Ex-Girlfriend – Chapter 30
by Little PandaVolume 2: Power Over Court and Country
The Deposed Empress 05
Covering The Heaven With One Hand
The flickering candlelight made Xin Lan’s eyes look sleepy as she recounted her story almost completely.
From when the original host became his wife, to the decree that placed her under house arrest.
Perhaps to gain some bargaining power, Xin Lan also revealed the truth about her inability to have children.
“I never imagined he would be such a person…”
Qu Zhi’an murmured, looking at Xin Lan with eyes full of sympathy.
At first, she just felt something was strange about her, but now thinking back, it feels even more bitter.
If she hadn’t woken up in time tonight and managed to escape, who knows what the outcome would have been.
Qu Zhi’an initially thought the emperor was a good ruler worth serving, someone who could help her achieve her ambitions. But now, she realized he was nothing more than a ruthless and despicable person.
Even his faultless wife of several years was treated like this. Such a cold-hearted person was definitely not the kind of ruler she wanted. He had no air of nobility, and someone so narrow-minded surely wouldn’t get far.
Moreover, tonight, he even set a trap for her.
“You don’t need to look at me like that; it’s all in the past. I haven’t asked for your name, but if you don’t want to tell me, there’s no need. We might not have the chance to meet again.”
Xin Lan spoke of the surface reality, as one was in the outer court and the other in the inner palace, making it indeed difficult to meet.
But in truth, if there’s no chance, we must create the opportunity.
“My name is Qu Zhi’an. ‘Zhi’ as in ‘fragrant herbs by the riverbank,’ and ‘An’ as in ‘peaceful and safe.'”
“Qu Zhi’an,” Xin Lan pronounced the name slowly, smiling at her, “I’ve remembered it. Aren’t you afraid this name could be ‘a handle’?” (meaning something that could be used against you).
“It was supposed to be a very important matter, but now…” Qu Zhi’an’s face showed hesitation. “I don’t know when His Majesty found out I was a woman. If he knew, why drug me and put me with you, unless…”
“Unless he wants others to know I’m with you, but doesn’t want them to find out you’re a woman.”
Xin Lan provided the “obvious answer”, which was what Qu Zhi’an also intended to say.
“But clearly, we would both be punished…”
Qu Zhi’an, usually sharp-witted, couldn’t figure out what the emperor’s intentions were.
“What if he’s taken a liking to you?”
“Me?”
Qu Zhi’an pointed at herself, a bit stunned.
A gust of wind blew in from outside, making Qu Zhi’an shiver.
She was soaked from head to toe, clothes and all, feeling quite uncomfortable. But since it was summer, it wasn’t too bad. More importantly, this set of clothes she was wearing absolutely couldn’t be changed.
What bothered her more than her current wet state was what Xin Lan had just suggested.
“An admirable-looking, highly capable Lord Qu, so different from other women. Knowing you’re a woman, do you think His Majesty might be interested in you? Maybe he wants to make a big fuss, claim I seduced you, and you were just drunk. Punish me, but take you to the palace. You’re drugged, weak, and confused, with even a bit of stimulant effect. Alone together, what do you think might happen?” Xin Lan’s face twisted into a mocking smile, but she didn’t stop speaking. “Compared to a woman confined to the inner palace, a court official can become a sharp blade in his hand to use against his enemies, right?”
Xin Lan stated the hard truth, watching Qu Zhi’an’s reaction. She noticed Qu Zhi’an’s frown and the disgust on her face.
Qu Zhi’an was truly sickened by Xin Lan’s words, feeling her stomach churn.
But she knew this wasn’t just idle talk; it was something that could very likely happen.
She clenched her fists—there was no way she could let that happen.
She left home, disguised as a man, to escape the fate of marriage and avoid wasting away in the inner chambers. If things turned out like this, what would it mean?
Moreover, she only had a sense of duty between ruler and subject toward the emperor. Knowing that he plotted against her like this, and seeing his petty methods, like those of a narrow-minded housewife, made her despise him even more.
Qu Zhi’an was in a foul mood, and her damp, sticky clothes only made her feel worse.
Her original plan was to serve the emperor well. She knew that the issue of powerful in-laws was a headache for him. As a rising star promoted by the emperor, she was bound to fight against that faction and become a sword in the emperor’s hand. The emperor didn’t need to resort to such tactics to achieve this.
But still, he just had to drug her, harboring such a disgusting thought.
Qu Zhi’an felt like she couldn’t catch her breath, with frustration stuck in her chest.
Xin Lan noted all her reactions, secretly pleased. She wanted to make her uncomfortable.
Only by gradually making Qu Zhi’an feel disgusted and distant could she win her over.
In this world, stealing someone’s support wasn’t as easy as in the last one. Previously, it was a matter of life and death, and changing sides was normal. But in this world, Xin Lan’s aim was to take everything from the emperor, which inevitably included thoughts of rebellion. Of course, Xin Lan didn’t plan to become the emperor herself. If things really turned around, being a “regent” (meaning a ruler acting on behalf of the monarchy) would be much better than being the emperor. But that’s a story for another time.
In this kind of situation, very few people would think of rebellion. Even if Qu Zhi’an is disgusted with the emperor now, at most she might just quit her position. Of course, whether she could actually leave is another matter, and it still doesn’t mean she could be pulled into another camp.
After all, feelings of disgust aren’t enough to drive someone to act, unless they are extremely arrogant or crazy.
Xin Lan understood this very well. Just like before, she was on the empire’s side, serving the emperor. There were officials in the court who were dissatisfied with the emperor, and eventually, there were even traitors. If it was an internal conflict, it could still be controlled. The most terrifying thing was colluding with the enemy.
Suddenly thinking of this, Xin Lan thought of Consort Man.
She calculated how much time had passed since the incident occurred, and Ling Jiu gave an accurate number.
It seemed about the right time.
“Lord Qu, you should leave now. It’s best to say you were pushed into some pool. I’m sure you can handle that part yourself.”
Qu Zhi’an nodded upon hearing this.
“Thank you for your help tonight.”
“No need to call me that,” Xin Lan smiled, understanding that Qu Zhi’an was trying to respect her dignity. “Just call me by my name, Xin Lan, like ‘misty mountains and cloud peaks’.”
“Miss Xin.”
Qu Zhi’an nodded.
“I’ll take you out. You don’t know the way around the palace. I’ll lead you to the little lake; if we’re putting on a show, we should do it right.”
“Thank you.”
Qu Zhi’an had almost completely bought into Xin Lan’s scenario. To her, Xin Lan had done her a favor.
Xin Lan put on her clothes and glanced at Qu Zhi’an’s chest.
Whether it was because it was flat or tightly bound, it looked completely normal.
Chunyue and Sitong saw the two come out of the room, with Qu Zhi’an soaked from head to toe, and it seemed like nothing had happened.
Xin Lan led Qu Zhi’an to a nearby lake, waved goodbye, and walked away.
Qu Zhi’an looked at her still dripping wet hair and then at the gracefully departing figure not far away, the expression in her eyes darkening.
When she looked up again, she pretended to be confused, like she was wandering aimlessly forward.
Xin Lan returned to the palace and sat down in a chair.
For now, she had narrowly escaped a crisis. She didn’t know what the emperor might do next. If this plan failed, who knew what backup plans he might have.
She had managed to create some distance between Qu Zhi’an and the emperor. Anyone would feel uneasy knowing their boss might have workplace harassment intentions.
So, who should she target next?
In the court, Xin Lan didn’t have anyone she could rely on yet. The Xin family was indeed powerful, but that was the Xin family, not her, Xin Lan.
The Xin family definitely had big ambitions. At first, they sought high status and influence. Later, when the new emperor wanted to eliminate them, they had to dig in deeper to protect themselves and avoid a tragic end, making it hard for the emperor to move against them—at least for now.
So, they pinned their hopes on the empress in the harem, hoping she could bear a dragon child, who could inherit the throne, allowing the Xin family to continue thriving. But the original empress couldn’t bear any children, and there were no heirs in the harem at all.
Since she couldn’t tackle the court for now, she would start with the harem.
But before that, Xin Lan had one more thing to take care of.
After completing the task assigned by the emperor, Hong Huan walked out of the palace gates.
He didn’t know why the emperor went to such lengths to plot against the deposed empress who was already in the Cold Palace, but as a trusted aide, he didn’t need to question it. He just had to follow orders.
When he pushed open the door and returned home, he instinctively sensed something was off. But before he could react, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and blacked out.
Xin Lan emerged from behind the door, dusting off her hands.
The one who knocked her out, followed her, and kicked open her door to speak with her was this man. Although it was at the emperor’s behest, “the principal culprit is guilty, and the accomplices are equally accountable” (meaning all involved share responsibility for the crime).
She couldn’t deal with the emperor for now, but couldn’t she at least vent her frustration on his underlings?
Luckily, this man lived alone; otherwise, she would have had to distract him on the way to succeed.
Looking at the man unconscious on the ground, Xin Lan showed a very faint smile.
Ling Jiu recognized this smile; it had appeared on her face in the last world when Xin Lan went to deal with Zhou Yunfei.
Xin Lan wasn’t ruthless. She didn’t leave any marks on him; she just used her inner strength to embed a needle at his waist.
She did all of this in under a minute. Xin Lan went inside, took all the silver, and deliberately smashed and overturned some things to make it look like the place had been robbed.
Using her qinggong, she left and returned to the palace, slipping back through her window.
After securing the money, Xin Lan took off her clothes and fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, back at the banquet, as time moved forward, the gathering continued.
Hearing the news from his subordinates, Wu Yanqing’s smile faded a bit.
The people below noticed his mood change, and even their conversations became quieter.
Since the banquet was almost over, and with other things on his mind, Wu Yanqing decided to end it early.
Back in the inner hall, the people kneeling before him reported everything one by one.
“You can’t even keep track of a woman!”
Wu Yanqing couldn’t help but scold, pacing in front of them, almost wanting to throw something at them, but he restrained himself.
“Have you found her?”
“No, Your Majesty. I followed the path, but found nothing, and there was no sign of her in the Cold Palace either.”
“Useless!”
Wu Yanqing’s anger was hard to contain, his chest heaving with frustration.
Everything was going against his calculations and expectations. What should have been a perfect outcome had turned into a mess.
The person he plotted against was unharmed, and another was missing altogether.
“Your Majesty, we’ve found the top scholar.”
A palace servant came in to report.
“What? Where? Bring her in.”
Wu Yanqing’s eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered them to bring her in.
Before long, Qu Zhi’an, drenched from head to toe, came in and bowed to the emperor.
“You may leave,” Wu Yanqing said, brushing his sleeve. The people kneeling quickly exited.
“I wondered why I didn’t see you at the banquet. Where did you go? Why are you in such a state?” Wu Yanqing asked with genuine concern.
Qu Zhi’an forced a shy smile, though inside she felt a chill.
He was the one who schemed against her, and he knew everything, yet he could still pretend to care so sincerely. It was a kind of concern she could hardly appreciate.
“I don’t know, Your Majesty. I drank a bit too much and went outside for some fresh air. A maid suggested I rest in the pavilion and promised to bring me some hangover soup. Somehow, I found myself in the lake, and quickly got out of the water. But then I couldn’t find my way back. I guess I was too dizzy from the drink and wandered off. It took a while before I saw any palace staff.”
Qu Zhi’an smiled sheepishly, her face slightly flushed.
“You really are a bit muddle-headed,” Wu Yanqing remarked.
Wu Yanqing said in a coaxing manner, and Qu Zhi’an, who hadn’t noticed the ambiguity in his words before, was now acutely aware of it.
Maybe it was like “the man who suspected his neighbor of stealing his axe” (a saying about seeing things wrongly due to one’s own suspicions), but now everything the emperor said and did felt off to her, full of ambiguous undertones that she found extremely off-putting.
Yet she had to pretend not to notice. If she exposed it or even hinted at it, the situation would become something she didn’t want to deal with.
She just wanted to maintain a ruler-subject relationship, nothing more.
“Then, Your Majesty, I’ll take my leave to go home and change.”
“Why not rest here? I can have someone bring you a suitable set of clothes.”
“No need to trouble Your Majesty. It’s not too late, and I’d like to head back soon.”
Wu Yanqing met Qu Zhi’an’s eyes and had to nod.
“Alright, then hurry home. Even though the weather’s like this, be careful not to catch a cold. Remember to have something warm when you get back.”
“Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”
Qu Zhi’an couldn’t face that expression any longer; she needed to go home and sort things out.
Returning to her place, which was just a rented courtyard since she didn’t have her own residence yet, she took a bath and drank a cup of hot tea. Then, wearing clean clothes, she sat by the table.
The flickering candlelight illuminated her face, which was full of heavy thoughts.
Qu Zhi’an hadn’t expected to get this far. Initially, she didn’t want to get married just like that, so she left a note for her family, asking them not to arrange a marriage for her or agree to any matchmakers. Taking a few hundred taels of silver and a family heirloom jade pendant, she set out on her own.
It might not have been very filial, but Qu Zhi’an wanted to live freely. Her father always told her that the most important thing in life is happiness, so she went in search of her own joy.
Coming from a merchant family, there weren’t that many strict rules, and she learned a lot by watching and listening as she grew up.
While traveling, she managed to use her small amount of silver to build a considerable fortune within two years. During this time, she sent letters to her family, asking them to accept it, and then used her earnings to travel. She headed south, met two like-minded friends, and enjoyed a good journey with them. After parting ways with her friends, she continued on to the capital.
She happened to arrive just in time for the imperial exams. She wrote extensively, based on her experiences and thoughts, without any real intention of making a name for herself. She wasn’t very ambitious, and her unique status meant that being discovered would be no laughing matter. Yet, unexpectedly, on a whim, she found herself where she was now.
Initially, she was happy, especially when debating with the emperor in the grand hall and engaging in thoughtful discussions with others at the teahouse. She even planned to serve the court and the country, never marrying.
But she never expected so much to happen tonight.
Qu Zhi’an undressed and went to bed, but she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Her mind kept replaying the emperor’s earlier behavior, his scheming, and that striking yet indifferent face, all culminating in the image of a hand pressing against the back of her head, forcing her toward a chest she couldn’t refuse.
Soft and delicate, with a warmth that seeped into her bones.
Qu Zhi’an sat up suddenly, shaking her head to clear it.
Yet, whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was Xin Lan in the wooden tub, talking, brushing her long hair on the bed, her words laced with sarcasm, her expression cold but stunningly beautiful.
Qu Zhi’an unconsciously sighed and, with a heavy heart, finally drifted into sleep.
The next day, Wu Yanqing noticed Hong Huan looking rather glum when he came on duty, and casually asked what had happened.
“Last night, Your Majesty, I returned home to find it had been robbed.”
Hong Huan gave a bitter smile. His home had been completely cleaned out, and he had woken up in the courtyard with the sun on his face. He didn’t mention the embarrassing detail of being knocked out. After all, as a dignified imperial guard, getting knocked out by a thief in his own home was a rather shameful thing to admit.
The emperor, whose plans had failed the previous night, was not in the best of moods. However, after a night’s sleep, he felt much better and offered a word of comfort to his subordinate before moving on.
After the emperor left, Hong Huan rubbed his waist, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but since he didn’t notice anything unusual, he didn’t give it much thought.
Meanwhile, Xin Lan began quietly working away in the Cold Palace. Of course, to outsiders, she still appeared to be just sitting idly in the back palace, lost in thought.
Xin Lan had Ling Jiu create a chart for her, listing all the concubines in the harem and their backing connections.
The emperor’s harem wasn’t very large at the moment, as had been mentioned several times before. Without counting Xin Lan, there were only about ten or so.
The relationships in the harem were fairly easy to sort out, mainly divided into five factions.
These were led by the Empress, the Noble Consort, Consort Man, and Consort Xi, with another group that stayed out of all the conflicts.
Previously, a few concubines had aligned themselves with Xin Lan’s predecessor. After the predecessor’s downfall, only two remained loyal to Xin Long. This was because their fathers or brothers worked under the Xin family, either through family ties or as protégés, sharing the same fate—when one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer. Meanwhile, two others had yet to make their stance clear.
After all, people’s hearts are always complicated, not as clear-cut as data.
Xin Lan calculated that the selection ceremony for new concubines should be coming up soon. Originally, when the emperor ascended the throne, the harem should have been filled, but he delayed it by citing three years of mourning. Now it’s the fourth year, and many officials have raised concerns about the lack of heirs. After all, he’s the first emperor to have no children since taking the throne.
Both the Xin family and some old ministers hope for the emperor to start the selection process. The emperor has been resisting this pressure for more than half a year, but it seems he won’t be able to hold out much longer.
The Xin family is particularly anxious now. Xin Long is not yet thirteen, and she’s far too young to bear the emperor’s favor, let alone become pregnant. So they desperately need a child to stabilize their position.
The Xin family also knows that even if there is a child now, Xin Long is still a child herself, and it would be challenging for her to raise one properly.
So, they need a trustworthy woman from their own faction to become pregnant. The emperor isn’t interested in any of the current women in the harem, so they must introduce new people. The selection ceremony is absolutely necessary.
Xin Lan tapped her fingers on the table, pondering that she couldn’t make any moves herself right now and would have to rely on her young niece.
Xin Long sneezed in her room and rubbed her nose.
“Mingxiang, is the new sachet ready?”
“It’s ready, and here it is. Take a sniff and see if you like it. I think it smells quite nice,” said the maid.
Xin Long smiled at the words, held the sachet to her nose for a gentle sniff, and nodded.
“It does smell nice. Auntie is really amazing.”
“The kitchen has also prepared the dish. Would you like to try it first? If you think it’s good, you can present it to His Majesty later.”
“Sure, have someone bring it over.”
Originally, meals were supposed to be handled by the imperial kitchen, but when the former empress moved into the Changshou Palace, she sometimes wanted snacks or tonic soups at night. So, a small kitchen was set up for that purpose, and now that Xin Long was living there, she continued to use it.
The dish was a dessert, with red fruit filled with crushed ice, looking both beautiful and delicious.
Xin Long only planned to have a few bites, but she ended up finishing the whole bowl.
“This is both tasty and refreshing. Auntie is truly wonderful. Tell them to make two more bowls—one for you to take to Auntie, and the other for me to take to His Majesty.”
“Miss, you must remember not to refer to yourself like that now,” Mingxiang gently reminded her forgetful mistress. It was fine to be informal in front of her, but not in public.
“Got it, got it. Bring it here to me. Hurry up.”
Wu Yanqing was in the imperial study reviewing memorials, with a palace maid fanning him. There were basins filled with ice placed around the room, so it wasn’t too stuffy.
“Your Majesty, the Empress is here.”
“What is she here for?” Wu Yanqing asked without looking up, dipping his brush in cinnabar ink.
“She’s brought you something to eat to help cool you down.”
“Let her in.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Footsteps approached, and Wu Yanqing set aside the memorials.
“Your Majesty, I’ve brought you something to eat.”
The voice was as clear and chirpy as a yellow oriole’s song, catching Wu Yanqing off guard. Seeing the young girl dressed in the phoenix robe, he suddenly remembered that he now had a new empress.
Facing the little girl’s innocent smile, Wu Yanqing coldly chuckled inside, but outwardly, he merely nodded without much expression.
The bowl of dessert gave off a refreshing chill, making Wu Yanqing’s mouth water.
The young girl looked at him with hopeful eyes, so Wu Yanqing picked up the spoon and took a sip, intending to send Xin Long away.
As soon as the cool, smooth dessert touched his tongue, it chased away the summer heat. The red, berry-like fruit had a sweet and sour taste, just what Wu Yanqing needed to calm his irritated mood from reviewing the memorials. He ended up finishing the small bowl.
“Not bad,” Wu Yanqing nodded, and seeing the girl smile, he couldn’t help but smile back.
“Then I won’t disturb Your Majesty’s work any longer,” Xin Long said seriously, but her tone was very lively.
Watching her leave, Wu Yanqing felt a pang of regret.
If only this girl weren’t from the Xin family, he thought. It’s a pity she was born into the wrong family.
After Xin Long returned, she happily chatted with Mingxiang for a while. When she sent Mingxiang to deliver food to Xin Lan, Xin Lan called her over.
“Was His Majesty pleased?”
“He was quite pleased, even smiled at our lady. Thanks to the Third Miss’s idea.”
The original empress was the third daughter, and before she married, the household staff referred to her this way. Now that she’s a deposed empress, those who are respectful still call her “empress,” but since Mingxiang is from the Xin family, calling her “Third Miss” makes sense.
“Good, as long as he’s happy.”
Xin Lan gave a faint smile, thinking, “It won’t harm him, but it would be best if it really caused infertility”.
However, she didn’t mind. Xin Lan believed Consort Man wouldn’t just sit by idly, and for now, Consort Man’s actions might actually support her plans.
“By the way, in the two days since Long’er entered the palace, has she gone to see Consort Liu?”
“Not yet… The mistress isn’t sure how to handle it.”
“Long’er is still young, and you’ll need to assist her with many things. I suppose Consort Liu hasn’t been well, so she probably hasn’t visited her yet?”
“Yes, she hasn’t been there.”
“Then, as the Empress, she definitely needs to visit. Be sure to watch those people’s reactions closely, and don’t get too close, to avoid having ‘the same dirty water splashed on both of you from the Xin family'” (meaning to be cautious so that both don’t get blamed or implicated).
“Understood.”
“You running back and forth is inconvenient and too conspicuous. In the future, I’ll have someone send messages to you and Long’er. Be careful.”
“Yes.”
Mingxiang carried the food box away, while Xin Lan sipped on the cool, refreshing treat, and instructed Sitong to take care of something.
The Xin family had planted quite a few hidden chess pieces in the palace. Over the years, the original empress had built up some connections, and sometimes the most inconspicuous people can be the most helpful.
When it comes to sending messages, if Mingxiang is always seen coming and going, it could raise suspicion.
But if it’s just someone from the imperial kitchen delivering fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats to the small kitchen at the Changshou Palace, who would suspect anything?
Xin Lan bit into a piece of fruit, feeling the juice burst on her taste buds. She licked the juice from her lips with her tongue and continued to enjoy the dessert with a cheerful smile.
When Xin Long heard Mingxiang’s message, she immediately wanted to head over to Consort Liu, but Mingxiang quickly stopped her.
“What’s the matter? Didn’t Auntie want me to visit Consort Liu?”
“Miss, you should wait a bit. Don’t be too hasty. I just came from Third Miss’s place. If you go now, anyone watching might link the two of you together.”
“But Auntie and I are family, so of course they would link us together,” Xin Long said, not quite understanding what difference it made whether she went now or later.
“But once you’re in the palace, the stakes are different.”
“How are they different?”
Mingxiang didn’t know how to explain it clearly to Xin Long, who was still a young girl inexperienced in the ways of the world. She hadn’t done anything wrong or seen any of the ugliness life could show. Expecting her to suddenly grasp all the complexities of social dynamics was challenging.
Despite her efforts, Xin Long couldn’t understand Mingxiang’s explanation, so she decided not to worry about it. Her mother had told her to listen to Mingxiang if she didn’t understand something, so she’d just wait if that’s what was needed.
Mingxiang watched Xin Long retreat to her room for a nap, feeling a bit worried inside.
Even though the lady outside the palace wanted to guide things, it was difficult to do so from afar, especially with one in the deep palace and the other outside.
In recent days, Mingxiang had clearly seen that the noblewomen in the palace were not easy to deal with. They were “eyeing like tigers” (meaning they were watching greedily and threateningly), and even Third Miss had fallen into their trap. Her own mistress was simple-minded and still young, likely to be devoured by those women without even realizing it. So, for now, they had to follow Third Miss’s advice.
Once the sun wasn’t so harsh, Xin Long, accompanied by Mingxiang, went to visit Consort Liu.
When the phoenix carriage arrived at Consort Liu’s residence, a palace attendant went inside to announce their arrival.
Xin Long entered and saw a pale woman lying on the bed.
This was the woman who had lost her child, and “the same dirty water” (meaning blame or responsibility) had been thrown onto her aunt because of it.
“How have you been feeling lately?” Xin Long asked, keeping a distance from the bed as Mingxiang and her aunt had advised.
“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. I am doing alright, but still not well enough to get up and greet you. I hope you can forgive me,” Consort Liu replied.
“It’s alright, you just stay lying down. I haven’t seen you since I entered the palace, so I came to check on you.”
To be honest, the two of them weren’t exactly on friendly terms. Although Xin Long was a bit naive, she could tell who was an enemy and who wasn’t, who was a friend and who wasn’t.
There wasn’t much else to say; forcing a conversation would be pointless. Xin Long had come just on Xin Lan’s advice and didn’t want to stay long, fearing something might go wrong.
When Xin Long returned to her palace, she felt something was off.
“Strange…”
“What is it, Miss? What’s strange?”
“Why didn’t she dislike me when she saw me? She didn’t seem angry at all. Isn’t losing a child a big deal? If she thought my aunt was responsible, why wasn’t she at least a bit mad at me?”
Xin Long mumbled, recalling how last time when a young lord bullied her friend, she got angry even at his younger brother.
“You’re the Empress, and she’s just a concubine. How could she dare show dissatisfaction with you? Besides, an aunt is an aunt, and a niece is a niece. Maybe she can separate the two in her mind, even though we all know that it wasn’t Third Miss who did it.”
“Is that so…” Xin Long murmured, not giving it much thought and soon forgetting about it.
Aside from this concoction, Xin Lan was also exploring other ways through food. She had a spy in the imperial kitchen who not only passed notes but also relayed important information.
For example, the spy informed her that Consort Liu’s health was steadily declining. Miscarriage itself is harmful to the body, and given the low medical standards of the time, Xin Lan wasn’t very surprised to hear this.
Who would have thought that within two days, something would happen?
One night, Xin Lan was woken up by Ling Jiu.
Ling Jiu: “Host, something big has happened. Consort Liu is near death.”
Ling Jiu: “She’s still struggling.”
Xin Lan sat up in shock, thinking about getting out of bed to dress, but then she stopped. With her current position, even if she could save Consort Liu, it would be impossible to explain it away.
Ling Jiu: “She’s almost gone.”
Xin Lan frowned. If someone wanted to kill Consort Liu, it must be someone behind the scenes.
Ling Jiu: “She’s dead.”
After saying that, Ling Jiu fell silent for a moment.
Xin Lan also remained silent, her eyes showing a fierce expression.
She wasn’t surprised, but why would Consort Man go to such lengths to kill?
The child was already gone. If the miscarriage was Consort Man’s doing, why continue to pursue it so relentlessly?
Xin Lan: “Where’s the killer?”
Ling Jiu: “I don’t know. She was talking to her maid on the bed when suddenly she clutched her clothes and collapsed. In less than a minute, she was dead.”
Xin Lan’s frown deepened. Without scanning the body, Ling Jiu couldn’t determine the cause of death.
The night was cool as water.
Thick clouds covered the moon, allowing only a faint, hazy light to shine through. Even the stars were dim, with only a few still bright.
They couldn’t light up the world, nor could they illuminate people’s hearts.
Consort Liu slumped onto the bed, her face pale and her chest still, already gone.
“Miss, what’s wrong? Wake up, Miss!”
Ah Rou called out in panic by the bedside, gently shaking the person on the bed with her hand.
“Miss, I’ll go get help, please wake up!”
Ah Rou barely had time to react before seeing her mistress collapse in pain, and in just a few moments, she went silent.
Ah Rou shakily extended her hand to feel under her mistress’s nose. In just a moment, her face turned pale as she withdrew her hand.
“How could this happen, how could this happen…”
“It can’t be, the mistress can’t just be gone like this.”
Ah Rou opened the door, intending to run out, but suddenly a hand caught her.
“Ah Lan, the mistress is gone.”
Ah Rou’s voice was choked with sobs, as if the sky had fallen.
“Ah Rou, calm down, listen to me…”
“You know, don’t you! Was it her? I’m going to find her, I need to know why she did this to the mistress!”
“Listen to me!”
But Ah Rou couldn’t hear any of it, and was about to rush out.
“I’m going to tell His Majesty, I’ll tell him everything!”
Ah Rou muttered, breaking free from the hand that held her.
Suddenly, her neck was grabbed, and her face turned red as she struggled, kicking her feet wildly.
“Given the situation now, can’t you tell what’s the wise thing to do?” the person said, tightening their grip on Ah Rou’s neck.
“Ah Rou, I don’t want to hurt you. Calm down and listen to me. If His Majesty asks tomorrow, you say the mistress’s health was already failing, and she just couldn’t make it through the night. Understand?”
“So… it was you…” Ah Rou’s body shook as she tried to shout, but only a faint sound squeezed out from her throat.
“Ah Rou, she’ll give us plenty of silver to leave the palace.”
Hearing this, Ah Rou’s anger flared even more. She lifted her foot and stomped hard on the foot of the person holding her.
Ah Lan, feeling the pain, loosened her grip, allowing Ah Rou to seize the opportunity to run away.
Without hesitation, Ah Lan continued to chase after her.
Ah Rou ran along the path leading to the Jinluan Hall, knowing that the emperor likely wasn’t there, but hoping to alarm someone—anyone who wasn’t with that person—so there might be a chance.
Clutching her aching throat, she sprinted through an archway and quickly stopped, spotting someone ahead who seemed to be looking around for something.
Instinctively sensing danger, Ah Rou immediately turned to run back.
The person seemed to notice her and hurried toward her.
Ah Rou could hear her own heart pounding. Footsteps echoed from the path on her left; she didn’t know who it was but knew she had to escape.
She dashed into an unfamiliar path, feeling the footsteps closely following her.
Turning back, she saw a figure closing in. She was at one end of the long corridor, and the person was at the other. Ah Rou wasn’t sure if it was Ah Lan, but she knew the person was also running forward.
“Ah Rou.”
Someone called out like that.
It was the person from that group!
Ah Rou was almost scared to tears. She wanted to scream and wake up the people around her, but her throat wouldn’t let out any sound.
The person behind was about to catch up. Ah Rou kept trying to run forward but tripped and fell.
She painfully got back up, seeing a palace ahead. If she could just reach it and knock on the door, surely someone would come out to save her.
In her panic, she didn’t know where she had run, or how to find her way back.
She limped as she ran, starting to pound on the door continuously. As she knocked, she kept glancing at the person running in her direction.
Please, please open the door soon.
Desperately, she prayed in her heart, knocking louder and louder.
Save her, save her!
Getting caught would mean certain death, certain death!
She didn’t want to die, didn’t want to become a ghost beneath the earth.
Why was there no patrol at this time, why wasn’t there anyone around!
The door still didn’t open, and the person was getting closer.
Unable to push the door open, Ah Rou endured the pain in her foot and kept running forward.
She was grabbed by the collar, her eyes widening in terror.
She fiercely bit the hand that grabbed her and then pushed back, continuing to stumble forward.
She saw a corner; one side was a wall, so she could only run hard in the other direction.
Suddenly, a hand caught her, pulling her forcefully and covering her mouth.
Ah Rou opened her eyes in despair, but then heard a low voice from behind.
“Don’t be afraid.”
LP: Re-translated on December 04, 2024
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