The day after Wuya died, the Yuanmingyuan sent someone to deliver a letter saying that Lanqin's high fever had subsided, and the Fourth Prince's worries finally subsided.
A few days later, the Fourth Prince sent someone to Zhongcui Palace to bestow the title of Noble Lady upon Lady Fucha.
Empress Fucha finally got her moment of triumph. Not only did she have her own palace, but she also received maids from the Imperial Household Department to serve her. Other concubines no longer ignored her as before, and they rushed to give her gifts and curry favor with her.
Jingren Palace.
The Empress was engrossed in practicing calligraphy when a maid rushed in and said to her, "Your Majesty has truly misjudged her. You helped Lady Fucha before, and now look what's happened! She's been granted the title of Noble Lady by the Emperor and is currently a favorite in the palace. All the other ladies have gone to congratulate her, but she hasn't come to thank Your Majesty..."
The Empress paused, then sneered, "I thought it was something important... Oh, it's Lady Fucha..."
The maidservant, unconvinced, stepped aside and gently ground ink for the Empress, muttering, "Your Majesty, the Emperor disliked her so much before, how come he suddenly bestowed upon her the title of Noble Lady..."
The Empress dipped her brush in ink, then, unsure where to begin her half-written piece, coldly said, "I never expected her to serve me; I only used her when necessary. That woman in Qixiang Palace, it must be because of her..."
The maidservant, puzzled, asked curiously, "Wuya Shi? Could Wuya Shi's death be related to Consort Fucha?"
The Empress tried writing several times but felt it wasn't good enough. So she picked up the pen and said, "Consort Fucha has always been very close to Lady Uya. She must know all of Lady Uya's secrets. Otherwise, how could His Majesty have caught her red-handed? If Consort Fucha hadn't informed on us, I really wouldn't believe that His Majesty's eyes could see that far..."
The maidservant exclaimed in surprise, "Then...then Your Majesty must be careful!"
The Empress smiled and said, "Actually, the Emperor's decision to bestow upon her the title of Noble Lady wasn't entirely for that reason. I've heard that she's recently become very interested in the Emperor's new policies, not only fully supporting them but also specifically involving the Fucha family. With their help, the policy of 'equalizing land tax and poll tax' seems to be implemented particularly smoothly. The Emperor was pleased and wanted to comfort and encourage the Fucha family, so he could only start by bestowing honors upon her..."
The maid nodded and said, "Oh, I see..."
The Empress finally made up her mind to start writing, quickly found her rhythm, and finished the work in one go, naturally and smoothly.
"What interests me most is His Majesty's thoughts. Everything else is unimportant. No matter how many noble people there are, as long as Hongshi becomes the Crown Prince, that's enough for me..." The Empress said, gazing intently at the words she had written.
The maidservant leaned over to take a look and saw the word "endure" written in large characters on the paper.
At night, Empress Fucha's Zhongcui Palace finally quieted down. All those who had come to offer their congratulations had returned to their respective palaces. Looking at the room full of gifts, Empress Fucha felt a mix of emotions. Thinking that she had finally broken free from the shackles of fate and reversed history, she felt both excited and ridiculous…
Today, she thought that she had become a noble person and that the emperor might come to visit her. However, to her dismay, the emperor never appeared. Fucha felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.
As night deepened, Empress Fucha couldn't sleep, feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching her from the shadows. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. The thought of Empress Wuya's death filled her with panic, and the news that she had died with her eyes wide open after drinking poison only added to her chills. So, Empress Fucha dismissed the palace servants and secretly went alone to a secluded spot in the palace with incense and paper money. She carefully burned them, silently praying that Empress Wuya wouldn't become a vengeful ghost and seek revenge…
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