The Beauties of the Cold Palace A Subtle and Alluring Woman

Chapter 30

I'd had my fill of playing, so I put away the flower drum, returned to my seat, took a sip of tea, and said leisurely, "Go ahead and say it." It was as if the person who had just been as wicked as a demon wasn't me at all.

He struggled to kneel properly: "Consort De and I were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were little. Gradually, feelings developed between us, and we secretly pledged our lives to each other. Later, when Master wanted to seize a position among the four great families, he used a scheme to separate the two of us, forcibly sending Consort De into the palace, separating her from her beloved. From then on, Consort De harbored resentment; she hated Master. Consort De participated in the murder of Master Ranran to seek revenge, to make Master taste the bitterness she felt when she lost her beloved. But—"

“Just what?” I asked.

"I never expected him to be so devoted, following Consort De into the palace. And I never imagined that the two of them would secretly fall in love after meeting in the palace."

I paused for a moment, then asked, "Does the Emperor know?"

“This old servant does not know. Although this old servant has served His Majesty for so long, this old servant has never been able to see through His Majesty. His Majesty seems to know everything, and yet he seems to know nothing. This old servant cannot fathom His Majesty’s thoughts.”

I sneered. How could an ordinary person possibly fathom the thoughts of an emperor?

"Finished?" Seeing the speed at which he nodded, indicating he wasn't holding back, I stood up and said, "Alright, you can go now. Don't worry, I'll remove the curse for you when the time is right. Only the person who cast the curse can remove it, so you don't need to struggle to find someone to help you remove it; that's just a waste of time. I'll decide whether I'm in the mood to remove the curse based on your performance."

His face paled. No one would feel comfortable having their thoughts so casually laid out and dissected on the stage.

"Young master, this old servant takes his leave."

A slight smile appeared on my lips.

Gao Lu had been gone for a long time, and I sat in my original spot quietly drinking tea. After a long while, I finally leaned back in my chair, exhausted, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed, "Qing Ci, don't you think I'm being too cruel?"

Chen Ningyuan smiled slightly and said, "I know that young master did not really want to hurt others."

I opened my eyes and laughed, "But I still hurt them."

Chen Ningyuan remained calm and said, "That was something we had no choice but to do."

"You always speak up for me. By the way, do you like the clinic I built for you?"

"The young master dotes on his subordinates too much."

"Yes, I'm glad you like it." I smiled slightly at him. "It's a gift for my family. Of course, I can't be careless. Have you met Xiao Qi?"

"Yes. He's very good to his subordinates." The thought that the chubby, baby-faced boy was actually the world-renowned Vermilion Bird King, Mai Qi, still felt unbelievable. However, thinking about how she, an ordinary person, had suddenly acquired the most luxurious chain of medical clinics in the world, Chen Ningyuan chuckled. It was all because, as her family, she wanted all her family members to live the best life and fulfill everyone's wishes. Remembering Mai Qi's unusual enthusiasm—or rather, enthusiasm—Ningyuan felt a little overwhelmed.

Watching his ever-changing expression, I could imagine how overjoyed Mai Qi would be to see him. Xiao Qi had always hoped to have more companions.

As I walked to the door and looked at the gradually darkening sky, I realized how unusually unpredictable the weather was.

Volume 2, Chapter 53: Forgetting the Way

"Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine—" Yunying hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

"What's wrong?" Consort Wang lazily reclined on her chaise lounge, accepting the fresh grapes Yunying handed her.

“I—” Yunying looked very annoyed.

"What's wrong? Speak quickly! This is so annoying!" After not getting an answer for a long time, Consort Wang got up impatiently and asked.

As if she had been eagerly awaiting her arrival, Yunying finally made up her mind, took out a piece of paper from her pocket, and reluctantly handed it to Consort Wang. Yunying said with concern, "Your Majesty, I found this by accident. I thought about it for a long time, and for Your Majesty's sake, I decided to risk everything. I hope I can help Your Majesty in some way." Yunying spoke sincerely.

Consort Wang took it, and gradually her originally lazy expression became more and more interesting, even radiating an unusual brilliance. Yun Ying looked at Consort Wang, whose eyes were filled with excitement, and a smile appeared on her lips, which was somewhat eerie.

"With this, hmph, I refuse to believe she won't be completely finished this time. Yunying, you're so good to me." Consort Wang said happily, looking at Yunying who was standing to the side with her head down.

Yunying remained respectful and said, "It is Your Majesty who has been too kind to me. I hope to repay Your Majesty."

"Hehe. Is that so?" Consort Wang stood up, held the paper up to Yun Ying, and said, "Yun Ying, perhaps I should go see the Emperor." With that, she left happily.

Yunying looked at this arrogant and ignorant woman and sneered, "Idiot."

"Your Majesty—" Her voice preceded her appearance. From afar, Sima Rui heard Consort Wang's voice and knew it couldn't be anything good, but he had already habitually put on a smile.

"What's wrong, my beloved concubine?" Sima Rui asked gently to Consort Wang, who had just entered the room.

“Your Majesty—” Consort Wang raised the letter in her hand and said charmingly, “Perhaps you will be interested in this.”

"What? Bring it here so I can see it."

"Yes." Consort Wang presented the letter in her hand.

Sima Rui's face grew increasingly somber as he read the contents of the letter, while Consort Wang, who was standing to the side with her head bowed, smiled as his expression darkened.

After a long silence, Sima Rui said in a deep voice, "You may leave now."

"Damn woman! How could you go back on your word again?"

I looked at him fearlessly and said, "So what if I change my mind?" As I spoke, I picked up the card I had just put down again. "I have an Ace, and I think you'll be happy to see that."

"Damn it! You again—" Sima Shao angrily slammed the cards on the ground, "I'm not playing anymore."

I put down my cards, stretched, and sighed contentedly, "Ah... you're finally done playing."

Upon hearing this, Sima Shao looked up at me angrily: "You did this on purpose?"

I leaned back lazily in my chair and looked at her with a wicked grin: "What do you think? You always play for so long, my back and bones are about to break."

Sima Shao retorted angrily, "You—it's your honor to play cards with me, the Crown Prince!"

I took the lotus seed soup that Xiao Quanzi served me and said coolly, "Maybe it's an honor for others, but for me, to be honest, little brat, I'm exhausted."

"You—" Seeing that he was about to get angry again, I told Xiao Quanzi to quickly serve him a bowl, and said, "Have something to drink to cool down."

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the Jiu Nian Xuan, where laughter echoed. Xiao Quanzi's face darkened upon seeing him, and he said hatefully, "What are you doing here?! Traitor!"

"Miss, I—" Seeing Xiao Quanzi's hostile expression, Yunying felt wronged, and tears almost fell.

I waved my hand and said to Xiao Quanzi, "Xiao Quanzi, go down and get a bowl of lotus seed soup for Yunying."

"Hmph, I'm not giving it to her—"

I interrupted her in time: "Xiao Quanzi, you've misunderstood Yunying. I'll explain to you later. Now, go and serve the lotus seed soup."

Xiao Quanzi was completely confused, but still replied, "Yes, Master."

Seeing Yunying's hesitation as I looked at Sima Shao sitting beside me, I said, "It's alright. Go ahead and speak."

Sima Shao smiled wickedly: "What is it, Consort Jieyu? Is there some good show about to begin?"

"That's not something a child should listen to. Go find your master," I urged.

"Why?! I'm not a child anymore?!" Sima Shao retorted.

“In my heart you are.” With that, she chased him out.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Yunying." I pulled her down to sit.

“For Miss, it’s all worth it. Besides, those people aren’t as smart as we think.”

“Cloud Shadow,” I sighed softly, “it’s not that they’re not smart enough, but that they’re too clever for their own good. They want too much, so they’re blinded by their own ambitions and become ignorant of many things.”

"Miss, is it almost over? I want to stay by your side."

I stood up, gazing calmly at the distant sky, and smiled faintly. "No, no, no, Cloud Shadow, this is just the beginning. Just wait and see, many people won't be able to sleep tonight. Why don't you go back and rest now?"

"Yes, Miss. Yunying isn't here, so please be careful."

"Perhaps I should get some sleep first. You go ahead. Be careful, and come back if you find that she no longer trusts you."

After resting for a while, he got up feeling refreshed and said to Xiao Quanzi, who still looked puzzled, "You have a lot of questions now, don't you?"

Seeing him nod, I chuckled and said, "Actually, I did all of this on purpose." Time went back to the day I interrogated Yunying about whether the old man had sent her to spy on me.

I glanced at Yunying indifferently, my eyes filled with a fog, and said, "Do you really want me to forgive you? Then, you only need to do one thing for me, and I will forgive you."

Yunying lowered her head and said firmly, "Even if it means my death, I will have no complaints."

I gave a cold laugh: "I want you to betray me."

“Miss—” Yunying cried.

I sneered, "Yunying, do you know? I never intended to stay in this godforsaken place!" I turned my head and smiled coldly, "Yunying, do you still remember the box of 'Dream Love' that Sister Danyi gave me?"

Yunying looked up in astonishment: "Could it be?!" She took a few steps back: "No, no, how could this be?"

"Why is it impossible?" I looked at her, my expression alluring, and said, "Yes. Until now, I have never served a man in bed."

"So--"

“Yes, you’re right. Day and night, what I applied to my lips was ‘Dream Love.’ Any man who kissed my lips would have a passionate dream all night long. The dream was so real that it was as if it were happening in real life, and no one would notice.” I said with a sad expression, “I asked Sister Danyi for this just for fun. I never thought it would come in handy one day.”

I fiddled with my fingers: "You know what? Everything I did was just to avoid having any reason to stay here. Do you understand?"

“Yunying knows. So, what should I do next?” Yunying asked respectfully.

"Why don't you stay with Consort Wang for a few days?" I smiled knowingly. "But what reason should I use to get you there? Let me think... frame her, or do something for her, Yunying, what's your preferred method?" My smile grew brighter and brighter. How interesting! Life might finally be less boring from now on.

Volume 2, Chapter 54: The Lament of Consort De

It was midnight, in the back garden, our usual spot, when we met to discuss something.

—Cheng'er.

This is the content of the paper in the Emperor's hand. Xie Cheng was my aunt's nickname when she entered the palace. I didn't expect anyone to still remember it and use that name. Actually, in the palace, women often acquire titles, and the personal names beneath those titles are gradually forgotten. Only those who are attentive will remember them! This was also something I had Yunying give him through Consort Wang. However, it wasn't something I forged; it was genuinely written by Consort De. Ever since I bumped into them in Pingyi Palace that day, I knew Consort De would be extremely careful, lest I catch her doing something wrong, and would definitely arrange another meeting place.

I lack everything now, except for the money and jewels I casually toss around in the warehouse. I only spent a small portion of it to bribe Xiao Zhao, the maid Consort De has trusted most over the years, who relays all their messages. In this palace, money can sometimes save you a lot of trouble.

Xiao Zhao gave me the original manuscript, and I had someone forge a copy before handing it to the man. Since he was used to Xiao Zhao as his messenger, he wasn't surprised at all. I imagine that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the so-called back garden will be quite lively tonight. I wonder if it's big enough to accommodate more people. However, I had Yun Ying add a little something extra. Perhaps it will produce the result I'm hoping for.

"Xiao Quanzi, the osmanthus tree has been blooming for quite some time now." I took a deep breath. Every evening, this osmanthus tree would continuously emit a delicate fragrance, rich and sweet, almost intoxicating.

Night had fallen, and I was in high spirits, so I took Xiao Quanzi for a nighttime stroll through the palace. Before leaving, I changed into a white silk evening gown and applied my favorite rouge to my lips. I looked both innocent and endlessly alluring.

We'd only walked a short distance when a group of eunuchs and palace maids hurried along the corridor. Xiao Quanzi randomly pulled one aside and asked, and the man replied, "Something terrible has happened! Consort De has been caught meeting a man at night." Really? I smiled faintly. I'd seen this kind of plot too many times on TV; it was certainly easy to pull off, especially since monarchs in this era loved seeing is believing. And the two of them were indeed involved in something improper. It was impossible to clear their names.

However, this is far from enough.

Following the trail, they arrived at the Imperial Palace, where the emperor rested. The palace was brightly lit; many must have been up all night. Some were terrified, some were gloating, some were kicking someone when they were down, some were unable to sleep because they'd been cuckolded, and some were simply watching the spectacle.

Entering, I found everyone from the palace already there. This was the first time in so long that I'd seen Consort Li, who always hid in the palace, so closely and clearly. The Crown Prince, like an innocent child, stayed by his mother's side. Only when he saw me did a sly glint flash in his eyes as he winked at me as a greeting. I nodded and looked away. Since he chose this way to protect himself, I wouldn't interfere. Ya Ya, whom I hadn't visited at Jiu Nian Xuan in ages, stood pale-faced in a shadowy corner. Seeing how thin she had become, I felt a pang of heartache. It had been so long; I wondered how she was doing.

Consort Huanxian must have been summoned while she was chanting Buddhist scriptures, as she was still holding a string of prayer beads in her hand. Seeing me approach, she gave me a deep look. How strange, we weren't acquainted. Although puzzled, I walked casually before the Emperor and greeted him, saying, "Weiying greets Your Majesty and all the ladies."

Sima Rui saw me and smiled, but his voice was still a little tired: "My beloved concubine, please get up." He then got up and helped me up.

I looked at Consort De and him kneeling beside me with a puzzled expression, and asked innocently, "Your Majesty, what happened?"

Upon hearing my question, Sima Rui's face darkened, and he let out a soft hum, seemingly unwilling to discuss it further.

I looked around blankly. At this moment, Consort Wang, sitting next to the Emperor, said disdainfully, "Hmph, it's just that some women behave improperly and get caught having secret rendezvous with men. They've disgraced our royal family."

Consort Huan, who had been silent all along, said, "Before the matter is fully investigated, sister, do not make any rash decisions." Hearing this, Consort Wang snorted and fell silent. Although the Emperor never summoned her to his bedchamber, everyone with discerning eyes knew that she held special significance for the Emperor, and it was best not to offend her.

"Your Majesty—" I knelt on the ground and begged, "Auntie would never do such a thing, Auntie is not that kind of person, please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly."

The Emperor sighed, “My beloved consort, I also believe that Consort De is not that kind of person. I will investigate the facts and handle the matter impartially.” Suddenly, he shouted, “Guards, throw her into the imperial prison first.” He then turned to the two people kneeling on the ground, who remained silent, and said, “Do you have anything to say?”