Chapter 77 The Wind Fills the East Tower (Part 3) "Consort Ning deliberately set fire to the palace..."
The palace servants entered the hall silently to attend to the emperor, and Sun Shan helped him to bed. Lan Huaien took the opportunity to slip out, just in time to see Yan Chao descending the steps. He quickly stepped forward and helped him up.
"Your Highness, watch your step."
Yan Chao glanced at him and asked softly, "Has His Majesty retired for the night?"
"yes."
As Lan Huaien stepped through the palace gate, she suddenly felt a weight on her arm. Thinking that Yan Chao had lost her balance and was about to fall, she instinctively turned to support herself. However, her left hand was suddenly snatched away, and the cool, soft sleeve of her robe slowly covered her.
Lan Huaien's heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously bit her lip.
Yan Chao made a few strokes in his palm. He could sense that he was writing something, but he just stared blankly and didn't react.
Yan Chao frowned, and pushed him away with a hint of annoyance. Unexpectedly, his hand was grabbed tightly by Lan Huaien. Lan Huaien leaned forward and lowered his head, his voice as gentle as a breeze: "What did Your Highness order? I didn't hear you clearly."
The Crown Prince and the Eunuch were arguing and pulling at each other at the entrance of Renshou Palace, which was quite improper. Although the Western Garden was not as crowded as the Forbidden City, it was still the emperor's residence and required extra caution.
While Lan Huaien could certainly rely on his absolute power, Yan Chao still habitually resisted such contact. Moreover, the emperor had spies everywhere; the imperial envoy from southern Sichuan was a prime example.
This time, however, it was Lan Huaien who wrote in Yan Chao's palm. She could easily recognize it. They were both working on the same thing, for the same person.
As if by unspoken agreement, the two locked eyes, and Lan Huaien smiled first: "I understand."
Yan Chao nodded, took his hand, and silently got into the sedan chair. After the sedan chair entered Xihua Gate, Yan Chao lifted the curtain and called to Liang Lu, "Send someone to invite Physician Feng to the East Palace, and say that I am not feeling well."
Liang Lu agreed, and looking up, he saw that she looked tired and weak, so he instructed the palace servants to hurry up.
Back at the East Palace, Feng Jingmo was already waiting inside. Liang Lu waved for the palace servants to leave, then took the tea and served it, clearly noticing that Yan Chao's hands were trembling in his sleeves. Feng Jingmo also noticed that the Crown Prince's complexion was not good, and hurriedly tried to step forward to take his pulse, but she brushed him away.
"If someone were to palpate my pulse like a woman, what grounds would I have to argue?"
Feng Jingmo looked up in astonishment.
Yan Chao felt a headache coming on. He pinched his brow and told him about the Taoist priest's pulse diagnosis. Finally, he said in a low voice, "Although the Taoist priest said it was a sick pulse, he didn't mention the pulse's depth, slowness, or rate. Instead, he described a woman's normal pulse very clearly. Your Majesty may not have understood it at the time, and I'm afraid you will become suspicious afterward."
Feng Jingmo understood and felt a chill run down his spine. After pondering for a moment, he said, "A man receiving a woman's pulse is a clear sign of deficiency. There are precedents in pulse diagnosis. Your Highness's body was damaged after being poisoned, leading to blood deficiency and weakened internal organs, which makes sense. But according to Your Highness, that doctor is either truly incompetent or did it intentionally for some other purpose."
He paused, then reassured her, "Your Highness need not worry. Based on just a few words from him, no physician would dare to make a hasty judgment."
Yan Chao nodded slightly, his breathing soft and barely perceptible.
Seeing that she was extremely weak, Liang Lu hurriedly ordered the imperial physician to examine her first.
Feng Jingmo disregarded all formalities, grabbed her wrist to take her pulse, looked at her complexion, and then touched her forehead. Finally, he frowned and said, "Your Highness has a fever. You are truly ill this time."
The Crown Prince's sudden decision to close his palace to visitors has caused even more uproar among outsiders.
Since the outcome was still uncertain, various speculations arose. Rumors gradually emerged that the Cheng family of Yazhou and the Li family of the capital had conspired to poison the crown prince, and that Prince Xin was behind it all. There were even rumors that Prince Xin and his relatives planned to use the rebellion in southern Sichuan to stage a coup and usurp the throne.
The imperial court, of course, could not stand idly by. So the yamen (government office) arrested a few of the troublemakers and imprisoned them, making an example of them to deter others, which proved effective immediately.
The palace rules were strict, and the palace servants, having been reprimanded by their masters, dared not easily break the rules. Only Zhaoyang Palace silently observed the movements of the Eastern Palace, and its sole mistress spoke of the Crown Prince without any reservations.
"I wonder if the Crown Prince is truly ill or faking it this time."
Sun was casually tending to the bonsai. The pine branches were tall and ancient, the lingzhi mushrooms were short and simple, and a daffodil was added at an angle, which made it look gentle and elegant.
"In my opinion, whether it's true or false, now is indeed the time for the Crown Prince to fall ill, otherwise how could she use this as an excuse to plot?"
The palace maid who answered was a confidante of Madam Sun. She was a little older, with a dignified and proper appearance, and a more composed and capable demeanor than Madam Sun.
Madam Sun flicked her sleeves and sat down by the window. She lowered her eyes and drank half a cup of tea before asking, "Qingtan, is the death of Taoist Zhang truly unrelated to the Crown Prince?"
Qingtan replied, "The news says that His Majesty personally ordered his execution. Taoist Zhang's Taoist skills were not proficient, and he offended His Majesty."
But the timing was too coincidental. Madam Sun chuckled lightly, "She's becoming more and more capable." Then she asked, "Has news of Prince Xin's fiefdom not yet spread?"
Qingtan shook her head and said no, "Not many people know this, and the West Garden has not yet issued an official decree, so I'm afraid no one would dare to leak it easily."
Madam Sun waved a round fan, covering half of her face, revealing a beautiful peach blossom eye. Her eyelashes fluttered: "At this time, if we don't let outsiders know, it's most likely to cause trouble."
"This servant is only worried that the contest between the Crown Prince and Prince Xin might implicate Zhaoyang Palace?"
“If the Crown Prince wants to secure his position in the Eastern Palace, he will eventually set his sights on Fei’er,” Sun Shi said, her face, which was no longer as bright as before, as she shone through the silk fan. “But what is usurped will eventually have to be returned.”
The first person outside the palace to learn of Prince Xin's transfer to a fiefdom was Grand Secretary Li. He had recently submitted several memorials requesting to resign without success and was currently at home on the pretext of illness. Upon hearing of the Emperor's change of heart, he was greatly alarmed and had no choice but to devise a new strategy.
That afternoon, Madam Li, née Cheng, went to the Prince Xin's residence. After some discussion, the Princess Xin immediately submitted a petition to the palace and finally met with Consort Li before the palace gates were locked.
Consort Li's illness has worsened these days, with her sometimes lucid and sometimes delirious. The imperial physician diagnosed her as nearing the end of her life, and the palace servants attending to her knew that their mistress was clinging to life only to wait for Prince Xin and Princess Shouning to return.
Consort Li has moved back to Wan'an Palace, but now that she is blind, even the most magnificent palace means nothing to her. The last ray of light in this world has been extinguished forever in the cold and cramped Ganxi.
But Consort Li's reaction was very calm. She groped for her hand and took it, her voice dry and hoarse: "Go back and take good care of Tang'er. Be considerate of Prince Xin, husband and wife are one... I will surely protect my son..."
As dusk fell, Wan'an Palace sent someone to Yongning Palace to invite Consort Ning to come for a talk. Consort Ning was instinctively wary and wanted to decline, but the palace maid showed her something. Upon seeing it, Consort Ning's expression immediately changed, and she solemnly agreed.
The night was dark and windy, and the six palaces of the East and West were deserted. At present, the movement of people in the inner palace would not be known to the outside world, and the East Palace was far away in the front hall. In addition, there had been constant turmoil in the court recently, so it was really not the time for these two concubines of special status to meet.
Consort Ning was clearly emotionally unstable. Upon seeing Consort Li, she directly questioned her: "How did you come to have this earring?"
"So you still remember after all." Consort Li spoke as if in a dream, her eyes covered.
It was an exquisitely crafted gold earring with filigree inlay for a palace lantern. The entire earring was woven from gold wire, with a lamp cover at the top shaped like a persimmon calyx, and bell-shaped gold pieces at the four corners, each engraved with characters. The inside of the cover was decorated with openwork scroll patterns. The lamp body of the earring was even more intricate and delicate, with multiple facets connected by plum blossoms, and four-petaled flowers carved between the frames. The flower centers served as gold supports, inlaid with red coral beads, and the base of the palace lantern was decorated with auspicious cloud patterns.
There is only one pair of such earrings in the world. The one in Consort Li's hand is engraved with the four characters "吉祥止止" (auspiciousness and peace), while the other earring, engraved with "委顺生生" (submissive and prosperous), has been buried with Empress Wenhui for ten years.
Consort Ning's eyes suddenly reddened, and she almost rushed forward, but was firmly stopped by the palace servants.
Empress Wenhui had a younger sister, six years her junior, who was born of the same mother. Empress Cui doted on Cui Wuniang when they were still young. After she married into the palace, the sisters rarely had the chance to meet, but Empress Cui would still occasionally send people to give her sister gifts.
These palace lantern earrings were a congratulatory gift from Empress Cui to Cui Wu Niang on her coming-of-age ceremony.
In the seventh year of the Xuan Ning era, Empress Wenhui became pregnant again and summoned her younger sister, Cui Wuniang, to the palace to accompany her. At that time, Cui Wuniang had only been married for half a year, and she and her husband were in perfect harmony. She was a gentle and tender woman, pampered by her newlywed bliss.
The emperor once visited Kunning Palace and saw Lady Cui, who was completely different from the dignified but rigid empress. He was immediately attracted by her charming and beautiful appearance.
The emperor took it to heart, but no one knew exactly which time it happened; even Empress Cui hadn't paid attention.
When the Empress heard the rumors and opened the door, Cui Wuniang was already hanging high on the roof beam.
Fortunately, she was discovered in time and survived, but she was depressed all day long. Empress Cui sent her home and then had a big argument with the emperor.
The emperor had never seen such a rebellious empress. In a fit of rage, he accidentally pushed her to the ground. The empress was traumatized, both physically and mentally, and she also lost her unborn child.
Although the emperor felt guilty, he still harbored feelings for Cui Wu Niang and wanted to issue an edict to bring her to the palace. Empress Cui, still recovering from her miscarriage, pleaded desperately, and only then did the emperor relent.
Unexpectedly, Cui Wu Niang's husband's family somehow heard rumors and dared not keep her any longer. Her parents-in-law found a pretext to divorce their daughter-in-law. Wu Niang's husband was reluctant to do so and hesitated to make a decision, but allowed his elders to torment his wife.
Two months passed in this way, and Cui Wuniang was diagnosed with pregnancy. Her husband finally couldn't bear it any longer and tricked his wife into drinking a bowl of abortifacient soup, thinking that this would end the pregnancy and allow them to start over. Cui Wuniang's miscarriage was difficult, her body was damaged, and she was under immense psychological pressure, so she fell seriously ill and never recovered.
However, the emperor eventually learned of this and, in a fit of rage, ordered a search for charges. Cui Wuniang's husband's family was imprisoned and sentenced to death. Cui Wuniang received a letter of divorce and was returned to the Cui family.
After that, Cui Wuniang died in the Cui family, the cause of death unknown. Some say she couldn't bear the humiliation and committed suicide to follow her husband; some say the Cui family couldn't tolerate a woman who had lost her chastity and forced her to her death; others say Cui Wuniang was already delicate and frail, and the sudden change at such a young age, coupled with a miscarriage that weakened her body, made her death from illness predictable.
In any case, the emperor was furious and took his anger out on the Cui family, believing that they had not taken good care of Cui Wu Niang. He also scolded the Cui family for arranging such a marriage, saying that Cui Wu Niang had entrusted herself to the wrong person and had a tragic fate.
Empress Cui was almost deposed. In the end, the emperor, concerned for his reputation and fearing that the uproar would damage the royal family's image, calmed things down. However, his indifference towards Empress Cui turned into disgust, and he refused to set foot in Kunning Palace again.
The palace lantern earring was sent to the palace by someone entrusted by Cui Wu Niang before her death. The other one, it is said, was lost when Cui Wu Niang's husband's house was raided, and its whereabouts have long been unknown.
Consort Ning, being close to Empress Cui, was aware of the matter, but many details outside the palace were not entirely clear even to them. Moreover, Lady Li was an outsider.
"It was I who repeatedly informed His Majesty. It was I who had people spread scandals about Kunning Palace outside the palace. It was also I who ordered the murder of Lady Cui."
Consort Li chuckled foolishly, but there was no smile on her face: "Actually, it makes no difference whether I do it or not. His Majesty will find out sooner or later. Cui Shi was already half-dead. Sending someone to do it will give her a quick end."
"You bitch!"
Consort Ning was furious and slapped her hard across the face, causing Consort Li's face to swell up immediately.
Consort Li managed to lift her head, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her lips. Her chest heaved violently, yet she still struggled to finish her sentence: "What right does she have? I have served His Majesty for decades, bearing imperial heirs and managing the inner court. I finally outlived the Empress Yuan, only to have a young newcomer barge in and put herself above me. What right does Cui Miying have?"
"Your Majesty has done no wrong to any of you!" Consort Ning said through gritted teeth, her eyes filled with tears, "The Empress is the Empress, and even now, it is Empress Wenhui's legitimate son who is the Crown Prince!"
The bright candlelight in the room stung Consort Ning's eyes and stirred her emotions.
Consort Li was blind, yet she could sense a subtle warmth. She could also discern Consort Ning's current loss of composure. Consort Ning was usually reserved and composed; only when Empress Wenhui was mentioned would she become so uncontrollably emotional.
"You pride yourself on being loyal to her, but in the end, she still died at your hands."
Consort Li raised her withered face, imagining Consort Ning's expression at this moment. She took a deep breath and couldn't help but scoff, finding it both ironic and laughable.
"Su Liancheng, you raised the Crown Prince for so many years, don't you feel any remorse?"
"As for the Crown Prince, he's been poisoned and probably won't live much longer. I'm about to die anyway, but my son still has a great chance. As for you, you have nothing."
The fire at Wan'an Palace broke out suddenly, starting in the bedchamber where Consort Li resided. The fire spread rapidly, quickly engulfing the surrounding halls and chambers. Flames roared and thick smoke billowed, and the entire palace was soon engulfed in flames. Palace servants rushed about, shouting and fetching water to fight the fire, which was finally extinguished after a rainstorm at dawn.
Consort Li and two palace maids perished in the fire, while Consort Ning was rescued unharmed, though she fainted from shock.
When the Crown Prince received the message, it was already dawn. The eunuch who relayed the message said that the entire harem was abuzz with rumors: Consort Ning intended to murder Consort Li and deliberately set fire to the palace.
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