EWRN - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: The Emperor Wants to Ruin the Nation (V)
At the crack of dawn, Huo Jinyu pushed open the door of the new consort's bedchamber, Biluo Palace, and headed for her own Hall of the Slumbering Dragon. She had sat on a couch all night, and her body was a little stiff. The strong liquor she had drunk the day before yesterday had made her sweat, so it was best to take a bath.
Huo Jinyu had a habit of bathing in the early morning, and since it was her wedding night, the palace maids and matrons had already perceptively prepared the bath. They had been replacing the hot water every hour, so Huo Jinyu returned at just the right time. The bath was steaming, a welcome warmth for her body.
Waving away the attending palace maids, Huo Jinyu undressed and slowly slid into the bath, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Meanwhile, in Biluo Palace.
The woman lying inelegantly on the large bed gradually began to wake. She had drunk strong liquor the day before yesterday and couldn't hold her alcohol; the resulting hangover left her feeling unwell for quite some time. The woman on the bed clutched her forehead and groaned softly, slowly opening her eyes, only to be startled by the scene before her. The floor was strewn with disheveled wedding undergarments, and the bed was a mess. The only thing missing was the person who should have been beside her pillow—the revered Emperor was long gone.
Bai Qing threw back the covers, about to get up, when a flash of bright white caught her eye. It was the Bridal Cloth! It was pristine white, without a single spot of red. Her hand trembled as she snatched the cloth, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. 'Why is there no blood? Didn't we not go too far that time during our outing with Jiachang? He said he didn't see any blood, that it was fine. But there's no blood on this cloth today! It must have been from that time, by accident…'
Bai Qing didn't dare to dwell on it, feeling herself begin to tremble with fear. This was the very reason she had been so vehemently against marrying into the palace back at the Bai residence. During their outing, the two youths had been like dry tinder and a burning flame, completely unable to control themselves. He had said there was no blood, but perhaps it was simply because the sky was growing dark and he hadn't noticed.
Before the palace maids and matrons came in, she had to find a way to get through this.
Bai Qing got out of bed barefoot, walked to the round table, and grabbed a small teacup. Wrapping it in a piece of the wedding garment from the floor, she smashed it on the ground. It didn't make a loud noise, but the cup shattered into several pieces. Bai Qing took a shard and sliced it across her arm. A bloody line appeared on her skin, which was as fair as jade. Bai Qing was a young lady from a great house, pampered and doted on by her entire family, and had never suffered so much as a scrape. The pain of the cut made her lips turn pale.
To save her life, to secure her position in the depths of the palace, she had to endure it! Gritting her teeth, Bai Qing squeezed the cut, and a few beads of blood dripped onto the cloth. Now, the Bridal Cloth was finally stained red.
Bai Qing tossed the cloth onto the bed to complete the chaotic scene, then put on her undergarments and hid the blood-stained shard in a dowry box. Only then did she call for the palace maids waiting outside to come in and serve her.
Two palace maids were helping Bai Qing dress when one of them accidentally brushed against the wound on her left arm. The sharp pain made Bai Qing reflexively slap the young maid across the face. "Where did this wretched slave come from! Don't you know how to serve someone? You've hurt me!"
The young palace maid, dazed from the slap, immediately fell to her knees in terror, kowtowing repeatedly. "Your Highness, spare my life! Your Highness, spare my life! This slave knows her mistake! This slave knows her mistake!"
Seeing the young maid was about to split her head open from kowtowing, Bai Qing's mood finally improved a little. She ignored the maid, leaving her to kneel, and led her entourage out of the bedchamber toward Dowager Consort Xian's palace. According to custom, a new bride had to serve tea to her elders. The Emperor's mother had passed away, but Dowager Consort Xian was still present. Dowager Consort Xian held a high position in the rear palace and was also Bai Qing's paternal aunt, so it was necessary to go serve her tea and make small talk. As for Dowager Consort Rong, the Third Prince's mother, Bai Qing didn't even consider visiting her. The Third Prince was still young and posed no threat, and Dowager Consort Rong's status was unremarkable. In Bai Qing's eyes, she wasn't worth the trip. Little did she know that one wrong step would lead to many more.
Xianyu Palace.
"This servant pays her respects to the Dowager Consort." In the main hall of the palace, Bai Qing bowed to Dowager Consort Xian. "This servant has come today to serve tea to Your Highness and to wish you good health and daily happiness." Bai Qing performed the rites flawlessly, thinking that soon she could dismiss the palace maids and chat privately with her aunt.
To her surprise, however, the Dowager Consort did not bid her rise. After kneeling for a long time, Bai Qing's knees began to ache. When had she ever been treated this way? Her body began to sway slightly.
"Where is the Emperor? Why has he not come to serve tea? Does he hold no regard for this grieving one?" After a long while, seeing that Bai Qing's delicate body was about to collapse, the Dowager Consort finally spoke. She had entered the palace as a child, a political sacrifice for the Bai family. Unfavored at home and unfavored by the late Emperor in the palace, she had suffered a lifetime of resentment. The late Emperor had died young, and her own son had not received even a sliver of the throne, leaving her with a heart full of pent-up anger. This time, her maternal family, the Bai clan, had failed to secure anything for the Second Prince, which made her heart grow cold. Now, hearing that the new Emperor had specifically requested to marry the Bai family's most beloved legitimate daughter, the contrast in treatment made Dowager Consort Xian gnash her teeth in jealousy. Thus, she grew to despise her niece and was determined to make her suffer.
Dowager Consort Xian was shrewd. The new consort had been kneeling before her for nearly an hour, yet the Emperor had not appeared. It was clear he didn't care much for this legitimate daughter of the Bai family. Perhaps only the fools of the Bai clan believed the Emperor was truly infatuated with his new consort.
Believing she had uncovered some hidden truth, Dowager Consort Xian's mood improved considerably. It seemed Bai Qing would not have an easy life in the palace, and that put her mind at ease. If she was miserable, she certainly didn't want anyone else from the Bai family to be happy!
By the time Bai Qing left Xianyu Palace, her legs were trembling uncontrollably. Supported by her palace maids, she carefully made her way back to her own bedchamber.
After finally dragging herself back to her bedchamber, she saw the maid from earlier was still kneeling on the floor. Bai Qing was too exhausted to deal with her. She waved her hand, dismissing all the maids, and collapsed onto the bed, which had since been tidied. She needed to rest and think hard about why Dowager Consort Xian, her own aunt, had treated her that way. She had no idea that she had not only offended Dowager Consort Xian; Dowager Consort Rong, who had waited in vain for a long time, wore an equally grim expression and had already made several black marks against Bai Qing's name in her mind.
At that moment, in the study.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, I have brought the Bridal Cloth," Eunuch Wang said, presenting a box. Huo Jinyu opened it and gazed at the bright red stain on the white fabric. She then listened as Eunuch Wang recounted the morning's events in Biluo Palace—how Noble Consort Bai had slapped a palace maid for hurting her arm and forced her to kneel.
Huo Jinyu's expression remained unchanged. She handed the Bridal Cloth to Eunuch Li. "Dispose of this." Seeing that both Eunuch Wang and Eunuch Li had more to say, she waved them away. Eunuch Li left first, but just as Eunuch Wang was about to exit, Huo Jinyu called him back. "Eunuch Wang, that young palace maid could be very useful. You understand Our meaning, don't you?" Before he could reply, she dismissed him.
Eunuch Wang understood this was a test from the Emperor. Attending a monarch was like accompanying a tiger; a clever servant had to learn to intuit their master's intentions without being told and then act on them. Reading the Emperor's unspoken cues was of the utmost importance.
The Emperor's move was to plant a spy in Noble Consort Bai's palace. Why had His Majesty suddenly taken an interest in the rear palace? He pushed the thought aside. The monarch's heart was unfathomable; it was best not to speculate.
Time flew, and another half-month passed.
In all that time, the Emperor, busy with matters of state, never once came to the rear palace to rest, even though Noble Consort Bai was currently its sole occupant.
Biluo Palace.
Noble Consort Bai had not seen her lover for a long time, and with each passing night, her longing intensified.
The Emperor never came to spend the night, and as a young woman in the first bloom of love, she inevitably felt lonely. She wanted to leave the palace and find a way to meet her lover.
"Bi Luo," Bai Qing said, summoning her head palace maid, "take my palace token and deliver this letter to Manager Wang at the Emerald Gold Pavilion. Remember, don't let anyone see. Go now, and return quickly."
This head maid, Bi Luo, was the most capable and obedient of all the palace maids. Before entering the palace, Bai Qing had heard stories from court dramas, which said that every consort had her own loyal maids, most of whom were won over with rewards and silver. Once a maid's loyalty was secured, she would do anything for her mistress.
Seeing that Bi Luo was diligent, nimble, and eloquent, Bai Qing had rewarded her with plenty of silver and jewelry, assuming the maid was now her loyal subordinate.
However, less than a quarter of an hour later, that very letter was lying on Huo Jinyu's desk. She opened it, but Bai Qing's bold and explicit expressions of longing were so intense that Huo Jinyu could hardly bear to look. She put the letter back in its envelope, set it on her desk, and instructed Bi Luo to proceed to the Emerald Gold Pavilion—only now, she was to deliver a verbal message instead of a letter.
Two days later, Noble Consort Bai, disguised as a palace maid, left the palace with Bi Luo to meet her young lover at the Emerald Gold Pavilion. The two shared a passionate encounter, and even Bi Luo, who stood guard outside the door, blushed at the sound of Bai Qing's audacious words.
The first time led to a second. Seeing that each tryst went smoothly and undetected, Bai Qing placed even more trust in Bi Luo, insisting on bringing her along as a lookout every time. As for Wang Jiachang, having slept with the Emperor's beauty, he now walked with his head held high and his chest puffed out, full of swagger.
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