Chapter 13 Resentment stems from him putting me in this precarious situation.
The opulent splendor of Yilan Palace and the fragrant, warm quilts always made Fangru feel suffocated when she woke up in the middle of the night. That "favor" was like a magnificent shackle, constantly reminding her of the price she had paid. On this day, with Zhou Ling's permission, she was finally able to leave the palace and go to the villa where Su Wanqing was being settled.
The secluded courtyard, filled with the fragrance of herbs, was a world apart from the opulent luxury of the palace.
Fangru pushed open the door and saw Su Wanqing lying quietly on the couch by the window, covered with a simple, light quilt. Her once stunning face had become much thinner, but she possessed a serene tranquility, as if all artifice had been washed away. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, gently falling on her, but it couldn't illuminate her legs, which could no longer support her.
Fangru felt a sudden pang of pain in her heart, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. The person before her, who should have been the head courtesan of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, dancing gracefully on stage and drawing crowds to her doorstep, was now...
"Wanqing..." Her voice choked with emotion as she hurried to the bedside and grasped her friend's cold hand. A thousand words were stuck in her chest, yet she didn't know where to begin.
It was her, it was her who made Wanqing like this.
Su Wanqing laughed first, her smile still carrying her former charm, but now with a touch more open-mindedness. She gently squeezed Fangru's hand in return: "Look at you, you're already Consort Chen, why are your eyes still as red as a rabbit's? I haven't even cried yet, and you're already crying for me?"
Her tone was relaxed, even joking, as if being paralyzed in bed was just a minor cold.
Fangru's tears fell even harder: "I'm sorry, Wanqing, it's all because of me... If it weren't for saving me..."
"Stop." Su Wanqing extended her index finger and lightly pressed it against Fangru's lips, feigning reproach. "If you keep saying such formal things, I'll get angry. In that situation, could I just stand by and watch you get stabbed? If you were in my shoes, you would have done the same."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over her immobile legs, her tone so calm it was heartbreaking: "It's just a different way of living. I used to make a living by dancing, but now... it's a good time to be lazy and enjoy a life of leisure."
Fangru knew she was forcing a smile, and her heart ached even more. She looked around and couldn't help but ask, "That...that scholar who often came to see you..." She remembered that after Wanqing let go of her obsession with Zhou Ling, she had become very close to a scholar, and his words had revealed his longing for the future.
Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing showed no surprise or sadness, only a faint smile, a smile that carried a sense of relief that came from having seen through everything: "Him? I haven't seen him since my accident. That's fine, so as not to delay each other. Love in this world is mostly like this, it's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. I'm used to it, I'm not sad."
She spoke so casually, as if it were a trivial matter unrelated to her, which only made Fangru feel more heartbroken. The more indifferent Wanqing seemed, the more guilty and remorseful Fangru felt.
"Don't worry," Fangru said firmly, holding her hand tightly. "His Majesty promised to use the best medicine and the best imperial physicians. He will definitely cure you! I will always be with you..."
Looking at the stubbornness and pain in her eyes, Su Wanqing sighed softly. She took Fangru's hand and helped her sit on the edge of the bed, her voice gentle yet firm: "Fangru, you really don't need to keep my affairs on your mind all the time, making them a burden to you. I have never regretted saving you, and now this is fate."
She gazed into Fangru's eyes, which were still adorned with worry, and gently changed the subject: "But you... how are you doing in the palace? Is His Majesty... treating you well?"
This question seemed to strike at Fangru's most vulnerable spot. She navigated the treacherous waters of the palace with extreme caution, walking a tightrope under the emperor's favor—things she couldn't share with outsiders. Only with Wanqing could she slightly lower her guard.
Seeing Fangru's eyes dim instantly and her hesitant bitterness, Su Wanqing understood. She didn't press further, but simply squeezed Fangru's hand tightly and said softly, "No matter what, take care of yourself. Don't worry about me. Look, I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"
As Fangru left the villa, her heart grew heavier.
Wanqing's strength and open-mindedness are like a mirror, reflecting her predicament in the struggles of the palace. It also makes her see more clearly that she must find a way out of this predicament as soon as possible, not only for Gu Zhou, but also to live up to the life that Wanqing gave with her own two legs, and to the "peace" that Wanqing is currently putting on.
The carriage had barely left the villa when it was stopped.
A maidservant reported that Zheng Yu, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, was requesting an audience.
Fangru was slightly taken aback and gestured for Zheng Yu to step forward.
The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Zheng Yu's slightly pale but still upright figure. He had just recovered from his injuries, but a hint of melancholy had crept into his brows. He bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, Consort Chen."
Fangru dismissed everyone around her, leaving only the two of them standing facing each other beside the carriage.
"How is Lord Zheng's injury?" she asked, her tone filled with genuine concern, after all, he had been seriously injured while investigating a case.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. He is now out of danger." Zheng Yu paused, then looked sharply at Fangru. "I have come here today to discuss the assassination attempt. Your Majesty, are you aware that the assassin who was captured alive has already committed suicide in the Ministry of Justice prison?"
Fangru felt a chill run down her spine: "Suicide? The Ministry of Justice prison is heavily guarded, how could they easily let someone commit suicide?" She keenly sensed the unusual nature of the situation.
“Yes, the clues seem to have gone cold.” Zheng Yu lowered his voice and stepped forward. “But I have not given up. When repeatedly examining the assassin’s belongings, I found a mark drawn with a special potion in a very hidden place inside his clothes. It is colorless on ordinary days and only becomes visible when it comes into contact with blood. After investigation, it was found to be the mark of the core assassins of the ‘White Sun Society’.”
"Baiyang Society?" Fangru felt unfamiliar and uneasy about the name, but her thoughts were racing.
“A cult that acts mysteriously and ruthlessly, often instigating unrest and opposing the imperial court.” Zheng Yu said solemnly, “More importantly, I have reviewed the assassin’s trail again and found that he had a close relationship with a guard at the Xuanji Banquet. That guard has confessed that he had sent this assassin to infiltrate the Xuanji Banquet.”
He took a deep breath and continued, "Furthermore, the records show that during the banquet, several servants responsible for carrying drinks were temporarily relieved, but when their identities were verified, it was found that although their names were on the list, no one could clearly recall their faces. Also, there should have been three teams of guards patrolling the perimeter of the banquet, but about an hour after the dance battle, the western patrol route was delayed for a full half-cup of tea time due to an 'accident,' which created a brief blind spot."
A realization flashed in Fangru's eyes, and she interjected, "You mean, the assassin 'Shadowless' used his servant identity to infiltrate the banquet and spy, while the real killing move, those hidden assassins, secretly sneaked in during patrol breaks to set up ambush points on the outskirts? A coordinated attack from within and without?"
A hint of admiration flashed in Zheng Yu's eyes, and he nodded heavily: "Your Majesty is indeed insightful. If that day... I had noticed the clues from these subtle anomalies earlier, instead of just focusing on the commotion at the banquet, perhaps I could have prevented many of the tragedies that followed... Miss Su, she..." He paused, his unfinished meaning crystal clear, filled with deep self-reproach.
Fangru felt a chill creep up from the soles of her feet.
The chaos of the Xuanji Banquet, the spying of the Shadowless Ones, the precise ambush... all of this points to a meticulously planned conspiracy, not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Zheng Yu's next words chilled her to the bone: "According to the clues I have found so far, the Baiyang Society seems to know that His Majesty's feelings for the Empress are...extraordinary. Their target this time is clear, aimed directly at His Majesty and the Empress. If the operation fails, there is no guarantee that there won't be further trouble. I am worried that they might try to harm the Empress again in order to...coerce His Majesty."
All the clues converged at that moment!
Fangru suddenly recalled the past when Zhou Ling whispered in her ear that night, and his obsession when he mentioned power and control.
It turns out that he had already become a target for others to attack him!
Wanqing, however, took the blame for this undeserved disaster on her behalf!
A surge of intense anger and resentment overwhelmed her instantly. It was directed at Bai Yanghui, but even deeper, it was directed at Zhou Ling! If he hadn't forced her, if he hadn't made so many enemies, she wouldn't have become the target, and Wanqing wouldn't be in this predicament!
She looked at Zheng Yu, and almost blurted out, her voice trembling with suppressed sarcasm: "So it's all because of him! If he hadn't provoked these desperados, if he hadn't put me in this predicament..."
She poured out her fear, resentment, and shameful past towards Zhou Ling in the sharpest words.
She denounced his coldness, his obsession, and his blood-stained past, as if this could alleviate her inner pain and guilt.
Zheng Yu had never seen Fangru so emotionally out of control, nor had he ever heard anyone dare to criticize the emperor so bluntly.
He was initially shocked, then a complex mix of emotions flashed in his eyes—sympathy, understanding, and an indescribable flutter of emotion.
In her most vulnerable and furious moment, he saw the true pain hidden beneath the halo of the Imperial Concubine.
After a moment's hesitation, Zheng Yu seemed to have made up his mind. He suddenly stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Fangru, his tone more solemn than ever before: "Your Majesty... Fangru! Leave the palace! This kind of life shouldn't be for you! I..." His voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible tension, "...I can help you! No matter how difficult, I..."
Fangru suddenly snapped out of her daze amidst his burning gaze and unfinished confession! She realized she had misspoke, and Zheng Yu's reaction surprised her even more.
She cannot drag anyone else into this quagmire.
"Lord Zheng!" she interrupted him abruptly, taking a step back, her expression instantly returning to its aloof and calm state. "I will pretend I never heard what you said today. Palace affairs are complicated, I shall take my leave."
Before Zheng Yu could speak again, she quickly turned around and almost fled back to the carriage.
The carriage swayed, and she leaned against the cushions, her heart pounding. Zheng Yu's words, Wanqing's injuries, the immense pressure and danger emanating from Zhou Ling... everything made her feel suffocated.
Despair surged in like a tide.
With trembling hands, she removed the purple jade prayer beads from her wrist. This object had already given her a second chance at life; perhaps... perhaps one more time would allow her to break free from the shackles of fate.
Without further hesitation, she swallowed a Buddhist bead.
A sharp, agonizing pain instantly overwhelmed her, and her consciousness rapidly faded...
After an unknown amount of time, Fangru suddenly opened her eyes.
The blinding sunlight made her feel a little dizzy.
She found herself neither in a carriage nor within the palace, but standing before the gates of a familiar mansion—the Prefect's Residence. The air was filled with the noise of a crowd. Looking down, she saw that she was wearing the same dress she had worn to the Xuanji Banquet.
Above the steps, the grand feast is about to begin.
She returned to the very beginning, to the moment when the Xuanji Banquet was held!
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