Noble Consort Chen didn't quite understand what the Empress meant. She stood to one side, somewhat woodenly scratching the back of her head.
The Empress raised her brows at her. "You just said, where did she hear this news from?"
Noble Consort Chen said, "It was outside the Emperor's chambers, where she overheard the Emperor discussing state affairs with Lord Zhu and the others."
The Empress said, "That was in Suzhou, not in the palace. The Emperor has countless covert guards responsible for protecting him wherever he goes. Inside, he was discussing state affairs with his ministers, and outside, Jiang Deshun was keeping watch. The corridor should also have been guarded by attendants. Even if the Noble Consort had supernatural abilities, it would have been impossible for her to stand outside the door and listen to what was being discussed inside."
She paused for a moment, then suddenly gave a cold laugh. "Unless the Emperor wanted her to hear."
"The Emperor wanted her to hear?" Noble Consort Chen asked, puzzled. "But didn't the Emperor decide to embark on the southern tour early precisely to take the Noble Consort away from the capital as soon as possible, to prevent her from finding out about this matter?"
"To eliminate the treacherous officials at court, the former dynasty's reputation must also be upheld."
The Empress glanced at the brazier, and Noble Consort Chen immediately understood. She moved the brush, ink, paper and inkstone to the small table in front of the Empress.
As the Empress ground the ink, she said, "Now that the Noble Consort knows, she went and begged the Emperor herself, and the Emperor also gave her a pass to avoid execution. He even allowed her to go save her father and brother herself, which can be considered an imperial favor.
Then if the Noble Consort cannot save her father and brother in time, it will be her own inability to save her own family, and what does it have to do with the Emperor?"
She took a sheet of pristine white paper and spread it out on the desk, then started copying Buddhist scriptures while holding the brush.
"In the future when this matter comes out, outwardly, the Emperor was lenient and merciful to the criminal minister; inwardly, it can also be considered that he was benevolent to the utmost to the Noble Consort. Even if she wants to resent him, she has no reason to resent the Emperor in the slightest..."
Seeing her mistress speak so sadly, Noble Consort Chen couldn't help but giggle softly:
"Then won't the Noble Consort be miserable? To do this, the Emperor is truly punishing the cheap woman. Just listening to it makes this slave feel avenged!"
Hearing this, the Empress' brush tip suddenly paused, leaving an abrupt blot of ink on the snowy white paper.
She narrowed her phoenix eyes slightly, a hint of hatred flickering in her eyes.
"By doing this, the Emperor is actually cherishing the feelings he and the Noble Consort have shared over the years. He was afraid that after the Noble Consort learned of the shocking change in her maternal family's circumstances, she would resent him greatly, so he made this plan to scheme for her heart. No matter how much the Emperor calculates, I ultimately cannot compare to even half of his feelings for the Noble Consort..."
Seeing her mistress speak so sadly, Noble Consort Chen quickly removed the stained sheet of paper in front of the Empress and replaced it with a new one.
"Your Majesty worries too much. You are the Emperor's proper wife. The Emperor cherishes you greatly."
"Hmph." The Empress gave a self-mocking laugh. "Love or not love, I'm not a block of wood. One knows the warmth or coldness when drinking water. It's just that I have no desire for that kind of favor. If I cannot save my own father and brothers, I'm afraid I will be plagued by nightmares for the rest of my life, blaming myself day and night, and life will be joyless."
*
After leaving Suzhou City, Noble Consort Chen and Deputy General An traveled day and night without stopping, rushing for a full day and night.
The rain clouds seemed to have a spirit, chasing after them without giving them a moment's rest.
Those guards responsible for protecting Noble Consort Chen looked to be stalwart men, but after a day they could not bear it either.
Only Noble Consort Chen seemed indefatigable, galloping wildly without stopping, only changing horses at the courier stations, without even catching her breath before rushing on.
By the time they reached Yunmen Road, the rain was falling more heavily, until they could barely see the road ahead. The raindrops hitting them stung sharply.
Deputy General An spurred his horse forward past Noble Consort Chen, blocking her path, and shouted loudly:
"Noble Consort! The rain is very heavy now, and the mountain road ahead is difficult to traverse. This torrential rain looks like it will pass quickly. Why don't we find a place to take shelter from the rain and wait for it to lighten..."
"Shut up with your nonsense!" Noble Consort Chen sat upright on her horse, her posture erect and heroic as she wiped the rain from her face and snapped:
"If you're tired, then turn back! Don't block my way! Get lost!"
"But, Noble Consort, this is..." Deputy General An was about to continue speaking, but Noble Consort Chen had already lashed out with her riding crop, striking him. She immediately cried "Ha!" to spur her horse on, and continued galloping wildly down the road ahead.
She was skilled in horsemanship, and in a flash her back disappeared from view. This panicked Deputy General An. "Quick, catch up to the Noble Consort!"
Noble Consort Chen's mind was fixed on her father and brothers. This familial love supported her tirelessness.
Even so, galloping wildly when she couldn't see the road ahead clearly in the torrential rain was dangerous. As she went around a bend, she didn't notice a large pit suddenly appear in the road ahead. As the horse stepped into it, its front legs gave way and it stumbled forward.
Noble Consort Chen was thrown heavily off, falling into muddy water.
She was still wearing the vermilion figured satin robe with crabapple pattern she had worn to seduce Xiao Jingheng.
Now the robe was tattered and filthy, and she was also covered in injuries. There was not a trace left of the overbearing and flamboyant woman who had lorded over the inner palace.
This fall was not minor. Noble Consort Chen endured the pain and saw that the pass to avoid execution that had been tucked in her bosom had fallen into a nearby puddle. She crawled desperately towards the puddle, no longer caring about anything.
She who loved cleanliness most would at this moment dive into the muddy water without hesitation, crawling on the ground like a madwoman fishing around in the puddle.
"Father, brother... wait for me!"
Only after she had picked up the pass to avoid execution did the tears she had been holding back finally burst forth like a dam breaking.
Her tears mixed with the rainwater, indistinguishable.
"Noble Consort! Are you alright?"
The attendants finally caught up and helped Noble Consort Chen up from the mud.
"Noble Consort, you're injured! You should rest a while!"
"Shut up!"
Noble Consort Chen pushed Deputy General An away and grabbed the reins of his horse, leaping up into the saddle in one motion.
Just then, the rain lightened. One attendant pointed at the sky overhead and yelled loudly:
"It's clearing up! Noble Consort, look!"
Noble Consort Chen stared into the distance. She saw the inky darkness overhead beginning to show a faint orange-red, rays of pale golden light piercing through the thick cloud cover and shining down, reflecting the mist at the mountainside into a warm, candle-like glow.
Noble Consort Chen wiped the rain and tears from her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth also curved up into a faint smile.
In the next two days after leaving the Suzhou-Hangzhou region, the rain also stopped.
The traveling party raced into the capital without daring to rest, heading straight for the execution ground.
Noble Consort Chen whipped her horse on even faster, leaving everyone behind.
She saw the execution stand,
Saw the dense crowds surrounding it,
Saw her father and brothers kneeling covered in blood and filth in prisoner's garb at the center.
She fumbled with trembling hands for the pass to avoid execution tucked in her bosom, raised it high overhead, crying out repeatedly:
"Stop the blade!"
But after a day of jostling, she was already utterly exhausted. Now even exerting all her strength, she could only let out a faint, hoarse voice that was soon drowned out by the seething, tumultuous crowd.
She whipped her horse furiously, wanting to go faster, ever faster.
But just then, she heard the thunderous command from the imperial executioner on the execution stand:
"Time's up, execute!"
"No! Don't do it! Don't!!"
The executioner indifferently cast down the warrant plaque. The headsman standing behind the Ning father and son raised the execution blade high up.
Noble Consort Chen's heart jolted in fright. She tumbled from the horse again.
Before her was the packed crowd. She crawled with difficulty through the forest of legs, still clutching tightly to the pass to avoid execution, screaming in terror and despair:
"Don't... Father! Brother! No..."
What came to her ears next was only the crowd's cries of alarm towards the execution ground...
The crowd was thrown into chaos for a time. Through a gap, Noble Consort Chen caught a glimpse of the spurting blood spraying on the execution ground.
She only felt her heart pounded heavily several times as if by a blunt weapon. Her vision went black and she fainted.
The pass to avoid execution she had gripped tightly in her hand dropped to the ground.
Under the clear skies, it still glinted with dazzling golden light.
