"You've come?" Emperor Changlong saw Consort Lin and pointed to the chair in the room, "Take a seat and let's talk." After saying that, he had all the other attendants in the room leave.
The chair was cushioned, but when Consort Lin sat down, she felt somewhat stiff and awkward.
"Do you know why Zhen summoned you here?" Emperor Changlong asked, looking at her.
Upon hearing this, Consort Lin lowered her head and said, "Chenqie doesn't know."
When she used every means to enter the palace, she thought that with her beauty, she would surely be favored among all the concubines and consorts. But she realized that although Emperor Changlong treated her well, he didn't favor any particular woman in the harem.
"In truth, Zhen didn't want to see you among the people Zhen had to meet tonight," Emperor Changlong looked at the woman before him. He had known Consort Lin for over twenty years and didn't want their relationship to end on an embarrassing note.
Consort Lin's heart trembled. She looked up at Emperor Changlong and pursed her lips without saying a word.
Does the Emperor know about the things she had done...?
"Have Zhen ever treated you poorly?" Emperor Changlong looked at Consort Lin with disappointment and regret in his eyes, which ultimately turned into calmness, "Consort Lin, Zhen has chosen a title for Qichen's noble rank. It is 'Cheng'. This child has a loyal heart and Zhen believes 'Cheng' suits him well."
'Cheng' was a good name. Consort Lin stood up and bowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Since the Emperor was willing to bestow a royal title on her son, and he even carefully selected the title, it meant that the Emperor had not grown tired of Qichen. He also didn't know about the things she had done privately.
Then why did the Emperor summon her? Could it be that the other women in the palace were plotting against her?
"You don't need to thank Zhen. Zhen is Qichen's father, and it is a father's responsibility to consider his son's future," Emperor Changlong tried to see a hint of guilt or fear on Consort Lin's face, but all he saw was a perfect smile.
"Zhen remembers when we coincidentally met outside the palace. You said you admired Zhen and insisted on entering the palace with Zhen," Emperor Changlong said. Consort Lin was just an eighteen-year-old girl at that time. Despite knowing that he already had other consorts in the palace, she had willing to follow him.
It was his fault. If he hadn't agreed to her request back then, perhaps she would have remained the talented woman that she was, instead of getting buried under endless ambition.
"Because, Your Majesty, you don't know how handsome you are," Consort Lin curved her lips, "Among all the scholars, Your Majesty is the most extraordinary presence."
Over all these years, she was most proud of recognizing Emperor Changlong's identity back then, approaching him, and convincing him to accept her into the palace.
If she hadn't entered the palace, perhaps she would have married a humble scholar and lived a struggling life.
"All these years, have you been doing well in the palace?" Emperor Changlong looked into Consort Lin's beautiful eyes, "Zhen is not a gentle and considerate man. Zhen has caused you a lot of suffering over the years."
"No, Your Majesty has always treated Chenqie well," Although Consort Lin resented Emperor Changlong's favoritism toward the Crown Prince, she had to admit that the Emperor treated all the consorts in the harem well.
He was not a lustful emperor. The number of consorts in the harem was the fewest among the emperors throughout the history of the Jin Dynasty. He was also a responsible husband.
"Zhen thought you held resentment in your heart towards Zhen, which led you to do these things," Emperor Changlong placed the gathered evidence in front of Consort Lin, "Consort Lin, what do you want?"
Trembling, Consort Lin picked up the documents. She only glanced at the top few pages and felt overwhelmed. Her mind buzzed, and it took her a while to find her voice, "Since Your Majesty already knows, there is nothing more for Chenqie to say."
"Zhen deeply regrets it."
"You regret letting Chenqie enter the palace, Your Majesty?" Consort Lin asked with a sarcastic smile.
"Yes," Emperor Changlong nodded slowly, "Zhen regrets letting you enter the palace, making you one of the women in the harem."
"Hah!" Consort Lin chuckled self-mockingly. The thing she was most proud of had become the thing he regretted the most. Was her life nothing but a joke?
"Although you were born into a humble family, you were well-read and insightful," Emperor Changlong sighed, "If Zhen hadn't let you enter the palace back then, you wouldn't have developed these ambitions or walked this path."
Consort Lin froze. She looked at the man she had never had feelings for before and felt an uncomfortable sensation for the first time. It was like a web tightly entangling her; she wanted to cry, but tears wouldn't come.
"All these years, you have always been gentle and considerate towards Zhen. No matter what Zhen did, you would always approve," Emperor Changlong stood up and walked to the window, facing away from Consort Lin, "Zhen will take good care of Qichen. From now on, you will live a secluded life in the palace, never coming out or having contact with Qichen."
"Your Majesty wants to confine Chenqie?" Consort Lin snapped back to reality. She looked at Emperor Changlong's back, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Your Majesty, Chenqie knows Chenqie was wrong. Chenqie begs your forgiveness this time. Qichen has not yet married. He has not left the palace to establish his own estate. Please, for the sake of our child, spare Chenqie this once."
In the past, if she had cried like this, the Emperor would always soften his heart for her.
But this time, Emperor Changlong didn't turn around to look at her.
"Consort Lin, if you had considered Qichen even a little before doing these things, Zhen wouldn't have treated you like this," Emperor Changlong's voice carried exhaustion, "You, leave."
Consort Lin knew that if she took that step back, she would no longer be the esteemed Consort Lin.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Consort Lin crawled to Emperor Changlong's side, clinging to his leg, and begged, "Your Majesty, please don't treat Chenqie like this."
Emperor Changlong closed his eyes, refusing to look at her pitiful appearance, "Linfei, Zhen treats every consort in the harem well, but Zhen's bottom line is Zhen's children."
Seeing that Emperor Changlong remained unmoved, Consort Lin's heart gradually sank. She knew that Emperor Changlong was a gentle yet decisive man. He could tolerate the small mistakes of his children, consorts, and even court official, but once he made up his mind, no one could change it.
No, there was someone who could change his mind before— the Crown Prince.
Knowing that she couldn't make Emperor Changlong revoke his decision, Consort Lin suddenly became calm. She wiped away the tears on her face and spoke calmly, "In Your Majesty's heart, you still favor Consort Hui the most."
Emperor Changlong remained silent.
"Chenqie and Consort Hui entered the palace in the same year. Her son became the Crown Prince, while Chenqie's child is still just an imperial prince without a title," Consort Lin sneered, "Is it really that Your Majesty cannot tolerate Chenqie's ambition, or that Your Majesty cannot tolerate Chenqie's scheming against the Crown Prince?"
"The Crown Prince has been spoiled by Your Majesty to the point of dereliction, disrespecting ministers of the court, and arbitrarily replacing officials in the Eastern Palace's council. Not only did Your Majesty not blame him, but Your Majesty even selected the daughter of Hua Yingting as the Crown Princess," Consort Lin's emotions suddenly spiraled out of control, and she asked loudly, "Neither of us was the Empress, so why did Your Majesty let Consort Hui's son become the Crown Prince?"
"You claim not to favor anyone, but in reality, you bestowed her the title of 'Favored'1Hui means Favored. Consort Hui can also be called Favored Consort., what about Chenqie?" Consort Lin pointed to her chest, "We both come from humble origins. Your Majesty gave her a title, while Chenqie is only identified by my surname. Is Chenqie destined to be inferior to her?!"
Emperor Changlong opened his eyes and looked at the resentful and indignant Consort Lin. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Zhen remembered when we first met, you said that the Lin surname was a noble gift given by your father, and Zhen believed you."
Buzz.
Consort Lin felt as if something was roaring in her mind. She staggered a few steps and collapsed weakly on the ground. She had forgotten what she had said back then to catch the Emperor's attention. How could she remember those words she casually uttered?
"Your Majesty is lying to Chenqie!" Consort Lin shouted hoarsely, her voice strained, "Your Majesty is lying to Chenqie!"
Zhao Sancai, who stood outside the palace doors, heard Consort Lin's howling. He waved his folded fan and sighed softly, shaking his head.
Why stir up so much trouble when things were going well? What was the point?
Consort Lin had never thought that there was anything wrong with scheming for her child. The Emperor favored Consort Hui, and even if she died, it was her son that he loved the most. If she didn't scheme, where would she find her place in the harem?
She was unwilling to be just a consort, and she was unwilling for her son to be a prince without a position.
They were all the Emperor's sons, so why was Ji Yuansu superior?
"It's impossible. Your Majesty, you clearly favor Consort Hui..." It seemed that only by proving the Emperor's favoritism towards the deceased Consort Hui could she convince herself that everything she had done was not wrong.
In the spacious hall, there was only Consort Lin's resentful howling.
Consort Lin gradually quieted down. She wiped the tears from her face and looked at Emperor Changlong, "Your Majesty... What will be Chenqie's punishment?"
Emperor Changlong sighed.
That sigh was like a knife, stabbing straight into Consort Lin's heart.
Looking at the Emperor's back, she suddenly recalled their first meeting, when he wore a light-colored brocade robe and smiled like an immortal day in the mortal world.
With his radiance, she couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.
She remembered it now. At that moment, her heart skipped a beat.
That charming young man, anyone would want to take a second look.
"You may leave," Emperor Changlong waved his hand wearily, "One day as husband and wife, a hundred days of grace. Zhen doesn't want to kill you. You're ill and need to recuperate. Zhen will send someone to take good care of you."
"Very well," Consort Lin trembled as she spoke, kowtowed to Emperor Changlong, "Chenqie will take leave."
Emperor Changlong remained with his back turned to her. Moonlight illuminated his figure, casting a long shadow behind him.
That shadow kept extending, extending until it reached right in front of Consort Lin.
She suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, when Chenqie gave birth to Qichen, he couldn't speak or cry. Did Your Majesty ever despise Chenqie for it?"
"Never."
The dark shadow stirred, but its owner still didn't turn around.
"Zhen has never blamed you, nor has Zhen ever despised the child. He is Zhen's child, a gift bestowed upon Zhen by the heavens. As a father, how could Zhen despise his arrival?"
"Chenqie understands," Consort Lin stood up in a daze, stumbling as she walked towards the door.
The palace doors creaked open, revealing a brilliant display of lights outside. She turned around to look at Emperor Changlong's back, "Your Majesty..."
She wanted to say something, but she realized that she had nothing to say.
Crossing the tall threshold, Consort Lin exited the hall.
"Farewell to Consort Lin."
Consort Lin halted her steps and glanced at the palace attendants outside the main hall of the Chengyang Palace. Suddenly, she let out a laugh, then turned and disappeared into the night.
Emperor Changlong stood by the window, not moving for a long time. Zhao Sancai bowed and closed the palace doors, but he sighed with worry in his heart.
He never expected that Consort Lin, who appeared to be the most knowledgeable and reasonable, would resort to such dirty tactics in the harem. Threatening palace maids to frame the Crown Prince, especially choosing one who resembled Fushou Junzhu.
If this plan succeeded, it would not only harm the Crown Prince but also Fushou Junzhu.
The one who was most saddened by this incident was the Emperor himself.
Zhao Sancai stood guard at the door for a while until the Crown Prince approached carrying a box. With light steps and a smile on his face, he seemed unaware of what had just happened.
"Greetings to Your Royal Highness," Zhao Sancai greeted him.
"Zhao Sancai, why are you guarding the door? Where is Father Emperor?"
"His Majesty is inside..." replied Zhao Sancai. Before he could finish speaking, he saw the Crown Prince push open the palace door and walk in.
Your Royal Highness, please don't make matters worse for His Majesty by upsetting him.
Unfortunately, the Crown Prince couldn't hear Zhao Sancai's inner cry. He saw Emperor Changlong standing by the window and approached him, saying, "Father Emperor, Erchen brought you something good."
"What good thing?" Emperor Changlong's voice was somewhat hoarse. He turned to look at the Crown Prince, his expression still relatively calm.
"Just now, Fushou Junzhu and Erchen, along with Fourth Brother, were stargazing at the viewing platform. Suddenly, we felt hungry, so Erchen took them to the kitchen in the Eastern Palace and made some food by ourselves," the Crown Prince opened the box, revealing several poorly shaped pastries that resembled animals. However, Emperor Changlong couldn't help but wonder what kind of animals they were.
They all had one thing in common—they were ugly.
"You made these yourselves?" Emperor Changlong walked over and sat down on a chair, looking at the pastries with some hesitation.
"They may be ugly, but they taste good," the Crown Prince used silver chopsticks to pick up one and fed it to Emperor Changlong's mouth, "Erchen heard that Father Emperor hasn't eaten anything tonight and must be hungry."
After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Changlong still ate the pastry.
To be honest, he felt that his two sons and his future daughter-in-law had no talent in cooking.
Although the pastry wasn't completely inedible, besides extreme sweetness, he couldn't taste any other flavors. His taste buds were accustomed to the imperial chef's skills and couldn't bear this kind of disappointment.
"Eating just pastries is not satisfying. Erchen also brought soup," said the Crown Prince as he brought out a large bowl of soup from beneath the food container. He poured it into small bowls and sat down with Emperor Changlong to drink soup together.
The soup was rich in flavor; one could tell it had been simmering for several hours. Emperor Changlong glanced at his son sipping from his bowl and reached out to stop him, "It's not advisable to eat too much at night. You just ate something, why are you still eating?"
"Erchen is not full yet."
Emperor Changlong chuckled, "Zhen knows you want to stimulate Zhen's appetite by joining Zhen," He picked up the bowl and took a few sips, "Zhen will eat well, so don't force yourself."
The Crown Prince immediately put down his bowl and rubbed his stomach with a distressed expression, "No one understands Erchen better than Father Emperor. To please your future daughter-in-law, Erchen ate all the pastries she made, but these ones were made by Erchen and Fourth Brother."
Emperor Changlong picked up one of the pastries and swallowed it, smiling faintly, "Looking at these pastries, they don't look very appealing."
"Appearance doesn't matter; what matters is the intention behind them," the Crown Prince comforted Emperor Changlong as he drank soup and ate pastries. Then he suggested, "After eating, it's not good to sleep right away. Let Erchen accompany Father Emperor for a walk in the courtyard."
"Alright."
Zhao Sancai, guarding outside, felt relieved when he saw that the Crown Prince accompanied His Majesty for soup and went out for a walk. Fortunately, with the Crown Prince around, His Majesty's mood could gradually improve.
With stars twinkling in the sky, Emperor Changlong listened to various pleasing words from the Crown Prince and suddenly smiled, saying, "Yuansu, there's nothing to worry about. You don't need to be concerned."
"What concern?" The Crown Prince turned his head, looking puzzled, "Erchen just came to bring you pastries, Father Emperor."
Emperor Changlong smiled and said, "Come earlier tomorrow and help Zhen handle the memorials."
"Okay."
"These days are busy; don't leave the palace," Emperor Changlong continued, "There are several files in the Ministry of Justice that you can take a look at."
"Yes," although the Crown Prince had a bitter face, he agreed.
Emperor Changlong shook his head with a smile. This child normally wouldn't be so obedient. It seems he knows about Consort Lin's incident and came to cheer him up.
Early the next morning, Hua Liuli, who stayed overnight at Shoukang Palace, heard some shocking news. The birth mother of the Fourth Prince, Consort Lin, was critically ill and no one was allowed to visit her during her recovery.
In the palace, using illness as an excuse to prevent visits was just a pretense for saving face.
Consort Lin had encountered some trouble.
Hua Liuli furrowed her brows and remembered the palace maid who falsely accused the Crown Prince during the Hundred Nations Banquet. Could it be that Consort Lin did that?
However, since the Fourth Prince wasn't the next in line for succession, by doing this, Consort Lin would benefit Ying Wang instead of her own son.
The imperial decree stated that no one was allowed to visit Consort Lin except essential personnel. But since Hua Liuli was the future Crown Princess, she couldn't pretend as if nothing had happened. So she asked Yuan Yi to prepare gifts and went to Consort Lin's sleeping chambers.
At this critical moment, what mattered most was how she conducted herself while visiting.
Just as Hua Liuli entered through the palace gates, she heard Consort Xian questioning in an agitated voice.
"On that night, were you the one who set me up by leading me to the side hall?!"
Consort Lin's voice was extremely cold and different from before.
"It wasn't me."
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: I knew it! There must be someone in the palace plotting against me.
"You've come?" Emperor Changlong saw Consort Lin and pointed to the chair in the room, "Take a seat and let's talk." After saying that, he had all the other attendants in the room leave.
The chair was cushioned, but when Consort Lin sat down, she felt somewhat stiff and awkward.
"Do you know why Zhen summoned you here?" Emperor Changlong asked, looking at her.
Upon hearing this, Consort Lin lowered her head and said, "Chenqie doesn't know."
When she used every means to enter the palace, she thought that with her beauty, she would surely be favored among all the concubines and consorts. But she realized that although Emperor Changlong treated her well, he didn't favor any particular woman in the harem.
"In truth, Zhen didn't want to see you among the people Zhen had to meet tonight," Emperor Changlong looked at the woman before him. He had known Consort Lin for over twenty years and didn't want their relationship to end on an embarrassing note.
Consort Lin's heart trembled. She looked up at Emperor Changlong and pursed her lips without saying a word.
Does the Emperor know about the things she had done...?
"Have Zhen ever treated you poorly?" Emperor Changlong looked at Consort Lin with disappointment and regret in his eyes, which ultimately turned into calmness, "Consort Lin, Zhen has chosen a title for Qichen's noble rank. It is 'Cheng'. This child has a loyal heart and Zhen believes 'Cheng' suits him well."
'Cheng' was a good name. Consort Lin stood up and bowed, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Since the Emperor was willing to bestow a royal title on her son, and he even carefully selected the title, it meant that the Emperor had not grown tired of Qichen. He also didn't know about the things she had done privately.
Then why did the Emperor summon her? Could it be that the other women in the palace were plotting against her?
"You don't need to thank Zhen. Zhen is Qichen's father, and it is a father's responsibility to consider his son's future," Emperor Changlong tried to see a hint of guilt or fear on Consort Lin's face, but all he saw was a perfect smile.
"Zhen remembers when we coincidentally met outside the palace. You said you admired Zhen and insisted on entering the palace with Zhen," Emperor Changlong said. Consort Lin was just an eighteen-year-old girl at that time. Despite knowing that he already had other consorts in the palace, she had willing to follow him.
It was his fault. If he hadn't agreed to her request back then, perhaps she would have remained the talented woman that she was, instead of getting buried under endless ambition.
"Because, Your Majesty, you don't know how handsome you are," Consort Lin curved her lips, "Among all the scholars, Your Majesty is the most extraordinary presence."
Over all these years, she was most proud of recognizing Emperor Changlong's identity back then, approaching him, and convincing him to accept her into the palace.
If she hadn't entered the palace, perhaps she would have married a humble scholar and lived a struggling life.
"All these years, have you been doing well in the palace?" Emperor Changlong looked into Consort Lin's beautiful eyes, "Zhen is not a gentle and considerate man. Zhen has caused you a lot of suffering over the years."
"No, Your Majesty has always treated Chenqie well," Although Consort Lin resented Emperor Changlong's favoritism toward the Crown Prince, she had to admit that the Emperor treated all the consorts in the harem well.
He was not a lustful emperor. The number of consorts in the harem was the fewest among the emperors throughout the history of the Jin Dynasty. He was also a responsible husband.
"Zhen thought you held resentment in your heart towards Zhen, which led you to do these things," Emperor Changlong placed the gathered evidence in front of Consort Lin, "Consort Lin, what do you want?"
Trembling, Consort Lin picked up the documents. She only glanced at the top few pages and felt overwhelmed. Her mind buzzed, and it took her a while to find her voice, "Since Your Majesty already knows, there is nothing more for Chenqie to say."
"Zhen deeply regrets it."
"You regret letting Chenqie enter the palace, Your Majesty?" Consort Lin asked with a sarcastic smile.
"Yes," Emperor Changlong nodded slowly, "Zhen regrets letting you enter the palace, making you one of the women in the harem."
"Hah!" Consort Lin chuckled self-mockingly. The thing she was most proud of had become the thing he regretted the most. Was her life nothing but a joke?
"Although you were born into a humble family, you were well-read and insightful," Emperor Changlong sighed, "If Zhen hadn't let you enter the palace back then, you wouldn't have developed these ambitions or walked this path."
Consort Lin froze. She looked at the man she had never had feelings for before and felt an uncomfortable sensation for the first time. It was like a web tightly entangling her; she wanted to cry, but tears wouldn't come.
"All these years, you have always been gentle and considerate towards Zhen. No matter what Zhen did, you would always approve," Emperor Changlong stood up and walked to the window, facing away from Consort Lin, "Zhen will take good care of Qichen. From now on, you will live a secluded life in the palace, never coming out or having contact with Qichen."
"Your Majesty wants to confine Chenqie?" Consort Lin snapped back to reality. She looked at Emperor Changlong's back, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Your Majesty, Chenqie knows Chenqie was wrong. Chenqie begs your forgiveness this time. Qichen has not yet married. He has not left the palace to establish his own estate. Please, for the sake of our child, spare Chenqie this once."
In the past, if she had cried like this, the Emperor would always soften his heart for her.
But this time, Emperor Changlong didn't turn around to look at her.
"Consort Lin, if you had considered Qichen even a little before doing these things, Zhen wouldn't have treated you like this," Emperor Changlong's voice carried exhaustion, "You, leave."
Consort Lin knew that if she took that step back, she would no longer be the esteemed Consort Lin.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..." Consort Lin crawled to Emperor Changlong's side, clinging to his leg, and begged, "Your Majesty, please don't treat Chenqie like this."
Emperor Changlong closed his eyes, refusing to look at her pitiful appearance, "Linfei, Zhen treats every consort in the harem well, but Zhen's bottom line is Zhen's children."
Seeing that Emperor Changlong remained unmoved, Consort Lin's heart gradually sank. She knew that Emperor Changlong was a gentle yet decisive man. He could tolerate the small mistakes of his children, consorts, and even court official, but once he made up his mind, no one could change it.
No, there was someone who could change his mind before— the Crown Prince.
Knowing that she couldn't make Emperor Changlong revoke his decision, Consort Lin suddenly became calm. She wiped away the tears on her face and spoke calmly, "In Your Majesty's heart, you still favor Consort Hui the most."
Emperor Changlong remained silent.
"Chenqie and Consort Hui entered the palace in the same year. Her son became the Crown Prince, while Chenqie's child is still just an imperial prince without a title," Consort Lin sneered, "Is it really that Your Majesty cannot tolerate Chenqie's ambition, or that Your Majesty cannot tolerate Chenqie's scheming against the Crown Prince?"
"The Crown Prince has been spoiled by Your Majesty to the point of dereliction, disrespecting ministers of the court, and arbitrarily replacing officials in the Eastern Palace's council. Not only did Your Majesty not blame him, but Your Majesty even selected the daughter of Hua Yingting as the Crown Princess," Consort Lin's emotions suddenly spiraled out of control, and she asked loudly, "Neither of us was the Empress, so why did Your Majesty let Consort Hui's son become the Crown Prince?"
"You claim not to favor anyone, but in reality, you bestowed her the title of 'Favored'1Hui means Favored. Consort Hui can also be called Favored Consort., what about Chenqie?" Consort Lin pointed to her chest, "We both come from humble origins. Your Majesty gave her a title, while Chenqie is only identified by my surname. Is Chenqie destined to be inferior to her?!"
Emperor Changlong opened his eyes and looked at the resentful and indignant Consort Lin. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Zhen remembered when we first met, you said that the Lin surname was a noble gift given by your father, and Zhen believed you."
Buzz.
Consort Lin felt as if something was roaring in her mind. She staggered a few steps and collapsed weakly on the ground. She had forgotten what she had said back then to catch the Emperor's attention. How could she remember those words she casually uttered?
"Your Majesty is lying to Chenqie!" Consort Lin shouted hoarsely, her voice strained, "Your Majesty is lying to Chenqie!"
Zhao Sancai, who stood outside the palace doors, heard Consort Lin's howling. He waved his folded fan and sighed softly, shaking his head.
Why stir up so much trouble when things were going well? What was the point?
Consort Lin had never thought that there was anything wrong with scheming for her child. The Emperor favored Consort Hui, and even if she died, it was her son that he loved the most. If she didn't scheme, where would she find her place in the harem?
She was unwilling to be just a consort, and she was unwilling for her son to be a prince without a position.
They were all the Emperor's sons, so why was Ji Yuansu superior?
"It's impossible. Your Majesty, you clearly favor Consort Hui..." It seemed that only by proving the Emperor's favoritism towards the deceased Consort Hui could she convince herself that everything she had done was not wrong.
In the spacious hall, there was only Consort Lin's resentful howling.
Consort Lin gradually quieted down. She wiped the tears from her face and looked at Emperor Changlong, "Your Majesty... What will be Chenqie's punishment?"
Emperor Changlong sighed.
That sigh was like a knife, stabbing straight into Consort Lin's heart.
Looking at the Emperor's back, she suddenly recalled their first meeting, when he wore a light-colored brocade robe and smiled like an immortal day in the mortal world.
With his radiance, she couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.
She remembered it now. At that moment, her heart skipped a beat.
That charming young man, anyone would want to take a second look.
"You may leave," Emperor Changlong waved his hand wearily, "One day as husband and wife, a hundred days of grace. Zhen doesn't want to kill you. You're ill and need to recuperate. Zhen will send someone to take good care of you."
"Very well," Consort Lin trembled as she spoke, kowtowed to Emperor Changlong, "Chenqie will take leave."
Emperor Changlong remained with his back turned to her. Moonlight illuminated his figure, casting a long shadow behind him.
That shadow kept extending, extending until it reached right in front of Consort Lin.
She suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, when Chenqie gave birth to Qichen, he couldn't speak or cry. Did Your Majesty ever despise Chenqie for it?"
"Never."
The dark shadow stirred, but its owner still didn't turn around.
"Zhen has never blamed you, nor has Zhen ever despised the child. He is Zhen's child, a gift bestowed upon Zhen by the heavens. As a father, how could Zhen despise his arrival?"
"Chenqie understands," Consort Lin stood up in a daze, stumbling as she walked towards the door.
The palace doors creaked open, revealing a brilliant display of lights outside. She turned around to look at Emperor Changlong's back, "Your Majesty..."
She wanted to say something, but she realized that she had nothing to say.
Crossing the tall threshold, Consort Lin exited the hall.
"Farewell to Consort Lin."
Consort Lin halted her steps and glanced at the palace attendants outside the main hall of the Chengyang Palace. Suddenly, she let out a laugh, then turned and disappeared into the night.
Emperor Changlong stood by the window, not moving for a long time. Zhao Sancai bowed and closed the palace doors, but he sighed with worry in his heart.
He never expected that Consort Lin, who appeared to be the most knowledgeable and reasonable, would resort to such dirty tactics in the harem. Threatening palace maids to frame the Crown Prince, especially choosing one who resembled Fushou Junzhu.
If this plan succeeded, it would not only harm the Crown Prince but also Fushou Junzhu.
The one who was most saddened by this incident was the Emperor himself.
Zhao Sancai stood guard at the door for a while until the Crown Prince approached carrying a box. With light steps and a smile on his face, he seemed unaware of what had just happened.
"Greetings to Your Royal Highness," Zhao Sancai greeted him.
"Zhao Sancai, why are you guarding the door? Where is Father Emperor?"
"His Majesty is inside..." replied Zhao Sancai. Before he could finish speaking, he saw the Crown Prince push open the palace door and walk in.
Your Royal Highness, please don't make matters worse for His Majesty by upsetting him.
Unfortunately, the Crown Prince couldn't hear Zhao Sancai's inner cry. He saw Emperor Changlong standing by the window and approached him, saying, "Father Emperor, Erchen brought you something good."
"What good thing?" Emperor Changlong's voice was somewhat hoarse. He turned to look at the Crown Prince, his expression still relatively calm.
"Just now, Fushou Junzhu and Erchen, along with Fourth Brother, were stargazing at the viewing platform. Suddenly, we felt hungry, so Erchen took them to the kitchen in the Eastern Palace and made some food by ourselves," the Crown Prince opened the box, revealing several poorly shaped pastries that resembled animals. However, Emperor Changlong couldn't help but wonder what kind of animals they were.
They all had one thing in common—they were ugly.
"You made these yourselves?" Emperor Changlong walked over and sat down on a chair, looking at the pastries with some hesitation.
"They may be ugly, but they taste good," the Crown Prince used silver chopsticks to pick up one and fed it to Emperor Changlong's mouth, "Erchen heard that Father Emperor hasn't eaten anything tonight and must be hungry."
After hesitating for a moment, Emperor Changlong still ate the pastry.
To be honest, he felt that his two sons and his future daughter-in-law had no talent in cooking.
Although the pastry wasn't completely inedible, besides extreme sweetness, he couldn't taste any other flavors. His taste buds were accustomed to the imperial chef's skills and couldn't bear this kind of disappointment.
"Eating just pastries is not satisfying. Erchen also brought soup," said the Crown Prince as he brought out a large bowl of soup from beneath the food container. He poured it into small bowls and sat down with Emperor Changlong to drink soup together.
The soup was rich in flavor; one could tell it had been simmering for several hours. Emperor Changlong glanced at his son sipping from his bowl and reached out to stop him, "It's not advisable to eat too much at night. You just ate something, why are you still eating?"
"Erchen is not full yet."
Emperor Changlong chuckled, "Zhen knows you want to stimulate Zhen's appetite by joining Zhen," He picked up the bowl and took a few sips, "Zhen will eat well, so don't force yourself."
The Crown Prince immediately put down his bowl and rubbed his stomach with a distressed expression, "No one understands Erchen better than Father Emperor. To please your future daughter-in-law, Erchen ate all the pastries she made, but these ones were made by Erchen and Fourth Brother."
Emperor Changlong picked up one of the pastries and swallowed it, smiling faintly, "Looking at these pastries, they don't look very appealing."
"Appearance doesn't matter; what matters is the intention behind them," the Crown Prince comforted Emperor Changlong as he drank soup and ate pastries. Then he suggested, "After eating, it's not good to sleep right away. Let Erchen accompany Father Emperor for a walk in the courtyard."
"Alright."
Zhao Sancai, guarding outside, felt relieved when he saw that the Crown Prince accompanied His Majesty for soup and went out for a walk. Fortunately, with the Crown Prince around, His Majesty's mood could gradually improve.
With stars twinkling in the sky, Emperor Changlong listened to various pleasing words from the Crown Prince and suddenly smiled, saying, "Yuansu, there's nothing to worry about. You don't need to be concerned."
"What concern?" The Crown Prince turned his head, looking puzzled, "Erchen just came to bring you pastries, Father Emperor."
Emperor Changlong smiled and said, "Come earlier tomorrow and help Zhen handle the memorials."
"Okay."
"These days are busy; don't leave the palace," Emperor Changlong continued, "There are several files in the Ministry of Justice that you can take a look at."
"Yes," although the Crown Prince had a bitter face, he agreed.
Emperor Changlong shook his head with a smile. This child normally wouldn't be so obedient. It seems he knows about Consort Lin's incident and came to cheer him up.
Early the next morning, Hua Liuli, who stayed overnight at Shoukang Palace, heard some shocking news. The birth mother of the Fourth Prince, Consort Lin, was critically ill and no one was allowed to visit her during her recovery.
In the palace, using illness as an excuse to prevent visits was just a pretense for saving face.
Consort Lin had encountered some trouble.
Hua Liuli furrowed her brows and remembered the palace maid who falsely accused the Crown Prince during the Hundred Nations Banquet. Could it be that Consort Lin did that?
However, since the Fourth Prince wasn't the next in line for succession, by doing this, Consort Lin would benefit Ying Wang instead of her own son.
The imperial decree stated that no one was allowed to visit Consort Lin except essential personnel. But since Hua Liuli was the future Crown Princess, she couldn't pretend as if nothing had happened. So she asked Yuan Yi to prepare gifts and went to Consort Lin's sleeping chambers.
At this critical moment, what mattered most was how she conducted herself while visiting.
Just as Hua Liuli entered through the palace gates, she heard Consort Xian questioning in an agitated voice.
"On that night, were you the one who set me up by leading me to the side hall?!"
Consort Lin's voice was extremely cold and different from before.
"It wasn't me."
Krish728
Author's Note:
Consort Xian: I knew it! There must be someone in the palace plotting against me.
