Liu Yi immediately brought his attendants into the palace.
It was called a palace, but that was just a title. Its predecessor was actually the garden of a famous local aristocratic family. After Liu Cong fought his way into Lu County, he occupied this garden.
Liu Cong had killed all his brothers, including their wives, children, and descendants. So now living in this palace were his wives, concubines, children, and grandchildren, along with Consort Dowager Shan and some palace consorts.
Since following the court in exile and being separated from her son, Consort Dowager Shan had been very low-key and quiet. After news of Liu Yuan’s death arrived, she became even quieter. Though anxious about Liu Yi’s whereabouts, she dared not show it, much less unite with court officials to search for him.
She could only hide in a corner, quietly having people go out to inquire. If she could hear more news of her son’s whereabouts, she was happy. If they couldn’t find anything, she would be unable to sleep through entire nights, only able to pray to Heaven to protect him and keep him safe.
Because of this quietness, the petty-minded Liu He, after ascending the throne, didn’t think to cause trouble for her. Though when he was crown prince he had hated Liu Yi and Consort Dowager Shan to death, thinking they might seize his position at any time.
But Liu Yi had voluntarily gone to draw away pursuers, and the remaining Consort Dowager Shan was also very obedient and didn’t cause him trouble. Plus he needed to pacify the court officials, so he didn’t make things difficult for Consort Dowager Shan but instead honored her as Consort Dowager according to protocol.
After that, he just left her to the side and ignored her.
Consort Dowager Shan’s days weren’t good, but they weren’t bad either. It just took great effort not to fall behind during relocations, occasionally going hungry or falling down, or when there weren’t enough carriages and she could only crowd into an ox cart with palace servants—none of this really mattered.
What she worried about most was only Liu Yi’s safety.
When Liu He was killed by Liu Cong, Consort Dowager Shan was dragged out, because theoretically she was the one with the authority to determine the next heir.
But Consort Dowager Shan was not at all happy with this attention. Her treatment improved, but she lived every day in fear, very afraid of Liu Cong, feeling he might kill her for the throne at any moment.
When Liu Cong said in front of everyone that he wanted to find Liu Yi and honor him as emperor, she became even more afraid and anxious.
She wasn’t clever, but she had her own survival wisdom. If Liu Cong was willing to let his brother be emperor, why would he have killed Liu He and his sons?
So Consort Dowager Shan had been living in constant fear, waiting to be killed. She couldn’t find any way out for herself at all. She only hoped Liu Yi could be safe.
As a result, overnight, news that Liu Yi had been captured as a hostage spread throughout the Xiongnu. Before Consort Dowager Shan could feel happy or worried about finding Liu Yi’s whereabouts, Liu Cong poisoned the Jin Emperor and Zhao Zhongyu to death.
Consort Dowager Shan’s heart instantly turned ice cold.
Liu Cong had poisoned the Jin Emperor and Zhao Zhongyu—could her son still survive in Jin hands?
For this matter, Consort Dowager Shan cried for three days and three nights.
After that, whenever she thought of her son whose fate was unknown, she would cry, until they left Boping County and fled north. Only then did she have no time to think of her son.
This time, though Liu Yi had returned, he couldn’t live in the palace, and she couldn’t go out. The mother and son had only met twice in total. This was the third time. After receiving the message, Consort Dowager Shan carefully dressed herself. She took out her most beautiful clothes and jewelry, compared them in the mirror, and smiled at her maid. “I’ll wear this set.”
The maid smiled and agreed, serving her as she changed clothes. While arranging her hair, she smiled and said, “Your Ladyship is so beautiful. The prince will be reassured seeing you like this. Once the prince receives an official position and petitions His Majesty, perhaps he can have you moved out to live separately.”
Consort Dowager Shan’s smile faded slightly, a light worry clouding her features. Though she didn’t participate in politics, she still knew about the current disputes outside.
Liu Yi wanted to pledge allegiance to Zhao Hanzhang, but the emperor wouldn’t allow it.
Consort Dowager Shan touched her heart, which always felt somewhat uneasy. Today her heart seemed to be beating especially fast.
She asked, “Has Xiao Qi entered the palace?”
The maid smiled. “Counting the time, it should be soon.”
Consort Dowager Shan’s heart beat even faster. She simply stood up and walked out of the room, standing at the door looking into the distance.
The maid followed with the hairpin she was about to insert, somewhat at a loss. “Your Ladyship, what’s wrong?”
“I feel a bit stuffy. I came to get some air.”
Consort Dowager Shan looked around and, feeling uncomfortable, asked the maid, “There are footsteps outside the door. Who is outside?”
The maid listened, then hurried out to look. Soon she returned. “They’re palace guards.”
Consort Dowager Shan was puzzled. “Why would guards come here?”
“They say it’s to protect the palace’s security. Guards have been added everywhere,” the maid smiled. “Your Ladyship, let’s continue dressing.”
But Consort Dowager Shan’s face had turned pale. She had experienced a palace coup before, so she immediately sensed something was wrong.
She didn’t pay attention to the maid but instead turned and went upstairs, climbed to the attic, pushed open the small window there and looked into the distance.
It was already dusk, but everything was still clear. Her eyesight was good, and she quickly discovered armored guards gathered below the high walls—far more than usual.
Consort Dowager Shan often went up to this attic. Before Liu Yi returned, she most liked to hide here watching ministers walk past the front courtyard, hoping to take the opportunity to gather some information.
Today the number of guards she saw was a hundred times more than usual.
There was only one person who could deploy this many guards within the garden, and Consort Dowager Shan’s face turned deathly pale. What matter now was worth the emperor deploying so many guards within the garden?
Hidden behind the high walls too.
Consort Dowager Shan trembled as she climbed down from the attic, clutching the maid whose face was also pale. “Did you see?”
The maid nodded, her whole body shaking.
Consort Dowager Shan gripped her tightly. “You go out through the gap in the back wall and find the Prince of Beihai to warn him. Then you might live.”
The maid shook her head, too afraid to go.
Consort Dowager Shan said anxiously, “I am the Prince of Beihai’s mother. Tonight I will surely die. If you follow me, you will also surely die. Only by escaping and finding the Prince of Beihai to warn him can you live, understand?”
Consort Dowager Shan wept. “Tell him to leave quickly, to flee Lu County immediately. My husband and I indulged him too much, and Liu Cong is many years his senior and has long experienced battles. How could he be his match?”
Hearing that she could only live by fleeing, the maid finally calmed down somewhat.
Consort Dowager Shan put a token in her hand and pulled her to a flower bed in the back courtyard. She pushed aside the flowers to reveal a hole in the wall behind.
This was a small hole that she and her maid had accidentally discovered, which they later manually enlarged, removing several bricks.
They couldn’t really say why—just thinking that if another rebellion occurred someday, or if the Zhao Family Army attacked, they could hide here or escape through this place.
Consort Dowager Shan pushed her out, whispering instructions. “Keep the token safe. My son will believe you when he sees it. If you’re intercepted, use the token and claim you went out to buy things for me, understand?”
The maid nodded frantically.
Only then did Consort Dowager Shan push her out, lying on the ground watching her crawl out and run away. Only then did she wipe her tears and push the flowers back into place, patting the dirt from her body and trembling as she went back. She tried hard to calm herself, but the hand holding the eyebrow pencil kept shaking.