Half an hour later, Xu Lejin respectfully saw Kangxi off.
With her body limp and leaning against the soft couch, Xu Lejin murmured softly, still shaken, "Why is the Emperor acting so strangely today, repeatedly mentioning the deceased Empress to me?"
"Although I come from the Empress's palace, the Empress has never liked me."
Yingchun and Zhishu exchanged a glance.
After a moment's thought, Yingchun spoke softly, "Perhaps you are overthinking it, Your Highness. The Emperor was just thinking of the Empress because of you. After all, the Emperor and the Empress were a young couple and have a deep affection for each other."
Xu Lejin nodded with a smile.
At this moment, Ru Hua entered from outside the hall in a flustered manner and respectfully reported to Xu Lejin.
"Your Highness, His Majesty went to Consort Chu Yun's residence in the East Annex. Consort Chu Yun happened to be out of the East Annex at that time. Xiao Lian, the maid who serves Consort Chu Yun, stammered and couldn't say where Consort Chu Yun was. His Majesty was furious."
Upon hearing this, Xu Lejin paused for a moment, then turned her head to exchange a glance with Yingchun.
Yingchun frowned and pondered for a moment before cautiously saying, "In the evening, Your Highness, you were taking a walk in our Yikun Palace when you saw Consort Chuyun from afar at the back gate."
"At that time, Consort Chu Yun and her head maid, Shi Man, were acting suspiciously at the back door. Thinking back now, Consort Chu Yun must have left Yikun Palace then."
Xu Lejin nodded slightly, lost in thought.
A moment later, Xu Lejin looked at Ruhua and said in a deep voice, "Ruhua, keep a close eye on the situation in the East Annex Hall. Report to Consort Chuyun as soon as she returns."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ru Hua bowed and retreated.
Xu Lejin pondered for a moment, then murmured, "The Emperor had dinner here tonight and went to Consort Chuyun's East Annex. He should have stayed there, but Consort Chuyun was not there."
"Consort Chu Yun missed a rare opportunity to serve the emperor!"
Yingchun nodded with a smile.
“What Your Highness says is quite right. Consort Chu Yun has left her palace so abruptly, and the palace servants who serve her cannot say where she went. I reckon Consort Chu Yun will be punished by the Emperor for this.”
Xu Lejin stroked her large belly and sighed softly.
"Perhaps Consort Chuyun has something important to attend to, which is why she is not in the East Annex Hall. His Majesty is a wise and enlightened ruler, and he will not punish Consort Chuyun without distinguishing right from wrong."
Yingchun respectfully replied, "Yes."
As the moon rose above the willow branches, Xu Lejin was preparing to rest when Kangxi's stern questioning and Consort Chuyun's hesitant, tearful voice came from the East Annex Hall.
Yingchun hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Highness, it was Consort Chuyun who brought this upon herself. Your Highness need not concern yourself with it."
"Um."
Xu Lejin responded, then continued, "That's true, but in the dead of night, the crying and commotion coming from the east wing of Consort Chuyun's residence is ultimately disturbing people's sleep."
"Consort Chu Yun secretly left Yikun Palace around dusk and only returned now. I don't know where she went or what she did in the past two or three hours."
Looking at the flickering candlelight, Xu Lejin said casually, "If Consort Chuyun can explain herself clearly, that's fine. But if she can't, the Emperor will surely be furious, and then I'm afraid..."
"Consort Chu Yun served as a palace maid for seven or eight years before finally being granted the title of Consort. If she angers the Emperor, she may be demoted back to a palace maid or even banished to the Cold Palace to spend the rest of her life in seclusion with only a Buddhist lamp."
Yingchun lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Xu Lejin pondered for a long time, "The noise from the East Annex Hall is so loud that I can't sleep at all. Yingchun, help me to the East Annex Hall to see what's going on."
"yes."
Yingchun and Zhishu exchanged a glance, then carefully stepped forward to help Xu Lejin walk towards the East Annex Hall.
In the east wing hall, Emperor Kangxi sat with a dark expression.
Consort Chu Yun knelt on the ground, her face pale, wiping away tears. Her voice choked with sobs as she spoke, "Your Majesty, I had no choice but to do this. Since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult to reconcile. I entered the palace and gained Your Majesty's favor, and was made a concubine. Therefore, I am Your Majesty's person."
"Burning paper money and incense for sacrifices is taboo in the palace, but in my family, my mother has passed away. I entered the palace with the Empress when I was fourteen, and haven't seen my family for nine years. Now that my mother has passed away, I only wish to fulfill my filial duty as a daughter by burning some paper money for her as a sacrifice. I..."
Taking a deep breath, Consort Chuyun lowered her head and said with a forced smile, "This humble servant knows that I have violated the palace rules. This humble servant deserves death. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Emperor Kangxi stared solemnly at Consort Chuyun kneeling on the ground.
Xu Lejin, standing outside the East Annex Hall, clearly heard Consort Chu Yun's words. She exchanged a glance with Yingchun and Zhishu beside her, and thought to herself, "So that's how it is."
After a moment of hesitation, Xu Lejin, supported by Yingchun and Zhishu, entered the East Annex Hall.
“Your Majesty, although Sister Chuyun has violated the palace rules, there are still human feelings outside the palace rules. Sister Chuyun is not only a concubine bestowed by Your Majesty, but also a daughter. She was unable to stay by her mother's side to fulfill her filial duties, and now she can only express her filial piety in this way.”
Xu Lejin glanced at Consort Chu Yun kneeling on the ground, then changed the subject and said softly, "Just now, Sister Chu Yun said that she has been in the palace for eight or nine years and has never seen any relatives outside the palace?"
“Your Majesty, I remember there is a rule in the palace that palace maids are allowed to see their families twice a year. Even if Sister Chuyun is sometimes delayed and unable to see her family, she can’t be delayed every time.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi's expression turned solemn.
Consort Chu Yun glanced at Xu Lejin with a look of horror, then lowered her head and prostrated herself on the ground, wishing she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Upon seeing this, Xu Lejin became even more certain that something was amiss.
With a gentle smile, Xu Lejin continued, "Your Majesty, Sister Chuyun is the Empress's dowry maid. The Empress can summon her family four times a year."
"Her Majesty the Empress is kind, benevolent, virtuous, and gentle. She should understand the hardships that Sister Chuyun has endured. When Her Majesty summons Lady Hesheli, she only needs to inform her. Sister Chuyun's mother can accompany Lady Hesheli into the palace, and Sister Chuyun can catch a glimpse of her mother from afar, which would be wonderful."
Xu Lejin smiled and looked at Consort Chuyun. "Sister Chuyun, I am foolish and really can't understand why you have never met your family after being in the palace for so many years?"
"Is there some misunderstanding here?"
Consort Chu Yun lay prostrate on the ground, opening her mouth several times as if to say something, but the words seemed to hesitate and she swallowed them back down.
Emperor Kangxi's face was frighteningly gloomy, and his gaze was fixed intently on Consort Chuyun.
At this moment, Shiman, the head maidservant of Consort Chuyun, kowtowed repeatedly and mustered her courage to say, "Your Highness, things have come to this point, you can no longer cover for the Empress. Your Majesty, the reason my mistress hasn't seen her family for so many years is because..."
"Shiman, shut up."
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