Twenty-two, The Fisherman

  Two days later, Xuan Ling's spirits had lifted somewhat, and he went to court as usual. His expression was very calm, and it seemed like nothing was wrong. The previous day's events were so numerous and complicated, with a thousand threads intertwined. He couldn't afford to dwell on the loss of this newly formed child. Moreover, after all, he was still young, and even if he had lost this one child, there was still the one in my belly. And if not, then among the many women in the harem, surely one would become pregnant again and give birth to another child for him.

  It was thought that the matter would pass like this, and Queen Hui also woke up from her coma. However, after waking up, she cried and made a fuss, saying that her child had been framed and lost. The disturbance continued until the palace was in an uproar, and even the chickens and dogs were restless.

  The Empress thought she was just overwrought and that comforting her would be enough. However, this afternoon Jingfei sat idly in my palace, discussing the situation with my pregnancy, and also mentioned the miscarriage of Tianbin.

  She looked around and saw no one else nearby, then lowered her voice and said: "This time, Concubine Zhen's miscarriage is quite strange."

  Empress Jing was not a talkative person, and she said this with some confidence. I had already been suspicious, and hearing her say this, my heart skipped a beat. On the surface, I pretended to be calm, still smiling: "How could that be? Concubine Zhen has always said that the fetus is restless, so a miscarriage wouldn't be unexpected."

  The silk sleeves of Jingfei's dress were wide and long, and when she slightly raised them, they covered half of her cheeks. She smiled faintly and said indifferently: "She says that the fetus is restless, but we all know that it's just a ploy to curry favor with the Emperor. I often see her in the palace eating and sleeping well, where is there any discomfort?" Jingfei lowered her voice again: "I heard from the imperial physician who treated Zhenyu that she was fine until the day of the miscarriage. The medicine she took didn't have any problems, but a lot of Daphne flowers were found in the leftover osmanthus cake."

  I didn't understand and asked suspiciously: "Gardenia?"

  Empress Jing nodded, "The imperial physician diagnosed for half a day before saying that the powder made from the flowers of the Daphne bholua is poisonous. It seems that Concubine Tian ate quite a bit of it and had a miscarriage that night." Empress Jing sighed, "There are many places in the palace where Daphne bholua is planted, who knew it was poisonous? And yet it's used to harm people, truly unexpected."

  My heart was racing, I hesitated for a moment before asking: "Is... the glutinous rice cake made in the imperial kitchen?"

  Jing Fei hesitated slightly and shook her head: "It was sent by Xian Fei."

  I looked up at her, meeting her equally disbelieving gaze. Jing Fei's voice was somewhat hoarse as she slowly recounted what she knew: "Originally, Tian Bin had been pregnant, and according to the rules, anything sent in from outside had to be tasted by someone before it could be presented to her. But first, it was Di Fei who personally brought it over, and second, Di Fei's rank was far higher than Tian Bin's, and she was also the one the Empress Dowager had ordered to instruct Tian Bin. This person was also known for being honest and cautious, so who would have thought of this? Moreover, according to the palace maid who attended to Tian Bin that day, it was Di Fei who first ate a piece of rice cake before Tian Bin did." Jing Fei paused, then said: "There aren't many places in the palace where Datura plants are grown, and Di Fei has a patch right outside her own palace. If you say it wasn't her doing, I'm afraid no one will believe it."

  I followed her words and carefully thought about the situation at that time, from this point of view, it was indeed unlikely that anyone would suspect Concubine De of harming Concubine Tian. However, I had doubts: "Even if Concubine De used the flower powder of the clumping bamboo, why did she have to eat a piece herself? It's well-known that Concubine Tian loves to eat sweet pastries, even if she didn't eat it, Concubine Tian would still eat many, isn't this just being overly cautious? Did Concubine De harbor murderous intentions because of the Crown Prince? A mother's love for her child, could it really be so terrifying?"

  "Anyway, we can only speculate, and the Emperor will naturally investigate. It's not entirely Consort Yu's fault either. Consort Hui has been pregnant twice in a row and was already being criticized by others for her behavior. She still doesn't know how to restrain herself, and several times she had people go to your palace at midnight to invite the Emperor away. Sister, you should know that it's not just here, but also at Consort Yu's and Cao Guiyu's places, she has had people go to invite him over. You are magnanimous and don't say anything, but it's hard to guarantee that outsiders won't view her as a thorn in their side... You also know that the Emperor originally rarely goes to Consort Yu's place, and when he does go once, she lets someone take him away, how can she not be angry? Moreover, the Emperor currently only has this one imperial son with Consort Yu..."

  What the Empress said is also reasonable, and probably most people in the palace think so too. I still had some doubts, but suddenly remembered that day in the Queen's palace, the pine nut that hurt someone came from Concubine De's arms, and couldn't help but believe it a bit more.

  I bowed my head and said quietly, "Empress Dowager is indeed too arrogant. Even a rabbit will bite when it's anxious, let alone Empress Dowager. Now her child hasn't even been born yet and she's already so condescending, what if she gives birth to the crown prince? Will Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince have good days ahead of them? It's clear that being humble is still better."

  Jing Fei deeply agreed, "Moreover, she was able to be promoted to Pin this time. According to Lu Zhao Yi, it was Tian Pin herself who asked the Emperor, saying that she was carrying a male fetus and that's why her pregnancy reactions were so severe."

  I was slightly surprised: "Really? That's too..."

  The Empress's eyes slightly closed, her long eyelashes covering them lightly. Her tone was low and calm with a hint of relaxation: "To be honest, apart from the Emperor, no one truly wishes for Concubine Yin to give birth successfully. When Consort De caused her miscarriage, who knows how many people secretly applauded? It's all because she is too arrogant."

  Empress Jing rarely spoke such blunt words, she had no children and Concubine Quan would not have direct conflicts of interest with her. Today's words were probably also due to her usual dissatisfaction with Concubine Quan as a person.

  But her words were extremely unpleasant to my ears. It seemed that in her eyes, I was also one of those who was looking forward to Concubine Huan's miscarriage. However, deep down, when I asked myself, at the moment I heard about Concubine Huan's miscarriage, I actually felt a hint of pleasure. I didn't even care about her life or death, only because Xuan Ling cared about her and I was jealous. Perhaps in my subconscious, I also disliked her like Empress Jing and others, and even guarded against the possibility that after her child was born, it would compete with mine for favor.

  I smiled wryly, has my heart become so cold and vicious?

  It wasn't until half a day later that I came back to myself and asked, "Does Your Majesty already know?"

  "It wasn't until noon that we found out, and the Emperor was furious. He's already had Lady Huihua and me investigate. Lady Huihua is very efficient, so I think there will be results within three days."

  Empress Jing sighed again, "That rice cake had a lot of sugar sprinkled on it, the color was almost the same as the pollen of jasmine flowers, so many people were deceived and no one noticed. Such clever thinking, it's really hard to imagine that it was done by Empress De. She usually wouldn't even step on an ant, it just goes to show that you can't judge a person's heart by their appearance."

  Just as they were talking, Xiao Yanzu came in and saw Jingfei was also there. He hastily wiped the sweat from his forehead and made a proper bow before speaking: "Empress Xian has passed away!"

  I was stunned and exchanged a quick glance with Jing Fei, almost in unison: "What?"

  Xiao Yuanzi replied: "Just now, I heard from outside that Lady Hua went to the palace of Empress Xi to ask about Concubine Tian's miscarriage. Who would have thought that as soon as she entered the inner hall, she found Empress Xi hanging from the beam with her neck, swaying back and forth? By the time they rescued her, she was already out of breath. I heard it was so frightening that even her tongue was sticking out..."

  Xiao Yuanzi described it vividly, and before she had even finished speaking, Jingfei interrupted: "Don't spout nonsense! Your master is pregnant, how can you listen to such things?! Say something important instead."

  Xiao Yuanzi continued, "I heard from the palace maid beside Concubine Yan that Concubine Yan had dismissed them half an hour ago and was alone in the inner hall. Now, Lady Huihua has reported back to the Emperor and is already being dealt with for her crime."

  I felt a slight chill in my heart and sighed, saying: "Poor imperial eldest son, losing his mother at such a young age."

  Jing Fei gazed at the dappled sunlight filtering through the window and said, "It's truly pitiful. Fortunately, although I don't have a birth mother, I still have my stepmother and various concubine mothers. If not for them, there's also the Empress Dowager's care."

  I nodded slightly, somewhat perplexed. "Although all the evidence points to her, why did Concubine Xian have to rush to take her own life? If she had pleaded with the Emperor or begged for mercy, perhaps she could have saved her life." Empress Jing understood my confusion. This matter was reasonable in theory, but it still seemed a bit too sudden.

  She said, "Even if the emperor is willing to forgive her, she must be demoted and stripped of her title. Not even the crown prince can stay by her side to care for her." Her tone sank slightly: "A mother like this will drag down her son's future prospects."

  My heart skipped a beat, "You're saying... perhaps Empress De's death can ensure the future of the Crown Prince."

  Empress Jing nodded, not without a sigh of emotion. "Actually, since the last time in the Empress Dowager's palace, when Songzi injured someone and Empress Yan was reprimanded by the Emperor and returned home, she had been depressed and unhappy all along. The Yan family's fortunes had long since declined, leaving only an empty title of a second-class viscount. It's really pitiful! For this reason, she couldn't help but be strong-willed, but unfortunately, the Crown Prince was not worthy of his position, and Empress Yan's love for her son made her secretly spoil him, which led to disagreements with the Emperor. This is why she lost favor. Now, she has ended up taking her own life in such a way, it's really hard to know what to say."

  I wrapped the handkerchief in my hand, slowly drinking tea and not speaking, my mind was always a blur of confusion that couldn't be dispelled. It seemed as if I had heard it somewhere before, but it was always unclear. Jingfei saw me silent, and reminded me: "Tanbin's affair is a lesson, sister, you must pay attention to your food and drink in the future."

  I thought for a while, and finally some vague memories became clear. I whispered: "Sister once told me that Mrs. Huihua had a miscarriage, it was a male fetus that had taken shape, right?"

  The empress nodded quietly after a moment of contemplation and said, "Yes."

  "Is it because of improper maintenance?"

  Empress Jing's gaze swept across my face, not expecting me to suddenly ask about these old matters. She said, "At that time, she was still a noble concubine, and she had received the favor of thousands. How could she have been careless with her health?" Her voice was as thin as a mosquito hum: "The rumors in the palace were that it was caused by eating the fertility medicine given to her by Consort Duan."

  My eyelashes flickered, and a chill suddenly swept past my ear. I blurted out: "I don't believe it." In this palace where slaughter could occur at any moment, anything was possible. Why shouldn't I disbelieve? Even I didn't know myself. It's just that when I thought of the few interactions I had with Consort Duan in the past, her expression of loving and pitying children, I couldn't bring myself to believe it.

  The Empress's expression remained calm and serene, speaking of others' affairs, naturally wouldn't stir her own emotions. She said slowly: "Not to mention you didn't believe it, at the time even the Emperor and Empress Dowager didn't quite believe it, in the end it was all swept under the rug. But after this incident, Consort Duan fell ill and hasn't been seen much since."

  There are many doubts and concerns in this matter, I have not personally experienced it, nor do I have any interest in the current situation, so I will not make any assumptions. I just feel that past events and present affairs, many things happen repeatedly, like a cycle of entanglement, yesterday it was her, today it's you, everyone is harmed, everyone harms others, like an unbreakable vicious circle, really frightening and terrifying!

  The funeral of Concubine Yan was handled hastily, and she was buried in a simple coffin and sent to the imperial mausoleum. The Empress sighed over this, and on that day when she went to pay her respects, Xuan Ling was also there.

  When it comes to the matter of Empress Xian's death and posthumous honors, Emperor Xuanling only said: "Madam Tang was afraid of punishment and took her own life. She cannot be posthumously honored, but can only be given the posthumous name 'Xian' and buried according to the rites for a consort. This is already my showing mercy to her. She entered the palace for nine years and yet became so muddled, truly unbearable."

  The empress gently wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and softly corrected him: "Your Majesty, Concubine Xian has been in the palace for eleven years."

  Xuan Ling hummed softly and didn't think much of it, nor did he want to mention Concubine Yue again. He simply said, "The Empress Dowager has passed away, the Crown Prince cannot be left unattended."

  The queen immediately responded: "As the mistress of the harem, the children born in the harem are like my own. I will properly raise the crown prince and fulfill a mother's responsibilities."

  Xuan Ling was very satisfied, smiling and saying: "The Empress said so, I can rest assured. The Dowager is already old, her body is also plagued by many illnesses, the Crown Prince is best left in the care of the Empress."

  Everyone congratulated the empress on giving birth to a son. The eldest son of the emperor was taken care of, and the empress also had an heir, which made everyone happy.

  After Xuan Ling left, everyone else continued to chat idly with the empress.

  The Empress said with tears: "Consort Xian has been in the palace for eleven years. I saw her enter the palace as a good concubine, and she was promoted to Shunyi, Ronghua, and Guifei after giving birth to a son. Even if she made a big mistake now, she still left behind royal blood, which is a great achievement. Now that she has fallen into such a miserable situation, although the Emperor is not pleased, we as sisters in the harem cannot be too heartless. After all, she is also the mother of the Crown Prince and has served the Emperor for many years without merit but with hard work. I will go and order someone to guard her coffin, hoping that Consort Xian can repent her mistakes underground and rest in peace."

  The palace maid, Qiu, who was standing beside her, advised: "Your Majesty should not be too sad. For the sake of Concubine Yan's affair, you have been sad for several days already. Now that the Crown Prince has your care, Concubine Yan can also rest in peace. Your Majesty being so sad will only make it harder for the living. After all, it was Concubine Yan's own fault."

  The Empress wiped away her tears and said, "Although it's said that way, this palace has served the Emperor with her for many years. She left so suddenly, how can this palace bear it? Alas, Concubine Xian is really muddle-headed!"

  The queen was so heartbroken that everyone couldn't help but shed tears to comfort her. After half a day, the queen gradually stopped grieving and began to talk and laugh again.

  My body is gradually no longer so light and agile, after all, it's almost four months of pregnancy. Others haven't noticed anything unusual about my figure, but I know that a small life is constantly absorbing energy and growing bigger in my belly.

  It's already early summer, I'm lying on the crimson windowsill alone, gazing afar at the deep green grass where the peony flowers in the palace gardens have bloomed to exhaustion. The phoenix flower is fiercely blooming and burning in the air, as if it has an unquenchable passion and a fiery redness that even the sunlight is being ignited with fervor. The lush tree leaves temporarily block out some of the sweltering heat, casting a cool intention on the cobblestones of the small path, shaded like water.

  So many things have happened in the past few days, all of which are related to the loss of life. Chun'er, Tianpin's child, and Xianfei... The rapid and continuous deaths make me afraid, and I can even smell the bloody air and the suffocating smell of burning paper money in the air.

  Their deaths were all too natural and ordinary, but in this seemingly natural death, I inexplicably felt tense, as if the heavy shadow of death was gradually approaching me.

  In the quiet afternoon, a child's cheerful and clear voice suddenly appeared outside the door, with the sound of fluttering wings flying, breaking through the peaceful sky.

  The natural inner guard opened the door to take a look, and the one who came in was actually the eldest son of the emperor, Yu Liao.

  I saw him alone and unattended by a wet nurse or any guards, and couldn't help but be surprised. I quickly pulled his hand to lead him in, saying: "Your Highness, how did you end up here?"

  He stood with a grin, biting his finger. The small golden crown on his head was also tilted halfway, and his face was full of sweat marks. The sky blue brocade robe was covered with dust. He looked like a mischievous child, exactly like a little mud monkey.

  He looked at me sideways for a long time, neither bowing to me nor recognizing me. No wonder, I didn't often see him, and wasn't familiar with his birth mother, Empress Dowager Yu either. In the memories of children from that household, there was no existence of a stranger like me.

  Xiao Yuanzi told him on the side: "This is Tang Li Gong's Gui Bin."

  Perhaps because I have a little life in my belly, I especially love children and like to be close to them. Although the one in front of me is just a dirty little boy, who has lost his mother's love and is rumored to be mediocre, I still love him.

  I smiled and took his hand, "Your Highness, I am your stepmother. You can call me 'Empress Mother', okay?"

  He finally came back to his senses and greeted me with an awkward posture: "Greetings, Queen Mother."

  I smiled and helped him up, and Flowing Vermilion had already brought over a silver box with several exquisite dishes. I indicated to Yu that he could help himself, and he was delighted, grabbing a handful with glee, but his eyes kept sizing me up.

  He suddenly stared at the silver box and asked: "Why did you use a silver box to hold food? In the imperial palace, they all used golden plates and boxes."

  I was slightly stunned. How could I tell him that I used silverware because I was afraid someone would poison my food? Such a secretive thought, how should a child who should be innocent know about it? So I said gently: "The queen's status is not as noble as the empress, of course, she can't use golden utensils." He seemed to understand and nodded, but didn't care about my answer, just focused on biting the sweet pastry in his hand.

  I waited until he finished eating, and when his thoughts were settled, I asked: "Why did you run out? Shouldn't you be taking a nap at this time?"

  He played with the food in his hand and replied, "The empress and wet nurse are all asleep, I just snuck out." He suddenly pouted and said pitifully, "I couldn't recite the Analects of Confucius, Father Emperor was unhappy, they didn't let me catch frogs and told me to sleep." What he said wasn't very clear, but you could roughly understand.

  "So you sneaked out alone to catch frogs?"

  He nodded vigorously and suddenly stared at me with wide eyes, "Don't tell Mother, okay?"

  I nodded in agreement: "Okay."

  He kicked the pebbles on the ground in disappointment, "The Analects of Confucius is really hard to recite, why do we have to recite The Analects?" He stuck out his tongue and looked very distressed, "Why didn't Master Confucius go catch cicadas instead of writing The Analects? If he hadn't written it, I wouldn't have to recite it."

  The eunuchs around him all laughed at his words, and when he saw others laughing, he got annoyed and looked very angry. Turning his head to see the Ling Xiang flower on the flower rack, he was attracted again, with a childish and willful tone, pointing at Xiao Lianzi with his hands on his hips: "You, go pick that branch of flowers for me."

  I smiled softly: "Shall I pick some for you, Your Majesty?" I reached out to pick some, but he snatched them from me and compared the bright yellow flowers to his own clothes, bursting into happy laughter, revealing teeth with black spots.

  I ordered someone to bring water and wipe away the dirt on his face, brush off the dust from his clothes, and carefully adjust his hat. He chuckled: "My mother also wiped my face like this."

  I was taken aback for a moment, then quickly regained my composure and forced a smile: "Really?"

  He said seriously, "Yes. But my mother said that she was ill and I could only see her after she recovered, and live with her. Then I can go out to catch frogs again, my mother won't scold me." As he spoke, his smile was complacent and intimate.

  A wave of sadness swept over me. I didn't dare tell this six or seven year old child where his mother was. I just became more gentle and careful in taking care of him.

  He looked at me and pointed to himself: "My name is Yu Liao."

  I nodded: "I know."

  He pulled at my hem, a smile that was somewhat more intimate: "Guan Mother can call me 'Liu Er'."

  I gently hugged him and softly said: "Okay, Lier."

  He is actually not as mediocre as the rumors, but just an immature child who loves to play and eat. Perhaps it's because his father had too high expectations for him, that's why he's so disappointed.

  "Your Majesty, why not have someone escort the prince back instead? I'm afraid the empress's palace is already in an uproar from searching for him."

  I thought so too. Turning back, I saw Yu Lian with a hint of fear on her face, and my heart softened, saying: "I'll escort you back to the palace, okay?"

  His smile softened instantly, and I smiled too.

  Back in the Queen's palace, they were indeed frantically searching for someone. The wet nurse saw me bringing someone over and let out a huge sigh of relief, muttering "Amitabha". The Queen heard the noise and hastily came out from behind the curtains, apparently having been woken up from her afternoon nap to search for Yu Ruo. She was only wearing an outer garment over her sleeping clothes, and her hair was loose. As soon as Yu Ruo saw her, she quickly let go of my hand and threw herself into the Queen's arms, rubbing against the Queen's skirt like a spoiled child.

  The queen smiled and said: "My son, where have you been? You've made your mother search for you everywhere."

  I found it a bit strange, the child recognized his mother, and the Empress Dowager had only taken care of him for three to five days. In the past, because his birth mother was still alive, the stepmother would not have been too close to the imperial son. How did they develop such a deep bond? After thinking about it briefly, I pushed it aside, probably due to the Empress's kind nature.

  However, the queen's face slightly turned stern and she said: "What's wrong with taking a good nap? Where did one person run off to?" As she spoke, she occasionally glanced at me.

  Yu Lian was startled and couldn't answer, hastily standing on the ground with both hands respectfully hanging down.

  I hastily made excuses for him, "The prince said that he had forgotten some of the Analects he read this morning and couldn't find his teacher, so he ran out to ask someone, but unexpectedly met me instead. It's my fault that the empress dowager is worried."

  The queen listened to Yu Ri and smiled slightly, stroking her hair: "Gwangui Bin's studies are good, you can ask her, it's the best. It's just that learning is good, but your body also needs to rest well, without a good body, how can you study?"

  He nodded and said "yes", then stole a glance at me with a sly smile.

  The queen changed her clothes and came out again, sat down and slowly sipped a cup of tea, then said to me: "Fortunately, Linger was just at your place earlier, which gave the palace a fright. Now that things are happening frequently in the palace, if Linger has any more mishaps, I really don't know what to do."

  I smiled and said: "The prince is blessed with good fortune, protected by the blessings of ten thousand Buddhas, everything will naturally go smoothly."

  The Empress nodded and said, "You're right. But as parents, when can we ever be at ease? My own children didn't grow up well. Now the Emperor only has one son, Rui'er, so I must be doubly cautious." The Empress sighed, rubbing her temples, and continued, "This year is different from previous years, I don't know what evil spirit was offended, but just as the epidemic had cleared, Shun Pin died in a drowning accident, Tian Pin's child didn't survive, and Xian Fei hanged herself. Now even the Dowager Empress is ill. The Emperor said that outside the palace, there have been continuous droughts, not a drop of rain for two months. This is a major matter affecting the country's agriculture."

  She says a word, and I listen carefully. The disaster of heaven and man, the harem and the front court are all so turbulent.

  For a moment, the mind wandered, and in an instant, the bright sunlight outside fell on the magnificent glazed tiles of the palace, shining golden light flowing everywhere. On such a fine day, the gloomy atmosphere brought by continuous deaths did not decrease in the slightest due to the heat.

  I saw the Empress suffering from a headache, so I hastily handed her the Tianzhu brain oil from my sleeve. The Empress ordered the maid to rub it on her forehead, and her complexion improved significantly. She said: "The Emperor and I have plans to go to the Temple of Heaven to pray for rain, and then we will stay at the Ganlu Temple for a few days to pray for the country and the palace." The Empress looked at me with deep meaning: "All matters concerning the harem will be handed over to Lady Huihua to manage, and Consort Jing will also assist from the side."

  I naturally understood what the empress meant and bowed my head saying: "Your subject will stay in the palace to rest and nurture the fetus, and will not go out unless it is necessary."

  The queen nodded slightly: "This is for the best. You also know Madam Hua's temperament, if you can bear it, just bear with it, and wait for His Majesty and I to return and take charge of things for you." She sank in a bit, comforting me by saying: "However, since you are pregnant, she wouldn't dare do anything to you. Just put your mind at ease. His Majesty and I will be back in the palace within ten days or so, very soon."

  I smiled and replied with due humility: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I will take good care of myself."

  The queen smiled and gazed at me, saying: "The wound on your face seems to have healed a lot."

  I gently stretched out my hand and stroked it, saying: "An gave me a bottle of relieving cream, I've been using it until now, and it's really improved a lot."

  The queen's eyes narrowed slightly, and she said with a smile: "Since it's good stuff, just keep using it. The wound should be fully healed, don't leave any scars, that would be a pity." The queen seemed to have feelings: "In our palace, having a good face is more important than anything else."

  I have respectfully listened and now take my leave.