Consort Lü was indeed favored—within ten days, she had to receive the Emperor on eight.
This day, the imperial carriage arrived again at dusk. Emperor Chenming walked hurriedly, his black dragon robe with gold embroidery cutting through the air with sharp momentum. Upon seeing Consort Lü, he grasped her hand. “Is this how you and Consort Han manage the household? The Crown Princess’s investiture ceremony—not inviting Virtuous Consort Chen! If Third Son hadn’t noticed the omission, who knows what others would say.”
Hearing that Li Huan had stabbed her in the back, the corners of Consort Lü’s mouth drooped. Her smile became especially aggrieved as she pouted. “Virtuous Consort Chen is in such a state—she fell ill and jumped from the carriage during the autumn hunt. On such a joyous occasion, this subject feared it would spoil Your Majesty’s mood.”
Consort Lü was currently in the Emperor’s favor and had never taken the old consorts seriously. Unexpectedly, this time Emperor Chenming looked at her askance and did not take her outstretched hand.
At this moment, everyone was outside the hall to receive the Emperor. Qun Qing said, “Your Ladyship feels that at the investiture ceremony, the Crown Prince and Prince Yan will both welcome new wives, and Prince Zhao already has a secondary consort. Poor Fourth Prince is nowhere to be found. If Virtuous Consort Chen, as his mother, were to attend the investiture, she might be moved to sadness by the scene.”
Her voice was clear and cool. Emperor Chenming’s gaze shifted to see Qun Qing. “Why are you not at the Crown Princess’s side?”
Clearly, when he promoted Qun Qing that day, it was to have her assist Zheng Zhiyi’s words and conduct, not to pursue her own advancement.
Consort Lü couldn’t wait for the Emperor’s anger to be directed at someone else. “People climb upward. Miss Qing is clever—she’s already qualified as a palace official and need no longer be a servant.”
Qun Qing lowered her eyes. “This minister took the palace official examination at the Crown Princess’s encouragement, specifically selecting an idle position, originally thinking I could continue accompanying the Crown Princess. Unexpectedly, just as I began duties, the Empress dispatched me here to regulate Consort Lü’s words and conduct.”
Consort Lü’s gloating smile slightly faded. Emperor Chenming’s brow furrowed tightly. He detested Empress Ma, containing his anger. “What words and conduct need regulating? If I come a few more days, does it become improper conduct? The Empress truly makes trouble out of nothing.”
Having said this, he no longer cared about Virtuous Consort Chen’s matter and pulled Consort Lü into the hall.
By late night, Consort Lü emerged wearing a cloak. Seeing Qun Qing, her expression was somewhat complex. “A few days ago when you told me to add Virtuous Consort Chen to the investiture ceremony, I dismissed it. Had I known, I would have listened to you. Normally His Majesty doesn’t seem to value Virtuous Consort Chen much. How did you know he would be angry about this?”
“This minister doesn’t understand Virtuous Consort Chen, but understands the sacred heart.” Qun Qing lowered her eyes. “His Majesty values face extremely and cherishes family affection. In such imperial marriage occasions, if Virtuous Consort Chen were absent, it would invite commentary and suspicion of forgetting old kindness.”
Consort Lü prided herself on understanding imperial wishes, but recent excessive favor had caused her skills to deteriorate. Hearing this, she paused. “You’re right. How did I forget this? If Virtuous Consort Chen and Fourth Prince hadn’t remained in the palace as hostages back then, Princess Imperial Changping wouldn’t have dared release His Majesty to Huaiyuan.”
Qun Qing’s lashes trembled slightly. This rumor about Virtuous Consort Chen and Fourth Prince being hostages was confirmed from Consort Lü’s mouth. She just didn’t know what this mother and son had encountered that caused Fourth Prince to disappear, nor why Li Pan and Minister Meng wanted to silence Changqing Palace’s palace servants, resulting in Father’s disaster…
Here, Consort Lü was already regarding her differently. “Ceremony Assistant Qun looks plain and ordinary but is indeed skilled at pleasing the sacred heart. No wonder the Crown Prince values you. That chest of gold seems not to have been given in vain.”
Qun Qing extended her hand.
Consort Lü looked at her in confusion.
“Please bestow gold, Your Ladyship.” She said, “There’s also a matter concerning your clothing attendant Jin Zi I must tell Your Ladyship, lest you be kept in the dark.”
The weather had grown cold. As Qun Qing returned to the side hall, she only heard behind her Consort Lü’s interrogating voice and Jin Zi’s weeping. She didn’t turn back, merely pulled her outer garment tighter.
“What happened?” The room had burning charcoal. Ruo Chan poked her head out.
“Nothing much. Consort Lü’s clothing attendant used the opportunity of casting arrows for the autumn hunt to embezzle, secretly accumulating wealth for herself. I told Consort Lü.”
Qun Qing sat down to embroider the ceremonial robe with her. “A few days ago, Prince Zhao went south to suppress bandits. Today His Majesty held a celebration banquet for him. Did you see him?”
Ruo Chan shook her head. “Didn’t Prince Zhao used to take his favored consort Ruan Shi everywhere? Recently he’s somehow become disgusted with her. According to rumors Sister Lan Yue heard, whenever he approaches Consort Ruan, his face flushes and develops rashes. He didn’t even attend the palace banquet and thinks Consort Ruan infected him.”
The thread in Qun Qing’s hand pulled extremely long, like a golden thread under the lamplight.
The reason for Li Pan’s rashes was simple—it was because she had added gold powder containing weima to the rouge she gave Ruan Shi. Physician Li said Great Chen’s physicians had never seen weima, so even if Ruan Shi investigated, the physicians couldn’t determine the cause.
Li Pan developed rashes. This was his first contact with weima. The person at Qingjing Temple that day wasn’t him—this inevitably disappointed Qun Qing somewhat.
But for the torture and murder of Father, he could hardly escape responsibility.
“Ruo Chan, do you remember telling me before that you were once a female Taoist at White Horse Temple, then later served at Virtuous Consort Chen’s palace, and were only borrowed to Qingxuan Pavilion by Lan Yue during the palace move?”
Ruo Chan’s lashes trembled. Candlelight reflected in her smiling eyes. “Sister has such good memory. However, I didn’t serve within Virtuous Consort Chen’s palace—I only went to pray.”
“Could you tell me about Virtuous Consort Chen and those around her?”
Ruo Chan said, “Why is Sister suddenly interested in Virtuous Consort Chen?”
Not suddenly—this interest had been long-standing.
Qun Qing still remembered on that ferry, Fang Xie’s secret guard saying her father’s death was related to ‘Fourth Prince.’
Among those around her, only Ruo Chan happened to have connections to both. She had found an excuse to bring Ruo Chan to her side precisely to gather more information.
However, when Ruo Chan asked, she only recounted what had just happened.
Ruo Chan said, “Virtuous Consort Chen is quite pitiful too. Because she fears people, she has no palace servants attending her. The side hall where she lives is a prayer shrine from the former dynasty with a very large statue of Taiyi. In the entire hall, there’s only one old woman who sweeps.”
“Virtuous Consort Chen grieves over Fourth Prince’s disappearance. She mutters throughout the day, so His Majesty ordered female Taoists to take turns praying for her so she could sleep well. Four go each time—I’ve been several times.”
“Does Virtuous Consort Chen also make disturbances at night?”
Ruo Chan said, “At night she’s quite calm, probably due to the efficacy of prayers to drive away evil.”
Qun Qing thought for a moment. “These female Taoists all come from White Horse Temple?”
Ruo Chan said, “Among the palace’s four temples, only White Horse Temple has all young female Taoists—nimble and able to do rough work, incidentally caring for Virtuous Consort Chen’s daily needs.”
Qun Qing couldn’t help saying, “Who cares for Virtuous Consort Chen? How did it come to female Taoists doing palace maids’ work?”
“Palace people always worship the high and trample the low. Virtuous Consort Chen has been mad for so long—she has rank but no value, so gradually no one cared. The female Taoists saw her pitifulness and volunteered.”
Qun Qing listened silently, also completing the final stitch. “Since no one watches her, do I have an opportunity to disguise myself as a female Taoist to see Virtuous Consort Chen?”
Ruo Chan reacted for a moment, her mouth slightly open, her head beginning to spin. “Dis… disguise?”
Qun Qing looked at her with those slightly upturned eyes. “You were originally a female Taoist and are familiar with White Horse Temple’s female Taoists. Borrowing some clothing shouldn’t be difficult. These next few days, you can use substituting as an excuse to first go in and take a look.”
Ruo Chan couldn’t help saying, “Sister, but why must we take such great risk to see a disfavored consort?”
“There’s something very important to me that may be related to Fourth Prince. I want to try finding clues.” Qun Qing said, “It’s just that Consort Lü watches me very closely, and I’m not familiar with White Horse Temple’s female Taoists. Fearing I’d alarm others, I can only have you go scout first.”
Ruo Chan thought about it and nodded in agreement.
The next day, while Qun Qing was on duty, Ruo Chan went to White Horse Temple. When she returned, she pulled out two plain ceremonial robes from her thick winter clothing.
Ruo Chan wore one set herself and went that very night, returning at midnight shrouded in cold air. Qun Qing closed the door and quickly stoked the charcoal fire in the hall.
“Virtuous Consort Chen is still the same. It’s just that the old palace maid who swept the hall has died, so the hall is even more desolate—withered branches and fallen leaves are so thick there’s nowhere to step.” Ruo Chan rubbed her hands. “The female Taoists were very agreeable. We can go tonight.”
The two changed clothes and extinguished the lamps and candles.
Outside the door, Yin Zi saw they had finally gone to sleep. She yawned and turned to rest. The two secretly moved through the darkness, making their way toward Virtuous Consort Chen’s bedchamber.
Who knew that halfway there, a voice suddenly called from overhead: “Wait a moment.”
Both moonlight and lantern light were extremely dim. A man in brocade and fine clothing held a wine pot in one hand and limped down. Only then did Qun Qing notice this person was lame.
He wore a crown on his head—he must have slipped away from a banquet. In the darkness, Qun Qing vaguely saw a handsome, enchanting face. It was Prince Zhao Li Pan!
He grabbed the duster in Ruo Chan’s hand with one hand, frightening her into trembling. He merely smiled. “Shouldn’t this female Taoist be at the temple? Why are you wandering the palace?”
Li Pan was strong and capable in battle. Legend said he once smashed bandits into pulp on the battlefield and tortured captives to death at his mansion. So violent, with rumors of lechery besides—no wonder that though he smiled, Ruo Chan was so frightened.
Fortunately, Qun Qing was disguised, and Li Pan was drunk—he might not necessarily recognize her. But having their good plan suddenly interrupted made Qun Qing’s heart jump with alarm, suspecting Li Pan had discovered her hiding in the darkness.
She reached out to yank Ruo Chan’s duster back. “We are commanded to pray at Virtuous Consort Chen’s place. Please let us pass, benefactor.”
Li Pan’s hand emptied. His gaze suddenly fell on her fingers—such slender, beautiful fingers. Then he discovered Qun Qing was staring straight at him. Though faces were hard to distinguish in the darkness, only her eyes reflected the moonlight, appearing cat-like beneath her plain robes.
His throat moved. Showing his canine teeth in a smile, he said, “What’s the rush to pray for Virtuous Consort Chen? This prince has been unable to sleep recently—why not pray for me first? Come, up to the pavilion. Until I say stop, you cannot leave.”
As he spoke, he reached out to grab Qun Qing’s duster. But Qun Qing suddenly raised the duster, its tip striking his face like iron wire. Yet her eyes held emotion as she pinched her voice to point toward the pavilion. “Please be seated, Second Prince. I’ll pray for you.”
Li Pan felt pain but forcibly grabbed the duster, speaking with malice. “Dressed so pure and dustless—whether you’re truly clean is another matter. Female Taoists who walk the world are mostly secret prostitutes.”
Qun Qing’s hand had already gripped his shoulder. The smile at Li Pan’s lips was suggestive. However, being a military man, his reactions were keen. Sensing something wrong, he grabbed Qun Qing’s wrist.
His strength was enormous—he could crush bones. An ordinary young woman would already be rolling on the ground begging for mercy. Yet Qun Qing showed no reaction. Instead, she freed her other hand to give him two slaps.
Having received crisp slaps, Li Pan finally realized something was wrong and anxiously tried to stand. But having drunk too much wine, he couldn’t balance. Qun Qing’s duster had already crossed over to press against his neck, forcing his face to flush red.