xie Run was not particularly thrilled. The only one in the capital who could come to visit her was Xie Jiang. But Xie Jiang had already become an imperial physician and could move freely within the palace, so meeting was not difficult for them. Xie Run: "Why would the Empress grant such a favor out of nowhere?" Xiaoshu: "Originally, the Empress only granted this favor to Consort Sun and Wu Baolin, saying that out of consideration for their being harmed by Lady Gong, she specially summoned their family members to enter the palace to accompany them." "Later, the Empress said that since she had already granted this favor, she might as well extend it further—anyone with family in the capital could have them enter the palace to accompany them." There weren't many consorts left in the harem now, so this wasn't difficult to arrange. Xie Run was a perceptive person. After hearing this, she already guessed that the Empress was again acting on behalf of the Emperor. She thought to herself—if the Empress truly felt for Consort Sun and Wu Baolin, she would give them rewards and promote their ranks instead. Wu Baolin aside, Consort Sun's family held high positions of power and could attend palace banquets during festivals. Was it really such a rare thing to see them now? Tomorrow Fang Yuan'er was to be executed, and the Emperor had chosen to grant this favor at this time. He was making Consort Sun choose. "The Emperor still wants peace in the Six Palaces, so he's making Consort Sun choose between venting her anger and her family." "Tomorrow, will Consort Sun go to the Cold Palace to see Lady Gong off for a final breath of vengeance, or will she stay in Yongming Palace to receive her family?" If the latter, then this matter would end here. Dantao and Xiaoshu listened and said softly, "With Consort Sun's temperament, how could she swallow this anger? She'll likely go to the Cold Palace no matter what." "Even if she can't kill Lady Gong to avenge herself, she'll at least want to watch her die." Given Consort Sun's behavior in the palace over the past six months, nothing she did would be surprising. Xie Run smiled. "We'll know tomorrow anyway." She had long known the Emperor's nature, and since Taotao had not actually been harmed by the Gu parasite, Xie Run accepted this calmly.