Her brоkеn promisе might have саusеd hаrm tо оthers. In momеnts of solitude, Wanwan pоndеred this quеstion. Shе hаd nеvеr wrongеd аnуоnе in her lifе, yet as shе grеw oldеr, she learnеd to be wоrldly. Tоng Нuаn sаid thеrе wаs nothing wrong with thаt—рeорlе must alwаys wеigh thе pros аnd сons, аs personаl feelings arе sесondаry, while familу, соuntry, аnd thе wоrld shоuld соme first.
Еvеrything shе said wаs right. Beсausе shе wаs born ехtrаоrdinary, she hаd to shoulder heaviеr burdens than othеrs. In truth, she wished shе werе а man. Еven if it meant donning armor to guard the nation’s borders, it would be better than struggling with emotions within the confines of the inner chambers.
Many said the Prince of Nanyuan was someone to be wary of, yet when it came to pointing out his flaws, no one could name a single one. So, was it that the more flawless he appeared, the more suspicious he became? Wanwan felt he didn’t seem so terrifying—he was quite gentle, even tolerating his concubine’s ambiguous relationship with another without making a fuss. If it were her, she probably couldn’t have done the same.
"Men take such matters very seriously. Who would willingly wear the green hat? If he had made a scene, it would have seemed more fitting. But this Prince of Nanyuan didn’t utter a single word of complaint. If it’s not because his tolerance knows no bounds, then he must be an extremely formidable figure, having calculated everything and everyone."
Making assumptions about others at every turn was not a good habit. Tong Huan was clever in every way, but sometimes she was a bit too sharp-tongued, viewing everyone in the world as villains.
The weather gradually turned colder. Winter came early in Beijing, and by the tenth month, Wanwan could no longer bear the temperature. She reclined on the Arhat couch, covered with a quilt, a censer burning beside her. Her pet squirrel was also afraid of the cold, nestling on her chest. As she gently stroked it, it closed its eyes in contentment.
"Who’s to say you’d know about the affairs of other households? The Secondary Consort comes every time, seemingly unharmed, but who knows if there hasn’t been trouble behind the scenes! After all, higher rank suppresses others—who in this world would dare contend with the Emperor? Even if you knew the truth, what could you do? You still couldn’t scold or reprimand him. Now that the two of them are so close, what if Yin Ge were to lodge a complaint against him before the Emperor? Wouldn’t that mean losing both the battle and the ally?" Wanwan turned to look out the window. The world was frozen, the sunlight pale, the ground in the garden stark white, and even the colorful paintings under the eaves had lost their vibrancy. She sighed, "Originally, it was The Emperor who wronged others. For us to gossip about it behind their backs isn’t right after all."
In her eyes, the world was one of black and white. The formation of her character was greatly influenced by her upbringing. The palace had never been a clean place—where there were many people, there was strife, especially among women. But she had never immersed herself in it. She could see their hardships but not their cunning. Thus, she had always been full of goodwill. Even when neglected, she would reflect on whether she hadn’t done enough, grieve for a while, and then cheer up again with just a smile from others.
Tong Huan watched her helplessly from the side. "Fine, I won’t speak of him anymore. Your Highness, rest for a while. It’s almost time for dinner."
Life in the palace was exceedingly dull. She had lived this way since childhood. When the weather was warm, she would still venture outside, but once winter arrived, she would curl up in her room like a sick kitten, unwilling to go out.She yawned, drowsy and on the verge of sleep, when suddenly hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Xiao You rushed in from the front hall, panting and breathless, exclaiming loudly, "Something's happened at Coughing Phoenix Palace, and you don't even know about it yet! Tongyun, who serves Consort Duan, suddenly turned out to be pregnant, and it's been reported all the way to the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility."
Wanwan was startled. "What... what does this mean?" she asked, while instructing Tong Huan to fetch her outer robe.
Xiao You crouched down to help her put on her shoes, looking up as she said, "Tongyun wasn't feeling well last night, so a young eunuch called for a physician to check her pulse. As soon as it was diagnosed as pregnancy, Old Consort Zhao made a huge fuss and took it straight to the Empress Dowager."
Wanwan frowned deeply. "Why does she have a hand in everything?"
"That deputy physician is Old Consort Zhao's man. He used to specialize in diagnosing for the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, so there are plenty of connections behind the scenes. Now Seal-holding Xiao wants to summon someone for a re-examination. I rushed back to report to you, so I don't know what happened afterward."
Wanwan hastily threw on a crane-feather cloak and hurried out, with Tong Huan following closely behind, scolding Xiao You as they ran, "This kind of thing is best avoided, yet you bring it straight to her? You’re just too impulsive. I really shouldn’t have brought you back in the first place..."
Wanwan paid them no mind. She ran to the gate of the Palace of Compassion and Tranquility, paused to catch her breath, and then entered the Warm Pavilion.
The Empress Dowager was seated beneath the south window, with a crowd of people kneeling on the carpet before her, including even Xiao Duo. Seeing this scene, Wanwan was momentarily stunned. She only heard the Empress Dowager let out a long sigh. "So that’s what happened. You should have spoken up earlier—it wouldn’t have led to such a mess today. There’s no need for a physical examination; even if it were done, it would only be embarrassing. Since everything’s out in the open now, I’ll grant her to you. You work hard day in and day out, and those under you are buying houses and marrying. You shouldn’t be left out." With that, she stood up, rubbing her forehead as she added, "Make arrangements to leave as soon as possible. Staying here won’t do—it’ll only invite gossip."
Wanwan only caught the tail end of the conversation and had no idea what had transpired in between. It was only later that she learned the pregnancy had turned out to be indigestion, Empress Zhao had wanted to order a physical examination, but Xiao Duo had stepped in and taken responsibility. As a result, Tongyun was granted to him as his wife.
What on earth was this all about? Wanwan was utterly bewildered. But as she calmed down and thought it over, she gradually pieced it together. Xiao Duo wouldn’t protect a palace maid for no reason—ultimately, it was out of consideration for Yin Lou. As for Yin Lou, she was such a stubborn person that serving the Emperor had never been very likely in the first place. It seemed Tongyun’s indigestion might not have been real. If she had once made a great sacrifice for Yin Lou, then Xiao Duo’s unexpected actions today were hardly surprising.
What a tangled mess—even she, as an observer, felt her head aching. Tongyun wept bitterly as she left to marry, and both she and Yin Lou were filled with unspoken emotions. Who would have thought that in the end, it would be Tongyun who married Xiao Duo? Yin Lou prepared a generous dowry for her. After Tongyun left the palace, Wanwan stayed up drinking with Yin Lou late into the night. Yin Lou drank and cried, pouring out all her grievances. Wanwan held her wine cup, offering nothing but comfort, while her own melancholy remained unspoken.
Human plans are no match for heaven’s will. Sometimes, that’s just how it is.As for Xiao Duo, his methods of retaliation were truly astonishing. Empress Zhao had offended him too many times and finally played her own life away. He ordered the Chirping Phoenix Palace sealed off and cut off all her food and supplies. The Empress Dowager paid no attention to the matter, and Empress Zhang wished for her early death, so her fate was naturally quite tragic. She had once discussed with her how Consort Zheng Hui had starved to death, never expecting she would follow in her footsteps. Only, Consort Zheng Hui had chosen it willingly, while she was forced into it.
As the year drew to a close, the palace was always bustling with one event after another. Just after Empress Zhao’s funeral was held, Yin Ge entered the palace the very next day. Without even avoiding her presence, she knelt before Yin Lou and burst into tears.
“Your Majesty, what am I to do? I beg Your Majesty to stand up for me.”
Yin Lou was utterly bewildered. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying? Speak properly.”
She dismissed the attendants and had someone help Yin Ge up and offer her a seat. Yin Ge, with tear-streaked cheeks and a face drenched in sorrow, dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and said, “I haven’t been feeling well these past few days. This morning, I had a physician come to examine my pulse, and he said… I have conceived.”
Wanwan and Yin Lou exchanged glances. “The Prince of Nanyuan hasn’t been in the capital for some time. Where did this child come from…” After saying this, she inwardly cursed the misfortune. It seemed things were not looking good—it was likely another mess caused by her brother.
Upon hearing this, Yin Ge grew even more ashamed and cried so hard she could barely catch her breath. “Precisely because of this, I have no face to explain myself to anyone now. If word gets out, it doesn’t matter for me, but I fear it will implicate His Majesty. What should we do then? Your Majesty, we are sisters by blood, sharing the same surname. I am in a tight spot now, and you must help me find a way out.”
Yin Lou frowned and said, “What can I do about this? Instead of telling me, you should report it to His Majesty. Since he caused this trouble, he should be the one to handle it properly. I do have a solution—while no one knows, have the child aborted. Are you willing?”
That was absolutely out of the question. After all, it was the Imperial Seed—how could it be discarded so casually? Moreover, she had been hoping for it all along and would never consider getting rid of it.
Yin Ge then turned to beg Wanwan, though not because she truly needed her help, but rather to make her more aware of the Prince of Nanyuan’s predicament.
“Your Highness, you are the child’s aunt. You cannot stand by and do nothing.” She grabbed her sleeve and slowly knelt down. “Not to mention that the Imperial Seed cannot be dealt with lightly, but even if something goes wrong, the blame will likely fall on our Prince. The fault in this matter lies entirely with me—it was my lack of virtue that harmed the Prince. I regret it now, but it’s too late. I beg you to save me, and save our Prince as well!”
Wanwan found herself in a dilemma because of her. She withdrew her hand and said, “You come to me only when trouble arises. What were you doing earlier? I won’t involve myself in your affairs. As for being an aunt, I dare not accept such a title. His Majesty’s heirs are not scarce—whether to keep it or not is entirely up to you. Even if this matter reaches the Empress Dowager, the same will be said. Coming to us for help is futile; in the end, His Majesty’s word carries the most weight. Go and discuss it with His Majesty.”Yin Ge stood up, tears brimming in her eyes. After lingering for a while, she reluctantly curtsied and left. Wanwan leaned against the armrest cushion and shook her head. "I've heard Grand Tutor Bu is highly learned and his family upbringing is excellent. Didn't Yin Ge study the Admonitions for Women and Models for Women since childhood? It was already wrong for her to remain in the capital. If she had returned to the Southern Garden, none of this would have happened."
Yin Lou's point was that her purpose in entering the palace today was nothing more than to curry favor. As the Winter Solstice approached, the palace would celebrate by eating dog meat hotpot. Fearing that Yin Lou's plump dog might also be slaughtered, she volunteered to take the dog out of the palace. At that time, she hadn't seemed particularly distressed.
But as fate would have it, shortly after Wanwan returned to Cultivating Virtue Palace, she heard that Yin Ge had offended Empress Zhang over the dog incident. The Empress had long been displeased with her seductive and bewitching behavior and ordered her attendants to strike Yin Ge twice across the face with full force. This incident escalated dramatically. With disheveled hair, Yin Ge made a scene before the Emperor. At the height of his passion for her and mindful of the child she carried, the Emperor flew into a rage, deposed the Empress, and consigned Lady Zhang to the cold palace.
To value a fleeting affair so highly—it must have been true affection. Wanwan found her brother's absurd actions utterly incomprehensible. To depose the Empress for the sake of another man's concubine! The Empress had been his childhood companion, having been with him since their teenage years. Yet over such a trivial disagreement, she was dismissed without any room for reconciliation. What would the Prince of Nanyuan do next?
The winter deepened, and the weather grew increasingly harsh. Dark clouds loomed over the Forbidden City, threatening a heavy snowfall at any moment. Inside the room, it was warm, and the glass windows had fogged over with condensation. Using a finger, she drew circles on the glass, wiping away a small, lantern-sized view of the world outside.
Tong Huan said, "We can manage for now, but the Winter Solstice is only a few days away. When the Prince of Nanyuan arrives, how will he handle this situation..."
Wanwan remained silent, propping her elbow on the table and resting her cheek in her hand. She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed.
OpenNovel