Thinking about Princess Fuqing, Consort Xian barely slept all night.
Princess Fuqing had faced danger during the Lantern Festival just a few months ago. The Empress wouldn’t let her leave the palace again, and with the recent troubles caused by the princes annoying the Emperor, there were no plans for a flower-viewing banquet.
Upon careful consideration, the only opportunity to act would be when Princess Fuqing traveled to and from Cining Palace.
Previously, Princesses Fuqing and Fourteen would go to Cining Palace together, each accompanied by a palace maid. After the Lantern Festival incident, they began going alone.
Princess Fuqing’s close call during the Lantern Festival seemed to be due to an issue with her maid, so they simply stopped bringing maids to Cining Palace.
The princesses, fearing to disturb the Empress Dowager’s peace, initially brought only one maid. Later, when the regular maid had a problem, it became just the two princesses going. Was this a natural progression of events, or the Empress Dowager’s long-term plan?
The Empress Dowager had Princess Fuqing visit daily from the beginning, Princess Fuqing ultimately escaped harm during the Lantern Festival, and now there was this convenient opportunity to act. Consort Xian couldn’t believe these were mere coincidences.
The more Consort Xian pondered, the more inscrutable the Empress Dowager seemed.
The Empress Dowager was undoubtedly cautious and cunning. With such a person helping Zhangr, his chances would surely increase significantly.
As the sky began to lighten with the early summer dawn, Consort Xian rose, wrapped herself in a cloak, and walked to the window, opening it slightly.
The cool morning breeze made her shiver involuntarily and cough lightly.
Hearing the noise, her maid exclaimed in alarm, “My Lady, why are you standing here in the wind? You’ll catch a chill—”
Consort Xian glanced at the maid without answering, instead looking out at the cold courtyard and asking, “Why is no one moving about?”
She remembered that in the past, many palace servants would be sweeping and working at this hour, but since falling ill and losing energy, she hadn’t paid attention.
Hearing Consort Xian’s words, the maid’s expression froze, and she stammered without answering.
Sensing something amiss, Consort Xian frowned and asked, “What is it?”
The maid lowered her head and said dryly, “Perhaps those on duty today are slacking off—”
Consort Xian understood and laughed coldly, “I fear it’s not just today’s laziness, but that they’ve stopped taking their duties seriously since they see me out of favor, right?”
“My Lady—” The maid quickly knelt.
Consort Xian looked down at her and said flatly, “No need for that. Get up. I won’t take such a small matter to heart.”
Stepping on the fallen and kicking them when they’re down—such behavior was common both inside and outside the palace, especially within. She had lived long enough to understand this clearly.
Making a big fuss and lashing out at lowly palace maids over this would only make her a laughingstock if word spread.
She wouldn’t do that now. If she were to act, it would be when she stood at the pinnacle.
Consort Xian pulled her cloak tighter and slowly moved away from the window.
The desolation and bleakness of Yuquan Palace that day strengthened her resolve: Better to shatter like jade than remain whole as a tile.
She refused to end her life so miserably and pitifully. Even if she lost this gamble, it would be better than dying a coward.
Contentment and taking a step back for peace and stability might appeal to others, but not to her, Ji Rao.
She had endured for most of her life, smiling at people from other palaces even when seething inside. Did she do this because she enjoyed it?
It was only because she had something to gain that she was willing to endure a little more.
If she were to endure until death, how would that be different from being a cowardly turtle?
“Bring me scissors to trim my nails,” she ordered.
The maid quickly brought silver scissors.
Consort Xian pointed to her bare pinky nail: “Cut them all this short.”
“My Lady?” The maid was shocked.
Consort Xian said coldly, “Just cut them as I said, without question.”
She would need to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager and Empress several more times, both to seek assurance from the Empress Dowager and to assess the path from Cining Palace to Kunning Palace, looking for potential opportunities to act.
In Cining Palace, activity had started early. However, in the Empress Dowager’s chambers, only one elderly maid was combing her hair.
The hair in the maid’s hands was almost entirely white and so thin it barely caught in the comb’s teeth.
The Empress Dowager’s eyes were half-closed, her expression serene.
The Empress Dowager almost always looked this way, even when she had asked Consort Xian for Princess Fuqing’s life the day before, her expression had remained unperturbed.
The maid combing her hair couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think… Consort Xian will act?”
The Empress Dowager opened her eyes and said calmly, “How many people can be content after clinging to an obsession for most of their life without a single day of unbridled freedom?”
The maid smiled, “The Empress Dowager is most perceptive.”
The Empress Dowager fell silent, looking towards the door.
If her predictions were correct, Consort Xian would become more diligent in paying respects at Cining Palace.
Sure enough, a few days later, Consort Xian came to pay respects again.
Perhaps having made up her mind and recovered from the deep shock of the Empress Dowager’s hidden nature, this time Consort Xian was bolder, getting straight to the point: “Empress Dowager, my lowly life is not worth mentioning, but the Emperor is neither foolish nor incompetent. If I act, I may not escape unscathed. By then, the Emperor will surely despise Zhangr by association, and with my life gone, how can I be sure you—”
The Empress Dowager smiled and asked, “Are you worried that I won’t keep my word?”
Consort Xian pressed her lips together in silence.
The Empress Dowager shook her head. “You shouldn’t ask such things. Given my position, would I deceive you? Even if I were merely humouring you, what could you do about it? You and I have never been equal partners. I am the one setting the stage, and you are merely a piece on the board. So you should never have asked this question.”
Consort Xian’s face paled as she smiled bitterly. “I understand, but I’m overwhelmed with concern. Thinking about Zhangr, I just can’t be at ease…”
The Empress Dowager turned the prayer beads on her wrist and said calmly, “I can tell you this: Prince Yan is now the Empress’s son, and I won’t allow him to take that position. Besides Prince Yan, there are only a few left. Would I keep my promise to help Prince Qi, or would I help someone unrelated?”
Hearing the Empress Dowager’s words, Consort Xian’s heart skipped a beat.
The Empress Dowager directly stated she would prevent that bastard Seventh Prince from ascending the throne due to his connection with the Empress, and she also wanted to eliminate Princess Fuqing. Did this mean there was enmity between the Empress Dowager and the Empress?
If the Empress Dowager resented the Empress, it would make sense for her to target the Empress’s children.
But in her years in the palace, she had never noticed the Empress offending the Empress Dowager in any way…
Consort Xian looked at the Empress Dowager, but her expression was too calm to reveal any clues.
She marveled again.
There were too many secrets in the palace that she didn’t know. She had been too presumptuous before.
“Is there anything else you want to ask?” the Empress Dowager inquired.
Consort Xian lowered her gaze and shook her head.
The Empress Dowager smiled. “Knowing too much isn’t always a good thing. Shouldn’t you be paying respects at Kunning Palace now?”
Consort Xian’s heart trembled, and she respectfully nodded under the Empress Dowager’s meaningful smile. “Yes, I should go pay my respects at Kunning Palace.”
Thereafter, Consort Xian made several more visits to pay respects at Cining Palace and Kunning Palace, until she fell ill on the first day of May and had to stop.