Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“Noble Lady Wan, this way, please!”

Su Pei Sheng led her into the side hall to wait. Zhen Huan was not waiting in the side hall for an audience for the first time. For some reason, she felt that everyone serving at the imperial presence seemed a little strange today. Especially when the palace maids brought tea and pastries, she thought she saw sympathy in their eyes.

What was going on? Confused, Zhen Huan did not take it to heart. She casually picked up a poetry collection from the table and started reading. Time slowly passed.

Compared to Zhen Huan’s calm, Huan Bi was bored to death. So she could only grab some pastries and eat. Mistress and maid waited patiently. After who knew how long, a burst of noisy voices ensured.

Zhen Huan set down her book and got up to go outside. Just then… The arrogant Yu Ying’er came out of the Imperial Study. She held herself high and mighty, not putting the palace maids and eunuchs outside the doors in her eyes at all. She just did not expect to run into Zhen Huan in the side hall.

The smug look on her face froze at once.

“You!”

When Zhen Huan saw Yu Ying’er with her clothes in disarray, shock flashed across her face. She had clearly guessed what had happened.

“Hmph!”

Yu Ying’er came back to herself. A smug look spread across her face as she deliberately snorted at Zhen Huan. Without even sparing Zhen Huan another glance, she walked toward the rear hall.

“This…”

Huan Bi was not stupid. She understood immediately and could not help feeling wronged on her mistress’s behalf. “My lady!” Zhen Huan’s face turned ugly to the extreme.

She suddenly remembered how the palace maids had looked at her when she first arrived. No wonder they had shown her pity. In that instant, she felt unbearably disgusted.

“Ugh!”

Her stomach churned. Zhen Huan doubled over and began retching dryly.

“My lady, what’s wrong?”

Huan Bi jumped in fright and quickly supported her, then shouted to a nearby palace maid, “Hurry and call for the imperial physician!”

“Yes!”

The palace maid had just turned to leave.

“No need!”

Zhen Huan, her expression awful, stopped her. “This Noble Lady is fine. Don’t trouble yourself.” The palace maid froze, then could not help persuading her.

“Noble Lady Wan, you should still rest a bit. Let this servant summon the imperial physician…”

“No.”

Zhen Huan could not take it anymore. Still retching, she walked out. “This Noble Lady feels unwell. I’m going back.”

She did not care what anyone thought. Mistress and maid fled in panic. Su Pei Sheng had just come out of the Imperial Study when he heard that Zhen Huan had run off with her maid. His face almost did not hold.

Was this Noble Lady Wan slapping Yu Ying’er in the face, or slapping His Majesty in the face? Honestly… Even the head eunuch was left speechless.

“Let her go, then.”

When the emperor heard, his expression remained very calm. Of course, that was mainly because he did not know the real reason Zhen Huan had been retching. He truly thought she was unwell. After venting once, the emperor naturally had no energy left to flirt and talk sweetly with another woman….

When Yu Ying’er, resting in the rear hall, heard that Zhen Huan had thrown up on the spot, she nearly died of anger. “Zhen Huan, that bitch! Why is she acting so pure? We’re both the emperor’s women.

How much more ‘noble’ can she be than me?”

“Young lady, there’s no need to be angry.”

The little palace maid beside Yu Ying’er spoke ingratiatingly. “There are so many women in the harem. As long as you have His Majesty’s favor, who would dare provoke you, young lady?”

“That’s right.”

Yu Ying’er’s tone was full of arrogance. “This young lady is going to become a mistress of the harem. As long as I have His Majesty’s favor, why would I fear her, Zhen Huan? She had no business humiliating me like that.

Zhen Huan – I’m not done with you!”

“Young lady, don’t say that in anger.”

The little palace maid deliberately fanned the flames. “Noble Lady Wan is a proper consort with a real rank. This servant thinks what matters most right now is for young lady to become a consort in the harem. As long as young lady becomes a consort too, and you have His Majesty’s favor, then even Noble Lady Wan will have to give you some ground when she sees you.

Isn’t that so?”

“Exactly.”

Yu Ying’er spoke with ambition. “In the future, I’ll step on all those consorts who look down on me. No matter who it is, I won’t be afraid.” Her target was the harem.

She wanted to become the most dazzling, most favored consort. When the idle Li Si Qi heard about it, she nearly laughed herself sick.

“This consort almost forgot about that weirdo.”

Li Si Qi laughed. “Who would’ve thought the first person she would disgust was Zhen Huan? These two really do have a fate-bound grudge. This consort is very curious what kind of show they’ll stir up in the end.

Little Teapot, have Su Pei Sheng give Yu Ying’er a push. Let that weirdo into the harem to disgust everyone – it should be pretty fun.”

“Don’t worry, Mistress. I’ll make sure you get a good show.”

“Right. When will the Empress Dowager’s gossip scandal start fermenting?”

“Tomorrow, we set it off. Mistress can just wait and watch!”

“Don’t disappoint this consort.”

“Of course not.”

… The next day. Right after morning court ended, the civil and military officials poured out of the palace. Some prepared to return home, while others went to their offices to handle duties. Of course, there were even more busy commoners, as well as idle young men from various Manchu families, who did nothing all day.

These people liked to find fun in the streets. Especially on the bustling roads, they were everywhere. However. No one knew that a puppet man appeared on every main street in the capital.

Before anyone could guard against it… Countless portrait papers scattered down from the sky. The moment people saw the endless sheets fluttering down, their first reaction was to grab them. Of course, there were far too many papers on every street. Soon everyone realized there was no need to fight.

Every single person could pick one up.

“Eh, who is this woman?”

“She’s pretty good-looking.”

“Just look at her clothes – she’s clearly Manchu.”

“Why does this portrait look kind of familiar? I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere.”

“This woman is Long Ke Duo’s concubine, Li Si’er. It even writes her identity and name.”

“That’s not right. Why does my portrait say Madam Uya?”

“Isn’t Li Si’er’s surname Li? Who’s Madam Uya?”

“Did you notice? Li Si’er and Madam Uya look exactly the same!”

“Seriously – they really do!”

… Some people could not guess who Madam Uya was. That did not mean the nobles and the powerful did not know. Especially the ministers who had just come out of the palace – when they saw the two portraits, they practically went mad. Maybe they had never seen Long Ke Duo’s concubine Li Si’er.

But they had absolutely heard of that famous figure in the capital. Even if they had never seen what Li Si’er looked like, these men had all seen Madam Uya on the portrait. With both portraits appearing at the same time, how could they not know what it meant?

“Long Ke Duo is really asking for death!”

“Hahahaha! Someone finally dragged this out into the open. Interesting – so interesting!”

“Heh heh. This prince really wants to see what face the one in the palace will make now.”

“Absurd. This is truly absurd!”

“Long Ke Duo – how dare he do something like this?”

“You can’t wrap fire in paper. Now we’ll see what kind of end Long Ke Duo gets.”

“Madam Uya? Hahahaha! Madam Uya and Long Ke Duo’s concubine Li Si’er? Hahahaha – I’m dying laughing!”

… It was lively! The whole capital exploded into chaos. Even people who knew nothing still ended up hearing it.

“I heard the Empress Dowager looks exactly like Long Ke Duo’s concubine.”

“No wonder Long Ke Duo dared snatch Li Si’er from his father-in-law. So that’s what was behind it.”

“So the Empress Dowager and Long Ke Duo are lovers?”

“My heavens! No wonder Long Ke Duo supported His Majesty’s ascension. So there was that connection too.”

“Do you think His Majesty might be Long Ke Duo’s son? Or maybe the Fourteenth Lord is Long Ke Duo’s son?”

“His Majesty and the Fourteenth Lord should be impossible, but the late Sixth Prince might be. Otherwise, how could his older brother and younger brother live, but the Sixth Prince died?”

“That’s possible!”