The Empress came from a prominent Manchu family. Her father was the Governor-General of Chahar, while her uncle, Ma Qi, was an eminent minister who had served three reigns. She also had Zhang Tingyu’s support at court. The prestige of her family background was enough to make anyone look askance. As for Noble Consort Hui, her father, Gao Bin, was highly valued by His Majesty and was one of the foremost Han officials at court.
To protect herself and preserve her family’s honor, Noble Consort Hui had sought the protection of the Empress—then still a Fujin—from the moment she entered the prince’s residence. She had obeyed the Empress in everything, and the two had supported each other through more than a decade.
Noble Consort Hui had naively believed that she and the Empress shared a deep bond, that they were true allies.
But—
“Elder Sister, don’t trust the Empress too much.”
The last whisper Achu had left behind when she departed, along with the significant look she had given the bracelet, struck Noble Consort Hui’s heart like a heavy hammer, pounding again and again until she could no longer find peace.
The jade-and-red-gold lotus bracelet lay coiled quietly around her pale wrist. Its green color was so fresh and vivid that it seemed alive, like clear, translucent waves. Against it, her wrist looked even whiter than jade. Only the bluish veins standing out beneath her skin were especially conspicuous.
Noble Consort Hui drew a deep breath and finally made up her mind. In a trembling voice, she said, “Moxin, bring me the scissors.”
Moxin’s face filled with worry. She assumed that Noble Consort Hui was so distraught because His Majesty had left with Consort Baochen that she intended to harm herself with the scissors. She immediately dropped to her knees with a thud, tears springing into her eyes as she clung tightly to Noble Consort Hui’s legs and pleaded, “Your Highness, please, you mustn’t do anything foolish! If anything happens to you, how will this servant go on living?”
The corner of Noble Consort Hui’s mouth twitched. Speechless, she said, “What nonsense are you talking about? I only want to cut this bracelet.”
Only then did Moxin breathe a sigh of relief, though she was still shaken. In a trembling voice, she said, “Your Highness, you frightened this servant to death. But wasn’t this given to you by the Empress? You have always treasured it. You wear it every day, afraid it might be knocked against something or dropped and broken.”
“Achu told me something today.” Noble Consort Hui took the scissors. Her hand trembled slightly, but she still gritted her teeth and cut through the bracelet. “I want to know how many people are trying to harm me.”
With a sharp snap, the bracelet broke apart, and a black bead about the size of a little fingernail rolled out.
Moxin and Noble Consort Hui were both stunned. Moxin’s eyes widened as she cried out, “Th-this… what is this?”
Noble Consort Hui’s face darkened at once. Her fingers tightened around the scissors, her eyes filled with anger and confusion. She could not believe the Empress had treated her this way. Lowering her voice, she said, “Moxin, don’t let this matter spread. Tomorrow, have someone take this pill and the dregs from the medicine I have been drinking out of the palace. Tell my father to find someone trustworthy to examine them.”
“Your Highness, are you saying…” Moxin’s face went pale. She was clever by nature and quickly formed a suspicion. Once she understood, she hurriedly wrapped the pill in a handkerchief, her expression tense. “Your Highness, rest assured. This servant will take care of it.”
The bright moonlight filtered through the carved redwood lattice windows, yet the faint light was swallowed by the gloom inside the room. It spilled across the cold brick floor, bringing with it a bone-chilling cold.
“I know perfectly well that I was born into the Han Banner and am nowhere near as distinguished by birth as the Empress. I have no children to rely on either, so I devoted myself wholeheartedly to following her.”
Noble Consort Hui raised a hand and fiercely wiped away the tears that had fallen. She thought of her unwavering loyalty to the Empress, of all the days she had resorted to any means necessary for the Empress’s sake. It all seemed unbearably absurd and pitiful.
“I did so much for the Empress. I followed her lead in everything. Yet this is how she treated me behind my back. If not for Achu’s warning, I would never have known that this seemingly ordinary bracelet concealed such a secret. The Empress truly went to great lengths to find such a hidden place.”
“Your Highness…” Moxin’s eyes filled with worry. She knew that her mistress had always been forthright, never one to beat around the bush. For her to say such things today, she must have been hurt deeply.
“I’m fine. On the contrary, I’m quite happy.” Noble Consort Hui’s formerly radiant and flamboyant face now held a frightening calm. “Even if I die, at least I’ll know whom to seek revenge against.”
The Emperor had decreed that Consort Xian was to be confined for three months, and had also issued an order demoting her from Consort to Concubine. This had sent a clear signal to everyone in the inner palace: Concubine Xian had completely fallen out of favor with His Majesty.
“Lady Xian, they’ve gone too far!” Suoxin hurried in carrying a food box, her usually gentle voice filled with anger she could no longer suppress.
Everyone in the inner palace knew that the most important skills were having ears everywhere and changing one’s allegiance with the wind.
The Imperial Household Department was even more so. Its servants had always been accustomed to fawning over the powerful and trampling on the fallen, currying favor with whoever was in His Majesty’s good graces. Since the Emperor had not set foot in Yikun Palace for days, the servants, who had never paid much attention to its affairs in the first place, had become even more perfunctory. They had not only drastically reduced Yikun Palace’s daily allotments, but even the clothes and jewelry they delivered were old styles that other people no longer wanted. Food and charcoal were often in short supply as well; whenever they could delay delivery, they did.
Suoxin opened today’s food box, and sure enough, it contained yet another selection of dishes that had gone cold and were slick with grease.
The braised pork should have been glossy and red, its fragrance enticing, but now it looked like lumps of congealed fat, its surface covered in a nauseating layer of white frost. It had none of its former tenderness. The greens had been piled together, yellowed and wilted, with several drops of cold water clinging to them. As for the bowl of soup, a thick skin of oil had formed over it. Not only was the broth murky, but merely smelling it made her stomach churn. It was utterly impossible to swallow.
Suoxin’s eyes reddened as she clenched her teeth in anger. “Those people are humiliating us far too much. When has Lady Xian ever had to eat this sort of thing? Even when we were in the Cold—”
Suoxin quickly realized that she had misspoken.
They had only recently left the Cold Palace, yet they had already fallen into this situation. If she said such things now, would she not hurt her mistress all over again?
But she truly did not understand what Lady Xian had been thinking. After finally leaving the palace, she had somehow managed to anger His Majesty again—and had even provoked that sort of woman, forming a grudge with her.
Now Consort Baochen was the most favored woman in the inner palace, constantly at the Emperor’s side. Whenever Suoxin thought of that, bitterness filled her heart. If she had been blessed with such extraordinary beauty, only to be married off to a guard from the Cold Palace, she would probably have hated Lady Xian to death.
But she was only a servant and had no right to question her mistress’s decisions. For now, the only thing she could do was remain by her mistress’s side and endure these days with her, little by little.
Fortunately, whenever she thought of Jiang Yubin, her fellow townsman, a warm current reached her heart.
Yikun Palace had now become a place everyone avoided. After all, the matter between Concubine Xian and Consort Baochen had become common knowledge. Everyone was laughing at Concubine Xian for trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice, and for bringing a tremendous amount of trouble upon herself.
Suoxin had originally assumed that Jiang Yubin would avoid them like everyone else. Unexpectedly, he continued to make plans for them as he always had. In order to help Concubine Xian regain His Majesty’s favor, he brought in creams for beautifying and preserving the complexion every day. He tirelessly ran about on their behalf, truly sharing their hardships.
“Those people took the money and still didn’t do anything?” Ruyi asked, her fair face having regained its delicate beauty, as she looked at the dishes in disgust.
Suoxin’s tears fell helplessly. “I don’t know what happened. The Imperial Kitchen refused to accept it, so the money couldn’t buy us any favors. The chief steward even mocked this servant, saying…” Suoxin found it difficult to repeat.
“ saying what?” Ruyi asked in a low voice.
“He said that with the way we look now, we still thought we could bribe them with that little bit of money, without even taking a look at our circumstances. This servant was so angry and ashamed at the time. I didn’t know what to do.”
There was one thing Suoxin had not mentioned. When she had gone to the Imperial Kitchen to collect the food, she had run into Xinyan, who served Noble Lady Shen. Xinyan’s words had been even more vicious. Suoxin had only narrowly managed to evade her thanks to her quick thinking. Otherwise, the consequences would have been more serious than simply enduring a scolding.
“These wretched servants.” Ruyi rubbed her brow. “What did Li Yu say?”
Suoxin gave a bitter smile. “There hasn’t been any word from Eunuch Li either.”
“That is only human nature.” Ruyi let out a quiet sigh. “In the end, I have fallen on hard times.”
“Lady, don’t say that.” Suoxin hurried to comfort her. “This is only temporary hardship. His Majesty still cares about you. Otherwise, why would he have brought you out of the Cold Palace?”
Ruyi’s expression darkened. “It was merely without proper name or justification. There has been no follow-up regarding A’Ruo’s affair. As long as she remains here, I will never be innocent.” The palace maid who had betrayed her former mistress was still enjoying prosperity in the palace. What difference did it make that Ruyi had been released? Besides, His Majesty had not visited Yikun Palace in a long time.
Outside the window, the branches swayed gently in the wind, rustling as though venting someone’s heart full of sorrow.
Elsewhere—
“Eunuch Jinzhong, everything has been done exactly as you instructed.” The chief steward of the Imperial Kitchen smiled ingratiatingly.
Jinzhong leaned sideways against his chair, one hand resting casually on the armrest while the other idly toyed with a smooth, warm jade pendant. A sinister smile curved his lips, making him resemble a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows. “Good. Remember, torment her viciously using methods no one can find fault with. If this matter is exposed, you should know what to do.”
The chief steward of the Imperial Kitchen nodded hurriedly, his voice fearful. “Don’t worry, Eunuch. I understand. The food and other supplies were indeed provided according to the regulations for a consort, but all the ingredients were stale. The dishes we made were either bland and tasteless or impossible to swallow. The charcoal we supplied was poor quality as well; when burned, it smoked and choked the room. This way, she will suffer indignities in every aspect of her daily provisions, yet no one will be able to find fault with us. She can only swallow the bitter herb in silence, with no way to voice her grievances.”
Jinzhong gave a cold laugh. “Very good. She ought to understand one principle: in this palace, not everyone can be bullied by her at will.” Having struggled his way through the palace for so many years, Jinzhong’s heart was black indeed. Now that such a perfect opportunity to kick someone while she was down had presented itself, how could he possibly let it pass?
He slowly rose to his feet and dusted at the nonexistent dirt on his robes with both hands before straightening his back. He was tall, slender, and handsome. “I appreciate your trouble, Chief Steward Cheng.”
“Not at all, not at all.” Chief Steward Cheng smiled broadly, looking the very picture of kindness.
After Jinzhong left, a little eunuch in blue robes moved to Chief Steward Cheng’s side, his face full of confusion. “Chief Steward, why are we helping Eunuch Jinzhong deal with Concubine Xian? Aren’t you afraid that if Concubine Xian rises again one day, she’ll settle accounts with us?”
Chief Steward Cheng glanced at the little eunuch and mocked him, “Xiao Anzi, if this is all the courage you have, then you’ll only ever be a little eunuch.”
He clasped his hands behind his back and said earnestly, “In the palace, the first thing you must learn is to judge the circumstances. You have to see the situation in the inner palace clearly and understand which way the wind is blowing. Only then can you establish a foothold.”
“As for dealing with Concubine Xian this time, our willingness to follow Eunuch Jinzhong’s orders is a gamble. But we aren’t betting blindly; we saw the situation clearly before placing our wager. Look at her now. Concubine Xian has lost His Majesty’s favor. How could she possibly turn things around? The person she offended is the apple of His Majesty’s eye. There are plenty of people in this palace looking for a chance to curry favor with Consort Baochen. Now that this enormous honor has fallen into my hands, I would regret it for the rest of my life if I failed to seize it.”
Xiao Anzi had never seen Consort Baochen. He pursed his lips, unwilling to believe that there could be a beauty in this world whose favor would never fade. Once she grew old and her beauty withered, her good days would come to an end as well. “There are so many favored consorts in the palace. She may not be able to serve as our support for the rest of our lives.”
Chief Steward Cheng snorted at him. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t dare say for certain. But that Consort Baochen…” He recalled the breathtaking beauty he had witnessed upon first meeting her, and his gaze immediately grew dreamy. His voice softened as he said, “The frightening thing about her is that even if you gathered the beauty of every woman under heaven in one place, it would not amount to one ten-thousandth of her peerless splendor!”
She was unique, unrivaled beneath the heavens—and she had even moved the Emperor’s heart.
Seeing that the little eunuch only half understood, Chief Steward Cheng said helplessly, “You silly boy. You’ll understand someday.” Only those who had truly seen her could understand what he meant. It was a beauty that no one else could imagine, even after exhausting an entire lifetime.