Lan Yin Bi Yue

Chapitre 44

Consort Qi immediately noticed the woman's large pregnant belly and felt a surge of anger. It was indeed a secret pregnancy. She had thought that Emperor Hong no longer cared about having an heir, and that she was happy to let her son ascend the throne without any rivals. Who would have thought...

She glanced at Lin Suyang's stomach with resentment, then looked up with a smile and said, "Sister, you're pregnant, don't overwork yourself... Ah..." Qi Fei staggered back a few steps, her hand trembling as she pointed at Lin Suyang. "You... are you a human or a ghost?"

Lin Suyang frowned. Yanzi, carrying a cup of cold tea, walked in and angrily approached Consort Qi, saying, "Consort Qi, please watch your words!"

"Yanzi, don't be rude," Lin Suyang scolded.

As expected of a woman who lived deep in the palace, Consort Qi quickly calmed herself down, though fear still lingered in her eyes as she looked at Lin Suyang.

"Sister... Sister, you..."

"Sister, are you trying to explain why I look like Grand Tutor Lin?" Lin Suyang said with a faint smile. "Sister, there's no need to be afraid. I have no relation to Grand Tutor Lin. We just look alike. Besides, he's a man and I'm a woman. The difference is huge."

"How could they be so alike?" Consort Qi murmured to herself, gazing at her. Lin Suyang's appearance flashed through her mind, but upon closer inspection, there were indeed some differences. Although she hadn't met Grand Tutor Lin many times, she knew he was naturally aloof and always polite. This Yuan Feng'er, however, possessed a stunningly beautiful face with a touch of alluring charm, surpassing even Xuan Ge when she first entered the palace. Moreover, while her eyes also held a hint of indifference, they concealed a maturity and the joy of impending motherhood. How could such a person be the great talent, Grand Tutor Lin?

Lin Suyang watched as Qi Fei's expression changed several times before finally settling into indifference. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. This woman was no simpleton.

The two women, each with their own thoughts, couldn't help but exchange a few words. During this time, Qi Fei noticed the marks on Lin Suyang's neck more than once. As a woman herself, how could she not know what they were? Her gaze towards Lin Suyang became even more resentful.

After chatting for a while, Yanzi brought in the woman who had measured Lin Suyang's figure that day.

"Master, Zhenniang has brought the clothes."

"Okay, let Zhenniang go and rest for a while," Lin Suyang said.

Consort Qi glanced at the woman who was about to leave. Wasn't this Zhenniang from the clothing shop? What was she doing here? Her eyes inadvertently fell on the package in Zhenniang's hand, a corner of which was revealed from the open section. Jadeite silk gauze! Consort Qi was shocked, her face instantly turning pale.

Seeing that her expression was off, Lin Suyang quickly asked with concern, "What's wrong, sister?"

Consort Qi stared at her blankly for a while before saying, "I'm afraid you're too tired from the heat, so I'll head back now. If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll take care of it." Without waiting for Lin Suyang to try to stop her, she hurriedly left.

Yanzi entered carrying the completed phoenix robe. "My lady, is there something urgent that Consort Qi is in? Why is she in such a hurry?"

Lin Suyang looked thoughtfully at the thing in her hand and said absentmindedly, "I think so."

This is a garment, yet it is not a garment. Because no other garment is as light and delicate as it. The light blue color shimmers with a silvery-white light, and gold thread outlines the edges from the neck to the cuffs, and even to the hem, creating a halo of gold and white along the entire edge of the garment.

On the front of the garment, a phoenix in flight is delicately painted in southern silk thread, its four feathers spread wide, its head held high. An innate noble aura is immediately apparent. The phoenix's body is painted diagonally on the jadeite gauze, its tail feathers soaring at its waist, while the rest of the garment follows the pattern of the gauze on the front. The hem is decorated with several auspicious clouds outlined in silver thread, shorter in the front and longer in the back, with the excess space at the back shaped into flying clouds, rounded and overlapping, appearing luxurious yet not overly elaborate.

Pregnant women can't wear clothes that cinch their waists. They have to let them hang down. Because the phoenix robe was so long it reached the ground, it not only covered Lin Suyang's feet but also dragged on for a long time. She tried walking a few steps and felt very uncomfortable. The dress was too light; wearing it felt like she wasn't wearing anything at all, which made her very awkward.

Because the color of the jade gauze itself was not suitable for the Empress's investiture ceremony, Zhenniang specially made a bright red semi-transparent gauze dress, which could be worn directly over the dress.

Yanzi stared in disbelief at Lin Suyang, who was now dressed in a phoenix robe, and stammered, "M-Master...you...you are so beautiful..."

Lin Suyang looked up at her and smiled, "You really know how to make people laugh."

Yanzi immediately felt dizzy. She abruptly covered her eyes with her hands. "Oh no, oh no, after seeing such a beautiful view, I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight."

Lin Suyang chuckled softly. Zhenniang, standing beside her, was also utterly astonished as she gazed at the noblewoman before her. Her craftsmanship was unparalleled, especially considering the exquisite jade gauze she was using. She was so grateful for having taken such meticulous measurements of the empress; otherwise, she might have been killed if the phoenix robe hadn't been finished. Although Emperor Hong had told her to proceed with the work without worry, everyone knew that there was only one bolt of jade gauze left in the world, and a single misstep would ruin the entire robe.

"Mother, your craftsmanship is truly excellent." Lin Suyang sincerely praised the dress she was wearing.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty," Zhenniang replied happily. If the Empress is happy, the Emperor will surely bestow a generous reward upon her.

After seeing Zhenniang off, Yanzi brought a bowl of herbal medicine from the kitchen. "Master, it's time to drink your medicine."

"Take medicine? I'm not sick."

"His Majesty said that it's been hot lately and he was worried that Your Highness might suffer from heatstroke, so he specially ordered the imperial physician to prescribe some medicine to reduce the fever and instructed Your Highness to drink some when you have nothing to do," Yanzi said. "Does Your Highness really not want to drink it?"

Lin Suyang placed the phoenix robe she had changed out of on the bed and said, "Never mind, bring it here. You don't need it tomorrow." She picked up the medicine, endured the bitterness, and drank it all. As she handed the bowl to Yanzi, a thought popped into her mind: This taste is so familiar.

Volume 4, Palace Absolute, Chapter 105, Hanyu Feng (Extra Chapter 2)

Speechless, the sky remains untouched.

Leaning against the rainbow

Longing

The ancient cliff avoids the sky.

Sword flowers dangle in vain against the sky

Romantic farewell

Lu Congrong

Singing a mournful song to commemorate the fleeting moment

Moonlit Pavilion is my favorite place. Yingru once asked me what my favorite wine was, and I said I liked Yundu's peach blossom wine the most.

In Yundu, there is a place called Peach Grove, where there is a large expanse of peach trees. Every March, the trees are covered in delicate pink peach blossoms, which sway in the wind, creating layers upon layers of beauty that are intoxicating.

Yingru is a very gentle woman, at least in my eyes. In my view, most courtesans spend their days singing and dancing, leading decadent and depraved lives. Some are forced into it, some are willing, but none can escape the dictates of fate, whether they like it or not. Like me, destined to become the ruler of a nation, destined not to be with the one I love.

I am not Yingru's client. Yingru is merely my confidante. I paid a high price to protect her innocence. She relieved my worries through conversation.

I listened to her play the piano. I watched her dance. I even played chess with her. I always smiled silently on the sidelines. I listened quietly as she told interesting stories about everyday life.

We drank together. When she got drunk, she'd get bolder and call out to me, "Hanyu, could I have another drink?" At that moment, I seemed to see another person in white, holding a glass and waving it in front of me. "Hanyu, could I have another drink?"

When that person was finally lying in my arms, all I wanted to do was hold her tight. Hold her tight and never let go. Because I knew that if I let go, she would be like a kite in the sky, flying farther and farther away.

But in the end, I still let go.

I was standing behind them when Si Junxing rescued her. I watched her sleeping peacefully in his arms, even though she was completely unaware. At that moment, I desperately wanted to separate them. I selfishly wanted to keep her trapped in my world. Thinking this, I decided to do it. Until she recovered.

However, it was destined to end before anything even began. Si Junxing's clothes were torn to shreds due to the expansion of his internal energy. I saw the crescent-shaped mark on his waist.

Mother said, "Feng'er, I once carved a crescent moon on your brother's waist. Look, isn't it pretty? Don't be angry, I also carved a sun on your waist. Let me draw it for you..."

Mother said, "Feng'er, the luckiest thing in my life was meeting your father, and the happiest thing was giving birth to you and your brother. But... Mother has lost your brother. What should I do? What should I do?"

Mother said, "Feng'er, I beg you, you must find your brother in the future, and treat him well. Make up for what your father and I owe him. Okay..."

But Mother, do you know that because of your instructions and your expectations, I am about to lose my most precious thing, forever?

I've finally let go, let go of my entanglement with her. I think I wasn't really in love with her. What I've always felt was just liking.

I took her to Si Junxing's place, and I heard her tell him from outside the window that she would never leave again.

I clutched my chest in pain, staggered into the car, and drove away.

That night, I went to Moonrise Tower.

I was in Yingru's room, pulling her into drinking with me. I asked her, "Have you ever loved anyone else?"

She looked at me with hazy eyes and said, "Yes, I loved him. But he didn't love me."

I laughed, holding my glass, and said, "Yes, we're in the same boat... but this isn't love, it's liking... yes, just liking... come on, let's drink to our shared suffering."

cheers.

I don't know when, but my lips met hers, and I poured out my sorrow with my most intense desire. I held her and staggered into the bed behind her. With a hint of anger and resentment, I tore all her clothes to shreds. The red and green gauze dresses fluttered to the ground like anxious butterflies.

My lips searched and explored her body without restraint. The emptiness in my heart, forgotten by others, desperately longed to be filled. I squandered my cold loneliness in her trembling response. I was like a person who had been trekking through the desert, parched and about to die, who suddenly found an oasis, hazy and with a glimmer of hope.

Despite my headache, I pulled her into my arms and held her tightly, calling her name repeatedly, "Lin Suyang..."

The next day when I woke up, she looked at me, her cheeks slightly flushed, as shy as a flower in a mirror. I got out of bed, not looking at the mess behind me, and said to her, "I will marry you." Then I left without looking back.

Just as I was about to redeem her from Moonlit Tower, she sent someone to tell me that she was unwilling. After I got her, she actually said she was unwilling.

Looking back on that day, she said she had fallen in love with someone.

Yes, she had fallen in love with someone, so she didn't want to. So I agreed, and I told her that if she changed her mind, she could come to me, regardless of whether she still loved that person.

I've finally decided to let go of my personal feelings for my children.

My father said that emotions would become the greatest burden for us as emperors, so an emperor can be affectionate but not devoted. But my father also said that if one day you truly fall in love with someone and are truly willing to learn to give up for her, then even if it becomes a burden, you will be happy to accept it, just like your father.

I think I will never be able to follow in my father's footsteps, because I have no love, I never have.

I began to seriously manage my country. I wanted to expand the territory of Yan and Liao, and one day I would also bring the northern territory into my hands. There can only be one king of this continent.

I contacted the king of the vassal state and promised to support him, as long as he followed my instructions to disrupt the northwest of the Great Yang. At that time, I knew that Si Junxing had also taken her to the northwest. If the vassal state and the Great Yang went to war, the northwest would be the most unsafe place. At the same time, the orders of the Demonic Sect were still in Si Junxing's hands, and I needed the power of the Demonic Sect. So I sent Wei Liang with men to bring Si Junxing back. Another reason was that I wanted to see her.

The outcome was unexpected. Her death made me lose my mind and disrupted my plans. I didn't care about Si Junxing or my brother's disappearance again. The only thought that filled my mind was to make the vassal states pay the price, even if it was to help the Great Yang destroy the allies of Yan and Liao.

Once I calmed down, I realized there were many suspicious points, and the finger ultimately pointed to my most loyal minister.

I forgave Wei Liang because she is still alive.

How long has it been since I heard from Xuan Ge? I looked up at the sky. After keeping this pawn for so long, it should finally come in handy. But I doubt whether this kind of woman can be trusted.

The vassal state is gone, but my enmity with Emperor Hong is far from over; it is only the beginning.

Volume Four, Palace Intrigue, Chapter 106: Jade Smoke and Silk (Part Two)

In the thirty-eighth year of the Shunli reign, Crown Prince Qin Hao was sixteen years old. At that time, Consort Qi was just a young lady born in the same year as him. Consort Qi, née Shen, was born into a scholarly family. Her great-grandfather had served as an official in the court, holding a minor but influential position in the region. Spoiled from a young age, Consort Shen had a volatile temper and would beat and scold servants at the slightest provocation. Her father had tried to persuade her many times, but to no avail.

Later, Miss Shen, who was also Shen's aunt, entered the palace as a concubine. With her gradually accumulating power and cunning, she ascended to the throne of Empress. In order to consolidate her power, Empress Shen wanted to marry her niece to the then Crown Prince Qin Hao. Qin Hao, who was already dissatisfied with the Empress's usual behavior, strongly opposed the marriage upon learning of this news. Helpless, the Empress did not bring up the matter again.

Now, it is said that Lady Shen had an older brother born of the same mother, and the two were five or six years apart in age. Lady Shen's brother, Shen Xian, and his sister had completely different personalities. Lady Shen was outgoing and competitive, while Shen Xian was not talkative but liked to travel and was away from home most of the year.

One day, Emperor Shun learned from some unknown source that a hermit living in the Misty Mountains possessed a priceless treasure. Driven by a desire to acquire the treasure, he immediately offered a large reward for its possession. However, the Misty Mountains were not only complex in terrain but also teeming with all sorts of rare birds and beasts, and those who entered almost never returned.

After the fifth group of people lost their lives there for the high reward, no one else took down the imperial edict. Emperor Shun was not giving up. He thought that if there were hermits living there, there must be a way to get in. He remembered that he had heard from the Empress that her nephew had been to Mizong Mountain. So he issued an edict to summon Shen Xian to the palace to discuss the matter.

Shen Xian initially didn't want to agree to Emperor Shun's request to forcibly take someone else's treasure, but under the emperor's authority, he had no choice but to agree that if the hermit was willing to hand over the treasure, then so be it; otherwise, he would not force him. Emperor Shun agreed to his request, and Shen Xian quickly prepared to go to Mizong Mountain.

This journey lasted for half a year. The family only breathed a sigh of relief when Shen Xian sent a letter saying he was on his way back. However, after another two months of anxious waiting, they received news that Shen Xian had been tragically killed by bandits. Of the dozen or so guards Emperor Shun had sent to accompany Shen Xian into the mountains in search of treasure, only a few returned alive.

Fortunately, Shen Xian had the foresight to have several people disguise themselves and escort him back to Yundu after obtaining the treasure. Since the treasure was not on him, the things he risked his life to leave behind were able to reach Emperor Shun of Yundu smoothly.

What pained and saddened Emperor Shun the most was that the so-called "treasure" was nothing more than a piece of cloth! For a piece of cloth, he not only caused the deaths of innocent people but also provided an excuse for the Empress to cause unrest in the harem.

To compensate the Shen family, he persuaded the Crown Prince to marry a woman surnamed Shen and personally made her his concubine. He also bestowed upon the cloth that Shen Xian had retrieved the name "Jadeite Silk," and ordered it to be treated as a priceless treasure. These actions served two purposes: appeasing the Shen family's resentment and creating a false impression for the world. What the young master Shen had risked his life to protect was indeed a treasure.

This incident can be considered Emperor Shun's first and last blunder since ascending the throne. After this incident, he devoted himself to governance and was determined not to do such absurd things again, which led to the prosperity of the Great Yang Dynasty for many years.

Consort Qi had always harbored resentment towards her brother. Fortunately, the Qin family had treated her fairly well over the years. Coupled with the comforting words of her family and aunt, her hatred had gradually subsided. Now, seeing that what her brother had risked his life for had been used as a wedding dress by someone else—and by her husband's woman no less—how could she not be shocked? How could she not feel resentment?

The day she returned from Hanzhu Garden, she locked herself in Xiyang Palace. Empress Dowager Fengxiang came to inquire several times, but she always deflected her questions with other excuses. It wasn't until the third day, when she emerged from her room, that the palace maids noticed she had become haggard, a strange light flickering in her complexion.

As evening fell, Empress Dowager Fengxiang arrived again. She summoned Consort Qi into her room, closed the door, and immediately began to berate her: "What's wrong with you these past two days? The Emperor has been giving me attitude, and now you're doing the same thing?"

Seeing Empress Dowager Fengxiang's extreme anger, Consort Qi hurriedly said, "Aunt, you've misunderstood. Lian'er didn't mean it..." Thinking of the corner of the jade gauze she had seen that day, she felt a pang of bitterness and anger in her heart again.

Empress Dowager Fengxiang noticed that her expression was not good. She also realized that her words had been rather harsh. So she lowered her voice and said, "I know you're angry because of that phoenix robe."

Consort Qi looked at her in surprise, not understanding how she knew.

Empress Dowager Fengxiang snorted coldly: "Do you think there's anything in this palace that can be hidden from me? I've known about it ever since that Yun Feng'er moved into Hanzhu Garden."

"Aunt..." Consort Qi looked at the person in front of her with some fear.