Chapter 5: Who is being addressed by the word "Madam" again?

Granny Song stayed until the sun began to set before leaving the Xie residence. The carriage swayed and bumped along the way until it was finally swallowed up by the brick-red palace walls.

Inside Shou Kang Palace—

"How is it?" Consort Rong asked softly, resting her temples on her hand.

"Your Highness, she is gentle and easy to talk to, with excellent looks and manners, but..."

Consort Rong: "Please speak freely."

"That temperament is indeed extraordinary. Although her origins are a mystery, in my opinion, she is in no way inferior to other ladies and noblewomen in the capital, and may even be better than them."

With a hint of reminiscence on her face, Song Mama's voice, though lowered, couldn't hide her amazement. Even an old palace veteran like her couldn't help but glance at that Lady Wen a few more times.

What kind of family could raise such a person?

Consort Rong clapped her hands and smiled.

"Fine, whatever the case, since the emperor has given the order, then we'll set up the stage for him. This is what we owe him..."

After a pause, Consort Rong's expression sharpened slightly. "Were the palace servants on the day of the winter hunt given detailed instructions? Were they told what they should and shouldn't say, and what to do if anyone leaked the information..."

As she spoke, a shadow crossed Consort Rong's weathered face. "Don't blame me for being ruthless."

Only those who can control their mouths can survive long in this deep palace.

Granny Song nodded.

“This servant will keep a close eye on them. With instructions from the Empress, they certainly won't dare to gossip. But those noble families and officials from that day…”

Winter hunting is an annual traditional hunting activity of the Great Chu. The emperor's carriage leaves the capital and heads towards the South Garden. The imperial guards surround the area, the emperor shoots the first shot, and the ministers follow. Hundreds of eyes are watching, and it is long beyond the control of Consort Rong.

"It's alright," said Consort Rong, shaking her head.

"His Majesty is in his prime, and his imperial power is firmly in his grasp. The old ministers and powerful families in the court cannot be shaken in the slightest. Those old foxes know best when to say what, and they must have some idea about this as well... As for going against His Majesty? Ha, they don't have the guts."

The current emperor has been on the throne for more than ten years. He is ruthless and brave in battle. When he was still the seventh prince, he volunteered to lead a northern expedition. In three years, he defeated the barbarians one after another. Afterwards, through the tea and horse trade, he established trade between the Great Chu and the northern barbarians, which brought peace and development to the border.

After this, the previously unknown seventh prince suddenly became the leader of the Xuanjia Army in the northern border of the Great Chu. Tens of thousands of iron cavalry were loyal to him, which even caught the attention of the late emperor, who summoned the seventh prince back to the capital and made him the crown prince.

But Consort Rong knew that the late emperor, who was old and weak and had neglected state affairs, was using the current emperor as a shield to pave the way for his and Consort Li's young son.

Even though outsiders might not know about the palace coup that stained the white jade steps with blood, how could she, as a concubine of the late emperor, not know about it? Some people plotted a rebellion, some watched from the sidelines, and some astute individuals waited for their chance to act, using the guise of protecting the emperor to secretly push for the late emperor to hold on to his last breath by establishing the imperial examination system, supporting the poor and suppressing the powerful families.

The current emperor, who was then the crown prince, was the mastermind behind it all.

After the imperial examinations were completed and imperial power was centralized, the late emperor passed away at the opportune time. Consort Li and her young son were willing to be buried with him, and he ascended the throne as emperor, with the reign title of Qian Yuan. This was in accordance with the will of Heaven and to restore order to the country.

Consort Rong, reflecting on the Emperor's ruthless methods, murmured in a daze—

"Our lives were spared by His Majesty."

"Whatever Your Majesty says, then it is."

Whether it's this magnolia banquet or the beautiful widow in the Xie family, the emperor set the stage for this play, and all of them can only be the actors on that stage so that their emperor can get what he wants.

I just hope that the other person is willing too.

Consort Rong rubbed her prayer beads together and clasped her hands in prayer.

May the Bodhisattva protect you.

...

In Chang'an, as February and March approach, the magnolias begin to unfurl their buds. [Note]

In late spring, hundreds of magnolia trees are in full bloom in the Qionghua Garden deep within the palace city, along the Taiye Pond.

Glazed tiles, vermilion walls, and the courtyard filled with the fragrance of jade blossoms.

Palace maids flitted about like butterflies, carrying silver platters adorned with magnolia blossoms. The platters contained dishes made with magnolia blossoms by the imperial kitchen: a bowl of magnolia-flavored glutinous rice and hawthorn porridge, a dish of magnolia blossom delicacies, a pot of magnolia blossom tea, and a plate of steamed magnolia blossom cakes.

The flower banquet had begun. Consort Rong leaned against the couch, smiling as she looked at the full bloom of the flowers and the musicians before the banquet. Only occasionally did she shift her gaze to a spot not far away, where Wen Miao was dressed in a hibiscus-purple wide-sleeved shirt, a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and a shawl draped with gold and green embroidery.

Despite her past divorce, the woman retained her charm. Her figure was partially obscured by magnolia branches, making her appear even more voluptuous and beautiful. This contrasted sharply with the currently fashionable, delicate beauty of the capital, yet she still captivated the eye.

Even during this palace banquet, many young women who were wearing tight-fitting bodices couldn't help but glance at Wen Miao and whisper inquiries about whose wife she was.

But when they learned that she was from the Xie family in Jinling and was a widow, they all pursed their lips, turned their heads away, and looked slightly embarrassed and annoyed. They were clearly not happy that they would be attracted to a widow from a humble family!

Xie Mengjun, sitting to the side, felt proud; such a beautiful cousin belonged to her alone!

Wen Miao was oblivious to the stares and the various thoughts swirling in the minds of the young girls. She simply lowered her head and sipped her tea, her tense nerves from before entering the palace relaxing slightly.

Consort Rong had kind eyes and eyebrows. She had been by the side of the late emperor when he was still a prince, and spent most of her life within the palace walls. Although she was not the current emperor's birth mother, there was still some affection between them. She enjoyed her old age in the deep palace.

Even though the Dowager Consort looked kind and gentle, and the palace scenery and food were excellent, she still felt a strange sense of panic and unease. She just wanted to end the palace banquet as soon as possible and return to Qin Garden in the Xie residence.

She didn't know when it started, but the Xie Mansion, where her maternal grandfather and Mengjun lived, and the comfortable Qin Garden, had become the places she cherished most. Meanwhile, the magnificent palace filled her with instinctive fear.

But the more people desire something, the more things go against their wishes.

Consort Rong, seated high on her throne, suddenly sat up and looked towards the end of the banquet hall. "Eunuch Xu? Does His Majesty have any instructions?"

The women looked over and saw two rows of palace servants walking towards the entrance of Qionghua Garden. Standing at the front was Xu Sheng, the chief eunuch beside the current emperor.

Xu Sheng bowed and explained his purpose: His Majesty knew that the Dowager Consort was hosting a banquet at Qionghua Garden today, so he had bestowed upon her magnolia wine from the palace, which was perfect for the ladies to drink.

The palace servants filed in, bringing wine and drinks. As soon as the wine was poured into the cups, a clear and sweet magnolia fragrance filled the air.

The wine was not as spicy as Wen Miao had imagined; it was relatively sweet and mellow. As soon as it went down her throat, a warm feeling spread through her stomach, dispelling the chill in the early spring garden.

Wen Miao stroked her warm fingertips, quite fond of the magnolia blossom wine. Rather than alcohol, it tasted more like a sweet, floral-flavored drink. She couldn't help but drink a few more cups until her cheeks felt slightly flushed. Then, she pursed her moist lips with a hint of annoyance, thinking to herself that she shouldn't drink any more.

Just as she was about to push the wine pot away a little, the little palace maid who was serving her, wanting to lick the wine and pour the tea, suddenly knelt down and kowtowed.

Wen Miao looked over—

A damp stain spread from the hem of her skirt, and half a meter away, a wine glass had rolled onto the carpet.

Noticing the unexpected turn of events, Granny Song frowned and summoned another palace maid, instructing her to take Wen Miao to a side hall to change her clothes, so as to avoid any disrespect in the palace.

Helpless, Wen Miao got up and followed.

The side hall was located outside Qionghua Garden, some distance away. After arriving at the side hall, Wen Miao went inside and changed into a cherry-colored palace dress behind a screen.

From the close-fitting undergarments to the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and wide sleeves, the fabrics are soft against the skin and the sizes fit perfectly, as if they were custom-made to resemble Wen Miao herself. There are even matching jewelry pieces.

Seemingly noticing Wen Miao's confusion, the palace maid explained, "When the palace holds a banquet, we always prepare brand-new clothes in advance, just in case something unexpected happens and disturbs the noble ladies' enjoyment of the flowers."

...but they wouldn't be prepared to be this thorough.

Wen Miao didn't know much about the hidden story, and only asked, "Then what about the clothes I changed out of earlier?"

"You can place it in the side hall; a palace servant will come to take care of it shortly." She bowed respectfully. "Madam, this way please—"

Wen Miao followed the palace maid out of the side hall. After taking only a few steps, a young eunuch rushed over in a panic, saying that something had gone wrong and they urgently needed manpower to deal with it.

The palace maid looked troubled, while the young eunuch was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

This feels too much of a coincidence.

Wen Miao felt something was off, but couldn't figure it out for a moment. So, after stepping aside to avoid the greeting, she said, "You go with him first. I'm not familiar with the way around this palace, so I'll wait here for a while."

She dared not presume to say that she had memorized this route. Compared to going to Qionghua Garden alone, or staying in that side hall, the bright sunshine and open outdoor environment made Wen Miao feel more at ease.

After expressing their gratitude, the two hurriedly left. Wen Miao then lifted her skirt slightly, sat down by the pavilion next to the artificial hill, and looked around at the depths of the imperial court. The more she looked, the more lost and bewildered she felt.

A slight dizziness followed, and my cheeks felt warm from the wind.

Wen Miao belatedly realized that the magnolia wine at the flower banquet was sweet but not very strong. In addition, she had drunk a few more cups because she was greedy, and now she was feeling the effects of the alcohol and was feeling dizzy.

She leaned against the railing, arms crossed, trying to alleviate the slight languor from being slightly drunk, then closed her eyes to rest.

But for a moment, overcome by weariness, she felt that the place seemed too empty, and even the wind had stopped.

Wen Miao was startled and subconsciously stood up.

The trailing cherry-colored hem of her dress caught on a flower branch that peeked out from beside the artificial hill, and the slight dizziness caused by her intoxication made her steps unsteady, and her calves even felt a little weak.

With her dress fluttering, another set of slow yet slightly hurried footsteps quickly approached.

The next second, a strong hand, through the veil, firmly supported Wen Miao's elbow.

The looming shadow almost completely engulfed Wen Miao.

At the same time, she heard a low, deep voice behind her—

"Madam, please be careful."

Wen Miao suddenly turned around, her eyes, as clear as spring water, filled with a hint of panic. Her gaze was watery, and her cheeks were flushed, like a beautiful bird lost in confusion, which had just run into the hunter's hand.

Emperor Qianyuan's heart skipped a beat.

He barely managed to pull his gaze away from the other person's reddened eyes, and then swept it over her face, which was flushed and vibrant with the effects of the alcohol.

The change in her breathing, from rapid to slow, happened in an instant and went unnoticed by Wen Miao.

At the same time, Wen Miao's gaze also focused—

Gazing at that face, no longer veiled and exceptionally clear and familiar, she was slightly lost in thought, so much so that for a moment she overlooked the dragon-patterned robe with gold thread on the other person's body.

The man supporting Wen Miao's arm chuckled.

His voice was deep, with a unique charm characteristic of mature men.

After laughing, Zhizhili released his hand distantly, took a half step back to give Wen Miao enough safe distance, and then continued to speak: "Madam, this is the third time we have met."

She snapped out of her daze and noticed the dragon pattern that represented power and status. She instinctively wanted to bow down to the emperor, but he grabbed her arm again.

"Madam, do not move."

The handsome and majestic emperor stopped Wen Miao's actions.

Under the latter's slightly tipsy and dazed gaze, he slowly bent down, his light crane cloak falling to the ground, and actually half-squatted in front of Wen Miao, raising his hand to gather the cherry-colored skirt hem that was intertwined with the flower branches.

The wide sleeves of the gold-embroidered dragon pattern brushed against the woman's satin embroidered shoes. The touch was so light, yet Wen Miao's toes curled slightly, and she felt a heat in her ankle, as if she remembered the hot breath that had landed there in her dream.

Wen Miao instinctively wanted to back away, but the force of her skirt held her firmly in place.

The emperor, who was half-squatting on the ground, looked up and slowly loosened his fingers from the edge of the skirt, but his gaze was fixed on Wen Miao. He said slowly and deliberately, "Madam, it's untied."

This appearance is like that of a dog eager for praise, waiting for its owner's reward.

As for the word "Madam," it's unclear whether it was used to address someone else or oneself.

A note from the author:

----------------------

Emperor: Madam~ Madam~ I've untied your skirt for you~ (Runs around) (Wags tail)

Author: (casts magic) Comment, comment, I want to comment (waves wand) Favorite, favorite, I want to favorite (casts spell) Achieve!

In Chang'an, as February and March arrive, the magnolias begin to unfurl their buds. [Note: From "Magnolia" by Li Xisheng (Qing Dynasty)]