The next day, when Consort Rong woke up, Granny Qu whispered in her ear: “Yesterday, someone saw that the young lady encountered His Majesty at Chang Yuan Lake.”
Yan Pingxiao had not come to Yu Tang Hall last night. Having drunk a bit too much, Consort Rong sat on the edge of the bed massaging her temples. Upon hearing this, she couldn’t help but frown: “Is that true? How did His Majesty react?”
Granny Qu replied: “It’s absolutely true. His Majesty summoned Miss Nan to Xuanzheng Hall, but she returned within half an hour.”
“Should we summon her for questioning?”
Consort Rong shook her head. She could tell that Nan Shu truly had no intention of climbing the social ladder through imperial favor. If she wanted Nan Shu to willingly work for her, she would have to use both threats and incentives.
Consort Rong didn’t need any affection herself; she only needed a prince with the Rong family’s blood flowing through his veins.
Everyone in the palace knew that His Majesty cherished the memory of the late empress and never visited the rear palace. She couldn’t risk offending His Majesty by offering herself, so she needed to find someone to help her.
Nan Shu was the perfect candidate – beautiful yet timid, with her mother under Consort Rong’s control. There was no fear of her disobedience.
As for those promises about letting her leave the palace, they were merely delaying tactics. When the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet arrived, His Majesty would inevitably drink, making things much more convenient.
“Just pretend you don’t know for now. Don’t give yourself away in front of her,” Consort Rong said, drinking the hangover soup brought by a palace maid. “Have someone keep a close watch on her. I want to know what she does every day.”
“Yes.”
After that day, Nan Shu spent her time in constant fear, terrified that Yan Pingxiao might actually discover something.
She was like a startled cat, ready to bristle and hide at the slightest sound.
But three days passed in the blink of an eye, and nothing happened.
Yan Pingxiao didn’t come to see her again, and Consort Rong seemed unaware of that day’s events, only urging her to finish copying the scriptures quickly.
Nan Shu breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking he must not have been able to find anything after all. Such a bizarre thing as soul transmigration was something she would never have believed if it hadn’t happened to her herself.
The early spring weather was unpredictable. The clear morning sky had suddenly turned gloomy, and with a clap of thunder from the horizon, bean-sized raindrops began to patter down.
Recently, there had been some humidity. Nan Shu had taken advantage of the sunny weather to air out the copied scriptures, and now she was hurriedly moving all the books under the covered corridor.
Before she could finish organizing the books, Nan Shu heard light but distinct footsteps approaching from behind.
Consort Rong had gone to Ciyuandian to pay her respects today, leaving Yu Tang Hall very quiet. She casually glanced back and saw a tall, familiar figure drawing nearer.
Nan Shu’s face changed color, and she hurriedly turned to bow: “Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty.”
Yan Pingxiao had no attendants following him today. He wore only a black casual robe, his brows and eyes still carrying their usual cold severity.
He looked at the woman before him with her lowered head, her skirt slightly dampened by the rain, a strand of black hair falling beside her cloud-like bun, her beautiful eyebrows and pale cheeks gradually overlapping with the image in his memory.
He thought he was going mad.
Even though Pei Ji had returned from Qingzhou and investigated her background thoroughly, even digging up incidents from when she wet her pants at age three, he still couldn’t help fantasizing that perhaps his Tang Tang had returned.
He couldn’t restrain himself from wanting to see her, from wanting to see this face.
Didn’t Buddhism speak of reincarnation?
Perhaps his Tang Tang had been reincarnated and returned to him?
Yan Pingxiao’s sword-like brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes bloodshot as he suddenly took several steps forward, closing in on her.
The abrupt movement caused Nan Shu’s almond-shaped eyes to widen abruptly, unconcealed panic spilling forth.
She bit her lower lip tightly, not daring to move, allowing the man’s gaze to roam over her face.
Yan Pingxiao sought to find something in her eyes, but aside from unfamiliarity and fear, there was nothing.
It seemed she truly didn’t recognize him.
A flicker of disappointment and dejection passed through Yan Pingxiao’s eyes.
Nan Shu was somewhat frightened by his expression and instinctively retreated two steps. The movement was too sudden, causing the pearl hairpin in her hair to fall to the ground, several strands of dark hair instantly loosening.
“Your Majesty, forgive my offense…” Nan Shu hurriedly bent to pick up the hairpin, casually gathering the loose strands.
She obediently stood in place with her head bowed, appearing very reserved.
The man said nothing to her. He stared at Nan Shu for a long time—so long that her legs grew weak beyond control—before his piercing gaze finally vanished.
Only when his figure disappeared around the corner did Nan Shu mutter under her breath: “Madman.”
Outside Xuanzheng Hall.
Xie Zhaozhi walked to the corridor where a palace attendant folded the oil-paper umbrella and handed her the food box she carried.
Tang Shunfu, guarding outside the hall, noticed her approach and hurried forward, subtly blocking her from advancing further.
“This servant greets Consort Xie. Does Your Ladyship have business?”
Xie Zhaozhi wore peacock-blue palace attire with cloud patterns, adorned with gold pearl jade hairpins. Her vibrant and striking beauty remained undimmed by the lavish attire.
“Would Tang Gonggong please announce me? With the recent frequent rains, I’ve prepared some Job’s Tears and Poria Cake and wish to invite His Majesty to taste them.”
Tang Shunfu smiled apologetically: “Ah, Your Ladyship has come at an unfortunate time. His Majesty is occupied today and has ordered not to receive visitors.”
The smile on Xie Zhaozhi’s face didn’t waver. She sighed regretfully: “Since His Majesty is busy, I shouldn’t disturb him. Please present these pastries to His Majesty.”
“Though spring has arrived, the continuous rain persists. Gonggong must remember to advise His Majesty to rest well.”
Tang Shunfu accepted the food box and bowed: “This servant will certainly convey Your Ladyship’s sentiments.”
“Your Ladyship, please go slowly.”
As the palace attendant raised the oil-paper umbrella, Xie Zhaozhi turned and walked into the curtain of rain. Once she left Xuanzheng Hall, her expression abruptly darkened.
“His Majesty didn’t summon any court officials today, and my father mentioned no urgent matters in the court, yet he refuses to see me.”
Her maid Shuangyue said: “Your Ladyship, set your heart at ease. His Majesty rarely receives consorts anyway—others cannot even approach. The honor of coming before the emperor belongs to you alone.”
“Look at Consort Rong—though her family were great meritorious subjects, His Majesty only granted her the position of Consort upon his ascension. This shows Your Ladyship holds the most weight in His Majesty’s heart.”
“She deserves it. When the late emperor intended to arrange her marriage to His Majesty, she couldn’t wait to sever ties after His Majesty encountered trouble. Then she had the audacity to seek entry to the palace after His Majesty ascended the throne—as if such good fortune could be so easily obtained.”
Xie Zhaozhi sneered coldly: “If His Majesty truly cherished me, he wouldn’t have granted me only the position of Consort. I nearly lost my life for him back then, yet his heart belongs only to a dead woman—even posthumously honoring her as Empress.”
Shuangyue’s face changed color, and she quickly lowered her voice: “Your Ladyship, be cautious with your words…”
“Death extinguishes a life like a lamp’s flame. Even if Your Majesty has remembered that Shen Shi for five years, could he possibly remember her for ten or twenty years? Your Highness need only endure a little longer to achieve your heart’s desire.”
Xie Zhaozhi took a deep breath, her brows and eyes shadowed with gloom: “I certainly hope so.”