Le monde des arts martiaux est un véritable cloaque

Chapitre 57

Upon hearing his last sentence, Yang Huan suddenly recalled the image of the beautiful woman from last night. He became engrossed in thinking about it when he heard Erbao calling him. He couldn't help but laugh out loud, kicking Erbao and saying, "You audacious bastard, actually setting your sights on someone close to your wife. Let me tell you, that little sparrow is no pushover. She's been spoiled rotten by your wife and dares to throw a tantrum in front of me."

Erbao scratched his head and said, "I just think she's good. As long as the young master is willing to make a suggestion for me, it's guaranteed to work out. Doesn't the madam usually listen to you?"

Yang Huan laughed and said, "You've got a silver tongue, kid. Fine, considering how hard you worked the last two nights, I'll give you a heads-up when we get back to Qingmen County."

Erbao was overjoyed and thanked them repeatedly before the two of them headed back home.

As soon as Yang Huan returned to the Grand Commandant's residence, he pestered Jiang Shi to go to the government office to have the previous judgment revoked. Jiang Shi, who usually couldn't resist her son's persuasion, was stubbornly refusing to budge on this matter. No matter how many tricks Yang Huan tried, she insisted that she would never go unless the Xu family went first—it turned out she was just trying to save face. Yang Huan gave up, thinking of his mother and then of the woman in the Xu family, and sighed that the most difficult people to deal with in the world were those elderly women. He pondered for half a day, and then came up with another idea.

A few days later, a palace eunuch came to the Xu residence, saying that Consort Yang's birthday was coming up in a few days, and the Emperor, out of favor and pity for her longing for her family, had granted permission for a female member of her household to come to the palace to keep her company. He added that Xu Jiaoniang had been married into the Yang family for several years, but Consort Yang had never even seen her sister-in-law. Now, hearing of the troubles between the two families, she felt uneasy and thus summoned Xu Jiaoniang to the palace for a talk.

Madam Xu hesitated, somewhat reluctantly, and said, "My daughter is no longer a member of the Yang family..."

"Madam Xu, the Imperial Concubine has already reported this matter to the Emperor, and the Emperor has granted her permission."

Helpless, Madam Xu then sent someone to inform Jiao Niang to make preparations.

Xu Shirong was also surprised when she first heard the news. After a little thought, she understood. Consort Yang summoned her to the palace for a talk at this particular time, which was neither too early nor too late. She figured it was probably related to Yang Huan. So she suppressed her doubts, packed her things, and went to the palace.

Consort Yang held the rank of Noble Consort, the highest among those below the Empress. Therefore, although the palace was small and the number of rooms was limited, her residence was still very luxurious and named Ronghua Palace. Two concubines of lower rank lived in the two side palaces on the left and right.

When Xu Shirong entered the palace and met Consort Yang, she followed the instructions of the palace servants and performed the proper etiquette. Consort Yang then helped her up with a smile, looked her over from side to side, and said with a smile, "I think it's more natural for me to call you sister-in-law. Sister-in-law is indeed beautiful, no wonder my brother is so attentive to her. He sent me a flower pillow from afar before, and now he has sent word. I was really curious, wondering what kind of woman could tame my wild brother, so I rashly summoned you to the palace. Please don't blame me for meddling."

Xu Shirong quickly offered a few words of humility. Only then did she raise her eyes to look at the Imperial Concubine. Seeing her beautiful appearance, with a slight resemblance between her features and Yang Huan's, she felt a sense of closeness. She also noticed the Imperial Concubine's dignified speech and graceful demeanor; although she was born to Lady Jiang, she possessed none of her mother's sharp tongue, which surprised her somewhat. But then she thought, with countless beauties in the harem, although she had relied on her family background to some extent, without genuine character and ability, how could she have won the Emperor's favor for so long and firmly held the position of Imperial Concubine? With this thought, she felt relieved and began to carefully respond.

Consort Yang's words were indeed true. A few days prior, she had received a letter from her younger brother, sent through a messenger, pleading with her to speak to their mother and request that she go to the prefectural government office to request the case be closed. She explained that at least one party's presence was necessary for the government to summon the other. Otherwise, with both families holding each other back, even if Prefect Li wanted to, he would be powerless. Consort Yang was surprised upon receiving the letter. She only had this one younger brother, whom she had always doted on. She knew him well, and while she had secretly smoothed over many of his misdeeds, she always hoped he would improve. Later, she heard that he had been appointed to a post in Qingmen County, where he was doing a remarkable job, even earning praise from the Emperor, who was very pleased with him. Now, seeing that he had specifically asked her for help with this matter, she became very curious about her brother's wife. Coincidentally, her birthday was in a few days, so she petitioned the Emperor for a favor, summoning Xu Jiaoniang to the palace. However, after dealing with her several times, he found that she was not only outstanding in appearance but also very proper in manners and speech. He immediately grew to like her very much and thought that he should help his younger brother fulfill his wish no matter what.

Xu Shirong was kept in the palace for half a day to talk and have lunch. Due to palace regulations, Consort Yang said reluctantly, "It's such a pity that I haven't seen my sister-in-law for so long. I was reluctant to let you go back so soon, and I wish I could stay a few more days to talk with you."

Xu Shirong noticed the sincerity in her eyes as she spoke, suggesting it wasn't just polite formality. She reasoned that even someone as favored as her in the harem might not have everything go smoothly. Just as she was about to offer some words of comfort, a palace maid entered, looking flustered, and exclaimed, "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! We've found Li Wanrong, whom we haven't seen for days!"

Consort Yang suddenly stood up and asked, "Where is she now?"

The palace maid said in a trembling voice, "Just now, some palace servants went to clean the duckweed in the Imperial Garden pond and found Li Wanrong's body floating among the water plants. They made a fuss and attracted a large group of people from other palaces, including the Empress and Consort Li. I'm sure the Emperor will be alarmed as well..."

Consort Yang's expression changed drastically, and she no longer cared about Consort Xu, immediately running outside.

Xu Shirong hesitated for a moment, then followed. From afar, she saw the pond surrounded by palace women, all with expressions of panic and fear, whispering amongst themselves. When Consort Yang entered, the lower-ranking concubines stepped aside to pay their respects, leaving only the Empress standing in the center, covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief and frowning. Far away on the grass by the pond lay a woman's corpse.

Empress Guo, whose surname was Guo, was originally chosen by the Empress Dowager for the Emperor. Coupled with her somewhat violent temperament, she was disliked by Emperor Renzong. One year earlier, while strolling in the Imperial Garden, she overheard Emperor Renzong and Consort Li (Li Wanrong) joking around. Consort Li, relying on her recent favor, mocked the Empress's face, comparing it to a shoehorn. Li Wanrong echoed her sentiments. Empress Guo, unable to tolerate this, rushed over to attack the two. Emperor Renzong intervened, but in a fit of rage, the Empress slapped him, her sharp fingernails leaving several bloody marks on his face. Emperor Renzong was furious and briefly considered deposing the Empress, though he eventually restrained himself, but his dislike for her only intensified. Consort Li, whose rank was slightly below Consort Yang, was standing at the front of a group of concubines. Li Wanrong was the deceased Consort Li; the two had been close friends.

Among the many corpses, those submerged in water are the most gruesome, especially if they have been submerged for a long time. Not only do the skin on their hands and feet peel off like gloves, but they can also develop into a gigantic state. The entire body is filled with a foul odor, the face is swollen, the eyeballs bulge, the lips thicken and turn outward, the tongue protrudes, the abdomen swells, and the whole body is swollen and enlarged like a giant, making it impossible to recognize the person in life. Moreover, the entire body is covered in a slippery green mold, emitting a particularly foul and unpleasant odor.

Xu Shirong was too far away to see the body clearly, but judging from the fact that it wasn't swollen too badly, and considering it was early spring, it probably hadn't been submerged for very long. Even so, it was enough to frighten the many pampered women of the harem. Each of them only glanced at it and dared not look again, yet they still wanted to join in the fun and were unwilling to leave immediately.

Consort Yang glanced at it and her face turned pale. She suppressed the discomfort in her stomach, bowed to the Empress, and then asked, "Your Majesty, I just heard from the palace servants that I rushed here. Do you know what caused this?"

Empress Guo gave her a cold look before saying, "Your Highness asked me, but I should ask you. Li Wanrong was originally a concubine in your palace. You must know better than anyone why she acted this way."

Chapter 71

When questioned, Consort Yang replied solemnly, "I haven't seen Consort Li for three days. I asked the palace servants around her, and they only said that she told no one to follow her that day and went to the garden by herself. She never returned. I sent people to search everywhere without success, and immediately reported to the Emperor and the Imperial Household Department. I also informed the Emperor the day before yesterday. The palace has been searching for her for the past two days. I never expected that when we saw her again, she would be in such a state."

Empress Guo listened without saying a word, only showing a slight dissatisfaction on her face. Just as she was about to speak again, she saw that the emperor had already come over. Several eunuchs were hurrying over and covering the corpse with a white cloth, standing aside, presumably waiting for instructions to deal with it.

Emperor Renzong had just received the report that Li Wanrong, whom he had been searching for for several days, had been found, but had drowned in the pond in the Imperial Garden. He rushed over, but upon arriving, he didn't even acknowledge the ladies of the harem bowing to him. He went straight to the body, where a eunuch hurriedly lifted a corner of the white cloth. Emperor Renzong's expression changed drastically at just a glance, and he sternly demanded of Empress Guo, "What exactly happened? She was perfectly fine a few days ago, how could she be in such a state today?"

Empress Guo snorted and repeated what Consort Yang had just said.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Renzong turned to look at Consort Yang, noticing that although her face was somewhat pale, her expression remained composed. His gaze then swept over the other concubines, who, though their faces appeared sorrowful or solemn, all harbored barely concealed schadenfreude in their eyes. Annoyed, he snorted and said, "Such an absurd thing has happened in the harem! Send all those serving her to the Imperial Household Department and get a thorough investigation!"

When Li Wanrong had her accident, all the palace maids who had accompanied her rushed to the scene. Upon hearing these words, they were so frightened that they knelt down. One round-faced maid cried out, "Your Majesty, it really has nothing to do with us! Lady Wanrong had been looking downcast for some time. The other day, she said she wanted to go to the garden alone to clear her mind and forbade us from following her. That's why we dared not go with her. A few days ago, it rained, and perhaps the path by the pond was slippery, which is why she slipped and fell in..."

As the palace maid spoke, she kept kowtowing.

Just as Emperor Renzong was about to speak, he suddenly heard a woman's voice say, "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

Everyone looked up and saw that it was Consort Li who was speaking. Among those standing there, besides the Empress and Consort Yang, she was of the highest rank. Therefore, although everyone else was still listening intently, their heads were slightly lowered. Only Empress Guo and Consort Yang looked at Consort Li, their expressions differing.

Emperor Renzong glanced at her and grunted in response.

Consort Li, her expression sorrowful, said, “Your Majesty, when I was here just now, I heard several of my sisters speculate that she slipped and fell. But I am very close to Consort Li and know her well. How could someone as grown as her suddenly slip and drown in the pond? It must be because she was too distracted or restless, or something else. A few days ago, I chatted with Consort Li and noticed that she seemed preoccupied and frowning. When I pressed her for details, she refused to say anything. I consider her a sister, and only after pressing her did I learn…” At this point, she glanced at Consort Yang before continuing, “I learned that she was severely punished for no reason. Your Majesty, although Consort Li is ranked last among the Nine Consorts, even if she has made a mistake, it should be reported to the Emperor for punishment. Such private punishment puts the Emperor in a bad light, and it undermines the rules of the harem. Moreover, Your Majesty, Consort Li may already be carrying the Emperor’s child!”

Her last sentence was like a drop of water falling into a hot oil pan, causing a splash.

Emperor Renzong was greatly surprised and asked, "What did you say?"

"Your Majesty, a few days ago, Consort Li privately told me that she felt she might be pregnant. She informed the Noble Consort in her palace, who advised her to wait until her pulse stabilized before summoning the imperial physician to examine her, lest she be proven wrong and become a laughingstock. Consort Li thought this made sense and complied. I was also delighted to hear this, hoping that she could continue Your Majesty's imperial line. Who would have thought that today would be like this... I beg Your Majesty to consider that Consort Li served Your Majesty with all her heart and to seek justice for her departed soul!" After saying this, she knelt down, her face filled with sorrow.

Consort Yang could no longer contain herself and angrily retorted, "Consort Li, although we are not close, we are not enemies either. Why are you making such baseless accusations today? Consort Li is a concubine in my palace. I saw that her behavior was inappropriate and was about to report it to the Emperor, but she pleaded with me, and I softened and only reprimanded her a few times, telling her to be more restrained in the future. As for the latter matter you mentioned, it is utter nonsense. I have never heard her mention this matter to me. If it were true, wouldn't she have immediately summoned the imperial physician to examine her pulse? Why would I stop her?"

Upon hearing this, Consort Li merely chuckled slightly and remained silent.

"Your Highness, regarding the latter matter Consort Li mentioned, there's no way to verify it now that she's dead. But from what you just said, you did indeed privately punish Li Wanrong. I wonder what mistake she made that required you to discipline her?"

Empress Guo stared intently at Consort Yang and asked with displeasure.

Consort Yang looked up and saw that the Emperor was also looking at her with surprise and suspicion. She immediately regretted her actions. She had been so cautious all along, but today she had fallen into someone's trap because of a moment of weakness.

It turned out that some time ago, she had been feeling unwell, and the Emperor had visited her at night, staying overnight at Li Wanrong's side palace. The next day, she inadvertently discovered that Li Wanrong had burned aphrodisiac in the room the previous night. Enraged, she was about to report this to the Empress, but Li Wanrong knelt down and begged, claiming that Consort Li had instigated it and that she had given her the incense. Consort Yang was not a cold-hearted person to begin with. Seeing her terrified, pale-faced, and tearful face, and her vow never to use it again, she couldn't bear it and only gave her a few words of reprimand before keeping the matter quiet. Little did she expect that her initial act of mercy would now become a handle for others to question her. Moreover, judging from Consort Li's subsequent words, it seemed that she knew Li Wanrong was pregnant and deliberately suppressed the news. Even the fact that Li Wanrong's body was floating here today might not be entirely unrelated to her.

If it were any other reason, she would have spoken up to explain, but this was a sensitive matter concerning the emperor's reputation, and she could not speak of it in public. After hesitating for a moment, she knelt before Emperor Renzong and said, "Your Majesty, I will explain the reasons for punishing Li Wanrong to Your Majesty and the Emperor later. I am willing to accept punishment for exceeding the rules. However, regarding Consort Li's claim that I obstructed Li Wanrong's diagnosis of the imperial veins, I swear to Heaven that I have never heard of such a thing. Please, Your Majesty, investigate thoroughly."

Emperor Renzong glanced at Consort Yang and Consort Li, both of whom wore solemn expressions. He favored Consort Yang more, appreciating her gentle and intelligent nature, unlike Consort Li who was competitive and prone to arrogance after a slight reprimand, and who had even caused him to be slapped by the Empress, losing face completely. However, faced with this situation under the watchful eyes of everyone, he found it difficult to make a decision. Just then, a young woman he didn't recognize emerged from behind the wall of people and knelt before him. Somewhat puzzled, he was about to ask when the woman finished kowtowing and said, "Your Majesty, I am a relative of Consort Xu, from outside the palace. I was ordered to enter the palace today to finish my business and was about to take my leave when this incident occurred, which is why I accompanied Consort Xu. I apologize for offending Your Majesty."

When Emperor Renzong heard her speak like this, he remembered that Consort Yang had mentioned yesterday that she wanted to invite her younger brother and sister-in-law to the palace for a chat. He glanced at her and saw that she was beautiful, but he was not in the mood to respond. He simply nodded and said, "Rise."