Thinking this, Long Yuqian's mood turned extremely bad. If subordinates made even a slight mistake, he would fly into a rage and severely punish them.
Those who liked to guess the Emperor's intentions had already calculated everything. Empress Chen Mengjiao paced in her palace, furiously berating her subordinates for their incompetence, criticizing that the tasks assigned had not yet begun.
All the servants knelt down, not daring to speak in the face of the Empress's fury. Only Yun Shuang, the first palace maid of Jinxiu Palace, stood beside Chen Mengjiao and respectfully said: "Your Majesty, this matter cannot be rushed. If we are to do something, we must prepare thoroughly to achieve the best effect." Seeing Chen Mengjiao's expression was still terrible, Yun Shuang added: "Li Desheng has already surveyed the terrain. As long as we provide support, we will have an opportunity soon."
Chen Mengjiao finally smiled: "We must make the Emperor completely disappointed in her, leaving her with no chance to rise again. Hmph, daring to compete for favor! Has that Su woman been up to anything these days?"
A kneeling palace maid saw an opportunity to curry favor and quickly responded: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Su Wanli, in an attempt to please the Emperor, actually dared to visit the Abandoned Palace to see Consort Jin. Isn't this courting death? The Empress Dowager found an excuse to punish her by making her kneel for four hours. Coming from the south with a delicate constitution, exhausted and angry, how could she possibly endure that? She's been ill for a month."
Yun Shuang calmly said: "Although the Emperor never goes to the Abandoned Palace, it doesn't mean he doesn't care about his birth mother. How did Su Wanli rise to her position? It was because she accidentally entered the Abandoned Palace while chasing a kite, and spent half a day in deep conversation with the Consort. The Empress Dowager wanted to execute her, but the Emperor, infatuated with her beauty, asked the Empress Dowager to spare Su Wanli, and she has been in favor ever since."
Chen Mengjiao vividly remembered that scene. Long Yuqian laughed heartily, the Empress Dowager laughed magnificently, they just laughed at each other like that. Her mind was filled with those eerie laughs. As autumn air arrived and a wind blew past, Chen Mengjiao shivered.
Conspiracy and Overt Schemes 3
“Your Majesty, please put on a coat. The weather has turned cold, and you’ve just recovered from illness. You must not catch a chill!” Mei’er held out an outer garment, advising Su Jieyu.
How could the cold of the weather compare to the coldness of her heart? Su Jieyu looked at the leaves flying across the sky, lamenting how much they resembled her love. At the moment she first met Long Yutian, she had planted a seed that sprouted a tiny shoot. Su Wanli never expected to enter the palace, never expected to encounter that man as tall and distant as the sky, as silent as heaven. Before departing, her father had held her hand, entrusting all his hopes to her. Though everyone remained silent, Su Wanli understood that the fate of her entire family now rested on her shoulders. During the selection day, a fleeting glance made her genuinely joyful – fortunately, it was that man, fortunately the one she loved. According to her father’s intelligence, Long Yutian’s birth mother was not the current empress dowager, but a woman residing in the abandoned palace. Su Wanli orchestrated a staged scene of a fallen kite, deliberately entering to meet the elegantly serene concubine and Long Yutian. The empress dowager ordered Su Wanli’s execution, but Long Yutian prevented it. He argued that Su Wanli’s father had rendered meritorious service in water management and should be rewarded, and killing his daughter would dishearten the court officials.
Thus, Su Wanli drew closer to her beloved, and her father gradually gained control of a province’s military power. She knew the empress dowager did not like her, so she remained low-key, never overstepping boundaries. But then, Mu Xiaoxiao appeared. The nightly favor continued, merely shifting to another, the lover’s exquisite features remained, but the eyes now held a different reflection – how could she bear it! Su Wanli took another risk and went to the abandoned palace. She told the ageless woman about her love, about her profound desolation. The woman listened coldly, her expression unchanged.
What followed was punishment – four hours of kneeling that nearly destroyed her knees. The emperor and empress dowager played chess for half an hour, emerging with brilliant smiles. Then Su Wanli was unexpectedly pardoned. That night, her lover Long Yutian said, “Su Wanli, do not make me protect you repeatedly. Perhaps one day, I cannot protect you.” After that, he never came again.
Conspiracy and Overt Schemes 4
Zhao Changping’s evasive words scared Su Jieyu out of her wits. He would certainly not speak to her directly and candidly, let alone her asking about his shortcomings. Therefore, Su Wanli strongly suspected that Zhao Changping had already figured out her intentions.
In her panic, her hand trembled, and a bowl of hot tea was about to fall. Mu Xiaoxiao saw this and tried to remedy the situation. However, Su Wanli's mind shifted, and in the blink of an eye, she slightly exerted force, and the hot tea flew towards Mu Xiaoxiao.
Her hand was first in pain, then splashed onto her leg, causing Mu Xiaoxiao to jump up from the burn. Su Wanli also stood up and seemingly unintentionally bumped hard into Mu Xiaoxiao's face.
Mu Xiaoxiao covered her nose, wanting to cry but unable to: "My nose wasn't straight to begin with, and you still bumped it! You still bumped it!" She rambled on, and Su Wanli didn't understand, only continuously feigning humility and remorse.
Her expression made Mu Xiaoxiao unable to say anything more, only covering her nose and feeling self-pity.
Zhao Changping laughed: "Su Jieyu, we won't keep you. No need to see you out!"
Su Jieyu looked at Zhao Changping's laugh, her heart suddenly tightening, her chest feeling stuffy and unable to breathe freely.
Entering Ancient Times with a Listening Device
As soon as she left Qibao Palace, Su Jieyu let out a long sigh. Mei’er was also much more relaxed: “Your Highness, isn’t that Mu Cairen usually talkative and good at causing a scene? How come today she seemed so gloomy?”
