The day of the Plum Appreciation Banquet finally arrived. Before dawn had even broken, candles were already lit inside the sleeping quarters of Changxin Palace.
Su Su woke very early or rather, she had hardly slept at all through the night. Outside the window, the sky was still dark as ink.
She lay with her eyes open, staring at the intricate pattern of a hundred butterflies among flowers on the canopy above her bed, lost in thought. Memories of her previous life intertwined with the sense of danger in this one, leaving her restless and uneasy.
She knew that what was meant to come would come in the end. The trap Consort Zhuang had laid could not be avoided but she absolutely could not allow herself to be captured helplessly as she had been in her past life, only to die a wronged and miserable death.
She carefully went over the plan she had finalized the night before: above all else, she had to protect Mu Hanyan’s child. At the very least, she needed to secure a chance to defend herself. Having an imperial physician present in advance was the most crucial step.
If Mu Hanyan still met with misfortune, timely treatment by a physician might salvage something or at least prove that Su Su had not acted with malicious intent. It might even allow them to uncover some clues on the spot and disrupt Consort Zhuang’s arrangements.
Still, she had prepared herself for the worst. If… if Li Qianche still distrusted her as he had in her previous life, and insisted on casting her into the Cold Palace…
At that thought, a chill spread through her heart, yet strangely, a do-or-die resolve also rose within her. So what if it was the Cold Palace? In her previous life, she had survived that period there she could survive it again in this life! In fact, it might even be the best opportunity for her to “fake her death” and escape the palace.
While everyone’s attention was focused on the new favorites, a discarded consort confined to the Cold Palace and gradually forgotten, who quietly “died of illness,” would surely find it easier to disappear than she could now.
Only… as she glanced at the faint light seeping in from outside, a trace of reluctance mingled with her resolve. She sat up and softly called out,
“Chunlan, Qiuju.”
The two maids were already alert. At her call, they immediately entered carrying washing utensils, confusion on their faces.
“Your Ladyship, it’s still early. Won’t you rest a little longer?” Chunlan asked softly as she draped an outer garment over Su Su’s shoulders.
Su Su shook her head and went to sit before the dressing table. In the bronze mirror was reflected her slightly pale yet unusually calm face.
Watching Chunlan comb her long hair and Qiuju preparing hairpins at the side, she fell silent for a moment before suddenly speaking. Her voice was very light, yet carried a solemnity never heard before.
“Chunlan, Qiuju today’s Plum Appreciation Banquet may bring unforeseen trouble. If… if after today I am unfortunate enough to be demoted to the Cold Palace, would you… still be willing to follow me?”
Her words struck like thunder in the quiet morning. Chunlan’s hand froze mid-comb, while Qiuju was so startled she nearly dropped the jewelry box in her hands.
“Your Ladyship!” Both of them dropped to their knees almost at the same time. Chunlan lifted her face, tears already glistening in her eyes, yet her tone was unwavering. “Why would Your Ladyship say such a thing! We have followed you since childhood whether you are a Noble Consort, an Attendant, or anything else… no matter where you go, we will follow you to the death! We will never harbor two hearts!”
Qiuju hurriedly added, “Yes, Your Ladyship! So what if it’s the Cold Palace? As long as you are there, anywhere is a place for us to belong! Please don’t send us away!”
Seeing the urgency and loyalty on their faces, Su Su’s nose stung, and a great wave of warmth surged up inside her, dispersing some of the chill in her heart. She reached out to help them up, her voice thick with emotion. “Silly girls, how could I ever send you away… I was afraid of dragging you down with me. Life in the Cold Palace is harsh far worse than what we have now…”
“This servant is not afraid of hardship!” Qiuju blurted out. “As long as I can serve Your Ladyship, I’d gladly live on coarse food!”
Chunlan nodded vigorously, her gaze firm.
Su Su clasped their hands, took a deep breath, and swallowed the lump in her throat. Looking at them with clear, resolute eyes, she said,
“Good! Since your hearts are decided, then I, Su Su, make you this promise: even if that day truly comes, and we mistress and servants enter the Cold Palace together, I will find a way to take you out of this man-eating palace and let you see the world beyond!”
This was not empty consolation, but a decision she had thought through carefully. If it truly came to that, the Cold Palace would be the starting point of her casting off her shell.
Though Chunlan and Qiuju did not know what specific “method” she meant, her promise stirred them deeply even without it, they would have followed her all the same.
After breakfast, the sky had grown faintly light. Su Su deliberately set out much earlier than usual. Her destination was not the plum garden, but the Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace. She needed to use the pretext of paying her respects to find a reason for an imperial physician to appear “naturally” near the Plum Appreciation Banquet.
As soon as she stepped into Cining Palace, Su Su sensed an unusual stillness. The palace servants moved softly, faint worry visible on their faces.
Lady Duan came forward, forcing a smile. “Consort Su has arrived.”
“Nanny, is the Empress Dowager well? I have come especially to pay my respects,” Su Su said, a trace of confusion rising in her heart.
Lady Duan sighed and lowered her voice. “Consort Su is thoughtful, but… Her Majesty has caught a bit of a chill these past few days. She’s been coughing and is low in spirits, resting inside.”
Su Su’s heart tightened. “Has an imperial physician been summoned to examine her?”
“Ah…” Lady Duan looked troubled. “The Empress Dowager refuses to be seen. She says it’s an old ailment and will pass in a few days. This old servant has tried to persuade her several times, but the Em” “and afterward she never listens.” The Empress Dowager had a stubborn temperament and especially disliked the suffering brought by medicines something everyone in the palace knew.
When Su Su heard this, she truly became anxious. The Empress Dowager was advanced in years; a chill could be serious or mild, but how could she simply endure it? She no longer cared about her original plan and immediately said to Lady Duan, “Lady, Her Majesty’s health is of utmost importance. How can illness be hidden or ignored? Please go and report once more tell her that Su Su is deeply worried about my aunt’s health and has taken it upon herself to summon the imperial physician. I beg my aunt to allow the physician to take her pulse, so that this niece may be at ease.”
Her tone was urgent and sincere. Seeing this, Lady Duan was moved and nodded. “Consort Su’s filial devotion is evident. This old servant will report at once.”
After a short while, Lady Duan came out and led Su Su inside. The Empress Dowager was half-reclining on the heated couch. Her complexion was indeed somewhat weary, tinged with an unhealthy flush, and she coughed lightly from time to time. When she saw Su Su, she forced a smile. “You child, what are you running here for so early in the morning? I’ve only coughed a couple of times is it really worth such a fuss?”
Su Su hurried forward and knelt before the couch, looking up at the Empress Dowager. Her eyes reddened uncontrollably. “Aunt! You’re unwell how can you force yourself to endure it? If it worsens, how could this niece ever feel at ease?” Her concern was genuine.
No matter how much political balancing and calculation had been involved when the Empress Dowager first sent her into the palace, the care and protection she had received since childhood were real. This bond of kinship was something she could not abandon.
Seeing Su Su’s reddened eyes and heartfelt worry, the Empress Dowager’s heart softened. She sighed, reached out, and gently patted Su Su’s hair. “All right, all right. You’re already grown, yet you’re still shedding golden tears. Get up. Your aunt agrees.”
At that moment, the imperial physician arrived by order. After carefully taking her pulse, he reported, “May the Empress Dowager enjoy boundless peace. It is merely a slight chill; the lung qi is somewhat unsettled, causing the cough. Once this humble servant prescribes a few doses to dispel the cold, regulate the lungs, and stop the cough, and Your Majesty rests and recuperates for a few days, there will be no serious problem.”
Only then did Su Su and Lady Duan both breathe a sigh of relief.
With the heavy weight on her heart mostly lifted, Su Su then remembered her other purpose for coming. Seizing the moment, she said to the
Empress Dowager, “Aunt, although it’s nothing serious, today is the plum blossom banquet, and the garden winds are strong. I truly can’t put my mind at ease. Could we allow this imperial physician to accompany you? If you feel unwell at any point, he can respond at once.” She paused, then added, “That way… that way His Majesty and Consort Zhuang and the others won’t worry.”
She deliberately mentioned the emperor and the others. With these reasons, her request sounded more justified and subtly concealed her true intention.
The Empress Dowager, weakened by illness and comforted by Su Su’s attentiveness, did not think further and simply nodded. “You’ve considered everything carefully. Very well let the imperial physician follow.”
With her goal achieved, Su Su finally felt somewhat reassured. She personally attended to the Empress Dowager as she ate a light breakfast, then watched her drink half a bowl of the medicine prescribed by the physician. When the Empress Dowager’s spirits improved a little, Su Su and Lady Duan supported her from either side, carefully escorting her toward the plum garden where the banquet was to be held.
Sunlight spilled across the palace path, bringing a hint of warmth, yet it could not dispel the dark clouds gathering ever more thickly in Su Su’s heart. She held the Empress Dowager’s arm, feeling the warmth of her elder’s presence, while her gaze was already fixed on the direction of the plum garden.
There, a carefully orchestrated storm was waiting for her.