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墨書 Inktalez
Cold Palace.
Mei Shuang could roughly see the environment of the so-called Cold Palace under the moonlight, and one word came to mind: dilapidated!
Broken tables, broken chairs, a broken bed, and broken blankets; there was nothing else. Spider Web gathered dust, and the walls were drafty.
In the large courtyard, there was only a well against the western wall, frozen solid and glaringly bright. If one wanted to die, even throwing oneself into the well was not an option.
Mei Shuang endured the pain and found a corner sheltered from the wind to sit down. She recalled the main character she had just seen and sighed inwardly, having to admit that such an extraordinary man had only existed in legends in her mind until now.
She simply could not imagine why, if she were to marry such an exceptional man, the daughter of the Left Chancellor would risk everything to secretly meet another man, ruining her own reputation. This was not only a crime punishable by death but also one that could implicate her entire family!
Just think, if nothing had gone wrong before, she might have already entered the bridal chamber with this Supreme Ruler in a legitimate manner. Since she was here now, she should make the best of it; after all, gaining both fame and fortune was indeed a great blessing in life!
But ultimately, she did not have such luck!
Mei Ru, though detestable, was not wrong in saying that this emperor truly did not like her. She had indeed interfered in the emperor's relationship with Miss Chu, even placing a magnificent green hat on him. No wonder he despised her so much.
The thought of such an outcome made her feel utterly disheartened!
The only consolation was that her final judgment did not accuse her of "disrupting the palace" or "self-harm," which were disgraceful charges. Terms like "heaven's mandate does not favor" and "superficial grandeur" held no real significance for her!
It seemed that the royal family valued their reputation above all else; the emperor could not afford to lose face!
Sitting on the cold ground, Mei Shuang looked at the drafty walls and suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter at her dreamlike experiences.
Her laughter drew disdain from a guard on night watch outside, who remarked, "See? There's no one who isn't crazy when they end up here! Even seeking peace is impossible."
Then came coarse insults from outside.
"Ah, it's freezing! If it weren't for this cursed star of misfortune, I would have been drinking heartily by the stove by now—"
"Keep your voice down," another younger Eunuch advised. "Just do your job. Everyone's gone mad; why bother getting worked up?"
"Bah! The Emperor wouldn't even spare a single piece of white silk to execute her today; it's only because of the auspicious date! Here I am, suffering alongside her!" the Eunuch said without restraint. "I've heard that although the young lady of Mei Manor is beautiful, she has a wicked heart and bullies her stepmother and half-sister. Isn't this just karma? It's well known that Chancellor Mei is noble, yet he has such a daughter. Do you know? I've heard she has long been in cahoots with Zhao Prince, and now that it's come to light, it would be strange if the Emperor let her off lightly!"
"Alright, alright, just do your job. You believe in rumors too easily... Be careful someone hears you. Let's go get some hot wine..."
"In this filthy place, who has the leisure for that?"
As their voices faded away, Mei Shuang was left stunned.
Was she truly so infamous? And it seemed like the whole world knew about her affair with Zhao Prince?...
Sighing, she decided to let it go for now. She was exhausted, hungry, and sleepy; tomorrow would take care of itself.
---
After the new emperor ascended the throne and the empress married, the two daughters of Mei Manor became the laughingstock among the palace concubines.
The legitimate daughter disgraced her family and fell from grace; she deserved to be cast into the Cold Palace;
The illegitimate daughter took her sister's place in the palace, and on the wedding night, there was discord between the emperor and empress. The Emperor merely went through the motions with Heqin Wine and didn't even stay at Weiyang Palace;
...
The gossip reached Queen Meiru's ears, and naturally, she was furious. Although she was deeply troubled, there was nothing she could do because what the concubines said was all true.
Mei Shuang had always held herself in high regard, her jealousy fueled by Mei Ru's instigation. As a result, her relationships with the daughters of various nobles were already tenuous, and she often found herself at odds with some of them. Now that those young ladies had entered the palace as consorts, it was only natural for the other concubines to find amusement in Mei Shuang's predicament.
In an instant, the newly appointed concubines, honored by the Empress's decree, showed respect to Queen Mei Ru on the surface while secretly scoffing behind her back.
This left Queen Mei Ru feeling uneasy.
She had thought that after Mei Shuang's "self-inflicted demise" that day, everything would be settled. Little did she know that Mei Shuang had survived but was instead banished to the Cold Palace. Although the imperial edict deposed Empress Mei Shuang without explicitly stating the true reason for her downfall, it did not stop the palace from buzzing with various scandalous rumors.
These rumors ostensibly concerned Deposed Empress Mei Shuang but were actually veiled jabs at the current Empress's humble origins. The Great Qin Empire had always distinguished between legitimate and illegitimate offspring.
Mei Ru could only pretend not to hear; she did not want to lose her composure as Empress over such trivial matters.
Thus, the discord between Mei Shuang in the Cold Palace and the imperial consorts became a source of anxiety for Mei Ru.
That morning, as was customary, the concubines came to pay their respects in her palace. After chatting idly for a while, just as they were about to take their leave, Consort Chen, sitting at her lower right, suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled. "Empress, do you know what day it is today?"
Seeing everyone's curiosity piqued, Consort Chen smiled mysteriously. "Today marks the day when the noble daughters of various lords traditionally come to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager..."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions shifted.
The significant day Consort Chen referred to was when either the Current Emperor or Lord Luo was selecting a primary consort for themselves. It was during such grand occasions that the Empress Dowager had taken notice of Chancellor Mei's legitimate daughter, Qianjin Meishuang. Although Lord Luo had never agreed to take a primary consort, that was another matter entirely.
The concubines exchanged glances, feeling that Consort Chen's words were rather abrupt, and their gazes instinctively turned toward Queen Mei Ru.
Mei Ru merely maintained a composed smile and nodded slightly.
Consort Chen remained unperturbed, casually brushing her red lips with a silk handkerchief as she lazily remarked, "I have heard that the Empress is gentle and humble; if there is fortune to be had, there is no need to rush... Alas, Empress, you must be tired; I shall take my leave first."
"Min'er," came the languid voice of Consort Chen after she had left, "what was the ending of that play we watched today, featuring the Flying Swallow and the Heavenly Sisters?"
The other concubines exchanged glances before promptly taking their leave, understanding the unspoken cue.
Mei Ru maintained a composed smile as she watched them depart. Once they were gone, however, her smile faltered, and a hint of malice flickered in her eyes.
"Empress, Consort Chen has been making snide remarks, relying on her father, the Right Chancellor. Wasn't she just trying to embarrass you by bringing up Miss Mei Shuang? Talking about the Flying Swallow and the Heavenly Sisters—it's like she's cursing you on purpose!"
The maid Release couldn't help but express her indignation.
Mei Ru collected her thoughts and after a moment, asked Lianxin beside her, "Did the Emperor hold court today? Prepare some snacks; let's go check on him at the Hall of Governance."
Since being pardoned by the Emperor, Lianxin had become much more subdued and quickly replied, "Yes."
As Mei Ru approached the Hall of Governance with several maids in tow, they heard Consort Chen's mocking laughter from around the corner of the palace wall. "Hmph, this sister is quite the actress, and the Empress Dowager loves a good show. It's always been about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children; now even a concubine has climbed up the branches..."
Legitimate and illegitimate! Legitimate and illegitimate!
Mei Ru's face turned pale as she clenched her silk handkerchief into a tight ball.
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