Outside, the rain fell more densely.
The curtain of water falling from the eaves was like a hazy net, blocking the view.
Although Xiao Jingheng had agreed to Noble Consort Chen's request and spared the lives of her father and brothers,
Noble Consort Chen still felt uneasy and anxious, unable to be at ease for even a moment.
She watched the Milky Way spill outside the window, thinking about the many muddy mountain roads she still had to take to hurry back to the capital from Suzhou.
If there was any delay on the way, she might not make it back to the capital before her father and brothers were beheaded.
Entrusting her father and brother's lives to others, how could she feel at ease?
Seeing that Noble Consort Chen was staring blankly out the window lost in thought, Xiao Jingheng gently asked her,
"I already agreed to you, why do you still look so worried?"
Noble Consort Chen came back to her senses from her reverie. Her eyes shining brightly, she looked at Xiao Jingheng and said
urgently,
"Your Majesty...this servant begs Your Majesty to permit me to personally deliver the pardon back to the capital!"
"Preposterous!" Xiao Jingheng stopped her. "You are but a woman. This journey will take you thousands of miles over treacherous mountain roads. You have only just recovered from childbirth. Do you mean to make me uneasy with this suggestion? This is absolutely out of the question!"
"Your Majesty!" Noble Consort Chen clutched at Xiao Jingheng's sleeve, half coquettishly and half pleadingly said:
"I accompanied Your Majesty hunting wild boars before and Your Majesty knows I am skilled at horsemanship and archery, even better than most men! If Your Majesty does not let me go personally, I will surely be unable to swallow my food or sleep at night..."
Seeing that Xiao Jingheng had turned his face away and would not even look at her, Noble Consort Chen kneeled on the ground again, her voice choked with sobs.
"Your Majesty has already indulged me once, please indulge my selfishness once more! If Your Majesty still refuses me, I will kneel here and not get up!"
She was clearly threatening Xiao Jingheng,
relying on his pity and fondness for her.
Noble Consort Chen knew that Xiao Jingheng cared for her.
No matter when it was before, no matter how absurd her requests were, as long as she threw a tantrum or acted petulantly, Xiao Jingheng had always indulged her every whim.
After they had been at an impasse for a while, by the time Jiang Deshun brought over the pardon, Xiao Jingheng looked at Noble Consort Chen helplessly yet tenderly and said:
"Fine. Fine!"
He heaved a long sigh, helped Noble Consort Chen to her feet, took the pardon from Jiang Deshun and handed it to her.
"I will have Vice General An escort you on this journey. You must also promise me to know your limits. If you feel tired, do not push yourself. You have only just recovered from childbirth. I really worry for you."
"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"
Noble Consort Chen barely managed a smile. She bowed in gratitude to Xiao Jingheng, then tightly clutched the pardon and rushed into the stormy wind and rain without regard for anything else.
Watching her determined, retreating figure, Xiao Jingheng felt a sudden stab of sadness in his heart.
Seeing that Jiang Deshun was still standing there in a daze, he quickly scolded, "Useless thing! Why haven't you hurried to send men to escort the Noble Consort and protect her safety!"
"This servant obeys!"
*
At the same time, in the Empress's palace.
The rain in Suzhou showed no sign of stopping, so the Empress would not be sent back to the palace anytime soon.
At this moment, she had flung the windows wide open. She sat on a heated seat beneath the windows, listening to the sound of rain with one ear while transcribing Buddhist scriptures with the other.
Even though the rain had already dampened half a scroll of scriptures, a composed smile still lingered on her face.
The door creaked open and a gust of restless wind stirred the air, blowing the finished transcribed scriptures scattered everywhere.
After Shuang Ruo entered and bowed, she quickly shut the door. Then she rushed to the window to pull it closed and latch it.
"Why was Empress Consort sitting here with the window open? Look, your clothes are wet..."
She took out a clean handkerchief and wiped away the beads of water clinging to the Empress's clothing.
The Empress looked unconcernedly out the window. "The rain is coming down harder. It looks like I won't be able to return to the capital for a while."
Shuang Ruo said, "His Majesty still cares about your many years as husband and wife in the end. He doesn't truly want to punish you. This matter with Tong Chang's miscarriage is clearly someone deliberately framing you. Who does Empress Consort think it is?"
"Who else could it be?" The Empress snorted disdainfully. "It's obvious Noble Consort Chen and Virtuous Consort Yi have joined hands to try and bring me down. But no matter how hard they try, what can they do? Not to mention they have falsely accused me, even if what they say is true, His Majesty still won't depose me as he pleases, as I am his Empress."
She slowly got up and walked to the bed, lifting her gauzy canopy.
On the bed, only her phoenix robes were neatly laid out, the golden pearls and beads faintly shimmering.
The Empress took off her armor and lightly stroked the golden phoenix plumes on the robes, calmly and unconcernedly saying:
"Deposing an empress is a serious matter that would damage the imperial family's reputation. It would also make His Majesty a laughingstock to the whole world. His Majesty cares most about face and has always kept up appearances. So even if he loathes me now, he would absolutely not depose me."
As she spoke, her other hand unconsciously went to rest protectively over her lower abdomen, a fleeting look of loss flashing through her eyes.
"Besides, I can no longer bear children for His Majesty, so he already dislikes me. What more is there for me to worry about him disliking me even more?"
She paused for a moment, then gave a bitter laugh and shook her head.
"Nothing else matters. As long as I am still his Empress, I can preserve the glory of the royal family. When the new emperor takes the throne in the future, I will be the one and only empress dowager, presiding over the Eastern Palaces, the most honorable and exalted. What is there for me to fight over with those wives whose positions are precarious?"
"Empress Consort's words are most wise," Shuang Ruo echoed. She then bent over and moved closer to the Empress, lowering her voice to say:
"There is another thing I just heard. Noble Consort Chen...rode back to the capital this afternoon."
"What did you say?" The Empress couldn't help looking surprised. She glanced reflexively out the window, "With rain like this, what is she thinking?"
Liu Yue said, "She found out about the Ning family matter."
The Empress frowned. "How did she find out? His Majesty ordered the old ministers to keep this matter secret. I only got this information because Father is personally investigating this case for me."
Shuang Ruo explained, "I heard that when Noble Consort Chen went to see His Majesty, she overheard His Majesty discussing this matter with his ministers outside the doors. That's how she found out. With her temperament, she couldn't sit still. She charged inside without any propriety at all. But His Majesty still seems to care for her sentiments...Noble Consort Chen pleaded profusely with him and actually managed to persuade His Majesty. His Majesty awarded her a pardon and even agreed to let her personally return to save her family."
She said this worriedly, her tone sinking. "Rushing back from Suzhou to the capital travelling day and night, it would take at least three days even with great haste. It looks like...the Ning family may still have a way out this time?"
"A way out?" The Empress suddenly laughed, a string of crazed laughter that distorted her features, sending a chill down even Liu Yue's spine.
After a while, the Empress finally leaned on a table and sat down to one side, shaking her head mockingly and saying:
"If I were to say, what His Majesty gave Ning Wanshuang is not a pardon, but a death warrant for the Ning family!"
