Chapter 120 Fortune Telling
The main hall was chilly, and Zhu Zhi didn't feel much warmer inside than outside.
Consort Li, dressed in a brocade robe, sat in the main seat, her brows furrowed with a hint of sternness and mockery, her expression towards those below revealing a degree of resentment.
"This servant greets Consort Li, may Your Highness be blessed with ten thousand years of happiness and peace." Zhuzhi stepped forward and knelt down to pay her respects.
Hearing her words, Consort Li scoffed, "Where do I have any peace now?"
"It's all thanks to you."
"What, you insist on coming to see me make a fool of myself? Consort Shu's dogs are quite loyal."
Zhu Zhi pretended not to understand what she was saying and said respectfully, "My master is worried about Your Highness's health, so he sent me here. Your Highness is overthinking it."
Consort Li was furious. Ever since she lost her rank as a concubine and was stripped of her power to assist in managing the six palaces, she had been living like a drowning dog. In the past, the palaces would come to pay their respects to her, and Jinghua Palace was always bustling with activity. Now, however, it was deserted because His Majesty had decreed that she would be fined three months' salary. She even had to pay for her own monthly allowance. How miserable she was!
Consort Shu is probably quite pleased with herself now, and she must have given the inner palace a lot of instructions on how to send things to her palace.
It was like the charcoal we bought a few days ago; it produced a lot of smoke, which filled the entire hall and made it impossible for people to open their eyes.
She knew immediately that it was Consort Shu's doing. This shameless slut, she'd see how long she could be so smug.
"Worried about me?" Consort Li squinted at Zhuzhi. "You're afraid I might die in Jinghua Palace someday, aren't you?"
Zhuzhi was speechless at her words and quickly shook her head, saying she wouldn't dare.
“Go back and tell your consort that I am perfectly fine and will not die for the time being. I still have to watch you women fall from the clouds and be smashed to pieces.” Consort Li laughed. “I will not be satisfied until I see that day.”
Zhu Zhi dared not respond to this, and could only get up and take her leave.
She had looked, but Panxi was nowhere to be seen in the palace—she wasn't in Jinghua Palace, or perhaps Consort Li had hidden her away.
Zhu Zhi returned to Hanlu Palace and reported to Consort Wen that she had not seen Pan Xi, which Consort Wen also found somewhat strange.
A few days ago, His Majesty punished Consort Li and Consort Zhen. Everyone's eyes were subconsciously focused on Consort Zhen, since she was the most favored and it was the first time she had been punished by His Majesty. Before they could even gloat, Consort Zhen fell ill, and everyone could see His Majesty's intentions from this illness.
He clearly still loves Jin Zhaorong.
During this time, someone mysteriously disappeared from Jinghua Hall, but no one noticed.
Could it be that Consort Li harbored resentment because she failed to bring Panxi to the Emperor's court, and simply killed Panxi to vent her hatred?
"Go to the inner palace and ask if any palace maid named Panxi has been transferred to any location recently."
Consort Wen gave an order, still feeling that Consort Li wouldn't dare to kill someone openly in the palace, especially someone who had already met the Emperor.
Zhu Zhi said "yes" and left.
The door to the Frost Palace was still open, and a gust of cold wind blew in, making people shiver.
-
Lan Wu lay on the couch for another half day and felt that she was much better. She had told Chu Mingheng everything she knew about Zhu Qing. Last night, after Chu Mingheng came to have dinner with her, she also heard him say that Zhu Qing's identity was not simple.
Zhu Qing was not young when she entered the palace. As soon as she entered the palace, she was taken to the side by the empress because of her incense-making skills. She stayed in the palace for many years before being released. She is now forty-five years old.
So many years have passed, and the palace servants who handled the records have changed several times. Although Zhu Qing's record is still there, one can tell from what is written on it that someone arranged for Zhu Qing to enter the palace.
Last night, when Lan Wu nestled in Chu Mingheng's arms and listened to him say these things, her expression was particularly serious. After thinking for a while, she said, "Mu Jin is a palace maid given to me by His Majesty to protect me. However, when I was framed in my previous life, Mu Jin was not by my side. So when I saw them come to my palace again, I became more wary, fearing that they might not be good people."
"Since Zhuqing knows how to make incense, could she possibly make some kind of bewitching incense or poisonous incense to drug me and the palace servants, and then use that to slander me?"
Chu Mingheng stroked her hair with one hand, gently stroking it down from the back of her head to her lower back, and nodded in agreement with what she said, saying, "It's not impossible."
"But where did she get the imperial edict?" Lan Wu frowned, puzzled. "Even if it was a forged edict, how could anyone believe it if it was too fake? In the end, the concubines would all be punished anyway. They must have thought the edict was real, which is why they sent Zhu Qing..."
It couldn't have been an order from Chu Mingheng.
Chu Mingheng pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close. He gently pressed his forehead against her chin, and a hint of murderous intent gradually crept into his cold, sharp eyes where she couldn't see.
Imperial edict.
He wasn't the only emperor capable of writing imperial edicts.
“In a few days, Master Huifan from Wuji Temple will enter the capital. I would like to have him come and see A-Wu, would that be alright?” Chu Mingheng put aside his thoughts and turned to Lan Wu to talk about another matter.
Lan Wu looked down at him, her voice hesitant: "Is it Wuji Temple on Changyong Mountain?"
"Hmm." Chu Mingheng gently took Lan Wu's hand and held it in his palm, saying slowly, "Master Huifan is a high monk in Wuji Temple. I was born in Changyong Mountain, and he gave me a fortune reading at the time of my birth."
"What fate?" Lan Wu asked curiously. Chu Mingheng was of such high status, yet someone dared to predict his fate. She had never heard of such a thing in either of her two lives.
Chu Mingheng chuckled: "I don't know either. Although he gave the decree in front of me, I can't expect him to be able to understand human speech since birth."
"Although the Empress Dowager knew, she never told me. She only said that the decree was burned after it was spoken, so it probably wasn't a good thing."
Lan Wu shook her head: "How could that be? It must mean that His Majesty is entrusted with the imperial mandate and is a good crown prince and a good emperor."
Chu Mingheng looked up and saw her determined gaze. He couldn't help but pinch her cheek: "Silly Awu, when the late emperor was still alive, who would dare to grant such a fate?"
Lan Wu belatedly exclaimed "Oh," realizing that this made sense.
"Will he be able to tell that I am a person who has lived two lives?" If he really can tell, that would be terrible.
Chu Mingheng shook his head and remained silent.
Lan Wu herself had never heard of this Master Hui Fan, but she figured others had.
Just as I was pondering what Chu Mingheng had said yesterday, there was a slight commotion outside the palace gate.
A short while later, Mu Jin entered the palace and reported to her, "Your Majesty, Consort Yue and Consort Mu have arrived."
Mu Xiurong?
Didn't she only invite Consort Yue over?
Lan Wu sat up, gathering her thoughts, and looked towards the entrance of the hall: "Please come in quickly."
Yue Zhaorong, dressed in a light orange blouse, slowly entered the hall, followed by Mu Xiurong, dressed in a light blue robe.
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