Yan Ning shook her head and crawled backward. She hoped that Eunuch Lin would have a shred of pity, and that Granny Zhuang would not be so loyal.
She saw Eunuch Lin take a step forward, and just as she was about to speak, Eunuch Lin turned around and covered Granny Man's mouth with the white handkerchief.
The third watch of the night approached, signaling that the night was deep.
The palace maids and other eunuchs all stood outside the hall as ordered by Granny Zhuang, completely unaware of what was happening in the Empress Dowager's bedchamber. Lin Yi struck with extreme force, and Granny Zhuang fell silent before she could even utter a complete syllable.
Eunuch Lin was in his prime at forty, while Granny Zhuang was decades older than him and a woman; she naturally fell into his hands in no time.
Eunuch Lin helped Granny Zhuang to her feet and had her lie half-prostrate on the Empress Dowager's warm couch, feigning grief. After he finished, he turned around and helped the flustered Yan Ning to her feet.
He knelt down and said, "Your servant Lin Yi, please ask Lady Fucha to convey my loyalty to General Fucha, and please tell Lord He that I am willing to serve the Fifteenth Prince with all my might, even through fire and water!"
The Empress Dowager had already given him a secret decree, ordering him to kill Yan Ning. However, as Heshen had said, Granny Zhuang was the Empress Dowager's confidante, and she would not allow him to live for something that would damage her reputation. After the deed was done, she would definitely find an excuse to have the Emperor kill him.
Rather than be silenced, it's better to find a way to survive, a way to please Fukang'an and make him dependent on the Fifteenth Prince.
Even if Granny Zhuang were favored by the Empress Dowager, she would still be just a servant like him. But Yan Ning was different; she was not only Fukang'an's wife, but also someone that Heshen and the Fifteenth Prince wanted to protect.
He could exchange a servant for the favor of three powerful princes and ministers in the court. Such a wonderful thing was ultimately thwarted by the fact that the Empress Dowager's body was beside him. His instinct for survival led him to disobey the Empress Dowager's decree and kill Granny Zhuang instead of Yan Ning.
As Lin Yi spoke, Yan Ning remained stunned, watching him move his lips but unable to hear what he was saying. Her mind was blank, unable to comprehend what was happening before her eyes. Lin Yi had already run outside the palace, knelt on the ground, and, facing the dark night sky, wailed, "The Empress Dowager has passed away!"
This wailing sound was like a thunderbolt shattering the tranquil night of the Yuanmingyuan. Word spread among the palace servants, then they rushed about. The Yuanmingyuan, once a paradise, seemed to be struck by a fireball; thousands of palace lanterns rose, scattering like stars throughout the various palaces.
Chaos erupted in Changchun Fairy Garden. Cries from everyone echoed through the dark, moonless sky, thick with leaden clouds, which were actually startled away. The moonlight slanted down, shrouding the Yuanmingyuan Garden in a pure white veil of mist.
The mourning clothes for each palace had been prepared several years ago. The Empress Dowager's age had already shocked everyone many times, but this time it was so sudden and unexpected.
People in the palace hurriedly changed into white mourning clothes and rushed to Changchun Immortal Garden. The continuous line of white mourning clothes made the Empress Dowager's palace as bright as day.
Under the coordination of the Imperial Household Department, the entire imperial entourage dispersed outside the palace, each taking its designated position. Red-lacquered poles were erected in front of the palace gates, and a brocade banner embroidered with golden dragons shimmered with golden light. Embroidered white pom-poms hung from the lotus-leaf canopy, swaying gently in the breeze.
The concubines and palace maids knelt outside the Empress Dowager's bedchamber, weeping. The noblewomen of the Eight Banners and the wives of officials in Beijing had not yet arrived at the palace. The princes, dukes, and officials who were inside the palace were also kneeling outside, weeping. Those who had not yet arrived had probably already begun weeping on their way.
If this was the death of the Empress Dowager, in Yan Ning's eyes it was more like a competition, to see who cried the most sorrowfully, and who cried the most earth-shatteringly.
She was dressed in mourning clothes by the palace maids, looking dazed and helpless as she was helped around. She was like a nearly withered flower in a white, turbulent sea, only able to stand there and let others lead her wherever they wanted.
Yan Ning was a noblewoman of the Eight Banners. Since the other noblewomen of the Eight Banners had not yet arrived, and there was no place for her among the concubines, she was helped by palace servants to kneel blankly in the Empress Dowager's bedroom.
The sounds of wailing filled the palace, both inside and out, like an unstoppable torrent of tears, repeatedly assaulting Yan Ning's ears.
Only the Emperor, his expression sorrowful, remained silent, tears streaming down his aged face. He held the Empress Dowager's hand, as if only the mother and son were in the bedchamber.
To outsiders, it was merely the passing of the Empress Dowager in the palace; even weeping was just a formality. But to the Emperor, it was the departure of his dearest loved one in this world.
Ten months of pregnancy, the arduous process of raising a child, and the willingness to become ruthless in the bloody and treacherous harem to secure his position—what woman in the prime of her life doesn't yearn for a life of devoted wife and mother, a peaceful and idyllic existence? But in this treacherous harem, only by becoming ruthless can you stand on that stone-blue brick slab closer to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, closer to the Emperor, and closer to imperial power.
The Emperor was aware of what the Empress Dowager had done for him. Therefore, after he ascended the throne, he would pay his respects to the Empress Dowager every day, and whenever he went on a southern tour, he would bring his mother along, as long as the Empress Dowager was still in good health.
Some time ago, he had quarreled with the Empress Dowager over the matter of Fukang'an, and seeing her lying so peacefully today, he couldn't help but feel remorseful. He waved his hand and ordered Wu Shulai beside him, "Send an urgent message: summon General Fucha Fukang'an of Jilin back to the capital to mourn for the Empress Dowager!"
Upon hearing Fukang'an's name, Yan Ning regained her composure slightly, but she didn't clearly hear what the Emperor said to Wu Shu.
The Emperor then sat silently beside the Empress Dowager, while Consort Rong and the officials of the Imperial Household Department knelt to one side. No one dared to remind the Emperor not to delay the Empress Dowager's burial.
As the dim sky began to lighten, the noblewomen outside the palace began to arrive one after another, with the Imperial Household Department dispatching personnel to coordinate their movements. The palace was no longer filled with chaotic and sorrowful cries; under the instructions of the head eunuch, their voices rose and fell, and the women's voices rose and fell together, creating a sound like music.
A palace maid helped Yan Ning and the old lady Fucha kneel together. The old lady's face was already streaked with tears, and her voice was hoarse. Yan Ning was somewhat taken aback; she didn't know how many of the kneeling women were truly heartbroken.
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