1RomanceEB Chapter 282 The Empress in the Deep Palace
Chapter 282 The Empress in the Deep Palace
Chapter 282 The Empress in the Deep Palace
"Second Prince, Princess Nan Yue has fallen into a trap and followed a palace maid to the Xunfang Palace in the Cold Palace."
The eunuch lowered his voice to report that the second prince was standing in the room, smug and arrogant, the incense in the room was so strong it was pungent.
"Well done. Give the order to prepare. Make sure that man dies in the palace tonight."
Once he sleeps with the Crown Princess of Nanyue and forces her to support his ascension to the throne, she will be completely at his mercy.
As for Yu Changfeng, he will be buried here tonight.
It was the middle of the night, and the palace was quiet. The road was brightly lit, but there was no one in sight.
Shi Nuanyu silently followed behind the palace maids, wondering what schemes they would use to deal with her.
"Where do you intend to take me?"
The palace maid lowered her head and her voice trembled, "The Crown Princess, Her Highness the Crown Princess, is just ahead."
She was terrified of dying, but even more afraid of offending the Second Prince.
Shi Nuanyu stared at her for a moment without speaking, continuing to follow silently, quietly gripping the dagger she carried at her waist.
Just as they were about to cross the intersection of the Imperial Garden with the palace maids, a shout blocked their way.
"Halt! Which palace maid are you from, daring to linger here with Her Highness the Crown Princess?"
The old nanny waved her hand, and several eunuchs behind her pressed the palace maid to the ground.
She bowed respectfully to the Crown Princess of Nanyue, saying, "Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress invites you to Kunning Palace for a chat."
Shi Nuanyu was surprised. What were the people in the Northern Imperial Palace up to? She had heard from Changfeng that the Empress and the Imperial Concubine had always been at odds.
There are many unresolved grudges between the two. The second prince is the son of the imperial concubine, and if they take any action tonight, they will certainly not let the empress go.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
"Please lead the way, Granny."
The old woman hid the shock in her eyes. The Crown Princess was already at her last gasp, and everyone else was avoiding her to protect themselves. She had thought that the Crown Princess of Nanyue was the same, but she never expected that she would agree to meet her.
She bowed deeply with utmost respect, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. This way, please."
Following the old nanny to Kunning Palace, one could smell the deathly stillness even before getting close. The surroundings were deathly still, and the palace maids and eunuchs stood neatly at the entrance, their faces ashen.
Led into the palace by the old nanny, Shi Nuanyu immediately spotted the Empress sitting on the phoenix throne, looking exhausted. She was dressed in plain clothes and did not wear any hairpins.
"What brings Your Majesty the Empress here?"
The Empress smiled self-deprecatingly and gestured for her to sit down.
"I dare not accept the title of 'Empress'. Please just call me Madam Yu Jiang."
The Empress of the Eastern Palace should have been a noble and imposing figure, a model of a nation's mother. But what Shi Nuanyu saw in her was the hardship of a woman trapped in a predicament with no way out.
She readily agreed and found a seat to sit down.
"Madam Jiang."
The palace maids, sensing the situation, served tea.
Empress Jiang smiled wryly and covered her mouth with a handkerchief to stifle the itch in her throat.
“I am the eldest daughter of the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies. The Jiang family is a family of upright officials. My father was always conscientious in his duties at court and never slacked off. In the past, when war broke out and refugees were everywhere, my mother single-handedly distributed porridge to save people and left a good name for herself.”
"At that time, the court was unstable and a dignified and virtuous empress was needed to stabilize the harem. The king set his sights on the Jiang family, and I had no choice but to enter the harem despite my reluctance."
Thinking back to those days, a wave of bitterness washed over her.
The imperial court is a place where people devour each other. The daughter of a noble family has ascended to the position of empress. Countless people resent her, and many others wish for the Jiang family to fall into decline.
Shi Nuanyu understood this principle well. If her father hadn't been such a devoted lover, and there had been no bond between them, her mother's life would likely not have been easy. In any era, the plight of women is always a matter of course.
Empress Jiang continued, "In the second year after I entered the palace, His Majesty took the eldest daughter of the Liu family as a concubine. Her rank was quickly promoted to Imperial Concubine. Imperial Concubine Liu was not easy to deal with. Her maternal family was powerful, and she quickly overshadowed me."
In the same year, the Jiang family was discovered to have formed cliques and embezzled disaster relief funds. My five-month-old child also left me, and the Jiang family fell into decline. The king, remembering my kindness in serving him, allowed me to live on as empress until now.
Jiang Xue looked resentful. "What kindness, what affection? All the suffering of the Jiang family was brought about by the King and the Liu family, yet they condescendingly bestow their blessings upon us, expecting me to live with gratitude."
Being trapped in the deep palace was not her wish, nor did she want to be trapped there even after her death.
She took a deep breath, her face full of sarcasm, "The king can't give up the days of having women on both sides. He comes to my palace every now and then. I endure the disgust and fawn over him, looking for opportunities to poison his food."
Even the unborn child in Consort Liu's womb was poisoned by me, but I am still not satisfied. My father, mother, brother, and sister all died unnatural deaths; if they were still alive, my great revenge could not be considered complete.
Shi Nuanyu listened quietly, without responding or taking it all in.
The woman before me, driven mad by hatred and the harsh realities of the palace, only needs a listener.
"The current Second Prince is not the Emperor's biological son. He is an illegitimate child that the Consort adopted from somewhere. The palace maid led the Crown Princess there at the Second Prince's behest. He wanted to force you and make the Crown Princess his puppet."
Jiang Xue sneered, but there was a hint of resentment in her voice. Her family had not been able to rest in peace, and she no longer had the ability to take revenge.
Shi Nuanyu stared intently at her, "Why did Madam Jiang help me?"
She sympathized with the suffering she endured; nothing in this world is priceless.
The old nanny knelt on the ground with a thud. "Please, Your Highness, grant my mistress's request. My mistress has no other choice."
Jiang Xue stood up, her steps unsteady, and helped the old woman to her feet.
"You are the hope of the people. My days are numbered. I will die with resentment before I avenge my great grudge. I do not wish to be a wronged ghost of the royal family after my death. I beg Your Highness to send my body back to the Jiang family after my death and protect the lives of the people in Kunning Palace."
She had already heard about the deeds of the Princess of Nanyue, knew that she cared for the world, and also knew about her relationship with the Crown Prince of Beilin.
In the end, he decided to gamble again, hoping she would soften her heart.
Shi Nuanyu instantly understood her thoughts. With the Second Prince forcing the abdication, the Emperor passing away, and the Crown Prince reaping the benefits, only she could persuade the Crown Prince of Beilin not to let her be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
Jiang Xue utterly despised the royal family.
Just as Shi Nuanyu was about to speak, she noticed a purse fall from the old nanny's arms. She bent down to pick it up; the purse was embroidered with a miniature mountain.
"Old woman, where did you get this purse?"
Seeing this, the old nanny honestly replied, "Years ago, I went to the temple to pray for blessings for my young master who died young. The old monk gave me the purse, and I have been wearing it ever since."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xue's eyes welled up with tears. She could never repay the old nanny's kindness in this lifetime.
Shi Nuanyu opened her purse, inside which was a slip of paper with the character 'Xi' written on it. Combined with the three brocade pouches she had seen earlier, it read: "May the soul return."
What is the connection between these two things?
"I can help you, but this purse..."
The old nanny knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, "This old servant is willing to give the purse to Her Highness the Crown Princess, only asking that Her Highness fulfill her mistress's wish."
Why seek what others desire, but not what you seek for yourself?
Shi Nuanyu helped her up. "I promise you," she said, glancing at Madam Jiang beside her. "They will all live."
Jiang Xue's eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Your Highness."
The rumors are true; the Crown Princess of Nanyue is a wise ruler. In her eyes, there are not only the common people, but also the lonely and helpless women.
Shi Nuanyu put the purse in her bosom and said, "Find a place to rest, close the gate of Kunning Palace, and do not open the gate for anyone except the Crown Prince."
She had originally intended to follow the palace maid to see what tricks the Second Prince was planning, but now that she knew, there was no need to go.
She couldn't interfere in the affairs of the Northern Court, so she would have to wait and see what Yu Changfeng could do.