Since that night when he left Changxin Palace, Emperor Zhaoheng seemed to have returned to his restrained and disciplined imperial demeanor.
For several consecutive days, he had not set foot in the rear palace, burying himself instead in mountains of memorials and lengthy court assemblies.
Yet only he knew that the stirring in his heart, forcibly suppressed, had not truly subsided.
In the stillness of late nights, during breaks from reviewing memorials, or while sitting alone reading, that graceful figure would always flash before his eyes.
He constantly reminded himself to remember the disgraceful years of his late father’s reign—he must not repeat those mistakes.
But the more deliberately he suppressed it, the deeper that figure seemed to imprint itself in his heart.
The sense of losing control, something the emperor had never experienced before, left him deeply agitated.
Emperor Zhaoheng began actively selecting consorts’ name plaques, visiting the rear palace every two or three days.
Noble Consort Li, Consort Wan, Consort Yi, Consort Rong…
It was as if he were searching for something, yet he didn’t know what he sought.
Beneath the appearance of impartial favor lay an emptiness the emperor himself hadn’t even noticed.
Shuixian wasn’t anxious. She waited patiently for the moment when his long-suppressed desires would finally erupt.
Days passed with the howling winter winds.
Just when it seemed Emperor Zhaoheng had completely forgotten Shuixian, a new batch of selected court ladies officially entered the rear palace.
During her routine duties, Shuixian faintly overheard other palace staff whispering about the recent covert struggles at Chuxiu Palace.
These matters seemed unrelated to Shuixian. Since that night in Changxin Palace when Consort Yi personally blocked Shuixian’s path to serving the emperor, her attitude toward Shuixian had subtly changed.
After having Shan Cha executed, Consort Yi no longer had a pawn to help torment Shuixian.
She could only paste a gentle expression on her face while assigning Shuixian to perform menial labor.
Clearly, Consort Yi hadn’t forgotten the emperor’s unusual attention toward Shuixian.
Her disgust for Shuixian grew—disgust at how Shuixian’s peerless beauty had captivated the emperor’s heart, and even more disgust that Shuixian possessed the fertile womb she herself lacked.
All this resentment transformed into overt and covert retaliation.
One day, using the pretext of better lighting outside, Consort Yi ordered Shuixian to work in the drafty corridor outside Changxin Palace’s side hall, urgently embroidering a brocade cape with intricate patterns for the upcoming New Year palace banquet.
The bitter cold of deep winter pierced to the bone. In the chilly wind, Shuixian’s slender fingers had long turned red and stiff from cold, barely able to hold the delicate embroidery needle.
She kept her head slightly bowed, as if unaware of the sympathetic or mocking glances around her, her fingertips moving laboriously across the embroidery frame.
At that moment, the newly arrived Attendant Song appeared at Changxin Palace’s entrance.
Dressed in moon-white palace attire and carrying gifts, she had come with her trusted maid to pay respects to the higher-ranking consorts.
Attendant Song’s eyes immediately fell upon that slender figure in the corridor. Even dressed in the plainest servant’s garments, Shuixian’s stunning beauty shone brightly, instantly capturing Attendant Song’s attention.
Her steps unconsciously paused for a moment, her eyes flashing with admiration before being replaced by even stronger contempt.
This maid was actually so beautiful—she clearly had ill intentions.
She snorted coldly, her disdain for Shuixian evident on her face.
Hearing the snort, Shuixian instinctively looked up and saw Attendant Song—this… familiar face from the past.
After rebirth, this was her first encounter with Attendant Song.
In her previous life, however, she had been all too familiar with this Attendant Song.
She still remembered how she had conceived immediately after her first night with the Emperor in her past life, and Consort Yi had granted her the West Side Hall for her pregnancy.
Although Attendant Song had just entered the palace this year, she quickly formed connections with Consort Yi. Though she didn’t reside in Changxin Palace, she frequently visited.
Shuixian inevitably crossed paths with Attendant Song.
Every encounter was accompanied by Attendant Song’s humiliation.
Attendant Song would always look down on her with contempt, sneering, “You’re nothing but a lowly house-born servant, barely literate, who merely got lucky climbing into the dragon bed. How are you worthy of bearing the imperial heir? Heaven must be blind!”
Consort Yi never intervened, only privately advising Shuixian to be tolerant, claiming that Attendant Song was new to the palace, young and immature.
Now it seemed clear that Consort Yi had been indulging Attendant Song, allowing her to humiliate Shuixian freely.
A cold sneer flashed in Shuixian’s eyes, but when she lifted her gaze again, only submission remained.
She set down her embroidery hoop and rose slowly, her legs stiff from the cold.
Facing Attendant Song’s direction, Shuixian performed a proper curtsy: “This maid pays respects to my lady.”
“Hmph.”
Attendant Song responded coldly, straightening her back with the arrogance of a noble-born lady, then strode proudly into the warm main hall of Changxin Palace.
Shuixian sat back down on the cold corridor, picking up her embroidery hoop with chilled fingertips.
She listened intently, faint voices from within the hall reaching her ears.
Attendant Song’s somewhat fawning tone: “…My father has always been grateful for Official Yi’s guidance and care at court… This small token is but a humble gesture, I hope Consort Yi won’t disdain it…”
Then Consort Yi’s light laughter followed: “Sister Song is too kind… Your father, Official Song, oversees imperial rituals with noble dignity, I’ve long admired…”
Shuixian wanted to hear more, but the heavy hall doors were closed by maids, cutting off the sounds inside.
As she embroidered, she recalled the gifts Attendant Song had brought inside.
If she remembered correctly from her previous life, after Attendant Song entered the palace and attached herself to Consort Yi, Consort Yi’s disposable income had increased significantly.
Combined with the knowledge of future events she possessed due to her rebirth…
Shuixian slightly raised her willow-leaf eyebrows, vaguely guessing some of the Song family’s secrets.
After an unknown length of time, the main hall doors opened again.
Attendant Song emerged with a smile on her face.
Passing through the corridor, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Shuixian was setting down her embroidery hoop, seemingly preparing to rise and curtsy again.
Attendant Song’s eyes shifted, and she suddenly stopped.
“Wait!” Attendant Song deliberately made things difficult: “Shuixian, is it? Your curtsy… is far too perfunctory!”
“Such a shallow knee bend, holding your head so high – do you have any concept of hierarchy and respect? It seems to me you’ve learned no manners at all!”
Shuixian froze mid-movement, maintaining her half-curtsy: “This maid…”
“Dare you argue?” Attendant Song coldly rebuked: “You’re clearly presuming on imperial favor! Relying on having briefly caught the Emperor’s eye, you think you can disregard me?”
Earlier, inside the hall, Consort Yi had told her about Shuixian being dismissed after serving the Emperor.
This made Attendant Song even more certain that Shuixian was nothing but a failed seductress.
Her contempt grew stronger. “Consort Yi may be lenient, but I cannot tolerate such insolence! If I don’t teach you a lesson today, wouldn’t the palace rules become mere decorations?”
The commotion soon caught Consort Yi’s attention.
Supported by her palace maid, Consort Yi emerged slowly.
Feigning surprise, she asked, “What troubles you, Sister Song? Why such anger on this cold day?”
Attendant Song curtsied to Consort Yi. “Your Highness, you’ve come at the right moment! Look at this maid of yours! When I was leaving, she rose to bid farewell with a bow so shallow it was barely noticeable, her head held higher than mine! She clearly holds no regard for palace regulations!”
“Such insolence must be punished, lest it corrupts the palace atmosphere! I only have the integrity of your palace rules in mind!”
Consort Yi pretended to look at Shuixian in surprise before showing a helpless expression.
“Shuixian, I usually tolerate your straightforward nature and treat you kindly, but palace rules ultimately cannot be disregarded.”
She paused, her tone suddenly turning cold. “Considering this is your first offense, I won’t punish you severely. Kneel in this courtyard for one hour and reflect properly on the distinction between superior and subordinate! Let everyone in Changxin Palace witness the consequences of disregarding rules!”
The two women, playing their parts in perfect harmony, had already convicted her.
When Shuixian first entered the palace from the Yi residence, she had studied palace etiquette under the Imperial Household Department.
Even the strictest matrons had praised her manners as exemplary.
How had she become an insolent servant in Attendant Song’s words?
Shuixian didn’t resist, for she had other calculations in mind.
If she remembered correctly, Emperor Zhaoheng would visit Changxin Palace later today.
This was her opportunity.
“This maid… obeys the command.”
As if accepting her fate, Shuixian slowly set down her embroidery hoop and needlework. Step by step, she walked to the center of the courtyard, bending her knees to kneel on the cold stone pavement.
Attendant Song watched with triumphant eyes, feeling she had crushed Shuixian’s spirit.
“Your Highness handles matters justly. I admire your judgment.”
Consort Yi intimately took Attendant Song’s hand. “It’s cold outside, sister. Come inside and keep me company.”
Leaving Shuixian in the freezing courtyard, the two women returned to the main hall.
Alone in the courtyard, Shuixian knelt solitary in the cold, empty snow-covered ground.
Fine snow fell silently, soon dusting her hair and slender shoulders with a thin layer of white.
Her head slightly bowed, tiny ice crystals formed on her long eyelashes. Her lips turned pale from the cold, and her body trembled uncontrollably.
Only her straight back revealed unyielding stubbornness, standing like an eternal sculpture amidst the swirling snow.
When Emperor Zhaoheng entered Changxin Palace, this was the scene that greeted him.
Seeing that slender figure kneeling in the snow, the emperor suddenly recalled kneeling outside his father’s bedchamber many years ago, pleading to lead troops north.
That night, the snow had been just as heavy.
The bone-piercing cold remained etched in his memory to this day!
In that moment, the present scene overlapped with his past self, and Emperor Zhaoheng felt his heart soften.
Protective instincts surged within the man.
Days of restraint… ultimately crumbled into defeat!
Without even glancing at Consort Yi and Attendant Song emerging from the main hall, he removed his bright yellow cape and strode forward to drape it over Shuixian’s shoulders.
In the wind and snow, Shuixian lifted her gaze, meeting the man’s tender and caring eyes. “Your Majesty…”
She swayed weakly, her body going limp just as Emperor Zhaoheng leaned down, perfectly catching her in his embrace.
Emperor Zhaoheng felt her delicate, boneless frame trembling uncontrollably from the severe cold even in her unconscious state. He tightened his arms around her, lifted her up, and strode out with determined steps.
He would protect Shuixian within the depths of the palace.
He wanted Shuixian to be his woman!