At the New Year’s Eve banquet, the consorts sat on either side, all eyes fixed on the emperor seated high upon the platform. He sat tall and composed, his features sharp and cold.
Below, dancers twirled in colorful sleeves, but it seemed none caught his attention.
In past New Year’s Eves, Consort Su had been at his side, laughing and chatting, enjoying the favor she once held exclusively.
Now, that same woman had been demoted to “Answering Consort,” stripped even of the right to attend.
The other consorts, seeing this, meticulously adjusted their appearance, each hoping to gain a sliver of imperial favor at the grand banquet.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze swept across the hall and suddenly paused on the empty seat. “Your Majesty, Consort Wan has just entered the palace how can she even miss the New Year’s Eve banquet?”
Li Qianche lifted his wine cup and drank it in one go, replying lightly, “Her health has not yet recovered; I allowed her to rest in the palace.”
The Empress Dowager frowned in silence. Wanpin had barely entered the palace, yet the emperor granted her so many special privileges. Not even Su Su had ever received such indulgence. It was against palace regulations, and it was clear he favored Wanpin greatly.
Li Qianche scanned the hall, suddenly noticing the emptiness at the table, and asked Shen Gaoyi, “Why is Su Answering Consort not here?”
Shen Gaoyi quickly bowed, “Your Majesty, her rank is low. By regulation, she may not attend the banquet.”
Amid the curling sandalwood incense, the empty seat felt like something missing in his heart. Li Qianche stroked the gilded wine cup in his hand, suddenly finding the royal wine tasteless. He remembered how, in the past, he had grown weary of her clinginess, then resentful of her pride in favor. Now, at this grand banquet, it felt as if the most important ornament was absent. Had his punishment of her been too harsh?
Was she in the palace sulking awake, or had she cried herself to sleep? He gazed at the cold moon outside, fingers idly tracing the rim of his cup.
Recent victories on the front had brought good news, and the wine and dishes were exquisite but he could not summon interest. Consort Zhuang, noticing his absent mind, suspected some flirtatious consort had stolen his attention. With the once-powerful Su Consort gone, that could only be Wanpin. She bit her vermilion lips, unwilling to let another woman capture his heart, and with a coquettish tilt of her head, lifted her cup: “Your Majesty, I congratulate you on the military success. May Your Majesty remain in good health, and may the Empress Dowager enjoy longevity.”
Li Qianche’s gaze fell on Consort Zhuang, cool and scrutinizing. She had just lost her nephew, yet still sought favor at the banquet? Highly suspicious. He sipped lightly in response. Seeing this, the other consorts stepped forward to congratulate him, and the hall was suddenly filled with laughter and chatter.
Seeing the emperor’s expression still acceptable, Consort Liu, emboldened, rose to perform a dance, hoping to catch his attention on New
Year’s Eve. “Your Majesty, on this auspicious night, I wish to perform a dance to add color for Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager.”
Li Qianche watched silently, neither consenting nor refusing. The Empress Dowager, seeing his silence, gave a slight nod of approval.
Consort Zhuang’s eyes filled with anger. Another impudent one this little Liu dared to flaunt herself in front of her!
Liu Zhaoyi changed into her dance attire and moved gracefully through the hall. Her slender waist swayed like a willow, her pale skin glimmering. She frequently cast longing glances toward Li Qianche on the throne.
Seeing this dance, Li Qianche’s mind drifted to Su Su, who had once danced for him. Back then, she had revealed no skin, yet a single glance from her had been enough to entwine him, like spring silk wrapping the fingers. Her dance had been a net spun just for him; each turn an invitation. Before half the dance had passed, he had drawn her into his embrace… That night, their bedchamber was warm until dawn.
Memories surged, and Li Qianche could no longer remain seated. Citing fatigue, he excused himself to the Empress Dowager and rose from the banquet.
Liu Zhaoyi, at the climax of her dance, saw the emperor abruptly leave. Her face went pale with embarrassment, but she forced herself to finish the dance, though her steps faltered and her posture stiffened.
The other consorts, seeing the emperor’s sudden departure, realized their hopes of favor that night were gone and felt inwardly disappointed.
Consort Zhuang’s silver teeth clenched with discontent, her eyes flickering with cold light. It must be that sly Wanpin had once again stolen the emperor’s attention.
Shen Gaoyi hurried after Li Qianche as he left the Qianqing Palace, realizing the emperor was headed straight for the Changxin Palace. He understood immediately: His Majesty was thinking of Su Answering Consort.
Changxin Palace lay in a remote area, near the Cold Palace, quite far from Qianqing Palace. Shen Gaoyi hurried forward, bowing: “Your Majesty, shall we send the imperial carriage?”
Li Qianche swept his sleeves lightly. “No need. A walk in the night air will sober me and calm the restlessness in my heart.”
The palace path was long, night flowing like water. After some time, Li Qianche, growing impatient, glanced back. “Changxin Palace is so far how did you arrange this?”
Shen Gaoyi was terrified. When the emperor had demoted Su, no one had asked about her residence. Given the gravity of her alleged involvement in the heir’s supposed harm, everyone had assumed she would be placed near the Cold Palace. He fell to his knees. “It must be that those ambitious palace servants, seeing Su Answering Consort’s loss of favor, deliberately placed her in this remote location.”
A cold gleam appeared in Li Qianche’s eyes. “Return and take your punishment yourself,” he said, and walked on. Shen Gaoyi scrambled to his feet, secretly thinking that they dared arrange it only because the emperor had never inquired.
After a short while, Changxin Palace came into view. The gates were closed, and the hall was shrouded in darkness, clearly at rest. Li Qianche paused, gazing at it. He remembered Su Su, pampered from childhood, now moved to this desolate place. She must be washing her face with tears all day. The other day he had seen her clothes plain and her frame noticeably thinner.
Yet if he did not punish her firmly, she might grow even more reckless. In the court, wolves circled, and every step mattered…
One wrong step could lead to irreparable disaster! The Empress Dowager had long intended to make her empress; her intentions were clear, so how could he dare indulge in personal favoritism? The lessons of meddling relatives in politics were still fresh, and on his father’s deathbed, he had tightly grasped Li Qianche’s hand, reminding him: “No matter the feelings you hold, not a trace must be shown.”
Shen Gaoyi saw the emperor standing motionless and carefully asked, “Your Majesty, shall I call for someone to open the door?”
Li Qianche waved his hand, “Wait.”
Before the words fell, he vaulted over the wall like a swallow. Shen Gaoyi gaped, thinking to himself, “The emperor behaves like a libertine in some romance novel sneaking into a maiden’s chamber…”
Li Qianche quietly approached the side hall. The bedding on the couch was neatly arranged but no one was there!
His heart tightened. He strode toward the outer chamber and saw Chunlan asleep by the door. He lightly pressed her acupuncture point, then pushed open the door.
Inside, the hall was bone-chillingly cold. Only a pot of poor-quality charcoal was smoldering, giving off a pungent smoke. Su Su and Qiuju were asleep, entwined. Seeing Qiuju’s hand resting on Su Su’s waist, Li Qianche’s eyes darkened. With a cold expression, he pressed Qiuju’s acupuncture point and bent down to gently lift Su Su, carrying her to the side hall’s bed.
She was so light it startled him. Placing her on the bed, he stroked her face. She had grown so thin. His gaze flicked over her slightly open collar; a patch of pale skin was visible. His Adam’s apple moved, but he suppressed the surge of emotions, carefully tucking the quilt around her before striding out.
“Why use such poor charcoal in Changxin Palace? Has the Imperial Household Department gone mad?”
Shen Gaoyi fell to his knees, voice trembling: “Your servant was negligent! Surely some petty servants are taking advantage of the situation. I will investigate and punish them immediately!”
Li Qianche, furious, said: “If you cannot keep your eyes open, all involved will receive thirty lashes in court and be exiled to the Eternal Alley!”
Shen Gaoyi’s heart leapt. He immediately acknowledged: “Your servant obeys!” Such a harsh punishment would ruin their lives. He thought privately: There are likely other remote palaces using poor charcoal. In the past, the emperor never intervened, but now, seeing Su Su suffer, he is so enraged… Clearly, she still holds great weight in His Majesty’s heart.
He whispered on the ground, cold sweat trickling: “Your Majesty, the matter of the Prince Ning is still unresolved. If we act on Su Su’s behalf now… Consort Zhuang”
Li Qianche flicked his sleeve and scoffed coldly: “Find a reason say they withheld supplies from the newly entered consorts, violating palace rules.”
Shen Gaoyi instantly understood. Wanpin was the emperor’s life-saving benefactor; using this as justification would avoid gossip. He bowed deeply: “Your Majesty is wise. I will draft the edict to investigate immediately.”
Meanwhile, in Shuning Palace:
Warmth pervaded, like spring, in stark contrast to the chill of Changxin Palace. The heated floor quietly radiated warmth, keeping the winter cold outside. Mu Hanyan leaned against the carved window frame, fingers brushing her lower abdomen, gaze fixed on the cold, solitary moon in the sky.
On New Year’s Eve, the world outside the palace was surely ablaze with lanterns and laughter, yet in this ninefold deep palace, she was alone with the life in her womb. She wondered if he, far in the southwest, was also looking at the same moon.
The petite palace maid, Lvluo, carried warm goat’s milk into the room. Seeing her mistress still standing at the window, she thought: “Could the Empress be waiting for His Majesty?” She stepped closer and spoke gently: “Your Highness, the night is late. The emperor surely will not come tonight. You should rest early.”
Mu Hanyan, used to such careful speculation, took the warm cup, letting her fingers linger on its surface as if drawing comfort from its warmth. Once she finished, she walked slowly to the bed, her robes casting mottled shadows in the candlelight.
Lvluo, assigned to serve the new mistress, knew her temperament was calm, unlike other consorts eager for imperial favor. She deftly helped Mu Hanyan undress, set aside the embroidered canopy, and carefully extinguished the candles.
The bedchamber fell into profound silence, with only the occasional crackle of the heated floor echoing through the still night.
Morning came at Changxin Palace:
Su Su had slept dreamlessly. Morning light streamed through the crimson gauze window, casting bright diamond-shaped patches on the blue brick floor. Her eyelashes fluttered, awakened by the unusual light.
Sitting up, she noticed she was under a bluish-green quilt, lying on the hard-board bed of the side hall this was clearly not her outer chamber. Only last night she had shared the hard bed with Qiuju in the ear chamber. How had she ended up here?
The side hall was spacious, but the fire was minimal. To conserve heat, she normally slept with Qiuju in the ear chamber, which was warmer.
Now she stared blankly at the tassels hanging from the beams. Her last clear memory was Qiuju’s steady breathing and counting the dripping water clock as sleep overtook her; she could recall nothing further.
Su Su stepped barefoot onto the floor; her round toes curled from the cold. She remembered waking up in different places as a child, once told by her nanny it was sleepwalking. That habit had disappeared after age ten… Could she have sleepwalked again last night?
She sat before the bronze flower mirror. Her embroidered shoe tip kicked some scattered black charcoal by the brazier. This charcoal was dense, jet-black and glossy not the low-quality coal mixed with slag issued by the Imperial Household Department. A basket of charcoal sat in the corner, the red-lacquered lid still holding morning dew clearly freshly delivered.
Since the emperor brought Mu Hanyan back, Changxin Palace felt like a cold palace, neglected and forgotten; even the bronze sparrow incense burners in the corridor were thick with dust. Yet this charcoal seemed unusually fine, almost like a rare gift from elsewhere—where had it come from?
Chunlan entered carrying a yellow brass hand warmer, engraved with the classic meander pattern. Seeing her mistress staring at the basket of charcoal, she understood her puzzlement.
“Master, be careful not to catch a chill,” she said, slipping the hand warmer into Su Su’s palms. The gentle warmth from the brass eased some of the chill.
“The Imperial Household Department delivered it before dawn. I hear even Consort Wanpin’s charcoal has been replaced with new stock,” she lowered her voice. “Last night, the emperor flew into a rage over the misappropriation of consort supplies. The sound of the flogging could be heard outside the palace walls.”
Su Su traced the raised patterns on the hand warmer with her fingers. Her reflection in the mirror still carried the traces of her restless night, though now it seemed shrouded in a thin mist.
She let out a soft, ironic laugh: “So it was anger for a beauty that shook the crown.” It was rare to see Li Qianche so furious clearly, he cared deeply for Wanpin. The charcoal in the side hall burned bright, casting a warm orange glow on the window paper.
All the warmth in the hall was, in fact, just sparks from the emperor’s fury for Wanpin, accidentally falling into her cold, neglected side chamber.
By the bronze mirror, Su Su’s fingers ran through her long, dark hair like a waterfall. In a few days, when the war was won and His Majesty returned triumphantly, he would surely issue a general amnesty…
She set down her jade comb. By then, she would petition the Empress Dowager for permission to leave the palace and pray for His Majesty.
Outside the palace walls, the clouds would flow and the sky stretch wide she would finally be free. No matter for whom the emperor’s anger had been stirred, it would no longer concern her.
Seeing that her mistress was no longer lost in melancholy, Chunlan carefully arranged her hair and said softly, “Master, you haven’t sleepwalked in a long time. You used to do so often as a child.”
Su Su touched her hair bun in the mirror, her voice distant and hazy: “Yes… I don’t know why, but last night, the old habit returned.”
Chunlan stirred the freshly added silver charcoal until it crackled, the firelight illuminating Su Su’s smiling face. “Luckily, you didn’t catch cold. Now there’s plenty of charcoal; no need to worry about conserving it anymore.”