Чистая вода и прекрасные горы

Глава 7

Lu Li shifted his gaze, finally raising his head to look at me with no expression. "You went to Deshunzhai."

"We agreed to wait for Sixth Sister-in-law there." I pretended not to know anything and didn't see anything. After saying that, I bowed to him and walked through the main hall to the backyard.

In the evening, everyone ate their meals in their own small kitchens. Before dinner, Lu Li went out again, only saying that he would leave some food for him before leaving.

Lu Li returned at 7 PM. He ate a few bites of food, and I noticed his gloomy expression. I asked softly, "What's wrong now?"

"The Emperor summons me." He said casually, refusing to elaborate.

I wanted to ask about the Crown Prince and my sister, but seeing his expression, I didn't bring myself to ask.

"Sir, shall we stay home tomorrow?" I asked, remembering something.

He raised his eyes suspiciously. "What are you planning to do now?"

"Oh." I smiled generously. "I've invited Xiwen over tomorrow. With you here... it'll be better." What I really wanted to say was that I'd invited Xiwen over to see if I was qualified to be the legitimate wife.

"I'll go to my fourth brother's place tomorrow." He lowered his head and continued to struggle with the grains of rice in his bowl.

"Then I'll wait until you're available and invite you over again. There's plenty of time." I stood up to leave, turning my head to look at him, and smiled faintly. "Whenever you wish to see Xiwen, just tell me. If I invite her in my name, no one will gossip. It's much more reassuring than having secret rendezvous everywhere. Even if you don't care about your own reputation, you still need to consider the dignity of everyone in the manor, don't you?!"

He turned his face away, avoiding my gaze. I chuckled, shook my head, and walked out.

Thinking about the gossip among the people in Deshunzhai, I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. I got up, put on my shoes, and pushed open the door. I saw that the light in the study across the way was still on.

Before the gatekeeper could stop me, I pushed the door open and stepped into the study.

Yi Ling was helping Lu Li change his clothes at his desk. She had just changed him out of his court robes and he was still wearing a single layer of clothing. He just stared blankly at me as I barged in, disregarding all decorum.

I looked at Lu Li calmly and said, "Second Madam, please excuse me for a moment."

Yi Ling was taken aback, gave a slight bow, turned and walked towards the door, closing it behind her.

Lu Li put on the evergreen jacket that Yi Ling had handed him when he left, and only asked one question, "Is there something you need?"

“Your Highness…” I paused, “I need you to take me to see the Crown Princess.”

He calmly sat down, picked up the sheep-hair brush, and replied nonchalantly, "No."

"Why?"

Without even looking up, he said, "Blood has been spilled in the Eastern Palace; it's an ominous sign."

I was taken aback, my voice a little hoarse, "What exactly happened?"

His wrist paused for a moment, and after a long while, he sighed softly, "It was a miscarriage."

Is it my sister?

Before he could answer, I turned to leave, and he suddenly stood up, spilling ink all over the table.

The courtyard of the Eastern Palace was deserted, with withered branches and fallen leaves scattered on the ground.

Several servants led the way for me, and as soon as I stepped into the house, I smelled a strong herbal scent.

Jihe was fast asleep, leaning against the bedside. I looked at Liuzhu, the maid who was guarding the bedside.

"Third Princess, you've arrived... no, it's Princess Ning." Liuzhu wiped away her tears and gave me a forced smile. "My mistress has been thinking of you and said she couldn't attend your wedding."

"What's going on?" I asked hurriedly.

"The mistress's health was already weak, and this pregnancy was unstable. In addition, she has been irritable lately, and was even angered by several concubines during the day..."

"Where is the Crown Prince?" I asked.

"In the study."

“Lead me.” I clenched my fist tightly.

"Stop!" A threatening voice made me stop in my tracks.

The Empress stood behind me, her face ashen as she looked at me.

"Auntie, what's wrong—"

Kunning Palace

The empress remained silent, staring straight at me with a strange expression that made me feel somewhat apprehensive.

"I still feel like you're a child." A smile played on her lips as she spoke gently, "I'm such a disappointment as your aunt, making you younger generation bear so much burden and suffer so much injustice for us."

I stared blankly at my aunt, speechless.

The Empress lowered her eyes and smiled calmly, "When I was a child, I was also born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was spoiled and pampered, and it seemed that there was nothing in the world that made me worry... But one day, I realized how heavy the burden on my shoulders was!"

I lowered my head, wondering what the Empress meant by those words.

The Empress looked me straight in the eye, her voice cold and sharp, carrying a chilling aura, "Are you blaming me for forcing Jihe on the Crown Prince, making her suffer for the rest of her life?"

Her fingertips suddenly felt cold, and she subconsciously clenched her fingers, biting her lip slightly, suppressing her anger and remaining silent.

"Answer me." He didn't allow me a moment's hesitation.

I took a deep breath, looked up at her, and said resolutely, "Yes, I resented it, not only you, Aunt, but also my father. He used my eldest sister as a pawn in a marriage alliance with that brute Pang Jian to win over the army. And what did he get in return? I saw my mother weeping for my eldest sister every day, and heard Pang Jian bringing one concubine after another into the palace. My gentle and filial eldest sister, afraid of upsetting her family, didn't return to her parents' home even once in four years of marriage. Aunt has no son, and in order to control the Crown Prince, she didn't hesitate to exchange my second sister's lifelong happiness. The Crown Princess's position is noble, but what's the point of going to such a destitute place? Aunt thought..." To consolidate power, a crown prince who can't even hold his own in the court is no longer reliable. We need to win over more princes. Fine, this time, I'll be the pawn, the one to make the exchange. Father said that for the sake of the family's interests, the daughters of the Rong family must go through fire and water. With my sisters setting an example, I don't expect my later years to be any better. I can endure it, but that doesn't mean I accept this fate, this arrangement. Aunt, it's one thing for you to be so demanding of us, but weren't Xiwen and Luli raised by you yourself? Can you really bear to separate them? Is the family's interest so important? Is it all worth it?"

Chapter Seven: The Empress's Heart

The Empress's gaze was filled with sorrow. "Zhaozhi... my father, brothers, and I have walked this path through the blood and tears of our predecessors."

"When the war had just ended, the power dynamics in the court shifted. My elder brother, your father, supported the Third Prince, who seized the throne, was granted the title of Prince of Huainan, commanded an army of 300,000, and married Princess Jin Yuan as his Princess Consort, thus securing his current position. As for me, I must become an imperial consort, or even an empress, and eventually take charge of the six palaces to ensure the Rong family's authority in the court, suppress the aggressive Lin family and the Prince of Yong'an, who was also granted a title, and make the Rong family's position as solid as a rock. Only then can my descendants enjoy prosperity!"

I never knew that my father's and mother's splendid marriage, and my aunt's status as empress, were all the result of power struggles and transactions.

The Empress gazed into my eyes and said firmly, "Since I entered the palace at the age of eighteen, I have witnessed countless sorrows and tragedies both inside and outside the palace. Once power is lost and defeat is suffered, all former glory will vanish like fleeting flowers..."