Fourth, Duanyue Guest

  Just as he was about to thank her, a weak and ethereal female voice floated from behind him: "That night, Zhen Bijun was with me."

  Startled by what she had just heard, she instinctively turned her head to look. It was Princess Duan being supported on either side by two maids-in-waiting and standing outside the Shende Hall.

  Dizzy and disoriented, unable to collect his thoughts in a short moment.

  Duan Fei slowly walked in, trembling and about to curtsy. Xuan Ling said: "Didn't I tell you earlier that you don't have to pay respects?" He then asked strangely: "How did you come out? Didn't the imperial physician instruct you not to go out due to the heat?" As he spoke, a palace maid had already brought over a large chair made of huali wood and invited her to sit down.

  Duan Fei said: "I just arrived and saw that there seems to be a big matter in the hall. I dared not come forward for the time being."

  The Empress asked with a sigh: "Consort Duan, it's been many days since I've seen you, are you feeling any better?"

  The imperial concubine sat below the emperor and empress, bowing her head respectfully: "I should have come every day to pay my respects to Your Majesties, but unfortunately I was not well and felt ashamed. Today, as soon as I heard that Princess Wen Yi was unwell, I couldn't help but rush over to see her." She smiled again at Xuan Ling: "Fortunately, I came in time; otherwise, this Shende Hall would have had to perform 'The Injustice Done to Dou E'."

  Xuan Ling Dao: "Did Consort Duan really say that she was with Zhen Biyu on that night?"

  The princess smiled faintly and said, "That night, I saw Concubine Wei walking alone out of the Fu Li Palace, seemingly drunk. I was worried and went with the maid to take care of her. We met Concubine Wei on the Yu Dai Bridge by the Fan Yue Lake and walked together to my Rain Flower Pavilion. We chatted happily for a long time." Her smile seemed as pale as floating clouds, and she turned to the maid beside her and said, "As you wish."

  A palace maid named "Ruyi" knelt down and said, "Yes. That night, the princess and the young master were discussing Buddhist scriptures in the Rain Flower Pavilion, and they got along very well. Later, the young master said it was getting late and hurriedly returned to the Fuli Hall."

  The queen smiled and said: "In that case, Wen Yi's imperial concubine has nothing to do with Zhen Bijun."

  Huafei turned her gaze, looking at Duanyan and said: "Sister Duanyan's arrival is truly timely, just like a refreshing rain." As she spoke, she seemed to smile but not quite, her eyebrows slightly raised. "I heard that sister has been unwell and has been recuperating in the palace, how come that night you were so enthusiastic and didn't care about the imperial physician's advice, sneaking out at night?"

  The Empress's face showed a faint smile, and she spoke slowly: "A person who has been ill for a long time is indeed not suitable to go out. But being cooped up in the palace for too long can also be frustrating, so that night I heard there was a banquet in the palace, I thought it wouldn't disturb others, so I brought some palace maids out to clear my mind." After finishing speaking, she gave me a warm and gentle smile, "I didn't expect that I would have such a good affinity with Zhen Cuiyu."

  I may not be clever, but I know that Duan Fei is helping me. It's just that I don't understand why she would suddenly help me like this, and I can't figure out the ins and outs of it. However, I didn't have time to think about it much, and immediately smiled and said: "Yes, Concubine also thinks so."

  "Oh?" The Empress's eyes narrowed slightly, her long eyelashes casting a dark arc on her pale face. The golden beads on her lashes seemed to be weighed down, flashing densely and heavily, dazzlingly bright and extravagantly luxurious. She said: "Then I have one question, why didn't Concubine Wei mention that she had met Consort Duan earlier? It's not necessary to suffer so much in vain."

  Duanyi was about to speak when she suddenly started coughing uncontrollably and gasping for breath, her face bright red as she pointed at me.

  I immediately understood, and calmly said: "Your Majesty's concubine should not have hidden this from the Emperor and Empress, but on that day, Consort Duan did not want anyone to know about her outing, lest it reach the ears of the Emperor and Empress and cause them worry, which would have ruined Consort Duan's good intentions. So on that day, Consort Duan and I agreed to keep this matter secret from others. Who could have predicted that it would involve Princess Di? Your Majesty is wise and the Empress is intelligent, they will surely make things clear, and exonerate me. Besides, I did not want to betray Consort Duan's trust, so I kept my mouth shut."

  The Empress Dowager Hua wanted to say something else, but Consort Duan had already caught her breath and said slowly: "Why doesn't my sister Hua believe me?"

  Huafei said: "It's not that I'm suspicious, but it seems like sister is quite familiar with Zhen Bijun."

  The Empress smiled faintly, "This palace and Concubine Wei only met twice before, the first time was also at the Warm Ceremony. Is Consort Hua saying that this palace intentionally protected her?" She shook her head sorrowfully, "This palace's weak body is not suitable for many things, why must it tell lies to protect a newly appointed concubine."

  Everyone saw the weak and pitiful state of Consort Duan, yet she was so sorrowful in front of Consort Hua, they couldn't help but secretly glance at Consort Hua with suspicion. Consort Hua had no words to refute this, and could only say: "This palace never thought such a thing, Sister Consort Duan is being overly suspicious."

  Xuan Ling ignored their conversation, got up and walked to my front, stretched out his hand to pull me up, "Weisheng Changshou Ba Zhu Xin (1), my concubine is not inferior to the ancients."

  He let out a silent sigh of relief, the marble floor was extremely hard, and after kneeling for so long, his legs had lost all feeling. He gritted his teeth and used his hands to lightly press against the ground, struggling to stand up with Xuan Ling's hand on his shoulder, but unexpectedly, his knees went weak and he leaned into his arms.

  Under the gaze of everyone, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed, her face suddenly flushed with heat. The Empress Dowager slightly gritted her teeth and turned away, no longer looking at her. The Queen smiled and said: "First sit down, let the imperial physician take a good look later, summer clothes are thin, don't kneel out of illness." As she spoke, she glanced at the Empress Dowager.

  A diligent palace maid hastily placed a chair beside Princess Duan and invited me to sit down. Seeing that I was unharmed and seated properly, Xuan Ling finally released my hand.

  The princess turned her eyes and looked around at the palace maids standing behind the concubines, coughed a few times with a pale face, and said slowly: "It's reasonable that Sister Hua doesn't believe what I said. Just now, I seemed to hear some palace maids say that they saw Concubine Wei going in the direction of the Smoke and Rain Pavilion that night. It's better to clarify this again to avoid future troubles. What do the Emperor and Empress think?"

  The empress said: "Of course it's good." With a stern tone, "Just now, which two people accused Zhen Bijun? Come out yourself."

  Two palace maids immediately knelt down, their faces pale. The empress asked: "Did both of you see Zhen Zhen enter the Yunyu Pavilion with your own eyes?"

  A palace maid said: "I saw Concubine Wei heading in the direction of the Smoke and Rain Pavilion, as for whether she went in or not... it seemed... it seemed?"

  "What's 'seems'? It's simply 'non-existent'. And you?"

  She lowered her head even further and hastily said: "This slave only saw Consort Yu alone."

  The queen ignored them and said: "What does Your Majesty think?"

  Xuan Ling revealed a look of disgust, "Empress, take care of it. Just one thing, don't allow the palace staff to continue this bad habit of making groundless accusations."

  The empress ordered Jiang Fu, who was standing beside her: "Take them down and slap each of their mouths fifty times to warn others."

  Outside the window, a crisp and loud slapping sound and the crying voice of the palace maid came quickly. Empress Hua pretended not to hear, turned her head around, and in an instant, her eyelashes fluttered, she glanced at Cao Jieyu swiftly, then immediately lowered her eyes and sat upright as if nothing had happened.

  Cao Jieyu stepped forward with a warm and elegant demeanor, her face flushed with shame: "Just now I wrongly suspected my sister Jieyu, I truly apologize."

  I just shook my head: "No need. As a mother and sister, being concerned is also chaotic."

  The Empress Hua forced a smile and said: "Just now, I misunderstood the Imperial Concubine Wei. It was my concern for the Princess that made me overreact. Please don't mind it, Imperial Concubine."

  I smiled and looked at her: "How could I not. The queen's intention is clear in my heart." Empress Hua was choked by me, and had no way to refute, so she said: "It's good that Concubine Wei understands."

  The atmosphere was still a bit stiff, and Duan Fei leaned back in her chair, smiling softly at Xuan Ling: "I heard the beautiful singing from Fuli Hall that day, it sounded very familiar, I wonder who sang it?"

  Xuan Ling was slightly stunned, and the Empress had already spoken up: "It's the newly arrived An Mei Ren. No wonder you found it familiar from afar, she has been singing in the palace for the past few days." As she spoke, she summoned Ling Rong to come forward and pay her respects to Princess Duan.

  Duan Fei held her hand and examined it carefully for a moment before saying, "You're very delicate. Congratulations to the Emperor on gaining another beauty."

  Xuan Ling smiled and nodded, I secretly found it strange. Before, I had always thought that Duan Fei was weak and timid, but unexpectedly she was meticulous in her thinking and composed in her responses. However, when it came to congratulating the Emperor, she only repeated one sentence: "Congratulations to Your Majesty for obtaining another beauty." After finishing with me, she also congratulated Ling Rong, truly without any new ideas.

  Xuan Ling personally escorted me back to Yifu Pavilion and just returned to Shuigong Nanxun Hall to handle government affairs.

  After a short while, I estimated that Duan Fei should have passed by Yifu Pavilion and Mirror Bridge even if she walked slowly. So, I brought Xun Xi and slowly went out. As expected, we saw Duan Fei sitting in the sedan chair moving slowly.

  Yi Li stood aside and waited for the sedan chair to pass by. Duan Fei saw me, called out "stop", and leaned on the shoulder of the palace maid's sedan chair: "What a coincidence. Why don't you, Jie Yu, accompany Ben Gong for a walk."

  As promised. The road was shaded by the overhanging branches of the tung trees, and the phoenix-tail bamboo stood densely, gradually becoming more distant. All around was quiet, with only the sound of birds chirping. My personal maid followed at a distance, while I supported Consort Feng's arm, saying in a soft voice: "Thank you, Your Highness, for helping me out today. However..."

  She simply proceeded, saying after a moment: "You don't have to thank me, I have my own reasons for helping you."

  I looked at her suspiciously, "Is the princess and concubine really innocent?"

  Her smile was as thin as a cloud, and she said gently: "I saw you coming alone from the direction of Tonghua Platform and passing by my palace gate. After careful calculation, I knew it wouldn't be you."

  I said: "That day was in a hurry and didn't see the empress, really sorry, I hope the empress will forgive me."

  "It doesn't matter. I just heard the enchanting singing and stopped for a moment outside the palace gate to listen carefully." She sighed, then smiled lightly: "The song of An Mei is truly youthful, making me feel that time has passed so quickly."

  I smiled and said: "Your Ladyship is in her prime, as beautiful as a flower, why lament the passage of time?"

  She smiled: "Where is beauty?" As she said that, her eyes were fixed firmly on my face.

  I was looked at by her and felt embarrassed, softly calling out: "Princess Duan."

  She composed herself and said softly: "Jieyu is truly beautiful, no wonder the Emperor likes you so much."

  The princess laughed and said: "You're making fun of me."

  She leaned on a bamboo pole and rested by the lake, with Mei Ren leaning against her. "That day I saw Concubine Wei's expression was hasty, but there was also a worried look, I don't know what's wrong?" I hesitated for a moment, she had already said: "Concubine Wei doesn't want to say it's okay. Although this palace is not too social with people usually, but the things in the palace are also slightly heard, and not completely unknown."

  I unintentionally played with the silk tassel on my skirt, gazing at the lake and mountains in the distance. The lotus flowers on half of the lake had already turned green and thin, with a hint of withering. I remained silent.

  Her eyes were clear and calm, with a hint of serenity, her long black hair was pulled back into a high bun, and the jade ornament on her temple was also a pale green color, with a thin halo. "Why must you be so melancholic, Consort? I am originally a recluse, there are some things that I shouldn't have to say. But you should understand, since ancient times, men's emotions have only been 'happy in the daytime, but returning west at dusk' (1), let alone an emperor? If you're sad, it's only because you're making things difficult for yourself."

  Can't help but feel discontented in her heart, she asked: "Isn't there an emperor who only loves one person?"

  "The late emperor doted on Consort Shu, and yet she ended up like this. It's not just the empress dowager and the various imperial consorts, but also all these children. You're more fickle than most men, so you'd better learn to let go. Otherwise, you'll only bring suffering upon yourself."

  "I said: 'Yes. Every word of your ladyship's words is reasonable. The concubine understands.'"

  Duan Fei said: "Whether it's reasonable or not is secondary, what's important is that Concubine Wei understands."

  Duan Fei remained silent, focusing on watching the large and small red carp swimming in the lake. I also plucked a branch of green willow and played with it in my hand, brushing the long willow branches to tease the soft water grass that resembled silk threads, entwining them into an interesting shape. Duan Fei watched intently as the small carps followed behind the large ones, her tone tinged with a hint of pity, saying quietly: "Wen Yi's imperial concubine is indeed lovely, but unfortunately, she has a fate fraught with difficulties."

  I listened to her say something strange and couldn't help but smile: "Why did Princess Duan say such a thing? Although the emperor's daughter is weak, she is also a golden branch and jade leaf, with the protection of the gods."

  The princess's expression suddenly turned gloomy, and she revealed a hint of disdain: "All the gods in heaven only know how to enjoy incense offerings, why bother to care about the suffering of mortals? And if you're being bullied by a small ghost, I'm afraid even the gods can't protect you."

  I secretly clicked my tongue, not wanting to admit that although Consort Feng seemed weak and gentle, her personality was actually so strong and unyielding, and I couldn't help but gradually develop a good impression of her.

  She continued, "This child Cao Qinmo was not meant to be born, she conceived at the wrong time. During production, it was premature and the fetal position was incorrect, almost costing a life. So the emperor is particularly fond of this child." She sighed, "The children in this palace seem noble, but they have many more tribulations than those outside."

  I know that Consort Duan has been childless for many years and is particularly sensitive about the issue of having children, so I comforted her by saying: "Your Ladyship's heart is kind and generous, you should take good care of yourself every day, and with a healthy body, you will soon give birth to a prince or princess for the Emperor."

  The Empress smiled wryly: "Thank you for your kind words, Imperial Concubine Jing. But I'm afraid I won't have such good fortune."

  I heard it said with a sad tone, and didn't think much of it. I said: "Your Ladyship is in the prime of her life, why say such unlucky words?"

  She raised her head to the sky and murmured, "If I can fulfill this wish, I am willing to shorten my life by ten years." After finishing speaking, she turned her head with a sorrowful expression, and her complexion was as pale as a sheet of white paper in the bright sunlight. "I'm afraid that even if I were to shorten my life by half, I still wouldn't be able to fulfill my wish."

  Perhaps she has a hidden illness and is not suitable for pregnancy, so I secretly pity her.

  She stopped talking and said to me: "This matter is aimed at Jieyu, and Jieyu will take care of herself. The palace can protect you for a while, but not all the time."

  "I said: 'Yes. Thank you, Consort Shu, for your thoughtful arrangements. When the imperial consorts are free, they will naturally come to pay their respects to Your Highness.'"

  She shook her head, perhaps due to physical discomfort, and her voice grew even weaker. "No need. A sickly body is not suitable for meeting people. Moreover..." She glanced at me with a subtle gaze and said softly: "It's better if the palace doesn't meet with Concubine Wei."

  Although I didn't understand, I deeply felt that Duan Fei's actions had a deeper meaning and were unexpected. So I nodded my head and said: "Yes."

  As they spoke, Consort Feng's breathing became increasingly urgent, and the palace maid beside her hastily fetched a porcelain bottle to feed her two black medicinal pills. With a smile, she said: "Please report back to Young Mistress Jieyu, Her Majesty's time for taking medicine is almost here."

  I half-knelt and said: "Then I won't disturb you any further. Farewell, Your Ladyship."

  She forced a smile and nodded, struggling to support the little palace maid's hand as they went on their way in the sedan chair.

  Note: (1) Weisheng embracing the pillar: Weisheng is a model of loyalty, "Weisheng made an appointment with a woman under the bridge. The woman didn't come, and the water rose but he wouldn't leave. Weisheng hugged the pillar until death." —— "Records of the Grand Historian · Biography of Su Qin" (2) From "Midnight Song". Full text as follows: You become the North Star, unchanged for a thousand years. Joyful in the daytime, heart returns to the west at dusk. Describing a man's unfaithfulness and ruthlessness.