Chapter 375

Chapter 375 Eunuch Shian could remember Imperial Concubine Lu simply because she was close to Noble Consort Zhao. And Noble Consort Zhao never associated with the concubines of the Six Palaces, yet she alone showed some kindness to this Imperial Concubine Lu. Because of this, even the Imperial Household Department and the servants of various palaces treated Imperial Concubine Lu with a measure of respect. Eunuch Shian also considered Xie Run's interests and did not mention that Imperial Concubine Lu had once been a maidservant to Concubine An, who had borne the Emperor twins while still in the prince's residence. Had those words been spoken, the Emperor would likely have looked at Imperial Concubine Lu with disdain. Although Eunuch Shian did not mention it, the Emperor gave it a moment's thought and recalled Imperial Concubine Lu's past, unable to help furrowing his brow. "Since the Empress manages the harem so strictly, how does she allow such wanton discussion of those of higher rank?" Eunuch Shian kept his head lowered, thinking of how to discreetly speak a few words on Imperial Concubine Lu's behalf. But unexpectedly, the Emperor shifted his tone and asked, "Was what she just said true?" Eunuch Shian's mind turned quickly, and he immediately replied, "If we're speaking of Noble Lady Xian reporting that the Sixth Prince was unwell and thus not attending the morning greetings, that is true." "As for the rest, this old servant would not know." The Emperor knew he was deliberately being evasive, and kicked Shian lightly. "You old rascal, you're getting slicker by the day." "Since you don't know, then I shall go see for myself whether this is true or false." Because she had palace affairs to handle, Xie Run stayed a while longer at Fengyi Palace. Just as she was discussing matters concerning the Seventh Prince with the Empress, a palace attendant suddenly came forward to request an audience. Xie Run smiled and said, "Your Majesty the Empress, it's getting late. This concubine shall take her leave?" "The matters regarding the Seventh Prince have been mostly settled. Once I go check again this afternoon, everything should be secure." The Empress waved her hand. "You've worked hard as well. Go back and rest for a while." "I can see your complexion hasn't been good lately—it seems you've been worn out from the New Year." "You've always been diligent and steady. If you feel unwell, just send someone to request leave. I'm not one to take offense." Xie Run smiled. "Perhaps it's the busyness of the year-end that has tired me out. My appetite indeed hasn't been good lately. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." "If this concubine feels unwell, I will certainly request leave." The Empress nodded slightly. After leaving Fengyi Palace, Xie Run spotted Yueya not far away, and guessed she had something to say. Yueya said, "Your Ladyship, the Fifth Prince is insisting on waiting for you to have breakfast together. Nanny Xu couldn't dissuade him, so she sent me to wait for you." Xie Run nodded with a serious expression. "Cong'er is being naughty again." After the group had walked two streets away, Yueya said, "Your Ladyship, just now the Emperor went to Noble Lady Xian's palace. For some reason, he flew into a rage and demoted Noble Lady Xian's rank." "And there's something even stranger. The moment the Emperor stepped out of Noble Lady Xian's palace, he issued an edict granting Imperial Concubine Lu a title—'Shen' (Cautious)." The Emperor rarely directly punished the concubines of the harem. That he suddenly demoted Noble Lady Xian today was one thing, but granting Imperial Concubine Lu such a strange title as well— There must be more to it. When Xie Run heard this title, her first reaction was that the Emperor was admonishing Imperial Concubine Lu to be careful in her words and actions. But she wasn't certain. Xie Run said, "Return to the palace first. We can ask Imperial Concubine Lu about it later." If Noble Lady Xian's demotion was related to Imperial Concubine Lu, then Imperial Concubine Lu was probably trembling with fear right now as well. Xie Run's prediction proved correct. Upon receiving the edict, Imperial Concubine Lu immediately guessed the cause and effect. Her heart raced with fright, and she hurriedly brought her attendants to request an audience with Xie Run through the side gate. Entering through the main gate would draw too much attention—she was afraid of implicating Xie Run. The moment Xie Run returned to Zhaohua Palace, she saw Imperial Concubine Lu with a face full of misery. She still had the mood to tease. "You've not only been promoted in rank but also granted a title. You should be delighted, so why the long face? That's not like you." Imperial Concubine Lu wailed, "Sister Xie, please stop teasing me. I'm scared half to death." Xie Run washed her hands and said unhurriedly, "First, tell me what exactly you did to suddenly draw the Emperor's attention." Imperial Concubine Lu complained, "I merely exchanged a few idle words with Lady of Handsome Fairness Fang on the way back from the morning greetings. Perhaps some gossip-monger reported it to the Emperor, or perhaps the Emperor happened to be nearby and overheard." "Before I even returned to my palace, the edict arrived out of nowhere." "At first, when I heard the Emperor had granted me a title, I was nearly mad with joy. It was Cuiniao who sensed something was wrong and quickly pulled me aside, saying that when things are out of the ordinary, there must be something sinister behind it." "So I sent someone to investigate, and it turned out the Emperor had just finished reprimanding Noble Lady Xian before granting me the title. Calculating the timing, it was exactly when I had just finished gossiping about Noble Lady Xian..." The more Imperial Concubine Lu thought about it on her way back, the more something felt off. And then the Emperor had to go and grant such a title. Shen? At first hearing, one might think it was praising her for being cautious. But thinking carefully, she had a rough temperament—caution had nothing to do with her. Thinking even more carefully, could the character "Shen" be the Emperor's way of warning her to watch her words and actions? Imperial Concubine Lu said tearfully, "Sister Xie, do you think the Emperor is warning me?" Xie Run said helplessly, "If the Emperor were truly angry with someone, he would simply demote them directly, just as he did with Noble Lady Xian. Why would he bother granting you a title on the surface while secretly being angry himself?" To be honest, Lu Pin wasn't worth the Emperor's attention. Lu Pin listened and actually found some sense in it. She asked cautiously, "So His Majesty isn't angry with me?" Xie Run hesitated. "That's not necessarily true." "The timing of events is too coincidental. We'll need to send someone to find out whether His Majesty heard something, and whether this title carries some hidden meaning." From Xie Run's understanding of the Emperor, he might not truly be angry with Lu Pin, but he did have a somewhat mischievous nature. He was displeased that Noble Lady Xian used the Sixth Prince's discomfort as an excuse to skip paying respects to the Empress, and also displeased that Lu Pin couldn't keep her mouth shut. That was why he deliberately bestowed this title. Though Lu Pin had gained an advantage now, Noble Lady Xian wasn't that foolish either. She sent people to investigate and learned that her demotion was caused by Lu Pin. When she realized that while she was demoted, Lu Pin had received a title instead, she would hardly let the matter rest with Lu Pin. The Emperor's move was truly mischievous. Lu Pin's loose tongue had earned her an extra enemy for nothing. Lu Pin was at a loss, nodding repeatedly at Xie Run's words. "Yes, I need to investigate." She paused. "But what should I investigate?" Xie Run said gently, "First, send someone to ask around the Imperial Garden whether His Majesty visited today, and roughly at what hour." Spying on the Emperor's movements was a grave offense, but knowing where the Emperor had been was common in the harem. "Compare the timing. That way we'll know whether His Majesty went to see Noble Lady Xian because he heard your words, or whether someone was gossiping in front of him." "Also, send someone to find out the detailed process of Noble Lady Xian's demotion." Xie Run added, "His Majesty isn't someone who acts on one-sided accounts. Even if he heard what you said, he wouldn't directly demote Noble Lady Xian. Something must have happened in her palace." Lu Pin nodded eagerly. "I'll go right away!" Gathering information was something she was good at. Before long, Lu Pin returned with news, her expression a mix of good and bad. Lu Pin said with a grimace, "I asked the servants in the Imperial Garden. When I finished paying respects with Consort Fang, His Majesty had indeed visited the Imperial Garden." "Based on the timing, His Majesty did go to Noble Lady Xian's palace because of what I said." "The good news is that His Majesty didn't demote Noble Lady Xian because of my words. He was angry because when he arrived at her palace, he happened to catch her bullying Granny Jiang on some pretext." "Granny Jiang?" Xie Run was startled by the name, not immediately recalling who it was. It was Lu Pin who explained, "She's the old nursemaid who managed to soothe the Sixth Prince back then. Later, His Majesty assigned her to care for the Sixth Prince exclusively." Lu Pin leaned closer to Xie Run. "Granny Jiang is very good with children, and the Sixth Prince has a delicate temperament. Now he only lets Granny Jiang take care of him. Noble Lady Xian has been stewing with resentment over this." "Today, unfortunately, Noble Lady Xian couldn't bear it anymore. She found a pretext to scold Granny Jiang and put her in her place, and His Majesty happened to walk in on it." "I heard that when His Majesty arrived, the Sixth Prince was crying loudly nearby, but Noble Lady Xian was so focused on suppressing Granny Jiang that she completely ignored the Sixth Prince. That infuriated His Majesty, and he directly demoted her rank." "I also heard that if Noble Lady Xian hadn't begged desperately, His Majesty would have had the Sixth Prince moved to the Princes' Residence on the spot." "After this incident, His Majesty also realized that the Sixth Prince wasn't actually ill. Noble Lady Xian had deliberately claimed he was sick as an excuse to avoid paying respects to the Empress." With those two matters combined, how could Noble Lady Xian have any good days ahead? So to say that Noble Lady Xian's misfortune had nothing to do with Lu Pin—that was impossible. But the connection wasn't that significant either. Xie Run said, "From the looks of it, His Majesty isn't angry with you. You can rest assured now, can't you?" Lu Pin said sheepishly, "Sister Xie, are you certain His Majesty isn't angry with me for bestowing this title?" Xie Run looked at her quietly and gave a faint smile. Lu Pin let out a deep sigh. The matter was obvious; she couldn't keep deceiving herself. "Once Noble Lady Xian learns the truth, she'll probably hate me to death." Xie Run said with a smile, "You're wrong there. You should call her Lady Xian now." Fortunately, Zhaorong Huizhao had just received a promotion, leaving the position of Lady of Appearance vacant. Otherwise, Noble Lady Xian would have been demoted directly to Lady of Appearance. Hearing this, Lu Pin finally understood that Xie Run was comforting her, telling her not to worry too much. She bowed to Xie Run. "Sister Xie, thank you for reminding me. She's too busy dealing with her own troubles now. Even if she wants to hate me, she'll have to take care of the Sixth Prince first." Xie Run patted her hand. "Don't worry. If she truly tries to bully you, Ben Gong won't allow it." Now the entire palace knew that Lu Pin was her person. If Lady Xian bullied Lu Pin, it would be slapping Xie Run in the face. There was no way Xie Run would tolerate that. "Speaking of which, the title His Majesty bestowed isn't bad either. Shen... I only hope you'll be more cautious in your words and actions from now on." "If today's matter had been overheard not by His Majesty but by someone else who made trouble of it, wouldn't that have ruined you?" Concubine Shen nodded repeatedly. "This time I've truly learned my lesson. I'll never speak carelessly outside again." She sighed helplessly. "It's also because the palace has been too peaceful these days, unlike the difficult days in the prince's residence back then. That's why I let my guard down." Otherwise, Concubine Shen wouldn't dare spread rumors so recklessly. The one most affected by this matter was Lady Xian; everyone else was merely watching the drama unfold. They had expected Lady Xian to make a scene, but instead she simply kept her head down and stayed in her own palace tending to her child, so there was no point in continuing to watch the show. As mid-February approached, Xie Run went to discuss the matter of tailoring spring garments for the palace with the Empress. The Empress even specially kept Xie Run for a meal. This was a gesture of favor toward Xie Run, and also a display of harmony among the consorts. But Xie Run had little appetite, and the Empress couldn't eat much either, so the meal passed without much flavor. As she left Fengyi Palace, someone came to report news to Xie Run. "Noble Consort Zhao, my mistress has matters she wishes to discuss with you and requests that you come to Fanghua Palace." The person who came was a palace maid serving Hua Yu, and she spoke with considerable authority. Xie Run, wanting to aid her digestion, didn't take the palanquin but chose to walk and take a stroll. Seeing Hua Yu's messenger now, she found it amusing inwardly: "Tell your mistress to rest properly in her own palace and not stir up trouble for no reason." "Her most important task right now is to safely deliver the Imperial Heir, not to spend her days thinking about all sorts of nonsense." "If she finds Fanghua Palace uncomfortable, she can go ask the Emperor to change her residence. Given Consort Hua's favor, wouldn't that be just a word away?" No matter how gently Xie Run phrased her words, spoken from her position, they always carried a certain weight of authority from one in a superior station. The palace maid from Fanghua Palace heard her mockery, her expression shifting slightly as she lowered her head, not daring to speak. After finishing, Xie Run ignored Hua Yu's messenger and left with her attendants. Once they were out of earshot, Xiaoshu couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, this Consort Hua is truly becoming more and more outrageous. Relying on her pregnancy, she stirs up trouble for us every few days, and now she even dares to command you!" "She's just a Zhaoyi—if she has matters to discuss with you, she should come and request an audience herself. How dare she have you go to her?" Of course, Hua Yu was only daring to be so presumptuous now because she was pregnant. If Xie Run truly expressed displeasure, she could brush it off with her pregnancy, making Xie Run seem petty instead. Xie Run said indifferently, "It's not like she's only just started doing thoughtless things. If you bother to engage with her, you're only inviting trouble for yourself." Over the past year, Hua Yu had been promoted several ranks in succession, was now pregnant, and her elder brother had been repeatedly distinguishing himself outside the palace—she had truly become insufferably arrogant. During the busy period at the start of the year, she had been relatively well-behaved. But once the holidays passed, for some reason she began complaining that living in Fanghua Palace was uncomfortable. Xie Run had originally thought Hua Yu disliked Fanghua Palace and was using this as an excuse to have it lavishly redecorated to line her own pockets. But it turned out Hua Yu didn't dislike Fanghua Palace itself—she wanted to drive out the other residents and have Fanghua Palace all to herself. Xiaoshu said indignantly, "The other day she said she couldn't sleep well, kept having nightmares, as if she'd been disturbed by something, and insisted on having a master come to look into it. After that, she insisted Beauty Duan's serious illness was inauspicious and that it was harming the Imperial Heir in her womb." "Then yesterday she said the incense in Beauty Wu's palace was too strong, and the scent drifted into her palace, choking her." Xiaoshu, apparently still harboring resentment toward Consort Hua, voiced her complaints fluently. Xie Run and Dantao both found it somewhat amusing. Xiaoshu continued: "Heavens have mercy—Beauty Duan is already in such a state, and she still can't tolerate her presence." "And Beauty Wu, though she also lives in Fanghua Palace, is a world away from the main hall—not even as close as Yongming Palace is—yet she insists the incense from Beauty Wu's quarters is choking her."