Chapter 183 Is Consort Jin a lucky star?
The next morning, at the royal villa outside the city.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat upright in the main seat at the head of the table. Despite his days of travel, the imperial majesty between his brows remained undiminished.
Narcissus sat slightly below him, having changed into a plum-green palace dress, her hair simply tied up and adorned with a few pearl hairpins.
Although her face was still a little pale, after resting last night, she had recovered most of her energy.
Lu Yuanhang, the young master of Chang'an Escort Agency, was being led inside by Xiao Lizi to pay his respects.
He had changed into a more formal dark blue outfit today, but it still couldn't hide his free and unrestrained spirit as a chivalrous man of the martial arts world.
Lu Yuanhang walked steadily into the hall, where he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to Emperor Zhaoheng and Shui Xian at the head of the table, his posture neither humble nor arrogant.
"This humble subject, Lu Yuanhang, pays his respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness the Imperial Concubine."
He did not kneel, and Xiao Lizi hurriedly stepped forward to remind him, but was stopped in her tracks by a look from Emperor Zhaoheng.
The Chang'an Escort Agency deserves credit for rescuing Narcissus, and he also found Lu Yuanhang quite pleasing to the eye, so he granted him this favor.
"Rise."
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was gentle, with obvious praise, "Young Master Lu, thanks to your and your bodyguards' righteous assistance and timely message delivery, the Imperial Concubine was able to escape danger."
"This is a great service in saving the Emperor, and I am very pleased."
Lu Yuanhang straightened up, the aloofness between his brows not diminishing in the slightest despite the emperor's praise, and calmly said, "Your Majesty flatters me."
"When you see injustice on the road, you should draw your sword to help, let alone when it concerns the safety of the Imperial Concubine and the Imperial Heir. This humble subject is merely doing his duty."
Emperor Zhaoheng nodded slightly, even more satisfied with this attitude of not taking credit.
"Rewarding merit is a law of the court. I wish to bestow upon you a thousand taels of gold, a hundred bolts of brocade, and a plaque inscribed with 'Righteousness Reaching the Heavens,' to be hung at the Chang'an Escort Agency as a sign of commendation."
"This humble subject kowtows to express his gratitude for Your Majesty's grace."
Lu Yuanhang expressed his gratitude in accordance with proper etiquette.
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at him, a hint of appreciation for his talent flashing in his eyes, and said, "Young Master Lu is young and promising, with extraordinary courage and insight. Would you like to enter the court as an official? I can grant you a promising future."
"Or, I will bestow upon you a good marriage, a noble lady from the capital or a talented family, for you to choose from."
Shui Xian sat upright, not saying a word since Lu Yuanhang came in, only observing his expression.
She clearly saw a deep hint of pain in Lu Yuanhang's eyes.
pain?
Narcissus inexplicably thought of that token. She didn't know why before, but now that she thought about it, the small boat on the sea seemed to match the young master's name.
If she wasn't mistaken, that token should be Young Master Lu's keepsake...
As Narcissus pondered, Lu Yuanhang bowed again.
Surprisingly, he refused the emperor's rare and generous reward.
"Your Majesty's favor is deeply appreciated by this humble subject. However, I am accustomed to a free and unrestrained life in the martial world and cannot bear the constraints of officialdom, lest I fail to live up to Your Majesty's grace. As for the marriage..."
He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but my heart belongs to another. Although we are not destined to be together in this life, I do not wish to marry another. I wander the world alone and dare not delay other good girls."
Despite being a bright and cheerful young man, his words carried a sense of loneliness and desolation, causing the hall to fall silent for a moment.
Narcissus seemed to have sensed something.
She knew in her heart that she couldn't reveal the token Wen Jingfeng had given her, no matter what.
Emperor Zhaoheng's eyes flashed with surprise, which quickly turned into understanding.
He was not a ruler who forced people to do things against their will, and he had even more respect for such loyal and righteous people.
"Since that's the case, I won't insist. The rewards will remain the same. I hope that Young Master Lu will have a smooth journey in the martial world ahead."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Lu Yuanhang bowed again, "If Your Majesty and the Imperial Concubine have no further instructions, this humble subject will take his leave."
Emperor Zhaoheng granted his request, and Lu Yuanhang turned and left.
The morning sunlight shone on his back, making him appear so upright.
In this world, there aren't many people who can refuse a generous reward.
After everyone left, Emperor Zhaoheng turned and took Shui Xian's hand.
Seemingly moved by Lu Yuanhang's resolute demeanor, he gently stroked the scar on Shuixian's wrist and whispered a promise:
"When you return to the palace this time, I will make sure you are honored and let anyone dare to say another word."
Shui Xian looked up at him and knew that, as a fellow man, compared to Lu Yuanhang, Emperor Zhaoheng wanted to express deep affection.
She gently squeezed his hand back: "With Your Majesty here, I have nothing to fear."
On that day, the emperor and empress set off to return to the capital.
The imperial carriage was a grand procession, with banners waving and guards standing in rows.
Inside the carriage, thick soft cushions were laid out, and small ice chests that needed to be changed frequently were used to prevent Narcissus from overheating during her pregnancy.
Emperor Zhaoheng held Shuixian's hand the whole time, while Shuixian leaned against him, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the scenery outside the carriage window.
At the very back of the procession, the specially made wooden cage prison van stood out conspicuously.
Madam Yi was dressed in prison clothes, her hair disheveled, and she looked emaciated, with not a trace of the dignity she once possessed as a noblewoman.
The prison cart slowly drove along the imperial road, with crowds of people from the capital who had come after hearing the news already packed on both sides.
"Traitor who colludes with the enemy and betrays the country!"
"The Yi family deserves to die!"
The reason given by Emperor Zhaoheng for Lady Yi's arrest was that she was trying to escape punishment by faking her death.
The crowd was immediately enraged, with shouts and curses filling the air.
Rotten vegetable leaves and rotten eggs rained down on the prison cart, covering Madam Yi's head and face with filth.
At first, she tried to avoid it, her eyes filled with resentment, but under increasing contempt and attacks of filth, she could only huddle in the corner of the prison van, enduring the humiliation of being despised by thousands.
Inside the imperial carriage, Narcissus could clearly hear the people's curses through the beaded curtain.
The three years of suffering in the brothel, the horror of being tortured and killed in my previous life... all flashed through my mind.
Seeing Madam Yi's fate, the pent-up resentment that had been building up for two lifetimes finally found some release.
The imperial carriage and ceremonial guard slowly made their way to the palace amidst the welcoming crowds lining the streets.
The majestic imperial palace gates drew ever closer.
Narcissus knew that what awaited her within the palace walls was not the celebration of surviving a calamity.
The Empress Dowager, the Empress, and even the other concubines... they would probably never prepare a gift for her return.
Sure enough, just as the imperial carriage was about to enter the palace gate, a report came from the front: "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and the Empress are waiting at the palace gate."
Emperor Zhaoheng's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and his grip on the narcissus tightened slightly.
Narcissus adjusted her posture, her face regaining its usual composure, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
What's meant to come will come.
If the Empress Dowager and the others didn't come, she would become suspicious instead!
The imperial carriage slowly came to a stop, and according to custom, Narcissus was helped down by Koriko first.
Even with her round belly, she moved with no clumsiness, but rather with a touch of gentle charm.
Emperor Zhaoheng then came down, his gaze fixed on the direction of the narcissus.
In front of the palace gate, the Empress Dowager stood behind the Empress, and a little further away, a group of concubines and palace servants followed behind her.
The Empress Dowager wore a crimson-purple long dress with phoenix patterns, her face solemn and her eyes sharp.
The Empress, dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe that signified her status as the head of the six palaces, glanced at Narcissus with a hint of coldness in her eyes.
"The Emperor has had a long and arduous journey."
The Empress Dowager spoke first, her gaze seemingly sweeping over Narcissus, "I heard that Consort Jin suffered quite a fright this time. Is she alright?"
The Empress responded gently, letting out a soft sigh.
"Yes, Consort Jin must have suffered a lot while she was away for so many days. The Empress Dowager and I were very worried when we heard the news, and we couldn't sleep a wink day or night. Now that my sister has returned safely, we are finally relieved. But..."
She looked troubled. “Consort Jin is currently pregnant with twins, making her extremely precious. She has been away from home for many days… Now that she has suddenly returned to the palace, she needs to rest and recuperate properly.”
The Empress's words were all out of concern, but in reality, she was pointing out to everyone that Narcissus, as a concubine, had been out of the public eye for many days.
Shui Xian sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, only slightly curtsying her knees: "Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager and Empress. I am well."
When the Empress Dowager and the Empress saw that Narcissus was not responding to their tactic and was pretending not to understand, the two of them, though not discussing it, actually changed their expressions slightly at the same time, quite in sync.
Seeing this, Consort Wan spoke from a slightly back position: "I have heard that there have been some rumors circulating among the people recently..."
Before she could finish speaking, Narcissus interrupted her with a smile.
"Consort Wan, what are you saying? You're standing too far away. The wind is blowing too hard, and I couldn't hear anything."
Upon hearing Shui Xian's words, Consort Wan's expression instantly stiffened.
Narcissus was subtly mocking her for being merely a concubine, standing too far back in the hierarchy!
Consort Wan wanted to refute, but Narcissus was a noble consort, who was superior to her in rank!
She managed to suppress her anger, but her expression remained somewhat sullen.
Consort Wan raised her voice slightly. Although she knew that Shui Xian was subtly making sarcastic remarks, Consort Wan only wanted to finish her sentence.
She wanted to see how Narcissus would answer her question!
"What I was saying was that there have been some rumors circulating in the capital recently..."
This time, before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted again.
However, it wasn't Narcissus who interrupted him, but Emperor Zhaoheng.
Emperor Zhaoheng's voice was icy as he cut off Consort Wan's words without hesitation.
"Since it's just gossip, Consort Wan, why repeat it?"
The Empress Dowager was about to speak, intending to use filial piety to pressure Emperor Zhaoheng, making him realize that Shui Xian's reputation was now bad and that she could not be brought back into the palace.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Zhaoheng said the next moment:
"During this time, Consort Jin has been praying for the Empress Dowager at Jingguang Temple. The Empress Dowager is now in good health, which is the result of Consort Jin's sincere prayers day and night."
"Consort Jin is the lucky star of our Great Qi!"
Empress Dowager: ? ? ?
Empress: ? ? ?
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