Summoned by the Empress, the imperial concubines arrived in succession.
As always, Noble Consort Chen was the last to arrive fashionably late.
When she arrived, her face was made up exquisitely and brightly, and she wore a vermilion phoenix-patterned cloak that brought out her innate arrogance. Compared to the Empress dressed simply at the head, it was as if Noble Consort Chen was the rightful occupant of the principal palace.
Vermilion and phoenix patterns were originally not to be used by noble consorts, but she was about to become Imperial Noble Consort, so no one dared criticize her wearing them.
Seeing her arrive aggressively, Consort Yin whispered to Song Zhao,
"The Empress is likely trying to make her a laughingstock, but instead has become the joke herself. The rank of Imperial Noble Consort is so esteemed that I fear the position of Empress will soon change hands."
Song Zhao smiled without replying, quietly watching.
After everyone was seated, the Empress smiled and said,
"Tomorrow I will return to the palace. At the Many Buddhas Monastery in Suzhou, I will concentrate on worshipping Buddha with the Empress Dowager. So before I leave, I have personally transcribed some Buddhist scriptures to give to you all."
As she spoke, she signaled Shuang Ruo with her eyebrows.
Shuang Ruo immediately brought out a stack of scriptures from the back chamber for the palace maids to distribute.
Because of Noble Consort Chen's esteemed status, Shuang Ruo personally presented her scriptures to her.
After receiving the scriptures, many leafed through them and thanked the Empress in unison,
"This concubine gives thanks for the Empress's kindness."
Only Noble Consort Chen let Liu Yue receive the scriptures for her without even glancing at them once.
Later, the Empress chatted idly with the concubines for a few more sentences, then said,
"Let's disperse for today. When I return to the palace, I look forward to hearing about the interesting things that happened during the southern inspection tour."
As the concubines took their leave, the Empress added,
"Noble Consort, remain for a moment. I have some instructions for you."
Noble Consort Chen glanced at her but said nothing, sitting still in her seat.
After everyone else had left, she finally said to the Empress,
"What is it? Are you trying to laugh at me? But I've disappointed you. My family has encountered misfortune and I'm in low spirits, but I haven't fallen so far that a worthless cast-off like you can laugh at me."
She spoke disrespectfully, but the Empress was unprovoked. On the contrary, she laughed lightly,
"Being cast off is still better than being used without realizing it. What does the Noble Consort think?"
Noble Consort Chen glared at her impatiently. "What are you trying to say?"
The Empress casually pointed at the Buddhist scriptures in Liu Yue's hands and said lightly,
"I personally transcribed that Buddhist scripture. It is a rebirth spell, hoping your father and brothers can soon attain rebirth in the Western Paradise. Take a look."
"No need." Noble Consort Chen abruptly stood up, her face filled with disgust. "I understand the Empress's good intentions. But people all have ulterior motives, so how pure can hand-copied scriptures be? Liu Yue, put down the scriptures. Let's go."
"Wait a moment," the Empress stopped her. "This scripture contains not only my wishes, but also the Emperor's. Are you sure you don't want to look?"
Noble Consort Chen was slightly suspicious. She paused and looked back skeptically at the stack of scriptures.
Liu Yue presented them forward for Noble Consort Chen to flip through.
The first few pages were normal rebirth spells, but as Noble Consort Chen continued turning the pages, she discovered a yellow paper tucked among the Buddhist scriptures.
The yellow paper was wrinkled with traces of being burnt, apparently quite old.
She glanced over it casually and saw it was a memorial service text,
and the handwriting was Xiao Jingheng's.
Only then did she examine it closely and realize it was a memorial service text Xiao Jingheng had written to the Former Emperor:
'Grieving Son Says:
In the fifty-fourth year of Zhongyuan, on the seventh day of the eighth month, cyclical year Guichou, at the beginning of autumn, your son brings the imperial concubines to pay respects and mourn before the spirit of the diligent and reverent Great Undertaking Emperor, saying:
The Emperor died young at only fifty years old. Night and day for the country and court, seldom resting. Your grace extends for ten thousand generations. Answering to the mandate of Heaven, we succeeded each other as ruler, governing in place of Heaven...
Your son obeyed your last wishes, treated the martial officials with respect, and honored the Ning family. I was forced to take Ning Wanshuang as a concubine. The Ning are fiendish monsters, and with this Ning girl as a talisman to subdue evil spirits in the palace, even if I do not like her, it ensures the country's stability. I hope you are conscious in the Yellow Springs and can rest easy on your way to rebirth. Assist Great Qi in prospering for ten thousand generations with good fortune everlasting...
Alas and woe! Respectfully waiting to offer sacrifice.'
The memorial service text was very long with many characters Noble Consort Chen did not recognize, and some places were incomplete due to being burnt.
But the part mentioning the Ning family and her was written concisely and preserved very clearly.
Noble Consort Chen's gaze locked on the four characters 'talisman to subdue evil spirits.'
Although it was sweltering summer, she felt bursts of cold air rushing at her, tightly enveloping her and nearly suffocating her.
She trembled uncontrollably and froze in disbelief that this was really written by Xiao Jingheng's own hand, and also couldn't believe the affection between them over the years actually began with the phrase 'talisman to subdue evil spirits'...
So all the favor she had received was actually the Emperor's stake to control her father and brothers?
She didn't believe it!
She was unwilling to believe it, and also didn't dare believe it!
Noble Consort Chen shook her head in a daze. Then in a burst of madness, she tore up the memorial service text, scattering paper scraps into the air,
"I don't believe it! The Emperor would not treat me this way!"
She pointed at the Empress, her emotions out of control as she roared, "It was you! You worthless thing are jealous of the Emperor's feelings for me, so you imitated his handwriting in order to sow discord between the Emperor and me!"
The Empress looked at her calmly and unruffled. She gently laughed,
"This memorial service text was written by the Emperor himself when the Former Emperor passed away. It should have been burnt along with the other memorial texts to offer to the Former Emperor. But later the Emperor fainted from extreme grief and exhaustion while holding the memorial service. When I took over the funeral arrangements, I discovered this memorial service text had been clipped at one corner by a seam in the incinerator and hadn't burned completely. Thinking the Former Emperor would not accept it, I secretly preserved it until today."
"Nonsense!" Noble Consort Chen didn't believe a word the Empress said. To bolster her courage she raised her voice and loudly exclaimed,
"Impossible! This is definitely not the Emperor's handwriting! When I first met the Emperor, he already said he only had feelings for me. The Emperor would not lie to me, he would not!"
"Oh? Is that so?" The Empress laughed coldly and steadily continued,
"In the past, you were convinced I was the one who caused you to miscarry. It's true, I did want to harm you and prevent you from giving birth to an imperial heir before me. But even though you fell because of your weak constitution when you were six months pregnant and the fetus was stable, why did you miscarry not long after the imperial physician came to treat you and you drank medicine to steady the pregnancy?
Was the medicine you drank that day really to steady the pregnancy, or was it actually to cause miscarriage?
Did you never once suspect which it was?"
