Chapter 267 Xian'er, it's not what you think!
The Cold Palace is located in the most remote corner on the west side of the palace.
Upon entering the palace gates, a desolate and chilling atmosphere immediately enveloped them.
In stark contrast to the opulent splendor of the previous dynasty, the exquisite elegance of the Eastern and Western Six Palaces was striking.
The palace walls here are mottled, the glazed tiles are broken, and weeds grow stubbornly in the cracks between the stones. Even the air seems to be filled with the woman's resentment.
When the imperial carriage arrived, the eunuch in charge of the Cold Palace and several palace maids were already kneeling on the cold bluestone ground, their heads bowed low, not daring to look up at the emperor's face.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress! Long live the Empress!"
Shui Xian, supported by Ting Lu's hand, slowly stepped down from the phoenix carriage.
Her gaze swept calmly over the desolate scene, and without saying much, she simply said in a low voice, "Get up. How is Consort Liu's health? Take me to see her."
"Yes, yes..."
The head eunuch quickly got up, hunched over, and carefully led the way.
He never imagined that Narcissus, who had once been relegated to the cold palace, would now be sitting in the empress's seat!
The manager lamented that he hadn't recognized the talent back then, while simultaneously fawning over him.
The palace where Consort Liu was located was relatively clean, but the light was dim and a strong smell of medicine filled the air.
On the bed, Consort Liu was covered with a faded cotton quilt, her face ashen.
Hearing the noise, she opened her eyes with difficulty. When she saw that the person who came was Narcissus, who was wearing a scarlet phoenix robe, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.
For a moment, she was in a daze, and then she struggled to sit up and pay her respects.
"The Empress Dowager is ill, so there is no need for formalities."
Narcissus stepped forward, offered a gentle support, and spoke in a soft voice.
She sat down on the embroidered stool brought by the palace servants, her gaze falling on Consort Liu's haggard face.
"I heard that the Empress Dowager was unwell, so I came to visit her. I have already ordered the Imperial Hospital to send over the best medicines. The Empress Dowager should rest and recuperate."
Narcissus spoke with concern, as if it were just a routine visit to a sick person.
Consort Liu took a breath, her voice hoarse and weak: "Thank you... thank you for your concern, Your Majesty the Empress. I... cannot accept such a favor."
Narcissus smiled slightly, signaling the palace servants to put the herbs down, and then picked them up as if by accident.
"The Empress Dowager served the late Emperor for many years and was highly respected. Now that the Empress Dowager is recuperating in the imperial palace, she still often thinks of her old friend."
She sighed softly, as if it were just a casual remark.
"But the troubles in the palace are sometimes like the weeds in the cold palace. They seem to have been cleared away, but they will sprout up again at any time, which is very annoying."
Her words were soft, yet every word struck a chord in Consort Liu's heart.
Consort Liu trembled almost imperceptibly; though usually composed, she was now filled with caution when the matter was brought up.
"Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. Some things are better left unsaid..."
Looking at Shui Xian, who had now become Empress, Consort Liu recalled the days Shui Xian spent in the Cold Palace.
She sighed softly, but still spoke:
"Simin...she's obsession runs deep...Your Majesty, you must be extremely careful."
Narcissus's eyes darkened slightly. She offered a few words of gentle comfort before getting up and leaving.
As soon as she stepped out of the side hall where Consort Liu lived, she saw a figure dressed in a coarse gray dress with his back to her in the desolate courtyard not far away.
Hearing footsteps, the person slowly turned around.
It was Liu Simin, who had been demoted to a commoner.
She had lost a lot of weight, and her once-fitting palace dress now looked loose. Her hair was held up with only a simple wooden hairpin, and a few stray strands of hair fell beside her cheeks, adding to her desolate appearance.
However, her back was unusually straight, and her chin was slightly raised.
When her gaze fell on Narcissus, especially on the exquisite phoenix and peony pattern on her vermilion dress, her pupils suddenly contracted, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves, her nails digging deep into her palms, bringing a sharp pain, barely managing to maintain a calm facade.
Liu Simin's chest heaved violently, and then, with an extremely cold and almost condescending gaze, she scanned Shui Xian from head to toe.
She didn't become hysterical like a stray dog, nor did she kneel down and beg for mercy. Instead, without saying a word, she turned around abruptly, her steps even maintaining a deliberate steadiness, and walked straight back to her dilapidated dwelling, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.
That rickety wooden door separated two worlds, and seemed to be the last bit of pitiful dignity she had preserved for herself.
Narcissus looked at the tightly closed door, her face expressionless, and simply gave instructions to Tinglu beside her.
"Have someone check back and see what daily necessities the deposed empress is lacking. Make sure to provide them according to the rules, lest people say that I have mistreated the people in the cold palace."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He listened to the dew and bowed his head in response.
Inside the dilapidated house, Liu Simin leaned against the cold, rough door panel, her chest heaving violently with suppressed anger and resentment.
The image of Narcissus's charming and beautiful face, and the dazzling phoenix pattern on her body that she once possessed, flashed before her eyes like a nightmare, gnawing at her heart.
She abruptly left the door panel, staggered to a corner of the room, squatted down, and laboriously moved a loose wall brick.
Behind the brick was a small hidden compartment, from which she took out an object tightly wrapped in oilcloth.
Lifting the oilcloth revealed a golden hairpin.
The hairpin is made of extremely fine and tough red gold, shaped like a phoenix spreading its wings. The phoenix tail is inlaid with tiny red gemstones. Although it has become slightly dull due to its age, the exquisite craftsmanship still shows its extraordinary nature in its heyday.
The phoenix's eyes are two obsidian stones, reflecting a faint glow in the dim light.
This gold hairpin was not Liu Simin's old possession, but rather her father, Liu Taifu, secretly gave her as a last life-saving charm before he completely lost power.
According to my father, this hairpin was a token given by the current Empress Dowager to a key general who held military power over the defense of the capital, entrusted by Grand Tutor Liu, when the late emperor was seriously ill and the princes were vying for the throne.
The goal was to secure support for Xiao Yiheng, who was still a prince at the time, at the most crucial moment, even if it was just to get him to remain neutral.
Although the situation changed rapidly afterward, and the gold hairpin was never actually used, and the general never explicitly expressed his support for Xiao Yiheng, the existence of this item itself is irrefutable proof!
This proves that the Empress Dowager had secretly contacted foreign officials and befriended military generals on behalf of her son!
This is a major taboo in the palace, and it is enough to tarnish the Empress Dowager's reputation and even question whether Emperor Zhaoheng's throne was entirely legitimate!
Liu Simin's icy fingertips caressed the cold phoenix on the gold hairpin, her eyes struggling and shifting.
Using this substance is akin to cooking oil over a raging fire, and could very well lead to one's own demise.
If Emperor Zhaoheng knew about this, he would never let her off the hook.
Finally, she took a deep breath, carefully wrapped the gold hairpin again with oilcloth, put it back in its original place, and covered it with bricks.
She must not rush or panic.
She then walked to the old wooden table, spread out a rough sheet of paper, ground the ink, and picked up her brush.
The letter was addressed to Emperor Zhaoheng.
She didn't mention any secrets in the letter, nor did she utter a single word in her own defense.
She used the most mournful and poignant tone to recall her early days as a prince, her wedding memories with Emperor Zhaoheng when he was still a prince, to lament the bitterness and desolation of her life in the cold palace, and to express her deep remorse.
Finally, she pleaded with the Emperor to consider the slightest bit of affection they had shared as husband and wife and grant her some leniency. She dared not ask for anything else, only hoping to improve the living conditions in the Cold Palace.
She intended to use a strategic retreat to test whether Emperor Zhaoheng still harbored any lingering affection for her.
-
That night, at the Qianqing Palace.
Emperor Zhaoheng rubbed his temples as he reviewed the memorials, his face showing signs of fatigue.
His gaze fell on a corner of the desk, where a letter that had just been delivered lay.
The envelope was ordinary, but he recognized the handwriting...
It belongs to Liu Simin.
He didn't open it immediately, but just stared at it with a furrowed brow, a lingering sense of unease emanating from his expression.
He no longer felt any love for his former wife, only disgust at being deceived and plotted against.
But this letter… Emperor Zhaoheng pursed his lips, recalling what Feng Shunxiang had said when he delivered it, his heart torn.
He didn't want to see it, but if Liu Simin was truly seriously ill in the Cold Palace...
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
The sound of a eunuch announcing something came from outside the hall.
Emperor Zhaoheng almost subconsciously picked up the letter at lightning speed and hurriedly stuffed it into the bottom of a pile of memorials beside him.
Narcissus carried an exquisite food box by hand. Today, she wore a light blue palace dress, without her phoenix crown, only adorned with a few simple pearl flowers, which made her gentle features and elegant temperament even more striking.
"Your Majesty works hard on state affairs. Your Majesty, I have prepared some bird's nest soup with rock sugar to soothe your throat."
Her smile was gentle, and her voice was like a spring breeze.
Emperor Zhaoheng rose to greet her, a relaxed smile on his face. He naturally accepted the food box, just like any ordinary couple.
"It's so late, why did Xian'er come here in person? These things can be done by the palace servants."
"Nothing made by palace servants can compare to the heartfelt care I put into cooking it myself, overseeing the heat."
With a flicker of her eyes, Narcissus had already keenly caught his momentary unease.
And the letter, hastily covered up but still revealing a corner of it.
Narcissus also recognized that it was Liu Simin's handwriting.
The two sat down on the couch in the warm pavilion, and Shui Xian personally served bird's nest to Emperor Zhaoheng.
She didn't rush to ask further questions, but instead softly recounted the amusing things that Yongning and the twins had done that day, such as Qingyan almost rolling off the bed while trying to turn over, and Yongning memorizing a new poem...
Her gentle tone and vivid descriptions gradually dispelled the weariness between Emperor Zhaoheng's brows, bringing a genuine smile to his face.
Seeing the harmonious atmosphere, Emperor Zhaoheng's gaze softened even more as she soothed him with her gentle words.
Narcissus, however, seized the opportunity, put down her bowl and spoon, wiped her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and stood up, saying:
"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs, so I will not disturb you any longer. You should also rest early."
Emperor Zhaoheng was so pleased with her that he was reluctant to let her go. He reached out to embrace her slender waist, his voice slightly hoarse.
"What are memorials more important than Xian'er? Stay and keep me company tonight..."
Just as he reached out, Narcissus seemed to have anticipated it, and with a light laugh, nimbly dodged to the side.
"emperor……"
At the same time, her wide sleeves seemed to brush against the pile of memorials on the dragon desk unintentionally.
"Splash—"
Several memorials, along with the letter that was underneath, were pulled to the ground.
"oops!"
Narcissus cried out softly, "Your Majesty, I have been careless and have disturbed you..."
She quickly squatted down and reached out to pick up the scattered memorials.
Her fingers, however, precisely picked up the letter that stood out conspicuously among the memorials.
She held the letter and slowly stood up.
My gaze fell on the handwriting on the envelope, which belonged to Liu Simin.
The envelope was still unopened, but its mere existence was enough.
Emperor Zhaoheng's expression changed slightly the moment he saw Shui Xian pick up the letter.
When he met her eyes again, which seemed to speak volumes and were filled with pitiful beauty, he felt a sudden panic and almost immediately took a step forward, his tone revealing a guilty conscience that he himself did not realize.
"Xian'er, it's not what you think! Let me explain..."
As an emperor, why would he need to explain his actions to others?
But at this moment, seeing the aggrieved look on Narcissus's face, Emperor Zhaoheng's heart softened.
At this moment, he was no longer an emperor, but simply Narcissus's husband...
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