Chaрtеr 19: Соnsоrt Rong Seeks Sуmрathy
Shе had wokеn uр lоng bеfоrе the Еmреrоr arrived.
Вut her body was unсоmfortаblе, аnd shе сouldn’t bе bоthеred to dеаl with him, so shе simply prеtendеd to sleeр.
She сould fееl the Emрeror’s attеntiоn fосused entirеlу оn hеr.
She didn’t know whеther hе had cоme spеcificаlly to seе hеr оr beсаuse of the inсident this mоrning whеre she hаd orderеd all thе раlaсe cоnsorts to сорy the Palace Regulаtiоns as punishment.
Eithеr wаy, she had nо еnergy for it now.
After playing too wildly last night and now having her monthly cycle arrive today, the double blow left her unable to straighten her waist at all.
Nanny Wen came in from outside, a smile on her face. Today had been satisfying.
Seeing those consorts who usually relied on favor to act arrogantly suffer setbacks was indescribably satisfying.
However, Nanny Wen was still somewhat worried. “Your Highness, I will definitely keep a close watch on Consort Rong’s side. But just now, I saw Consort Rong’s personal maid, Song Shi, come to invite the Emperor, saying Consort Rong was ill. Do you think Consort Rong might complain and slander you?”
As soon as she saw the Emperor leave the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, someone from the Colorful Cloud Hall seemed to have caught the scent and came to invite the Emperor over.
Hua Shu turned over. “Even if she hadn’t come to invite him, the Emperor would have gone to see her. As for anything else, it depends on her own abilities.”
Consort Rong hadn’t climbed to her current position solely due to the Emperor’s favor—she had brains too.
Moreover, having recently lost her child, the Emperor would inevitably feel pity for her and wouldn’t treat her poorly.
Hua Shu understood all too well that for a man, especially the Emperor,
a beautiful woman without a powerful family background, who loved him wholeheartedly—why wouldn’t he favor her?
He favored her without any reservations.
Rather than dwelling on this, Hua Shu remembered something else. “Have Consort Hui come see me.”
The Emperor arrived at the Colorful Cloud Hall.
As Chu Ze walked in, he caught a faint scent of medicine. Pushing aside the beaded curtain, he saw Consort Rong wearing thin undergarments, curled up with her knees hugged to her chest.
She looked up, saw the Emperor, and without even putting on shoes, ran barefoot toward him.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.” Consort Rong’s voice trembled as she wept.
Chu Ze reached out to support her frail body, feeling pity for her.
Consort Rong shed tears and threw herself into his arms.
She sought security in his warm, familiar embrace, her nose filled with the scent of Dragon’s Saliva Incense from the Emperor.
However, mixed within it was another faint fragrance—one that didn’t belong to the Emperor but rather the delicate scent of a woman.
Consort Rong couldn’t help but bite her lip. She knew it was the Empress’s scent, didn’t she?
A sour ache spread in her heart. Even though she didn’t want to share him with anyone, what could she do?
For now, she could only firmly hold onto the Emperor’s heart.
“Your Majesty, our royal child is gone.” Consort Rong trembled, tears flowing endlessly.
Chu Ze sighed and patted her shoulder. The loss of the royal heir pained him as well.
Only after Consort Rong had cried enough did she slightly loosen her grip and look up at the Emperor. “Then Rong’er will take good care of herself. Can Your Majesty spend more time with Rong’er? This concubine has been thinking of the past lately, when I could be with Your Majesty every moment.”
Those days were their most cherished memories.
Whenever she mentioned them, the Emperor would grant her requests.
This time was no exception. The Emperor patted her shoulder to comfort her. “Take good care of yourself. I will come see you more often. Don’t think about anything else.”
Consort Rong was satisfied. “Your Majesty, please stay and have a meal with Rong’er today.”
Chu Ze agreed.
The lunch was specially prepared, consisting of dishes to nourish Consort Rong’s health, along with two small bowls of hot Cow’s Milk.
Chu Ze stared at the Cow’s Milk, as if reminded of something, and lost himself in thought.Consort Rong was astute and observant. Noticing the Emperor staring at the bowl of cow’s milk, she reached out to pick it up, her eyes shimmering with a hint of emotion.
“Your Majesty, ancient texts say that drinking slightly warmed cow’s milk is beneficial to the body. Although my appetite has been poor lately, I dare not let such a fine thing go to waste. I have been drinking some from time to time and indeed feel much more comfortable.”
Consort Rong lowered her head and continued eating in a proper manner, her mind racing with thoughts.
She had deliberately mentioned this matter, intending to contrast it with the Empress’s extravagance and wastefulness.
“Your Majesty, would you like to try some?”
“I do not care for it. Since your health is weak, drink more to nourish yourself,” Chu Ze said, dropping the subject and focusing on his meal.
Eunuch Li stood nearby, serving the dishes, thinking to himself that just moments ago, the Emperor had mentioned sending the cow’s milk back to the Empress.
Now that Consort Rong had brought it up, would the Emperor abandon that idea?
In the Palace of Earthly Tranquility.
“Your Highness, Consort Hui has arrived,” Nanny Wen reported as she entered.
Hua Shu was seated on a small couch and gestured for her to be brought in.
Consort Hui entered and performed a proper greeting.
“Rise and take a seat,” Hua Shu said. She was feeling unwell and uncomfortable at the moment. Nanny Wen, standing behind her, placed a small pillow for her to lean against, which made her feel somewhat better.
Consort Hui sat beside the Empress and, noticing her pallid complexion, expressed her concern.
“It is nothing. I summoned you today to inquire about the matter concerning Consort De,” Hua Shu said. Although the case of Consort De had been concluded, there were many puzzling aspects to it.
Hearing the Empress mention this, Consort Hui hesitated before speaking. “Your Highness, I also feel that this matter is not as simple as it seems.”
Although Consort De had brought her fate upon herself, and they had played a part in it, the events had unfolded far too quickly.
Only upon reflection afterward did many unanswered questions arise.
Hua Shu pursed her lips, signaling for her to continue.
“Your Highness, Consort De had meticulously planned this scheme. Not only did she succeed, but she also managed to directly frame the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Had we not taken precautions in advance, discovered her people’s erratic movements, switched the poison, and lured her maid into discovering it and fleeing in panic, we would not have caught her red-handed. However, the young eunuch who carried out the murder and the palace maid with the mole on her eyebrow—all of this seems far too coincidental.”
The poison had been switched by them, but if the young eunuch had been arranged by Consort De, why was he caught so belatedly, thoroughly sealing her guilt?
“The arsenic poison, though used in small amounts, was administered to Consort Rong, who is pregnant and has always been cautious. How could she not have been on guard? What is most perplexing is that the imperial physician who came forward to confess that Consort De had bribed him was Imperial Physician Zhang. This physician enjoyed Consort Rong’s deep trust, so why would he be bribed by Consort De for no apparent reason? If Consort Rong were to give birth to a royal heir, would that not be more advantageous for him?”
“This matter is too strange. Consort De was already imprisoned, yet Imperial Physician Zhang stepped forward to pin the previous incident on her as well. It was an unnecessary move that cost him his life. It truly leaves one puzzled. Recently, all of Consort De’s close attendants have been executed.”
Listening to Consort Hui’s words, Hua Shu’s eyes held a hint of approval. She was more astute than Hua Shu had imagined.
“This clearly indicates that someone wanted to quickly conclude this case while also resolving the previous matter of framing me. Since Consort De was already doomed, they simply pushed all the blame onto her.”
Hua Shu explained that this might be the reason the imperial physician had testified.
She had long suspected that someone was orchestrating events behind the scenes and had sent people to investigate discreetly. However, to avoid alerting anyone, she had yet to uncover any concrete results.Consort Hui saw that the Empress understood everything, and she felt a slight sense of relief.
For her, the Empress remaining steady was the greatest support she could rely on.
“To dare scheme against Consort De, Consort Rong, and even myself, this person must hold a high position.”