CH 54.1

Not to mention what the second prince was going to do at the Wei mansion, In Emperor Changde's side, as soon as the second prince left, he asked Gan Yongfu, "Gan Yongfu, do you think this matter has anything to do with the second child?"

This was a big deal, Gan Yongfu didn't dare to speak casually, he smiled, "I don't know, but I think the second prince is a prince, so he doesn't bother to do such a thing."

Emperor Changde said meaningfully, "I also hope this matter has nothing to do with him, the second child is too ambitious, and his ambition grows too fast."

Gan Yongfu didn't dare to answer, but fortunately Emperor Changde didn't say much, and he sat down to review the memorial.

At noon, before the lunch was delivered, Emperor Changde had to drink a bowl of medicine. Once he took the medicine, Emperor Changde felt bad, thinking that he couldn’t copulate with his concubines he felt pain, and he needed someone to be with him at this time, letting him vent the anger in his heart, and this person was called Yuenu.

[

奴nú: slave]

It was Jiang Jinyue who had been in the palace for not a long time, and Emperor Changde's habit of venting his anger after drinking his medicine was also formed after Jiang Jinyue entered the palace.

Not only drinking medicine, but as long as Emperor Changde was unhappy, Jiang Jinyue would bear his anger. Emperor Changde gradually found the fun in the process of torturing Jiang Jinyue, and also satisfied the gap brought about by his inhumanity, so except for at time like this, Jiang Jinyue's life in the palace was still good, and she could be regarded as a favorite concubine.

It was a pity that Jiang Jinyue didn't want to be such a favorite concubine. She dressed up brightly everyday, but she was the only one who knew that when she was abused by Emperor Changde, her life was worse than death, and she often wanted to smash her head to the ground.

But she had some illusions in her heart, thinking that she would be able to live a good life when Emperor Changde died. She even thought of some ways to kill Emperor Changde directly, and then let the crown prince ascend the throne.

If the prince knew how much she had helped him, she could become the crown prince's person. As long as she became the crown prince's person, she would have a way to become the empress and the mother the world.

Jiang Jinyue was so obsessed with this matter that she was almost insane.

After going through so much hardship in the palace, Jiang Jinyue was only lucky that she could contact the crown prince through a court lady. The crown prince told her to protect herself. When she came out, Jiang Jinyue firmly believed that the crown prince still had her in his heart, and felt that no matter how hard it was, she could bear it.

Summoned by Emperor Changde, Jiang Jinyue consciously took off her clothes after entering the door, revealing her body covered in welts. The snow-white skin and bright red welts made people feel abusive.

Emperor Changde asked Gan Yongfu to take the whip and whipped Jiang Jinyue several times before he drank the medicine in one gulp.

But it didn't end here. Emperor Changde had to talk to Jiang Jinyue again after lunch, and tortured her for a while before Jiang Jinyue could go back.

She still survived until Emperor Changde let her go, Jiang Jinyue couldn't even walk steadily when she left, and she needed a maid on the left and right to help her.

On the way back to her Fangyue Palace, she could always see many concubines, everyone came to greet her with a fake face, but they didn't let her go back to the palace to rest.

This was also the time when Jiang Jinyue felt very difficult everyday, but she couldn't offend these people. Although Emperor Changde rewarded her with many things and it looked like she had the infinite honor and favor. Her status was a meiren but Emperor Changde also called her Yuenu, all of these concubines were higher in status than her. It was easy for them to move her, Jiang Jinyue could only bear it.

[美人 měi rén: beauty (Imperial harem system, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Chinese_harem_system)]

She was willing to endure all of this for the crown prince, but at the same time she was regretting, even regretting for every moment, regretting that she had no courage to cook mature rice with the crown prince, so that she became the crown prince's person and wouldn’t be forced to enter the palace. 

[生米煮成熟饭 shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn: the rice is cooked; what's done is done; it's too late to change anything now (idiom)]

She also regretted not listening to her mother and finding someone to marry back then. He even regretted to let Jiang Lin marry Wei Yunzhao instead of her. Even if Wei Yunzhao was a useless cripple, marrying him was better than entering this man-eating deep palace.

Contradictory and complicated.

After finally returning to Fangyue Hall, Jiang Jinyue lay down on the bed and asked the maid to give her medicine.

Even the medicine was very particular. The scars on her body couldn't be inflamed and pus, but the scars also couldn't be completely healed. They must be left with red marks, because Emperor Changde said that they were so beautiful. Fortunately, there was a court lady who knew some medical skills, which saved her a lot of punishment.

Jiang Jinyue asked Xiao Ba who was giving her medicine, "Is there any news from the East Palace today?"

Xiao Ba gently applied the medicine to Jiang Jinyue, and said softly: "No, maybe it's inconvenient. If His Royal Highness knows that meiren is suffering so much, he will be very moved, and His Highness will not forget meiren."

Jiang Jinyue was happy when she heard this kind of words, and she said: "I know that the crown prince always has me in his heart, and I only hope that His Royal Highness can come sooner. It will be good if the confinement is lifted, I really want to see him."

Xiao Ba: "There will be a day, but it’s inconvenient for meiren to see His Royal Highness now, why don't you find a way to meet the empress, the empress is also in the midst of confinement. It’s said that people leave the cold tea, the empress is in confinement, and lost the right to control the six palaces. Now Changning Palace is very deserted. If meiren can please the Empress, she will get twice the result with half the effort in the future, and the Empress will also speak for meiren in front of the Crown Prince.”

[走茶凉zǒu chá liáng: when a man loses his power, he loses the praise, respect or flattering as well.]

Jiang Jinyue thought it made sense, and she trusted Xiao Ba very much, so she said to Xiao Ba: "It's not convenient for me to go out, then Xiao Ba, please help me find out a suitable opportunity, I will go to see the empress.

Xiao Ba readily agreed, after finished applying the medicine on Jiang Jinyue's wounds, and applied some on her face. Jiang Jinyue always felt that the scars on her face had faded a lot, and she hoped that her face would be cured when the crown prince’s ban was lifted.

But she didn't know that her full of expectations were all seen by other.