Chapter 58 The only woman who made him feel pure warmth
That night, Shui Xian, who held the rank of imperial concubine, spent the night in the Qianqing Palace.
The next morning, after having breakfast with Emperor Zhaoheng, she leisurely returned to the main hall of Yongle Palace.
She had just spent the night in passionate embrace with the Emperor, but Narcissus remained cautious and did not let her guard down easily.
Throughout history, emperors have often been deep thinkers, sensitive and suspicious individuals.
Narcissus leaned against the soft couch by the window, the morning light casting a soft golden glow on her delicate profile.
"Silver Pearl," she called softly.
Yinzhu immediately stepped forward.
Narcissus pointed in the direction of the palace wall: "Go, on the section of the palace wall near the west corner gate, tie a red rope to the branch of the tallest old tree."
She whispered, "Don't linger there, come straight back."
Yinzhu nodded: "Yes, this servant will go right away."
Soon after, Yinzhu returned and, after waiting for a full hour, untied the red rope.
When she returned to Yongle Palace, Yinzhu held the red rope she had untied, feeling somewhat uneasy.
"Your Highness, it's been tied up and untied. But..."
She hesitated and said, "What if... Mr. Zhou didn't see it? Or what if he saw it but didn't understand what it meant? Isn't this method a bit too simplistic?"
Narcissus took the ordinary red string, twirled it lightly with her fingertips, and said confidently, "Simple is less likely to attract attention."
As for Zhou Yan...
She thought of the man from her past life, who had taught her so much. Although they hadn't met yet, Zhou Yan was already considered her half-teacher.
"I believe in his abilities."
The rope hanging on that old tree was a secret signal she and Shui Xiu had agreed upon, meant to be passed on to Zhou Yan outside the palace.
Hanging a red rope signifies the need for opposition from outside the palace.
Hanging a white rope is a distress signal.
The idea had been in Shui Xian's mind ever since she saw the memorial impeaching her by Emperor Zhaoheng's side.
She needs Lian Chenxi to submit a memorial to the throne and impeach her along with those aristocratic families.
Only in this way can Emperor Zhaoheng's doubts be completely eliminated.
Her gaze swept towards the branches that were sprouting tender buds and reaching out from behind the palace walls in the distance.
Shui Xian placed her hand on her slightly protruding belly and gently stroked it, saying, "Just wait and see. Let's see if this Scholar Lian and Zhou Yan can understand what I want."
——
The following day, at the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Zhaoheng had just finished reviewing several memorials when Feng Shunxiang presented a new memorial with a bow: "Your Majesty, this is a memorial from Lian Chenxi, a compiler of the Hanlin Academy."
After the banquet at Xinglin, Emperor Zhaoheng not only bestowed the title of Zhuangyuan upon Lian Chenxi, but also arranged for the newly appointed Zhuangyuan to enter the Hanlin Academy, becoming a compiler of the sixth rank, in accordance with ancestral rules.
Emperor Zhaoheng took it, unfolded it, and his sword-like eyebrows furrowed instantly.
In his memorial, Lian Chenxi quoted extensively from classical texts and spoke earnestly, the gist of which was:
Although Consort Jin is carrying the emperor's child and has made great contributions to the country, she comes from a humble background and her family is of low social standing. It is feared that she will be unable to shoulder the heavy responsibility of raising the prince.
For the sake of the country and its people, we earnestly request Your Majesty to reconsider. After the prince is born, he should be entrusted to a concubine of noble birth and virtuous character for upbringing. This is the proper way.
Lian Chenxi's memorial was almost identical to those submitted by other prominent families.
Emperor Zhaoheng casually tossed the memorial onto his desk and let out a cold snort that had no clear meaning.
"This Lian Chenxi, he just cleared his name at the Apricot Grove Banquet thanks to Xian'er, and now he's submitting this memorial?"
Feng Shunxiang, trying to discern the Emperor's intentions, carefully replied, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger."
"After all, Scholar Lian was a scholar, and his mind was full of the rules and regulations in the classics, and he was particular about his family background."
"Although his memorial offended Consort Jin, upon closer examination, it can be seen as a matter of concern for the country and its people, and therefore understandable."
Emperor Zhaoheng looked at the memorial he had tossed aside, its pages open, and it happened to be on the page with the words "Consort Jin" on it.
Lian Chenxi's memorial came abruptly, and the timing was also opportune.
He suddenly asked, "Feng Shunxiang, has there been any unusual activity at Yongle Palace recently? Have any of Consort Jin's people entered or left the palace, or have any family members visited her?"
Feng Shunxiang felt a chill run down his spine, realizing that the Emperor was indeed not entirely at ease with Consort Jin.
He quickly bowed and lowered his voice even further: "Your Majesty, this servant has been keeping an eye on things. Yongle Palace has been very quiet lately. Consort Jin is either walking around the palace or resting quietly during her pregnancy."
"There are no records of palace servants going out on their own, nor are there any records of family members visiting them."
Emperor Zhaoheng sat quietly on the dragon throne, his eyes lowered in deep thought.
Lian Chenxi's actions were not at the behest of Shui Xian.
Could it really be his own thought that he felt Narcissus, being of humble birth, was unworthy to raise a prince?
This is in line with the style of those refined scholars.
"The people watching Yongle Palace..."
Emperor Zhaoheng pondered for a moment, and finally rubbed his temples.
"Let's keep it for now, no need to alarm them. Just keep an eye on it regularly, and report any unusual activity immediately."
"Your servant obeys the decree," Feng Shunxiang replied, bowing his head.
Looking at the sharply worded memorial on his desk, Emperor Zhaoheng felt a mix of emotions.
Lian Chenxi's opposition, to some extent, lessened his doubts about Shui Xian.
If Shui Xian truly intended to use Dengdi Inn and impoverished scholars to form cliques and pursue personal gain, Lian Chenxi should be currying favor with her right now, so why would he submit a memorial opposing it?
This seems to confirm Narcissus's earlier tearful account... that her father opening the inn was truly unintentional.
However......
Emperor Zhaoheng closed his eyes, and the palace intrigues he had experienced in his childhood flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
Consort Wen, the late emperor's concubine... the only woman who made him feel pure warmth, ultimately perished under the intrigues of the deep palace.
Narcissus may seem pure now, but in this cannibalistic palace, who can guarantee that she will never change?
"Never mind."
Emperor Zhaoheng opened his eyes, which showed some weariness.
"Tonight... prepare the carriage for Yichang Palace. I will go to see Consort Wen."
He missed that beautiful figure, but they were separated by death, and he could only remember her in this way.
Feng Shunxiang was taken aback, then bowed and said, "Yes, this servant will arrange it immediately."
——
The following day, at Yongle Palace.
Narcissus was having breakfast when Silver Pearl hurried in.
He whispered in her ear that Emperor Zhaoheng had gone to Yichang Palace last night, but had not stayed overnight.
"Oh?" Narcissus put down the silver spoon, her face showing little emotion.
"Is Consort Wen still under house arrest? It seems that having that face does have some use after all."
Yi Shuyao's imitation of Consort Wen's methods ultimately prevented Emperor Zhaoheng from being completely ruthless.
“Yes, I heard they only sat for a short while before leaving,” Yinzhu added.
Looking at Narcissus's profile, she said worriedly, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. Consort Wen's confinement has not been lifted... His Majesty must have just gone to see her and did nothing else."
Narcissus smiled faintly and gently stroked her noticeably protruding belly.
What he does is none of my business.
Her tone carried a world-weary indifference, "Forget it... In this deep palace, the most unreliable thing is a man's heart."
"The only place I can rely on is here."
Narcissus placed her palm against her lower abdomen, her eyes gentle.
As long as she gives birth to the child safely, she will finally have a layer of protection in the deep palace besides the emperor's favor.
However... she still needs to think carefully about Emperor Zhaoheng's visit to Consort Wen at Yichang Palace late at night.
Is it just for that face, or for some other reason...?
Narcissus gently stirred the porridge in the bowl with a silver spoon, quietly lost in thought.
After having breakfast, Shui Xian spread out Xuan paper on the desk by the window, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and began to calmly practice calligraphy.
This is a habit she developed after her rebirth, both to make up for her lack of education and as a way to temper her character.
Amidst the fragrant ink, her thoughts gradually settled.
Not long after, footsteps were heard outside the palace. It turned out that Yinzhu was leading Fangfei, who was beside Consort Li, into the palace.
"This servant greets Consort Jin."
Upon entering the hall, Fangfei bowed respectfully and said, "Her Highness the Imperial Concubine requests that Her Highness Consort Jin move to Zhaoyang Palace for a chat, as she says there are important matters to discuss."
The narcissus brush paused slightly, and a drop of ink spread out in a small blot on the rice paper.
She looked up, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes, before regaining her composure.
Consort Li... has finally lost her patience?
In her previous life, Consort Li used a series of ingenious tricks when she was pregnant, almost causing her and her unborn child to die.
In this life, she was already more than four months pregnant, yet Consort Li remained inactive, which was unusual in itself.
"Understood, I'll make some preparations and then go." Narcissus put down her pen and winked at Silver Pearl.
Yinzhu understood immediately and went to discuss it with Xiaochuanzi.
If anything happens at Zhaoyang Palace, Xiao Chuanzi, who is guarding Yongle Palace, must immediately go to the Emperor for help.
Not long after, Shui Xian and Yin Zhu, with extreme caution, stepped into the main hall of Zhaoyang Palace.
Contrary to Narcissus's expectations of a tense atmosphere, Consort Li was greeted with a welcome that seemed to come from someone possessing her.
"Consort Jin has arrived? Please, have a seat!"
Consort Li's voice was a little softer than usual, but her tone still carried the habitual condescension.
"Look, I had nothing to do, so I had some little trinkets made. Thinking that my sister's unborn child is precious, I thought it would be good to prepare them in advance for the future little prince to play with."
She took Narcissus to see the round table in the inner room.
On the large, round rosewood table, instead of tea and snacks, there was a dazzling array of children's gold jewelry!
A longevity lock made of pure gold, a delicate gold bell bracelet, an adorable gold unicorn...
It was glittering and dazzling, almost covering the entire desktop!
Each piece is exquisitely crafted, extremely valuable, and exudes an undisguised extravagance...
Consort Li smiled, held Narcissus's hand tightly, and said affectionately:
"When my sister gives birth, she will be unwell at first. She can place the child in my Zhaoyang Palace. I will take good care of her child."
Upon hearing this, Narcissus instantly understood!
She looked at Consort Li's forced smile and didn't believe in her goodwill at all.
Consort Li has always been domineering and arrogant, and has never bothered to share Emperor Zhaoheng's favor with anyone else... If the prince were really given to her, I don't know if I would even survive.
It turns out that this time, Consort Li's plan was to get rid of the mother and keep the child!
The narcissus smiled...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com