Chapter 56: Revelations
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Outside the palace gates, carriages lined up endlessly. Nearing the end of the year, snow fell heavily, and stepping out of the carriages brought a piercing chill.
Deng Zhi hurriedly draped a thick cloak over Madam Xu and added another layer for the little lady. The faces of the noblewomen gathered outside carried hints of worry, and they showed little interest in exchanging pleasantries with others.
Everyone knew that the current Emperor, born of the Empress Dowager, was famously filial.
“So cold,” murmured several elderly madams, sniffling as they struggled against the biting cold.
“Madam, please use a hand warmer,” Ying Xue said, handing over a heat pouch that could be concealed within her sleeve.
At that moment, the palace gates swung open, and the assembled noblewomen sorted themselves by rank. Though the Xu family held a high position, Madam Xu was married into the Lu family, whose standing in court was middling at best.
From the palace gates emerged a smiling nanny, her presence radiating importance. This was the nanny of the Eldest Princess, a woman of notable influence. She bypassed the other noblewomen and approached Madam Xu directly.
“Madam Xu, as young Chao Chao is still a child and with the snow being so heavy, the Eldest Princess has specially arranged for you to enter the palace in her sedan,” the nanny announced warmly. Behind her followed the Eldest Princess’s ceremonial procession.
The women around were visibly shocked. The Eldest Princess was known for her strict adherence to protocol, yet here she was, breaking tradition to offer her sedan to Madam Xu.
Madam Xu glanced down at Lu Chao Chao, who was sucking her fingers. [Ah, it’s because of this little one,] she thought. Though she and the Eldest Princess had been friends for twenty years, never once had the Princess bent the rules for her before.
“Thank you, Nanny, and please extend my gratitude to the Eldest Princess for her kindness.” Madam Xu curtseyed before boarding the sedan with Chao Chao in her arms.
Inside the palace, even though servants were continuously clearing the snow, a thin layer still blanketed the ground. The deeper into the palace they went, the heavier Madam Xu’s heart grew. Many palace servants were coughing lightly, their pallor unhealthy. A chill crept into her chest.
Passing through the palace walls, they arrived at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility. Before even entering the main hall, the strong scent of medicinal herbs hit her.
“How is the Empress Dowager?” Madam Xu asked as she dismounted the sedan, carrying Chao Chao.
The nanny’s eyes were red as she replied, “The Empress Dowager has always been strong and rarely ill. But with the year-end snowfall and the temperature drop, she fell gravely ill. She’s been feverish and coughing incessantly. This morning, she struggled to breathe.”
“The Emperor has even suspended court to stay by her side. Every physician from the Imperial Medical Office is in the palace, yet they cannot bring down her fever.”
[This is lung disease. It’s contagious. The symptoms mimic a cold but worsen over time—constant coughing, unrelenting fever, followed by organ failure and death,] Chao Chao thought as her bright eyes darted about.
Madam Xu’s heart chilled further. “The Emperor is still at the Palace of Earthly Tranquility?”
The nanny nodded. “Yes, His Majesty has not left her side.”
Madam Xu’s expression darkened. “And the Eldest Princess?” she asked, concern creeping into her voice.
“When the Empress Dowager was still conscious, she forbade the Princess from coming. Her Highness is with child after years of waiting, and the pregnancy has been difficult. The Empress Dowager decreed that she must not enter the palace.”
Relieved, Madam Xu exhaled deeply.
“Go… go…” Chao Chao babbled, sensing her mother’s unease.
With no better options, Madam Xu resolved herself. If the Emperor and Crown Prince fell to this illness, the kingdom would descend into chaos. Holding Chao Chao tightly, she entered the palace.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of medicine, oppressive and unyielding. The Emperor knelt by the Empress Dowager’s bedside, his bloodshot eyes glaring at the quivering physicians.
“The entire Imperial Medical Office—useless! You can’t even treat a simple cold. Why do I keep you?” His hand trembled with rage.
The Empress Dowager, though of humble origins, had shared a harsh life with him, and the Emperor treasured her deeply.
The room was stifling, filled with the faint sounds of stifled coughing. The sight and sounds unsettled Madam Xu. [This is undoubtedly lung disease. In the Southern Kingdom, prolonged war led to piles of corpses, rampant bacteria, and water pollution after rain. This caused a widespread outbreak of lung disease.]
[But the Southern Kingdom has sealed the news. Nothing has leaked yet.] Chao Chao clung to her mother’s neck, pondering how to remind her.
“Leave,” the Emperor ordered. The noblewomen present began to withdraw, leaving Madam Xu behind.
Taking a deep breath, she knelt before him. “Your Majesty, I have something to report.”
Xu Yi Ting, her brother, frowned deeply, his concern evident.
The Emperor’s gaze bore into her. He recalled Madam Xu as the wife of Marquis Zhongyong, Lu Yuan Ze. A recent investigation into Vice Minister Chen had led to revelations about her husband. Though the Marquis was famed for his devotion to her, it turned out he had a secret life. To the Emperor, Madam Xu was naive and foolish, blind to the truth.
With Chao Chao carried out, only Madam Xu and the Emperor remained in the room.
“Your Majesty, I fear the Empress Dowager is afflicted by an epidemic,” she began, her voice trembling. “The Southern Kingdom’s wars have resulted in a plague, hidden from the world. If Your Majesty investigates, the truth will emerge.”
At the mention of an epidemic, the Emperor stiffened. His suspicions grew; how could a woman confined to her household know of this?
The Emperor summoned Eunuch Wang, who called for the Protectorate Duke.
“Protectorate Duke, has there been any unusual activity in the Southern Kingdom?”
The Duke, aged but still commanding, replied, “Three months ago, there was war, but they’ve been unusually quiet since. Cities are sealed, and none of our spies have returned.”
The Emperor’s expression darkened further. His grip on the truth—and his control—began to slip.