CH 76

Translators: Nyamachi & Tygris

TL assistant: 247Reader 

English proofreader: 247Reader

Warning: This chapter contains depictions of cruelty.

These days, Meng Sangyu’s study had turned into a love nest. Emperor Zhou’wu’s things were scattered about everywhere. There were two sets of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and moreover, a portrait of the couple had been hung in the most eye-catching position above the window. Gazing at it made her feel a bit powerless. 

Wasn’t he a person from ancient times? Why was he acting like a modern man who loved to make little romantic gestures? If he used this move on another woman, she would surely be willing to live and die for him!

As she thought this, Meng Sangyu’s heart felt rather peculiar. Noticing the memorial impeaching the Emperor sandwiched in his grasp, she gave a half-smile and said, “Your Majesty, your honoured self had still better go elsewhere. If your honoured self continues on like this, others will accuse this concubine of being a nation-destroying demonic consort.”

“You were already a bewitching consort, yet you’re still afraid of others cursing you?” Emperor Zhou’wu joked as he pinched her pouting lips.

Meng Sangyu swatted away his arm and harrumphed, then continued to flip through the account books in her hand.

Her temper is growing bigger and bigger! The man shook his head and couldn’t help but laugh in spite of himself. 

Nevertheless, an incomparable sense of satisfaction surged forth in his heart. This was precisely the result he wanted, for Sangyu to unconsciously lower her defences so that he might capture her heart. ((We loved the imagery so FYI the idiom used here was 鲸吞蚕食 (jīngtūncánshí) Lit. a whale swallowing its prey. It means gradually encroaching on someone’s territory like a silkworm nibbling mulberry leaves.)) 

The couple sat close by one another, each respectively handling their own work. The study was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. 

At this moment, Chang’xi opened the doors of the study and whispered something in His Majesty’s ear. Hearing the words “Cold Palace” and  “Gracious Consort,” Meng Sangyu’s pen stopped and her brow furrowed as she looked over at the two.

After Emperor Zhou’wu finished listening to Chang’xi’s report, his expression remained the same, and he continued to flip through the memorial in his hand. Only after he had reviewed all the memorials did he lay down his brush and cup Meng Sangyu’s cheeks. He gave  her a kiss on the lips, saying gently, “Zhen has a matter to attend to, but will return soon.”

Meng Sangyu grasped ahold of his sleeve, a gossipy light twinkling in her eyes. “Did Shen Hui’ru cause a ruckus?” she asked. “This concubine will also go with you to take a look.”

“There’s no need to dirty your eyes.” Emperor Zhou’wu waved a hand and turned around to depart. In an instant, his gentle expression vanished.

One hour earlier, in the completely dilapidated Cold Palace, Worthy Consort and Beautiful Consort had paid a visit together to Shen Hui’ru to express their sympathies, as they were suffering from pent up frustration that Virtuous Consort was being solely favoured by the Emperor. 

Shen Hui’ru was like a pile of dried up bones. Her entire body emanated a stench that assailed the nostrils. From the skin exposed by her clothing, one could clearly see that she had many festering wounds. Her once peerlessly elegant style had vanished completely.

On account of the top-notch elixirs sustaining her life, as well as the young and elderly palace maids watching over her twenty-four-seven, she couldn’t die even if she wanted to. She had no other choice but to struggle in this living hell.

First, the two consorts ordered the elderly maids to strip her naked and hang her from the ceiling beams, her feet dangling near the ground. She was whipped using a leather whip soaked with salt water. They also ordered eunuchs to use [animal] horns to incessantly pierce her shamefully exposed lower half and humiliate her with the filthiest insults. 

Shen Hui’ru gritted her teeth and bore the pain, not saying a word.

“Stuff this slut with another horn. Her nethers have been empty for so long. How could only one horn be enough to satisfy her?” Beautiful Consort’s voice was as light as a feather, while Worthy Consort covered her mouth and laughed as if she was about to tumble over. 

As they lacked imperial favour and their bodies had been thoroughly poisoned, the two consorts’ personalities, never very pure or good to start with, had become even more twisted and corrupt under the influence of hatred. Only other people’s suffering and miserable cries could bring them joy. It was evident that Shen Hui’ru was their wellspring of happiness.

The eunuchs acknowledged the order and picked up another horn before forcefully inserting it into Shen Hui’ru’s body. 

Blood flowed down her thigh, and a fishy smell spread throughout the room. Worthy Consort and Beautiful Consort withdrew a few steps and covered their noses with handkerchiefs. Their uncovered eyes were filled with chilling, terrifying hatred.

Shen Hui’ru couldn’t help but groan, and her limbs twitched incessantly. At this moment, several more of the once-heavily-favoured imperial concubines she had poisoned arrived at the Cold Palace. 

Seeing Shen Hui’ru’s miserable condition, they immediately surrounded her to spectate, flinging out occasional insults. 

Their shrill laughter and vulgar curses continually  tormented Shen Hui’ru’s mind. She lifted her drooping head, her bloodshot eyes filled with madness and resentment. 

Her hoarse voice enunciated each word clearly. “Slut? If I’m a slut, then all of you are hardly any better. Do you want to know why His Majesty won’t touch any of you?”

The elderly maid who came forward to slap Shen Hui’ru was stopped by Worthy Consort. With knit brows, she asked, “Why?” Shen Hui’ru’s expression seemed deliberately mystifying. Could it be that there were hidden circumstances behind her words?

Seeing that everyone’s eyes were firmly glued on her, determined to get to the bottom of things, Shen Hui’ru gave a strange smile, exposing her white teeth and bloody gums. 

“It’s because His Majesty was seriously injured and in a coma until he regained consciousness two months ago. Prior to that, the one who had favoured you all was a fake! He was a body double that the hidden guards brought in. Ha ha ha~ You’re all filthy sluts who committed adultery in the Imperial Harem! All of you are a group of sluts!”

Her expression distorted as she laughed crazily.

All of the imperial concubines shook their heads, not daring to believe her words. They wanted to deny it, but their hearts told them that Shen Hui’ru was telling the truth. 

The palace maids and eunuchs who had accompanied them began to shiver, despair in their eyes. After hearing this kind of alarming secret pertaining to the imperial family, how could there be any hope for them to survive?

Having exhausted her strength with her madness, Shen Hui’ru hung limply, suspended from the ceiling beams. Her breathing was so quiet that it couldn’t be heard. The imperial concubines stood stiffly where they were for a long time, unable to digest the horrifying facts. 

The surroundings turned as still as death. 

It took quite a while, but Worthy Consort was the first to sober up. She lunged forward to attack Shen Hui’ru. Her sharp nail guards quickly shredded Shen Hui’ru’s face until it was a mangled mess of blood and flesh.

“It was you! It was all your doing! If you hadn’t incited him, how could the body double have the guts to defile the imperial harem? No wonder [the Emperor ordered for] the Shen family’s ten degrees of kin to be put to death! Damn you all! Damn you all…” 

Worthy Consort continued cursing Shen Hui’ru until her voice turned hoarse. The hair around her temples was in disarray, and the tears streaming down her face had smeared her refined makeup until she looked like a malicious spirit. 

The other imperial concubines also reacted. They glared at Shen Hui’ru, eyes flooded with crazed, murderous intent. They wanted to flay her skin and tear her bones apart, gouge out chunks of her flesh, and devour it piece by piece. Only by doing this would they be able to appease their torrential hatred for her! 

Just as the situation was about to get out of control, Emperor Zhou’wu arrived promptly on the scene. He was accompanied by a group of men dressed in black and armed with swords. Intense killing intent filled the room, freezing the imperial concubines’ blood into ice. 

Their legs softened as they knelt on the ground. They tried to pay their respects to the Emperor, but though their mouths moved several times, no sound came out. 

It was at this very moment that they realised how stupid their recent attempts to strive for favour had been! If they had known the truth earlier, they absolutely would have withdrawn to their bedchambers and never appeared before His Majesty again. 

There was no doubt that their existence was the Emperor’s greatest humiliation. It was already considered merciful that the Emperor had only distanced himself from them rather than having them dealt with secretly. 

They looked back at their ridiculousness, recalling how they had not been content with their own lots, exhausting all their means to attract the Emperor - how was this any different than courting death?

Wu wu wu~ Beautiful Consort buried her face in her hands as she bent over on the ground and cried bitterly. If this was a nightmare, she wished that someone would immediately wake her up! With her example, the hall immediately filled with sobs. 

“Pull her away.” Emperor Zhou’wu pointed towards Worthy Consort, who was still frenziedly venting her feelings. 

Two black-robed men acknowledged the order and stepped forward to restrain Worthy Consort’s hands. Worthy Consort struggled for a moment before discovering the Emperor’s arrival, and her torrential hatred was replaced by immense fear. Her limbs immediately went limp. 

His Majesty had arrived, and the final layer covering their disgrace had also been removed. How could they still survive?

Emperor Zhou’wu strolled over to sit down inside the hall. As he looked at Shen Hui’ru hanging from the ceiling, his face remained indifferent.

Shen Hui’ru moved slightly and made a supreme effort to lower her head even further to evade the man’s gaze. He was still the lofty and supreme Emperor, while she had become mud that anyone could trample on. The wheel of fate was so ironic. If things could go back to the beginning… 

She imperceptibly shook her head as she inwardly mocked herself: There is no chance to turn back time!

“Take her down and get a cloth to cover her,” ordered Emperor Zhou’wu dispassionately. Two black-robed guards swiftly complied.

These were His Majesty’s secret guards. Normally they were concealed by His Majesty’s side, and would only appear during critical moments. Only they were fit to handle a matter involving this kind of shameful secret. Their appearance usually signified an ensuing bloodbath.

All of the imperial concubines understood this and couldn’t restrain themselves from trembling with fear.

“Beseeching Your Majesty to spare this concubine’s life! This did not act of my own volition! This concubine is willing to devote herself to spiritual enlightenment and become a nun to cleanse this body’s sins!” 

Beautiful Consort's desire to survive prevailed over her fear as she kowtowed forcefully on the ground. Blood quickly seeped from her forehead.

The other imperial concubines immediately copied her, and endless pleading filled the hall.

Emperor Zhou’wu’s brows furrowed. He waved a hand at the hidden guards standing behind him and spoke with a piercingly ice-cold tone. “Drag away all of these servants and deal with them.”

The hidden guards agreed and dragged away the servants, whose bodies were as limp as mud. They turned a deaf ear to their weeping and pleading. All of the imperial concubines intensified their kowtowing, and the ground was quickly stained with smears of blood.

“Go back. Remember, nothing happened today!” Emperor Zhou’wu lowered his eyelids and gently rapped the chair’s armrest as he spoke. There was no caution in his manner of speaking; one could even say that it was somewhat careless. 

As they were all daughters of influential ministers in court, they would realize that he wouldn’t kill them when they calmed down and thought about it. 

Naturally, he also wouldn’t be worried that they would leak any secrets. To preserve their lives and their families’ lives, for power and status, and for their clans’ honour, they would take this secret to their graves.

All of the imperial concubines were dazed as they were pardoned. They used their sleeves to wipe away the blood and tears from their faces, before scrambling up and leaving as if pursued by evil spirits.

Emperor Zhou’wu waited until everyone had left. He barely spared a glance for Shen Hui’ru, who was curled up on the floor, and stood up and made to leave with large strides. 

When he reached the palace doors, he commanded Chang’xi in a deep voice, “Bestow her a cup of poisoned wine.”

Shen Hui’ru moved. Her eyes, previously dried up from the merciless, tyrannical beatings, gushed with two streams of hot tears. She sat up and kowtowed with difficulty, and her hoarse voice was filled with gratitude. “This guilty slave is thankful for Your Majesty’s grace!”

Empeor Zhou’wu acted as if he hadn’t heard, and continued to walk away into the distance. 

Chang’xi brought over a cup of poisoned wine and brought it to her lips. She picked up the cup and drained it in one gulp. 

Her face wore a smile, free from worry.

After he had turned the corner, Emperor Zhou’wu was momentarily distracted as he noticed the Empress Dowager, who had been standing quietly in the corridor for a long time. He immediately came forward to pay his respects.

The Empress Dowager retrieved her gaze, which had been staring far away into the distance, and gave a deep, quiet sigh. “You kept her life until now for this moment, right? How pitiful that she still needed to thank you.”

Emperor Zhou’wu remained silent.

“Aijia will depart tomorrow.” 

The Empress Dowager turned around, and her figure, seen from behind, was not in the least reluctant to leave. Having left the palace for ten years, she had long since grown unaccustomed to its fighting and schemes.  

“If they had been content with their lots, today’s matter would not have occurred.” Emperor Zhou’wu stepped forward to explain solemnly. 

If events hadn’t unfolded as they had, this group of women would never have stopped. He could anticipate the ugliness of the human heart and had therefore set up this trap. 

If they could have controlled the hatred and greed in their hearts, all of this could have been averted. 

There would inevitably be a day when he would become weary of coping with their endless methods of striving for favour. In that case, it would be better to [put an end their ambitions] once and for all.

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, not wanting to speak.

Emperor Zhou’wu felt a sting in his heart, and smiled bitterly. “Why doesn’t Empress Mother leave after attending Sangyu’s concubine promotion ceremony? This can also be considered giving her face.”

“She won’t nitpick over these small details.” The Empress Dowager finally opened her mouth, “Aijia will definitely come back when it is the day for her Empress conferment ceremony. That is, if there really will be such a day.” 

After one last deep gaze at her son the Empress Dowager left with a slightly apprehensive expression. 

“May Empress Mother not worry; this son’s feelings towards Sangyu are real. In this son’s heart, she occupies the cleanest and softest part.” Emperor Zhou’wu spoke in a serious tone, as if giving an oath with his fist covering his heart.

The Empress Dowager’s footsteps paused for a moment, and a few points of relief showed in her shadowed eyes.

The tragic appearances of the many imperial concubines leaving the Cold Palace had been seen by careful and smart people, but no matter how they asked or dug for information, no information was forthcoming. Soon, they gave up. 

The concubines who had been contaminated by the false Emperor, but who had not gone to the Cold Palace to bully and abuse Shen Hui’ru, were still kept in the dark. After hearing the news of Shen Hui’ru’s passing, they felt somewhat suspicious, but did not dare to ponder further.. 

Seeing the bedridden, dying Worthy Consort, they all had the feeling that the real situation was something beyond their capabilities. Thus, they learned from the people around them and started living in seclusion within their palaces, never trying to present themselves in front of the Emperor.

Because of the lack of response from the concubines, the many memorials persuading the Emperor also gradually stopped. The harem was momentarily calm and quiet, with the only disturbance being the departure of the Empress Dowager. 

What was most surprising was Beautiful Consort, who imitated Zhao’yi Li, kneeling in front of Ci’ning Palace and asking the Empress Dowager to take her and the Sixth Prince along to Thousand Buddha Mountain. 

This was also a smart and decisive woman! After considering for a while, Empress Dowager finally agreed to her request. 

A month later, the conferment ceremonies for Virtuous Consort and the other concubines finally brought some festive colour to the stagnant and dead Inner Palace. 

The sickly Worthy Consort soon recovered fully, but thereafter became gloomy and indifferent, never taking a single step out of her Jiang’zi Palace.

Comparatively, the legend of the previous Virtuous Consort, now the Pure and Gracious Imperial Noble Consort, had just begun. As a result of her never-declining favor by the Emperor, her story was often discussed by later generations.

Of course, at the current time, she knew nothing. 

She was currently making preparations for the first big event after she had gained the right to manage the harem: the Grand Selection.