Chapter 16 The Strange Dowager
Looking at the masked man's back, Chu Xiyin had a strange feeling.
His silhouette from behind looks a lot like...
Lying in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, I murmured his name, his image lingering in my mind...
Yichuan, Yichuan...
I read it over and over again, and the more I read it, the more my heart ached.
Chu Xiyin reached out to touch the sandalwood prayer beads on her right wrist. Whenever she couldn't bear the pain of missing him, she would touch the sandalwood prayer beads to calm her mind.
The prayer beads...where...are gone!
She remembered that she had put it on her hand before entering the wooden cabinet.
She only takes off that sandalwood prayer bead string when she takes a shower. Could it have fallen into her clothes while she was showering?
Chu Xiyin quickly jumped out of bed and looked out the window. It was already dawn.
Using the light from the window, Chu Xiyin ran behind the screen and shook her clothes; the sandalwood prayer beads were not inside.
They searched the cold bathtub for a long time but still couldn't find the sandalwood prayer beads.
Losing the sandalwood prayer beads made Chu Xiyin increasingly uneasy.
After getting dressed, she searched the entire room again, but still couldn't find it.
Chu Xiyin pouted and sat sullenly on the edge of the bed.
A faint, indistinct melody drifted in from outside.
As if under a spell, Chu Xiyin followed the sound of the zither and walked outside.
The music of the zither, soft and melodious, stirs the heartstrings with every pluck of a string.
Chu Xiyin, panting, hurried through the many elegant gardens.
The music suddenly stopped, and Chu Xiyin looked up to see a unique, antique pavilion standing in the middle of the clear pond.
The four pillars of the ancient pavilion are carved with lifelike mythical creatures, and the wooden plaque above the pavilion is engraved with two golden ancient Chinese characters.
To its left is a wooden corridor leading to the second floor of the ancient pavilion. Chu Xiyin walked lightly onto the corridor. The wood of the corridor was of good quality, and it did not make any creaking or groaning sounds like old, rotten wood when stepped on.
At the end of the long corridor, a plump and elegant noblewoman sat with her back to Chu Xiyin.
The woman's hands rested on the strings of the instrument as if touching them but not actually touching them, her posture elegant and graceful.
The woman's gaze was fixed intently on a point in the distance.
Could it be that the piece of music we just heard was composed by this woman?
Chu Xiyin dared not rush forward to interrupt the woman, but stood quietly behind her, hoping that the woman would play another tune.
The woman turned around unexpectedly.
The moment the woman turned around, Chu Xiyin froze like a fossil.
She couldn't believe that such a beautiful woman existed in the world!
Although the woman's face was slightly plump, her features were exquisitely delicate. Her willow-leaf eyebrows were gently raised, and beneath them, two shimmering curves of green water formed a pert, elegant nose. The deep groove below the tip of her nose led straight to her alluring cherry-like lips.
Her cherry-like lips slowly opened. "Who are you?"
Chu Xiyin shuddered; that voice was so sweet it made one's bones melt.
Just as Chu Xiyin was about to answer her, the noblewoman suddenly rolled her eyes and said, "When did such an unsightly girl come to the Prince's mansion?"
Their appearance... is so... appalling!
Chu Xiyin had never been praised like this before in her entire life.
The good impression I had of this woman instantly shattered into countless fragments, scattering in all directions.
The noblewoman turned around gracefully to face Chu Xiyin directly, and carefully looked her up and down.
"Your clothes are alright," the lady said, casually placing her hands on her knees.
"However, the curves in the right places aren't prominent enough, and the perky parts aren't perky enough." The noblewoman criticized Chu Xiyin's figure while straightening up to show off her own impressive figure.
"Of course, how can my looks and figure compare to Madam's? Madam is beautiful and talented, a beauty that could topple kingdoms, elegant and refined, graceful and charming, and as beautiful as a fairy... I am ashamed to admit that I am inferior to her!" Chu Xiyin said with a slight upturn of her lips and a nod.
A smug, fawning smile played on the lady's lips. This little blonde brat, she's got some sense!
“However…” Chu Xiyin suddenly stopped speaking.
The noblewoman hadn't heard such praise from outsiders in a long time. Today, the little girl was spouting many words she loved to hear.
"But what?" the noblewoman urged.
"But it's a pity..." Chu Xiyin smiled and kept everyone in suspense.
"What's a pity?" the noblewoman couldn't suppress her curiosity.
"Unfortunately, when you turned around, I didn't think that way anymore..." Chu Xiyin deliberately moved closer to the noblewoman and stared at her face for a long time.
"What do you mean?" The lady asked nervously, covering her face after being stared at like that.
"Oh dear! I thought my eyesight was failing me and that those little lines around your eyes were just crow's feet. That's why I didn't dare to guess your age. But now that I'm looking closer, I realize that you have more than just a few crow's feet! You must be over fifty, right? You're so well-preserved!" Chu Xiyin said calmly, suppressing a laugh.
"You..." The noblewoman's face turned green with anger.
Women have three fears: first, being judged on their appearance; second, being attacked for their figure; and third, having their age revealed.
As an elder, she actually started by attacking Chu Xiyin's appearance and figure. Why should Chu Xiyin show her any mercy?
"Miss Xiyin, you're here? I've been looking for you for ages," Chunhua said breathlessly, standing behind Chu Xiyin.
As soon as Chu Xiyin turned around, she suddenly saw Chunhua half-squatting down and bowing respectfully to the noblewoman in front of her.
"Your Highness, may you live a thousand years!"
She's the... Imperial Concubine? Could she be the Fourth Prince's mother?
According to historical records, Yichuan's father, Yiche, was originally a member of the imperial family. Unable to tolerate the reigning emperor's tyrannical rule, he orchestrated a bloody power struggle. In this struggle, Yiche gained the support of the court officials due to his benevolent governance and successfully seized power. Just as he joyfully donned the imperial robes, a poisoned arrow pierced his chest. Before he could even write his will, he perished in joy and astonishment, carrying with him his unfulfilled imperial dream.
Yiche's death sowed the seeds of future problems for the establishment of a new dynasty. Of his six sons, the eldest, Yishen, was intellectually disabled and incapable of inheriting the throne. The second son, Yihong, was wild and unruly, preferring a carefree life, and was also ill-suited for the responsibility. The third son, Yiyang, was born into royalty and possessed both beauty and cunning. Under his mother's careful guidance, Yiyang learned from a young age to read people and please Yiche, thus winning Yiche's favor. However, for some reason, Yiyang had an eccentric personality from childhood, and his thoughts were generally unfathomable. The fourth son, Yichuan, was handsome, intelligent, and kind-hearted. He had fought alongside his father on the battlefield, achieving numerous military exploits, and was therefore deeply loved by the people and supported by the court officials. The fifth and sixth sons were still too young to shoulder the responsibility.
Therefore, among his six brothers, only Yichuan could rival Yiyang for the throne. Most court officials favored Yichuan and wholeheartedly supported his ascension. However, Yiyang's mother vehemently opposed Yichuan's ascension, citing two reasons. First, there was the order of seniority; since Yiyang was the elder brother, he naturally had the right to inherit the throne before Yichuan. Second, Yichuan's mother was a lowly courtesan, presumably having served many high-ranking officials. This Yichuan, after all, was the illegitimate son of some court official! If he were to ascend the throne, wouldn't the empire painstakingly built by the late emperor fall into the hands of an unknown person?
The two reasons that Yi Yang's mother brought up were indeed very effective. They made all the court officials feel uneasy, fearing that they would be associated with Yi Chuan and be branded with the eternal crime of plotting to usurp the throne.
Among the court officials, only Grand Commandant Chu Haishan, undeterred by the rumors, resolutely opposed Yi Yang's ascension to the throne. Seeing Chu Haishan's loyalty and integrity, the other dozen or so officials also mustered their courage to follow him and support Yi Yang's accession to the throne.
However, the majority of officials chose to protect themselves.
In the end, it was Yi Yang who ascended to the throne!
Yichuan's mother, Zheng Yuanshi, remained remarkably calm and did not utter a single word in support of her son throughout the entire process.
So, the stunningly beautiful, elegant, yet extremely picky noblewoman before us is Yichuan's mother—Zheng Yuanshi.
"Are you Zheng Yuanshi?" Chu Xiyin asked in surprise.
“Yes, I am Zheng Yuanshi,” the noblewoman said with a smile.
Suddenly, the noblewoman's face darkened, and her voice became stern and menacing. "You wretched servant, how dare you address me by my name! Do you know that insubordination is a capital offense!"
"I'm sorry! However, this apology is not for the so-called insubordination, but for not paying my respects to my mother in time," Chu Xiyin said calmly.
"How dare you! A mere servant spout nonsense here!" Consort Zheng said angrily.
"This is exactly what I'm about to explain to you. I'm not the servant you're talking about! I'm Chu Xiyin, the princess your son, Prince Yichuan, is about to marry." Chu Xiyin clearly stated her name to her.
"You're talking nonsense! He's going to take a concubine? How come I didn't know that?" Consort Zheng pointed her jade finger at Chu Xiyin and questioned her.
"You don't believe me? You can ask Chunhua. Your son said it to Chunhua yesterday. Chunhua, isn't that right?" Chu Xiyin said with a smile.
Chunhua nodded shyly.
"No! I disagree!" Consort Zheng stood up abruptly in protest, completely abandoning her previous demeanor.
"Mother, your objections are useless! I was personally bestowed upon your son by the Emperor. If you want to go back on your word, you can only go to the Emperor!" Chu Xiyin knew she wouldn't dare go to the Emperor. Unless she wanted to see her son die tragically before her eyes in her lifetime. However, even if the marriage was canceled, it wouldn't be a loss for her. She, Chu Xiyin, wasn't determined to marry him!
"You!" Consort Zheng clutched her chest in anger, speechless.
"Xi Yin!" The Fourth Prince has been here for who knows how long.
The smile on his face proved that he had thoroughly watched the spectacle.
"Chuan'er! Look at this ugly girl, how dare she bully your mother like this! Why don't you chase her away!" Consort Zheng said, snuggling into the Fourth Prince's arms. Her eyes held a hint of intimacy.
Could it be that Consort Zheng has a son-fixation?
No wonder the Fourth Prince has never approached any woman all these years! No wonder she remained silent during the battle for the throne! It turns out she was afraid someone would steal her precious son away!
Chapter 17 The Difficult-to-Handle Dowager
Consort Zheng placed one hand on the Fourth Prince's chest and the other around his waist, saying coquettishly, "Would Chuan'er abandon his mother?"
"Of course not!" The Fourth Prince gently pushed her away. "My mother gave birth to me and raised me; how could I abandon her?"
"Fine, let me ask you, she said you wanted to marry her, is that true?" Consort Zheng angrily pointed at Chu Xiyin.
The Fourth Prince looked at Chu Xiyin tenderly and said, "It's true."
"Chuan'er, your mother believes you would never fall for her! It was the Emperor who forced you, wasn't it? It's alright, don't be afraid. Your mother will stand up for you and ask the Emperor to cancel this marriage!" Consort Zheng was absolutely certain that her son would never fall for any woman other than her.
"No! Mother! No one is forcing me." The Fourth Prince walked towards Chu Xiyin, staring intently into her eyes, and said seriously, word by word, "This woman, I must marry her!"
Chu Xiyin was stunned. This Fourth Prince was truly domineering! They had only known each other for a day, and he already wanted to marry her! This... were women in ancient times really that lowly? She, Chu Xiyin, hadn't said she wouldn't marry anyone but him!
"When you were little, you said you would never marry a woman in your life and would stay with your mother for the rest of your life. Have you forgotten?" With that, Consort Zheng's tears fell in droves.