Anyone who achieves great things must have some special ability.
They may be greedy, lustful, or arrogant, but who is really a fool?
If Nian Gengyao were truly foolish, the Fourth Prince wouldn't have included him in the power struggle. Nor would he have been so wary of Consort Hua out of fear that Nian's achievements would overshadow the emperor.
Many things should have changed, so what's wrong with Nian Gengyao and Hua Pangpang changing?
Sun Miaoqing did not believe that Nian Gengyao was merely playing along with the fat orange, waiting for the right opportunity to raise the banner of rebellion.
If he dares to rise up in rebellion, given the current situation, he will only die even faster.
As for secretly siding with someone else and supporting a new ruler, even if he succeeded, what benefit would he gain?
Not only would the benefits be no greater than they are now, but with the example of the fat orange tree, the first thing the new ruler would do upon taking the throne would be to take the lives of the Nian clan.
Sun Miaoqing thought to herself that whether Nian Gengyao wanted to retire gracefully or not would depend on what he did after returning to the capital.
But what if Consort Hua knows some inside information...?
"I suddenly want to see Consort Hua's ivory ball. It's still early, let's go sit in Qingliang Palace."
*
Qingliang Hall
After reading the letter in her hand, Consort Hua personally lit it and kept it burning until it was completely reduced to ashes before letting Zhou Ninghai take the incense burner away.
"The Emperor is truly petty. On the surface, he trusts my brother greatly and cares for him deeply. But behind his back, he sends Yue Zhongqi to seize the great achievement of capturing Luo Buzang Danjin alive."
"Fortunately, my brother listened to advice and knew that Yue Zhongqi was the Emperor's man. He took the initiative to entrust him with an important task and put the entire search and arrest operation in his hands."
“My brother has done everything he could to avoid taking credit and to cultivate talent for the Qing Dynasty. He is also very obedient to the Emperor. Even if the Emperor cannot completely dispel his suspicions, he would not immediately take action against my Nian family.”
Songzhi's thoughts were the same as Consort Hua's: if the Nian family prospered, they and their subordinates could benefit as well.
Otherwise, if the Nian family falls from power, her family members will also be sold off by the government.
"The General is wise and brave, and he will surely arrange everything well. Your Majesty need not worry too much."
Consort Hua looked worried and said helplessly, "That's true, but how can I not worry?"
"Now that I think about it, His Majesty may not be unaware of the things I did before."
“No matter how big a mistake I made, he couldn’t bear to ignore me for too long. I originally thought it was because he loved me and cared about me.”
"Now I understand. The Emperor is probably being so indulgent towards me because he cares about my brother."
"I've already held the Nian family accountable for all the things I did in the past. When the day comes that you can't tolerate it anymore, just kill me and my brother together."
Songzhi hurriedly said, "No, no."
"Your Majesty hasn't done anything outrageous. You used to be so devoted to the Emperor that you almost ripped your heart out. As for other people, the Emperor won't care."
Zhou Ninghai said, "Yes, Your Majesty, if the Emperor truly cared, he wouldn't have imprisoned Consort Fang in the Cold Palace, nor would he have ignored the Empress."
"It is clear that the Emperor is cold-hearted and indifferent, and does not care about things that are not his concern."
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Consort Hua's eyes, but she quickly concealed it completely, not revealing a trace of it, and sighed.
"He doesn't care, but so do I."
Songzhi found it strange that Consort Hua would suddenly say such things. Was she reflecting on her past mistakes?
"Your Highness, how could you do this! I remember before I entered the Prince's Palace, it wasn't like this."
"You would play with the maids, and you would also suppress your own feelings for fear of being punished."
“If the late emperor hadn’t betrothed you to the emperor back then, things wouldn’t be like this now. It’s all their fault; you were forced into this situation.”
Consort Hua said, "I do not regret what I have done. But when I think back to the past, I feel that I am becoming less and less like myself."
"No matter how much I thought about it before, I never imagined that things would turn out this way."
"For the sake of the honor and disgrace of the entire Nian family, no matter how disgusting I feel, I must endure flattering the Emperor and vying for his favor."
Even now, the small kitchen is always stocked with snacks and dishes that Fatty Orange likes, just in case he notices anything amiss.
Consort Hua's eyes welled up with tears of grievance. She looked up at the roof beam above her, wondering when this kind of life would finally end.
Zhou Ninghai didn't understand matters between men and women, but he had heard in operas that the deeper the love, the deeper the hate.
Consort Hua wished she could skin the emperor alive, but for the sake of the bigger picture, she had no choice but to compromise. It was understandable that she was heartbroken and angry.
However, no matter how angry you feel, you must hold back, and you must do so with a tender expression.
Zhou Ninghai reminded her, "Your Majesty, these efforts will be rewarded. As you yourself said, the land of gentle pleasures is the graveyard of heroes."
"That's precisely why Your Majesty should dress up as beautifully as possible. Isn't it said that what is poison to one is honey to another?"
Consort Hua burst out laughing at Zhou Ninghai's words, "You're so good with words."
Zhou Ninghai said with a smile, "This servant is clumsy with words, Your Majesty, please don't take offense."
Lingzhi announced from outside, "Your Majesty, Consort Cheng requests an audience."
Consort Hua was puzzled. Shouldn't she be at the Nine Provinces Qingyan at this time? Why is she here?
Perhaps the emperor wanted to see his ministers, and it was inconvenient for Sun Miaoqing to stay by his side?
Without thinking further, Consort Hua said,
"Please come in quickly!"
Consort Hua got up and went to the door to greet her. She saw that Sun Miaoqing was wearing a light blue cheongsam and her hair was styled in a small double bun.
Her head was adorned with a set of kingfisher feather headdresses, shimmering with the unique luster of peacock feathers.
Whether viewed from the front or the side, in sunlight or in shadow, the colors are different and ever-changing under different environments.
"Greetings to Consort Hua."
"Get up quickly."
Consort Hua helped Sun Miaoqing up and looked admiringly at the kingfisher feather hair ornaments on her head.
"Ordinary kingfisher feather hairpins are made of kingfisher feathers, but you prefer peacock feathers. However, compared to the feathers on the kingfisher's neck, this color is deeper and more beautiful."
Sun Miaoqing said, "Peacock feathers are not as durable as kingfisher feathers. After wearing them a few times, they will fall off and curl up when they get damp. Kingfisher feathers, on the other hand, are not afraid of water and will stay looking new for a long time."
"However, peacock feathers are plentiful, but kingfishers are only so big. To make a crown, it often takes the lives of 100,000 birds." (It is said that 100,000 birds were used to restore the crown of a Ming Dynasty empress.)
"I like kingfisher feather inlay, but I don't want so many birds to die because of a few hairpins, so I can only use peacock instead."
"Otherwise, having the lives of 100,000 birds hanging over my head would be too creepy for me!"
Consort Hua thought of her favorite kingfisher feather headdress, estimating that even 100,000 birds would be enough to make the phoenix in the center.
What should I do if I suddenly feel like I don't want to wear it anymore...?
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