Chapter 369

Chapter 369 Xie Run instructed the staff of Zhaohua Palace, "You should also prepare. Tomorrow my elder sister will likely bring the two children into the palace. Remember to have two portions of everything—food and toys." Meeting Xie Jiang was not difficult, but seeing those two prodigy little treasures was no easy feat. "Also, when the time comes, you must keep a close eye on Taotao. Don't let him bully his younger cousins." The memory of Taotao's sly mischief against the Sixth Prince was still fresh in everyone's minds, and Xie Run had no desire for that boy to pull something like that again. Dantao and Xiaoshu smiled and acknowledged the order. Early the next morning, Zhaohua Palace buzzed with activity. Xie Run stood under the corridor wrapped in a large cloak, smiling. "The weather suddenly cleared up today. It really is a good day." Dantao laughed. "Isn't it? Quite a bit of yesterday's snow has melted, so we won't have to keep sweeping it away." Xiaoshu added, "Speaking of sweeping snow, it reminds me of what happened a few days ago. When the Fifth Prince saw the old gatekeeper sweeping snow, he suddenly threw a tantrum demanding to play with it." "The old gatekeeper was scared out of her wits and absolutely refused to let the Fifth Prince touch the broom. She nearly made our Fifth Prince cry from frustration." "And Her Ladyship was quite mischievous too—she deliberately had someone make a small broom for the Fifth Prince to play with. He happily swept snow for half the day and almost wanted to sleep hugging that little broom at night. If the Emperor had seen that, he might have thought we servants were teaching the Fifth Prince bad habits." Xie Run's face was full of smiles. "Children love to play—it's only natural." "Your Ladyship spoils the Fifth Prince far too much." Xie Run didn't want to listen to her two maidservants nagging, so she deliberately shifted her gaze. "Is that a figure moving up ahead? Could it be my elder sister arriving?" Dantao and Xiaoshu looked up, but the area was completely empty—only a palace maid sweeping snow under the corridor. They couldn't help but exchange amused glances. After waiting nearly a quarter of an hour, Xie Jiang finally appeared at the entrance with her two children. Xie Run looked at the little boy, whose face bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain prince of a different surname, and fell into silence. With a face that similar, the storyline of Xie Jiang bringing her two children to claim kinship had dragged on for six or seven years. Through one mishap after another, various coincidences and missed connections, it wasn't until the very end that the father was finally acknowledged and they reconciled. Truly, the power of plot was boundless. Xie Jiang noticed her staring at her son and couldn't help asking, "What is Your Ladyship looking at?" Xie Run gave an awkward smile. "I just feel this child looks a bit familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before." The maidservant beside Xie Jiang smiled and said, "To answer Your Ladyship, they say a nephew often resembles his maternal uncle. The young master bears some resemblance to our Eldest Young Master, which is why Your Ladyship finds him familiar." Xie Run: "...Perhaps so." Lies. Where on earth was the slightest resemblance between this child and Xie Jing? Still, talking nonsense with a straight face wasn't difficult for Xie Run. Xie Run: "What are the two children called?" Xie Jiang: "The boy is called Huai'an, with the nickname An'an; the girl is called Huaiyu, with the nickname Yubao." Xie Run nodded, took out the gifts she had prepared in advance for the two little ones, and had someone bring Taotao out to play. Whether it was due to blood ties or some other reason, the three little ones got along remarkably well. Taotao was very generous with the two children. When playing the game of dividing things, aside from hoarding the items he particularly liked into his own arms, he was willing to share everything else with them. Time spent with family flew by quickly. Before Xie Run and Xie Jiang knew it, chatting and laughing together, it was already time for the midday meal. Just as she had instructed the servants to set out the meal, Xiaoshu leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Your Ladyship, Lady-in-waiting Gong has passed away." "Consort Sun has remained in Yongming Palace the entire time, not stepping out at all. She is currently accompanying her family." It was a result she had long anticipated. Xie Run thought she would be calm upon hearing the news of Fang Yuan'er's death. Yet her stilled heart still gave a sudden lurch. Like a sharp shriek that faded back into calmness in an instant. She thought she should be very composed, but to Xie Jiang and the others, she appeared somewhat dazed and lost. Xie Jiang noticed that something was off with Xie Run and found an opportunity to ask her, "Has something important happened in the palace?" Xie Run shook her head. She looked up at Xie Jiang, and a faint mist suddenly welled up in her eyes. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but dared not speak. She wanted to say that from now on, there was one fewer person in this world who came from the same homeland as her. She also wanted to say that in this world, the only person she was familiar with was Xie Jiang. But Xie Run dared not say it, dared not reveal anything related to her identity. Xie Jiang held her hand, her tone somewhat grave. "We are family. If you have any difficulties, speak them out. At the very least, we can face them together." "If you truly regard me as your elder sister, don't hide anything." "I know life in the palace hasn't been easy for you." When she said that last sentence, Xie Jiang's tone carried a hint of deep melancholy. Xie Run held Xie Jiang's hand in return and gently leaned against her shoulder. "Mm, we are family." "Elder Sister, now I only have you." In this world, perhaps only Xie Jiang could bring her a sense of familiarity and warmth. Xie Jiang let out a soft sigh, and there was also a trace of heartache for Xie Run in her eyes. Within Zhaohua Palace, all was harmonious and peaceful, but within Yongning Palace, there was nothing but deathly silence. As soon as Lady Sun entered the palace, she paid her respects to Consort Sun, observing all the proper formalities. She quietly lifted her eyes and noticed that her daughter's expression held little joy, and suspicion had already arisen in her heart. After the palace attendants withdrew, Lady Sun asked with slight concern, "Your Highness seems thinner than when you were at home. Have you not been eating well lately?" Consort Sun stared at Lady Sun with her dark, ink-black eyes. She did not answer her mother's question, but instead asked, "Mother, since you brought my cousin into the palace this time, does Father have any instructions?" Lady Sun was momentarily at a loss for words, hesitating only briefly before saying, "The matters that have recently occurred in the palace have also reached the ears of the Duke's mansion." Lady Sun's eyes welled with tears of heartache: "My child, how I pity you, being schemed against in the palace. My heart aches for you, yet I do not know how to help you." Consort Sun let out a light laugh: "Since entering the palace, I have gained much insight." "Now I dare not seek help from anyone; I only ask that no one harm me." As Consort Sun said this, her gaze wandered between Lady Sun and the cousin beside her. Lady Sun gave an awkward smile: "How can Your Highness say such a thing? You are now a second-rank imperial consort in the palace. Who would dare harm you?" Lady Sun said meaningfully, "The Emperor, pitying Your Highness for being harmed by treacherous people, specially allowed me to enter the palace to accompany Your Highness, to comfort you well, lest you be frightened." "I hear that Your Highness has recently often quarreled with the consorts of the Six Palaces, and even offended Consort Zhaode, resulting in the Emperor stripping your title and punishing you? The Duke and your father were both deeply worried when they heard the news." "Winning a verbal dispute only brings momentary satisfaction; instead, it easily makes enemies across the Six Palaces, making your own path increasingly difficult." Consort Sun's expression softened slightly, but the next moment she heard Lady Sun say, "How magnanimous was Your Highness's temperament before? Now you must not walk into a dead end." "When doing things, at least think of your father and your younger brother. At the very least, think of the Duke's mansion..." Consort Sun's heart suddenly turned cold: "I feel that I have already thought enough for the Duke's mansion and done more than enough!" When her face was ruined, her family sent letters one after another to inquire. Not out of worry for her injuries, but only fearing that her appearance was damaged and she would lose the Emperor's favor. Even more, they feared that her loss of favor would implicate the family! Later, when the matter passed smoothly, the letters from home carried more probing. When they learned her face was ruined and there was no hope of regaining favor, they changed their tune and told her to find a way to adopt a child. She was now a second-rank Fei; if she had an heir at her side, it could at least secure the Duke's mansion decades of glory and wealth. Later, the Sixth Prince fell into Noble Lady Xian's hands, and she was stripped of her title and placed under house arrest for her mistakes. The letters from home shifted direction again. No longer urging her to adopt a child, they instead casually mentioned several eligible cousins, asking whether the Emperor and Empress had revealed when the imperial beauty selection would take place. The Duke's mansion had laid its schemes right in front of her face, and now they still wanted her to think for the Duke's mansion. Consort Sun sneered coldly: "I have suffered so much grievance for the Duke's mansion. When has anyone ever thought of me?" She looked with disdain at the cousin Lady Sun had brought. "What a beautiful face. Did Mother bring her into the palace today to test the Emperor's heart? Or to send her straight to the dragon bed?" Lady Sun and the young Miss Sun instantly changed expression. Lady Sun scolded in a low voice: "Your Highness, your words are far too harsh." "Zhiwei has not yet reached adulthood. You are sisters of the same family. Why must Your Highness humiliate her like this!" Consort Sun sneered: "Sisters of the same family? Who is a sister of the same family with her!" "If the Duke's mansion sends her into the palace, is that not stepping on my head to climb up?" "You are cold and selfish, yet you want me to be selfless? To let you drain my blood dry and toss me aside as a discarded piece?!" Consort Sun's words were too harsh—she was practically tearing face with the Duke's mansion. Fortunately, the Duchess of the Duke's mansion had a deep mind and did not change expression on the spot. Instead, she spoke earnestly: "Your Highness, I gave birth to you. Could I possibly harm you?!" "Your Highness is young now and does not know the hardships of the world. There are more women in this palace than flowers; when one withers, countless others will bloom." "The Emperor will sooner or later hold an imperial beauty selection to fill the harem. If not your own sisters, there will be others. Rather than others, wouldn't it be better to have your own sisters by your side? If in the future there is an opportunity to bear an Imperial Heir, would that not also share blood kinship with you?" "Moreover, sisters of the same family are of one heart—better than fighting alone. Take the matter of your title being stripped and your house arrest. If you had a sister by your side who could speak and plead for you, the outcome might have been different." Lady Sun held Consort Sun's hand with tears in her eyes: "Your Highness, do not mind that my words pierce your heart. Your appearance is damaged, and I fear there is no hope of regaining favor. Are you willing to endure the rest of your life suffering in the harem?" Consort Sun was both shocked and angry, her hand trembling as she held Lady Sun's. Lady Sun's words might have been for her good, or they might have carried her own intentions and calculations—but Consort Sun did not want to hear any of it. Blood ties bound them, and her mother's concerns were not without reason, but why should she have to bear this grievance? Why should she have to yield step by step and be selfless?! Consort Sun took a deep breath: "Mother is right. I was thinking too narrowly." Consort Sun had been raised by Lady Sun's own hands, so naturally she could tell that her daughter had not taken her words to heart. But Lady Sun was not anxious either, only thinking that Consort Sun was still young and hot-tempered, unable to bear the slightest grievance. She would simply wait until the future, when Consort Sun suffered more trials in the palace, to realize that her family meant well for her, and that only her family could serve as her backing. Mother and daughter made peace on the surface, but the intimacy in their speech was never the same as before. The further it went, the less Consort Sun wanted to talk, her mind instead flying to the Cold Palace, wondering whether Lady-in-waiting Gong had already drunk the poisoned wine and departed this world by now. As she thought about it, she grew more impatient. Before the time was up, she found an excuse to urge Lady Sun and her not-so-familiar cousin to leave. A hint of embarrassment appeared on Lady Sun's face, but in the end, she sighed and led the others away. The moment the two left, Consort Sun's trusted confidante came to deliver the news: "Your Highness, Lady-in-waiting Gong is gone. Her Majesty the Empress had a coffin prepared for her and sent her out of the palace." "That was too good for her!" Consort Sun said viciously. But in truth, her heart did not hate Lady-in-waiting Gong as much as her words suggested. In fact, the moment she heard of Lady-in-waiting Gong's death, her emotions were not as stirred as when her mother had asked her to look after her cousin in the future. Ever since Fang Yuan'er had been demoted to Lady-in-waiting and imprisoned in the Cold Palace, she had posed no threat to any woman in the harem. No one would pay her any mind anymore. Thus, her death was like a pebble cast into a calm lake—it stirred barely a ripple. Consort Sun quickly shifted her attention. "The Duke's Mansion has already abandoned Ben Gong, only thinking of supporting new women to enter the palace and gain favor again. But they don't stop to think—how many years would it take for a new woman to climb to Ben Gong's position?" Consort Sun slowly closed her eyes. "Ben Gong has already sacrificed enough for the Duke's Mansion. This time, Ben Gong's fate will be in Ben Gong's own hands." She had no intention of supporting any cousin, much less becoming someone else's stepping stone. The Duke's Mansion did not support her in adopting the child in Wu Baolin's belly, only because they still harbored hopes of sending another Sun family woman into the palace in the future, one who would bear an Imperial Heir with Sun family blood, and then the Duke's Mansion would lend its full support. But Consort Sun simply refused to let them have their way. She had married into the prince's household for the sake of the Duke's Mansion. Now that her face was ruined and she had become a discarded piece, was she to sacrifice her last bit of value to elevate someone else? The very thought of another Sun family woman entering the palace, requiring her to painstakingly support her, help her gain favor, and share her life and death, made Consort Sun feel like vomiting blood from her throat. She would not do it! After seeing off Lady Sun, Consort Sun sat in her own palace for half the night. In the end, she finally made her decision, turning her gaze toward Wu Baolin's belly. The Emperor had already made her suffer so much—was it not only fair that he compensate her with a son? Once she had a son, no matter who the Duke's Mansion sent into the palace, the Emperor would never grant them a high rank. Low-ranking concubines were not even worthy of raising their own children. Then both of them would have offspring—let's see whom the Duke's Mansion would choose to support. Right now, she was caught between a rock and a hard place, but when fortunes turned in the future, they would see how the Duke's Mansion made its choice. This time, the Empress had shown mercy by allowing family members of every palace to visit, which greatly eased the atmosphere in the harem. After the visits ended, the harem enjoyed unprecedented tranquility. Of course, it was also because all the troublemakers were gone—those who remained either dared not make trouble or simply did not care to. As the New Year approached, the Empress had to manage the affairs of the entire harem and could no longer fall ill every few days. She had to force herself to preside over things, and Xie Run also began to grow busy. One day, Xie Run had just finished handling the tasks assigned by the Empress and was about to take her attendants to the pavilion at the center of the lake to enjoy the snow and brew tea. Lady Lu arrived in high spirits, clutching a hand warmer: "Sister Xie, have you heard the news?" Xie Run asked curiously, "What news?"