Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

“Yes!”

Zhu Xi accepted the order. “This servant takes her leave!”

“Wait!” The Empress Dowager stopped her. “When you get to Yong Shou Palace, take a look at the Sixth Prince and Princess Wen Ning for me. I want to know how the brother and sister are growing. If I remember right, they should be six or seven months old.”

Zhu Xi replied respectfully, “Yes, Empress Dowager.”

“One month from now,” the Empress Dowager continued, “have Consort Xin bring the Sixth Prince and Princess Wen Ning to Kang Shou Palace. I still haven’t seen the twins.”

“Yes!”

“Go on.”

… After Noble Consort Hua received the Empress Dowager’s decree, she felt unhappy, but she didn’t resent the Empress Dowager much. In her eyes, the Empress Dowager was her mother-in-law, so it wasn’t strange for her to make things difficult once in a while. She could only hate the Empress, whom the Empress Dowager protected, even more. Yong Shou Palace.

Li Si Qi leaned back against a cushion. Hearing Zhu Xi’s words, she couldn’t help laughing.

“What kind of scheme is the Empress Dowager cooking up now?” Li Si Qi asked. “The twins are already seven months old, and she never once thought to see them. I know she doesn’t like me, and she never liked His Majesty’s children either. I don’t believe she just wants to see the twins once. She must have other plans. Zhu Xi, do you know?”

“Replying to Your Highness,” Zhu Xi said respectfully, “if this servant isn’t mistaken, she wants to see whether the Sixth Prince is a clever child.”

“So the Empress Dowager knows the first three princes are useless,” Li Si Qi narrowed her eyes and sneered. “She also knows His Majesty doesn’t like them. Now she wants to see whether the Sixth Prince I gave birth to is smart, so she can keep making plans.”

Zhu Xi fell silent. Whether that was true or not, it wasn’t something she should say.

“Zhu Xi, you’re the Empress Dowager’s personal nanny. Have you felt her planning for ‘the older brother dies and the younger brother succeeds’?”

As soon as she said that, Senior Maid Ruo Lan and the others’ faces changed again and again. Even Zhu Xi didn’t look much better. She didn’t answer, but her expression said everything.

“Alright, go back.” Li Si Qi didn’t make things hard for her and ordered her to leave.

Even though Zhu Xi was controlled by the Puppet Pill, she wasn’t a true puppet without thoughts. As long as no one gave her an order, she would still stay loyal to the Empress Dowager.

“Yes!” Zhu Xi bowed. “This servant takes her leave!”

Senior Maid Ruo Lan personally saw her out.

“Master, now I finally understand why the Empress Dowager kept tolerating the Empress murdering fetuses,” Xiao Hu Zi clicked his tongue in amazement. “I never thought she was planning that. If the Emperor knew, he’d be furious to death.”

“He has only himself to blame for being brainless,” Li Si Qi showed open contempt. “After the consorts got pregnant, there were always accidents. And not just once or twice. He’s a suspicious Emperor who loves to doubt people, yet he could calmly accept that his children kept miscarrying because of all kinds of ridiculous ‘accidents.’ Besides, it’s not just the Empress Dowager thinking that way. Guo Zi Li is the same. He slept with his sister-in-law and got her pregnant with his child. In the original story, if Zhen Huan had been a little bolder, the throne would have ended up in Guo Zi Li’s line. If you ask me, the Empress Dowager isn’t even as capable as Guo Zi Li.”

After saying that, Li Si Qi asked again, “I haven’t heard anything lately about Zhen Huan and Guo Zi Li. Have those two trashy people hooked up yet?”

“Zhen Huan has been trying to please the Emperor for Huan Bi’s sake, so she hasn’t met Guo Zi Li for a while,” Xiao Hu Zi explained with a grin. “But Guo Zi Li’s methods are pretty good. Using Cui Jin Xi’s hand, he sends her little gifts and slips in love poems to flirt with Zhen Huan. Zhen Huan calls herself a talented woman, so she naturally likes that kind of thing. She’s already treating Guo Zi Li as her kindred spirit. They’re practically exchanging letters every few days.”

“Kindred spirit, my ass.” Li Si Qi laughed. “It’s just secret adultery. I really have to admire Zhen Huan. For glory and riches, for her family’s honor, she works hard to become the Emperor’s favored consort. But privately, she thinks Guo Zi Li is her true kindred spirit and keeps flirting with him, cheating in her heart. The moment she feels the Emperor wronged her, she immediately throws herself into Guo Zi Li’s arms with a clear conscience. Then she calls it true love. Under the banner of true love, she won’t let either the Emperor or the prince go.”

“That’s very Zhen Huan. Totally normal!” Xiao Hu Zi changed the subject. “Master, there’s something I forgot to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Your dear sister, Noble Lady Hui.”

“What happened to her?”

“She got sick from anger,” Xiao Hu Zi delivered the news. “And the one treating her is Imperial Physician Wen.”

“No way. Those two are flirting again?” Li Si Qi was shocked. “The timing doesn’t match. Wait – why would Noble Lady Hui get sick? And from anger?”

“Yes, Master.” Xiao Hu Zi smiled wickedly. “You definitely won’t guess how long it’s been since Noble Lady Hui last saw the Emperor.”

“Her?” Li Si Qi really had forgotten about her. “Several months?”

“Master guessed right,” Xiao Hu Zi said. “Back when Zhen Huan’s maid Huan Bi was beaten, Noble Lady Hui tried to help Zhen Huan. The Emperor told her to describe what happened, and she deliberately hid a few key points. Yu Ying Er exposed her on the spot for favoring her good sister Zhen Huan. Then Su Pei Sheng questioned the palace maids and eunuchs who were present and learned the truth. The Emperor charged her with ‘speaking without clarity’ and, like Zhen Huan, confined her for a month. Ever since then, Noble Lady Hui has never seen the Emperor again. She didn’t get any rewards either. Consort Jing in Xian Fu Palace didn’t make a special effort to look after her. Now life for the people in her Cun Ju Tang is miserable. Noble Lady Hui can’t swallow her pride and go curry favor with the Emperor, so she’s been relying completely on the silver she brought from her mother’s family to get by.”

“I get it.” Li Si Qi laughed. “These days Zhen Huan is getting more and more glorious. Not only did she keep Huan Bi by her side, she lacks neither favor nor rewards. Meanwhile, Shen Mei Zhuang has become invisible and keeps getting bullied. No wonder she made herself sick with anger. But it’s been months already. Zhen Huan has time to stroll the imperial garden and time to write love letters with Guo Zi Li. Did she seriously never go see Shen Mei Zhuang?”

“Right. Not once,” Xiao Hu Zi couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. “Not only did she not go herself, she didn’t even send someone with gifts. She completely forgot about her. Otherwise Shen Mei Zhuang wouldn’t have gotten sick from anger.”

“Shen Mei Zhuang looks smart, but she’s also a fool,” Li Si Qi shook her head. “After entering the palace, it’s like she lived only for Zhen Huan, and she forgot her own family completely. In the end, she even dared commit a crime that would wipe out nine generations. I’m honestly impressed by that weirdo.”

“It’s a novel. Of course she exists to give everything to the protagonist,” Xiao Hu Zi suddenly suggested. “Master, do you want Shen Mei Zhuang and Zhen Huan to fall out?”

“Whatever. Play with it as you like.” Li Si Qi wasn’t interested in people with broken brains.

“Got it!”

“Don’t get happy too soon. Copy a few Buddhist sutras for me.”

“Easy.”

… As soon as the Empress Dowager’s decree came out, the palace consorts couldn’t help feeling sorry for Li Si Qi, who got dragged into it for no reason. Even the Emperor rarely felt a bit of sympathy for her. So he didn’t summon anyone and came straight to Yong Shou Palace. Even if the Empress Dowager withdrew her green tablet, she still couldn’t stop the Emperor from going where he wanted.

“Your Majesty is here.” Li Si Qi put down her brush and bowed. “Your Majesty, have you gone to see Hong Zhao and Wen Ning yet?”

“Not yet.” The Emperor stepped forward and pulled her toward the desk. “You’ve started copying sutras?”

“Yes.” Li Si Qi nodded. “Copying sutras lets me practice my handwriting too. It’s pretty good.”

“So you’re not angry?” The Emperor sounded a little surprised.

“Why would I be angry?” Li Si Qi smiled. “I get to stay inside for a whole month. What a good thing. I can be with the children every day.”

“Mm. You’re a good one.” Hearing that, the Emperor was very satisfied. He picked up her writing, glanced at it, and commented, “Barely presentable.”