Chapter 196 The Most Powerful Man in the World Meets the Person He Cares About
The Lihe Palace was newly decorated inside and out. Colorful silks symbolizing good fortune and blessings hung under the long corridor, glass wind chimes tinkled in the wind, and various beautiful tributes and rare flowers were displayed in the courtyard, creating a festive scene from top to bottom.
Today is a joyous day.
Narcissus, seated on the throne in the main hall, was dressed in an apricot-yellow auspicious robe befitting an imperial concubine.
The skirt is embroidered with eight peony clusters, and the cuffs and collars are trimmed with colorful cloud patterns. They are further embroidered with silver thread depicting the four seasons, carrying auspicious meanings. Paired with precious jewelry and headdresses, the outfit exudes supreme nobility and extraordinary opulence.
However, the weariness of childbirth was hard to hide in Narcissus's eyes and brows; it was a kind of exhaustion that no amount of makeup could conceal.
Emperor Zhaoheng, moved by the hardships of her childbirth, promoted her to Imperial Noble Consort and issued a special decree allowing her mother, Lady Jiang, and her younger sister, Shuixiu, to enter the palace to accompany her.
Jiang and Shuixiu, led by a group of palace servants, were welcomed into Lihe Palace from the palace gate in a lively manner.
Jiang and Shui Xiu, who were once looked down upon by the sycophants in the capital, now have changed their expressions because Shui Xian was granted the title of Imperial Noble Consort.
Jiang and Shui Xiu didn't step on them, but they kept their distance from those who fawned on the powerful and looked down on the weak.
The moment Jiang Shi stepped into the main hall and saw her daughter, dressed in auspicious robes and waiting on the throne, her exhaustion barely concealed by her magnificent attire, tears streamed down her face.
As a mother myself, I know best how dangerous and painful childbirth is for women.
Shui Xiu's eyes also reddened, and she quickly stepped forward to grasp Shui Xian's hand.
"Your Majesty..."
Jiang choked up as she was about to perform the ceremony.
Shui Xian quickly gestured for Ting Lu to support her mother, and smiled weakly, "Mother, Xiu'er, there are no outsiders here, no need for formalities."
She dismissed most of the palace servants, leaving only Yinzhu and Tinglu to guard the entrance.
Once only her own family remained in the hall, Shui Xiu could no longer hold back and threw herself onto Shui Xian's lap, her voice trembling with lingering fear.
"Sister! You scared us to death! That day... that day your delivery was dangerous, I was so scared..."
She cried as she gripped Narcissus's hand tightly, as if she would lose her if she let go.
Narcissus took her younger sister's cold hand in return, patted it reassuringly, and looked at her equally worried mother: "Your daughter is unfilial and has made you worry. But now... we've finally made it through."
Jiang pounded her chest in anguish, "Only now do I find out that Madam Yi... that bitch, fed you the medicine! It's all my fault, I'm so sorry!"
Jiang was always gentle and rarely used vulgar language, but when she mentioned Madam Yi, she finally couldn't help but blurt it out.
Ever since she learned that Madam Yi had fed Shui Xian a secret medicine when she was a child, which changed Shui Xian's constitution... even the kind-hearted Jiang Shi had the thought of killing her several times!
Suddenly, Narcissus was embraced by her weeping mother. Narcissus also felt a lump in her throat, and hugged her mother back, bursting into tears.
I don't know how long everyone cried before they finally calmed down a little.
Shui Xiu sniffed, then remembered the important matter. She lowered her voice and recounted in detail how she and Yuan Chiyu had traveled thousands of miles into the miasma-ridden lands of southern Xinjiang and, after many twists and turns, finally found that secluded tribe isolated from the world.
"...At first, the clan chief refused to see outsiders at all; we couldn't even get through the village gate. Later, it was...it was Marquis Yixin who..."
When Shui Xiu mentioned this name, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she unconsciously spoke a little faster, as if she was thinking of something.
"He somehow managed to persuade the guards to let us see the clan chief!"
"He spoke with the chieftain, implying that if his sister could be saved, there might be more interaction between the court and the tribe in the future... Only then did the chieftain agree to let Ana come out with us."
She omitted the hardships involved, but from her understated narration, Narcissus could imagine the poisonous insects and ferocious beasts of the dense forests of southern Xinjiang, and the tribal xenophobic vigilance.
She mentioned that Ana was not a name, but rather the head of the shamans in each generation of the tribe.
In their language, Ana represents hope.
"Ana... she initially refused as well."
Shui Xiu continued, "She said that according to tribal rules, secret techniques are not to be passed on to outsiders, let alone to save outsiders. It was Marquis Yixin... who guaranteed it with his own life, and with my... I begged her for a long time before she finally relented and agreed to come with us to the capital to try it out."
Although Shui Xiu tried her best to hide it, her words revealed an undisguised admiration for Yuan Chiyu's courage.
Narcissus listened quietly, her eyes shifting with changing emotions.
She was grateful for her sister and Yuan Chiyu's life-risking help, and she also keenly noticed the subtle emotions in Shui Xiu's voice when she mentioned Yuan Chiyu.
But now is not the time to delve into this.
After Shui Xiu finished speaking, Shui Xian gently exhaled.
She pulled her mother and Shuixiu to sit beside her and whispered, "Mother, Xiuer, listen to me."
"Although I may seem to be in a position of great power now, my position remains precarious as long as the Empress remains in power. In the coming days, I may appear... depressed and melancholy..."
Narcissus carefully explained her plans to her mother and sister.
Her trip is quite risky, so she needs to reassure her family and not worry too much.
As Narcissus spoke, she looked at the increasingly noticeable graying at her mother's temples and let out a soft sigh.
Hearing Shui Xian's plan, Jiang Shi and Shui Xiu were shocked, but seeing how clear-headed and calm Shui Xian was, they knew how dangerous the palace was, and quickly nodded in agreement.
The mother and her two daughters first discussed important matters before gradually relaxing and chatting about the two newborn princes of Shuixian, the growing Yongning, and some trivial matters at home and in the inn...
Time passed slowly, but Narcissus felt that time flew by.
The days when my mother and sister can stay by my side are numbered.
But being in the palace, one is not in control of one's own destiny.
If she could exchange her freedom for the freedom and well-being of her whole family, Narcissus would gladly accept it...
As they were talking, a report came from outside the palace: the Emperor had arrived.
Emperor Zhaoheng strode in and saw that Jiang Shi and Shui Xiu were also there. He nodded slightly and his gaze immediately fell on Shui Xian.
Seeing that she still looked listless and worried, he frowned with heartache.
Since she gave birth, Emperor Zhaoheng always saw that she was depressed, so he brought Shui Xian's mother and sister into the palace as quickly as possible.
Unexpectedly, even so, I couldn't win a smile from her.
"But you feel unwell again?"
His gentle voice and concerned tone made Jiang and Shuixiu glance at him slightly.
It turns out that even the most powerful man in the world can be gentle and tender when he meets the person he cares about.
Narcissus shook her head slightly and forced a smile: "No, I just talked with my mother and sister for a while and I'm a little tired."
Emperor Zhaoheng's deep gaze swept over Jiang Shi and Shui Xiu, then he took Shui Xian's hand in his own.
"I came to see you after court, so as not to disturb your reunion as a mother and daughters."
Shui Xian noticed a faint trace of fatigue between Emperor Zhaoheng's brows.
She kept this matter in her heart, and together with her mother and sister, she respectfully welcomed Emperor Zhaoheng away.
As soon as Emperor Zhaoheng stepped out of the gates of Lihe Palace, the worry on Shuixian's face vanished instantly. Shuixiu, standing to the side, watched the change in her expression and felt both amazed and admiring.
Shui Xian summoned the quick-witted Ting Lu and whispered, "Find some time to inquire whether there has been any news about me in the previous dynasty."
"yes."
He nodded.
——
The next day.
On the throne room.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat high on the dragon throne, his face calm, listening to his ministers report on government affairs in turn.
All matters seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner; however, after several important military and national affairs were settled, an unusual silence fell over the palace.
At this moment, an elderly official with white hair and beard—the Imperial Censor Wang Chong—stepped forward, trembling, holding a jade tablet.
He was a veteran official who had served three dynasties, and considered himself a pillar of integrity, with his students and old friends spread throughout the court and the country.
"emperor!"
Wang Chong's voice was weak, but his words were full of confidence and certainty.
"This old minister is willing to risk his life to impeach one person!"
As if knowing who he was going to impeach, the hall fell silent instantly, so quiet that even breathing could be heard clearly.
Many officials subconsciously lowered their eyes and listened passively, already understanding the target of the attack.
Emperor Zhaoheng slightly raised his eyelids, a fleeting chill passing through his unfathomable eyes, his voice steady.
"Whom does Minister Wang wish to impeach?"
"The person this old minister wishes to impeach is none other than the current Imperial Noble Consort, Lady Jiang!"
Wang Chong stood tall and spoke with conviction, his words aimed directly at the narcissus.
"Since the Imperial Noble Consort gained the Emperor's favor, she has monopolized his private quarters, rendering the Emperor's harem virtually non-existent!"
"The Imperial Noble Consort came from a humble background, merely a maidservant born into a family. Her virtue and prestige were insufficient to command respect, yet she suddenly rose to a high position, causing unrest in the inner palace and widespread criticism in the court!"
After stating the two charges, he paused deliberately, his eyes, clouded by age but sharpened by the impeachment, sweeping over his colleagues on either side, as if seeking their agreement.
"The Empress Dowager's health has been poor for a long time, and there are rumors in the capital that it is because the Imperial Noble Consort's fate is too strong and has clashed with the Empress Dowager's health! Although such suspicion of harming one's relatives is absurd, the rumors are rampant and enough to shake the foundation of the country. How can the Imperial Noble Consort escape responsibility?"
Wang Chong's words pinned both the fabricated and fabricated charges on Shui Xian's head.
Wang Chong said with righteous indignation: "For the sake of the country and the peace of the harem, this old minister earnestly requests Your Majesty to temporarily revoke the Imperial Noble Consort's power to assist in managing the six palaces, and to allow her to reflect on her mistakes in the palace, so as to quell public opinion and stabilize people's hearts!"
Upon hearing this, several officials who also held traditional views or had close ties with the families of the other concubines in the harem stepped forward to echo his sentiments.
"What Lord Wang says is very true! Although the Imperial Noble Consort has given birth to a prince, the ancestral rules cannot be disregarded!"
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort has recently received excessive favor from the Emperor, which may not be a blessing for the country!"
"The Empress Dowager is the mother of the nation. Her health is crucial to the fate of the country. It is better to believe it exists than not, Your Majesty!"
The accusations from the high-ranking officials were directed at the frail woman in the palace who had just survived a life-or-death ordeal.
On the dragon throne, Emperor Zhaoheng's face slowly darkened, as if covered with a layer of frost.
He did not immediately lash out, but silently looked down at the group of sanctimonious, quoting old ministers below.
Emperor Zhaoheng's icy gaze slowly swept across the faces of each person who had agreed to his proposal. The invisible pressure made some of them feel uneasy, and their voices involuntarily lowered.
Once the hall was quiet again, Emperor Zhaoheng slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling rebuke.
"Have you finished talking?"
"When did my harem become a place for you to interfere?"
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