Yikun Palace
The ninth day of the fifth month. Rain.
After a torrential downpour in the palace last night that lasted for half a day, it had turned into a hazy drizzle by morning.
Leaning by the lattice window of the east warm pavilion, separated by the corridor, Fu Lingxi watched the raindrops fall from the eaves, pattering softly, which made her feel even more calm and at ease.
At this moment, she smiled faintly, tilting her ear as she listened to Xuduo recount the latest gossip spreading throughout the palace—
From the corner of her eye, she saw Xuduo glaring fiercely, her cheeks puffed with anger as she finished reporting the rumors through gritted teeth, her eyes darting around to check their surroundings.
“Mistress, that Noble Lady Liu is too hateful!”
Only after confirming there was no one else around did Xuduo lower her voice and speak resentfully:
“How can she go around spreading gossip and saying bad things about you everywhere! In my opinion, the source of all the slander against you in the palace must have come from her filthy mouth!”
Who knew where Noble Lady Liu got such deep malice from—
Every day she mingled with those Baolin and Changzai ladies, whispering about their mistress, completely unafraid that others might overhear and report her or accuse her of disrespect!
What exactly was Noble Lady Liu relying on?!
Hmph, if she relied on the emperor’s favor, then above her were still Ronghua Qin, Noble Consort Han, and Lady Wei! Yet none of them were as arrogant as she was—
Of course, those few were no saints either…
There was also another point:
Ruan Ji, who had also fallen into the water, seemed to have a stronger constitution than Lady Yi. The very next day, she was already lively and able to go out.
In contrast, Lady Yi appeared extremely frail, as if she were clearly incapable of bearing the heavy responsibility of producing imperial heirs~
Moreover, Lady Yi kept to herself!
While Ruan Ji recovered overnight as if nothing had happened, gracefully leaving her residence to socialize with neighboring consorts and concubines, building connections above and winning favor below, cultivating an approachable and friendly persona, she had become quite popular among the new concubines—
Even without leaving Yikun Palace, Fu Lingxi had heard about this “white lotus” behavior.
“Xuduo.”
Fu Lingxi withdrew her gaze from the window and glanced at the little maid standing nearby, calling her in a low voice.
“Mistress, I only dared to speak plainly after confirming there was no one else around.”
“Walls have ears. Being cautious is never wrong.”
“Mistress, it’s not that this servant is being loose-tongued or daring to offend a noble lady, but she—they—are truly too malicious!”
Ever since she learned that the mistress had punished her for her own good, Xuduo had grown even closer to her from the bottom of her heart. Seeing that her mistress did not take such filthy rumors to heart—
She stamped her foot angrily, then dropped heavily to her knees with a thud, shuffling forward to remind her mistress with righteous urgency:
“Mistress, Noble Lady Liu is spreading rumors that you cannot bear children. Noble Consort Han and Lady Wen are even worse—they… they even dare to curse you!”
Rumors now spreading in the palace said:
Not only that Lady Yi could not bear children—
But also that she was scheming, that in order to rise in rank she had plotted against the First Princess, and that her current condition—losing her ability to bear children due to the cold—was something she deserved! That she would live her life in lonely old age—
Even more outrageous, they not only insulted her but slandered her, claiming that Lady Yi had killed Lady Wen’s younger sister to secure her position!
What nonsense—
It was clearly Lady Wen’s younger sister who had tried to harm their mistress first, and was later caught red-handed by His Majesty, which led to her execution on the spot for crossing the emperor’s bottom line!
Yet Lady Wen had foolishly fallen for these false rumors, stepping forward under the guise of being a “victim’s” relative, almost ready to come to Yikun Palace to demand justice!
Lady Wen’s younger sister had indeed been her concubine-born sibling, and even knowing it was foolish, she still insisted on putting on a show of “deep sisterly affection.”
Just as the mistress had once said, these women of the harem would adopt any persona in order to rise to higher ranks!
“Alright, alright~ I know all of this and will remember it. There’s no need for you to be angry—it’s not worth it.”
Tsk, these new concubines really thought that once they had shared the emperor’s bed, they were secure?!
How laughable~
Among men who ascend to the imperial throne, which one is truly kind?
The dog emperor held supreme military and political power. Toward the many women in the harem, he seemed affectionate, but in truth he was the most heartless of all!
Since ancient times, the imperial family has always been the most heartless.
Oh, and there was even a saying in later times: an emperor’s affection is as worthless as grass!
Fu Lingxi grumbled inwardly, but outwardly she smiled gently, pulling the little maid to her feet and venting alongside her:
“You, don’t pay attention to such idle slander. None of it is true anyway. Your mistress is perfectly fine. As for those foul-mouthed people who speak such vicious words, they will surely face retribution one day! Alright, go rest. You’re not needed here.”
[This one ignores them only because their words have not yet crossed my bottom line.]
[As for Noble Consort Qi… perhaps she no longer wishes to manage the harem? Allowing such baseless rumors to spread freely—does she not fear the emperor settling accounts later?]
“Yes.”
Pouting slightly, knowing her mistress preferred quiet, Xuduo could only bow respectfully and withdraw.
After finally dismissing the girl with a few words, Fu Lingxi let out a soft huff, smiling faintly, her heart completely unruffled:
[Heh, I’m not so idle as to care about their nonsense. It doesn’t affect me at all—why waste energy on it?]
If this led the emperor to completely ignore her existence or even banish her to the cold palace, she would be even happier!
At this moment, what troubled Fu Lingxi more was that her menstruation had finally ended!
Yet she felt no joy at all…
According to palace rules, a concubine’s monthly cycle usually lasted three to five days. Once confirmed clean, a medical maid would be summoned to check her pulse. Then a report would be submitted to the Bureau of Palace Affairs:
So-and-so medical maid certifies that such-and-such concubine has completed her cycle and may now attend the emperor to bear heirs.
By this day, Fu Lingxi had already delayed for three days… If she did not summon the medical maid for a routine pulse check, she, Lady Yi, could also be accused of deceiving the emperor!
Sure enough,
Nothing in this world ever goes entirely as one wishes.
It was worth mentioning that,
The more Fu Lingxi avoided letting those gossiping concubines enter Yikun Palace and hid away to avoid trouble, the more the consorts from other palaces fixated on her—
Each one wished they possessed the ability to create clones or turn invisible, just to sneak into Yikun Palace and personally see what exactly Lady Yi was hiding!
However, before any of them could successfully step into Yikun Palace—
War broke out in the court!
It turned out that the remnants of the former Northern Shu royal family, which had been personally annihilated by the emperor after his ascension, were now raising a banner to restore their kingdom. At the former secondary capital of Northern Shu, they were openly recruiting troops, blatantly challenging the authority of the Shangyi Kingdom and seeking to restore their dynasty!
As soon as the news reached the harem, the high-ranking consorts immediately shut their palace gates.
Everyone in the Shangyi Kingdom knew that the emperor was warlike.
It was also well known that he had a bad temper.
If anyone provoked his irritation and anger, his violent and bloodthirsty nature would flare up instantly. Regardless of who it was, in a fit of rage he could vanish in a flash, draw a guard’s sword, and strike mercilessly—
Who would dare risk their life to challenge imperial authority?!
—It was said that in the entire imperial palace, the one with the highest martial prowess was none other than the emperor himself!
The veteran concubines knew well not to touch upon the emperor’s taboos. After receiving news from their families, they obediently stayed within their own palaces and did not go out.
On the contrary, the new concubines, being newly entered into the palace and still young, were unaware of many unspoken rules and taboos. At this moment, they were still happily gathering together for enjoyment…
Aside from Lady Yi, Consort Jin, Consort Jing, and Ruan Ji, the other new concubines lacked political awareness and paid no attention to the developments in court affairs, acting only on impulse—
After dressing themselves elaborately, they gathered in small groups like “close sisters,” meeting in pairs or trios under the pretext of strolling through gardens and admiring flowers, hoping to encounter the emperor in a romantic chance meeting…