A delicately embroidered hairpin adorned the corner of the brocade pouch.
The image flashed before Wei Shufen's eyes, and suddenly, her hair stood on end as a vague yet terrifying conjecture took shape in her mind.
Before the fire at the Temple of Common Vocation in the forbidden garden, two widowed former palace women had resided there with their daughters. The former Crown Princess Zheng Shi, also known as Guanyin, was someone Wei Shufen had heard mentioned often and was quite familiar with. The former Princess Consort of Qi, Yangshi, was mostly referred to as "Hailing Princess Consort" or "Consort Yang" by others, while Chai Yingluo often called her "Fourth Aunt." Her given name was rarely mentioned, and in all Wei Shufen's time spent in and out of the palace, she had only heard it once.
But she had heard it once.
Though she had only glimpsed the tiny hairpin shape in a moment of panic, she had vaguely sensed something amiss. Upon reflection, she recalled that during their visit to the Cihé Nunnery, when she and Chai Yingluo had found Consort Yang, the stunning beauty had once referred to herself by name, saying, "Back then, Third Sister treated me, as well as the fathers of Ah-Si and Ah-Liu, with great kindness and favor. Buyao doesn’t want to implicate her family." Thus, the great beauty's given name must indeed be "Buyao."
Beyond the bed curtains, the Emperor gave a dry chuckle, sounding somewhat embarrassed but not denying anything. He merely said:
"You found out? Well, that’s fine. I never wanted to trouble you with this, but keeping it hidden for too long isn’t right either. Since you know, I won’t interfere anymore. After all, the women and children of the inner palace fall under your jurisdiction as the Empress and Mother of the Nation..."
Yang Buyao, after nine years of widowhood, was now pregnant, and the father of the child was suspected to be Crown Prince Li Chengqian. In her confusion, Wei Shufen first wondered if Li Chengqian had hidden this from his mother but revealed it to his father. Men, after all, were more lenient about such matters. Perhaps the Son of Heaven, upon learning of it, had not only refrained from reprimanding his son but had even helped cover it up... But the Empress's reply immediately dispelled her mistaken assumption:
"Indeed, all the inner and outer noblewomen fall under my jurisdiction. But is Yangshi to be counted among the inner four consorts, nine concubines, and eighty-one imperial ladies? Or is she to be classified among the outer princess consorts and noblewomen? If she bears a son, should the child be registered and enfeoffed as a prince according to his father’s bloodline? Or should he be considered the posthumous child of the late Prince of Hailing, based on his mother’s current title?"
The bed curtains before Wei Shufen trembled slightly, as though the Empress had grown weary after speaking and had sat down on the edge of the bed, separated from the eldest daughter of Chancellor Wei by only a thin layer of fabric. Her voice grew even clearer:
"If he is to be considered the son of the Prince of Hailing, his brothers were all executed and their lineages extinguished for their involvement in their father’s rebellion. Should this infant be dealt with in the same manner? Or will Your Majesty show mercy and spare his life, allowing him to inherit the Hailing lineage? If he is to inherit, he must be recorded in the imperial genealogy, and the state histories will inevitably have to include a note. Shouldn’t there also be a plausible explanation to satisfy the public? Was it Fourth Brother Yuanji who appeared in a dream to conceive the child? Or did his mother carry him for ten years, a miraculous sign of prosperous times? This concerns the dignity of the imperial bloodline. I must seek Your Majesty’s decision before I can proceed accordingly."
The biting sarcasm in the Empress’s words made even Wei Shufen break into a cold sweat behind the curtains. The Emperor, who had been married to her for over twenty years, understood it even better. The man’s voice gave another dry chuckle, then softened, tinged with caution:
"You’re not angry, are you?"
The Empress did not reply. The indistinct figure beyond the curtains swayed slightly, as though she had turned her back to her husband. Then the bed frame shook twice as the Emperor’s figure appeared—he had sat down beside his wife:
"Are you really angry?"There was little shame or remorse in his tone, only overwhelming surprise, as if he couldn't believe his wife would mind his romantic affairs—after all, the imperial harem was full, with over twenty imperial children born to concubines, yet no one had ever heard of Empress Zhangsun being jealous or competing for favor with the other consorts. Apparently, the Son of Heaven truly believed his wife never gave such matters a second thought.
The Empress let out a long sigh—whether from heartache, exhaustion, or bitter amusement was unclear—and simply replied:
"Do you really not know what angers me?"
"How could I possibly understand you women's—" The Emperor cut himself short, likely noticing his wife's darkening expression and not daring to provoke her further.
"That is the lawful wife of your own full brother, a titled imperial princess consort!" Empress Zhangsun's voice carried bone-deep weariness. "And her husband was killed by your own hand—"
"Not by me—it was Jingde who—"
"—And how glorious will it sound when word spreads that you murdered a brother, seized his wife, and took your own sister-in-law as a mistress? Hmm? Since ascending the throne, you've humbly sought counsel, practiced frugality, governed with benevolence, and endured countless hardships—all for what? And now, for the sake of this woman—"
After this exchange, both fell silent, swallowing their tempers. The Emperor muttered something under his breath before grumbling, "Had I known this would upset you so, I wouldn't have brought it up..."
"Then Your Majesty should have kept your intimate belongings properly stored instead of leaving them lying about," the Empress retorted coldly. Her husband seemed confused:
"What? Oh—that... that sachet really wasn't—I forgot how many days ago it was when Yang Shidao passed it to me on her behalf. There was a letter inside asking how I intended to settle her and her child. I was busy at the time, glanced at it, set it aside, and forgot about it. Truly forgot. I've no idea how it resurfaced today—"
Hidden behind the curtained partition, Wei Shufen felt a pang of guilt, suspecting her earlier tug might be responsible. The Empress, however, let out a scornful laugh:
"Forgot? You... ah, I truly pity Ayang!"
The shadow of the man beyond the partition scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "It was never anything serious! Just last autumn during the Royal Hunt in the forbidden garden, we took shelter from rain at Purple Void Monastery and met. She looked as if she'd drunk the elixir of immortality—it surprised me, so we talked a bit... well..."
And that talk evidently led to the bedchamber—and given the pregnancy, likely more than once. Wei Shufen thought of Yang Bu-yao's radiant beauty and delicate grace, understanding completely. For the reigning Emperor, this was simply natural, hardly worth noting.
The Empress sighed. "Late last year and early this one, whispers reached my ears about a beauty secretly serving the imperial presence near the eastern forbidden garden. I refused to believe it—why hide such a thing? But now... ah, poor Chengqian bore the blame for his father's misdeeds all this time!"
"Hahahaha..."
The Son of Heaven actually burst into laughter. "You thought Ayang was with Chengqian? Who told you that? Hah! If Chengqian had the nerve to lay hands on his fourth aunt, I'd—"
Li Yuangui, Wei Shufen thought during another stretch of silence, if you dare imitate your second brother's shameless, reckless, heartless rogue behavior, I swear I'll kill you.
OpenNovel