The First Empress - Chapter 7
Chapter 7 Beauty’s Blood
Pei Lan lowered his shoulders for the Empress and said, “Your Highness, Lord looks very docile and respectful.”
The Empress leisurely looked at her Dian Cui armor and said, “This palace is the Empress. Apart from the short-sighted Soft Concubine, all natural people are docile and respectful when facing this palace.”
“Then why …?” Perrin probed, “Imperial Concubine Shun, Imperial Concubine Yi, Zhao Jieyu, and Su Jieyu used to be courteous when they were in the palace. Why did you choose Little Lord Bu?”
“It’s not this palace that chose her, but the Emperor that chose her.”
Hearing this, Pei Lan’s heart couldn’t help but tremble.
“Your Majesty … chose Little Lord Bu?”
“That’s right,” the Empress nodded. “Although the meaning of this’selection ‘is still very vague and I can’t figure out what the Emperor wants to do with Bu Cai Ren, as long as I follow Bu Cai Ren, I will definitely discover something. Thus, although Concubine Rou can use anyone, I must drag Bu Linglong into this.”
Her gaze fell on the shining armor, but it seemed to dissipate. She floated off into the distance. She ignored Pei Lan and whispered to herself, “Your Majesty … I’ve been with him for nearly ten years, but I still can’t see through him.” That Spring Tide Pavilion was originally so kind, but it was changed to Yan Mu Pavilion as soon as he ascended the throne. There was also that Qixia Palace, the place that used to be the most troublesome, that was actually given to an unpampered sixth-grade talent to live in. I really don’t know what the Emperor was planning there for, but … ”
Her eyes narrowed, and she exchanged a meaningful look with Pei Lan. “But” was like a broken pearl that rolled into the distance, never to be seen again.
The wind in Kun De Palace spread into the palaces with the mouths of countless palace people, causing all the young masters of the Empress who were originally fighting with each other to instantly stop. They held their breaths together, opened their eyes wide, and stared fixedly at the first major event that had occurred in the harem since the Emperor ascended the throne.
It was rumored that while the Empress was drinking tea with Bu Cai Ren of Qixia Palace, Bu Cai Ren accidentally discovered that the fragrance of the osmanthus cake in the Empress Palace was very different. The imperial physician verified that the cake was mixed with crushed aconite powder. The aconite was extremely poisonous, and it could kill people in less than half an incense stick of time. It could be seen how ruthless and vicious the poisonous the poisoner was.
It was rumored that only two hours later, Imperial concubine Rou’s palace’s Wei Lan was taken away by the people from the Internal Affairs Department-but one day and one night, Wei Lan confessed under the interrogation of the Internal Affairs Department. Imperial Concubine Rou had long coveted the Phoenix Throne of the Central Palace. On the day when the beautiful woman entered the palace, she was reprimanded by the Empress. She did not stop and ordered Wei Lan to bribe the dessert chef in the Imperial Cuisine Room. She poisoned the aconite in her heart when she was about to be sent to Kunde Palace.
Three days later, in accordance with the emperor’s imperial edict, he crippled Concubine Rou’s position as the Zhou clan and entered the cold palace. Wei Lan, the maid of the Zhou Clan, and Little Chen, the chef of the Imperial Cuisine Qixia Palace’s genius, the Bu Clan, has contributed to the protection of the Empress, a fifth-grade beauty of Jin Zheng.
Seven days later, Lord Lan Zhenglin of Prime Minister impeached the mother family of the Zhou family, the hereditary Duke Zhen Guo, a rank one Great General, Zhou Zhiwu, who respected himself and formed a party for personal gain. He harbored an unsubordinate heart towards the current Emperor. He could no longer stay in the court as an official, let alone command the 30,000 Imperial Army in the capital. Suitable speed cut power to seize the jue, to avoid future trouble.
After Huiqi read it, Long Yan was immediately enraged. Because Prime Minister Lan’s memorial was clear and well-documented, it was quickly accepted by Huiqi. In less than a month, the once impressive Zhou clan’s number one general clan, the Zhou clan, had been exiled, exiled, and executed. It was as if they were singing in the drama, “Eat all the birds and throw them into the forest. The vast white land is really clean!”
On the day that General Zhou Zhiwu was executed, Lian Zhaoyi, who had lost her son in childbirth, knelt alone in front of Kunde Palace and cried out that her child had died because of Imperial Concubine Rou.
“This concubine … is not someone who will make trouble for you when you fall from a well. It’s just that Zhou Xianfei was so powerful back then that this concubine really didn’t dare to speak out. This concubine’s body is not worth cherishing, but what this concubine lost was the Emperor’s dragon descendant! But I beg the Empress to make the decision for this concubine …”
The Empress helped the palace maid out. In the drunken spring breeze, the Empress’s eyes turned red after hearing Lian Zhaoyi’s cry. “Get up, Lian Zhaoyi, you’ve suffered all these years.” She raised her eyebrows and said to the eunuch beside her, “Go and ask for His Majesty’s orders.”
Hui Qi’s words came very quickly, concise and straightforward, without a trace of sympathy: “The cold palace crippled Concubine Zhou’s family, murdered the Emperor’s heir, and bestowed suicide.”
Ten years of deep gratitude had ended in a single day.
It turned out that there had always been grace, not love.
Bu Linglong sat on the big chair of the Cloud Phoenix Hall, and for some reason, she suddenly trembled.
There were piles of gifts piled up on the table. They were all gifts given by He Palace’s concubines to congratulate her on her promotion to beauty. She was too lazy to open them, so she kept throwing them there. It was just some gold and jade jewelry. There were too many such things in the palace, so she didn’t know if she was tired of sending them to each other.
Beauty was not a high position. Logically speaking, it was not worth the imperial concubines’ effort to move the crowd. However, anyone with good eyesight could tell that it was the afternoon when the accident happened. The Empress only invited Bu Cai to drink tea alone. This kind of intimacy and support was something that even the high-ranking empress would not be able to obtain.
“Qin’er, listen,” Bu Linglong suddenly said, “listen, is Imperial Concubine Rou from the cold palace crying?”
The Qixia Palace was far away from the Ming Zi Palace that day, but it was very close to the ruined cold palace. Qin’er listened intently. Vaguely, she seemed to have heard a woman’s cry. It was long and mournful, causing her hair to stand on end. “Little … Little Lord, let’s go sit in Empress Yi’s palace for a while.”
Bu Linglong’s expression was sluggish and she did not seem to be in the mood to go out. “The messenger in the Empress’ Palace said that the Emperor had bestowed suicide.”
“Imperial concubine Rou deserve to humiliate Little Lord like that back then.”
“You deserve it?” Bu Linglong glanced at Qin’er. Qin’er immediately shut her mouth and didn’t dare to speak, “Imperial Concubine Rou humiliated me at that time. I hated her, but I didn’t hate her to the point of letting her die. Naturally, she didn’t have to die because of me or even because she poisoned the Empress-the Empress didn’t eat the cake after all, so why?” “It’s just that after the emperor ascended to the throne, he won’t be able to accommodate her father.”
There was a slight chill in his heart, but it was still someone else’s business. No matter how cold it was, it was still cold to a limited extent. The tens of thousands of doting Concubine Rou easily went. Who should sit in this empty seat?
She did not think about the answer to this question, because someone had already answered it for her-Xiao Nuo Zi respectfully led a few inspectors into the main hall of the Cloud Phoenix: “Congratulations, Little Lord, congratulations, Little Lord, Little Lord is overjoyed!”
The older eunuch smiled and said, “On the orders of the Emperor, I will take Little Lord to Qian and the palace attendants’ beds tonight. I hope that Little Lord will make preparations earlier.”
The slight chill in his heart was instantly overshadowed by great joy. He had followed the Emperor into the palace for almost half a year. Apart from the encounter in the Yan Mu Pavilion, he had never seen the Emperor alone, let alone sleeping with him. Now, the Emperor finally remembered her, and she was finally able to see him again.
There was a beautiful smile on her lips. She nodded to the father-in-law who came to deliver the good news. Qin’er immediately understood and handed the silver to the other father-in-law. She said politely, “It’s been a long time, father-in-law.”
When the eunuchs accepted the money, their mouths were naturally flattered as if they were wiped with honey. “It’s not hard, it’s not hard. Little Master is going to be happy with all his hardships. I congratulate Little Master on his great joy.”
“Yes.” Just as she was about to send Xiao Nuo Zi and Qin’er off to see them off, she suddenly remembered something. “This father-in-law looks a little surprised. Shouldn’t it be Commander Ruan Ding who delivered the decree a few days ago?”
The eunuch bowed and replied, “Little Lord, I don’t know.” Ruan Ding’s poor service two days ago shocked the saints. He should have been dragged into the internal affairs manor to be beaten to death. But the Emperor remembered that he had worked diligently for several decades, so he specially graciously kicked Ruan Ding out of the palace and ordered him to go home to retire. ”
After speaking of his predecessor, the corners of his eyes twitched as he continued, “This servant’s name is Lu Kang. From now on, he will serve the Emperor in place of Ruan Ding.”
After Bu Linglong heard this, she did not pay much attention. She was not familiar with Ruan Ding anyway, so she followed the usual practice and pretended to ask for a few words, “So it’s Eunuch Lu. Eunuch Lu has worked hard to serve the Emperor. Stay here and have a cup of tea.”
“This servant thanks Little Lord for his kindness,” Lu Kang hurriedly declined. “Originally, I should have stayed behind to answer Little Lord’s kindness. However, I just transferred to Qianhe Palace. This servant is also stupid. There are still many things I need to learn, so I can’t stay in Little Lord Palace for long.”
Bu Linglong did not insist. She only pointed at Xiao Nuo Zi and said, “Xiao Nuo Zi, then send Eunuch Lu out for me.”
Every palace in the harem seemed to have died with Concubine Rou’s incense, and unnaturally calmed down. Falling out of favor and gaining favor was just an endless cycle of reincarnation. Everyone yearned for it, everyone had a share in it, and everyone lost it. As long as they stayed in this palace for a day, no matter if it was imperial concubine, palace maids, or even eunuchs, no one would be able to escape. Everyone had to risk their lives to fight for it and go greedy.
Only under the setting sun, the shocking blood splashed on the wall of the cold palace revealed the fatal consequences of failure. And this kind of failure could not even be erased. After wiping the wall clean, the faint smell of blood still lingered. After bestowing the death on Imperial Concubine Rou, her voice, soul, and smile were still there.
It was deeply engraved in the hearts of everyone in the harem.
