Chapter 7 The Emperor is like a libertine stealing a kiss in a storybook.
Chapter Seven: The Emperor is like a libertine stealing a kiss in a storybook.
At the New Year's Eve banquet, the concubines sat on either side, each gazing at the emperor seated on the high platform. He stood tall and straight, his expression aloof. The dancers below fluttered their colorful sleeves, yet they seemed to pay him no heed. In previous years, Consort Su would always be by his side, smiling and chatting. But now, that woman who once enjoyed his exclusive favor had been demoted to a lowly concubine, no longer even entitled to a seat. Seeing this, the concubines all dressed up meticulously, hoping to gain a share of the emperor's favor at this grand banquet.
The Empress Dowager's gaze swept across the room, suddenly stopping at the empty seat: "Your Majesty, Consort Wan has only recently entered the palace, how can she even miss the New Year's Eve banquet?" Li Qianche picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp, saying calmly, "She is not yet fully recovered, I allow her to recuperate in the palace." The Empress Dowager frowned and remained silent. This Consort Wan had only been in the palace for a short time, yet the Emperor had already granted her so many special privileges, even more so than he had shown to Su Su back then. This was truly against palace rules, it seemed he really liked this Consort Wan.
Li Qianche looked around the hall and suddenly noticed that the banquet was empty. He turned to Shen Gaoyi and asked, "Why is Consort Su not here?" Shen Gaoyi quickly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Consort Su is of low rank and is not allowed to attend banquets according to regulations."
Amidst the wafting sandalwood incense, that void felt like something was missing from his heart. Li Qianche stroked the gilded wine cup in his hand, suddenly feeling that the imperial wine had lost its flavor—he used to find her too clingy, then gradually resented her for being arrogant and spoiled, and always frowned whenever he saw her. Now, the banquet was grand, yet it felt like the most important embellishment was missing. Was demoting her to a lowly concubine that day too harsh a punishment? Was she currently sulking and unable to sleep in the palace, or had she already fallen asleep with tears in her eyes? He gazed at the cold moon outside the window, his fingertips unconsciously sliding along the rim of the cup.
Despite the recent favorable military campaign and the presence of fine wine and delicacies, he remained uninterested. Seeing his distracted state, Consort Zhuang wondered which vixen had once again stolen the Emperor's heart. With the Imperial Concubine already out of favor, it could only be Consort Wan. She bit her lip, determined not to let another woman enter his heart. So, she rose, holding her wine cup, and looked at him with alluring eyes: "Your Majesty, I congratulate you on the victory in the war. May Your Majesty enjoy good health and the Empress Dowager live a long and blessed life."
Li Qianche's gaze fell on Consort Zhuang, coldly observing her. She had just lost her nephew, yet she still had the mind to vie for favor at the palace banquet? It was truly suspicious. He raised his cup and took a small sip, a gesture of response. Seeing this, the other consorts stepped forward to offer their congratulations, and the hall was filled with laughter and chatter.
Seeing that the Emperor's expression was still acceptable, Consort Liu mustered her courage and stood up, intending to perform a dance to add to the festivities, hoping to gain the Emperor's favor on New Year's Eve: "Your Majesty, on this auspicious night, I would like to offer a dance to add to the splendor of Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager."
Li Qianche looked at her silently, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Seeing that the emperor neither spoke nor objected, the Empress Dowager nodded slightly in approval.
Consort Zhuang's eyes immediately flashed with anger as she coldly stared at Consort Liu. Another one who didn't know her place. How dare a mere Consort Liu flaunt her charms in front of her!
Consort Liu changed into her dance costume and danced gracefully in the palace. Her slender waist was like a willow, and her snow-white skin was partially visible. She swayed gently to the music, and her affectionate eyes would occasionally glance at Li Qianche on the throne.
When Li Qianche saw this dance, he vaguely remembered that Su Su had also danced for him. At that time, she did not expose an inch of her skin. With just one look, she was as alluring as spring silk wrapped around his finger, her charm penetrating to the bone. Her dance steps were a net set up for him alone. Every turn seemed to be an invitation, and before he had even finished half of the dance, he had already pulled her into his arms... That night, the bed was warm and cozy until dawn.
Memories flooded back, and Li Qianche could no longer sit still. He excused himself from the Empress Dowager, citing fatigue, and left his seat.
Just as the dance reached its climax, Consort Liu saw the emperor suddenly leave. Her face turned deathly pale, and she was filled with shame and embarrassment. However, she still forced herself to finish the dance, but her steps were disordered and her posture was stiff.
Seeing the Emperor storm off, the concubines knew they had no hope of receiving his favor tonight, and they were all secretly disappointed. Consort Zhuang was especially resentful, her eyes flashing with cold light as she watched Li Qianche's retreating figure. It must be that vixen Wan Pin who seduced the Emperor again!
Shen Gaoyi followed Li Qianche out of the Qianqing Palace. Seeing that the Emperor was walking towards the Changxin Palace, he immediately understood—His Majesty was thinking of Consort Su.
Changxin Palace was located in a remote area, next to the Cold Palace, and far from Qianqing Palace. Shen Gaoyi hurriedly stepped forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, shall we send for the imperial carriage?"
Li Qianche waved his wide sleeves lightly: "No need, the night breeze is just what I need to sober up." He also suppressed the restlessness in his heart.
The palace road was long and the night was as dark as water. After walking for a long time, halfway there, Li Qianche turned his head impatiently and glanced behind him: "Changxin Palace is so far away, how did you arrange this?"
Shen Gaoyi was terrified. When His Majesty demoted Consort Su, he did not inquire about her whereabouts. Moreover, since it involved such a serious crime as plotting to harm the Crown Prince, everyone naturally felt that Consort Su was not far from leaving for the Cold Palace. He knelt down with a thud: "It must be those snobbish palace servants who deliberately placed Consort Su in that remote place because they saw that she had lost favor."
A cold glint flashed in Li Qianche's eyes: "Go back and receive your punishment." With that, he walked away. Shen Gaoyi hurriedly got up, feeling wronged and thinking to himself that His Majesty hadn't asked about it beforehand, which was why they dared to make such an arrangement.
After walking for a while, Changxin Palace came into view. The palace gates were tightly closed, and the interior was pitch black, indicating that the palace had already been closed for the night. Li Qianche stopped and gazed at the palace, thinking of Su Su, who had been pampered since childhood. Now that she had moved to such a desolate place, she must be spending her days in tears. The day he saw her, her clothes were plain and she had become much thinner.
However, if she is not severely punished, she will likely become even more unrestrained, surrounded by wolves in the court, and one wrong step could lead to utter ruin! The Empress Dowager has always wanted to make her empress, and her intentions are obvious. How could he dare to indulge in favoritism? The lesson of the interference of the empress's relatives in politics is still fresh in his mind. On his deathbed, his father held his hand tightly and instructed him: "Even if you have a thousand feelings, you must not show them in the slightest."
Seeing that the Emperor remained motionless, Shen Gaoyi cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, would you like someone to open the door?"
Li Qian waved his hand and said, "Wait."
Before he could finish speaking, he leaped over the wall and entered with the agility of a swallow. Shen Gaoyi stared in disbelief, thinking to himself, "His Majesty's behavior is like that of a libertine stealing a kiss in a storybook..."
Li Qianche quietly sneaked into the side hall and saw that the bed was neatly made, but there was no one there!
Li Qianche's heart tightened, and he quickly turned to go outside. He saw Chunlan sleeping by the door of the side room. He walked over, lightly pressed her acupoints with his fingertips, and pushed the door open to enter.
The hall was chillingly cold, with only a pot of low-quality charcoal half-burnt, emitting a choking fumes. Su Su and Qiu Ju were sleeping in each other's arms. When Li Qianche saw Qiu Ju's hand on Su Su's waist, his eyes darkened. He coldly pressed Qiu Ju's acupoints, bent down and gently picked up Su Su, turning her towards the bed in the side hall.
The person in his arms was so light that it startled him. He placed her on the bed and stroked her cheek. How could she have become so thin? His gaze inadvertently swept over her slightly open collar, where a glimpse of snow-white skin was faintly visible. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he finally suppressed the surging emotions, carefully tucked her in, and strode out.
"Why is Changxin Palace using inferior charcoal? Is the Imperial Household Department tired of living?"
Shen Gaoyi knelt down with a thud, his voice trembling as he said, "This servant failed in his duty! Those scoundrels must have changed sides with the wind. This servant will go and punish them severely!"
Li Qianche was furious and said, "Since they are so blind, all those involved shall be given thirty strokes of the cane and exiled to the palace forever!"
Shen Gaoyi was startled and immediately obeyed the order, saying, "This servant obeys the decree!" Such a severe punishment was practically cutting off those people's path to survival. He thought to himself: There are probably more than just this one remote palace garden in the palace that uses inferior charcoal. In the past, the Emperor had never inquired about it, but now he was so furious to see Consort Su suffering... It seems that Consort Su still holds a very important place in the Emperor's heart.
He prostrated himself on the ground and whispered, cold sweat pouring down his face: "Your Majesty, the matter of the Prince of Ning's heir is still unclear. If we stand up for Consort Su now... I'm afraid Consort Zhuang's side will..."
Li Qianche flicked his sleeve and sneered: "Find a pretext and say that they are embezzling the allowances of the newly entered concubines and disregarding palace rules."
Shen Gaoyi immediately understood the Emperor's meaning. Consort Wan was the Emperor's savior, and punishing her on this ground would not give anyone grounds for criticism. He kowtowed deeply: "Your Majesty is wise. This servant will immediately draft an edict to investigate and handle the matter."
Meanwhile, inside the Shuning Palace.
The warmth was like springtime, a stark contrast to the chill of Changxin Palace. The floor heating quietly radiated warmth, keeping out the winter night's chill. Mu Hanyan leaned against the carved window, her fingertips unconsciously stroking her lower abdomen, her gaze fixed on the lonely, cold moon in the sky.
On New Year's Eve, outside the palace, there must be lights in every home and laughter and chatter. But within the deep palace walls, only she and the child in her womb are together. She wonders if he, far away in the southwest, is also gazing at the same bright moon.
A slender palace maid named Green Ivy carried a cup of warm goat's milk and quietly entered the inner room. Seeing her mistress still standing by the window, she thought to herself: Is Your Highness waiting for the Emperor? She stepped forward and softly advised, "Your Highness, it is late at night. The Emperor will probably not come tonight. You should rest early."
Mu Hanyan was already used to the palace servants' cautious speculations. She took the warm porcelain cup, her fingertips lingering on the cup for a moment, as if she could draw some comfort from its warmth. After drinking it, she slowly walked towards her bed, her clothes casting dappled shadows in the candlelight.
Since being assigned to serve this new mistress, Green Ivy knew that she was calm and composed, unlike the other concubines who were eager for the emperor's favor. She deftly helped Mu Hanyan undress, gently lowered the brocade curtain embroidered with lotus patterns, and carefully extinguished the candles.
The bedchamber was plunged into a quiet darkness, with only the occasional soft crackling of the floor heating system making the silence of the deep palace seem even more profound.
Morning, inside Changxin Palace.
Su Su slept soundly through the night, without a dream. The morning light slanted through the crimson gauze window, casting bright, diamond-shaped patches of light on the blue brick floor. Su Su's eyelashes trembled slightly as she was awakened by this unusual light.
She sat up and found herself covered with an antique blue cotton quilt, and on the hard bed with plain-colored cloth, which was unique to the side hall. This was clearly not the furnishing of the side room. Last night, she and Qiuju had squeezed onto the hard bed in the side room. How did they end up here?
Although the side hall was spacious, there was little charcoal. To conserve it, she and Qiuju squeezed into the side room every night, where it was warmer. At this moment, she stared blankly at the tassels hanging from the beam. Her last clear memory was Qiuju's even breathing and her own growing drowsiness as she counted the night watch. She could think of nothing else.
Su Su stepped barefoot onto the footstool, her round toes curling up from the cold. She remembered doing this often when she was little, waking up to find herself in another place. Her nanny said it was sleepwalking, but she hadn't had this problem since she was ten. Could it be that she...sleptwalked again last night?
She sat down in front of the bronze mirror, her embroidered shoes kicking at the scattered black charcoal beside the charcoal brazier. This charcoal was heavier than the usual kind, with a black jade-like sheen on its cross-section. It was not the inferior kind mixed with coal slag that the Imperial Household Department issued. In the corner of the side hall, there was a pile of charcoal baskets, with morning dew still clinging to the red lacquered and gold-painted lids. They were obviously freshly delivered this morning.
Since the Emperor brought Mu Hanyan back, Changxin Palace has been like a cold palace, neglected by everyone. Even the incense burner under the corridor is covered in dust. Now this charcoal seems to be a rare item that was transferred from elsewhere. Where did it come from?
Chunlan brought in a gilded brass hand warmer with engraved meander pattern. She saw her master staring blankly at the charcoal basket and knew that her master was puzzled.
"My lady, be careful not to catch a cold," she said, placing the hand warmer into Su Su's palm. The warmth of the warmer dispelled some of the chill.
"The Imperial Household Department delivered it before dawn. I heard that even Consort Wan's charcoal was replaced with new one." She lowered her voice. "Last night, the Emperor was furious about the embezzlement. The sound of the caning could be heard outside the palace walls."
Su Su stroked the raised geometric pattern on the hand warmer. The person in the mirror still had traces of last night's restlessness between their brows, but now it seemed as if they were looking through a layer of mist.
She chuckled softly, "So it was all for the sake of a beautiful woman." It was rare to see Li Qianche so angry; it seemed he loved Consort Chongwan very much. The charcoal fire in the side hall burned brightly, casting a warm orange light through the window paper.
The warmth filling the hall was merely a spark that had fallen from the Emperor's fury at Consort Wan, which had accidentally landed in her desolate side hall.
Before the bronze mirror, Su Su ran her fingertips through her cascading black hair. In a few days, the war would be won, and His Majesty would surely grant a general amnesty on the day of his triumphant return...
She put down the jade comb. At that time, she would ask the Empress Dowager for permission to leave the palace to pray for the Emperor. Outside the palace walls, the clouds and rosy hues would drift and roll, and from then on, the sky would be high and the sea wide... Now, who cares who he was angry for? In the end, the dragon returned to the sea, and it had nothing to do with her anymore.
Seeing that her mistress was not as distressed as usual, Chunlan comforted her and tied her hair up, saying softly, "Your mistress hasn't sleepwalked in a long time. I remember she used to do it often when she was young."
Su Su looked at herself in the mirror, touching her hair bun, and said in a daze, "Yes... I don't know why, but my old ailment flared up again last night."
Chunlan stirred the newly added charcoal, making a crackling sound, the firelight illuminating her smiling face: "Fortunately, I didn't catch a cold. Now there's plenty of charcoal, so we don't need to be stingy anymore."
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