Chapter 21 Blatant Favoritism in Serving the Ill
Finally, the moon-white handkerchief, stained with blood, was tied in a knot and wrapped around the emperor's hand before being taken away.
Of course, after this handkerchief is washed again and carefully, it will likely have a thin layer of blood on it and be placed in an exquisite gold-threaded wooden box by its current owner, just like the hairpins, earrings, or clothes that have been treasured before.
He always loved collecting everything about his wife.
Even though such behavior seemed particularly morbid and bizarre, Xu Sheng, who served by the emperor's side, occasionally found it difficult to control his gaze, but Emperor Qian Yuan didn't care.
He only cares about his wife, that's enough for him.
After the banquet at the Duke of Wei's mansion that day, the Duchess of Wei was afraid that someone would beat her to the punch and get engaged to the Xie family. So she wanted to urge her husband to ask the Emperor for a marriage decree. But before she could even mention it, the Duke of Wei slammed his fist on the table and asked Meng Hanzhou if he had done anything out of line recently.
Meng Hanzhou was still reeling from being rejected by Wen Miao. He paused for a moment before shaking his head and saying no.
Both Meng Jingqiu and the Duchess of Wei were puzzled. "What's going on? Why are you talking about this all of a sudden?"
Duke Wei said in a cold voice, “Today His Majesty came to our residence and played a game of chess with me. Afterwards, he mentioned Hanzhou and said, ‘The Duke’s son is young and impetuous.’”
Meng Jingqiu asked, puzzled, "Isn't Your Majesty praising my elder brother?"
Duke Wei's face tightened, and his lips twitched: "Praise? That's because you don't understand His Majesty!"
Their emperor is notoriously cold-hearted and ruthless, making absolute decisions on state affairs without ever making a mistake. He is also extremely impartial towards his ministers, always rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing. His son may be excellent, but he has yet to achieve anything. Given the emperor's temperament, praise is out of the question! There must be something the boy has done wrong that has displeased the emperor!
His Majesty did not punish him directly, but instead reminded him privately, which was already very lenient. How could he dare to say anything more?
The Duke of Wei's expression was truly not pleasant. He questioned Meng Hanzhou in detail, but seeing that his son looked listless and unable to get any more information, he waved his hand.
He said helplessly, "No matter what, you should stay at home during this time and don't think about anything else. I'll ask around some more."
Lady Wei: "Then what about our marriage in Hanzhou..."
"Don't mention it again." The Duke of Wei shook his head. "Keep things peaceful and don't get involved in anything!"
Meng Hanzhou stared blankly at the bowl and chopsticks in front of him, his mind filled with his father's questions, his mother's and sister's worries, and on the other hand, he saw Madam Wen's soft refusal from behind the bamboo curtains and gauze curtains in the waterside pavilion.
But as he was thinking about it, the image of that black robe hem suddenly flashed through his mind again.
After the meal, the Duke and Duchess of Wei left with worried expressions. Meng Jingqiu was also feeling down because of this experience. Just as she was about to go back to her room, she suddenly heard Meng Hanzhou calling her.
Meng Jingqiu: "Brother?"
"Yuan Niang," Meng Hanzhou, who hadn't spoken much in the latter half of the meeting, said softly, "Do you remember what color dress Madam Wen wore at the banquet today?"
Meng Jingqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's a rather light yellow color, it seems to be Wu Luo, which is very famous in the south. This material is very beautiful! But it's also hard to buy. Last time when my mother made clothes for me, she couldn't order Wu Luo..."
The Wu Luo robe was light, soft, and breathable, with patterns that resembled relief carvings. However, the hem of the black robe appeared heavier, suggesting it was made of high-quality satin, intended for men. It was just unknown which family in the capital would use such black satin.
Meng Hanzhou frowned and asked again, "Were any other men invited to the banquet today?"
Meng Jingqiu: "Of course not! Why do you ask that, brother?"
Meng Hanzhou felt a dull ache in his mind, utterly bewildered. He shook his head and muttered, "Just asking," before turning and leaving, leaving Meng Jingqiu standing there, filled with doubt.
...
The fiery clouds of June have dispersed, and the cicadas sing in the treetops [Note].
The talk of the "phoenix and the dragon" still circulated in the capital. Children could be seen humming nursery rhymes in the streets and alleys. The words were simple and catchy. Under such circumstances, many people were really thinking about the "Empress" who would appear at any time.
However, before the craze could subside, news came from the palace that Consort Rong was suffering from summer heat and had summoned servants to attend to her.
As fate would have it, the person chosen by Consort Rong was none other than Wen Miao, the granddaughter of Xie Jingxuan.
The sweltering summer heat was hard to dispel, and Wen Miao had been having trouble sleeping lately because of the heat. Perhaps it was because of her plump figure and fair skin that she was even more afraid of the heat. At night, she wore only a thin gauze dress and didn't even bother with a thin quilt. Shi Cui and Wan Bi blushed and didn't dare to look directly at their overly beautiful and voluptuous lady.
When the news reached the Xie residence, Wen Miao was still relaxing on the chaise lounge. Upon hearing that she was to be sent to attend to the sick in the palace, the image of the emperor immediately appeared in Wen Miao's mind.
She couldn't help but suspect that this was the emperor's intention. After all, she and Consort Rong had no interaction since the magnolia banquet. How could it be her turn to care for someone who was ill?
The next day at 9:00 AM, a carriage from the palace was already waiting at the Xie residence.
From the outside, the carriage looked simple and plain, which was in line with Consort Rong's low-key style. However, when Wen Miao helped Shi Cui sit inside the carriage, she discovered that there was a whole different world inside.
Spacious and comfortable, the carriage was prepared with tea, snacks, and ice basins for the journey from Xie Mansion to the palace. As soon as you enter, the heat dissipates and the heat on Wen Miao's face cools down.
Seeing this, Wen Miao was completely certain of her guess.
The carriage traveled a long way through the palace gates. Whether they were princes, ministers, or noble families, they all had to walk after crossing the palace gates. Wen Miao was also prepared for this, but before she could even get off the carriage, she heard a familiar voice.
It was Xu Sheng.
Following behind Xu Sheng was a sedan chair.
After greeting everyone, Xu Sheng smiled and said that he would first take Madam Wen to Shou Kang Palace to pay respects to Consort Rong.
The sedan chair was lifted up by strong palace servants. The dark blue canopy swayed in the wind, providing cool shade and preventing the heat from getting too intense.
Along the way, Xu Sheng told Wen Miao with a smile about everything they had passed, from grand palaces and pavilions to small terraces and trees, acting as if he regarded Wen Miao as another master of this palace.
Wen Miao felt strange, mixed with a kind of unspeakable embarrassment and annoyance, but when she turned her head to look at the palace servants on both sides, they all had normal expressions, as if it were nothing unusual.
—It was as if these people had already accepted that she would become the current emperor's empress.
Upon arriving at Shou Kang Palace, Song Mama stood at the palace gate to greet Wen Miao from afar. There was no deliberate attempt to make things difficult or intimidate her. On the contrary, all the palace staff in Shou Kang Palace were all smiles and warmly invited Wen Miao inside.
Inside the Shou Kang Palace, there were ice basins, which were cool and comfortable.
Despite claiming to be ill, Consort Rong was actually in good spirits. She leaned against the couch and, without even accepting Wen Miao's greeting, quickly asked Granny Song to pull her to sit on a soft chair to the side.
"Serving the sick" became Wen Miao's excuse to enter the palace. During her time in Shou Kang Palace, she only needed to sit on a soft chair, enjoy the coolness of the palace, drink tea and eat snacks, and chat with Consort Rong.
This Dowager Consort, who had spent most of her life in the palace, was kind and cheerful. She chatted with Wen Miao about the Great Chu, the capital, and her experiences in the palace, just like a kind elder passing on her invaluable experience to her junior.
Even before Wen Miao left, Consort Rong said that she and Wen Miao got along well and that she could visit Shou Kang Palace more often when she had time.
—His gentle and polite manner was completely unlike that of someone in a higher position to someone in a lower position.
To some extent, Consort Rong even placed herself below Wen Miao.
The imperial palace, which has always been rumored to be full of deceit and intrigue, was surprisingly kind and approachable when it opened to Wen Miao.
Emperor Qian Yuan's existence is like a huge tree with extensive roots. He uses his thick branches and lush canopy to shield Wen Miao from any wind, rain, pests, or other dangers. Under this shade, Wen Miao will enjoy the dappled sunlight, the gentle breeze, and all the goodwill and friendliness.
She doesn't need to actively learn cunning tactics, nor does she need to guard against any danger.
The dark blue canopy was raised once more, its tassels swaying gently in the hot wind. The palanquin carrying that beautiful figure slowly disappeared into the distance, leaving Consort Rong dazed, her eyes flashing with a complex and unreadable mix of emotions.
She suddenly whispered to the old nanny Song beside her, "I used to think that there was no true affection in the royal family, and I never thought that the emperor would really like anyone, but seeing Lady Wen..."
Consort Rong smiled and said, "I've actually felt a pang of envy."
Everyone knows that Consort Rong was an old friend of the late Emperor, but they don't know that when the late Emperor was still a prince, they also had what she thought was "true love".
But when the late emperor ascended the throne and the number of women in the harem increased, Consort Rong was framed and plotted against, and thus had no choice but to resort to tricks and schemes...
She had thought that the late emperor would cherish their past relationship and understand her, but in the end, all she got was the late emperor embracing Consort Li and rebuking her as a poisonous woman.
Even if the late emperor knew perfectly well that there were no truly clean and kind people in the entire harem.
The late emperor never protected anyone, nor did he truly love anyone. Even Consort Li, whom he once favored, was used as a shield during the palace coup. But from the moment Emperor Qianyuan recognized Wen Miao, he took her under his wing, and all the turmoil would be far away.
Who wouldn't yearn for such a unique and precious love?
Consort Rong raised her hand to wipe her slightly moist eyes, her smile vanished, and the gentleness and kindness she had put on in front of Wen Miao disappeared, replaced by a kind of old weariness and coldness.
Like a withered tree, it will never see spring again.
This deep palace, in the end, is a place that devours people.
She said softly, "Alright, I'll take a nap. As for those over there..."
Consort Rong chuckled softly and said nothing more.
Granny Song nodded in agreement and carefully lowered the curtain beside the bed.
The once cheerful Shou Kang Palace fell silent instantly. The smiling palace servants and attendants became serious, lowering their heads and looking down, as if they had turned from living people into puppets, and the deathly silence and oppression of the past were restored.
On the other side, the sedan chair with its dark blue canopy gradually moved away from the area where Shou Kang Palace was located. Wen Miao, sitting on it, slowly turned her head and looked at the buildings of Shou Kang Palace in the distance.
Consort Rong was kind and friendly, and her palace servants were all smiles. But when Wen Miao walked out of this ancient and magnificent palace, which resembled the gaping maw of a wild beast, she still breathed a sigh of relief.
On Zhang Shuyan's face, there was a look of blankness, a daze, and then a gradual realization after they had moved away.
She knew very well that the kindness stemmed from the emperor's favoritism towards her. Without Emperor Qian Yuan, the palace would have been nothing more than a den of monsters that devoured people without spitting out their bones.
—Emperors are able, even willing, to become the giant tree behind her.
Is everything we're doing today purely out of a desire for protection, or is there some other, deeper meaning behind it?
Wen Miao lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes trembling slightly, casting a faint shadow that made it difficult to discern her emotions.
She suddenly had an idea.
This love and desire originating from the emperor was also the only "weapon" she could use to engage in a tug-of-war with him.
A note from the author:
----------------------
It's here!
It will be available tomorrow, and I will update it at midnight. Thank you for your support!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
