Chapter 174: Light Rain Deep in the Night
Rui Jin Hall.
Consort Xiao sat on the couch, her eyes icy. The lychee she clutched so tightly was almost pierced by her crimson fingernails. Juice seeped out slightly, and the flesh was already misshapen.
Ping Le lay on the brocade rug, stroking the gold and jade bracelet on her wrist, silent for a long time.
Mother and daughter faced each other, the atmosphere so oppressive it was suffocating.
Consort Xiao was silent for a long time, clearly displeased. “I haven’t even reprimanded you yet, and you’re already putting on a sullen face. Hmph, you’re reckless and careless, letting them find fault with you. What is there to be unhappy about?”
Ping Le looked up. “Why doesn’t Mother believe that I didn’t bring Red Musk Powder into the hall?”
Consort Xiao’s eyes sharpened, and she stared at her intently.
“If you didn’t bring Red Musk Powder, then how did your miscarriage pulse arise? Did Imperial Physician Fu diagnose it incorrectly, or did you instruct him to say so?”
Ping Le’s lips parted, and she looked at her birth mother’s furrowed brow before slowly closing her mouth, speechless.
This was why she hadn’t let Xue Liu continue the verification in Ci An Hall and had to leave in silence…
The miscarriage was real, but the fetus that died in her womb was not Lu You’an’s.
It was… Gu Jie’s.
Imperial Physician Fu hadn’t spoken nonsense. He dared not answer Xue Sui’s question because he was guilty – he was involved in Consort Xue Shu’s death years ago.
Who would have thought Xue Liu would exploit this loophole?
Ping Le, looking down on Gu Jie from the bottom of her heart, naturally wouldn’t have a child with Gu Jie for no reason. So, she secretly had Imperial Physician Fu prescribe Red Musk Powder and induce the miscarriage herself…
Originally, she wouldn’t have taken such a risky step.
It was truly because Wen Jia was too arrogant, not only stealing Lu You’an away but also trying to please the Imperial Grandmother and help her useless mother regain favor…
Xue Liu was also relentless, determined to humiliate her. Only then did she decide to go all out, wanting them to suffer the consequences of their own actions…
She had calculated everything, but she never expected Xue Liu to strike first with cunning schemes, falsely accusing her on the spot of hiding Red Musk Powder in her sleeve…
The entry and exit of medicinal materials in the imperial palace were all recorded. Once it was discovered that the Princess’s Mansion had used such a substance, she would have no defense…
Not only that, but it would also expose her and Gu Jie’s affair.
Ping Le no longer dared to underestimate Xue Liu and Wen Jia, but her hatred for them was even greater than before…
“Mother, this is all my fault. It’s my fault for using that shoddy sutra Wen Jia embroidered as a birthday gift. It was truly too inauspicious…”
Consort Xiao glanced at her, her gaze still suspicious.
Ping Le’s eyes flickered, and she pouted, deliberately changing the subject of the miscarriage.
“Don’t worry, Mother. The Emperor hasn’t issued an decree yet. As long as the Emperor’s heart is with us, even if the Imperial Grandmother throws a tantrum, she can’t do anything…”
“Foolish!”
Consort Xiao raised her hand and threw the lychee at the wooden desk. Juice splattered, the fruit bounced, and landed on Ping Le’s newly tailored Moonlight Skirt, leaving a stain.
Ping Le was terrified. “Mother…”
“Confining you to your quarters is the least of it,” Consort Xiao said sharply and sternly, filled with disappointment. “Do you really think the Empress Dowager is blind and can’t even recognize your embroidery?”
Ping Le rarely saw Consort Xiao angry with her. She was stunned for a moment before defending herself:
“The Imperial Grandmother values the daughter’s intentions. If Wen Jia hadn’t found a fake painting by Ye Fuzhou to offer as a birthday gift and compete for favor, the Imperial Grandmother would have been happy even if she knew it wasn’t embroidered by me with my own hands… Besides, how would she know the Medical Sutra was from Wen Jia…”
“It seems you still don’t know where you went wrong…” Consort Xiao said, full of disappointment and anger, pointing at her face.
“Your Father Emperor has truly spoiled you to the point of losing your bearings. Where is your brain? The foot-wrapping satin for the Medicine King Sutra was Rain Silk Brocade that Wen Jia collected from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau last month. When did your mansion ever use such fabric?”
Ping Le stared blankly at the lychee rolling to her feet, suddenly remembering the day she sent someone to snatch the embroidered sutra, and Wen Jia’s pale face as she coughed and tried to stop them from the embroidery frame…
Wen Jia would rather be injured than let go, acting as if it were real…
Ping Le’s mind buzzed, and her head felt hot. As if remembering something, she got up in a panic and slowly knelt down.
“Mother, did… did she deceive me? Did Wen Jia deliberately let me snatch the Medical Sutra?!”
Consort Xiao snorted, not answering her. She stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.
“Your Ladyship!”
A startled cry. The head palace maid rushed in in a panic, holding a vermilion and gold lacquered box, her arms trembling with fright.
“The Ministry of Justice… the Ministry of Justice sent someone…”
Consort Xiao lifted the lid of the box, and a coppery sweetness surged in her throat.
Two ears lay side-by-side on the brocade, contrasting with the vibrant lacquer color, exuding an aura of death.
On one of the earlobes was a mole, exactly like the left ear of her elder brother, Xiao Jing.
“The Crown Prince…”
Consort Xiao’s voice trembled, and her body swayed, almost losing her balance.
“Not only did the Crown Prince kill your uncle, but he also insulted the Xiao family like this… Damn him!”
–
The grand birthday banquet that day ended very late.
The Grand Princess stayed after the banquet and chatted with Empress Dowager Cheng Qing in Ci An Hall.
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing saw that she seemed to have something to say but hesitated. She smiled knowingly and gently gestured for the palace servants to bring tea and snacks.
“My dear aunt, if you have something to say, just say it. We are family, no need to be reserved.”
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing leaned back slightly in her chair, shedding the solemn dignity of an Empress Dowager. She looked very tired, but her tone was kind and amiable, like that of sisters in an ordinary household.
“Alas…”
The Grand Princess sighed deeply, fiddling with her jade eighteen-bead bracelet. After several hesitations, she slowly began to speak.
“As I’ve gotten older these past few years, I’ve become quite muddled. There are many things I can no longer do. If I say anything inappropriate, please bear with me, Your Ladyship…”
The Grand Princess was much older than Empress Dowager Cheng Qing. Her silver hair looked ancient, but her eyes were sharp and alert.
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing frowned slightly and pushed the steaming teacup across the wooden desk.
“I have known you for a long time, and we are like sisters. How could I be formal with you…”
The Grand Princess’s expression softened slightly. She then leaned forward slightly and said in a hushed voice, “I’ve heard that the ninth daughter of the Xue family is beautiful and talented. She hasn’t been married for even a year and is still a tender bud. Letting her be the remarriage for Prince Wei wouldn’t be an insult to the Prince…”
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing took a sip of tea, her gaze falling on the Grand Princess.
The Xue family had indeed shown interest in a marriage alliance a while ago, but she had not agreed.
Firstly, the Xue family already had a Princess Consort, which made her wary.
Secondly, Li Yan was indolent and unrestrained, and she didn’t want to take another official consort who would restrict him…
She pondered for a moment, gently twirling the teacup lid, and sighed with a smile, “Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. I stopped interfering in the marriages of the younger generation long ago. You too, at your age, should enjoy your retirement and not worry about such matters.”
The Grand Princess looked at the Empress Dowager with a solemn expression, her tone carrying a hidden meaning.
“Regarding Consort Xue Shu’s matter, the Xue family was ultimately wronged.”
After speaking, she lowered her head to drink tea, as if not noticing Empress Dowager Cheng Qing’s suddenly pale face.
Did the Empress Dowager not know the hidden truth behind Xue Shi’s death back then?
But the Grand Princess at the time had persuaded her.
With the Crown Prince’s succession, Li Yan’s character and conduct would likely leave him with no place to stand and he would surely not fare well. However, Prince Duan was kind and benevolent, and in the future, with brotherly affection, it would be a blessing for his descendants…
She ultimately turned a blind eye and chose silence, letting the rumors spread.
Now, the Grand Princess wanted to appease the Xue family through marriage to resolve the crisis of Consort Xue’s death. But the child they raised in Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion was also a mess caused by Prince Wei.
With Xue Si unresolved, marrying Xue Jiu again would likely lead to an unmanageable situation…
Empress Dowager Cheng Qing did not want to comply with the Grand Princess.
However, having boarded the Grand Princess’s ship back then, it was now difficult to remain uninvolved…
–
The third watch clapper sounded.
Xue Sui stood under the eaves, watching the needle-like raindrops drift in from the darkness. She raised her hand slightly to catch one.
The raindrops fell on her fair palm, like solidified hair ornaments.
A chill spread instantly.
After standing for a moment, she saw Ling Yu fly over with a flutter. Its wings cut an arc through the rain, and it landed calmly on her shoulder.
“Coo… coo…”
The pigeon’s cooing in the quiet courtyard late at night sounded like gentle strings.
Xue Sui smiled sideways, her heart aching. She brought it inside and asked Xiao Zhao to get a soft cloth to wipe it.
“Look, you’ve gotten all wet…”
Before she finished speaking, her gaze fell on the pigeon’s leg ring.
There was a letter!
Xue Sui gently took down the letter tube and was slightly taken aback.
It was a message from the Eastern Palace, but the handwriting was not Li Zhao’s. Two lines of crooked characters, like a dog’s tail sweeping across, in Lai Fu’s tone.
“Master was forced to drink, old illness relapsed. You Huang Ju.”
Her expression tightened. After pondering for a long time, she asked Ru Yi to help her change and go out…
As soon as she pushed open the door of Tan Qiu Courtyard, she saw Li Huan walking slowly from the darkness with two attendants, his hands behind his back.
“It’s late and drizzling, where is Madam planning to go?”
See you tomorrow!
