☆、266, the devil incarnate, is furious!
"Seventh Prince's wife, why are you crying like this? If there's anything bothering you, you can say it. What good will crying do?" The Empress said in a low voice, pursing her lips.
Ouyang Yue ignored the two women, tearing at her handkerchief and sobbing softly. The Empress and Madam Lin exchanged a glance, and then the Empress sneered, no longer paying attention to Ouyang Yue. She picked up her tea and asked Madam Lin, "Sister-in-law, what brings you to the palace to see me today?"
"These are some seasonal fruits from the estate. They look so lovely and pretty, so I thought I'd bring some to the palace for the palace to try." Madam Lin hesitated for a moment when she saw that the Empress ignored Ouyang Yue, but when she saw that the Empress didn't care, she smiled and clapped her hands. Then a servant brought in two baskets of peaches. Each one was very pleasing to the eye, white with red flecks, large and plump, so beautiful and tempting.
The Empress smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you are very thoughtful. The peach trees on the estate are still the best. In previous years, the palace has planted some peach trees so that we can enjoy the flowers and bear some fruit, but it's not just for the sake of the fruit. The ones on the estate are not as good as the ones on the estate."
Madam Lin smiled.
“Waaah…” Ouyang Yue was still making wailing sounds over there.
The Empress ignored everyone: "How are my eldest and second brothers doing lately...?"
"Waaaaah..."
"My husband and the second master..."
As soon as Madam Lin spoke, Ouyang Yue's crying came again. Madam Lin was taken aback and looked at Ouyang Yue, only to see Ouyang Yue covering her face with her hands, crying so hard she could hardly breathe. The Empress was really annoyed. She had something to say, and hearing this sound like a funeral, how could she be in a good mood? "Alright, alright, what are you crying about? I'm receiving guests here. How can you be so rude? Go back now."
"Waaah..." Ouyang Yue seemed to be lost in her own little world, completely ignoring the Empress's words. The Empress's face darkened immediately, especially when she saw the confused and doubtful expression on Madam Lin's face. She was even more displeased. If she, the Empress, couldn't even manage the younger generation, what prestige would she have? This was especially true for the family. If you don't have the power to make them rely on you and obey your orders, that won't be easy.
"Tell me what's bothering you. Do you think crying here will solve anything?" the Empress scolded. Ouyang Yue seemed startled, her eyes welling up with tears, looking as if she had suffered a great injustice. Ouyang Yue shrank back, glancing at the Empress with a hint of grievance, then looked at the gate before standing up. "Daughter-in-law... I'm going back to Chenyu Palace now." She then gave the Empress a weak look before silently leaving. But as she walked away from Anle Palace, a cold smile played on her lips, and her eyes held a deep, unsettling gaze.
Madam Lin glanced at the Empress with surprise, but she knew her sister-in-law's scheming and cunning. She hadn't had much contact with the Princess Consort of Chen. She had seen her from afar at one or two banquets, but because of the relationship between the Crown Prince and Baili Chen, she never took the initiative to greet her and they weren't close. She had basically only heard about her from others, but she had never taken those rumors seriously. Today, the Princess Consort of Chen looked frail and weak. However, she wouldn't interfere in her sister-in-law's affairs with the Princess Consort of Chen and risk being disliked.
The Empress scoffed coldly, "This Xuanyuan Yue is no pushover either; she's a master of acting, hmph!"
Madam Lin smiled and changed the subject: "Your Majesty, why did you summon me here?"
The Empress looked at Madam Lin and smiled, "Sister-in-law, what do you think of Su'er?"
"The Crown Prince of Chen is indeed a cute and clever child, very endearing." Madam Lin was speaking the truth. Baili Suzhang is so handsome and refined that it would be hard for anyone to dislike him. Everyone loves beauty, and no one can stop this natural instinct.
The Empress smiled slightly: "Then what do you think, sister-in-law? What if I brought the child to Anle Palace to raise him?"
Madam Lin was clearly startled, looking at the Empress in surprise, but still paused and asked curiously, "Then can Prince Chen and Princess Chen still agree?"
"Hmph! Agree? What did you think she was crying about just now? Trying to soften my heart and let her go? That's impossible." The Empress said coldly and dismissively.
Madam Lin's heart tightened. Having been a mother herself, she understood the depth of maternal love. The pain of separation between mother and child, after ten months of pregnancy and childbirth, being forcibly taken away, was unbearable for most. No wonder the Princess Consort of Chen had sounded so aggrieved and distressed. However, she was equally shocked by the Empress's methods. Forcibly taking a child was utterly immoral. Even in the palace, adoptions were only for children whose mothers had died or committed grave offenses, forcing separation. The Princess Consort of Chen was perfectly healthy; such a thing as snatching a child away had never happened before.
Madam Lin hesitated for a moment: "But the Prince Chen's mansion is no pushover either. There's Princess Shuangxia behind them. If that's the case, I'm afraid even the Emperor wouldn't agree. The Emperor has always been very kind to Prince Chen."
Madam Lin's original surname was Xu, and she came from a scholarly family that had lasted for six generations—a truly distinguished family. However, most of the family members were teachers and educators, and they didn't engage in much political maneuvering. The Lin family had gone to great lengths to secure her hand in marriage. Madam Lin was a capable head of the household, fair in rewards and punishments, and she educated her eldest son's children well. Unlike typical jealous women, all four of her eldest son's daughters—one legitimate and three illegitimate—were well-married. Regardless of whether the illegitimate daughters were her own, they were all married and wouldn't cause any trouble; in fact, they would bring benefits to the family. Madam Lin never held back. All four eldest daughters were exceptionally beautiful and talented, earning praise from outsiders for Madam Lin's benevolence. Even the Lin family patriarch, despite having many concubines, genuinely respected his wife. No one in the Lin household dared to disrespect her.
"I summoned my sister-in-law here today for this very reason," the Empress said, her eyes flickering as she listened to Madam Lin's hesitation.
"Please speak, Your Majesty."
"The seventh prince has been at Baiyun Temple for some time now, and he should be arriving soon. The Lin family has some properties in those two prefectures, and as his mother, I can help him out if we run into each other." The Empress smiled, her face full of kindness. Madam Lin, however, frowned, because she couldn't believe that her well-known sister-in-law would suddenly take care of the prince who was once her thorn in her side.
Madam Lin asked cautiously, "Does the Empress mean...?"
"Sister-in-law, the Prince Chen's mansion has a pillar of support. How can I, his grandmother, raise Su'er?" The Empress Dowager said casually, as if she were talking about the weather.
Madam Lin's heart tightened. It would be better to say that Baili Su's parents were both alive, so how could it be her, a grandmother who wasn't his biological father, who was raising him? This was tantamount to killing Baili Chen.
The Empress's expression was cold. Indeed, if she wanted to seize Baili Su and raise a puppet emperor, then no one could interfere with her. Even with Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue, she could use the opportunity of Ouyang Yue attending to the Empress Dowager to bring Baili Su to her side for a few days. But could the Empress Dowager's health remain poor forever? She might occasionally use the excuse of missing him to bring Baili Su to care for her, but no one could endure it in the long run. Besides, Ouyang Yue, her biological mother, was still alive. Baili Su wasn't a prince, just a heir apparent; keeping him around would always invite gossip. And judging from her interactions with Ouyang Yue, it would be very difficult for her to truly achieve her goal.
The only condition that would be suitable is that Baili Su's parents are both dead. When that happens, it would be a piece of cake for her to take Baili Su away as his grandmother. And Baili Su is still young now, which is just the right time. Once he is three or five years old and has begun to understand things, it will be difficult for the Empress to take him away and discipline him. So she needs to hurry up.
"This...isn't this a bit too risky? After all, that's Prince Chen, and he's very much favored by the Emperor. If we fail, we might end up losing more than we gain." Madam Lin disagreed. Wasn't this putting their lives on the line? Had they really gotten themselves into such a predicament?
Contrary to Madam Lin's expectations, the Empress, residing in the inner palace, had a more precise view. Even the slightest disturbance among the princes could affect the outcome. The Third Prince's concubine was from the Sun family, the Fourth Prince was too weak, the Seventh Prince had a deep-seated feud with the Crown Prince, and the Ninth Prince was an ungrateful wretch. No Empress could trust any of them to support. However, if any prince were to seize the throne in the future, the Lin family would become a thorn in the Emperor's side. After all, both the Empress Dowager and Empress of the Great Zhou Dynasty came from the Lin family, making their influence and power immense. When a new prince ascends the throne and the court is unstable, the Emperor often targets powerful families like the Lin family to make an example of them.
To be honest, the Empress had no other choice but to set her sights on Baili Su.
"Sister-in-law, how could I not understand this principle? But you must know that if we don't do this, the risks we face in the future will be even greater. At that time, the entire Lin clan may be implicated. If it weren't for the Crown Prince... I would certainly avenge this, but for the sake of the Lin clan, I must have this child!" Mentioning the Crown Prince, the Empress's eyes seemed to suddenly ignite with two small flames. Originally, the Empress could have followed this plan after Bai Ying gave birth to the child, but firstly, it was unknown how long Bai Li Chang would live, and secondly, it was still unclear whether Bai Ying had given birth to a boy or a girl. It would take at least nine months, and any changes during that time, whether Bai Ying could give birth smoothly, were still unknown. To be on the safe side, it was better to get Bai Li Su first. If Bai Ying gave birth to a boy, then Bai Li Su's life or death would be another matter.
If she had no other choice, she wouldn't have wanted to raise a child for Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue, these two enemies. However, the Empress thought darkly that if Baili Su were to fall into her hands in the future, she would have people constantly mentioning Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue's outrageous affairs. She didn't believe that Baili Su, who grew up in such an environment, would still have any affection for Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue. It would be even better if they could turn against each other. Of course, by then, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue would already be a ghost couple on earth.
At this point, even Madam Lin was speechless. The Empress said directly, "As for the idea, it is up to my elder brother to decide. When you return, tell him about the idea. I think he will give me a satisfactory answer."
Madam Lin looked at the Empress and sighed inwardly, "In that case, I will return now. I will definitely explain everything to the Master. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
"Yes, this is a matter of great importance. The fewer people who know about it, the better," the Empress specifically instructed. Madam Lin nodded in agreement and left. However, as she left Anle Palace, standing far away at the gate, she saw a small child pointing at a tree and saying something. The child's face was innocent and pure, unaware that their future was about to be rewritten. She shook her head and turned away. Whether she agreed with the Empress or not, this was not a decision she, as a woman, could make. Moreover, as a member of the Lin family, she had to prioritize the interests of the Lin family.
Not far away, Baili Su looked up and asked, "Did you catch it?"
"Young Master, you've caught a cicada, and oh, a longhorn beetle too..." A little eunuch sent by the Empress was climbing a tree with a bag tied around his waist. As he spoke, he waved a black longhorn beetle down below.
Upon hearing this, Baili Su immediately perked up: "Whatever it is, quickly put it away..."
"Yes, yes, young master." The little eunuch stopped talking, put the longhorn beetle into his pocket, crawled a little further inside, and then exclaimed happily, "Young master, there's another one! Oh, there's another one..."
Baili Su's eyes lit up as he listened, his little fists clenched tightly, and he pointed to the little eunuch next to him and said, "I want more, I want so many, I want all these cute bugs... Go and catch them for me."
The eunuch was dumbfounded. He wasn't the only one; the four of them were initially overjoyed when Baili Su caught a caterpillar, but when he asked for more, they were all dumbfounded. Leaving aside the fact that the plants in the palace were well cared for and regularly treated for pests, there weren't many insects. They also couldn't stand the young prince's aesthetic sense; those insects were so ugly they were disgusting. Yet he was delighted as if he had found some treasure. The key was that the Empress and Princess Consort of Chen had given orders that they were not allowed to disobey Baili Su's wishes and could only play along. They had no choice but to comply. Who knew that after catching a few with him, he still wasn't satisfied and wanted them to catch more?
The two palace maids clasped hands and huddled together. They absolutely refused to catch those ugly, disgusting bugs; they would rather die than do that.
Baili Su smiled and said, "Go and catch some butterflies. I'll take all the cute insects inside. Go quickly."
The two palace maids were somewhat relieved to hear this. There were special tools for catching butterflies in the palace. Once they were all caught together, they only needed to swing the net. That was quite feasible.
The four of them began to divide the work. Baili Su sat on a small bamboo chair next to a tree, with a small table next to him on which were seasonal fruits and pastries. Baili Su picked out the ones that could be peeled, and even pretended to smell them before eating. While he was enjoying himself, he exhausted the four eunuchs and maids. It was summer after all, and although there were few mosquitoes in the palace, the four of them had each caught more than a dozen in a short time.
Baili Su pouted, stretched out his chubby fingers, and with a spoiled and domineering air, scolded like a spoiled brat, "So stupid!"
The four men's faces darkened. They had worked themselves to the bone and were still being scolded. "If you're not stupid, why don't you go do it yourself? What an annoying brat."
Just then, a palace maid walked by, followed by a row of young maids carrying things. Baili Su's face changed like a theatrical performance, and he grinned foolishly at the maids. The maid in front was immediately charmed and couldn't help but look around. Seeing that no one was coming, she quickly ran over and said softly, "Oh, isn't this Prince Chen? He's so cute."
"Yes, yes, she really is like a jade beauty, so beautiful."
"He'll definitely grow up to be a very handsome young man."
"Giggle giggle." Baili Su couldn't speak, but her eyes curved into two little crescents as she smiled adorably, which made the palace maids so cute that they kept stuffing beads and snacks into her hands. If it weren't for the fact that there were still public affairs to handle, these palace maids would have stayed to play with Baili Su. One by one, they looked back with some reluctance, but in the end, they walked further and further away.
Baili Su was carrying a pile of beads in his hands, his purse was bulging. In fact, these things given by the palace maids were not as good as what Baili Su had scavenged from those noble ladies and young misses, but something was better than nothing, and little by little, it would add up. After collecting the things, Baili Su stretched out his hands: "Squat down."
One of the eunuchs squatted down with a bitter face. Baili Su's eyes gleamed. Two more days of collecting would be enough. He would scare that old witch to death!
The next day, Baili Su led his four followers around the palace again, collecting a lot of insects, which he happily took back. However, an accident happened in Anle Palace today.
It was morning, and the concubines from various palaces came to pay their respects to the Empress. After everyone sat down, the Empress chatted with a few familiar faces as usual, asking about any recent happenings in the palace that interested her.
"Suck...suck..."
Just as she was asking the question, she heard this strange sound. Turning her head, she saw Consort Sun sniffing the air, seemingly trying to smell something. However, at this moment, her actions were very disrespectful to the Empress. The Empress's eyes turned cold: "Consort Sun, what's wrong? Is your nose bothering you? Why are you making such a sound?"
Consort Sun took out her handkerchief, lightly patted her nose, and couldn't help but smile, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry for my rudeness. I just don't know if my nose is too sensitive or if I'm just mistaken, but there seems to be a musty smell in Your Majesty's room..."
“Oh, now that Consort Sun has mentioned it, I feel the same way. I thought I must have misheard it.”
"Yes, it doesn't smell very good..." Several concubines who were on good terms with Consort Sun exaggeratedly covered their mouths with handkerchiefs.
The Empress frowned: "What do you smell? I don't smell anything. There's no odor at all. Consort Sun, how could such an absurd thing happen? It's really..." However, as she spoke, she also faintly smelled a strange odor in her nose.
"Ugh, does this smell like urine...?"
"It seems so. How could there be something unclean in the Empress's palace? It's really bad luck..."
"Her Majesty the Empress is the cleanest. It must have been some ignorant servant who brought her in. She's filthy! Ugh!" A wave of disgusted voices swept through the hall, and the Empress's face darkened.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you should clean up a bit more. I'm feeling a little unwell and would like to return first." Consort Sun's face flashed with a hint of mockery. The Empress's palace should be filled with fragrance, not this strange smell. The Empress has been here for a while and doesn't seem to notice it. Has she gotten used to this smell? How embarrassing! Some of the other concubines, not as confident as Consort Sun, held back their laughter, but they were secretly feeling uncomfortable and were quite disgusted with the Empress.
The concubines all took their leave, and the Empress, though her face darkened, did not stop them.
"Oops, I stepped on something." Just then, Consort Sun, who was walking in front, was startled. Several concubines ran over, but when they saw what it was and smelled it, they immediately covered their noses and backed away.
When Consort Sun saw the object, her face changed drastically: "This...this...how could there be such filth in the Empress's palace? This is simply...simply..." Consort Sun was extremely angry, pointing to her feet, not knowing what to do for a moment. Even the palace maids next to her, who had been in the palace for so long, had never encountered such a thing, and were also stunned for a moment.
The Empress initially thought Consort Sun was deliberately causing trouble, but then she was stunned when she glanced at the mess. How could there be a pile of excrement on the floor in her palace, the Empress's residence?!
Consort Sun misunderstood the Empress's expression, thinking she was being mocked for stepping in excrement and not moving away. Her face flushed with anger: "Your Majesty... I have always been well-behaved since entering the palace, and I have never dared to go too far or cause gossip. If you don't like me, just tell me what I have done wrong. How can you insult me with something like this, making my jade feet step on such filth? Your Majesty is going too far!"
The Empress hurriedly explained, "This... I don't know how Anle Palace could have such a thing. Consort Sun, you misunderstand. I am the mother of the nation. How could I do such a lowly and disgraceful thing?"
"This thing was in the Empress's palace, and I stepped on it. How could I possibly suspect anything else?" Consort Sun's face trembled as she clutched her handkerchief, feeling nauseous. Although the Empress, given her status, probably wouldn't do such a thing, who knew? Seeing that she was favored, she deliberately used these filthy things to humiliate her, truly thinking that Consort Sun was easy to bully.
"Hey, guards! How could there be such filth in my palace? Who cleaned the room today? You wretched creature!" The Empress was furious. She slammed her hand on the table, and two palace maids knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.
"Your Majesty... I checked it after I finished cleaning, there's... there's no problem..."
"Your Majesty, there was nothing on the ground before..." The two palace maids were pale with fright, trembling and not daring to look up at the Empress's furious expression.
"Still trying to argue? You were the ones who cleaned this place, and now you've found this filth here, and you still say it has nothing to do with you? Guards! How dare you be so careless and disrespectful to Consort Sun! Drag her out and give her fifty strokes of the cane!"
"Your Majesty, spare my life..." In this palace, fifty strokes of the cane would mean either death or being bedridden for two or three months.
"Hahaha, okay, you've been stepped on, you've been stepped on..." Just as the two palace maids were crying and begging for mercy, a crisp voice rang out. Everyone turned around and saw a little one standing in the corner of the door, dressed in black clothes, with a small braid on his head. He was still childish and full of cute smiles, but what he said made everyone pause in surprise.
Baili Su sprinted towards the Empress, laughing innocently, "Grandmother, she stepped on it, hahaha...so fun...so fun..." Baili Su clapped his hands, laughing happily, but his words made everyone's faces darken.
Consort Sun was so angry that her chest heaved. Her trembling fingers finally did not overstep the bounds and pointed at the Empress. However, her hand was still trembling when placed by her leg. Her face turned pale and then flushed, a colorful mess.
Baili Su's eyes widened, and he chuckled in amazement: "Wow, your face is so interesting, how come it has so many colors? Change to another one, change to the color of poop..."
"Boom!" Consort Sun was so angry that it seemed as if all her anger had risen and burned at once. Her body trembled uncontrollably. Consort Sun was born into the Sun family and, like Consort Sun, was a legitimate daughter. Mingyi was much younger than Consort Sun and had always been the apple of the Sun family's eye. In addition, Consort Sun was very fond of her youngest sister when she was at the height of her power in the palace. Consort Sun was even more pampered than Consort Sun was back then. She was a pampered princess from childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. She was made to step in excrement. The Empress, that shameless old poisonous woman, actually allowed an ignorant little brat to keep mocking her.
Consort Sun's face turned purple with anger, and she said furiously, "Your Majesty the Empress, you have gone too far! How dare you insult me like this! Even if I am not good enough, I am still a Consort. If you have any grievances, you should speak to me openly. Why resort to these disgusting tricks? Are you trying to disgust me or yourself with this excrement?"
The Empress, out of jealousy for a favored concubine, resorted to humiliating her with filthy excrement. Her methods were utterly despicable and disgusting. Even a common woman from the streets would find it hard to imagine someone from a powerful family like the Lin family, or even with the Empress's current status, committing such a vile act. The Empress not only insulted Consort Sun, but she was also slapping herself in the face with excrement! In the end, she was the one who lost face. The other concubines were shocked, suspicious, and mocking. Had the Empress's head been smeared with excrement? This was a colossal joke; they had never heard of an Empress behaving so disgracefully. It was utterly vulgar and base!
The Empress was more shocked than anyone else. She was a clean person, how could she do something so disgraceful and shameful? She was a cunning and scheming woman, why would she do something like this? "Consort Sun, how could I do such a thing? I didn't know anything about it!"
"Hahaha, this is so much fun..." Baili Su was still laughing carefree, and Sun Zhaoyi's face turned even greener.
The Empress looked at Baili Su with a gloomy face: "Su'er, did you do this?"
"Ha..." Baili Su was still clapping and laughing when he suddenly saw the Empress with a dark face speaking to him in a gloomy tone. He was stunned for a moment, then took two steps back and suddenly burst into tears. The Empress was furious. She, the victim, hadn't even cried yet, but this little brat had already started crying. Who could she cry to?
Seeing this, Consort Sun said coldly, "Your Majesty, why bother? The Prince of Chen is only a little over a year old. What does he know? Why push this matter onto an ignorant child? Just consider it bad luck that I wandered into the palace today. It's also my fault for accidentally stepping on this thing. Your Majesty's methods are truly endless. Today has truly broadened my horizons. These methods are probably unprecedented and will never be repeated. Your Majesty will surely be remembered for eternity." After saying this, Consort Sun grabbed a palace maid and left, then kicked off her shoe. "Bring the sedan chair here. I'll ride back in it."
"Yes, Consort Sun."
After she finished speaking, two palace maids helped Consort Sun leave. They left so quickly that the Empress didn't even have time to explain anything. Before she could say anything, all the other concubines had also left. The Empress's face darkened, and she slammed her hand on the table: "Damn it!" Then she looked at the two palace maids with a sinister gaze. The two palace maids kept kowtowing and begging for forgiveness, crying out that they were more innocent than anyone else.
The Empress was furious and glared coldly at Baili Su: "Su'er, did you make this? You are so disobedient! How could you do such a thing? You are the Crown Prince of Chen, a person of noble status. How could you be so filthy?"