Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Zhen Huan Chronicles, An Ling Rong

At that moment, Xiao Xia Zi came in, knelt, and saluted. “Your Majesty, Noble Consort Hua is here!” “Bring her in!” The Emperor’s face flashed with a hint of helplessness.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Xiao Xia Zi withdrew at once. Footsteps belonging to Noble Consort Hua soon sounded, and Su Pei Sheng bent low to greet her. “I pay my respects to Your Majesty,” Noble Consort Hua said in a sweet, innocent voice.

“My dear consort, get up.” The Emperor sat up straighter, smiling as he beckoned her closer. “It’s scorching out. If you don’t sit somewhere cool, you’ll get heatstroke.”

“Hmph!” Noble Consort Hua gave a soft snort, then sat opposite the Emperor, looking proud. With a bit of a pout, she said, “Even if I get heatstroke, I still have to come ask Your Majesty for justice.”

Half an hour later, an imperial edict went out from Qin Zheng Hall. It quickly arrived at Zhen Huan’s Bi Tong Academy.

“Noble Lady Wan, Madam Zhen, has failed to be prudent and virtuous and has been lax in disciplining those under her. Her title is stripped, and she is demoted to Attendant. She shall copy the palace rules thirty times and remain confined to reflect for three months. Her maid Huan Bi has overstepped her place and offended the imperial consorts; she is demoted to a third-rank palace maid and shall receive twenty strokes.”

Receiving the edict was like being struck by lightning. Zhen Huan went blank, unable to believe the Emperor had punished her so harshly. The unluckiest of all was Huan Bi. She had just woken up when she was dragged out for punishment again, and when she was carried back, she was barely clinging to life.

When the consorts heard the news, they were still furious and thought the Emperor’s punishment was far too light. That mistress and maid got off easy. No matter what, the storm finally passed. One less person was fighting for favor, and the other consorts started locking horns again.

The Empress, as always, stirred trouble in front of the consorts, constantly fanning the flames. The consorts’ relationships grew more and more tense as they battled back and forth. Li Si Qi and Xiao Hu Zi watched several more scenes of drama. Xiao Hu Zi could not help sighing, “Our Empress is something else.

She can’t wait for the harem to be as chaotic as possible.”

“She’s just too idle.” Li Si Qi smiled slightly. “By my count, the Empress should be about a month and a half pregnant.”

“Yes, Master.” Xiao Hu Zi asked excitedly, “Are you planning to let the Empress’s pregnancy be exposed?”

“No rush.” Li Si Qi wore a wicked smile. “For this period, it’s best not to let the imperial doctors go to Tao Hua Cove. Hide it for as long as you can.”

“Why?” Xiao Hu Zi was puzzled. “Master, wouldn’t it be better for the Empress to know sooner?”

“It’s simple.” Coldness flashed in Li Si Qi’s eyes. “Our Empress loves to lay hands on fetuses. We need her to enjoy all kinds of ‘accidents.’”

“Keep a close watch on Tao Hua Cove, and if you find a chance, give her a push.” “Don’t worry, Master. I’m watching.” “How is Zhen Huan now?”

“She’s been writing love letters to Guo Zi Li, complaining!” Xiao Hu Zi laughed. “And Prince Guo came into the garden today.”

“Then isn’t there going to be a show?” Li Si Qi narrowed her eyes. “With Zhen Huan’s nerve, she’ll definitely dare sneak out to meet him.” “Xiao Hu Zi, think of a way to let Noble Lady Cao see those two meeting in secret.”

“Noble Lady Cao?” Xiao Hu Zi looked confused. “Master, why pick Noble Lady Cao? Wouldn’t Concubine Li be more suitable?”

“We still want to watch the show. Why let Concubine Li step onstage?” Li Si Qi rolled her eyes. “If Concubine Li sees Zhen Huan meeting Prince Guo, either she exposes them and Zhen Huan and Prince Guo are doomed, or she gets killed by Prince Guo.”

“Concubine Li hasn’t offended us. Why get her killed?”

“That’s true.” Xiao Hu Zi nodded. “Why Noble Lady Cao, then? Would Noble Lady Hui work?”

“Of course not.” Li Si Qi said bluntly. “With Shen Mei Zhuang’s temperament, even if she knew Zhen Huan’s scandal, she wouldn’t use it as leverage.”

“Noble Lady Cao is different. Don’t look at her alliance with Zhen Huan right now – once her interests clash with Zhen Huan’s, she’ll dare to destroy her.” “Don’t forget how Noble Lady Cao was in the drama: she never cared about favors, only grudges. She not only stabbed Noble Consort Hua in the back – she even wanted her dead!”

“In truth, Noble Consort Hua did wrong her and her daughter in some ways. But no one can deny that without Noble Consort Hua shielding her, she might not have been able to give birth at all.” “As an unfavored consort, if Noble Consort Hua hadn’t protected her, she and her daughter would have been bullied terribly by those servants who fawn on the powerful and trample the weak. But she never thinks about any of that.”

“She only thinks about revenge!” “Noble Lady Cao really is scheming.” Xiao Hu Zi agreed. “She is Noble Consort Hua’s woman on the surface, yet she is secretly hooking up with Zhen Huan.”

“Deep down, she doesn’t truly trust anyone. If she holds Zhen Huan’s weakness, there will be an unexpected show later.” “Leave it to you to arrange.”

“No problem. Just wait for the show, Master!”

… That night, with her maid Liu Zhu attending her, Zhen Huan put on a black cloak and quietly left Bi Tong Academy. Avoiding the patrolling guards, she headed toward Tong Hua Terrace. They went along without incident and soon reached Tong Hua Terrace. The moment she saw the figure standing in the shadows, Zhen Huan could not help calling out, “Your Highness!”

“Huan’er!” Prince Guo strode up, clasped both her hands, and looked at her with heartache. “You’ve lost weight.”

“Your Highness…” Zhen Huan looked shy, yet uneasy. She tried to pull her hands back, but his grip was tight, and she could only whisper, “Your Highness, it is already improper for us to meet. Please let go of me.”

“Huan’er, call me Yun Li, all right?” Prince Guo gazed at her with deep feeling and said earnestly, “In my eyes, you have only one identity – Zhen Huan, the Zhen family’s daughter.”

“But I…” Zhen Huan bit her lip, her voice heavy with sadness. “I’m no longer worthy of you, Your Highness.”

“Being able to see you once is my greatest wish. From now on, we should not meet again.”

“Huan’er, I won’t let you say that.” Prince Guo’s eyes were full of heartache. “To me, you are the finest woman.”

“I only want you to be well, and to live happily. I won’t care about anything else.”

“Your Highness!” Zhen Huan was moved to tears, her heart softening into a mess. “What virtue do I have, that I could be loved like this?”

“To meet you and know you in this life… even if I die, I will have no regrets.”

“Don’t speak such nonsense, Huan’er.” Prince Guo said with tender devotion. “To meet you and know you has been the greatest blessing of my life.”

“When spring waters first rise, when spring woods are at their fullest, when the spring breeze travels ten li – none of it compares to you. Huan’er, may the rest of my life be only you.”

“Your Highness, why must it be like this?” Tears fell from Zhen Huan as she stared at him, dazed. In a whisper, she said, “You are not yet wed, but I am already married. I am another man’s wife, and you are still a young gentleman.”

“I only hate that time cannot flow backward, so I could grow old with you.” “Huan’er, it is only fate playing tricks.” Prince Guo pulled her into his arms and sighed. “If two hearts can last, why must they be together day after day?”

“Huan’er, don’t worry. Our hearts match, we share one mind and one purpose. For this love, we can only ask the heavens.” “Your Highness!”

“Call me Yun Li!” “Yun Li!”

… The two embraced and poured out their hearts, never noticing that around the corner on the other side stood a mistress and maid. Noble Lady Cao stared in shock, her face full of disbelief. She did not dare make the slightest sound. Only after a long while did she recover from her shock.

Watching the pair ahead, her gaze grew complicated. She had never imagined she would witness something like this. In the end, Noble Lady Cao chose to slip away in silence. She gave her maid a meaningful look, and they retreated step by step, pausing every few paces.

Luckily, they were far enough away that they did not alert anyone, and they left without a sound.