Chapter 72: Yuanri Injury Yuanri
Xiao Fang had always believed that promises were powerless. Times change, and even the most resolute of individuals might be forced to break their vows. After all, even the most powerful emperor, with his unparalleled power, could sometimes find himself forced to do things against his will.
However, at this moment, the moment he entered the hall with her, he grabbed the thin wrist of the woman who wanted to slip out from under his cloak, just to ask for a vague answer.
Qing Zan was about to go inside, but seeing the two of them deadlocked at the door, she could only reply, "Right now, it seems I won't have the chance to resent Your Majesty. Someday..."
In the past, the emperor always kept people on suspense, but today, the status had reversed. Qing Zan gave the man a profound smile. She didn't want to say everything, but after struggling a bit, the emperor still had no intention of letting her go.
The two of them blocked the door like this, and the little maids working in and out of the hall couldn't get in. They could only watch the scene from afar, all of them laughing quietly. Qingzan couldn't resist and finally nodded.
The palace maid smiled as she took a pole and hung up a newly polished golden and red gauze lantern. The closer it got to the end of the year, the more festive the lanterns should be to make it seem less bleak and deserted.
The emperor was content to accompany the others into the inner hall. Qingzan said her legs were swollen that day in order to get closer to Concubine Yang and comfort her, but after going out today, her legs were really sore and swollen when she came back. So she lay on a couch under the window and asked Chanyi to loosen up her muscles.
Qing Zan sighed, "I haven't even walked a few steps, but I'm already out of breath."
Chan Yi finally had a place to show off her skills. She rolled up her sleeves and began to massage him. "Soak your feet in warm water for a while. Maybe they'll be better tomorrow. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I wasn't as strong as you, the Majesty."
Qingzan was very surprised: "You actually gave birth?"
There are strict requirements for selecting palace maids in this palace. Their family background must be clean, they cannot be too old, and they cannot be married women, unless they have entered through special channels.
However, considering that Chan Yi was arranged by the emperor, he is certainly not an ordinary person. I think he must have his own connections.
The emperor was sitting under the bunk bed opposite, reading a book, and was surprised to hear this.
This female doctor was a palace maid in his mansion when he was still the crown prince. Because of her meritorious service in treating Songtsen, he allowed her to return home in glory. It was said that she was married off soon after and only returned to the palace in the past two years.
She used to be a taciturn person with a sawed-off mouth. He had let her into Chengluan Palace because he valued her hardworking character. Now she has become talkative.
Chan Yi's subordinates were busy with their own business: "Not only that, this slave has even been divorced before."
No wonder I felt a familiar aura about him when I first saw him! However, when two parties divorce, the woman is always the one who suffers the most, so as long as it is not a difficult mountain or sea barrier, most women will just muddle through. Qing Zan couldn't help but ask: "But your ex-husband treated you badly? Or was he lacking in virtue?"
Chan Yi didn't know whether to nod or shake her head, so she just started over: "He's a scholar, and his family is originally farmers. I originally married him with a lot of money, and I didn't mind his poverty. But one year the harvest was bad, and my daughter fell ill. All the money in the family was used for his education, so I went to the mountains to collect herbs for my daughter's treatment, thinking that I could save her...but when I came back..."
After getting married, she couldn't even use her own money. Otherwise, why would she delay treatment? Qing Zan said, "This family must be black-hearted."
Chan Yi said heartbrokenly, "She was still so young. They insisted she died of illness, but I know that's not the case. Nannan clearly promised me that she would make her bean porridge and yellow sugar cakes when I came back... My mother-in-law was never happy that I gave birth to a daughter!"
"I used to have a deep affection for him, but now that my daughter is gone, I really can't continue living with him. Our place is small, and if we divorce, we'll be criticized. It's better for me to enter the palace and find a future for myself and my parents."
At the end of the conversation, Chan Yi regained her composure: "I feel much better after saying these words. I haven't had anyone to talk to for all these years."
Qing Zan didn't know how to comfort her, so she just said, "It's okay to give up such an unreliable man. Divorce is a good thing. From now on, you can stay in Chengluan Palace with peace of mind. No one will gossip about you. As for your daughter... maybe she will be willing to be reborn as your child next time."
Chan Yi smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Master."
At first, Qingzan was naturally sad for Chanyi for a while, but later when she heard people talking about some interesting stories between mother and daughter, she was longing for them and enjoyed her massage skills so much that she fell asleep and even forgot to warn the emperor not to touch her... She was neither in nor out of tune, which made her uncomfortable!
When Chan Yi was about to leave, she wanted to greet the emperor, but the emperor made a gesture to her to keep quiet.
The partition curtain was lifted and then fell, and the emperor moved to sit on the edge of the soft couch. Under the gentle light, he looked at the woman's peaceful sleeping face, and carefully placed his hand on her belly covered with a blanket. There was a small force here that connected her closely to him, from then on, until death.
*
The little princess' birthday was November 18th, and the day Concubine Hui took the little princess to her Ruizhu Palace was November 28th. In total, the little princess stayed with her mother for only ten days.
During this period, because Concubine Yang was unable to stay at the hotel to take charge of the ceremony, the third-day bathing banquet to ward off disasters and pray for blessings for the newborn was also simple.
Although Concubine Yang was still too ill to take charge of affairs, Madam Yang could not really stay in the palace forever. She still had to take care of the miscellaneous affairs of the Yang Mansion. Although her daughter was the apple of her eye, she could not abandon the whole family for one person.
When Concubine Hui came over, Madam Yang made a painful decision: "Just take her away while she's still asleep! It'll save you some tears..."
The second half of the sentence was spoken softly, not daring anyone to hear.
She then personally escorted the little princess to Ruizhu Palace, talked with Concubine Hui for a long time, and when she returned, she went to Chaoyun Palace to meet Concubine Ming.
Facing Consort Ming Zhaoyi, Madam Yang bowed deeply, far exceeding the proper depth of a formal ceremony. "I will be returning home for a while, and I will entrust the Sparrow Fairy to Consort Ming Zhaoyi and Consort Xue."
"You're too polite, Madam." Ming Zhaoyi said indifferently, "I can't help much. Concubine Hui is a capable person. Her place is a good place for her. Madam, please be at ease."
Madam Yang certainly knew that in the deep palace, there were always cases of servants bullying their masters behind their backs, so having a powerful adoptive mother was also a guarantee for the princess's future.
We can only think positively.
After Madam Yang left Chaoyun Hall, she instructed the palace maids to inform Concubine Yang once she woke up. Concubine Hui had already promised her that if Concubine Yang could recover, she would return the little princess to her mother one day.
All ladies outside the palace had to go through Wangxian Gate before they could take a carriage. Madam Yang walked the entire winding ten-mile palace road on foot.
Behind her was the majestic and solemn palace of the Heavenly Family, but in the end, together with this bitterly cold winter, it buried her daughter deeply, and she could no longer see her even if she looked back.
*
The little princess's full-moon banquet was held in Chuizhi Hall. Concubine Hui had specifically requested permission for this event, hoping for good luck. After all, since she was born prematurely, it was unclear whether her body would remain weaker than normal.
The little princess also has her own name, Lingxi.
But Concubine Yang did not come that day.
This winter was particularly cold, and for Concubine Yang, she suffered from both cold and illness. Just as she was feeling a little better, she caught a cold again. Not wanting to pass the disease on to her daughter, she even had to miss the full moon banquet.
When Qingzan was putting tiger-head shoes on the little princess, she heard Concubine Xue say that the imperial physician's expression became more and more solemn every time he went out of Huying Pavilion.
It wasn't just the imperial physician. When the little princess was still alive, there was a gloomy atmosphere in Huying Pavilion. Ever since the princess was taken away, the palace people were even more depressed. Everyone was worried and laughter was rarely heard.
The new year, the first month of the third year of Shenwu, arrived as scheduled on such a day.
Although it was cold this year, there had been no snow, and the younger palace maids, such as Doukou and Suoying, were eagerly anticipating it. On the first day of the first lunar month, Qingzan gave all the palace maids a large red envelope, and the new clothes that had been ordered for them could now be worn openly.
On the first day of the first lunar month, there is nothing to worry about.
However, according to custom, concubines were not allowed to go to Taiji Hall during the day. Taiji Hall was used to receive ministers who came to the palace to pay New Year's greetings to the emperor. Concubines were not allowed to go there unless they had important matters, so as to avoid conflicts between the two parties and breaking the rules.
The palace maids in front of the emperor are lucky. If they happen to meet a generous person, they might even be rewarded.
As a direct subordinate of the emperor, Chen Shaoling was meritorious in writing the sacrificial text during the winter solstice sacrifice. At the end of the year, he was promoted to the fifth rank of Zhongshu Sheren, filling the vacancy left by the retired Mr. Weng.
Young talents are naturally in high demand. As Chen Shaoling entered the Taiji Hall, he was greeted with endless congratulations: "Master Chen is truly a man of great talent. This is a New Year and a New Year, and may you rise to prominence!"
There were also some chatterboxes who followed him closely, stroking their beards and predicting his future for him: "Brother, your next step should be to become an assistant minister of one of the six ministries, right? Lord Yi of the Ministry of Rites will be retiring soon, and Lord Yang of the Ministry of Revenue seems to be in line for a promotion. Your path to success probably lies somewhere between these two ministries!"
"Congratulations, everyone." Chen Shaoling quickly pulled himself out of the hustle and bustle, and went to distribute New Year's money to everyone in front of the emperor. When he gave it to Dong'er, he exchanged glances with him.
Dong'er waited for him to finish congratulating the emperor and before leaving the palace, and then she found someone and asked, "Sir, is Yunrong..."
"Excuse me for a moment." Chen Shaoling frowned several times before finally saying, "She's still alive. I'll take good care of her. It's a long story... Before she died, the palace staff wrapped her in a straw mat and threw her into a nearby mass grave. I rescued her."
"Those people must be hoping to save trouble if she's gone... Yunrong is truly blessed this time!" Dong'er clasped her hands together and chanted "Buddha bless you" several times. But she didn't understand. This was a good thing, so why did Lord Chen look like that?
Chen Shaoling refused to say anything more, pointing to the red envelope given to her: "There is a letter inside for Concubine Ying. Please, for Yunrong's sake, pass it on to Concubine Ying. But if you want to be safe and don't want to take any risks, just burn it."
Dong'er couldn't help feeling confused. After they parted ways, she carefully took out the letter and looked at it in a place where no one was around. She saw that the letter was folded into four and sealed with wax. Once opened, it could not be restored.
She put the things away and did not force them to be opened. However, she could not help but feel even more suspicious. Why did it seem like Yunrong and Concubine Ying were involved in some other way?
In the evening, there was a grand banquet for the whole palace, but Chen Shaoling claimed to be absent and rode his horse to a hilltop outside the capital to pay tribute to his old friend.
In the Linde Hall, the pavilions are tall and spacious, the flutes and drums are joyful, and the palace maids compete to present gifts from various families. The hall will not be less lively because of the absence of anyone.
The Empress Dowager and the Emperor sat on a platform five steps above the ground in the hall, wearing solemn crowns and robes, like two distant gods.
Concubine Hui held the eldest princess in her arms, and Concubine Ming held the eldest prince's hand, and they gathered around them.
The Empress Dowager couldn't help laughing and said, "I used to worry about the Emperor's lack of children, but thanks to the ancestors' blessing, he finally got a pair of children!"
Concubine Hui said, "In my humble opinion, having many children is not necessary. As long as they are all safe and intelligent, it will be a blessing for the country."
As a New Year's gift, the emperor gave each prince and princess a small, solid gold sculpture of an auspicious beast. The eldest prince's was a unicorn, the younger princess's a phoenix, each weighing ten kilograms. The young ladies couldn't even lift them.
When the princess saw the golden phoenix being brought over, she babbled and reached out to grab it, but could only pull out a small spot on its tail feathers. The eldest prince bravely said, "Don't worry, sister. I'll get it for you!"
It made everyone around him laugh.
Only the emperor kept looking outside.
He didn't even hear the Empress Dowager and Concubine Hui calling him.
The Queen Mother pretended to be angry and said, "Never mind him. Let's think about our own things. Girls should have nicknames to make them seem more intimate and affectionate."
In his heart, he knew exactly why the emperor looked like this. He turned around and ordered Xu Delu, "Why don't you go and check on your master? I have more than just this pair of grandchildren. On a day like this, they must all be there, and nothing should go wrong."
There was only one prince and one princess in the palace, and the other was still in Concubine Ying's belly. Xu Delu understood the Queen Mother's meaning and went straight to Chengluan Palace.
It is said that the emperor was supposed to go to Chengluan Palace to pick up people for a banquet today, but he was busy meeting with court officials who came to celebrate the New Year, and even foreign envoys.
On New Year's Eve, they all stayed in the post station in Shangjing, so that they could celebrate the New Year with the emperor on New Year's Day and show their importance and respect for the court.
After such a long day, even the banquet had to be on time. Fortunately, Taiji Hall was not far from Linde Hall, so he did not arrive late. The emperor did not insist on joining others, after all, they had just celebrated the New Year together the previous night.
But he didn't expect that she would arrive even later than him.
*
After spending quite some time in Chengluan Palace, Qingzan finally set off.
"Just wear this red fox fur coat outside, it will match the master's stunning bun! The master hasn't worn it for several days since she came back from Huying Pavilion last time. Everyone is wearing red and colorful today, it couldn't be more appropriate." Doukou just thought that Qingzhan had attracted gossip and controversy when she wore this coat that day, so she wore it less recently.
She held up the fur coat attentively and said, "Master, don't you think you are too heavy with all the layers on? If you put it on like this, nothing will be visible."
"Let's take this one." Qingzan didn't explain much, but put on the fox fur coat obediently, adjusted the peach-shaped flower ornaments on her temples, and sat on the sedan chair for the banquet.
On the other hand, Dong'er sat in the room for a long time today, and even refused the little palace maid's invitation to go out for the reunion. Although she did not open the envelope to read it, just thinking of the heavy and sad expression of the top scholar today made her feel uneasy.
This letter is also related to Yunrong... Maybe if I give it to Concubine Ying, she will have the same fate as Yunrong?
Dong'er wanted to throw the envelope into the fire several times, but she was a loyal person. This must have been seen by the top scholar, otherwise he would not have chosen to give the thing to her.
Gritting her teeth, Dong'er set off for Chengluan Palace. By this time, Master Ying might already be attending the banquet. If she couldn't make it, then she could just accept it as fate and return to burn it later.
After walking a few steps, he saw the ceremonial procession passing by on the palace road leading to the Linde Hall.
"Noble Concubine Ying!" Dong'er chased after her.
Qingzan stopped the procession and saw that it was Dong'er. "Why are you out now? Aren't you making palace lanterns and playing backgammon with your sisters?"
During the New Year's Day, except when they had to serve, the palace maids were allowed to take some time off.
As there were others present, Dong'er said cautiously, "I have come specially to wish my master a happy new year."
While she was close to Qingzan, she quickly stuffed the letter into the palm of Qingzan's hand that was resting on the chair.
…
It was not until they reached the outside of the Linde Hall that Qingzan, having squeezed the thing in his hand until it became hot, finally avoided the crowd, found a place behind a big pillar, and opened the thing suspiciously.
She recognized it immediately: the handwriting on the letter was the same as the one on her mother's portrait. It was written by Chen Shaoling.
The letter contained only two sentences. One of them read: "Yunrong survived a great disaster... After I rescued her, I asked an old man to treat her. After two months of acupuncture and moxibustion, Yunrong's right hand has recovered slightly."
Another sentence reads: "According to what he wrote, in the secret compartment of the antique shelf in the Taiji Hall, there is a secret message related to the incident of Duan Ruoxu substituting one thing for another and taking the credit for saving the emperor from Cheng."
There were many more things Chen Shaoling didn't write, such as when he learned that Yunrong had suffered such a disaster because of his search for lost property. Her parents were both unreliable, and he had decided to take care of her for the rest of her life until she recovered.
It has nothing to do with personal feelings, it's just for morality.
For example, after experiencing a life-or-death crisis, Yun Rong finally confirmed that what she had seen was not just a scattered, disorderly sentence. The paper clearly stated that it was the Duan man who had replaced the Cheng family's daughter with a fake one, taking the credit for saving her. However, in her haste, she didn't see that the name of the Marquis of Yongning was followed by the Duan words...
When she wrote these words, she didn't know whether she was doing it to repay a favor or to vent her hatred.
But that's enough.
The moment he saw it, Qingzan's head felt like it was struck by lightning.
At the same time, she realized a terrible fact.
Perhaps half of what Zhu said in the Yongning Marquis's mansion that day was true.
But perhaps, the person that her mother pawned her hairpin to raise money for medical treatment was not her, but the seriously injured late emperor.
Qingzan's eyes went dark, and her soul seemed to be pulled out forcibly.
Just as I looked up, I saw that it was a winter night and it was already dark.
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