Along the way, Emperor Mingxian would occasionally ask questions whenever he thought of something. As the chief eunuch, Fu Shun knew almost everything that happened in the palace. Emperor Mingxian was also very busy with state affairs, so he mostly heard about things from Fu Shun. After inquiring about the recent situation in the palace, the group arrived at Yuehua Garden.
As soon as you enter, a delicate fragrance of plum blossoms wafts over you, and at the garden entrance, several pink plum trees are in full bloom, bringing a unique charm to this cold winter day. They are truly beautiful.
Emperor Mingxian, with his hands behind his back and a slight smile on his lips, strolled around Liuyue Garden. The pink plum blossoms and white plum blossoms planted there were also in bloom, but compared to the pink plum blossoms that Emperor Mingxian had specially moved there, they seemed to lack some of their unrestrained beauty. Emperor Mingxian stopped in front of a pink plum blossom: "Fushun, go and pick two branches of pink plum blossoms. Consort Fen likes pink very much. I am also tired from walking, so I will rest at Liuhua Palace today."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After Emperor Mingxian finished speaking, he strode out. The task of picking flowers was naturally left to the eunuchs. Emperor Mingxian had come here on a whim today, without even announcing his arrival at Liuhua Palace, which immediately caused some panic among the palace servants. Emperor Mingxian was in a good mood and did not pay any attention to it, only asking, "Is Consort Fen asleep?"
"Your Majesty, Consort Fen has been quite sleepy lately. After returning today, she bathed for almost an hour and then lay down. Consort Fen doesn't like to be disturbed by us when she's resting," the palace maid replied cautiously.
Fenyan did indeed have this habit, and even Emperor Mingxian knew about it. He hesitated for a moment whether to disturb her. At this moment, the eunuch had already brought over the cut flower branches. The flowers were still dripping with water droplets formed by the frost of the night, making them even more beautiful. Fushun took them and Emperor Mingxian said, "You can all stay outside. I will go in and see Consort Fen. The others don't need to come with me. Fushun can come with me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The palace servants knelt on the ground behind him. Since Emperor Mingxian had given the order, no one dared to disobey.
To enter Liuhua Palace, one must first enter the outer hall, then the middle hall, and finally the inner hall. Inside and outside Liuhua Palace, people were kneeling all over the ground. Emperor Mingxian walked in as usual, but when he arrived at the inner hall, he heard a somewhat urgent voice: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, are you awake? The Emperor has come to see you." It was Furong, the personal maid of Fenyan.
As Emperor Mingxian approached, Furong immediately knelt down and begged, "This servant greets Your Majesty. Her Highness is sleeping soundly today and has not yet woken up. This servant dares not disturb her."
Seeing this, Emperor Mingxian lost interest in watching any longer, pointed at Fushun, gave him a flower branch, and was about to leave.
"Ah~" Just then, a strange sound came from inside. Emperor Mingxian squinted and clearly saw that Furong's face was pale and she was covered in sweat.
Fu Shun was also stunned for a moment, his reaction was so quick that he didn't seem like a eunuch who had lost his manhood at all. He rushed over and kicked open the door. Fu Rong was about to get up to stop him, but Emperor Mingxian slapped her back and made her fall to the ground. Emperor Mingxian and Fu Shun had already rushed into the room. There was a strong smell in the room. Anyone who had been there knew that it was the smell of lust. Although you can't see or touch it, you can feel it. Emperor Mingxian's face darkened instantly. He strode in. When he saw the scene in the room, Emperor Mingxian's face twitched and turned ashen. Fu Shun stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the man and woman who were passionately intertwined on the bed!
☆、242, kick in the stomach!
Although Fu Shun was utterly shocked, he had seen all sorts of great battles while serving Emperor Mingxian, so he quickly recovered. It wasn't that he had seen such illicit affairs before, but he knew that such things should never be known to outsiders.
So the first thing Fu Shun did after regaining his senses was to turn around and pull the frightened Fu Rong inside, then slam the door shut. Although the people outside didn't know why there was such a noise inside, they didn't dare to move or interfere. For a moment, the area around Fen Yan's room was very quiet.
The palace maid, Furong, who had been pulled in, looked at the scene inside the room, her expression instantly changing drastically. Although she had vaguely heard strange noises outside, she wasn't sure. This wasn't surprising; while she knew that Consort Fen had frequent contact with the Crown Prince, she had never done anything like this before. Consort Fen's meetings with the Crown Prince were limited, so she never had the opportunity to do such a thing. At first, Furong hadn't thought much of it, but when Emperor Mingxian arrived, she panicked. She called out to Consort Fen for a long time, but there was no response. Consort Fen appeared gentle and kind from the outside, even pretending to be pregnant with the maids of Liuhua Palace, but those close to her knew she wasn't as simple as she seemed. She was indeed tolerant, but only when certain people hadn't offended her; otherwise, she would have already ordered them dealt with discreetly. Although Furong sensed something was amiss, she didn't consider this possibility. She just vaguely felt something was wrong, but given Consort Fen's usual behavior in private, Furong dared not open the door and barge in.
When she saw what was inside the house, she was horrified.
How dare Your Highness do such a thing, especially when the Emperor came to see her! She...she...she's courting death!
That's right! They're just asking for death!
Inside the room were two people, one named Fenyan and the other the Crown Prince. Their passion was so intense that they didn't even notice someone else entering the room. They continued their primal acts. Fenyan, heavily pregnant, seemed completely oblivious. However, her kneeling position didn't seem to cause her much damage. It was just that Fenyan's appearance was far too lewd. Her face was filled with a satisfied and pleasurable expression, and she made obscene noises from time to time. The compatibility between the two of them was not like that of people doing this for the first time. It was as if they had experienced it many times before and were intimately close.
The man's heavy breathing and the woman's unrestrained moans echoed from the bed, reaching Emperor Mingxian, Fushun, and Furong's ears, each sound shaking their hearts. Furong was pale and trembling all over. How could she, as a servant, escape the blame for what her master had done?
Furong was so frightened that she knelt down on the ground with a 'plop', her body going limp.
Fu Shun cautiously observed Emperor Mingxian. Any man would be furious at this moment, and Emperor Mingxian was no ordinary man; he was the most esteemed person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Seeing this scene, the biggest green hat had been placed on his head. Emperor Mingxian must be incredibly angry. Even Fu Shun, who served by his side, felt a chill in his heart. Emperor Mingxian was very self-disciplined. Although there were many intrigues and struggles in the palace, such a sordid thing had never happened before, especially not with his own eyes. He had no idea what Emperor Mingxian was thinking, and dared not guess.
Emperor Mingxian's face was ashen, a cold smile playing on his lips, but he remained completely silent.
Fenyan and Baili Cheng were so engrossed in their activities that they hadn't even noticed there were other people in the room. Fenyan, still looking unsatisfied, even pulled off a difficult move, hooking her arm around Baili Cheng and offering a kiss, murmuring, "So amazing~"
Fenyan's body had long been trained by Consort Sun, a process no less rigorous than that of a courtesan. Compared to the truly virgin candidates, she was far more experienced. Coupled with her outstanding beauty and Consort Sun's patronage, this was the reason she stood out among the other candidates. All these factors combined to gradually reach this point. However, Emperor Mingxian was relatively self-disciplined and didn't indulge in the debauchery of some emperors. He didn't require his concubines to indulge in nightly revelry. Fenyan's body had already been trained to be quite wanton. When facing Emperor Mingxian, she had to be more adept at pleasing men than ordinary candidates, while also restraining herself from doing too much and making the emperor perceive her as wanton. This was an extremely difficult process.
This indulgence has left Fenyan completely out of control. A strong desire gnaws at her heart, a yearning to be held tightly in this man's arms. She's completely entranced, entranced. Baili Cheng isn't much better off than Fenyan.
Fen Yan was right about one thing: Baili Cheng is indeed very powerful.
Baili Cheng always maintained the appearance of a crown prince in public, and over the years he had been vying with the virtuous Baili Jian for superiority. Naturally, Baili Cheng would also put on a facade to avoid revealing his true nature. However, among all the princes, Baili Cheng was the first to have contact with women. He was also the kind of person rumored to be extremely averse to being satisfied, possessing a high level of sexual desire. The power struggles within the crown prince's residence were never-ending, and women came and went frequently, but Baili Cheng was never short of women, and his skills were naturally superb.
He felt strange today. This woman wasn't the most beautiful he had ever seen, but he felt she was the one who fascinated him the most. It seemed as if a wonderful fragrance was constantly emanating from the tip of his nose. This woman was constantly emitting a fragrance that captivated him, a strong scent that seemed to pierce his heart, making it impossible for him to stop.
The two continued their entanglement, while Fu Shun watched in horror, his heart trembling. Emperor Mingxian had been with them for a while, though none of them had spoken. But were the people inside really so oblivious? Hadn't they noticed? They were far too engrossed in this affair. Fu Shun could sense that while Emperor Mingxian was angry when he first entered, he hadn't lost his mind. Now, however, he radiated an almost uncontrollable rage. Fen Yan's betrayal had made Emperor Mingxian a cuckold, but it wasn't enough to drive him to madness. Yet, they had been here for so long, and the Crown Prince and Consort Fen hadn't stopped. Making them witness this filthy scene, and seeing their gleeful expressions, was the most stimulating thing. Emperor Mingxian's face remained calm, but Fu Shun found this calmness even more terrifying.
Furong was so frightened that she couldn't speak, collapsed to the ground, and even fainted.
Finally, Emperor Mingxian spoke: "Fushun, go and ask if it's alright yet." Emperor Mingxian's voice was indifferent, revealing no emotion whatsoever. Fushun, however, was so frightened that he dared not breathe. He responded softly and walked into the room, towards the bed, until he stood by the bedside.
After a while, Baili Cheng and Fenyan finally reacted. Their faces turned extremely red, even their eyes were red. When they saw Fushun, they stared wide-eyed and opened their mouths in shock, unable to react. Fushun's face and eyes were filled with undisguised disgust. Fushun was Emperor Mingxian's eunuch and a confidant. Seeing his master being humiliated like this, he wanted to take action against the two scoundrels on the spot. However, considering their status, he did not dare to overstep his bounds and asked Emperor Mingxian, "Are you done yet?"
Fu Shun's words finally startled Baili Cheng and Fen Yan awake. The two screamed in terror, their two pale bodies springing apart like springs. Baili Cheng, regaining his senses, wanted to explain, but the thought of his naked body was too unsightly. He hurriedly searched for clothes to put on, but the clothes they had thrown earlier were scattered all over the floor. He was sweating profusely and only managed to find two pieces of clothing, which he quickly put on. Fen Yan, on the other hand, was trembling with fear. She even hid in the corner of the bed and grabbed the bed curtains to cover herself, but what good did that do?
Baili Cheng, his clothes disheveled, knelt down before Emperor Mingxian with a 'plop,' but his lips trembled and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time: "Father, Father, this...this..." Baili Cheng really didn't know how to explain. The scene just now had been so clearly seen by Emperor Mingxian, who could see every hair on their bodies. What was there to explain?
Baili Cheng was terrified, but he had to calm himself down. He couldn't admit to this; if he did, he would be doomed and lose everything. His mind was in turmoil, but he forced himself to calm down. Suddenly, he remembered what had happened at the beginning and cried out, "Father, I'm innocent! Someone has framed me! Someone sent me a message saying something was wrong here, which is why I rushed over. But as soon as I arrived, I smelled a strange odor, and then I lost consciousness. I've been framed, Father!"
Under other circumstances, Baili Cheng would have thought things through several times before speaking, and would never have brought up the slightest thing about being wrongly accused and framed. However, he did not expect that his words were full of errors and omissions, which only made people angrier.
Emperor Mingxian sneered: "Oh, so someone tipped you off, and you're being framed? But there aren't many people in this palace who can come to Liuhua Palace unnoticed. It seems this isn't your first time here. It's a rule that princes who have reached adulthood are not required to enter the palaces of the concubines. As the Crown Prince, the future Emperor of Great Zhou, don't you even understand this basic principle? Trying to exonerate yourself with such ridiculous words, do you think I'm a fool!"
Baili Cheng was startled, his heart skipping a beat. Even if he was innocent, the fact that he could appear so stealthily in Liuhua Palace spoke volumes. Furthermore, Fen Yan's rule against being disturbed while resting was understandable before, but now that she had, it made people suspicious. Was her refusal to be disturbed during her rest a way of hiding who she was meeting?
If every time she sees this person it's like today, how long have they been together—three months, five months, six months, or seven months? Whose child is this Fenyan in? Is it really Emperor Mingxian's? What a coincidence! Emperor Mingxian hasn't had a child for over ten or twenty years, and Fenyan got pregnant not long after entering the palace. It's not that Emperor Mingxian is incapable, but in that respect, a middle-aged man like him is no match for a young man like Baili Cheng.
It's highly likely that the child in Fenyan's belly is Baili Cheng's; anyone in that situation would think the same way.
Baili Cheng was frustrated, but he couldn't say anything to refute it. No matter how many reasons he gave, he couldn't explain how he got into Liuhua Palace. That was the problem. He said he was innocent, but the evidence was insufficient. Moreover, no one knew when he met with Fenyan. Whether they had met recently or months ago, no one could guarantee. All his explanations became hollow.
Emperor Mingxian looked at Fenyan: "What do you want to say?"
Fenyan pulled down the bed curtains and hugged herself tightly inside. She had been trembling with fear, but now she was much calmer and more composed. Seeing Baili Cheng's fierce gaze demanding an explanation, Fenyan laughed: "There's nothing more to say. If His Majesty sees this, even if I say I'm innocent, someone is trying to harm me, and His Majesty won't believe me. So what else is there to say? His Majesty will make his own judgment. What can I say?"
Baili Cheng was so angry that his face turned red. This Fen Yan still wouldn't explain herself. Did she expect him to die with her? Damn bitch!
Baili Cheng was panicked and hadn't calmed down, unaware of Fen Yan's thoughts. At this moment, the more he explained, the angrier Emperor Mingxian would become. Only by accepting the situation with such despair could Emperor Mingxian seriously consider the matter. If he could truly admit that Fen Yan and Baili Cheng were wronged, they might still have a chance to live.
Emperor Mingxian looked at Fenyan with a half-smile. Fenyan was stunned. Emperor Mingxian said, "Fenyan has offended me. I hereby strip her of her title and take her to the Cold Palace to reflect on her mistakes."
Fenyan was completely stunned. All that glimmer of hope she had was now gone. What kind of place was the Cold Palace? It was where concubines and palace maids who had made mistakes in the imperial palace were sent. Nine out of ten who went in never came out again. At least in the Great Zhou Dynasty, there was no record of any concubine who had been banished to the Cold Palace ever being released. In the end, they either died inside or went mad. Fenyan even thought that being executed by Emperor Mingxian would be better than staying there. But Fushun had already gone over and rudely dressed Fenyan. He clapped his hands, and a group of people entered from outside. They were all people Emperor Mingxian had brought with him. These people were very quiet. They walked in with their heads down, pressed Fenyan down, and were about to take her away.
"Wait!" Fu Shun suddenly called out, glanced at Emperor Mingxian, and seeing that the latter did not respond, said, "Sever her Achilles tendon first."
Emperor Mingxian's eyes flashed with a mysterious light, but he did not object. The guards who had come with him immediately stepped forward. The two guards who were already holding down Fenyan stepped forward and lifted Fenyan's feet, intending to sever her Achilles tendons with a flick and a stab. Fenyan was terrified at the sight: "No!"
Then she suddenly struck, hitting the guard closest to her. The guard hadn't expected Fen Yan to fight back, nor had he expected her martial arts skills to be so good. He felt a tightness in his throat and a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth as he was struck by Fen Yan. He cried out, "She knows martial arts! Be careful! Attack her quickly!"
Fenyan's resistance alerted the guards. They already outnumbered her, and even though Fenyan knew martial arts, she was pregnant, six months along, and her body was clumsy. She didn't care about hurting her unborn child during the fight, but her agility was far less than before. She was confident in dealing with these guards, but being surrounded by many, she began to lose ground.
Fu Shun, who was watching from the side, suddenly reached out and struck Fen Yan in the back. Fen Yan spat out a mouthful of blood with a "poof". The guards had already seen this and pressed her down. They quickly grabbed her. Fen Yan was furious, but she was powerless to resist. She roared angrily, but the two guards had already stabbed her feet without mercy.
"puff!"
"Ah!" Fen Yan cried out in pain, sweating profusely, and collapsed to the ground, trembling all over. She vaguely saw a person dressed as a eunuch approaching; it was Fu Shun. At this moment, Fu Shun's face turned sinister: "You really do know martial arts. If this kind of person were to enter the Cold Palace, wouldn't he just harm the innocent? This is unacceptable. Alright, take him away." Fu Shun waved his hand, and guards took Fen Yan away.
Fenyan screamed in agony. Seeing Fenyan's miserable state, Furong's teeth chattered with fear. Suddenly sensing Fushun's gaze, she knew what she had witnessed would bring her death. Fenyan was now powerless to save her; her loyalty was useless. Furong suddenly knelt before Emperor Mingxian, kowtowing wildly with deafening force. Completely oblivious, she pleaded, "Your Majesty, please spare my life! This servant...this servant knows of Fenyan's affair with the Crown Prince. They even conspired to frame Prince Chen for treason. The evidence they gathered was all fabricated. They are both heinous criminals! This servant has been trying to find an opportunity to report the truth to Your Majesty, but Fenyan has become wary of me, and I have no chance!"
"You wretched servant!" Before Fenyan could be taken away, she suddenly heard Furong expose her and shouted angrily, her face contorted in a frightening manner. Furong was startled, but she quickly calmed down. Fenyan was now nothing more than a trapped beast, a trapped beast with its fangs pulled out. She posed no threat to Furong. If she wanted to save her life, she could no longer care about such things.
The Crown Prince also looked up in fright and saw Emperor Mingxian staring at him with deep, dark eyes. Emperor Mingxian's slightly cloudy eyes were unusually sharp. Baili Cheng was so frightened that he suddenly gasped for breath, feeling sweat pouring out of every pore on his body. His muscles trembled abnormally with tension. Emperor Mingxian turned to look at Furong and said, "Is what you said true?"
"It really is the Emperor. I was originally Consort Fen's personal maid. She didn't suspect me at first, but after doing too many things, she became suspicious and didn't trust anyone. Recently, I feel that she has seen through my thoughts and wants to get rid of me. But what she did is outrageous. Back then, Consort Sun's cat slashed the stomachs of Consort Zhao and Consort Yun. It was Consort Fen who put poison on the cat's claws and secretly put poison on Consort Zhao and Consort Yun's stomachs to make the cat go crazy. At that time, Consort Fen was still in Consort Sun's palace." "It's so easy to do these things, which is why Consort Sun took the blame. And that's not all. Before, Prince Chen was framed and Princess Chen was arrested. Although I don't know the details, there is one thing I do know: Consort Fen is very good at imitating other people's handwriting. Princess Chen's letter was very likely written by Consort Fen. In the end, Princess Chen was smart enough to have something in her handwriting that others couldn't imitate, otherwise she would have been killed by Consort Fen!" Furong immediately started talking non-stop, and Fenyan and Baili Cheng's expressions changed drastically.
Emperor Mingxian remained remarkably calm, looking at Furong and saying, "This palace maid is indeed very loyal. Very well, take her into the Cold Palace and let her replace the palace maid who guards it."
Furong was stunned. She hadn't expected Emperor Mingxian to be so indifferent to her words, even going so far as to send her to the Cold Palace. A chill ran through her. Fenyan sneered, but looking at Emperor Mingxian's cold face, she felt a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. She suddenly realized that she didn't understand this man at all. She had always thought herself very proud. She had deliberately lured the people of the Sun family to take a liking to her, thus getting close to Consort Sun. Although she felt disgusted during her training, she never resisted, all for the sake of learning those skills. She knew she would inevitably enter the palace to serve Emperor Mingxian; that was her mission.
As she had expected, Emperor Mingxian doted on her greatly, and she remained cautious. While she couldn't claim to have won all of his love, she at least knew that he liked her. But now it seemed she was wrong; Emperor Mingxian didn't love her at all, and all that initial favor was a lie. Otherwise, why wouldn't he show any anger, even indifference and composure, when his woman was having incestuous relations with his son? This was not how someone who loved you would react to such a situation. This man had no heart; he was utterly cold-blooded.
Fenyan felt a chill in her heart and was pulled away, while Furong was also taken away despite her struggles.
In truth, Fenyan doesn't really understand Emperor Mingxian. For example, beneath his calm exterior, he's actually furious, extremely furious. He just hasn't shown it. It's like the calmest night before a storm—something only Fushun, who has been by his side for many years, can sense.
Regardless of whether Emperor Mingxian loved Fenyan or not, no man could tolerate his woman's infidelity, especially since Emperor Mingxian was the most honored man in the Great Zhou Dynasty, the ruler of a nation. His utter fury was the greatest humiliation of his life. But tragically, even in his rage, he could not show it. This was no ordinary matter; it not only damaged his masculine pride and the prestige of a ruler, but also affected the order of the court and tarnished the royal family's reputation.
Immorality in the harem was already a shameful act, let alone the fact that it involved his favorite concubine and his own son, who was also the crown prince. Regardless of whether Emperor Mingxian liked his son or not, the fact that he was the crown prince meant it was not a matter to be dealt with lightly. Moreover, Fenyan was already pregnant, and the child might even be Baili Cheng's. If the child was born, would he call him father or grandfather? Emperor Mingxian trembled with rage at the thought, but he couldn't show it.
He had to resolve this matter, which was so damaging to the royal family's reputation, quietly. He absolutely couldn't let it spread. Right now, everyone from Liuhua Palace was outside, and only his two trusted confidants and Furong knew about it. Even if Furong took the blame and recounted Baili Cheng and Fenyan's plot to murder the prince, Emperor Mingxian couldn't make it public. The matter had reached the relevant authorities, and it wasn't something a mere palace maid like Furong could easily overturn with her testimony. Even if Baili Cheng submitted evidence, he could easily shift the blame to someone else, which would only make things more complicated. The worst-case scenario was that both cases would be brought up at the same time, and the royal family's reputation would be completely ruined. Therefore, no matter what Furong said, Emperor Mingxian would pretend not to hear it.
The noise gradually faded away, leaving only Baili Cheng, who was kneeling on the ground with a deathly pale face, and Emperor Mingxian and others in the room.
Emperor Mingxian coldly looked at Baili Cheng: "Get out of here the way you came!"
Baili Cheng trembled, even momentarily stunned. He stood up, puzzled, and carefully observed Emperor Mingxian's expression. Seeing that what the latter said was true, he was so frightened that he immediately left through the secret passage he had come from. Even when Baili Cheng ran back to the East Palace in terror and collapsed on the bed, still trembling and in a daze, he still did not understand why his father had let him off so easily. He continued to live in a state of relief and worry.
Emperor Mingxian looked at the secret passage and sneered: "Go and find out the truth, then seal off Liuhua Palace. No concubines are allowed to stay here anymore."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Fu Shun went to give instructions and returned about half an hour later. By then, Emperor Mingxian had already returned to the Imperial Study. Fu Shun knelt down and reported: "Your Majesty, the secret passage has been there for a long time. It is located near an inconspicuous rockery near the East Palace. I had someone investigate and found that the secret passage was built quite some time ago and is not newly built."
Emperor Mingxian's face was filled with sarcasm. It was either new or old; perhaps some crown prince in the past had taken a liking to his father's woman and pulled this stunt. Perhaps one of the emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty was even the son of that crown prince—how laughable! Emperor Mingxian snapped the writing brush in his hand in two. His eyes were bloodshot; he was furious, but he had been holding back. Suddenly, he looked up at Fu Shun and said coldly, "The news that Consort Fen has defied me and been banished to the Cold Palace may be spread."
Fu Shun nodded and said, "Your Majesty, when we were investigating the secret passage, I had already sent word to all the palaces. However, because Consort Fen is pregnant, some people may still suspect that Your Majesty will continue to favor Consort Fen."
Emperor Mingxian sneered: "Fushun, you've been by my side for so many years, surely you haven't thought of this? It's because she's pregnant that I might favor her again, which is why she can't be kept."
Fu Shun quickly lowered his head and replied. In fact, he already knew about this matter, but he said it that way on purpose just now.
Emperor Mingxian was currently consumed by what felt like a wild beast ready to rage at any moment. His woman had dared to cheat on him, and he was furious, but because of his high position, any action he took would have far-reaching consequences, affecting the reputation of the royal family. He couldn't act rashly or order Fenyan's execution. After all, Fenyan was pregnant, and no matter how angry he was, Emperor Mingxian wouldn't execute her while looking at the child. Even if he had offended her severely, he should at least wait until after the child was born before executing her. If Emperor Mingxian were to actually kill her, Fenyan's infidelity would be exposed. So even though Emperor Mingxian hated Fenyan so much that he wanted her to be torn to pieces, he couldn't do that. This roundabout method couldn't quell the deep hatred in his heart, but he had no other choice. At this moment, even Fushun, who was always by his side, dared not provoke this tiger.
As Fu Shun said, the news of Consort Fen being disliked by Emperor Mingxian spread like wildfire throughout the entire harem, even alarming the Empress Dowager. Everyone in the palace was speculating about what Consort Fen had done to offend Emperor Mingxian. Consort Fen was a smart woman, and under normal circumstances, she shouldn't have done anything to anger Emperor Mingxian. Therefore, there were different opinions on the matter. However, it wasn't hard to see that this was a good opportunity.
Since entering the palace, Fenyan has been favored by the emperor, rising from a mere pretty girl to the most favored concubine in a short time, even becoming pregnant. Her methods are definitely extraordinary. If the child is a boy, its birth might cause a major upheaval in the palace. The biggest threats to this situation are the Empress and Consort Sun. Fenyan is currently disliked, whether truly by Emperor Mingxian or simply sent away for a period to regain favor, this is the best opportunity they can have. If they miss it, it will be much more difficult for them to deal with Fenyan again.
Meanwhile, both Fenyan and Furong were taken to the Cold Palace and assigned a small hut, much like a woodshed in an ordinary household. Furong, as Fenyan's caregiver, was locked up with her. Fenyan's tendons were injured and her martial arts skills were ruined, but with proper rest, she could walk again. However, in a place like this, proper rest was far from easy. Furong was still somewhat nervous about being brought here. After all, Fenyan was her mistress, and after so long of her tyranny, she was still somewhat afraid of Fenyan. Some of Fenyan's methods chilled her to the bone.
Fenyan had no time to pay attention to Furong, because she was in a lot of pain. The pain in her feet made her realize that it was impossible for her to continue practicing martial arts. As soon as she collapsed on the hard, tattered bed, she fainted from the pain and resentment.
Furong, standing to the side, was extremely uneasy. Now that she had come to her senses, she understood that the Emperor didn't want outsiders to know what had happened, so he had to silence her. However, due to his recklessness, the Emperor couldn't do it himself, so he brought Fenyan to this Cold Palace. There were no rules here; those who came here were all concubines who had made mistakes. It was lawless here, and anyone could do whatever they wanted. Although Furong had never been to the Cold Palace before, she had heard people in the palace mention it. Since the Emperor didn't want Fenyan to live, and she had no choice but to stay here, she couldn't just sit and wait to die.
Based on her understanding of Fenyan, Furong knew that Fenyan seemed to possess some kind of evil magic. Currently, Fenyan was too weak to resist, but what would she do to this traitor after she woke up? Furong, who was with Fenyan, was certain that Fenyan would deal with her after she regained consciousness. If she really waited for Fenyan to wake up, Furong would probably be the one to suffer.
As Furong thought this, a cold expression appeared on her face. Everyone has to look out for themselves. She had no other choice. It was either you or me. If Consort Fen died, I might still be able to live. So I'm sorry, you have to die.
Furong walked over with a sinister grin, quickly forming a half-circle with her hand. Just as she was about to grab Fenyan's neck, she suddenly stopped.
No, if she strangles Consort Fen to death like this, it will be her fault. In the end, she will still die. Moreover, killing a concubine is a crime, even if the concubine has made a mistake. What if it implicates her family? She can't be so impulsive. Consort Fen must die, but that doesn't mean she should do it herself.
Furong thought for a moment, then opened the door and went out.
This Cold Palace was originally a vast palace. It's said that it once housed a favored imperial concubine, who, for some unknown offense, was imprisoned by the emperor and forbidden to be visited by anyone except for a regular food supply. The concubine, defiant, hanged herself in the palace. Afterwards, rumors of ghosts haunting the palace, said to be the concubine seeking revenge, circulated only in the vicinity. Later, it was rumored that the emperor himself resided there, and even wandering ghosts dared not approach, so the ghosts only dared to linger in the vicinity. Of course, this was just a rumor. Later, it evolved into the belief that all those who committed crimes in the palace were thrown here to be with ghosts as punishment. Most of those who ended up in the Cold Palace were neither human nor ghost, their minds twisted to an extreme degree.
Just as Furong stepped out, a dark figure suddenly rushed out from around the corner. Furong covered her mouth in fright and saw a person with a face painted in bright colors, resembling a ghost mask. The person grinned, revealing two rows of yellow teeth. Furong's eyes widened even more. It was already winter, yet this person was only wearing a few layers of tattered gauze and tattered clothes, without a belt, half of their chest and arms were exposed, and their feet were bare, already red and swollen from the cold. This person didn't seem to feel the cold and was still smiling eerily. Furong was so frightened by the sight that her scalp tingled.
"Hey, don't go!" A voice suddenly came from behind, followed by another person running up. This one was dressed a little better, at least there was no exposed skin, but he also had a crazy look on his face. The person in front with exposed chest heard this voice and ran away with a strange "hehehe" laugh, and the person behind him followed after him.
Furong huddled in the corner, terrified. Were all the people in this cold palace like this? Would she become like them too, or even be tortured to death by these lunatics? A chill ran through Furong, but she made a crucial decision. Since she had guessed why the Emperor had sent her here, and hadn't killed her to silence her, she had to seize this opportunity. She didn't care about her life or death afterward; at least she could protect her family. If the Emperor were to show leniency and let her leave the palace, she was willing to cut out her tongue to prove her loyalty. But right now, the most important thing was Fenyan.
While Furong pondered a solution, things were also starting to take place in the harem.
Although the Cold Palace has always been a taboo place in the palace, it doesn't mean that there aren't spies from other palaces there. For example, there are spies patrolling and guarding the Cold Palace, delivering food and vegetables on a daily basis, and even within the Cold Palace itself. This is where it becomes extremely necessary.
The day after Fenyan entered the Cold Palace—actually, only one night had passed—Furong quietly went outside to fetch food. On her way back, she noticed many people staring at her. Some were strangely dressed and clearly insane, while others looked normal, but their eyes held a madness that made them seem abnormal as well. Just as she was about to return to her room, a person wearing a loose white shirt, with red lipstick and long black hair, came out. If this person had come out at night, several would surely have been killed. At this moment, she wore a sinister smile: "Hehehe, a newcomer has arrived. It's you?"
She was followed by several people, all of whom wore sly smiles.