Chapter 9: The "Chasing After His Wife" Scene - So Melodramatic, So Melodramatic, So Melodramatic...

Emerging from the cold palace, Ah Zhuteng was suddenly brought back to his senses by the bright sunlight.

She subconsciously looked back at the spot she had just come from—

The palace gates were greyish-red, and even the glazed tiles on the roof ridges were a dull, dark gray. The somewhat low-ceilinged palace rooms seemed to be hidden in corners where the sun couldn't reach them... devoid of any life.

Ah Zhu is quite brave.

After all, people who can withstand the "whoosh" for nearly ten years and still live well must be surprisingly "reckless".

But at this moment, even the "bold and daring" man felt a little uneasy, belatedly realizing how bold and lucky he had been.

The concubines who were confined to the cold palace rarely managed to emerge again.

It's not surprising that noble people who were once pampered and privileged would either go mad or die if they fell into hardship and were confined inside... How come she was the one to encounter this?

A-Zhu headed towards the Yeting Palace in a daze, wondering anxiously if she had developed hysteria from the endless "whoosh—whoosh—" sound.

"Feng Lianyu".

"Feng Lianyu".

"......"

Ah Zhu was repeating the name over and over in her mind when she suddenly bumped into Sui Zhu, who was coming out of the South Courtyard.

In the recent frenzy surrounding "miracle herbal powder," Suizhu was one of the few who emerged unscathed.

Firstly, Sui Zhu genuinely disliked A Zhu.

Some of the other palace maids, even those with fair skin, harbored a slight desire to use the herbal powder to become as beautiful as Ah Zhu, and were willing to take the risk. However, Sui Zhu was unwilling to benefit from Ah Zhu's fame at all.

Secondly, no matter how many Seven Star Leaves there are, they cannot withstand the plucking of the entire palace.

Sui Zhu then gave all the grass powder she had collected to Lan Yue.

Unexpectedly...

Thinking about Lan Yue, who hasn't made a move or sent any serious news since, and then looking at A Zhu, who's radiant and showing off right in front of me...

New and old grudges surged into her heart, and Suizhu's eyes immediately reddened.

"stop!"

Hearing the sound, Ah Zhu ignored it completely, her steps never faltering—she stopped abruptly at the sudden shout.

Dream on!

"You despicable, shameless, and treacherous villain!"

"You, you, you shameless scoundrel!"

A-Zhu, who was originally only thinking about "Feng Lianyu", was angered by Sui Zhu's unwarranted scolding.

Her eyes widened suddenly, and she turned around with a "whoosh," spitting at Suizhu: "What kind of dream are you having in broad daylight?"

Ah Zhu, who has always been very proud, showed no fear even though the fall still caused her some pain.

She dangled her leg, which was weak from the fall, and supported herself with her hands on her hips.

"Are you out of your mind, looking for someone to bring bad luck so early in the morning?"

"Suizhu, I'm not trying to be mean, but if you have hysteria, you should really get yourself checked out. You're just wasting your time."

"You're baring your teeth and 'biting' people for no reason... Hmph, I'm being kind by not arguing with you, but if you have a fit of madness and offend someone important, be careful you don't lose your life one day and have no one to regret it!"

Sui Zhu and A Zhu already had many unpleasant encounters.

However, Ah Zhu still maintains the same posture of standing with her hands on her hips and her head held high, which is truly hateful.

Even when Suizhu spoke again in her anger, she trembled.

"You, you, you heartless scoundrel, you..."

If an ordinary person were repeatedly accused and called a troublemaker, they would inevitably mutter to themselves and wonder if they had really done something wrong.

But it happened to A-Zhu...

Could it be that Ah Zhu looks like someone who is very good at reflecting on himself?

Having been unusually docile these days, A-Zhu was full of confidence. She asked directly, "Who have I harmed?"

"You, you're the one who caused this..." Sui Zhu gritted her teeth, clenching her fists tightly, but couldn't continue speaking.

Because of Steward Sun's serious reminder and warning, the nannies in the four courtyards of the east, west, south, and north also did their best to keep quiet.

Seeing that Sui-joo was speechless, Ah-zhu, feeling wronged, continued to ask in a sarcastic tone, "I'm listening, Sui-joo, tell me, who did I hurt?"

"you!"

Seeing Ah Zhu's fearless demeanor, Sui Zhu, who was furious, calmed down a bit—how could Ah Zhu not know about something that the nanny had strictly forbidden him from talking about?

That troublemaker A-Zhu must be trying to force her to say it herself so she can go back and complain to the nanny.

Sui Zhu, who was about to faint from anger, took a few deep breaths.

"A-Zhu, things have come to this point, and you're still pretending to be ignorant, still trying to harm me?"

Well, feeling rather speechless, A-Zhu simply rolled her eyes.

She would be better off using that time to inquire about "Feng Lianyu".

"Suizhu, it's almost time to choose a palace, and you still can't see things clearly?"

Ah Zhu looked impatient.

"Alright, alright, go somewhere cool and stay there. I don't have time to argue with you, and you better not bother me."

"If you're really bored and want to go crazy, go bang your head against a wall and play." With that, A-Zhu turned and left.

So annoying, so annoying, so annoying!

Shaking with anger, Sui Zhu watched Ah Zhu's departing figure with a resentful expression.

"Heaven is watching what people do."

"Ah Zhu, you'll get your comeuppance sooner or later!"

Without turning his head, Ah Zhu waved his hand dismissively.

If God were truly so effective, half of the people in the inner palace would have been cursed to death by the sincere A-Zhu long ago.

Forgetting about the unlucky person, A-Zhu focused all her attention on finding out about "Feng Lianyu".

To A-Zhu's surprise, it wasn't difficult to find out about the matter—the person was real, not someone A-Zhu had made up out of thin air, and the woman who called herself "This Empress" even had a significant background.

Feng Lianyu was the Imperial Concubine Feng, a title bestowed upon her by the late Emperor.

His glory and the fact that he was the most favored concubine in the harem are too numerous to recount.

Of course, no matter how glamorous this imperial concubine was before, or how many people she had love and hate entanglements with in the palace... in the end she still died in the cold palace.

To die alone in the cold palace—what a pathetic and tragic end that sounds.

But this fallen and miserable imperial concubine, single-handedly, dragged down Empress Wenhui, Crown Prince Chongde, Consort Jiang, and Prince Yunqing... and a large number of people inside and outside the palace suffered as a result.

Upon hearing that the Imperial Concubine had hanged herself in the Cold Palace, the late Emperor, who had vomited blood and fainted in front of his court officials... went mad.

After regaining consciousness, the deranged late emperor went on a killing spree in the palace—murdering his son and wife, deposing his concubines, imprisoning them, and exiling his princes.

After that, he fell seriously ill and passed away within half a month, beyond the help of medicine.

This great chaos came unexpectedly. No one could have imagined that the late emperor, in the prime of his life, would go on such a reckless killing spree, and even pass away suddenly within just half a month.

This caused the current emperor to hastily ascend the throne, and he had to clean up the mess for quite some time.

By the way, there's a particularly sensational rumor about Consort Feng's funeral arrangements—that the deranged late emperor actually ate all of her ashes.

The more sensational or unusual the rumor, the faster it spreads.

Of course, the speed and breadth of the news does not necessarily mean that many people believe it.

Ah Zhu, rubbing his arms, felt a chill but couldn't help but wonder – he had hanged himself before his death, and his body was nowhere to be found.

Is it because of this tragic end that this imperial concubine is trapped in this place, unable to escape for all eternity?

......

Kunning Palace

At dusk, the golden glow of the sunset illuminated the palace, making it shine brightly.

Passing through the many palace gates adorned with dragons and phoenixes, and through the embroidered curtains, wisps of smoke rise from the peony-patterned tripod in the outer hall, filling the entire hall with the rich fragrance of orchids.

Smelling the familiar fragrance, Nianqin, carrying a teacup, tiptoed into the study.

Approaching the imperial concubine's bed, Nianqin bowed and said softly, "Your Majesty."

Empress Wang, who was leaning against the rosewood lotus cloud table with her eyes closed in contemplation, hummed in agreement and slowly opened her eyes.

Nianqin served tea at the right time, and Empress Wang accepted it.

"Has the matter been handled properly?"

"Your Majesty, everything has been taken care of."

Looking at Empress Wang's expression, Nianqin continued, "It was just a clumsy little palace maid who accidentally fell into the water... There are many people in the palace, and it's inevitable that there will be those who like to gossip."

"It was just a few idle words, and within two days, the palace had completely forgotten about it."

"clatter--"

The sound of the teacup landing on the rosewood table was not loud, but it made Nianqin's heart tremble, and she did not make a sound.

Empress Wang, however, had a rather complicated expression on her face as she lay on the couch. "Tell me," she said, "how many women can't he have?"

"Does it really have to be the palace maids around the Empress Dowager?"

"And then someone even drowned in Taiye Pond and had to be pulled out, getting themselves into a mess for nothing!"

Empress Wang slapped the table, her anger and heartache mixed with a hint of disappointment and frustration.

“Yun’er is now in the Eastern Palace, and countless eyes in the palace are watching him. We dare not relax for a moment, working day and night.”

"But this wretched child of his is even worse. Not only does he not share his brother's burdens, but he also repeatedly tries to cause trouble, as if he's afraid that others in the palace won't be able to find fault with him?!"

Seeing that Empress Wang was angry, Nianqin quickly stepped forward to appease her, repeatedly saying, "Your Majesty, please calm down."

“His Highness Prince Rui is the most filial. If His Highness were to upset His Majesty, he would be so worried.”

"He's still in a hurry?!"

"I'd be grateful if he caused less trouble!"

"Your Majesty."

When she spoke again, Nianqin naturally tried her best to say nice things.

"Our prince is of noble status. Who knows if those palace maids had wicked intentions, trying to curry favor with the prince, and resorting to despicable means?"

"Moreover, Your Highness, perhaps you are also seeking some entertainment because of your inner turmoil."

Empress Wang fell silent for a moment after hearing Nianqin's words.

Empress Wang now has two sons.

The eldest son, Yin Mingyun, was handsome and distinguished, and was made crown prince at a young age.

The second son, Yin Mingzhen, was granted the title of Prince Rui before he even reached adulthood... Others only said that Empress Wang had a noble destiny, a phoenix born with a divine mandate, and with her two sons supporting each other, she would surely be able to rest easy in the future.

However, Empress Wang could not utter a word of her bitterness to anyone else—back then, she disregarded her health and tried to force herself to become pregnant again. During her pregnancy, she not only suffered greatly but was also plotted against.

The child was born prematurely and was born with congenital defects, making him weak and sickly.

Fortunately, she was in the palace, under the care of His Majesty, and with the best imperial physicians and the finest medicines, she was being carefully nursed back to health.

Just when Empress Wang breathed a sigh of relief after finally managing to stand firm, she was struck by another devastating blow—her youngest son was unable to have sexual relations due to a congenital deficiency.

Even though the palace maids in charge of his bedchamber tried every possible method to get him up, it only took him a few breaths.

How could Empress Wang dare let outsiders know about something that would make people gossip and laugh behind her back?

Not only must this be kept quiet, but even the imperial physicians are to be avoided if possible...

After all, Empress Wang had more than one son, Prince Rui. Her eldest son was the Crown Prince, and he was the one who could not be implicated by rumors.

In the past two years, Prince Rui has become increasingly eccentric and his actions have become somewhat insidious. Even Empress Wang, who loves her son dearly, cannot bear to criticize him.

This time, it wouldn't have mattered if it were any other palace maid, but it happened to involve Consort Lü.

"Consort Lü has been kind to His Majesty."

"After His Majesty ascended the throne, he bestowed an honorific title upon Consort Lü, and she has been living a life of luxury in the palace ever since."

"Even though she's gone, the palace maids who served her were given easy jobs and kept in the palace..." Empress Wang's eyelashes trembled slightly. "Do you think His Majesty might know about this?"

Nianqin didn't dare to respond to Empress Wang's speculation.

The hall was unusually quiet for a moment.

"This won't work. I need to think of a way..."

Empress Wang, her face somewhat grim, ordered, "Nianqin, go immediately and summon His Majesty before the Emperor..."

Nianqin disregarded everything else and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, this is still unproven. You must not panic."

Empress Wang's face darkened. "There's no sign of it now, but it will be too late if His Majesty hears about it from someone else!"

Empress Wang, filled with resentment, pointed her words at Nianfu Palace.

"Those vixens who bewitch the emperor are accustomed to flattery and sycophancy, and they mislead the emperor's ears!"

"Your Majesty."

Seeing the situation was turning sour, Nianqin quickly went along with Empress Wang, gently advising, "Your Majesty, you are the Empress, and you have always been straightforward by nature..."

Nianqin's words were indeed very tactful—

Empress Wang was a noblewoman from the Langya clan.

Even when she was still a young lady, the old lady doted on her. Because she also had several older sisters, she was treated with great favor. As a result, Wang Yushu was spoiled and had a very fiery temper.

Unexpectedly, the late emperor bestowed a marriage upon her, and she was betrothed to the Prince of Qin as his wife.

Back then, the palace not only housed Crown Prince Hui, but also several other princes with remarkable intelligence and resourcefulness.

At that time, Emperor Xuanpei was still the Prince of Qin. He was not very conspicuous among the princes, and because he was often away from the capital, he had little reputation for virtue.

When Wang Yushu became the Princess Consort of Qin, she was still quite young. She was proud of her background and had always been pampered. However, the Prince of Qin was not one to coax people, and the two often found themselves at odds in the palace.

"Your Majesty, you come from a prestigious family and hold a noble status. As the Empress, you are naturally unlike other women in the palace who resort to any means to curry favor. However... however, this inevitably puts you at a disadvantage, causing you to suffer unnecessary grievances in the palace."

Nianqin kept looking at Empress Wang as she spoke these words.

Having served Empress Wang in her residence and palace for so many years, Nianqin has come to understand that expecting the Empress to bow down is impossible in the short term.

Since Empress Wang has always been unwilling to yield, allowing other lowly women to take advantage of the situation and constantly whisper sweet nothings in His Majesty's ear, sowing discord... why not find someone from Kunning Palace who is willing to yield to serve His Majesty?

Seeing that even when Empress Wang tried to say a few nice words to His Majesty, they didn't sound very pleasant, and that she even suffered losses because of them time and time again... this thought kept lingering in Nianqin's mind.

Empress Wang slowly exhaled and looked up at Nianqin.

"Just say what you have to say."

"Yes, Your Majesty, please forgive my indiscretion."

Nianqin's voice grew softer and softer.

"Your Majesty, things have come to this point...why don't we find someone in the palace who is pleasing to His Majesty and present them as a gift?"

"presumptuous!"

Seeing that Empress Wang was furious, Nianqin quickly knelt down to beg for forgiveness. She only asked the Empress to calm down and not to hurt her health, but refused to deny the idea outright.

Empress Wang stared at Nianqin, about to scold her, but when she met Nianqin's earnest yet pitying gaze, she paused for a moment.

"Your Majesty, Consort Zhang in the palace is using her sweet words and flattery to bewitch the Emperor, and among the princes outside the palace, Prince Qi is also eyeing the throne with covetous intent..."

With her eyes half-closed and head slightly tilted back, Empress Wang clenched her fists tightly, then slowly relaxed them after a long while.

"...It's almost time for the draft."

Upon hearing this, Nianqin knew that Empress Wang had relented. While she subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Empress Wang.

But now that things have come to this... Nianqin can only try her best to rationally analyze the pros and cons.

"Your Majesty, all the ladies participating in the selection are of noble birth."

"Young and inexperienced, even if they don't make things worse, they might end up raising a tiger that will eventually harm them."

Empress Wang looked at Nianqin and sighed, "Get up."

"Yes, thank you, Your Majesty."

Nianqin stood up, knelt down on the footstool to massage Empress Wang's legs, and softened her voice: "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that the selection of palace women is just a few days away?"

Is being a palace maid a good social position?

But if one is merely a tool to flatter in bed and provide amusement for His Majesty... then there are naturally advantages to having a low status.

Unlike the noble ladies who came from the imperial concubine selection, these women who used their beauty to please others had no one to rely on and had to cling to Empress Wang. If they developed any other desires, they would be easy to deal with.

Empress Wang picked up her teacup, lowered her eyes, and took a sip of tea. "I'll leave this matter to you."

"Yes, Your Majesty, rest assured, this servant will handle it carefully."

......