Chapter 87 Extra: Past Life (Part 3)
Chapter 87 Extra Chapter: Past Life (Part 3)
Three months after Su Su entered the palace, Yikun Palace was filled with revelry every night, and her favor was unparalleled among the six palaces.
For her, those ninety-odd days were a time steeped in sweetness. Inside the red silk curtains, mandarin ducks entwined their necks, their tenderness endless.
During her leisure time in the daytime, she leaned against the window and embroidered a purse. Her focused profile caught Li Qianche's eye, captivating him even more than the important military and national affairs on the memorials.
He suddenly put down his vermilion brush and said calmly, "Embroider one for me as well."
Su Su looked up in surprise and saw that although his expression was indifferent, his gaze was fixed on her fingertips. Was he... jealous because he saw me embroidering for my brother?
The thought warmed her heart, and she smiled gently, agreeing readily.
After that, when he was reviewing memorials or reading quietly, she was often by his side, embroidering purses or reading storybooks.
Occasionally, she would get the urge to play chess with him, her slender fingers deftly manipulating the pieces. As the game progressed, she would become cheeky, nestling softly into his arms and pleading sweetly with her stunningly beautiful face upturned.
Although Li Qianche's face remained as aloof as ever, when she became too clingy, he would restrain himself and gently pull her away from his embrace, signaling her to behave herself. However, a barely perceptible hint of indulgence would flash in his eyes.
Such close daily interactions and intimate physical contact made Su Su's heart feel as if it were soaking in a warm bath, making her believe that this aloof emperor must have feelings for her.
However, he always treated her as if there was an impenetrable veil between them.
If she asked for some jewelry, ornaments, or novelties, he would usually grant her request. These gifts were sent to Yikun Palace in a flowing stream, and then she would generously distribute them to the servants.
On one occasion, she noticed him gazing intently at a fine, warm-to-the-touch white jade hairpin, and she took a liking to it, so she softly begged him to give it to her several times.
He insisted that it was his mother's old belongings and refused to allow it.
Su Su tried everything she could, tugging at his sleeve and acting coquettishly, but he just pinched the soft flesh on her cheek and said indifferently, "I can't always do as you please."
He kept in mind the late emperor's admonition that the emperor's heart is unfathomable, and that one should never openly express one's love and respect for him. He also knew he must not let her become arrogant or lose her sense of propriety because of his favor.
The jade hairpin that he was unwilling to give away stood like an invisible boundary, clearly separating her from him.
It turns out that the emperor's favor was as vast as the sea, yet unfathomable, just like the Yongshou Palace, which she had repeatedly begged to enter but could never do so. Its boundaries were clearly defined, drawn by his own hand long ago.
She happily devoted herself to studying culinary arts, kneading her secret feelings into the dough and cooking medicinal dishes, and personally carrying the food boxes to the Imperial Study.
She watched him use it with longing eyes, her gaze sparkling, hoping he would understand its meaning.
But when he put down the silver spoon, under her expectant gaze, he only gave two bland words: "Acceptable."
The small flame in Su Su's heart seemed to be dampened by the drizzle, wisps of lost smoke rising from it.
She couldn't help but wonder if she hadn't done enough. So she tried even harder, coming up with all sorts of creative ideas, just hoping to earn a compliment from him.
Two more months passed like flowing water, with the surface of affection concealing his imperial ambitions.
In the previous dynasty, the court officials, led by Grand Tutor Zhuang Shijie, could no longer contain themselves and jointly submitted a memorial, earnestly requesting the emperor to bestow his favor equally upon all and not to favor one person exclusively. Their words directly accused Consort Su of bewitching the emperor.
Even more so were those whose daughters had been in the palace for years, yet rarely even saw the emperor's face; their resentment had long since accumulated to a deep degree.
Behind this storm, Consort Zhuang's instigation was indispensable. She hated Su Su for monopolizing the Emperor's heart, and on the one hand, she encouraged her father to exert pressure in the court, and on the other hand, she secretly stirred up trouble in the harem.
Just then, a eunuch named Xiao Anzi accidentally tore a silken palace dress that the emperor had bestowed upon her when she first entered the palace.
Consort Zhuang, having nowhere to vent her anger, immediately ordered that the child be flogged to death.
Su Su passed by and saw that the little eunuch was on his deathbed. She couldn't bear it and spoke up to stop him.
The eunuchs carrying out the executions dared not disobey the powerful and influential Consort Gui, who was backed by the Empress Dowager.
Upon seeing this, Consort Zhuang was filled with both old and new grudges. She assumed that Su Su had deliberately slapped her in the face in public and challenged her authority, and regarded Su Su as an enemy to be fought to the death.
She then rebuked Consort Song, who was attached to her: "Useless thing! You've been in the palace for so long, and you still haven't thought of ways to please the Emperor!"
Having received some guidance, Song Liuzheng meticulously planned a "chance encounter" in the Imperial Garden.
Under pressure from court officials, Li Qianche needed to put on a show to balance the court's perception, so he went along with it and patiently accompanied Consort Song to drink half a cup of tea in the pavilion.
Su Su happened to see him from afar, sitting side by side with the woman beside him. Although they didn't seem particularly intimate, the sight stung her eyes and made her heart clench as if something was gripping it tightly, leaving her with an indescribable bitterness.
She forced herself to wait until Li Qian left, then immediately stepped forward with a stern face.
Song Liuzheng felt a bit more confident now that she had spoken with the Emperor. Her words carried a hint of pride, and a faint smile played on her lips as she deliberately spoke softly, "Your Highness, the Emperor just praised the scenery in this garden, saying that drinking tea with me here would be very pleasant."
She deliberately made Su Su believe that the Emperor had arranged to meet her here, in an attempt to provoke the concubine who had monopolized the Emperor's heart.
Su Su was already furious, and upon hearing this, she became even more enraged. She immediately seized an opportunity and said sternly, "Noble Lady Song, you are disrespectful and lack manners when you see me, and your words are utterly disrespectful! Kneel here for two hours and reflect on your conduct in accordance with palace rules!"
Song Liuzheng was furious, her face turning red, but being of low rank, she dared not openly disobey orders and could only grit her teeth and kneel on the cold stone slab.
This matter naturally reached Li Qianche's ears very quickly.
He summoned Su Su to the Imperial Study, his face calm, but his tone carried an undeniable air of authority: "I heard that you punished Consort Song by making her kneel for two hours today? Su Su, you are becoming increasingly out of line."
Su Su's eyes instantly reddened, and a wave of grievance surged up as she tugged at his dragon robe sleeve, protesting, "Your Majesty, I did nothing wrong! She was the one who disrespected me first! As a Noble Consort, do I not even have the right to discipline a disrespectful noblewoman?"
She tilted her head back, tears welling in her eyes, and asked, "Is Your Majesty going to punish me for her sake?"
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Li Qianche's heart softened, and the irritation he felt due to the turmoil of the previous dynasty faded somewhat.
He didn't pursue the matter further, but simply raised his hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, saying helplessly, "That's enough. Don't be so willful in the future."
Su Su thought that he ultimately favored her, so she leaned in and temporarily put the storm behind her.
However, just a few days later, Consort Liu heard that the Emperor was having a pleasant conversation with Consort Song in the Imperial Garden. She thought that the Emperor's heart had turned towards her and that the opportunity had arrived. So she also carefully prepared pastries and went to the Imperial Study to request an audience.
To make the "equal distribution of favors" act more convincing, Li Qianche not only tasted her pastries but also kept her for a few moments to talk.
Upon hearing this, Su Su could no longer contain herself and rushed straight to the Imperial Study.
Upon seeing Li Qianche, the unease, jealousy, and panic that had been building up for days instantly overwhelmed him.
She questioned him tearfully, and in her emotional outburst, she swept a celadon-glazed teacup off the imperial desk, causing it to shatter and fall to the ground with a loud crash.
Li Qianche frowned as he looked at her, a hint of weariness and displeasure flashing in his eyes, but he suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Don't be ridiculous. Go back and stay home for three days to reflect on your mistakes."
His calmness, which he might see as restraint under the majesty of an emperor and consideration of minor punishment as a warning, appeared to Su Su as indifference and disdain that the matter was settled and no further words were needed.
On the first day of her confinement, Su Su cried for half a day in the palace, her heart filled with resentment.
But by the afternoon, that resentment finally gave way to longing.
She kneaded the dough in a fit of anger and made a bowl of almond milk that he had only ever praised, and made Chunlan tell everyone that she had made it herself.
Watching Chunlan's departing figure, she waited quietly in the hall, her heart pounding with each footstep. But Chunlan brought back the message: "The Emperor accepted it and used some... but said nothing."
Ten days later, thinking that the Emperor did indeed have some favor towards her, Consort Liu meticulously arranged another "chance encounter" in the Imperial Garden, where she gracefully danced for him in the pavilion.
Su Su rushed over upon hearing the news and saw that slender figure twirling gracefully in front of Li Qianche.
She felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, and a surge of grievances and anger welled up in her heart. She abruptly removed the translucent jade bracelet that he had once personally put on her wrist and smashed it forcefully on the bluestone ground in front of him!
The crisp sound of shattering was like the sound of her heart breaking.
"Enough!" Li Qianche stood up abruptly, his face ashen. "Go back and confine yourself for ten days."
After returning home, Su Su cried for a whole day and sat in silence for two days. Finally, after reflecting on her actions, she prepared a medicinal meal and wrote a short letter. Her words lacked her usual spoiled manner; she only carefully asked him to calm down, saying that she knew she had made a mistake and hoped he would forgive her.
She instructed Chunlan to deliver it to the Emperor, and then began her anxious wait.
She waited from afternoon until dusk, but the plate of pastries and the letter seemed to have sunk into the sea without eliciting the slightest response.
The following day, the Empress Dowager arrived at Yikun Palace upon hearing the news. Seeing her niece's swollen, peach-like eyes, the Empress Dowager felt both heartache and helplessness.
"Susu, you are a Noble Consort, a role model for the six palaces. How can you be so jealous and willful? The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, not an ordinary man! There are three thousand beauties in this harem. Today it is Consort Liu, tomorrow it may be Noble Lady Li. How many can you stop?"
Su Su threw herself into the Empress Dowager's arms, sobbing uncontrollably, "Aunt... I'm heartbroken..."
The Empress Dowager gently patted her back and said earnestly, "Silly child, the emperor's favor is like a mirage. In this deep palace, only offspring are your true support. While the affection is still there, you should conceive a royal heir as soon as possible; that is the foundation for your survival."
These words were like a bucket of ice water, chilling Su Su to the bone.
She returned to Yikun Palace in a daze, forcing herself to calm down.
She summoned the imperial physician, secretly hoping that perhaps... perhaps they were already carrying each other's child, and everything would be different.
However, after carefully examining her pulse, the imperial physician looked troubled and cautiously replied, "Your Majesty... your body is of a weak and cold constitution, and your qi and blood are slightly deficient. You need to recuperate properly for a period of time and carefully nourish yourself... otherwise, in the matter of conceiving the imperial heir, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will be more difficult..."
A weak and cold constitution makes it difficult to conceive...
The imperial physician's words were like a final death knell, ringing in her ears. Her favor with the emperor was teetering on the brink of collapse, and her hopes for an heir seemed so slim... In this nine-layered palace, it was as if all her support and expectations had been suddenly stripped away.
Boundless sorrow and despair engulfed her like the night.
She began to order wine, and fell in love with the brief numbness it brought.
No longer caring about his "weak and cold" constitution, he would often face the empty bedroom and drink cup after cup of cold wine with tears streaming down his face.
Even eating cold fruits and vegetables seems to slightly alleviate the burning pain in the chest, as if the coldness of the body can help.
Chunlan and Qiuju knelt down and begged her to take care of her health. She smiled sadly and murmured to herself, "Take care of myself? He doesn't come anymore... What's the use of taking good care of my body..."
She no longer expected anything, no longer struggled, only wishing to indulge in this drunken, chaotic world, forgetting that person's cruelty, forgetting the suffocating reality of this deep palace.
Yikun Palace was still lavishly decorated, but it seemed to have lost its soul overnight, leaving only the salty smell of wine mixed with tears, silently spreading in the luxurious palace.
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