As April passed its midpoint, the weather turned warm. Light summer garments could be seen throughout the palace.
The Virtuous Consort finally managed to leave Yuquan Palace but still wore a thick gauze dress.
Even so, standing in the open space outside Yuquan Palace, she felt a chill.
She knew this chill wasn’t from the early summer breeze, but from within her heart, from her very bones.
With her hopes gone and her body failing, she naturally felt cold inside and out.
“Your Highness, the wind is strong at the corner. Be careful not to catch a chill,” a palace maid reminded her.
The Virtuous Consort pulled her collar closer and said softly, “Let’s go to Cining Palace.”
Mama Chang’s words from that day still seemed to hold deeper meaning.
In the past two years, the Empress Dowager seemed to have changed, no longer as reclusive as before.
The Virtuous Consort had been struggling these days, but she kept Mama Chang’s words in her heart. As soon as she felt a bit better, she went to pay her respects at Cining Palace.
Halfway there, the Virtuous Consort was already panting, her face pale.
The palace maid looked worried, “Your Highness, please rest for a moment.”
The Virtuous Consort waved her hand, “Rest? What would it look like if I’m late to pay respects to the Empress Dowager?”
After stopping and starting, they finally reached Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager was having two princesses take turns reading stories to her. Hearing that the Virtuous Consort had arrived, she opened her eyes, “Let the Virtuous Consort enter.”
Soon, the Virtuous Consort entered and respectfully paid her respects to the Empress Dowager.
“Bring a seat for the Virtuous Consort.”
A palace maid brought a small stool and placed it beside the Virtuous Consort.
The Virtuous Consort sat down.
The Empress Dowager smiled, “Please wait a moment, Fuqing is almost finished.”
The clear, pleasant voice of a young girl resumed, and the Virtuous Consort listened silently, realizing this was an entirely unfamiliar story.
“Imperial Grandmother, I’ve finished reading,” Princess Fuqing said as she completed the last page, clearly enjoying the story.
Beside her, the Fourteenth Princess remained quiet as usual, barely noticeable.
The Empress Dowager gestured for a palace maid to put away the storybook and said lovingly, “You two can go back now.”
Princess Fuqing and the Fourteenth Princess bowed to the Empress Dowager and the Virtuous Consort before leaving together.
The Empress Dowager spoke first with a smile, “These storybooks are becoming more and more interesting. They say they’re from a bookshop outside the palace called Six Snowflake Pavilion. Mama Chang brought back a few to entertain me when she went out to burn incense. Have you heard of it?”
The Virtuous Consort smiled awkwardly, “I’ve been secluded in the palace for so long, I’m afraid I haven’t heard of it.”
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly, with a touch of emotion, “Indeed, living in seclusion for so long, the outside world becomes completely unfamiliar.”
The Virtuous Consort didn’t know how to respond.
The Empress Dowager had never been close to her before or to any consort for that matter. Now, engaging in casual conversation left her confused.
“You may all withdraw,” the Empress Dowager said, dismissing the attendants as she accepted a cup of tea.
The Virtuous Consort held a cup of hot tea, feeling uneasy.
“You rarely return to the Duke’s mansion, don’t you?” the Empress Dowager asked casually, sipping her tea.
The Virtuous Consort quickly replied, “I only visited once eight years ago.”
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, “Ah, I remember. Your father was ill then.”
The Virtuous Consort’s eyes grew moist as she nodded slowly.
That year, when news came of her father’s serious illness, she requested permission from the Emperor to visit home to see her father one last time.
She was favored then, and the Emperor readily agreed.
It was the last time she saw her father and the last time she went home.
Thinking of this, the Virtuous Consort felt increasingly resentful.
After years of loneliness in the palace, what was it all for if not to achieve the position of the woman before her?
“I’m afraid you won’t have the chance to visit home again in the future, will you?”
The Virtuous Consort looked at the Empress Dowager in shock, unable to believe these words came from her mouth.
But there were only the two of them in the room, with no third person present. If not the Empress Dowager, who else could it be?
Perhaps it was an illusion, but the Empress Dowager’s expression seemed somewhat gloomy in the dim light where she sat.
This version of the Empress Dowager unnerved the Virtuous Consort, dispelling the warmth of the earlier scene of an elder reading to two young girls.
The Empress Dowager stared at the Virtuous Consort without blinking, “Why don’t you answer?”
The Virtuous Consort grew increasingly uncertain of the Empress Dowager’s intentions and stammered, “Your Highness is right. My health is poor now, and I couldn’t withstand such a journey—”
The Empress Dowager smiled, “Even if you could, I doubt the Emperor would allow it.”
“Your Highness—” The Virtuous Consort was even more shocked.
What did the Empress Dowager mean? That day, when Mama Chang hinted she should come to pay respects, was indeed not simple…
“Virtuous Consort, you understand that you and Prince Qi have fallen out of favor with the Emperor, perhaps even to the point of disgrace.”
The Virtuous Consort couldn’t sit still. She rose from the stool, her face pale, “I’m slow-witted. Please, Your Highness, speak plainly.”
“Speak plainly?” the Empress Dowager asked.
The Virtuous Consort nodded, “Your Highness is kind and generous. There must be a deeper meaning to your words. I’m too foolish to understand, so please explain clearly.”
The Empress Dowager smiled, “I have a task I want you to carry out for me.”
The Virtuous Consort’s heart skipped a beat. She lowered her gaze, “It would be my honor to serve Your Highness. What are your instructions?”
The Empress Dowager slowly sipped her tea twice, then set the cup down on the table. She spoke unhurriedly, “I want Fuqing’s life.”
The Virtuous Consort’s teacup fell from her hands, shattering into pieces. But this was nothing compared to her extreme shock.
She stepped back twice, staring at the Empress Dowager in disbelief as if seeing this woman at the top for the first time.
Had she heard wrong?
“What’s the matter? Are you frightened?” The Empress Dowager glanced at the Virtuous Consort, her tone cold.
The Virtuous Consort opened her mouth, “I—”
The Empress Dowager sneered, “I thought you had nothing left to lose and would be fearless.”
“Your Highness, I don’t understand—”
“You don’t need to understand. I’m only asking if you’ll do it.”
The Virtuous Consort, pale-faced, hesitated to answer, keenly detecting a murderous glint in the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
She suddenly realized: that since the Empress Dowager had said these words to her, if she didn’t agree, she might not live long after leaving Cining Palace.
Realizing this, the Virtuous Consort bit her lip and said, “Fuqing is the legitimate princess, the apple of the Empress’s eye. I’m afraid it would be difficult to find an opportunity… Even if I had the chance, escaping unscathed would be nearly impossible—”
The Empress Dowager smiled, “I only want Cining Palace to remain uninvolved.”
The implication was clear: she didn’t care whether the Virtuous Consort lived or died after carrying out the deed.
The Virtuous Consort was utterly astonished.
The Empress Dowager tapped the table lightly, her voice tinged with pity, “Your health, I fear, is like a lamp running out of oil, isn’t it?”
The Virtuous Consort trembled, staring intently at the Empress Dowager.
She had sealed the Imperial Physician’s lips. How did the Empress Dowager know about her condition?
In the past, she would complain about minor ailments to gain the Emperor’s sympathy and attention. But now that she was truly unwell, she only wanted to hold on for as long as possible, forcing herself to appear well in front of others.
The aged voice spoke again, sounding almost unfamiliar, “Using the last bit of your dying light to help Prince Qi—don’t you think it’s worth it?”