Chapter Seventy-Five: The True Colors Revealed
Consort Xie was quite surprised to see Prince Jin suddenly appear. Prince Jin was an adult prince, and although he frequently entered and exited the forbidden palace due to the Empress Dowager's influence, the concubines always strictly adhered to the separation of men and women, avoiding him. The only one who could openly greet him was Empress Zhao. Because she was the Emperor's wife, Prince Jin's sister-in-law, and a legitimate member of the family.
This time, however, he didn't avoid suspicion and suddenly walked over, saying something ambiguous again. She couldn't figure out if he had something to say or if he really thought there was a tiger attacking someone. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "Prince Jin, there's no need to worry. There was no tiger attacking anyone. Miss Ruan and I were just telling a story."
"What story? You're so engrossed in it, even standing in the middle of the road. Could you tell me?" Prince Jin asked, feigning curiosity, though he had already heard most of it.
He waited and waited at the Pillow Dream Pavilion, but the eunuch did not return with Ruan Bi. Remembering the Empress's punishment of Ruan Bi last time, he was worried and restless. He made an excuse, saying he needed to go back to Cining Palace to retrieve something, but his real intention was to find a eunuch near Kun'an Gate to inquire. Before he even reached Kun'an Gate, he saw Ruan Bi kneeling before Consort Xie, held down by two palace maids. He was both surprised and angry, but he wasn't a rash young man and naturally wouldn't rush over in a fit of rage. Having grown up in the inner court, he knew every hill and blade of grass in the Imperial Garden intimately. So he circled around to a nearby artificial hill to eavesdrop. He overheard Consort Xie telling the story of the pedantic scholar who offered himself to the tiger, followed by Ruan Bi saying that everyone shares the same heart. Although he didn't understand the details, he was exceptionally intelligent and roughly deduced the sequence of events. Seeing that both sides had reached the point of no return, and considering Consort Xie's pregnancy and Ruan Bi's disadvantageous position, he quietly returned to the road, strode over, and said these words.
"It's a story about a pedantic scholar who offered himself to a tiger. It's a bit long, so I stood there for a while. Am I blocking Your Highness's way? Forgive me, forgive me, I'll move aside right away." Consort Xie said, stepping aside. She knew that the Empress Dowager doted on her youngest son and the Emperor loved his younger brother, so she dared not offend him.
She reasoned that since she had yielded, if the Prince of Jin had only come on a whim, he would surely walk away down the steps. Unexpectedly, the Prince of Jin seemed not to hear her, but instead pointed at Ruan Bi with great interest and asked, "What crime has this young Taoist nun committed, and why is she kneeling on the ground?"
Upon hearing this, Consort Xie knew that he hadn't come over on a whim, but she couldn't understand why. Not daring to speak carelessly, she glanced at Eunuch Lu beside her.
Eunuch Lu stepped forward, his face beaming, and said, “Your Highness, just now, the Imperial Concubine was strolling in the Imperial Garden with a few of us when she suddenly saw a young Taoist nun. She recognized her as the fifth daughter of the Ruan family in Jingxi. Curious, she asked her why she was disguised and infiltrating the palace. Unexpectedly, this Miss Ruan acted aggressively and pushed the Imperial Concubine, causing her to almost fall.” As he spoke, he kept an eye on Prince Jin’s expression. Seeing his face gradually darken, his eyes sharpen, and a murderous aura emanating from him, his heart pounded. By the end, his voice had become softer and he was stammering.
This was clearly a setup, and the King of Jin was furious.
Such framing was not uncommon in the palace. A person of high rank and power could easily frame a person of low status if they were displeased, and the latter might not even have a chance to defend themselves. He had seen it before, but the person who had been framed before was not named Ruan Bi.
The Imperial Garden was overgrown with vegetation, and as the sun began to set, a chill began to creep in. Suddenly, the Prince of Jin's face darkened, and he was filled with murderous intent. The chill instantly turned into a coldness, and everyone felt as if they were on a battlefield.
Consort Xie was puzzled by the reason, but knowing that Aunt Wan had previously served as a tutor to Prince Jin, she quietly tugged at her sleeve, asking her to step in and smooth things over.
Aunt Wan's eyes flickered, and she was about to speak when Prince Jin asked coolly, "So, does the Imperial Concubine suspect that the Imperial Guards are neglecting their duties and that my rule is lax?"
Having known him for so long, this was the first time she'd heard him formally refer to himself as "this king." Ruan Bi found it amusing, and a slight smile crept onto her face. Fortunately, she kept her head down, so no one could see her expression.
The palace guards were the Imperial Guards, and the Imperial Guards were under the command of Prince Jin. Suspecting Ruan Bi of infiltrating the palace indeed implicated the Imperial Guards as well. No wonder he was angry. Consort Xie suddenly realized this and secretly groaned. After a moment's thought, she smiled charmingly and said, "How could that be? Who in the world doesn't know that Prince Jin's military discipline is unparalleled? I only asked her out of curiosity when I saw her unusual attire; I didn't mean to question the Prince's strictness."
Eunuch Lu added, "Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine really didn't mean to question the Imperial Guards; she just asked casually. Unexpectedly, this Miss Ruan has a very bad temper and actually pushed the noblewoman."
Prince Jin sneered and said, "You're supposed to be a veteran in the palace, someone who served the Empress Dowager. How can you speak and act so recklessly? The Empress Dowager transferred you to the Consort's side hoping you would serve her well, but you can't even protect her. What use are you if you stay here?"
Eunuch Lu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and lowered his head, not daring to utter a sound.
The Prince of Jin then uttered a low shout: "Aunt Wan..."
Aunt Wan trembled, raising her eyelids to look at him. Seeing the disappointment and anger in his eyes, she felt quite embarrassed. She had been in the palace for over twenty years. Because of her knowledge of literature and history and her skill in handling affairs, she was highly valued by the late emperor and had risen to the rank of Second-Rank Imperial Attendant (a female official serving the emperor). Later, the late emperor transferred her to the side of Consort Rui (the Empress Dowager) as a Third-Rank Lady-in-Waiting (a female official serving a concubine). When Prince Jin was young, he was exceptionally unruly and neglected his studies. The late emperor doted on him and, fearing that others could not guide him properly, transferred her to Prince Jin's side for two years as a Fourth-Rank Attendant. Later, when Prince Jin grew a little older, the late emperor hired a great scholar to tutor him, and she returned to Consort Rui's side as a Third-Rank Lady-in-Waiting. Because of their two years of teacher-student and servant-like relationship, their bond was extraordinary, and Prince Jin always held her in high esteem.
Seeing the embarrassment in her eyes, the Prince of Jin sighed inwardly and said in a slightly gentler tone, "Aunt Wan, Father once praised you, saying you had the wisdom of a thousand soldiers in your heart. How could you be so negligent in this regard?"
The words literally said she hadn't protected Consort Xie, but in reality, they were a veiled criticism of her for possessing great wisdom yet committing such a foolish act of framing others. Aunt Wan felt ashamed and wronged. She had indeed tried to advise Consort Xie about today's events, but Consort Xie was adamant, and she had no choice. "This servant knows her mistake."
Consort Xie was utterly astonished and filled with suspicion when she saw Prince Jin reprimanding her so harshly, not even sparing Aunt Wan. Eunuch Lu had served in the Empress Dowager's palace for a while, but wasn't highly regarded. Aunt Wan, however, had served the late Emperor and Empress Dowager, and had once been his attendant; she was a very senior figure in the palace, even the First-Rank Palace Attendant (a female official) deferred to her, and the Emperor respected her. His merciless reprimand was unprecedented and highly unusual. Although she didn't understand why, she sensed that Prince Jin was favoring Ruan Bi.
Consort Xie was not stupid; on the contrary, she was quite clever. Since Prince Jin had brought the matter to her attention—a sign of lax governance—she could only try to downplay the incident. After thinking for a moment, she smiled and said, "Your Highness, please don't blame Aunt Wan. I was just being too hasty and went ahead of them."
The King of Jin sensed that her words implied a desire to back down, so he remained silent and simply looked at her.
Consort Xie then said, "Eunuch Yu, didn't you say His Majesty wanted to summon Miss Ruan for questioning? Why don't you quickly lead her over?"
The eunuch hesitated before asking, "What about the incident just now when she pushed the Empress..."
"There's no need to report such a trivial matter to His Majesty. In any case, I am perfectly fine."
The eunuch replied, "Yes." Looking at Ruan Bi, he said, "Miss Ruan, please rise and come with me to see His Majesty."
Ruan Bi immediately stood up and glanced at Consort Xie. Consort Xie was also looking at her, and their glance sparked a fire.
Consort Xie smiled and said, "Miss Ruan's story is truly wonderful. It's just a pity that it's already late today, and we can't hear what other tricks the scholar has up his sleeve. We'll have to find another opportunity to hear the rest of the story from you in the future."
She meant that this matter would not end there. Since Ruan Bi had figured out their positions and made up her mind, she would never let things go so easily. So, she smiled and said, "Since Your Highness is so eager to hear this, I must tell the story that follows in a way that is exceptionally exciting and full of climaxes, so as not to disappoint Your Highness's kindness."
She did it on purpose, hence her particularly radiant smile. With her red lips, white teeth, and sparkling eyes, she looked at first glance like a spirit emerging from the depths of the trees.
The Forbidden City was full of beauties, but she had never seen anyone like this before. Though clearly a young girl, she possessed an aura of ancient, ethereal beauty. Even Consort Xie, confident in her own beauty, felt a chill run down her spine. Hearing the girl defiantly accept her challenge, she felt a strange excitement at meeting a worthy opponent. She looked at her for a moment, then waved her hand dismissively.
Following instructions, the eunuch led Ruan Bi to the Pillow Dream Pavilion.
Consort Xie spoke a few more words with Prince Jin, subtly indicating that she did not question his lax governance, before leaving with her entourage. After walking a short distance, she sighed and looked at Aunt Wan, saying, "Aunt, I was wrong. I shouldn't have ignored your advice and underestimated her." Actually, even without Prince Jin's presence, she had already decided to abandon her plan to have Eunuch Yu drag Ruan Bi before the Emperor for questioning, because Ruan Bi's eloquence was simply too good; once she opened her mouth, she had a magical power to captivate listeners, and the Emperor happened to be someone who appreciated talent.
Aunt Wan nodded and said, "Your Highness need not blame yourself. It's good that you've had this exchange. Speaking of which, this Miss Ruan has been hiding her true abilities. But when Your Highness pressed her just now, she revealed her true colors."
Consort Xie nodded in deep agreement. Ruan Bi's last smile was both flamboyant and beautiful, showing that she had always kept her beauty under wraps. What would have happened if she hadn't? She dared not imagine.
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