A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 105

by Little Panda

The Dust Has Settled

Grand Finale

In the main hall of Marquis Manor, Shen Yunshu and Ye Huaiqing were discussing something.

“Biaojie¹, the Emperor has been looking very wrong lately. I suspect someone has tampered with things.” Ye Huaiqing didn’t directly name the Empress, but Shen Yunshu could more or less read between the lines.

“Ever since that Beauty Yu entered the palace, the Emperor has neglected court affairs and become obsessed with elixirs. I had someone investigate Beauty Yu’s background, and it was scrubbed very clean. So I tentatively suspect she belongs to one of the factions.” Shen Yunshu’s calm eyes gleamed with the cunning of a cold moon.

“What does biaojie mean?” Ye Huaiqing’s foundation was still shallow. Suddenly created Prince Xian, he was already being besieged by the Empress and Consort Ning.

He could only bind himself tightly to the Shen family.

“Strike while the iron is hot!” Shen Yunshu’s tone was firm, compelling instinctive belief.

“I understand.” Ye Huaiqing’s expression carried the resolve of one who had burned his cauldrons and sunk his boats².

He thought to himself that since he had boarded this pirate ship, it was bound to be a fight to the death.

“Now the Second Prince has been dragged down by that side until his reputation is in tatters. As long as the Central Palace³ reveals a flaw, our odds of victory are very high.”

“The Old Marquis will bring the noble families to stand on your side too. Go ahead and do it!” Shen Yunshu fed Ye Huaiqing reassurances one piece at a time.

“Biaojie, if that day truly comes, I will certainly not forget the Shen family.”

“If that day truly comes, the Shen family asks for nothing—just promise me one thing. It’s nothing that would put you in a difficult position.” Shen Yunshu left these words with deep meaning, then refused to say anything more.

Ye Huaiqing was curious what it could be, but since she said it was “after the deed is done,” he would simply wait.

The Empress’s faction had just dealt with the Second Prince’s side, but press down the gourd and the dipper floats up⁴—this sudden thunderbolt from the other side caught her completely off guard.

She had no patience left to wait. What should have been a certainty had been disrupted by that bastard, so she decided to strike first, lest long nights bring many dreams.

“Beauty Yu, here is the Soul-Stealing Powder⁵ this palace has obtained. You need only make the Emperor drink it, and he will obey your words, obediently pressing the Imperial Seal onto the edict. After it is done, within one shichen⁶, he will fall into a deep slumber—and then our great work will be accomplished.” The Empress spoke of murdering the Emperor as casually as if discussing the weather, having clearly schemed over it for who knows how long.

She was not the Emperor’s original wife to begin with. The Emperor had delayed naming a Crown Prince, and her dissatisfaction had only grown over time.

“In the future, this palace⁷ will surely arrange things properly for you and your family, and send you far away to start anew. As long as you do as I say, this palace will never mistreat you.” The Empress’s long nail guards⁸ slowly scraped across Beauty Yu’s face, leaving three shallow red marks on her pale, tender skin.

Beauty Yu was terrified in her heart, but her family was held hostage by the Empress. She could only grit her teeth and obey. Offending anyone meant death—murdering the Emperor certainly meant death, but disobeying the Empress would mean her entire family suffering a fate worse than death.

She risked her life just so her family could die swiftly. The Empress had gone mad—she dared even to murder the Emperor. A creature like her, already pinched in the Empress’s grip, could be crushed as easily as an ant.

“This concubine⁹ will faithfully follow Her Highness’s instructions and will certainly not disappoint you.” Beauty Yu struggled to conceal her terror, her voice trembling slightly as she replied.

Die sooner or die later—how was she to choose? Did she have any other way out?

That night, Beauty Yu dismissed the attending palace servants and personally attended the Emperor in the Imperial Study.

“Your Majesty, you have been weary for so long. Why not first have a bowl of ginseng soup¹⁰? This concubine has specially added medicinal herbs to nourish the body—it is truly precious beyond money.” Beauty Yu swayed her slender waist, walking gracefully toward the desk.

The Emperor was somewhat more alert today. Remembering that he had not reviewed court affairs for many days, he felt inclined to do so.

It was also time for him to consider the position of Crown Prince. He had only three imperial sons. He had hesitated for a long time between Consort Ning and the Empress.

Neither seemed quite right. The Third Prince was still young; giving him the empire would be tantamount to handing it to the Empress’s maternal family.

Consort Ning’s Second Prince had seemed acceptable before, but now that the two factions were fighting bitterly, his flaws were fully exposed, making him less than ideal for the Crown Prince position.

If in the past he had never considered Ye Huaiqing, then after creating him Prince Xian, he had indeed wavered. Now he could clearly feel his own failing strength, and establishing a Crown Prince early would benefit the empire.

“Very well, bring it over.” Setting aside his thoughts, he looked at the youthful, lovely concubine walking toward him with a bowl of hot soup and a smiling face. The Emperor thought that having such an attentive companion was rare indeed.

The Emperor took the bowl of ginseng soup and drank it without much reaction. Beauty Yu’s heart was pounding in her throat, her palms slick with sweat.

After a moment, the already-weary Emperor felt dizzy and muddled, his consciousness blurring.

“Beauty Yu, We are somewhat tired. Help Us rest.” The Emperor reached out for support.

“Your Majesty, shall this concubine give you a massage first?” Beauty Yu supported the Emperor’s arm and guided him to sit before the desk, then began pressing on his head.

“…Very well.” The Emperor, whose eyes were growing dim, settled onto the imperial couch.

This was when the Empress suddenly arrived at the study, insisting she had urgent matters to discuss with the Emperor.

The guards outside had already been bribed by her. Not only did they not stop her, they even helped keep watch. When it came time to choose sides, no one dared offend the Empress.

The Emperor grew increasingly drowsy, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

The Empress and Beauty Yu exchanged a glance, then the Empress slowly unrolled the Imperial Edict¹¹ she had drafted before the Emperor’s eyes.

There were two edicts. The one on top was an ordinary one, bestowing a marriage arrangement for someone’s family. Hidden beneath was the forged edict that would place the Third Prince on the throne.

The Empress wanted to press the Imperial Seal¹² onto the forged edict while the Emperor was not in his right mind.

“What is this?” The Emperor struggled to keep his eyes open, but the characters on the edict were blurred. He could only make out the words “bestow a marriage.”

“Your Majesty, have you forgotten that you promised to bestow the Wang family’s daughter upon this concubine’s younger brother?”

“I believe there was such a matter. Bring it here!” The Emperor was uncomfortable, wanting to dismiss the Empress so he could go rest.

“This concubine has everything prepared for you. You need only press the Imperial Seal!” The Empress’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light, hovering eerily between the Emperor and the edict.

Beauty Yu huddled in the corner like a quail, head bowed, making no sound.

The Emperor’s head ached whenever he saw the Empress, and now he was even more dizzy and disoriented. He reached for the Imperial Seal.

Just as the Empress was so tense she dared not breathe, a rustling sound came from outside the door.

Bang! The great door was kicked open, and the guards stationed at the entrance were quietly subdued.

The Empress startled at the commotion and whipped her head around. Ye Huaiqing and Princess Shunhe had burst into the Imperial Study together, with a squad of imperial guards behind them.

“You venomous woman, what are you doing to the Emperor?!” Princess Shunhe roared with full vigor.

“This palace’s family affairs with the Emperor are none of the Princess’s concern.” Though her three souls had fled and seven spirits scattered, the Empress still retorted stubbornly.

The Emperor had consumed the Soul-Stealing Powder and would soon fall into a deep slumber. As long as she insisted she had done nothing, they could not touch her.

“I see you won’t shed tears until you see your coffin. Someone, seize that edict from her hands and bring it to this palace!” Princess Shunhe glared at the Empress, her commanding presence crushing the other woman completely.

“Who dares? Guards!” The Empress grew fearful, clutching the edict that had not yet been stamped with the Imperial Seal. If Princess Shunhe could storm in, her own people had likely already been detained.

“Who dares? This palace dares!” Saying so, she actually stepped forward to snatch the edict from the Empress herself. Of course, the imperial guards behind her did not let the Princess truly lay hands on the Empress—they simply seized the edict from the Empress’s grasp.

At this moment, Ye Huaiqing hurried to the Emperor’s side and produced a small pill, feeding it to the groggy Emperor.

The Emperor, who had been dizzy and lightheaded, now grew somewhat clearer.

Looking at the situation before him, he was completely bewildered.

“Imperial Father, are you feeling better?” He looked at the listless old man with deep concern.

“We were just feeling terribly ill, but We are somewhat better now.” Seeing Ye Huaiqing’s anxious expression, the Emperor was not entirely sure what had happened to him.

Catching sight of the disheveled Empress nearby, a bad premonition arose.

“What is going on?” he demanded, summoning his strength with anger.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Princess Shunhe and Prince Xian are falsely accusing this concubine. You must do me justice!” Before anyone else could respond, the Empress wept and struck first with a counter-accusation.

“Imperial Brother, is what she says true?” The Emperor turned to Princess Shunhe.

“Imperial Brother, this venomous woman tried to murder you and seize the throne! If this palace and Prince Xian had not arrived in time, you would likely be dead by now!” Seeing the Emperor still listening to the Empress’s twisting of words, Princess Shunhe’s tone quickened.

“Empress, tell Us yourself—is this true?” The Emperor stared hard at the Empress, who still possessed middle-aged charm¹³. She had aged these past years, but her temperament was even less likable than her face.

“Imperial Brother, do you still want to hear her sophistry? She was holding a drafted edict in her hands. The moment the great seal was stamped, she would have made her move against you, Imperial Brother!” Princess Shunhe said fiercely.

“Your Majesty, they are falsely accusing me! This is not even my doing.” The Empress had lost her earlier arrogance. The reinforcements she had prepared outside never came. Today was likely her end.

“Imperial Father, this is an edict to place the Third Prince on the throne. No one but the Empress would draft such a forged edict. Furthermore, the ginseng soup you drank tonight was laced with Five-Mineral Powder¹⁴ that causes confusion and fatal unconsciousness. This has been going on for some time. If Beauty Yu had not had a change of heart, you would likely be dead by now!” Ye Huaiqing revealed the Empress’s crimes word by word.

“You would be this vicious? You wanted Our life this badly?” The Emperor looked at the Empress in disbelief, his fingers trembling slightly as he regained some strength.

“Your Majesty, it is true that the Empress forced this concubine to do it. This concubine is guilty, this concubine deserves death.” Beauty Yu knew she had no way out regardless.

The Emperor ignored Beauty Yu, instead looking at the Empress, remembering the past.

His original wife had not been one he chose to marry. She was also an unfortunate woman who died in an accident just over a year after their wedding.

But the Empress’s family could not be discarded, so they sent another legitimate daughter to become his continuation wife¹⁵. Only she was ten-plus years younger than him—he was twenty-three, and she was only fifteen. But as the only legitimate daughter, it had to be her.

The two had lived in mutual respect for two years. It could not be called dislike, and they were harmonious, but just then, Ye Huaiqing’s mother happened to enter the palace.

After four years apart, she was now a twenty-year-old woman in her prime. The two, who had fallen in love at first sight, rekindled their old feelings through daily interaction—an inevitability.

Just as the Emperor wanted to name her a consort, the Empress dug up the fact that Aunt Ye had been betrothed to other men, sowing discord between the two and causing Aunt Ye to leave the palace in anger, carrying the child in her womb.

At the same time he learned the truth, he also learned of Aunt Ye’s death. The rift between Emperor and Empress could never be repaired; no matter how they tried, their relationship could never return to what it was. They could only drift along.

The palace was never short of young beauties. Finally, at the age of thirty, she bore a son, which gave her hope for the rest of her life, and she devoted herself entirely to the Third Prince.

“Your Majesty, you favor this bastard of unknown origin, but is that fair to my son? Mingqi is the true Crown Prince, yet you pay him no heed and instead give that one a princely title?” Seeing that deception was futile, the Empress shrieked in hysteria.

It was as if the Emperor had gravely wronged her, making even the Emperor waver for a moment.

Ye Huaiqing saw the Empress’s matter-of-fact demeanor and a dark glint flashed in his eyes. He spoke at the right moment: “Reporting to Imperial Father, aside from forging the Imperial Edict, the Empress also conspired with Beauty Yu to add Five-Mineral Powder to your daily diet. This has been going on for some time…”

The Emperor’s eyes filled with shock at these words. He looked deeply at the Empress, then turned to see Beauty Yu cowering nearby, and suddenly his heart ached terribly.

He slumped back onto the couch, his strength failing.

“Imperial Brother!”

“Imperial Father!”

Princess Shunhe and Ye Huaiqing rushed toward the Emperor together, while the Empress and Beauty Yu were being restrained by four imperial guards.

“I… I, the Great Qian Dynasty—Qirong, you woman, dictating and interfering!” After catching his breath, the Emperor pointed a trembling finger at the Empress, mustering all his strength.

“Guards, take these two things that conspired to murder Us and throw them into the Heavenly Prison¹⁶! Strip them of their titles and reduce them to commoners.”

“Your Majesty, everything was this concubine’s own idea! Mingqi is still young—he knows nothing! Please, for the sake of the royal blood that flows in his veins, spare his life!” The Empress now saw the situation clearly. She was certainly going to die, but she still wanted her child to live.

“His affairs, We will handle Ourselves. You can wait in prison for your white silk¹⁷.” The Emperor glanced at the Empress with contempt and cold menace, unwilling to say another word to her.

Turning to Beauty Yu, his eyes held fury: “Take her away. Daily whipping¹⁸—don’t let her die too easily.”

Truly stupid beyond measure¹⁹. He had trusted her so, yet she was a brainless, foolish woman.

“Hahaha! Beauty Yu, even if you betrayed this palace, what does it matter? Your fate is still worse than this palace’s!” Seeing Beauty Yu sentenced to daily whipping, the Empress laughed.

But Beauty Yu glanced at Ye Huaiqing. She did not regret it. Prince Xian had promised to rescue her family. When he entered just now, the handkerchief he produced was her younger sister’s—proof that her family had been found and safely arranged by Prince Xian, away from the Empress’s grasp.

This was the condition she had negotiated with Prince Xian. As long as her family had escaped the Empress’s clutches, she was willing to die.

In the end, two high-born consorts were escorted by imperial guards to the Heavenly Prison, awaiting execution.

Outside the hall, the men the Empress had positioned had already been captured in one stroke by Shen Hetang leading the imperial guards. There were also officials of the Empress’s faction who would need to be dealt with one by one in the days to come.

After this incident, the Emperor’s health deteriorated significantly. After careful deliberation, he directly named Prince Xian as Crown Prince.

The court was in an uproar, but the Crown Prince was personally appointed by the Emperor. Even if he was not of orthodox lineage, no one could say anything—could the Emperor be wrong about his own son?

Besides, Prince Xian was indeed the best candidate. The officials were merely watching the drama unfold. Compared to the Second Prince, who had little ability and a pile of scandals, they much preferred to support Prince Xian.

They just needed to adjust to Prince Xian’s change in status.

The Second Prince’s faction was like an autumn grasshopper²⁰—still trying to jump a few times, but after Shen Hetang made an example of one of them, killing the chicken to scare the monkey²¹, there were no more dissenting voices in the court.

Three years later, the Emperor passed away. The New Emperor ascended the throne with the era name Jiaxiang²².

He brought his wife and son back from Hongying Stockade, directly naming them Empress and Crown Prince. From then on, everything settled like dust, yet it was also a new beginning.

As for Shen Hetang, after helping Ye Huaiqing secure his footing three years ago, she had taken Jiang Chenyu and Shen Li (Anhe) back to the Border.

The Border was now free of war and filled with peace. The common people had gradually grown in number. Perhaps many years from now, war would still be unavoidable, but living in the present, days without turmoil were the best kind of life.

The deep blue sky stretched vast and boundless, clouds like cotton balls seemingly within arm’s reach.

Shen Hetang, dressed in a colorful long robe, lay on the green grass. A few tender leaves clung to her long horsetail, making her look several years younger.

Now that she no longer had to train daily, and with someone carefully looking after her, she naturally looked much better than a few years ago. After all, at only twenty-five, even after all the twists and turns, her youth was still intact.

She could still use her face to calm her wife’s anger.

Jiang Chenyu leaned against her, watching the clouds roll and unfurl together, breathing in the fragrance of wild flowers, occasionally tracing the flowing clouds with her fingers.

Her originally delicate disposition had gradually revealed its true nature after coming to the Border—especially when Shen Hetang went out and bold women came knocking at the door to recommend themselves.

She could not understand it. If it was just because of good looks that attracted bees and butterflies²³, then why did no one dare to make advances on her? She remembered she was not bad-looking herself.

Shen Hetang only smiled, not daring to say more.

But later, when Jiang Chenyu moved her business to the Border and began trading with the surrounding foreign tribes, her brilliance became impossible to overshadow. Shen Hetang could no longer smile.

Yet she could tangibly improve the lives of the people at the Border. She had no reason to stop her from shining. Instead, the occasional small crises only made their feelings grow stronger.

The two lay comfortably together. Anhe rode her black horse in circles before their eyes. The already-spirited child had become a complete wild child at the Border, which gave Shen Hetang a bit of a headache. She figured she might as well take her to train with the soldiers—herding one sheep was the same as herding a flock, one more wouldn’t make a difference.

She had a selfish thought: hurry up and raise this little one so she could retire. If Anhe could stand on her own, wonderful. If not, she would find her a husband and let someone else guard her. Failing that, Princess Shunhe could be her backer. The greatest suffering on the road of life would probably be Shen Hetang’s schemes.

“Princess Shunhe wrote in a letter that she’ll be passing through and wants to visit Anhe.” Jiang Chenyu, pillowed against Shen Hetang, recalled the princess’s letter.

“Is she just passing through? I think she’s coming on purpose. But I welcome it—as long as she comes, we’ll trap her here to watch the child, and I’ll take you to Jiangnan. How about that?” Hearing that Princess Shunhe was coming, Shen Hetang’s eyes lit up. She wanted to take her wife on a trip.

And conveniently, to laugh at County Princess Qingyang’s expense.

“You want to take me out to play? I want to go.” Jiang Chenyu sat up, her bright eyes fixed on Shen Hetang. A head of smooth, dark hair lifted in the breeze, more captivating than the scenery before them.

“If you want to go, just don’t let Anhe know. We’ll sneak away after the Princess arrives. How about that?” Shen Hetang brainwashed her bit by bit, wanting to ditch the little drag oil bottle²⁴ and go out to have fun on their own.

“But she’ll be angry when she finds out.” Jiang Chenyu blinked, a little hesitant.

Shen Hetang leaned closer. Her bright phoenix eyes lost their laziness and took on a burning warmth that fell upon Jiang Chenyu.

Her fingers unconsciously traced up Jiang Chenyu’s slender waist as she said with mock difficulty, “I have thick skin—I’m not afraid. I’m just worried you’ll be too shy and embarrassed when the time comes. After all, corrupting a child isn’t good, don’t you think?”

With that, she pressed Jiang Chenyu down into the grass and kissed those tempting cherry lips. Jiang Chenyu pushed back nervously, terrified that Anhe might crouch right in front of them, watching with curiosity.

“Stop, stop, stop! We won’t bring her, we won’t bring her!” Seeing Shen Hetang about to undo her buttons, Jiang Chenyu stammered in panic.

“Hehehe, you agreed. No backing out now.” Seeing her relent, Shen Hetang stopped teasing her.

“Mm.” Jiang Chenyu panted softly, her heart still pounding. She shot Shen Hetang a look of reproach—enchanting and alluring.

Seeing this rare display of tenderness, Shen Hetang wanted to press her back down into the grass all over again.

She stood and pulled Jiang Chenyu to her feet, heading home. On the way, she still had to catch that wild child galloping across the grass on her horse.

The sun had ducked behind the clouds, showing only half a smiling face. The wild child proved impossible to catch—she had already ridden her horse home, leaving the two of them behind.

Shen Hetang held Chenyu’s hand, strolling leisurely and contentedly back to the General’s Mansion.

In this half-lifetime of hers, she was not old, yet she had lived through more than most people’s entire lives. Though the road had its bumps, heaven had treated her well. She was lucky.

“If there is a next life, will you still love me?”

“I will.”

Footnotes

Pinyin kinship term: older female cousin via maternal line.
Chinese idiom: to burn one's boats and commit fully to a course of action with no retreat, from Xiang Yu's battle strategy.
Metonymic term for the Empress, derived from her residence in the central palace hall.
Chinese idiom: solving one problem only for another to surface; troubles never end.
Fictional poison that causes confusion, drowsiness, and eventual unconsciousness.
Traditional Chinese time unit equal to approximately two hours.
Formal self-reference used by high-ranking palace women, meaning 'this palace' or 'I.'
Decorative metal covers worn over fingernails by Chinese noblewomen as status symbols.
Formal self-reference used by imperial consorts, meaning 'this concubine.'
Restorative broth made from ginseng root, prized in Chinese medicine for strengthening vitality.
Official decree bearing imperial authority, validated by the Imperial Seal.
The supreme seal of imperial authority, required to validate imperial edicts.
Chinese idiom: a middle-aged person who retains physical charm.
Also known as 'Five-Mineral Powder'; a historical Chinese poison causing confusion and dependency.
Chinese term for a second wife married after the first wife's death, literally 'restringing a broken bow.'
The imperial prison for high-status prisoners awaiting execution.
White silk cloth used for execution by strangulation of high-status women, preserving the body from beheading.
Judicial corporal punishment by whipping.
Chinese insult: stupid beyond measure or utterly idiotic.
Chinese idiom: someone whose power is waning and cannot last much longer, like a grasshopper in late autumn.
Chinese idiom: punishing an inferior as a warning to others.
Era name adopted by Ye Huaiqing upon ascending the throne as Emperor of Great Qian.
Chinese idiom: striking beauty that naturally draws unwanted romantic attention, like bees and butterflies to flowers.
Chinese derogatory term for an unwanted dependent or child, literally 'drag oil bottle.'

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A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 105

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