When Consort Yun arrived at Yonghe Palace, it was already close to the hour of zi (11pm-1am).
When she came, she was dressed plainly, not attracting any attention like when she usually wore gorgeous costumes.
As soon as she entered, she whispered to Consort Chen,
"Didn't we agree to meet less often in private? Why did you ask Yingxiang to come to my palace? Aren't you afraid of people seeing?" You..."
Before Consort Yun could finish speaking, Consort Chen raised her hand and gave her a slap on the face.
Consort Yun covered her burning cheek, her eyes wide open in shock,
"You and I are both imperial consorts, how can you hit me?"
"I went easy on you!"
Consort Chen knocked over the food box beside her, spilling red bean glutinous rice cakes all over the ground,
"If these things were sent to His Majesty, the slap I gave you would be from His Majesty!"
Consort Yun looked at the rice cakes, still not understanding,
"What are these things?"
"These are red bean glutinous rice cakes, made with the sweet-scented osmanthus honey sent from your palace." Consort Chen's sharp eyes glared at Consort Yun, "Now do you know what these things are?"
Hearing this, Consort Yun's mind buzzed. She froze in place, not knowing how to get out of this situation.
She couldn't understand how the things she used to frame Song Zhao ended up in Consort Chen's palace.
Consort Chen said, "If Song Zhao hadn't tried to curry favor with me and added the sweet-scented osmanthus honey you gave her to the cakes she made for me, I wouldn't have known about your schemes! His Majesty hates consorts plotting against each other. What has she ever done to offend you? If you're bored with nothing to do, must you engage in such vulgar tricks?"
Consort Yun timidly said, "But she doesn't have any proof of this..."
"What exactly is in your head?" Consort Chen jabbed her finger forcefully at Consort Yun's temple, displeased, "Does everyone in the palace not know that after Lady Li poisoned Song Zhao with arsenic, the imperial physician had her take red sugar every day to nourish her qi and blood? And you had Zhilan specifically give Song Zhao 'toad venom' when the consorts paid respects to the Empress. When the time comes to investigate the six palaces, Song Zhao will be the only one found with health issues. Do you think everyone is stupid and can't see your schemes?"
Consort Yun felt a chill down her spine. She was quite frightened thinking back on it.
Seeing that her face had turned white from fear, Consort Chen softened her tone,
"I will cover this up for you, but you must immediately stop with your nonsense, don't continue digging your own grave."
Consort Yun held her chest, still feeling lingering fear as she said, "Thank you for helping me in this matter."
Consort Chen stroked Consort Yun’s still somewhat reddened cheek, her voice gentle,
"Don't take it to heart that I hit you. Do you remember your father seizing territory in Qizhou? Why do you think my father helped him conceal it for so long? It's not because I see you as a younger sister and don't want to see your family fall, is it?"
Consort Yun pursed her lips and nodded tremblingly, "I understand all this."
Consort Chen smiled and said, "Alright, let's consider this matter over. Oh right, you must have used up all that fragrant powder I gave you? Yingxiang, go fetch some more fragrant powder for Consort Yun."
As she spoke, she took Consort Yun's hand and gently patted the back of it affectionately,
"The Empress has been exceptionally intimate with you recently. Although Consort Yin flatters and has gained authority over the six palaces. Over this past year of us being at odds, you have also gained some of the Empress's trust."
She whispered in Consort Yun’s ear,
"She is the central palace, you should spend more time accompanying her."
As she spoke, Yingxiang had already brought the fragrant powder and presented it to Consort Yun.
Consort Yun did not respond to Consort Chen’s words. Instead, she tightly gripped the embroidered box holding the fragrant powder, nodding somewhat helplessly.
After she left, Yingxiang said to Consort Chen, "Consort Yun is quite obedient to you. She uses that fragrant powder daily, and often accompanies the Empress as well. The ‘special ingredient’ in the fragrant powder exacerbates the Empress's heart condition, preventing her illness from fully recovering, yet not severe enough for the imperial physician to notice."
Consort Chen stroked her temple disdainfully, laughing,
“She and her father both lack brains. If not for her position as consort allowing her to get close to the Empress, I wouldn’t be willing to cover up that pile of rotten business from her maternal family.”
In fact, all along, the outward animosity between Consort Chen and Consort Yun has been an act for the Empress to see.
Consort Chen’s intentions were simple. In the fragrant powder she gave Consort Yun, there was an ingredient that could slightly accelerate one’s blood flow when smelled.
Ordinary people would not be harmed from smelling it, but because the Empress had a heart condition, by having her constantly smell this scent, her illness would never fully recover.
Those with heart conditions could not safely give birth, even if they did get pregnant. Otherwise, there was a high possibility of their heart condition worsening during childbirth, leading to their death.
Consort Chen was determined for her child to be born before anyone else’s. It would be best if the Empress could never give birth. Then the chances of Consort Chen’s child becoming the crown prince in the future would be even greater.
*
Tonight when Consort Yun secretly came to Consort Chen’s palace, they both thought no one saw them.
But in these past few days, Xiaofuzi had been secretly spying on the movements in Yonghe Palace. Now he returned to Yao Hua Palace and told Song Zhao,
“Young miss guessed correctly. Consort Yun did go to Yonghe Palace, yet emerged unharmed.”
From this, Song Zhao knew that Consort Chen must have discovered something amiss with the red bean glutinous rice cakes, yet chose to cover up the matter for Consort Yun.
This confirmed that Consort Yun and Consort Chen were working together.
But could Consort Chen really cover up this matter if she wanted to? The rise and fall of this inner palace has always been up to Song Zhao.
Song Zhao smiled calmly as she set down the pipa she was practicing. Cloaked under night’s darkness she entered the small kitchen, busying herself with some unknown task.
The next day when the six palaces went to pay respects to the Empress, Song Zhao arrived the latest.
As soon as she entered, she heard Consort Yin unhappily say,
“Concubine Song has been later and later recently when paying respects to Her Majesty. You usually understand the rules. After being in the palace for such a short time, how can you have forgotten all the rules already?”
Song Zhao did not try to defend herself. She first greeted the Empress, then sincerely admitted her mistake,
“Arriving late to pay respects to Her Majesty is this concubine’s fault. This concubine is willing to accept punishment.”
“It’s fine.” The Empress did not blame her. On the contrary, seeing that today she brought two servant girls with her, both holding food containers, she asked, “What are your palace’s maidservants holding?”
Song Zhao said, “This is some pastries your concubine made, which is why I was late for paying respects today.”
She signaled to Yun Shang and Zhi Hua with her eyes. The two presented the containers,
as Song Zhao laughing said, “His Majesty and Consort Chen tried these pastries and quite liked them. So I made some more, thinking to let all the consorts have a taste.”
As soon as the container opened, the gluttonous Consort Hui rushed over first to take a peek,
“Ah! Red bean glutinous rice cakes!”
She then disregarded all etiquette to take one and happily started eating.
Seeing the two boxes full of red bean glutinous rice cakes,
Consort Chen’s expression immediately darkened,
while Consort Yun was so frightened she sat unsteadily, anxiously fiddling with her handkerchief and gripping her fingers so tightly they turned white...
