As the weather turns cooler, an autumn rain brings away most of the warmth, and this sudden change in weather inevitably makes people feel a little uncomfortable. The autumn rain is continuous, as fine as hair, enveloping the entire city in a thin mist, as if draped in a light veil, gentle, hazy, and telling of endless sorrow.
The imperial city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the residence of the ruler of the world—Ziyang City—which ordinary people could only dream of, was also shrouded in this misty rain. The footsteps of winter came with the wind and gradually permeated the crowd.
Chengqian Palace remains as magnificent as ever, but it is no longer as bustling and prosperous as before. The palace servants are in a hurry, and there is not a single word exchanged between them. It is eerily quiet.
The vermilion gate was tightly shut, and the guards at the entrance had stern faces, guarding the gate of Chengqian Palace and not allowing anyone to enter or leave at will.
Inside the Chengqian Palace, light gauze curtains fluttered and danced in the wind, resembling graceful fairies. A beautiful woman lay on a carved wooden bed, her brows slightly furrowed and eyes closed, while the palace maid Yingxiang attentively cared for her, her brows furrowed with worry.
The palace servants of Chengqian Palace had no idea what had happened. They only knew that their master had been carried out unconscious shortly after entering Yiyuan Hall. The Emperor issued a curfew, forbidding anyone from Chengqian Palace from leaving even a step.
They were merely servants; their master had fainted, so naturally they could only obey. Yingxiang wasn't a fool; she was simply temporarily blinded by the emperor's favor. But no matter what, her master was still just one of the emperor's concubines. They, the servants, were like mud under the feet of nobles, to be disposed of and trampled upon at will. They could only obediently carry her back to Chengqian Palace.
Thunder and rain are both forms of imperial favor; such excessive favor is like a profusion of flowers in full bloom or oil being poured into a raging fire. If one cannot maintain one's original intentions, one may very well be killed by this excessive favor.
Yingxiang had tried to persuade Chu Baiwei in a subtle way, but the other party did not listen to her advice. She was completely blinded by the emperor's favor and the emperor's unconditional pampering made them lose their original intentions and become arrogant and conceited.
Holding a handkerchief, Yingxiang wiped the sweat from Chu Baiwei's forehead on the bed. Her brows were furrowed deeply, showing concern for her mistress and worries about the future.
"Cough cough..." Chu Baiwei finally woke up, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She suddenly opened her eyes, followed by a violent cough.
After she recovered, she was helped to sit up. Looking at the desolate scene around her, she couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. But after thinking about it, she still felt that the important matters were more important.
"Yingxiang, I'll write a letter later. You send him out of Ziyang City to my parents and tell them they must obey me." It was no use going to the Emperor. This man was heartless and did not respond to her desperate pleas. He even got angry in front of her and said he would execute her parents.
She had fainted from fright, and now that she was awake, she felt even more palpitations. Was the person in front of her really the bedmate she had always looked down on?
She couldn't bear to watch her parents and brothers perish like this. For a mere rebellion in Chuzhou, those old bastards like Zhou Changqing dared to incite the Emperor to kill her entire family. She would remember this grudge and repay it someday. Right now, the most important thing was to protect her family and get through this ordeal. Once she won over the Emperor's heart, there would be plenty of opportunities to clear their names.
"Your Majesty... His Majesty has ordered that no one in Chengqian Palace may move about freely. You have been confined to your quarters for three months. Let us stay in Chengqian Palace and reflect on our actions." Yingxiang hesitated at first, then closed her eyes tightly and spoke a string of words without taking a breath.
He knew his master's temperament well; having grown up with him since childhood, how could he not know? Sure enough, the next second a whooshing sound came, his cheek was in excruciating pain, and his body fell to his knees due to inertia.
Despite Chu Baiwei's seemingly generous and dignified appearance, she is actually a ruthless person. Dozens, if not hundreds, of servants have died under her control. They are all the punching bags for their master, but in public, they have to put on a smiling face and uphold their master's good reputation.
A slight slap was nothing to Yingxiang, who said she could accept it. She immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "This servant is guilty."
"How could Your Majesty treat me like this? I gave birth to a well-behaved and clever daughter for him, and I have sacrificed so much for him, yet he couldn't even protect my family. Is this how he shows his love for me?"
Chu Baiwei braced herself on the bed with both hands, leaning forward and roaring angrily. Her delicate face was contorted, completely losing its former beauty.
"No, I demand to see the Emperor. He cannot treat me like this." Chu Baiwei threw off the covers and got up to leave. Yingxiang wanted to stop her, but remembering her violent nature, he shrank back and withdrew his hand. In any case, his mistress would find out what happened once she hit a wall. If he went up to stop her, he would probably be beaten to death.
Remembering Chu Baiwei's violent temper, Yingxiang shuddered. After thinking for a moment, she immediately went to the small kitchen to help, not daring to show her face in front of Chu Baiwei again, for fear of being implicated.
As Yingxiang had predicted, the guards at the gate didn't care whether she was a favored concubine or not; they only cared about carrying out the Emperor's orders. They kept Chu Baiwei firmly in Chengqian Palace, refusing to listen to either soft or hard tactics, which made Chu Baiwei so angry that she almost vomited blood.
Returning to the inner chamber in a rage, and taking advantage of the empty room, Chu Baiwei screamed and smashed everything in sight. Fine porcelain was shattered to pieces, bearing the brunt of his anger.
"Damn it, how could this be? Why is the Emperor suddenly ignoring me? Could it be that those old bastards, Zhou Changqing, did something? Damn it, I'll make sure you all suffer a terrible death."
Although Chu Baiwei appears gentle, pure, elegant, generous, and dignified to the outside world, those who have followed her for a long time know her true nature. Even the most foolish among them can glean a glimpse of her true character. Therefore, when she goes berserk, no one dares to approach her. Just by listening to the occasional smashing and breaking sounds coming from inside, one can tell just how angry she is.
Having vented all his anger, Chu Baiwei felt as if all his strength had been drained away. His legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground. The porcelain scattered on the ground could not salvage his terrible mood. He couldn't help but cover his face and cry sadly.
"Father, Mother, Brother, Younger Brother, Bai Wei is so sorry, I can't save you!" Tears streamed down her face, dripping onto the soft carpet and forming a puddle.
Her slightly hunched back trembled gently, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch, like a precious piece of porcelain, possessing an astonishing beauty.
The only sound in the empty inner chamber was the woman's sobbing, which, along with the pattering rain outside the window, created a fairly perfect melody.
"Don't worry, once I regain your favor, I will tear Zhou Changqing and the others to pieces and grind their bones to dust to offer as a sacrifice at your graves. That way, your love for me will not have been in vain."
Once Chu Baiwei recovered, he straightened up, dusted himself off, looked at the dim night outside the window, and spoke harshly. Then he became the perfect and dignified Consort Chu again, feeling even more resentful and wary of Zhou Changqing and the others.
Originally, he only wanted to get rid of those old fogies like Zhou Changqing, because they had been quite disrespectful to him when he first entered the palace, and even repeatedly advised the emperor to dislike him. Later, as he gradually tasted the power, he wanted to kick these obstacles out of his way, but now he has a deep-seated blood feud with them.
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