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Chapter 42: Favor and Warning (恩典与提醒)

The women of the imperial harem had already expected the emperor to visit Xihe Palace. They found it so hateful that they gritted their teeth. Yet none of them dared to blame Chongyi Zhao at this moment. Although they all held hate in their hearts, they still spoke and acted normally around her.

After their lovemaking session, Zhuang Laoyan leaned against the emperor’s chest. Tonight, the emperor had been very gentle. Like  he worried about hurting her body. This gave her the impression that int the end, he was not as bad as a beast.

Maybe it was because she had napped too much during the day, but Zhuang Laoyan did not feel sleepy. She merely leaned against the emperor, as if she did not want to part with him. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the night.

“Beloved concubine cannot sleep?” said the emperor in the quiet night all of a sudden. Zhuang Laoyan did not expect him to be awake. After a moment of daze, she said, “Is Your Majesty awake because this concubine disturbed your honored self?” Then she moved her head from his chest.

He reached out and embraced her close. Stroked her smooth and silky hair. In a low and hoarse voice, Feng Jin said, “How could We fall asleep with a beauty in Our arms?” He sneaked a kiss on her cheek. Although her face wasn’t the most beautiful in the harem, it smelled fresh and free of make up. He couldn’t help but kiss it a few more times.

Zhuang Laoyan smiled in the dark. This emperor’s pillow talk wasn’t bad. She placed her hand over his chest. A smile graced her lips. “Your Majesty always praises this concubine like this. This concubine fears that one day, this concubine would forget my original appearance.” Once the words left her lips, it appeared as if she had noticed something inappropriate with what she had said. She paused. Changed the topic of conversation. “Today, a gardener in the palace said that the flowering season had passed for the water lilies Your Majesty bestowed.”

Flowers would wilt someday. How could beauties not grow old one day?

Feng Jin lightly patted her back. “They’re only water lilies. We will have people send any flower that beloved concubine likes. Although flowers will inevitably wilt one day, We did not know that beloved concubine was the type to pity them.” 

“So this concubine in Your Majesty’s eyes is a person who only knows how to eat and drink, a common person unable to understand high-flown speech.” Zhuang Laoyan’s tone carried discontent. However, in the next moment, she sighed. For she understood what kind of person she was.

Feng Jin laughed. “We have said it before. This imperial harem has never lacked women who are skilled in the four arts¹ and talented in speaking in a high-flown way. Beloved concubine need not compare yourself to others. You are different from them.”

The words of men after lovemaking could not be trusted. Zhuang Laoyan knew this herself. But she also knew that if she loved a man, once she heard such words, she should act in the following way.

Sometimes one’s emotions could not be properly expressed in words. But body language was a different story.

Feng Jin felt her hand on his chest faintly tremble. As if she could not even utter a word. He started to wonder how often he had used such words of praise in the harem, and how those women had reacted.

“In this concubine’s opinion, Your Majesty is the most special.”

Her voice was somewhat hoarse and trembling. However, it was not because her throat was uncomfortable. Feng Jin knew that the woman in his arms was moved emotionally.

“Sleep.” He lightly patted her back once more. He used the phrase “different” and received the phrase “special” in return. So he had actually benefited in this exchange.

Although he thought this, the patting of her back grew even softer.

Early in the morning, right before the sun rose, Feng Jin had already roused. White fingers helped him fix his placket, and personally fastened his jade medallion and sachet. This was the first time this woman straightened out his clothing and accessories. A smile played on her lips. Her exhaustion was evident from her eyes. Yet, joy filled her gaze, a fire burning all of sudden, as though she had found her goal.  

“His Majesty is leaving!”

The woman in a blouse and wrap-around skirt slowly bowed, her skirt swaying as she did. But he reached to stop her. Soft laughter spilled from his lips. “Beloved concubine has worked hard last night and had better go back to sleep.” He noticed her beautiful smile. Turned around and left.

All emperors would not look back, because in their eyes, it had always been other people who watched them leave. They never had to care about what kind of gazes those people had. Because emperors did not have to see them, and they also knew that the gazes could only be of reverence, fear, and apprehension.

The moment Feng Jin reached the front doors, for some reason, he glanced back without realizing it. This act of glancing back caused him to see the emotions that could not be hidden quickly enough in the woman’s eyes. He seemed to have seen these emotions in her eyes before. But back then, she had concealed them too quickly, and he had been indifferent to them.

It appeared Chongyi Zhao did not expect the emperor to look back, and slightly panicked. Then she lowered her head, curtsied, and asked, “Did Your Majesty forget something here?”

“No.” Feng Jin’s tone was ordinary as he said, “Rest well. We are leaving.”

The emperor’s imperial sedan left Xihe Palace, heading toward the throne room. Because the sky had yet to brighten completely, the stars were still visible. Gao Dezhong followed by the side of the imperial sedan, head lowered. It was quiet throughout. Once they had exited the inner palace, he suddenly heard the emperor say, “Gao Dezhong, later have someone send the water lily eight-treasure lamp made of colored glass from Our personal storeroom to Xihe Palace.”

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“Yes, Your Majesty.” Gao Dezhong was startled. There were only a few colored-glass eight-treasure lamps in existence, and the one with the water lily was the most exquisite. Yet His Majesty actually wanted to give it to the master of Xihe Palace? If he remembered correctly, the only people who had received such lamps before were the empress and Noble Consort Shu. Even Noble Imperial Concubine Yan, who had been very favored these past few years, did not receive one.

When he recalled the time Chongyi Zhao had not been favored, Gao Dezhong couldn’t help but feel deeply moved. This imperial harem was deep and unstable. Without reaching the end, one would not know who the winner would be.

In the empress dowager’s palace, the high-ranking imperial concubines were all seated. Zhuang Laoyan sat next to Zhaorong Xu, farther away from the seat of honor. Together with the other women, she listened to the empress dowager talk about two of the four virtues.

After the empress dowager said some superficial things, her gaze fell upon the deferential-looking Zhuang Laoyan. “The day before yesterday, word has it that a person without eyes caused Chongyi Zhao to fall into the water. Have you recovered completely now?”

“The empress dowager is concerned. This concubine is already fine.” Zhuang Laoyan rose to her feet and bowed. “To worry the empress dowager is this concubine’s crime.”  

 “You were innocent and suffered this hardship. What are you guilty of?” The empress dowager smiled at her with affection and told her to sit. Then she sighed. “Fortunately, the emperor is a sensible person, and did not have you suffer this grievance without consolation. In this imperial harem, there are some people who have their own goals. There truly should be some management of that. What do you think, empress?”

“Daughter-in-law will bear in mind Imperial Mother’s teachings.” The empress smiled as she stood and performed a ceremony of paying respects to the empress dowager.

Everyone present knew the empress dowager wasn’t actually concerned for Chongyi Zhao. Rather, she was using this as an opportunity to make things difficult for the empress. If not, why would she have spoken in such an impolite manner? However, this did not have much to do with the other imperial concubines. They only treated it as watching a joke.

Still, they saw that Chongyi Zhao’s expression was somewhat awkward. And they could not help but find it funny. In the first place, this situation did not have much to do with Chongyi Zhao. Yet she, a victim, actually seemed embarrassed after hearing those words. How stupid. Was it possible that she used this stupid appearance to attract the emperor’s attention?

No matter how these imperial concubines saw it, Zhuang Laoyan had decided not to enter the fight between the empress dowager and the empress. Whomever she offended, it would bring forth terrible consequences. Moreover, in such a situation, no one could truly win both of their favors at the same time. She acknowledged she did not have that ability. So she wouldn’t make any movements.

This time of paying respects, the empress dowager was currently winning. Zhuang Laoyan left her palace with the crowd of imperial concubines. She watched as the empress’ sedan left, then waited for the higher-ranking imperial concubines to board their sedans. Finally, she boarded her own.

Whether it was intentional or not, Zhuang Laoyan and Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang’s sedans moved one after another, one following the other. After a moment of thought, Zhuang Laoyan invited Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang’s sedan to move side by side with hers.

“Younger Sister Chongyi Zhao seems to be more energetic than before.” Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang was holding a parasol. Under the shade, her smile seemed very gentle. “It makes me a lot more at ease.”

“Many thanks for Elder Sister’s concern.” A smile graced Zhuang Laoyan’s lips. “It’s only falling into the water. Nothing too big.”

“Younger Sister is actually an optimistic person.” Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang’s smile remained. Suddenly, she said, “The day before yesterday, His Majesty specially allowed Noble Consort Shu to visit her paternal family. Truly an enormous favor.”

Zhuang Laoyan sat there astonished. Never had she expected Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang to tell her this. For the women of the imperial concubine, let’s not talk about visiting their paternal family, even letting their family members glance at their face already proved a huge favor. And let’s not talk about imperial concubines in these two’s rank. Even the empress and Noble Consort Shu might not be able to see their family once in a year.

Zhuang Laoyan had no choice but to once again sigh at how inaccurate the palace dramas of her previous life had been. What was this about parents and siblings of the imperial concubines often visiting them? And even discussing how to compete against the other imperial concubines? The real imperial harem could not interfere with court politics. What was the saying, “the palace was a place to bury women?”

Then she thought of something else. Zhuang Laoyan smiled. “Noble Consort Shu has entered the palace for many years. That His Majesty specially allowed her to visit her family is naturally his grand benevolence.”

“Yes. A grand benevolence of His Majesty.” Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang thought about how she had entered the palace for many years, and had only met with her family once. And it was because that year, there had been a great harvest. The emperor specially allowed a few of the imperial concubines to see their paternal family. It wasn’t just her who had had the opportunity.

Zhuang Laoyan could not make sense of Virtuous Imperial Concubine Jiang’s manner toward her. If one called her an enemy, she had never harmed her and occasionally advised her. If one called her a friend, she never displayed that kind of intention. This person seemed to be someone who passed her days thoughtlessly in the imperial harem, and indifferently watched the shows before her. However, she showed Zhuang Laoyan what would happen if someone lost favor in the harem.

Her position was Virtuous Imperial Concubine. In the harem, she was considered a master that was in the middle in rank. Yet she could not get a capable imperial physician. The things in her residence were lacking. In the opinion of a person as fond of enjoying life as Zhuang Laoyan, those kinds of days were difficult to endure. 

However, this Virtuous Imperial Concubine never seemed to say nonsense for no reason. So why did she mention that the emperor specially allowed Noble Consort Shu to visit her family?

Was it to advise her to be careful since Noble Consort Shu was even more favored? Or was there another hidden meaning?

My goodness, our girl Z.L is such a great actress. And that Feng Jin is a horndog AGAIN LOL. Also, I wonder what’s up with VIC Jiang?

Thank you Anon for the two ko-fis! Thank you to my patrons in March: Michelle S., Ji Yun S., Amanda F., Selena G., RongZhi, Agita P., Angela S., Oyinkansola O., PsychoMidget, Pitcch, Fl3xus, Hafsa A., Ariel C., Auresta, Ine O., yuukiininah, Monique A., Adenise, Laetitia, Izzy, Eileen S., Kimberly A., Kimberly, Nana L., Thanh O., Vern W., Elena P., Samantha H., AAA22, Jennifer C., AvalonAngel79, Michelle, and last but not least Tangerine!

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