Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“She didn’t cry at all. How would this Empress cry over something like that?” Little Teapot laughed. “She’ll just take it out on you concubines. In her heart, she can’t wait for all of you to die.”

“She’s really not normal.” Li Si Qi shook her head. “No matter how that dog Emperor treats her, she won’t resent the Emperor who brings her glory.”

“She habitually shifts her anger onto innocent people. In her eyes, everything is the concubines’ fault. She’s a deranged lunatic.”

“Master, be careful tomorrow.” Little Teapot re minded her. “The Empress definitely won’t dare to go after Noble Consort Hua.”

“You’re a Consort and you have the dragon-phoenix twins, and you’re also Noble Consort Hua’s person. She’ll probably come after you.”

“It’s fine. When the time comes, you can slap her for me.”

“Heh heh, no problem!”

… Before dawn, in the Yin hour.

“Your Highness, it’s time to get up.” Lu He’s voice sounded. “In a while, you’ll need to go to Jing Ren Palace to pay respects.”

“No rush. This palace will sleep a little longer.” Li Si Qi did not want to get up. She hugged the quilt and went back to sleep.

“Your Highness!” Lu He could not help laughing as she cried and had to withdraw first.

Anyway, Her Highness could ride in a sedan chair, and she was a Consort. Going a bit later was not a problem. As the Mao hour approached, Lu He went in again to wake her. Just then, Senior Maid Ruo Lan came in as well.

The two of them worked together to help the one who refused to get out of bed up…. This scene did not only happen in Yong Shou Palace. The consorts who were used to sleeping until the Chen hour were all forcibly dug out of bed by the people at their sides. When everyone arrived at Jing Ren Palace, many of them still could not help yawning.

No one had the face to laugh at anyone else.

“Noble Consort Hua arrives!”

At the shout, the consorts rose to greet her. Li Si Qi immediately saw the person who came in yawning. Everyone quickly saluted. “This concubine pays respects to Noble Consort Hua.”

“Up, up!” Noble Consort Hua looked a bit tired, impatience hanging on her face.

She strode over and sat in her chair. The consorts sat back down as well. Seeing that Noble Consort Hua looked hard to deal with, no one dared whisper and chat.

“The Empress arrives!”

Jiang Fu Hai’s voice rang out, and the consorts had no choice but to stand again. Even Noble Consort Hua rose as well. Dressed in splendid robes and wearing a smile, the Empress came out. After she sat, the consorts saluted.

“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress!”

“All rise.” The Empress instructed gently. “Everyone sit and talk.”

“It has been some days since I’ve seen all my younger sisters. I wonder if you have been well.”

“If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak up. This Empress will certainly help you solve them.”

“No need for Your Majesty the Empress to worry.” Noble Consort Hua snapped back without any courtesy. “Palace authority is in my hands.”

“I know how to handle harem matters. This consort thinks Your Majesty the Empress should continue nursing your health.”

“Who knows – at Your Majesty the Empress’s age, you might even get pregnant. That would be an old clam producing a pearl, a fine omen of getting a child in your old age.” As soon as she said it, everyone held it in, feeling miserable.

The Empress’s face flashed green, then red, then pale. Her gaze at Noble Consort Hua turned icy cold. But she did not hold back either and stabbed straight at the other’s heart. “Noble Consort Hua is thoughtful.

This Empress also hopes you become pregnant again.”

“Your first two children were unwilling to stay by your side. It must be that the bond between you and your daughters was not deep enough.”

“Now that you’ve taken on the blessing of the dragon-phoenix twins, perhaps your third child will finally stay.”

They were fighting! The two had gone to war! Compared to the uneasy consorts, Li Si Qi wanted nothing more than to pull out a handful of sunflower seeds and crack them while she watched. A show went best with snacks!

“Heh.” Noble Consort Hua laughed in rage, her eyes like blades.

She tore into her outright. “The Empress is wrong. It’s not that my luck wasn’t enough.”

“It’s that there are beasts worse than animals who like to lay hands on innocent children.”

“A vicious woman with hands stained by children’s blood will face retribution sooner or later. This consort is waiting for that day.”

“There are gods watching just three feet above your head. If you dare harm the Emperor’s offspring, even the heavens keep a record of those sins.”

“If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it.”

“As long as your eyes aren’t blind, who can’t see through it?”

“Empress, isn’t that right!”

As she spoke, she stood up. Looking down at the Empress, she let out a snort of laughter. “This consort is going back to look at the account books. Your Majesty the Empress, do as you please!”

She threw down the words and turned to leave. After taking two steps, she stopped again and snapped at Li Si Qi, displeased. “Why aren’t you hurrying back to mind your children?”

“What if the Sixth Prince and Wen Ning start crying? You have no sense at all.”

“Yes.” Li Si Qi wanted to keep watching, but Noble Consort Hua insisted on taking her away.

She could only salute the Empress. “Your Majesty the Empress, this concubine takes her leave!”

“Mm, go.” The Empress’s face stayed cold, her tone somewhat hard. “Consort Xin, take good care of the dragon-phoenix twins.”

“Don’t let anyone toss them around until they’re gone.”

“Replying to Your Majesty the Empress, the Sixth Prince and Wen Ning are very well.” Li Si Qi’s expression sank. She answered coldly, then immediately turned and followed Noble Consort Hua out.

Once they were outside Jing Ren Palace, Li Si Qi’s gaze turned icy as she ordered, “Little Teapot, do it.”

“I want the Empress’s head ailment to flare up at once – dozens of times more painful than before.”

“One full day and night, without stopping!”

“Yes!” Little Teapot answered immediately.

Not only was Master angry – when it heard what the Empress said about the twins, it wanted to strike and kill her on the spot.

“What’s the use of getting angry?” Noble Consort Hua turned her head to the one with the dark face and instructed flatly, “Go back and guard your children well.”

“Don’t give others a chance.”

“Yes. This concubine thanks Noble Consort Hua.”

“Let’s go.”

… Inside Jing Ren Palace. The consorts sat stiffly, looking as if they were sitting on pins and needles. The Empress put on her bodhisattva-like smile again. “Noble Consort Hua has always spoken straight and says anything she pleases.”

“On top of that, she has a spoiled and overbearing temperament. So you needn’t take what she said to heart.”

“This Empress hopes Consort Xin will not learn from her. As concubines, you should have your proper…”

“Ah!”

In the middle of her speech, the Empress suddenly let out a piercing scream. The consorts were so startled they nearly jumped. They stared blankly as the Empress clutched her head with both hands, screaming in a way that made people’s hair stand on end. Seeing her act so strangely, the terrified consorts all retreated without thinking, one after another.

“Your Majesty the Empress!” Jian Qiu hurried to hold the Empress, panicked and anxious. “Your Majesty, what’s wrong, Your Majesty…”

“Jian Qiu, my head… my head hurts so much!” The Empress’s face twisted as she screamed. “Summon the imperial physician.”

“Quickly, summon the imperial physician!”

The Empress, always so dignified, now flailed about like a headless fly. If Jian Qiu had not held her, and if Hui Chun and the other palace maids had not stopped her, the Empress would have wanted to smash her head into a pillar.

“Jiang Fu Hai, hurry and send someone to find the imperial physician!”

“Ah, it hurts! My head hurts!”

“Your Majesty, be careful, Your Majesty!”

The whole hall fell into chaos. The consorts could neither leave nor stay. In their hearts, they envied Noble Consort Hua and Consort Xin, who had run off quickly…. The farce in Jing Ren Palace quickly alerted the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.

The Empress Dowager immediately sent Zhu Xi to come and check on her. When the Emperor learned what had happened at the morning greetings, he fell silent. Leaving aside why the Empress’s head ailment had suddenly flared up, the Emperor was displeased with what the Empress had said. She had none of the magnanimity and tolerance an Empress should have.

In particular, she had taken it out on Consort Xin, and her words carried the suspicion of cursing the dragon-phoenix twins. That made the Emperor even angrier and more annoyed. So he pretended he knew nothing…. When the Empress Dowager saw the Emperor’s attitude, there was nothing she could do about him.

The Empress Dowager, who also loved shifting blame, felt even more disgust toward Noble Consort Hua and Li Si Qi.

“Zhu Xi, go to the harem.” The Empress Dowager was in a foul mood, and naturally she needed someone to vent on. “Tell Noble Consort Hua and Consort Xin that this month, their green plaques will be removed.”

“They are to copy the Lotus Sutra in the palace for the Empress, to pray for her blessings.”

“Have them copy it neatly, then send the scriptures to Kang Shou Palace for me.”