CH 40

Abandoned Empress 15

The rain continued to pour until evening, showing no sign of stopping.

The sky outside turned as dark as spilled ink, obscuring everything from view.

With nothing much to do, Xin Lan decided to go to bed early.

Qu Zhi’an lit a lamp in the room and covered it with a lampshade.

Perhaps it was autumn, so the downpour only brought a chilling sensation rather than a sense of heaviness. Xin Lan lay in bed, watching Qu Zhi’an engrossed in her book.

Qu Zhi’an was reading attentively, and the flickering candlelight cast gentle shadows on her face, making her appear particularly tender.

“Yan Yan, what are you reading?”

“A collection of poems.”

“Oh,” Xin Lan rolled over and turned towards Qu Zhi’an’s direction, “Why don’t you read them to me?”

“Sure.”

“The faded red flowers and green apricots remain. When the swallows fly, they encircle the houses by the green waters. The willow branches gently sway, but fewer remain. Where in the world is there no fragrant grass? Within the wall, a swing; outside the wall, a path. Passersby outside the wall, a beauty inside laughs. The laughter gradually fades, the sound grows quiet. Passionate, yet vexed by indifference.”

Qu Zhi’an recited each word and phrase, and as she reached the last sentence, a sense of inexplicable melancholy filled her.

She looked at Xin Lan, lying in bed, awaiting her response.

“It’s a beautiful poem. Another day, you can read it to Qingqing.”

Xin Lan fell silent for a moment before answering.

Qu Zhi’an knew who “Qingqing” referred to. After all, when Xin Lan didn’t have enough money to redeem Qingqing, she borrowed from Qu Zhi’an.

Qingqing had gone to help Xin Lan, and Qu Zhi’an was aware of that.

“Is it telling her that there is fragrant grass wherever she goes?”

Qu Zhi’an chuckled, not knowing whether Qingqing had moved on from the physician’s clinic. But based on Xin Lan’s words, it seemed she was still on her own.

“No, I want to tell her that despite her deep affection, she is tormented by indifference. She loves that physician, but he sees her only as a passerby. A few days ago, he encountered Qingqing while accompanied by his family, and they politely greeted each other.”

What I fear the most is not the avoidance when we meet again, but the calmness that makes it seem like it was always just one person’s sentimental imagination.

In the lyrics of “Butterflies in Love with Flowers,” how would the beauty inside the door know that there is a passerby outside? It’s nothing more than self-mockery born out of one’s own wishful thinking.

Of course, this is just Xin Lan’s own interpretation. With her eyes closed, she let Qu Zhi’an continue reading.

“Throughout history, deep affections often result in lingering regrets, and sweet dreams are the easiest to awaken from. How can plucking a flower bring liberation? Pitifully, the drifting catkins scatter without a trace. The fragrant nest suddenly becomes a pair of mandarin ducks’ abode, while new verses are inscribed on the emerald screen. Despite not being separated, the heart is already broken, and tears stain the old garments green.”

As Qu Zhi’an finished reciting this poem, even she furrowed her brow.

“The opening line of this poem is quite good, but the rest seems hasty.”

Xin Lan chuckled. She had wanted to ask why the collection of poems consisted mostly of such sorrowful verses, but then she realized there was no point in asking.

“Deep affections often result in lingering regrets, and sweet dreams are the easiest to awaken from. Well then, let’s continue sleeping and dream a better dream.”

Xin Lan playfully recited the first two lines. She turned over, lying flat on her body, let out a sigh, and lazily uttered, “That makes sense.”

“Indeed.”

Qu Zhi’an also laughed along, feeling a bit melancholic initially. However, after Xin Lan’s remark, the melancholy seemed to dissipate.

Indeed, dreams are easily disrupted, so let’s dream another one.

Qu Zhi’an continued reciting the poem, her voice gentle, and the words of the poem were also tender. Xin Lan listened, gradually drifting off to sleep without even realizing it.

Seeing Xin Lan sound asleep, Qu Zhi’an fell silent.

Initially, she didn’t feel particularly sleepy, but seeing Xin Lan peacefully immersed in her dreams on the bed, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of drowsiness, longing to find a cozy slumber within the embrace of the covers.

The next day, the weather cleared up, but various parts of the estate remained damp, with puddles forming on the roads.

Xin Lan didn’t return to the palace but had breakfast at Qu Zhi’an’s residence.

Considering Qu Zhi’an’s current status as a high-ranking official, one would expect the estate to be filled with numerous servants. However, Qu Zhi’an didn’t like having too many people around, and her identity couldn’t be exposed. So, she only invited a few trusted servants to maintain the functioning of the estate, who happened to be from her own family and knew exactly what to say and what not to say.

Originally, Qu Zhi’an didn’t intend to let her family know what she was doing. However, when the homing pigeons sent inquiries about her well-being and expressed their intention to visit, she found herself short on funds. When she went to the bank to withdraw money, news reached her parents and elder brother, prompting them to come and pay their respects.

Upon learning that their daughter had disguised herself as a man and become a high-ranking official, Qu Zhi’an’s mother was almost breathless with shock. After all, if this were to be discovered, it would be a capital offense. Qu Zhi’an’s father, on the other hand, wasn’t particularly worried. Instead, he patted Qu Zhi’an on the shoulder, praising her for her achievements.

Because he had always desired to hold an official position, but lacked the aptitude for scholarly pursuits himself, and his son also showed no interest in studying, having a daughter who brought honor to the family and fulfilled his aspirations delighted him. He left a substantial sum of money for Qu Zhi’an to use as needed and told her to go to the bank if it wasn’t enough. After leaving a few household servants behind, he departed with his family.

After finishing breakfast and lunch, Xin Lan finally returned to the palace in the afternoon.

Upon her return, Si Tong approached her with a mysterious air and shared some news.

“Is that so?”

“Absolutely! It was confirmed by one of the servants in the Noble Consort’s palace. It’s truly amusing to hear,” Si Tong replied, trying to suppress her laughter.

Xin Lan also found it quite amusing. She had instructed Zero Nine to keep an eye on the minister’s situation the previous night, so she didn’t need to worry about the Emperor and could focus on the incident. Little did she expect such a hilarious turn of events to unfold overnight.

The Noble Consort had fallen from grace, all due to her own actions. She was now under house arrest in the Chaolian Palace, awaiting the Emperor’s judgment.

Compared to others, she was truly foolishly adorable, and unintentionally, she had actually done Xin Lan a favor.

She had grown insecure when a group of young maidens entered the palace.

Although she was still young herself, not even twenty years old, she couldn’t compete with those inexperienced girls who were fifteen or sixteen. The Emperor rarely visited her palace, as he preferred spending nights with the new concubines or Concubine Xi. This drove her to despair.

She couldn’t understand why Concubine Xi was able to keep the Emperor’s affections, so she sent her maidservants to find out.

Surprisingly, they did find out. It turned out that Concubine Xi had secretly used a certain substance.

The Noble Consort was not one to back down, and she was easily agitated. Upon hearing about this method, she immediately had someone obtain the substance.

The Emperor used to visit her palace only once or twice a month, which was a stark contrast to before. Wanting to keep him, the Noble Consort gritted her teeth and administered a large dose. The Emperor nearly lost his life because of it.

This is not a descriptive sentence but rather a statement of fact.

The Emperor’s condition deteriorated to the point where he was rolling his eyes, unable to cope. The Noble Consort immediately panicked and called for the Imperial Physician.

The Emperor already had some shadows in his health, and this incident exacerbated his condition. It would likely take significant effort to recover him. Enraged, the Emperor immediately left and placed the Noble Consort under house arrest, awaiting his judgment.

This was a grave offense, and it truly brought shame.

The Emperor still had no heir, and there were numerous women vying for favor. Hearing about the severity of the Emperor’s injury, they were furious. They joined forces in cursing the Noble Consort. Some who had recently gained favor lost it instantly and were left wiping away tears in their own palaces.

After listening to Si Tong’s vivid and colorful description, Xin Lan couldn’t help but burst into laughter, tears of amusement streaming down her face.

It seemed that the Emperor was not entirely useless after all. At least, during such times, he could provide some comedic material for her.

Since the incident was not very discreet, it didn’t take long for everyone to learn that the Emperor had suffered from the Noble Consort’s “tiger and wolf” medicine, causing kidney deficiency. They even had to call for the Imperial Physician to attend to him.

This not only affected a man’s pride but also the Emperor’s reputation. No one dared to mention the matter in front of the Emperor or express any joyous emotions. After all, the Emperor still maintained a stern expression, and no one dared to laugh openly. However, what people thought in their hearts was beyond the Emperor’s control.

Wu Yanqing was furious upon hearing about the incident. He was already worried about the matter of the heir, and now the women in the harem were causing even more trouble.

He believed that Qu Zhi’an must have known about it. During the morning court and in the study, he felt hesitant to look at Qu Zhi’an, afraid of encountering her mocking gaze.

However, he did catch Qu Zhi’an’s gaze, which held not mockery but rather comfort, like a gentle breeze that soothed Wu Yanqing’s wounded heart.

Moreover, Qu Zhi’an had always shown utmost respect towards him, compensating for the loss of his self-esteem.

Wu Yanqing was deeply moved. He planned to wait until the dust settled, consolidate his power, and then marry Qu Zhi’an as his Empress, making her the most esteemed woman in the world.

Qu Zhi’an couldn’t help but laugh at him. When she heard the news, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. She rubbed them for a while and even had the kitchen maid prepare a delicious meal to celebrate. Deep inside, she praised the Noble Consort for doing something that brought joy.

But she still had to maintain her appearance. In front of Wu Yanqing, Qu Zhi’an played the role of a loyal and supportive minister, always standing by his side, obediently following his orders. However, as soon as she left the palace, her true face emerged.

Her strategy had yielded remarkable results. Wu Yanqing had been completely deceived by her. In fact, many powers were under Qu Zhi’an’s control, rather than Wu Yanqing’s. Nevertheless, Wu Yanqing believed that the power was in his hands just as much as it was in Qu Zhi’an’s. He even contemplated bestowing higher ranks and titles upon her.

Within the court, the conflict between Qu Zhi’an and the Prime Minister had reached a boiling point.

Wu Yanqing informed Qu Zhi’an that he was planning an assassination plot.

Of course, the assassination would be staged, but the framing would be real.

While Qu Zhi’an praised the Emperor’s wisdom to his face, she immediately informed Xin Lan about the plan.

Of course, the framing was never intended to implicate Xin Lan but rather the Prime Minister.

Xin Lan had been waiting for the Emperor to come up with a final justification. She thought he would frame the Prime Minister for something like corruption or abuse of power. However, it turned out differently.

Nonetheless, it was the most convenient method. They would arrange for someone to assassinate Xin Lan, and she would pretend to be injured. They would then capture the supposed assassin and, under interrogation, extract a confession that the person was sent by the Prime Minister. With this evidence, they could throw the Prime Minister into the dungeon, conduct further investigations for a week or two, and secure the Prime Minister’s downfall.

“Yan Yan, tell me, if my father is removed from his position, who do you think will become the new Prime Minister?”

Qu Zhi’an pointed at herself, and Xin Lan clapped her hands, laughing.

“Besides you, who else could it be? I’m afraid Wu Yanqing doesn’t understand. He’s willingly handed me an opportunity on a silver platter.”

Xin Lan laughed heartily. If Wu Yanqing wanted a staged assassination, she would turn it into a real one.

Regardless, the Prime Minister was destined to be removed from his position. The distinction between a real or staged assassination didn’t matter much to the outside world, but it carried significant weight for Wu Yanqing.

Xin Lan clenched her fists, unable to contain her excitement. She couldn’t wait to showcase her skills during the autumn hunt. When Wu Yanqing discovered her genuine injuries, his expression would be truly priceless.

She would make him realize that what he was about to lose was far more than he anticipated.

The author has something to say:

At three in the morning, rua!

By the way, there won’t be an update tomorrow morning at nine o’clock. Instead, there will be a long post at seven in the afternoon. Sending you all my love!

[Knocking on the blackboard] Don’t let me catch any of you not paying attention to the blackboard and breaking our agreement to update!