Chapter 285 - Everything Is Unpredicted

Empress Su noticed Grand Princess Daiguo’s weird tone and looked in that direction, to see the simple blue clothes behind the shadow of the trees, but the smaller part of the face revealed was beautiful enough to cause the fall of a city. Who could it be except Beautiful Lady Nuan?

Empress Su’s eyes darkened.

Grand Princess Daiguo caressed the hair on her temples and smiled charmingly. “I heard that Xubai and this lady kept an unusual relationship when they were in Wuhuan. Duke of Ji was the commander in chief when our country sent armed forces to suppress Wuhuan those years, so Your Majesty, you must know this matter more or less, right?”

“They were old stories.” Empress Su casually glanced at the courtyard below. Jian Xubai looked like Emperor Xianjia but was more delicate than his maternal uncle. Because he served the ill emperor and it was improper to wear luxurious clothes, he was dressed in a shirt with a collar of Ruyi-shaped grains like a plate and an azurite bottom, wearing a jade belt on his waist. Except the pink gold crown to tie his hair on his head, there was no accessory all over his body, yet he had beautiful brows and slanted eyes, and his face was fair-skinned like jade. He looked matchlessly handsome.

Princess Yushan was a beautiful girl. She was the emperor’s daughter, and with her bearing as she was raised in luxury, ordinary people couldn’t compare with her. But in front of him, she was outshone.

The empress smiled vaguely and said in a peaceful tone, “When Xubai went to the battlefield with the army that year, he was still a child. Even if he was close to Beautiful Lady Nuan in Wuhuan, he was young and ignorant then. How can you say that it was an unusual relationship?”

“Of course.” Grand Princess Daiguo narrowed her eyes after hearing that. “After all, if Duke of Ji hadn’t taken care of Beautiful Lady Nuan specially, she might have died with her sisters under the torture on the way. How would she have been intact and sent to His Majesty and get the chance to serve the emperor of Great Rui? Duke of Ji does everything carefully. Since he gave her to His Majesty, he must have investigated and know that Beautiful Lady Nuan had never been intimate to another man. Otherwise, how would she have the qualification to enter the imperial palace?”

While speaking, she had a turn of conversation. “But, after all, Beautiful Lady Nuan and Xubai knew each other when they were young. Even though nothing happened between them those years, times have passed and circumstances have changed. They meet again when His Majesty suffers from a severe and lingering illness, and the woman is beautiful while the man is talented. It is uncertain if something will happen between them. Especially all people know that you give much attention and thought to take care of His Majesty these days. Even if something happens in the imperial palace at this time, I don’t think you are to blame, Your Majesty.”

Empress Su pondered for a while and then retorted, “After all, His Majesty is a wise emperor. Even though he is laid up now, anything that will ruin his fame won’t happen in his palace.”

The empress truly loved Emperor Xianjia. Although she got involved in the fight for the title of heir to the throne because of her son, she didn’t want to harm the emperor, and she was even unwilling to let the emperor have a bad reputation as his concubine cheated on him.

The empress was hesitant, while Grand Princess Daiguo got impatient. She turned her head and glared at her sister-in-law, saying with sarcasm, “There is nothing that will satisfy both sides in the world. If you want to protect your son, you will harm your husband. If you want to protect your husband, you don’t need to care about your son, yourself and your parents’ family as well as the reputation after death. You are from an eminent family, and your bearing was extraordinary even when you were young. Why do you return to the old days as you can’t even see through such simple reasons?”

She waved her sleeve and continued coldly, “I have said enough. Your Majesty, if you are still confused, in my opinion, you don’t need to waste your energy and serve His Majesty to tire yourself. You’d better ask the royal doctors earlier for a dose, no, several doses of medicine with deadly poison. When His Majesty is dying, you just give them to Prince of Zhao and the Su Family. Anyway, it will let you avoid being humiliated in the future.”

After speaking, she sneered several times and then swaggered away.

Empress Su was left alone with a pale face. She glanced at Jian Xubai deeply who almost made Princess Yushan happy after comforting her and Beautiful Lady Nuan who was still peeping in the shadow of the trees. After a long while, she sighed and then left with heavy steps.

Jian Xubai had a headache as Princess Yushan pestered him. Although he saw the empress and Grand Princess Daiguo out of the corners of his eyes, he didn’t find Beautiful Lady Nuan not far away.

So as soon as he saw Yushan off after comforting her for a long time, he heaved a sigh of relief. When a low voice called him Xubai from behind, he was stunned.

He turned his head and saw Beautiful Lady Nuan. He didn’t know that she had peeped at him for a long time and thought that she just passed by accidentally, so he nodded politely and greeted, “Beautiful Lady, nice to see you.”

“I have heard that your wife is pregnant?” While speaking, Beautiful Lady Nuan walked a few steps forward subconsciously and left the shadow of the trees. She was extremely gorgeous, and she said in a sobbing voice. She stared at him in panic and with expectancy, so she looked more pitiful.

However, Jian Xubai was used to her beauty as he had stayed with her for five or six years in Wuhuan. He didn’t have compassion for her but frowned in secret and thought, “Feinuan has been in the imperial palace for a long period and she once had a miscarriage, yet why is she still so ignorant? Now His Majesty is laid up, and many people keep an eye in and outside the Palace of Xuanming. She is an imperial concubine who often serves His Majesty, at the same age as me. If others see that she stops me alone and talks with me even though in broad daylight, won’t it cause gossips?”

Especially Beautiful Lady Nuan still called his name as she did when they were in Wuhuan. If somebody heard only this form of address, it would cause much trouble.

So he nodded slightly and responded in an emotionless tone, “Right. Thanks for your concern, Beautiful Lady. I am worried about His Majesty, so I am off now.”

With that, he cupped his hands and left.

Of course, he did that to benefit the two parties, while Beautiful Lady Nuan saw that and felt sad, which could hardly be expressed. She thought, “When I had a miscarriage, Song gave me gifts like the others did, yet several things from Wuhuan that she gave are to my taste, and it must be Xubai’s decision. It can be seen that he cares about me. But after only one or two years, he didn’t want to talk with me when he saw me.”

She felt wronged and disappointed. After standing there for quite a while, she left in low spirits.

When Emperor Xianjia was conscious, he was alert to Beautiful Lady Nuan and never gave her special treatment, in case that she became arrogant because she was favored, but he really loved her beautiful face, so he would tell her to accompany him almost every two days.

However, Emperor Xianjia was in a coma this time and couldn’t make a decision. Empress Su stayed beside his bed in person, so she wouldn’t summon Beautiful Lady Nuan frequently as her husband did.

However, Beautiful Lady Nuan was scared these days because she was pestered by the other imperial concubines such as Concubine Fu, who were jealous of her as she could often stay with the emperor. She lived in the Pavilion of Pinglan in the Palace of Lanqiu in the past. After she was promoted, she still lived in the Palace of Lanqiu, but she moved into the more spacious side hall, the Liuzui Hall.

The problem was that there was no mistress in the Palace of Lanqiu. If Concubine Fu and the others wanted to make things difficult for her, they could break in and nobody dared to stop them for her.

That was why the crown prince accidentally saw twice that she was stopped on the way by Concubine Fu. When she didn’t serve the emperor, if she stayed in the Palace of Lanqiu, she would be caught. If she ran away and stayed outside, she could avoid them anyway.

So although the empress didn’t tell her to come to the Palace of Xuanming these two days, she still got up early and came to await instructions because it was the residence of the emperor, and no matter how much Concubine Fu and the others hated her, they didn’t dare to act recklessly here.

Beautiful Lady Nuan believed that Jian Xubai snubbed her. Although she thought that nobody saw it, she still felt embarrassed.

So after leaving, she found her trusted maid Qinye and planned to return to the Palace of Lanqiu. Even though she might be bullied again after going back, she thought that she couldn’t bear to continue staying in the same palace with Jian Xubai.

Unexpectedly, after she told Fangyu that she wanted to leave first, the maid didn’t agree inattentively like she did yesterday but stated, “Beautiful Lady, the empress said that you served His Majesty most of the time when he rested quietly to recuperate for more than half a year, and now he is unwell. No matter if he summons you, you’d better often stay in the Palace of Xuanming.”

Beautiful Lady Nuan was surprised to hear that, yet she didn’t have a reason to refuse, so she had to agree.

Fangyu told her to stay but didn’t give her any jobs, so Beautiful Lady Nuan had to wait in a quiet corner.

“Beautiful Lady, this is not good.” When they were in a place where there was nobody else, Qinye’s face fell and she grabbed Beautiful Lady Nuan’s sleeve, whispering, “You are not asked to serve His Majesty these two days. Why did the empress tell you to stay here?”

“I know that there is something wrong, yet Fangyu is a trusted maid of the empress and forwarded the empress’ order. How can I have the nerve to say no?” Beautiful Lady Nuan pursed her red lips and also said in a low voice, “You know that I have no backup in this imperial palace, but there are many people who hate and complain about me and want me to die miserably.”

While speaking, she laughed with self-mockery. “In the past, I firmly believed that I would have my day, yet everything is unpredicted.”

Qinye also felt a grievance. She believed that this great beauty would have a bright future more than the beautiful lady did, while the road to a high position was so rough. She underestimated Emperor Xianjia’s self-restraint in front of a beauty. This emperor just took Beautiful Lady Nuan as a plaything. Even though she was favored by him, he showed no concern to her when she was insulted by Concubine Fu and the others from time to time and just enjoyed her service.

If that was all, Qinye could comfort herself. Beautiful Lady Nuan served Emperor Xianjia for a short period, and he was strong-willed and wouldn’t be like a fatuous emperor who would be crazy about her as soon as they met.

However, all people had feelings, and the emperor was not an exception. Qinye believed that he would get soft-hearted after a long time.

Unexpectedly, Beautiful Lady Nuan just entered the imperial palace the year before last, but Emperor Xianjia was dying so soon?

“The Empress Dowager and two grand princesses didn’t agree to let Beautiful Lady Nuan enter the imperial palace.” While thinking, Qinye became more fretful. “Beautiful Lady Nuan offended Consort Cui in the past. Even though the empress tries to win her over these months, she just takes Beautiful Lady Nuan as a pawn. Beautiful Lady Nuan was a princess of a small country and doesn’t have any supporters in Great Rui. Her only advantage is her beauty, and her only backup is His Majesty. Once His Majesty dies, will she have a chance of survival? Now the empress must have no good intention when she insists on keeping Beautiful Lady Nuan in the Palace of Xuanming. What should we do?”

In the past, Qinye wanted to seize a chance to seek private gain, so she followed Beautiful Lady Nuan, yet before they freed themselves from persecution, they would be in danger, so she was certainly reluctant.

“The empress has an honorable status, and she is His Majesty’s official wife.” Under the pressure of death, Qinye had quick wits in an emergency and suddenly said, “If she wants to kick down the ladder and cope with you once His Majesty… In my opinion, she doesn’t need to keep you now. After all, as long as His Majesty…even if the empress kills you in secret, who will know it?”

Her eyes lit up, and she continued in a soft voice, “I am afraid that the purpose of the empress insisting on keeping you must be related to the current situation at the imperial court.”

She paused for a while and lowered her voice. “The empress’ intention is just to make Prince of Zhao replace the crown prince and take the throne. Beautiful Lady, in this case, if we can help the crown prince…it will be a contribution to support the next emperor before he takes the throne.”