Peach Blossoms

Chapter 51

"Actually, you don't need to worry about any of this," Qin Hao said. "I said I would protect you and your son and I will never let them succeed. It's just that the time is not right yet. Although we have enough evidence to arrest them, we can't guarantee that traitors in the court won't get wind of it. I will never let go of anyone who dares to have disloyal intentions, so we must wait."

"What you need to do now is take good care of Xiao'er. I have already arranged everything else. You don't need to worry about their schemes. After today's incident, although they will act more recklessly, they will not dare to harm you for the time being. We will make sure they don't reveal their weaknesses."

Lin Suyang finally understood why things had been so unusual from the moment she met Lin Cheng. The tearful father-daughter reunion between Lin Cheng and Lin Cheng had been anticipated to be overheard, and the crisp sound outside the window was Qin Hao's men signaling that the eavesdroppers had left. Then, Lin Cheng openly dined with Emperor Hong in Qingxiang Palace, and finally, Qin Hao feigned drunkenness and threw a tantrum—all of this was staged, especially for Empress Dowager Fengxiang.

The sole purpose of this was to first convince Empress Dowager Fengxiang that Lin Cheng was completely unaware that Lin Suyang had been brought into the palace after losing his memory. Lin Cheng was known for protecting his own, and now that his son was imprisoned in the Northwest by Emperor Hong and his daughter was under house arrest, with the Lin family bloodline in imminent danger, Lin Cheng would inevitably harbor resentment.

Currently, Lin Cheng holds the most power in the court, making him the first target for Empress Dowager Fengxiang to win over. If she were to make a deal with Lin Cheng by threatening to protect Lin Suyang and his mother's position in the harem, or conversely, by threatening their lives, Lin Cheng, considering future benefits and the safety of his daughter and grandson, would agree to an alliance with Fengxiang. Then, they could work together secretly, while Prince Yin's army, being too far away to help, would be helpless. Would Emperor Hong have the extraordinary ability to turn the tide?

Secondly, no one except Lin Cheng and Qin Hao knows that Lin Suyang has regained her memory. Therefore, Consort Qi and the others will assume that Lin Suyang is still the "Yun Feng'er" who lost her memory. Qin Hao's summons to Lin Cheng today was only to awaken Lin Suyang's memory. As for why she wants to awaken her memory, Consort Qi will surely send someone to find out soon.

Qin Hao's tantrum might have led Consort Qi and the others to believe that Lin Suyang was Emperor Hong's weakness. For Lin Suyang, Emperor Hong disregarded his relationship with his sovereign, shielding her from the crime of deceiving the emperor by hiding her in a secluded palace, and even risking discovery to summon Lin Cheng to remind her of the past. Emperor Hong was hopelessly infatuated with Lin Suyang, only a step away from becoming a tyrant. If they could control Lin Suyang, Feng Xiang could dethrone Emperor Hong without firing a single shot.

Of course, these are all speculations. The actual outcome will depend on the actions of Consort Qi and Feng Xiang in the coming days.

Thinking about this, Lin Suyang couldn't help but sigh that she was indeed not good at scheming. Even if she racked her brains, she would never come up with so many tricks. How could someone who lived in constant scheming and struggle truly obtain the happiness she desired? Even if she eventually achieved her goal, she might already be exhausted and her life would just pass by like that.

Therefore, she really didn't want Qin Xiao to live in such an environment. Unfortunately, fate had decreed that he was born into the royal family. How he should proceed in the future depended on Qin Xiao's own wishes. If he wanted to rule the world amidst the treacherous court, she wouldn't stop him. If he didn't want to stay but yearned for a free and unrestrained life in the martial world or a secluded existence, she wouldn't object either. He should strive for what he wanted himself. As long as he persisted, any obstacles would be futile. Therefore, Lin Suyang would never ask Qin Hao to decide Qin Xiao's life.

Qin Hao kept looking at Lin Suyang, thinking she was worried about the current situation, but little did he know that she had thought far ahead. He wanted to comfort her, but then he thought it would be better to let her maintain this sense of tension, so that she could calmly deal with any unexpected events.

After midnight, Qin Hao called Lin Suyang to go to bed. Lin Suyang didn't want to share a bed with him and got up to go to another room to rest. Helpless, Qin Hao had no choice but to use the excuse that the child would cry to force her to stay. He then took a quilt and made do with it on the soft couch opposite him for the night.

The plan for that day was not in vain. The next day, when Lin Suyang went out for a walk, she "coincidentally" ran into Consort Qi and Consort Xiao.

Volume Four, Palace Intrigue, Chapter 117: Open and Covert Struggles (Part Two)

Lin Suyang was getting bored, so she had Yanzi carry Qin Xiao to the pavilion outside Qingxiang Palace for a stroll. Just as they entered the withered willow grove, they saw Consort Qi approaching.

Lin Suyang stopped and saw that the person following behind Qi Fei was Yang Zhixiao, the woman who was very weak in his memory. She still looked weak at this moment, but she suddenly seemed a bit pretentious to Lin Suyang.

"Oh my, isn't this Sister Yun? How are you feeling?" Consort Qi greeted Lin Suyang warmly as soon as she saw him.

"Thank you for your concern, sister. Feng'er is fine now," Lin Suyang said calmly, glancing over Consort Qi's shoulder to Consort Xiao behind her. She saw that Consort Xiao was also smiling at her, without any surprise in her expression.

Suddenly, everything became clear to her, so she asked calmly, "Sister, are you also feeling bored and want to take a walk in this pavilion?" Xiyang Palace is quite a distance from Qingxiang Palace, and because of its special status, Qingxiang Palace is rarely visited. It would be strange if Consort Qi brought Yang Zhixiao here so early in the morning and didn't have any other intentions.

“Sister, you’re mistaken. I came here today specifically to see the little prince.” Consort Qi glanced around and saw Qin Xiao playing with his fingers in Yanzi’s arms. She immediately went over and said, “Is this the prince? He’s just as cute as Zhao’er was when she was little.”

As Qi Fei was about to reach out to hug him, the little guy refused to cooperate. The moment Qi Fei's hand touched his arm, he burst into tears, leaving Qi Fei in an extremely awkward position, unsure whether to hug him or not.

"Please forgive me, sister. Xiao'er is probably just not used to it," Lin Suyang said apologetically.

"It's alright, it's alright, that's how kids are." Qi Fei withdrew her hand and looked at Qin Xiao, who was still crying. "Are you just going to let him keep crying like this?" There was a hint of heartache in her tone.

Lin Suyang looked at her with some surprise and then said, "It's okay, he won't cry in a little while."

"You two must be tired from standing for so long, why don't we go sit in the pavilion?" Consort Xiao, who hadn't spoken until now, interjected.

Consort Qi, regaining her composure, quickly chimed in, "That's right. My sister has just recovered. It's not good for her to stand for too long. It would be better for her to rest in the pavilion." Lin Suyang couldn't refuse, so she could only agree and follow her to the lakeside pavilion.

It is early autumn. Although all things are gradually beginning to wither, many still cling to the hustle and bustle of the world and are unwilling to leave. As a result, the lake, which should be quiet and desolate, ripples with its former colors.

After the three were seated, Consort Qi said with a smile, "It seems my sister is truly blessed to receive such favor from the Emperor. During the days of your childbirth, the Emperor was extremely anxious. He summoned all the imperial physicians to Qingxiang Palace. Later, when you fell into a coma, the Emperor was even more heartbroken. He not only stayed by your side day and night, but even the imperial physicians could not leave your side for a moment. Fortunately, Heaven took pity on you, and you finally overcame the crisis."

Lin Suyang sensed the jealousy in Consort Qi's words. She simply smiled and remained silent. Consort Qi continued, "Sister has wanted to visit you for a long time. But since you woke up, the Emperor said you need to rest and has even sent imperial guards to watch over you. You won't mind that I'm only coming to see you now, will you?"

"Not at all. It's Feng'er's good fortune that you came, sister. How could Feng'er dare to blame you?" Lin Suyang felt utterly contemptuous of herself. When did she start saying such insincere things?

Consort Qi sighed, "It's good that you don't blame me, sister. The Empress Dowager has been talking about coming to see you every day since you gave birth to a prince. She even prepared a lot of medicinal soups and tonics for you and had them sent over. But the Emperor's guards stopped them all at the door..."

“Sister, there’s no need to worry. His Majesty is just overthinking things. In addition, he is busy with official duties and it is inevitable that he will overlook some things,” Lin Suyang said. “It was Feng’er’s fault for not being able to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager in time after recovering from a serious illness. Feng’er will definitely take the Crown Prince to apologize to the Empress Dowager another day.”

“What are you saying, sister? The Empress Dowager is just missing her grandson and daughter-in-law whom she hasn’t met yet. There’s no question of any crime. If you’re worried about not being familiar with them, you can send someone to Xiyang Palace to call her ‘sister,’ and I’ll accompany you.”

"Thank you very much, Feng'er," Lin Suyang said with a smile.

Consort Qi smiled in agreement. She glanced at Consort Xiao, then looked at Lin Suyang, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

"Does Sister have something to ask Feng?"

"Well, it's nothing really, it's just that seeing my sister reminds me of someone," Consort Qi said, looking at Lin Suyang.

"Oh, who is it?" Lin Suyang asked curiously.

"Lin Cheng, the Minister of Rites of this court. I wonder... if my sister knows him?" Consort Qi stared intently at her, not missing a single expression on her face.

Lin Suyang shook his head and replied, "Feng'er doesn't know this person. Is there anything special about him?"

Consort Qi looked at her somewhat puzzled eyes and sneered inwardly. She then said, "Nothing special, but he is the father of the former Grand Tutor, Lin Suyang. Do you remember the first time I saw you, sister, I thought I was seeing Grand Tutor Lin?"

Lin Suyang nodded: "I remember, Feng'er and Grand Tutor Lin look very alike, many people say so. I wonder why you thought of that Minister Lin again, sister?"

“Alas, it is precisely because my younger sister resembles Grand Tutor Lin that I thought of Minister Lin,” Consort Qi said. “This Minister Lin is also pitiful, having to bury his son. His eldest son died so young, and his youngest son was in the Northwest and didn’t even get to see his elder brother one last time. It’s truly pitiful.”

After listening to her, Lin Suyang suddenly seemed to remember something and exclaimed. Consort Qi hurriedly asked her what was wrong, and she said with a surprised expression, "Could it be that the minister I met yesterday was Lord Lin?"

Consort Qi feigned ignorance and asked, "What?"

"Ah? No, it's nothing." Lin Suyang immediately shut up as if he had suddenly let slip some secret.

Seeing her regretful expression, Consort Qi guessed that she wouldn't continue to talk about it, so she didn't press the matter. Instead, she changed the subject and casually asked, "What have you been doing these past few days, little sister?"

"What else can we do? With this troublesome little guy around, even if Feng'er wanted to relax and do something else, she wouldn't have time." Lin Suyang smiled and pointed to Qin Xiao, who was wriggling in Yanzi's arms.

“That’s true,” Consort Qi’s expression softened when she talked about the children. “Back when I gave birth to those two little ones, my elder sister was in excruciating pain. After they were born, they were sent to the inner palace, unlike my younger sister who could take care of them herself.”

According to ancestral custom, all princes and princesses in the harem must be raised in the inner palace until they are four years old before they can meet their mothers. Although Consort Qi was still living in the Crown Prince's palace at the time, she followed the same rule because the Crown Prince would become the future emperor. Therefore, Qin Zhao lived in the inner palace until he was three years old. Later, when Qin Hao ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Fengxiang pleaded with Qin Hao to allow Qin Zhao and Qin Si to meet Consort Qi without having to wait until they were four years old. However, both children still had to return to the inner palace to rest at night.

In that sense, Lin Suyang was much happier, at least Qin Xiao was always by her side. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but have an idea and said to Consort Qi, "Sister, why don't you find some time to bring the prince and princess over to play? I've never met them before."

“That’s fine, we sisters can exchange more ideas.” Qi Fei smiled, then looked at the sky and said, “It’s getting late, sister, I have to go first, otherwise those two naughty children will cause trouble again.” Xiao Fei also stood up and bowed to Lin Suyang to take her leave.

Lin Suyang said, "Take care, sister." Watching their departing figures, Lin Suyang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Speaking to these women truly required careful consideration. The inner palace was no less treacherous than the imperial court.

Seeing Qin Xiao struggling against Yanzi, Lin Suyang shook her head and went to pick him up. As soon as the child saw his mother reach out her hand, he immediately tried even harder to sit up. Once in Lin Suyang's arms, he didn't forget to kick his legs as if to relax, and then quietly opened his eyes and started playing with his fingers.

Yanzi stared at her young master with a smirk, thinking to herself that she had never seen anyone so attached to their mother. What would happen when he grew up?

After meeting Consort Qi, Lin Suyang lost his mood for leisurely strolling. He walked along the lake with Qin Xiao in his arms for a while, then suddenly thought of someone else. He decided to go visit Quexing Palace sometime.

After returning to Qingxiang Palace and having lunch, Lin Suyang hummed a lullaby to coax Xiao Qinxiao to take a nap. Gradually, only the sound of the child's even breathing remained in the palace before she stopped.

Lin Suyang touched Qin Xiao's face, and as soon as she turned around, she saw Qin Hao standing blankly at the door, not knowing how long he had been standing there. Before she could speak, Qin Hao came back to his senses and smiled, "I didn't know you could sing these strange songs. But they're quite pleasant to listen to."

Lin Suyang said with a faint smile, "It's just some random humming, as long as it can quiet him down."

"That's true." Qin Hao walked in, looked at Qin Xiao in the cradle, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you very tired today?"

"No... I met with Consort Qi today."

"Consort Qi?" Qin Hao asked anxiously, "She didn't make things difficult for you, did she?"

"No, we just had a conversation."

Qin Hao snorted coldly: "I guessed she would come here to find you soon, but I didn't expect it to be so quick. It seems they are really anxious. What did you two talk about?"

"So, I was trying to find out why Father came to see me yesterday." Lin Suyang then told Qin Hao about their conversation that day.

After listening, Qin Hao chuckled and said, "I never imagined you could be so clever at lying."

Lin Suyang replied without any modesty, "Thank you for the compliment."

Looking at her bright smile, Qin Hao sighed softly, "If only we could always be like this."

Lin Suyang stopped laughing, looked back at him, and said, "You know, it's impossible now."

Qin Hao stared at her intently without speaking, then shook his head with a wry smile and left. Just as he reached the door, he said, "A letter has arrived from Yan Liao. Emperor Sheng Han will personally attend the empress's coronation ceremony in two months." Without pausing, he walked away indifferently, leaving Lin Suyang standing there in a daze.

"I'm sorry," Lin Suyang said, watching his dejected figure. "I'm sorry, I don't have any more heart left to give you..."

Volume Four, Palace Romance, Chapter 118: Phoenix Hairpin and Luan Hairpin (Part 1)

January of the third year of the Hongli reign was a momentous day for the people of the Great Yang. On this day, they would welcome their first Empress Dowager since the change of rulers.

Qingxiang Palace has been adorned with colorful lanterns for the past few days, with busy palace servants coming and going, either changing the furnishings or adding festive decorations. In short, it's incredibly lively.

At the ceremony for the coronation of the empress, there were those who were happy and those who were sad, but it was unclear what their reasons were. The one least likely to be present at the ceremony was the new empress, who was about to become the protagonist of the event.

Yanzi never understood why her mistress always had a worried expression. The beautiful distant mountains, with their blue-green brows, seemed to carry a hint of sorrow and melancholy, followed by a series of sadness. This indescribable emotion naturally affected those around her, and even Yanzi herself, after looking at her for a while, would often think of her own tragic past and shed tears.

For Lin Suyang, the closer the day of her investiture as empress drew, the more flustered she became. She didn't know why, only that she felt she had made a mistake, as if she had made a mistake from the very beginning. Sometimes she would think carefully about every little detail that had happened since birth, as if it were all a dream. When she woke up, there was no stunningly beautiful Lin Suyang, no devoted Si Junxing, not even the tangled mess of entanglement with Qin Hao. And then, she was still alone, living her life alone in that chaotic world.

When did things turn out like this? She looked at Qin Xiao in his swaddling clothes, reached out and stroked his tender face. The real touch startled her, and she withdrew her hand. Only when she saw him pouting and sobbing did she come back to her senses and stare blankly at herself in the bronze mirror in front of her. What happened?

Lately, she's been feeling inexplicably irritable, followed by involuntary moments of dazedness. Fragments of her past life keep flashing through her mind—sad, joyful, and many others. It makes her feel as if she's bewitched, trapped between the past and the present, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Suddenly, my head started throbbing again, a piercing, excruciating pain that went straight to my heart. My blood felt like it was going to boil over, my head felt like it was going to explode, and the voice of a strange woman kept echoing in my ears: "We should go..."

A huge boulder weighed on her chest, almost suffocating her. She slumped onto the table, swept away the rouge and hairpins, and gripped the edge of the bronze mirror so tightly that her nails dug deep into the gold trim. Everything was dark before her eyes. It was as if the world was nearing its end; the sky and earth were colorless, the sun and moon devoid of light. Everything was so desolate, everything was so hopeless.

It wasn't until Qin Xiao's loud cries brought her back to her senses that she realized she had indeed been possessed by a nightmare. Seeing the chaos on the ground, she couldn't believe she had caused it. Just then, Yanzi walked in carrying a phoenix robe and saw the scattered fragments on the ground. She rushed to Lin Suyang in a panic, asking how she was.

Lin Suyang shook his head without saying a word, just staring blankly at the ground. When did this situation begin?

Yanzi pondered to herself whether or not to tell the Emperor about this. Lin Suyang, as if knowing her thoughts, grabbed her hand and said, "Yanzi, don't tell him. I'm begging you."

Yanzi stared blankly at her master, whose eyes were filled with confusion. Her heart skipped a beat. She sensed something was wrong and wanted to inform Qin Hao. But when she saw Lin Suyang's pleading expression, her heart softened, and she nodded without even realizing it.

According to custom, the ceremony for the establishment of a new empress in the Great Yang Dynasty should have been held at the Qin Ancestral Temple. However, Emperor Hong, considering the empress's health was not suited for strenuous activity, disregarded the objections of his ministers and insisted on moving it to the Jinhe Hall. Immediately, many ministers knelt outside the imperial study, and some even proposed a military coup. However, before everyone was assembled, Qin Hao learned of the situation, investigated, and imprisoned them. This incident occurred only one day before the official start of the ceremony.

Soon, the day of the Empress's investiture ceremony arrived. All day long, everyone in Qingxiang Palace was bustling about joyfully. Many palace maids and attendants waited at the entrance. In Lin Suyang's palace, Qin Hao even summoned several experienced maids to dress her up.

Her eyebrows were lightly drawn. Her lips were delicately touched up. A light dusting of powder, carrying a faint floral scent, was evenly applied to her face. She wore a phoenix-head crown. Several gold hairpins swayed in the shape of fans. Earrings adorned her ears. Her fair skin shone with a lustrous, jade-like glow, highlighting her delicate cheeks. She resembled a peerless fairy who had descended to the mortal world.

Lin Suyang raised his arms to shoulder height, allowing Yanzi to unfold the phoenix robe. The unique brilliance of the jade-green silk gauze captivated everyone around. Yanzi slipped the robe onto Lin Suyang's body, carefully fastening the belt. She then took the crimson gauze garment made by Zhenniang from a maid and added it over the phoenix robe. Several people examined the folds of the skirt from various angles to ensure they looked natural. Only after everything was finished did they look up at the person before them.

That clear, cool gaze, that exquisitely beautiful face—you could look at it a thousand times, ten thousand times, and never tire of it. Yanzi cleared her throat, calling back the palace maids who were lost in thought, and then respectfully said to Lin Suyang, "Your Highness, we have arrived on time."

Lin Suyang nodded, reached out and put her arm around Shunzi's forearm, who was already waiting beside her, and walked leisurely out of Qingxiang Palace. As soon as she sat on the phoenix carriage, she suddenly felt uneasy, so she lifted the gauze curtain and called to Yanzi, who was about to move forward.

"Go and bring the prince here."

Yanzi looked at her in confusion and said, "But Your Majesty, today is the ceremony for the Empress's investiture, and the Crown Prince..."

"Just go when I tell you to, hurry up, there's no time left," Lin Suyang said irritably.

Yanzi, who had never seen her master speak in such a tone before, found it even stranger, but dared not say anything. She hurriedly returned to the Empress's palace and brought Qin Xiao back. Strangely enough, in order to keep Qin Xiao quiet in Qingxiang Palace until the end of the ceremony, she had given him some sweet fruit juice to help him sleep. However, when Yanzi went in, she heard his distinctive crying sound. At this time, it had been less than half an incense stick's time since he fell asleep.

Without thinking twice, she picked up Qin Xiao and left. Before leaving, she noticed a small, exquisite bottle on the table and thought, why not give it to the Crown Prince to play with? So she casually put it in her bosom.

She rushed outside, panting, and saw Lin Suyang still sitting in the carriage waiting for her. She ran up to Lin Suyang and said, "Your Majesty, we can go now."

Lin Suyang glanced at Qin Xiao, who was gradually calming down in her arms, and nodded, saying, "Let's go."

A long red carpet stretched from the front of the Jinhe Hall all the way to the Changqing Palace gate. Guards stood in rows on both sides, and the Imperial Guards stood neatly in the square in front of the hall. Their golden armor and imposing figures exuded a cold and aloof magnificence, adding another layer of beauty to the gloomy snowfall.

Lin Suyang walked gracefully through the many palace gates, accompanied by melodious music. As she slowly ascended the marble steps leading to the Golden Harmony Hall, the ministers below, who had been bowing their heads, shouted in unison, "Long live the Empress!" Then all the guards and soldiers joined in, shouting, "Long live the Empress!"