Chapter 12: Impudence

Gu Zhenzhen looked at Consort De in stunned disbelief.

She had only spoken in defense of Consort Xian, unable to tolerate Consort De’s words, but she never expected Consort De to order her chief maid to slap her across the face in front of all the gathered concubines.

Seated among the crowd of watching concubines, Yun Ying, like the others, turned her gaze toward Gu Zhenzhen.

Seeing Gu Zhenzhen’s shocked expression—clearly not expecting such an outcome—Yun Ying couldn’t help but think: as expected…

Although Consort Xian had been reprimanded by the Emperor, she had not been stripped of her power.

She had managed the Six Palaces for quite some time, and compared to Consort De, who had only recently begun assisting in managing them, Consort Xian’s foundation in the harem was far more solid.

Given the situation, Consort De was likely desperate for an opportunity to assert her authority in front of the other concubines.

Gu Zhenzhen had run headfirst into it—why would Consort De let such a chance slip?

But the glare Gu Zhenzhen had shot her earlier made Yun Ying realize something else: Gu Zhenzhen might have already aligned herself with Consort Xian.

Because she had sided with Consort Xian, her defiance toward Consort De wasn’t entirely mindless. She had likely already accepted the consequences of offending Consort De, and so still had the presence of mind to cast Yun Ying a look, even as she faced punishment.

If her guess was correct, then Consort Xian certainly wouldn’t allow Consort De to slap Gu Zhenzhen.

Aside from the fact that this was Consort Xian’s own domain—the Chaohui Hall—the more important reason was that she needed to protect her own interests and dignity.

If Consort De could run rampant in her territory and punish those who supported her, what would the other allied concubines think?

Consort Xian had always been gentle, but never weak—otherwise, how could she have managed the Six Palaces so competently?

These thoughts passed through Yun Ying’s mind in a few brief moments.

Just then, she heard Consort Xian speak from her seat above:
“Beauty Gu is, after all, of the proper fifth rank. If she behaved improperly, a few stern words from Consort De should suffice. Must she truly be slapped in front of so many people?”

Consort De’s expression darkened, but she curved her lips into a faint smile.
“Is Elder Sister Consort Xian going to disregard palace rules?”

She turned to stare at Consort Xian.
“If someone makes a mistake, they should be punished. If a mere reprimand is all that’s given, won’t discipline fall into chaos?”

Consort Xian remained calm and rose to her feet.
“You’re absolutely right, Sister Consort De. That palace maid who died at the bottom of the dry well in early April—I actually found some evidence, but forgot to report it to His Majesty. That was my negligence.”

At those words, Consort De’s expression changed slightly.

The gathered concubines all pretended to see and hear nothing.

This exchange made it clear who had the upper hand.

Though furious, Consort De could only swallow her anger. After spitting out a few venomous words, she left Chaohui Hall in a huff.

Gu Zhenzhen had narrowly escaped punishment and repeatedly expressed her deep gratitude to Consort Xian.

The other concubines also realized that Consort Xian’s position remained stable, and many began quietly wondering if they had any weaknesses that might have fallen into her hands.

Yun Ying, meanwhile, enjoyed the drama from the sidelines.

When she left Chaohui Hall, the sun was shining just right. She felt in good spirits and decided to head to the Imperial Library with Bihu to find some entertaining books to pass the time.

The Imperial Library sat in the northern part of the palace.

Yun Ying hadn’t gone far down a cobbled path when she ran into several people.

They were fellow concubines, whom Yun Ying naturally recognized.

It was Lady Shen Wenyin of Yijing Palace and Lady Xie Mengling of Yunxi Palace.

Beauty Xie was on her knees, tearfully clinging to Shen Wenyin’s skirt, pleading desperately.

Lady Shen looked troubled and frowned deeply.

Yun Ying had been taking a shortcut and inadvertently walked into this awkward scene.

With no nearby trees or cover to slip away behind, she couldn’t avoid being seen. Shen Wenyin had already spotted her.

In her past life, Yun Ying had some friendly relations among the harem’s concubines.

Shen Wenyin had been one of them.

But in this life, since Yun Ying wasn’t aiming for favor, she was naturally less close to anyone and didn’t want to implicate others. Her treatment of Shen Wenyin was no different from others. Still, she knew Shen Wenyin’s character well—while they weren’t particularly close, there was some degree of trust between them. So even upon witnessing such a scene, she didn’t feel worried.

“Consort Yun,” Shen Wenyin called out.

Likely unsure how to extricate herself, she seized the moment when Beauty Xie faltered to greet Yun Ying.

As they were both of the same rank, they exchanged formalities. Yun Ying replied politely, “Lady Shen.”

Beauty Xie also stood up.

Being of the sixth rank, she came forward and bowed to Yun Ying.

Though she wiped her tears away, her red, swollen eyes couldn’t be hidden.

After greeting Yun Ying, Beauty Xie took her leave—no one would have insisted she stay in her state.

Once she had gone, Shen Wenyin asked, “Where was Consort Yun heading?”

“I was going to the library,” Yun Ying replied.

After a brief pause, Shen said, “I was heading that way too. Shall we walk together?”

Catching the hint in her tone, Yun Ying did not refuse.

The two strolled side by side down the cobbled path, their maids following at a respectful distance.

“Not long ago when I visited Qingzhu Pavilion, I heard Consort Yun was unwell. But seeing you today, you look much better. Are you fully recovered?” Shen Wenyin asked warmly.

“It’s nothing serious now. Thank you for your concern,” Yun Ying said.

“I’m glad to hear it.” Shen nodded, then lowered her voice and explained, “Recently, due to the relief efforts in Sichuan and Jiangnan, His Majesty has dismissed and investigated a number of court officials. Among them was Beauty Xie’s father. Just now, she was pleading with me for help. But I’m just a powerless woman—what could I possibly do? I’m afraid Consort Yun caught a rather embarrassing scene.”

Shen’s father was the Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Perhaps that was why Beauty Xie had come begging.

Yun Ying remembered that in her past life, Beauty Xie had never been favored by the Emperor.

In fact, her complete fall from favor had to do with her father, a Ministry of Revenue official, being implicated in a corruption scandal.

But…

That scandal shouldn’t have occurred so early.

Even as these thoughts swirled, Yun Ying remained outwardly calm. She looked at Shen Wenyin and smiled gently.
“Though I passed through this place today, I saw no one. I simply exchanged a few idle words with Lady Shen.”

Later, Yun Ying parted ways with Shen Wenyin and continued with Bihu toward the library.

Though silent on the outside, her thoughts had not ceased.

She wasn’t overthinking it.

But after learning about Beauty Xie’s father and remembering the green snakes at Qingzhu Pavilion, both events mirrored things that had happened in her past life.

Even if the timing and details were different, they had still happened.

She couldn’t help but wonder: would her untimely death from illness—so early in life—still occur this time?

Even if this life felt like a second chance, and she had already mentally prepared for this possibility, the thought still brought a quiet sigh: life truly was fleeting.

But such melancholy didn’t last long.

When she reached the library, her original resolve returned with greater clarity.

She didn’t need to walk that thorny path again—just living leisurely was enough to be content.

So Yun Ying happily picked out a number of interesting books and ordered her maids to bring them back to Qingzhu Pavilion.

The tales in those books were delightful—and the dramas among the harem concubines outside the books were just as entertaining.

Perfect.

Thanks to her ability to hear people’s thoughts and the issues exposed through the relief efforts in Sichuan and Jiangnan, Zhao Chong had ruthlessly purged a number of corrupt court officials. He was feeling quite satisfied.

After delegating a slew of matters, he retired to the inner room of the Qinzhen Hall to rest.

Glancing up, he saw the glass jar of wine placed on a display shelf.

Memories he had forgotten in the chaos of court affairs resurfaced.

Lying back in his recliner, Zhao Chong thought of Yun Ying.

Staring at the jar for a long time, he tapped his fingers on the armrest.

He made a decision.

It had been some time since the Emperor visited the harem. That morning’s events at Chaohui Hall—where Consort De had lost face before Consort Xian and the others—had led many to speculate whether he might go to her palace that night.

Instead, he summoned Consort Lü.

When Yun Ying heard the news, she had no particular reaction.

On another day, she might have been interested in watching the drama. But that evening, her period had suddenly arrived and she was feeling quite uncomfortable.

After dinner and two pain relief pills, she bathed and changed with the help of Bihu and Biliu and lay down early.

She had asked Biliu to warm a hot-water bottle, and now she clutched it tightly to her chest.

The discomfort left her disinclined to do anything else.

Slowly drifting off to sleep, she was later awakened by Bihu, who told her that Consort Lü had been demoted by imperial decree—from proper fourth-rank Consort to proper sixth-rank Beauty.

“My lady, they say His Majesty left Wangchun Tower with an awful expression,” Bihu said.

“What did Consort Lü do to provoke him? Or is it related to what happened at Chaohui Hall this morning?”

Bihu frowned, unable to figure it out.

Still lying in bed, Yun Ying mumbled sleepily, “If you’re curious, ask around tomorrow.”

“You’re right, my lady. There’s always tomorrow.”

Relaxing, Bihu nodded. “Are you feeling any better?”

Just as Yun Ying was about to answer, Biliu rushed in to announce that the imperial carriage was approaching Qingzhu Pavilion.

The Emperor would arrive at any moment.

Startled, Bihu and Biliu quickly helped Yun Ying out of bed and hurried to dress and tidy her hair. There wasn’t time for anything elaborate—just enough to make sure she wouldn’t embarrass herself in front of the Emperor.

By the time they finished, the Emperor was already outside.

They quickly helped Yun Ying out to the corridor to greet him.

But having been pulled from bed, Yun Ying was extremely irritated.

Especially now, the discomfort in her lower abdomen, which had just eased, surged back again.

Suppressing her pain and annoyance, she bowed low to the bright yellow figure drawing near.
“This concubine greets Your Majesty. Wishing Your Majesty peace and blessings.”

“Rise, my beloved,” Zhao Chong said, reaching out to lift her and take her hand.

The moment he touched her, he felt the heat of her palm, slick with sweat. Her lips were pale, and her complexion poor.

He frowned deeply.
“What’s wrong? Are you unwell?” he asked, then ordered Xia Jiang to summon the imperial physician immediately.

“It’s just an old issue, Your Majesty. No need to call the doctor,” Yun Ying said weakly through the pain.

“Old ailments need even more attention. You mustn’t ignore it,” Zhao Chong replied. “Let the physician have a look.”

The cramping in her belly was too much—Yun Ying didn’t want to talk anymore.

Frustrated and irritable, she silently blamed the Emperor.

Why’s he being so naggy just because of my period?

If he’d just say less and let me lie down, I’d thank him!

Zhao Chong: “…”

“I’ll carry you back to bed,” he said, understanding her situation. Seeing her pale face, he didn’t argue—he simply scooped her up in his arms and strode into Qingzhu Pavilion.