Chapter 107 An Extraordinary Favor
Consort Li did not hear the announcement, nor did she know how much of it had been overheard by Emperor Zhaoheng.
After exchanging greetings, she observed Emperor Zhaoheng's expression, rose, and smiled awkwardly, "Your Majesty... I don't know what you're talking about?"
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly walked up to her, his dark eyes half-closed, making Consort Li feel uneasy.
"...I was just talking to my maid about cleaning the palace...Lately, these servants have been getting increasingly perfunctory in their work..."
"Feng Shunxiang".
As soon as Emperor Zhaoheng spoke, Feng Shunxiang immediately stepped forward with a long, narrow brocade box in his hands.
Feng Shunxiang respectfully opened the brocade box in front of Consort Li, revealing the gilded filigree twin lotus hairpin inside.
Emperor Zhaoheng raised his hand and, to Consort Li's delighted surprise, took the gold hairpin from the brocade box and personally put it in her hair.
"When I saw this hairpin, I was reminded of you."
After he put the hairpin on her head, he stepped back slightly to examine it. Consort Li shyly raised her hand and gently touched the hairpin in her hair, a blush rising on her face.
Emperor Zhaoheng praised in a deep voice: "Her new attire and beauty are truly captivating... My Consort Li is absolutely stunning."
Consort Li nestled affectionately into his arms, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty is so good to me..."
Emperor Zhaoheng gently put his arm around her shoulder, and their figures intertwined.
Upon seeing this, the palace maid beside Consort Li quickly retreated in small steps.
Emperor Zhaoheng and Consort Li walked into the inner room, where Consort Li looked at herself in the bronze mirror again and again.
This gold hairpin is made of twin lotus flowers, which symbolize marital harmony and love.
"emperor......"
Consort Li turned her head, her eyes alluring, and said, "I really like this hairpin."
Emperor Zhaoheng was already sitting on the soft couch by the window. He looked up at her when he heard the sound, his expression unreadable.
"I'm glad my beloved concubine is happy."
"Your Majesty... there is one more thing."
Consort Li rose from in front of the bronze mirror, her slender waist swaying as she walked to the soft couch. With her delicate hands, she picked up the teapot beside her and personally poured a cup of tea for Emperor Zhaoheng.
"Two days ago, there was a snow disaster in Shuozhou. My brother did a great job in disaster relief. I heard that the locals in Shuozhou are saying that Magistrate Ruan loves the people like his own children."
Emperor Zhaoheng picked up the cup of tea and gently brushed the floating tea leaves on the surface with the lid.
He stared at the tea leaves swirling on the surface of the water in his cup and slowly said, "I did see the memorial about the snow disaster in Shuozhou this morning at court, and it also mentioned that your brother did indeed make a contribution this time."
Consort Li sat down next to Emperor Zhaoheng and gently massaged his stiff shoulders.
“My brother has to keep an eye on the greenhouses of the people in the city every day, and he also has to go to the countryside to check on the houses that have collapsed under the weight of snow. These past few days, the snow has been so heavy that his hands are so frozen that he can’t even hold a pen. It breaks my heart.”
Emperor Zhaoheng put down his teacup, the jade cup lightly tapping against the table with a soft sound.
"Indeed, the magistrate is in charge of civil affairs, and it is hard work in the snow."
Seeing that Emperor Zhaoheng's attitude had softened, Consort Li pressed her advantage, saying, "Your Majesty, I am deeply distressed. Shuozhou is a remote and impoverished place."
She sighed softly, her face showing distress.
"He not only resettled the people in a timely manner, but also sought tax reductions for the affected farmers. When the Ministry of Revenue came to check, they all praised him for handling the matter properly."
"Why doesn't Your Majesty bestow upon him the title of Vice Minister of Revenue? He could be transferred back to the capital, so he won't have to suffer in the cold there."
Emperor Zhaoheng seemed to be deep in thought, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table.
“A local prefectural magistrate is a fifth-rank official, while a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue is a third-rank official… It is quite troublesome to be promoted across ranks.”
"emperor!"
Consort Li withdrew her hand and gave Emperor Zhaoheng a charming glance. "My brother is brave and resourceful, and he is also responsible for the people. Such a good minister is not worth it even if he is above his rank."
Her voice softened, and she looked at Emperor Zhaoheng with a wronged expression.
"Or does Your Majesty consider me one of your own, which is why you neglect my family?"
"If that's the case, I'll be heartbroken."
She counted on her fingers and said, "My father served as a Grand Secretary in the Inner Cabinet, working diligently for Your Majesty and assisting the late Emperor for over fifty years. My brothers all hold important positions in the court..."
"Why are we only missing a Vice Minister of Revenue?"
As Consort Li spoke, she tugged at Emperor Zhaoheng's sleeve and shook it gently.
"how?"
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at her, and for some reason, Consort Li felt inexplicably uneasy when she met his deep eyes.
However, the twin lotus hairpin that the man had specially given her today was still pinned in her hair.
Twin lotus blossoms...this is an extraordinary blessing.
Consort Li felt confident, as if she had returned to the time when Emperor Zhaoheng had just ascended the throne and he rewarded the Ruan family with such generous honors that it shocked the previous dynasty.
"As you say."
Emperor Zhaoheng pursed his thin lips slightly, and Consort Li smiled happily, leaning into Emperor Zhaoheng's arms.
"Your Majesty is so good to me, and so good to my family."
She dreamt in his arms, "I am in the inner palace, and my father and brothers are in the court. I will surely serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul until my dying breath!"
As she spoke, Consort Li reached out to hook her arms around his neck and offer him a kiss, wanting to repay Emperor Zhaoheng with this pure love.
However.
Emperor Zhaoheng turned his head away to avoid it, and Consort Li was slightly taken aback when she looked at his well-defined jawline.
"emperor......"
"I have important business to attend to in a moment. If I get your lip rouge on me, I will surely be ridiculed by the court officials."
Emperor Zhaoheng released her, and Consort Li could only slowly sit up straight.
She said with a hint of grievance, "There are no so many reasons. It's clearly because the Emperor no longer favors me."
Gazing at Consort Li's beautiful profile, Emperor Zhaoheng's lips curled slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"You're overthinking it."
He rose, straightened his clothes, and looked at Consort Li, who sat on the soft couch as if sulking with him. Finally, as if surrendering to her, he spoke with doting affection:
"I will come to Zhaoyang Palace tonight."
"Your Majesty, please don't try to fool me... I'll prepare dinner myself and wait for Your Majesty."
Consort Li's face brightened, and she got up to help Emperor Zhaoheng straighten his clothes before seeing him off from Zhaoyang Palace.
Like a wife seeing her husband off, she accompanied Emperor Zhaoheng all the way to the gate of Zhaoyang Palace before reluctantly waving goodbye.
When she returned to the main hall, Consort Li was in a very good mood. She took the gold hairpin with the twin lotus flowers from her hair and examined it for a long time.
She hummed an unknown tune, her already beautiful face now looking like that of a young girl, with a hint of spring in her eyes and brows.
"Late Summer".
Consort Li called out the name of the palace maid who would replace Fangfei, and Chi Xia quickly stepped forward and stood respectfully to the side.
Consort Li spoke, her voice still carrying the joy from before, but the words she uttered were chilling.
"Go and clean up the mess in the Cold Palace. Do your job well, and don't let me down!"
Chi Xia had only recently succeeded Fang Fei, and was still unable to fully connect with Consort Li.
She stepped forward and asked hesitantly:
"Which one in the Cold Palace is Your Majesty referring to?"
Consort Li reinserted the gold hairpin into her hair, her voice turning completely cold.
"Take care of them all!"
Now that she has regained the emperor's favor, her desire for revenge has weakened considerably.
Fine, let's give that wretched slut Narcissus a clean end.
Chi Xia's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly replied, "Yes!"
——
A few days later, on a suddenly cold morning.
Bao Xiaohuai hanged himself from the rafters of the dilapidated house, a deep purple ligature mark on his neck was shocking, and he kicked over a broken wooden stool.
On the surface, it is clear that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment, or that he could not bear the bitter cold of the cold palace and finally ended his own life.
News of her death quickly spread throughout the cold palace.
Bao Xiaohuai's death was like a snowflake falling on a winter night, making no sound whatsoever.
In this cold palace, the one thing that's never lacking is a white silk ribbon to hang oneself.
Among the onlookers, Narcissus and Riko stood side by side.
She heard a few voices around her, seemingly lamenting Bao Xiaohuai's departure, but if she listened carefully, they seemed to be lamenting their own fate.
Whether alive or dead, they could no longer escape the walls of this palace.
So, what's the difference between those still standing and those hanging from the rafters?
An eunuch in charge of the Cold Palace came in from outside and ordered the guards to untie the woman from the white silk.
Throughout the process, he treated it as a routine task, as if he were cleaning up not a person, but a pile of filth.
Bang!
The gates of the Cold Palace closed again, the white silk still hung from the rafters, but the person on it had been carried away.
The onlookers gradually dispersed, and some even went mad and stepped forward to imitate Bao Xiaohuai, trying to wrap white silk around their necks.
However, the white silk ribbon had already been untied, and even a person who was as thin as a rake could not bear it. It was wrapped around the neck and swayed back and forth in the cold palace as the madwoman ran around.
Narcissus remained calm as she recalled Bao Xiaohuai's death. She exchanged a glance with Xiaolizi.
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, they all knew who had done it.
Bao Xiaohuai is still the same Bao Xiaohuai who entered the palace three years ago, and she has no scheming thoughts.
She was tricked into revealing Consort Li's name by Narcissus, and she wouldn't live much longer.
Shui Xian was well aware of Consort Li's intolerance and her extremely reckless nature.
Fangfei was like the reins of Consort Li. Now that Fangfei is gone, the proud and arrogant Consort Li is no longer bound and can do whatever she wants.
It's not that I'm afraid of people being stupid, it's that I'm afraid of stupid people thinking they're pretty smart.
A mocking glint flashed in Narcissus's eyes as she led Riko back to her own room.
Just then, the old woman she had seen in the opposite room walked towards her.
"I hope you are well, young lady."
The old woman spoke, her voice gentle, and her manners impeccable.
"My wife invites you."
"Your...wife?"
Narcissus raised an eyebrow, but the old woman didn't explain anything. She simply turned to the side, letting Narcissus see the row of side rooms behind her.
With Riko by her side, Narcissus naturally had nothing to fear.
Since someone had invited her, she accepted the invitation.
Narcissus nodded slightly and then started walking towards the row of side rooms.
Upon entering, Narcissus noticed that the room was extremely clean, with signs of repairs everywhere.
Although it cannot be compared with magnificent palaces, this dilapidated palace is as simple and quiet as an ordinary house.
There was a small door at the back of the side room, and Narcissus walked through that door, led by the old woman.
When she saw the scene behind the door, she couldn't help but sigh.
"I never expected there would be such a scene in the Cold Palace."
It was a well-maintained little courtyard, and in the center of the courtyard stood a middle-aged woman.
Narcissus paused for a moment, then spoke, "Greetings, Madam... Or should I address you as... Dowager Consort?"
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