The appearance of the white flowers were indeed wonderful. The calyxes of the plant were made up of countless small white flowers, clustered in groups on the branches—it was really beautiful. Consort Mei watched for a while, and then instructed the maid beside her, "Take one leaf, smash it and put it on your face to try the medicine."
The palace maid accepted the order and applied the crushed turquoise liquid on her face as instructed. After applying it and washing it off with water, she returned to relay her answer, "Consort, this lowly servant doesn't feel any discomfort on my face."
Consort Mei leaned close to look at her for a long time before she murmured, "I don't see any suppleness either."
Xixiang smiled on the sidelines and said, "How can the reaction be so quick to manifest? Didn't Yuyin say that it took Xiao Lan more or less seven days to observe the results? If the Consort still feels uneasy, we can call her to see it again tomorrow."
Although Yuyin was credible, and the Mingyue Palace had no chance of knowing that Eyeliner (spy) was in the palace, the several-year vigilance of Consort Mei made her wary of using it immediately.
It wasn't until the next afternoon that the palace maid was summoned again.
The toxicity of this giant hogweed had to be combined with the sunlight to take effect, but recently the spring rains have been rather constant, not even revealing a sliver of sunlight. Hence, it was natural for the palace maid to not experience any sort of discomfort.
After returning from the Hot Springs Bathhouse, Emperor Lin hadn't visited her again. Although he sent people to give her some precious items from time to time, he had never set foot into her palace. The day after tomorrow will be the birthday of Consort Mei. According to the traditions of the previous years, Emperor Lin would come to accompany her for lunch.
Consort Mei has been a little haggard recently because of her losing the Emperor's favour. Plus, her skin was not as fair as it was before. Upon seeing the palace maid who tried the medicine turn out alright, she didn't hesitate anymore. That night, she let Xixiang smash the large white flowers, lathering a thick layer of the paste over her entire face.
Yuyin did mention that Lin Feilu was reluctant to use it as she only took a small portion each time.
If that was the case, she should use more so that it would take effect at a faster pace. When His Majesty came over, he was sure to be amazed by his beauty!
On her birthday, Consort Mei got up early and dressed up.
Before washing her face, Xixiang applied the paste of the large, white flower on the Consort's face as she smiled and said, "Today is Consort's birthday, and even the weather is clearing up for you. In a while, His Majesty will come over for lunch later; the Consort could even go on a stroll around the Royal Flower Garden with His Majesty."
Consort Mei couldn't help but smile.
Although Emperor Lin hadn't forgotten her stenched foot scene, it has been a long time since—after all, he still loves Consort Mei, so it would naturally be impossible for him to remain cold towards her for long. After such a long time, the odor of his beloved Consort's feet must have been cured. Today was her birthday, and it was time to go see her no matter what.
Hence, as soon as the Morning Court ended, Emperor Lin went to Consort Mei's Yinshuang Palace.
Consort Mei had been ready for a long time. Her attire of the day was a traditional chiffon dress of a light hue of cyan, whereas her makeup was light and pure. When she saw Emperor Lin, gone was the resentment she bore for his long ignorant attitude towards her as the only emotion reflected in her eyes were those of unyielding longing and bashfulness.
Emperor Lin was in a good mood. He spent lunch with her and enjoyed many things. After the meal, the Consort Mei suggested, "Your Majesty, the weather is really good today. Would you like this Consort to accompany Your Majesty to enjoy the view of the flowers?"
And how could Emperor Lin be unwilling to do so? He immediately pulled the soft and supple hand of his beloved consort and guided her out.
The weather was indeed very good today as the sky was a shade of azure and remained cloudless. Unblocked by any form of obstacles, the sunlight that shone down rested on their skins, forming some sort of warm and fuzzy feeling upon contact.
The two of them admired the flowers and laughed as they strolled. Consort Mei had also played with some butterflies. With her enchanting figure and her beautiful laughter, Emperor Lin had completely forgotten her stretched feet incident.
After playing around for a bit, the Emperor Lin realised: Hey, why are there so many red bumps on my beloved Consort's fair face?
At first, he thought that he was seeing things, but when Consort Mei stopped after she finished playing with the butterflies, he approached her to have a closer look. Upon sight, his pupils dilated in surprise.
The fair and tender face of Consort Mei that he had seen this morning was suddenly covered with dense red bumps. There were deep, shallow, large and small bumps all over; anyone with Trypophobia would all run away. With just a glance, Emperor Lin already felt nauseous.
This was even more unbearable than her initial foot odor!
Consort Mei looked at the expression of Emperor Lin and felt slightly hurt in her heart. However, she didn't know what had happened. So, she hesitated to ask, "Your Majesty, what's the matter?"
Until Xixiang, who was next to her, shouted out in panic, "Consort! Your face!"
Consort Mei froze for a moment before she felt her fingers tremble as she touched her face. She didn't feel any pain at all, but she could feel the dense lumps on her face. Out of fear, she screamed and almost fainted on the spot.
Emperor Lin immediately ordered the palace servants to take her back to the Yinshuang Palace and summoned an Imperial doctor for her. However, he hurried back to the Yangxin Palace, not even wanting another glance of the face that would make him dream of nightmares.
The Imperial doctor quickly went to the Yinshuang Palace. After the consultation, the doctor asked about her recent food consumption and external uses. After Consort Mei came back and took a look in the mirror, her whole body collapsed and she couldn't stop crying. It was then Xixiang suddenly remembered something and led the Imperial doctor to see that large, white flower.
The Imperial doctor didn't recognize the flower, so he took a section and put it in his medicine box, saying that he would go back to study it. This symptom was unheard of before, so the Imperial doctor could only temporarily prescribe some medicine for Consort Mei before he retreated.
For the next two days, Consort Mei was bedridden. She took the medicine and applied some cream, but the red bumps on her face did not disappear at all.
The doctors of the Imperial Hospital collectively studied the large white flower, but they did not find any famous incidents leading to it. All they could do was conclude that the flower is poisonous.
After reporting it to Emperor Lin, he was stunned and asked inconceivably, "Is she crazy? Why would she ever use an unknown substance to smear over her face with it?"
Imperial doctor, "…"
When Consort Mei learned that the flower was actually poisonous, she collapsed again. Secrets could not be kept in the Palace, so the news of Consort Mei's disfigured face due to the poisonous flower spreaded quickly. After hearing this, everyone had similar responses like the Emperor Lin. Was she crazy?!
Consort Mei was indeed going crazy. She was completely locked in her chambers for ten days, where the Imperial doctor made daily visits in and out. The red bumps on her face had finally faded, but a terrible purple coloured scar was left behind.
The ugliness and horror of the scar couldn't be covered by a few layers of powder.
Ten days later, Consort Mei ordered someone to bring Yuyin to the Yinshuang Palace.
After Yuyin heard about this earlier, she had been in panic all day long. However, the palace was not a place she could escape from easily.
But she couldn't say anything nor could she ask about anything. The people in the Mingyue Palace operated normally as if nothing had happened, and their attitude towards her was the same as before as well.
Yuyin didn't want to be caught. Thinking of the Fifth Princess's kindness, if she begged for her forgiveness, she might be able to survive. Unexpectedly, before she had time to do so, she was tied up and dragged to the Yinshuang Palace by the people affiliated with Consort Mei.
…
Qingyan returned all the large white flowers from their yard to the Imperial Household Department,letting them handle the aftermath. When she returned, Lin Feilu was feeding the rabbit under the corridor. She walked over and said in a low voice, "Princess, Yuyin has been taken away for two hours already."
Lin Feilu told them about Yuyin after Consort Mei was disfigured.
On one hand, Qingyan and Yunyou were afraid, but on the other hand, their respect for the little princess skyrocketed by several levels.
Lin Feilu clapped her hands after feeding the rabbit. Then, she relayed an order, "Get me my father, I will go over there now."
Qingyan wanted to speak, but she hesitated. In the end, she only said worriedly, "Princess, please be careful."
Lin Feilu nodded. After leaving the Mingyue Palace, she went straight to the Yinshuang Palace.
When she arrived, the doors of the palace were closed tightly. She knocked harshly on the door a few times and after a moment, someone came to open the door. As soon as the door opened, she went in through a small gap before the palace servant had time to speak. All the while she yelled, "Consort Mei! Return me back my palace maid!"
There were traces of blood being cleaned on the floor in the courtyard, and Yuyin was nowhere to be seen.
Hearing the shouts, the people of the Yinshuang Palace walked out anxiously. Lin Feilu stood in the courtyard and looked at them angrily, "Where is Yuyin? Give Yuyin back to me!"
One of them said:,"The person mentioned by the Fifth Princess is not in our palace. Are you searching in the wrong area, perhaps?"
Lin Feilu said loudly, "Impossible! I saw her being taken away by your people with my two own eyes! Hand her over!"
She was making a lot of ruckus outside, and Consort Mei could no longer sit still inside. She covered her face with a white chiffon veil and walked out with the help of Xixiang.
Even if her face was covered with a veil, it couldn't hide the purple scars on her forehead and the bridge of her nose. With how things were currently, how could she not understand that it was the trick of this little brat all along. Seeing that she dared to even come to her palace and behaved like a spoiled brat, she really wished to strangle her to death with her own hands.
But her logical reasoning told herself that she couldn't do that, so she just gritted her teeth and spoke coldly, "What is the Fifth Princess doing? When is the Yinshuang Palace a place for you to cause a ruckus?"
Lin Feilu looked at her pitifully, "Consort Mei, why did you take Yuyin away? She is a palace maid that was granted to me by my father, so please return her to me."
Consort Mei responded cruelly, "I don't know who you are talking about, and she is not here either!"
Lin Feilu's eyes were tearing up, choking back sobs as she said, "I saw it all. They took her away."
She pointed at the two eunuchs next to her.
The two eunuchs trembled and lowered their heads with a guilty conscience.
Consort Mei responded coldly, "You are mistaken. This Consort needs to rest, so please go back, Fifth Princess."
Lin Feilu looked like she was about to cry, and Consort Mei became more livid as she looked at her. She really wanted to tear off the face of the little brat who knew how to fake a drama. She turned around and took two deep breaths before she said in a hashly sinister tone, "Xixiang, send off the guest!"
Xixiang just walked two steps forward when Lin Feilu, who was standing in the courtyard, suddenly ran forward. She ran to the feet of Concubine Mei and hugged her leg, not willing to leave, "Give her back to me! Return Yuyin back to me! Why did you take my palace maid! You bad woman!"
Consort Mei was so angry that she no longer had a firm grasp of reasoning. She just kicked the little girl over without even thinking about it.
In fact, it was not really a kick. She just swatted her leg, trying to make her lose her balance.
Unexpectedly, the little girl fell to the ground with a yelp, before she curled up her body and started to cry.
Consort Mei hadn't even reacted when she heard an enraged tone from the courtyard, "Presumptuous!"
Consort Mei looked up and when she saw Emperor Lin, who was approaching quickly, her legs softened and she knelt down immediately. The surrounding people of the Yinshuang Palace all knelt tremblingly, whereas Emperor Lin rushed straight to Lin Feilu who had fallen on the ground. When he picked her up, he found her sweaty and pale, where she looked scared and uncomfortable.
Emperor Lin was really angry and distressed. He turned his head and looked at Consort Mei, who was kneeling on the side. When he saw the terrible scar on her face, he shuddered and looked away.
The Little Fifth Princess cried in the Emperor's arms as she trembled and weeped, "Father, can you ask Consort Mei to return Yuyin to me?"
Qingyan had already explained the matter when she went to invite Emperor Lin. He was informed that the servants of Consort Mei took away the palace maid of the Mingyue Palace. This palace maid had a good relationship with the Fifth Princess, so the Fifth Princess had gone over to get her maid back.
Listening to her at this moment, he immediately asked, "Where is the maid? Hand her over now!"
Consort Mei trembled and refused to admit anything, "This Consort doesn't know who the Princess is talking about. I haven't seen her either!"
The words uttered by children were naturally more trustworthy than that of adults.
Emperor Lin stood up as he held the small girl, coldly ordering the guards who arrived together as his entourage, "Search this place for me! If she's alive, I want to see her found; if she's dead, I demand to see her corpse!"
After hearing this, Consort Mei's body lost her strength and she was immediately paralyzed.
Emperor Lin gave her a cold glare before he walked out of the Yinshuang Palace in large strides, all the while carrying the Little Fifth Princess.
He directly took the girl to the Yangxin Palace, summoning the Imperial doctor for Lin Feilu to be treated. Fortunately, the Little Fifth Princess was only frightened and in a state of shock. Otherwise, nothing serious happened to her.
As soon as Lin Feilu fell asleep after drinking the medicine, Emperor Lin walked outside and listened to Peng Man who cautiously relayed his findings,"Your Majesty, I found the corpse of the palace maid in a well not far from the Yinshuang Palace. She was thrown into the well after she died. The back of her legs were smashed, probably due to being tortured to death from the beatings with a rod."
Although Emperor Lin had long predicted so, he still felt a chill after hearing this new information.
Consort Mei had always been gentle and kind in his eyes and heart. She was tender and shy, unable to utter even a single word of harshness towards her servants. Hence, he did not expect her to have commuted such a cruel act.
He didn't know how the palace maid offended the Consort, but it must have been bad according to the state of circumstances she was in.
He thought, if the Little Fifth Princess woke up and heard about this, she would most definitely cry. Emperor Lin was feeling frustrated as he asked, "How did Consort Mei explain herself?"
Peng Man said, "The Consort Mei exclaimed that she was framed, saying that this matter has nothing to do with her, wanting Your Majesty to order a thorough investigation."
Emperor Lin was so angry that he smashed the inkstone down onto the table, "What do I still need to investigate?! Should the bloody traces from the stall in the courtyard 'be made' invisible to me?!"
But even if she was faced with death, she was not going to confess. With only the Little Fifth Princess as a witness, if he really wanted to convict her, there was an actual lack of concrete evidence. What's more, Consort Mei's father was currently helping him manage the flood in the Southern River. If he knew that his daughter was being convicted according to the code of murder, his weak heart would probably not be able to take it.
After all, Emperor Lin was still an emperor who paid attention to his reputation in national affairs. After his fit of anger, he calmed down and said in a low voice, "Pass this decree on. Consort Mei is not morally worthy of her title. From now on, she will be removed from the title of Consort and demoted to an Imperial Concubine. She will be grounded for three months to reflect on her actions!"
Peng Man left with the decree.
And when the decree was passed on, the entire harem was shocked.
Consort Mei had been favoured for many years. Despite losing favour not long ago, His Majesty had also rewarded her with a heap of gifts on her birthday. So even though a small facial disfigurement occurred in the middle of their walk in the Royal Flower Garden after he accompanied her for lunch, shouldn't he be sympathetic with her devastated outcome? And yet, why did he not console her, but demoted her rank instead?
Just because she became ugly, her status was downgraded?
His Majesty is too ruthless! QAQ
(T/N: QAQ is kind of like an expression. The two Q's resemble teary eyes and the capital 'A' looks like an opened mouth)
It wasn't until the next day that rumours gradually floated. It was said that Consort Mei was convicted because she killed a palace lady from the Fifth Princess's palace and even injured said princess who went to ask for her maidservant.
It turned out that His Majesty still pitied her and did sympathise with her. Had this matter been done by any other, a demotion in rank would be way too merciful.
Everyone in the harem had different thoughts and opinions, but they all understood one fact.
Consort Mei was not a gentle and kind person in the slightest. After all, no one in this harem was any 'cleaner' than the other.
Some people were happy and some were worried about the demotion of Consort Mei into Imperial Concubine Mei.
Some people were happy and some were worried about the demotion of Consort Mei into Imperial Concubine Mei.
But everyone mutually understood that the Fifth Princess was not someone they should trifle with.
Even now, Imperial Concubine Mei adamantly refused to admit that the death of the palace lady was related to her, so it would be even more unlikely for her to admit that the palace lady was someone that she had sent to the Mingyue Palace as a spy. They (everyone else) only guessed that it was probably because the particular palace lady had offended the Imperial Concubine Mei in some way to end up in a state of tragedy.
In fact, it was not at all uncommon for one or two people to die in the palace. The difference would be that they were all murdered in secret and there was no commotion over it. That palace lady had a good master as the Fifth Princess was willing to seek justice for her. However, if His Majesty could be this ruthless, it would probably be related to Imperial Concubine Mei's disfigurement.
Now that her face was covered with purple scars, he would have a nightmare even with just a glance, which was a different scenario from her odoured feet. The imperial doctor mentioned that those scars would stay on Imperial Concubine Mei's face for a long time as there was basically no possibility of them healing.
Although Emperor Lin used to love his beloved Imperial Concubine's body and softness, he is still a Yan Dog(2) in essence. There was no shortage of beauties in the harem, so why would he ever bother to even trouble himself.
(T/N: Yan Dog means someone who appreciates things of high value, eg: beautiful people, status, wealth, brands etc)
As soon as her position was demoted, the concubines who had been close to Imperial Concubine Mei before had wisely stayed away from her. The most popular Yinshuang Palace was left in a silently cold atmosphere, but at the very least, Emperor Lin sympathised with her and hadn't asked her to move out.
Imperial Concubine Mei laid on the bed, barely eating or drinking for three days as her tears had dried up on her face.
She knew that she was a complete goner this time.
Beauty was the greatest weapon of a woman in the harem. Now that her weapon was gone, she wouldn't be able to win over His Majesty's heart no matter how hard she tried.
Fine, what a great Xiao Lan.
An eye for an eye, indeed. Xiao Lan was nearly disfigured, so she returned the favour in the same way by disfiguring me.
I considered her as stupid before, but it turns out that I have underestimated the enemy too much.
Imperial Concubine Mei thought about this as remorse and resentment blossomed, making her cry bitterly again. During this period of time, all the staff in the Yinshuang Palace have abandoned her, allowing her to experience the cold treatment that Xiao Lan had tasted right at the beginning, with only Xixiang remaining by her side.
After a while, Xixiang came in and called her, "Imperial Concubine, Consort Hui is here."
After the incident, this was the first person to visit her.
At this time, the sky was already dark. Concubine Hui was dressed in a cloak and her movements were careful, as if she didn't want to be known that she was here.
Imperial Concubine Mei sat up from the bed with a disheveled head as tears still hung on her face. When Consort Hui entered the room and saw her appearance, her heart was shocked. Although she knew she had been disfigured, she was still terrified by this 'respectful appearance'.
Imperial Concubine Mei uttered the word 'sister' in a hoarse voice.
Consort Hui suppressed the fright in her heart as she walked over and sat on the side of the bed, holding her hand, "Younger sister is ill, you should take care of yourself. So why are you crying like this?"
Consort Hui suppressed the fright in her heart as she walked over and sat on the side of the bed, holding her hand, "Younger sister is ill, you should take care of yourself. So why are you crying like this?"
Imperial Concubine Mei said dumbly, "I am already in this state, so it won't get any better no matter how I treat it. I'm just afraid that sister will feel scared when you see it."
Consort Hui comforted her, "Even so, your maternal family is still here. Your father, Sir Liu, is now managing floods in the Southern River and has won the hearts of the people with his pure heart. It's better for you to live well than to let yourself fall further."
Imperial Concubine Mei smiled bitterly and remarked, "If it were not for my father, I am afraid that His Majesty would not stop at only lowering my position."
Consort Hui sighed, "I always told you that you must not act rashly and be very careful. So why did you just…sigh."
Talking about it made Imperial Concubine Mei's tears fall again. She cried and gritted her teeth, "Don't you remember how His Majesty pampered that b*tch Xiao Lan? I can bear with His Majesty adoring her beauty, loving her talent, and even her dull and boring temperament! When I returned from the main palace, His Majesty never turned over the signs again, but his love for the Fifth Princess became deeper and deeper. If I hadn't made preparations beforehand, the odds of Xiao Lan being favoured again would be just around the corner, and everything we did back then would be in vain!"
When Concubine Mei and Xiao Lan entered the palace around the same time, Consort Hui was already a consort. Without the secret help of Consort Hui, Concubine Mei would not have been able to administered Xiao Lan the medicine that resulted in her premature delivery, causing her to fall out of favour.
The two of them have been tied to the same boat over the years. Consort Hui had the Eldest Princess and Imperial Concubine Mei had a beautiful appearance. The two could help each other if they wanted to stand tall in this beautiful harem.
Now that Imperial Concubine Mei had been demoted, Consort Hui resembled the state of having a broken arm. Even if she wanted to avoid suspicion, she had to come to the Yinshuang Palace.
If Imperial Concubine Mei rushed to act hastily like a dog and caused a commotion, it would be fine if she died along with the ruckus. But if she remained alive and spoke of the numerous deeds that the duo once did, even Consort Hui would be dragged along into the water.
Consort Hui had to patiently comfort her, "Sister, don't forget, what is the source of His Majesty's dislike. Is it Xiao Lan herself?" She whispered, "No, it's that fool. As long as the fool is alive for one more day, the grudge in His Majesty's heart will never disappear. Even if Xiao Lan regains his favour, it is absolutely impossible to reach the point where things were back then. That fool will grow up, and the older he gets, the more obvious his foolishness will be. With His Majesty's temperament, it would be unbearable no matter what."
Imperial Concubine Mei's dim and darkened eyes gradually overflowed with the viciousness of a snake as she grabbed Consort Hui's hand, "Sister! I know I will be hopeless in the future with this face of mine… but Xiao Lan can't live better than me! Even if I die, I will drag her to Hell together! And the Fifth Princess, who is so vigilant and possesses intellectual foresight far beyond her age, must not be kept alive either!"
Consort Hui had long known that this woman was vicious, but at this moment, she felt a chill in her heart when she said such words.
Drag her to Hell together…
If she goes crazy, would she drag me along to Hell as well?
Consort Hui took her hand back calmly as she spoke softly and relievedly,"You can be rest assured. With me here, she will not be living any better. The most important thing for you now is to take care of yourself. Remember, from now onwards, everything you do is important, so be cautious and don't act rashly."
Imperial Concubine Mei seemed to have found support in Consort Hui's guarantee. She nodded emphatically, "I will remember what sister said!"
Consort Hui smiled and said, "Then I am relieved. The time is now late so I will return first. I will come and visit you on another day."
Imperial Concubine Mei nodded, saying a few words to the elder sister in tears before she watched Consort Hui leave.
When Xixiang sent Consort Hui outside the palace and turned back, she saw the Imperial Concubine sitting silently on the bed. She had no tears on her face and her gaze was staring coldly at the door.
Xixiang was startled as she hesitated but walked over and asked in a hushed voice, "Imperial Concubine, what are you looking at?"
After a while, she heard Imperial Concubine Mei replied in a weak voice, "Consort Hui is going to cut her arm (3) to protect herself," Xixiang was startled as she watched her cold and bitter gaze slowly moving towards her. The Imperial Concubine dictated each word clearly, "Xixiang, we can now only rely on ourselves."
(T/N: An expression to say 'cutting off or severing ties'. The idiom came from the concept of losing a limb is better than losing your life)
…
Consort Hui hurried back to the Yaohua Palace accompanied by her maidservant. When she stepped into the gates of the palace, she was relieved. Her maidservant had also whispered, "There wasn't anyone along the way, so Consort can rest easy."
Going to visit Imperial Concubine Mei was in itself a big risk— if news were to spread that she had done so, the outcome would not be positive.
Consort Hui nodded, but as soon as she walked into the yard, she saw her daughter standing at the door looking at her.
The night was already late, so Consort Hui asked,"What are you doing at this hour, standing here without going to bed?" with a questioning tone.
After the new year's arrival, Lin Nianzhi seemed to have grown up a bit more, behaving more and more like a lady, but from time to time she still looked like a child who would always throw tantrums. At this moment, she gritted her teeth and looked upset. When Consort Hui approached her, she said bluntly, "Where has mother Consort been?"
Consort Hui continued to walk into the room and removed her cloak, "I just went outside for a stroll."
Lin Nianzhi followed up, "You're lying! You obviously went to see Imperial Concubine Mei!"
Consort Hui's expression darkened as she turned around to scold her, "What sort of nonsense is that?! Return to your chambers this instance!"
Lin Nianzhi walked over by two or three steps, unreluctant and unbashful, "Why does mother Consort want to continue associate yourself with that sinister woman?! She is not a good person, urging mother Consort to do some disgustingly bad things alongside with her! Now that she has fallen to her current state, it was caused by nothing but by her self-inflicting schemes! Mother Consort, you should have cut ties with her early on!"
Consort Hui couldn't hide her anger, "What sort of nonsense are you talking about?!"
Lin Nianzhi pinched the fingers under her sleeves tightly together before she gritted her teeth and said, "I heard everything! The previous time on the way to the palace, Fifth Sister had encountered assassins, and you were the one who planned it with Imperial concubine Mei! Every time I think about it, I'm ashamed of meeting the Fifth Sister!"
Consort Hui was shocked and furious. She raised her hand and slapped her face with a slap, "Shut up!"
Lin Nianzhi had never been slapped before as she was the precious and loved princess. Because of that, she covered her face and looked at her mother Consort in shock, as if she couldn't recognise her. She then bit her lips slightly, tasting the metallic tang of blood as she ran out crying.
Consort Hui was so angry that her chest was rising and falling heavily. She said in a stern, low voice, "Watch her carefully! Without my explicit instructions, she is not allowed to take even one single step outside of the room!"
The palace staff dared not incur her wrath any farther, so he replied affirmatively in a hushed voice.
…
After dealing with Imperial Concubine Mei's issues, Xiao Lan's illness gradually recovered. Because of her good mood, her appearance became rosier than it was before she fell sick, and even her ever-stressed temperament was greatly reduced, showing a vibrant hint of life.
But for Lin Feilu, Imperial Concubine Mei was only downgraded and disfigured. She was still in the palace, and her maternal family's power was not weak. When she put two and two together, she realized that she had forged a blood feud between her and Imperial Concubine Mei. Like a time bomb, she cannot afford to lower her guard, until the feud is over.
However, now that Imperial Concubine Mei's influence has lessened, and thus her authority as well in the palace, it would be difficult for her to create further waves or instigate further trouble. Hence, Lin Feilu no longer has to be locked in the Mingyue Palace every day like a fragile treasure of the palace and can now resume classes as she likes.
She went to the Imperial School to attend classes for a few days, but she didn't see Lin Nianzhi.
After returning from the palace, the Eldest Imperial Sister began to pull little stunts of her own. When Lin Feilu said hello, she pretended that she was nonexistent; when she saw the Fifth princess, she would immediately run away as well. Lin Feilu thought about it but she didn't know if she had offended her in any way. And when she finally planned to coax an answer out of her, she ended up absent for a few days.
After inquiring about it, it was said that she was sick and took medical leave of absence. Lin Feilu thought for a while before she went back and asked Xiao Lan to help her make a sachet. Then, she went over to the Imperial Hospital to find Meng Fuji to prepare a prescription of medicine which could calm the nerves and aid in sleep. After crushing the powder and filling it into the sachet, she sent it to the Yaohua Palace.
Although Consort Hui would always make things difficult for her when she came over to visit the Yaohua Palace in the past, she could still have access beyond the palace gates. However, for some reason, this time the palace staff stopped her outside the gates with a look of embarrassment, claiming that it was the imperial doctor who explained that the Eldest Imperial Princess needed some peace and quiet and was not allowed visitors.
Lin Feilu had no other option but to have the palace staff give the Eldest Imperial Princess the sachet in her stead.
As soon as she left, the palace staff immediately presented the sachet to Consort Hui. She didn't even look at it as she expressed coldly, "Throw it away."
Lin Feilu didn't know that she was completely blacklisted in the Yaohua Palace. When she happily skipped back to the Mingyue Palace, Xiao Lan was sitting in the courtyard as she was weaving rabbit crafts with Lin Zhanyuan.
Xiao Lan had very nimble fingers— not only was she good at needlework, but she was also gifted with dexterous hands as well. In the spring, when the grass and leaves were lush, Yunyou would pick a lot of them so Xiao Lan could use these flowers, grass, branches and leaves to weave small animal toys out of them.
Since that day, the spring rain has not fallen again and the sun has become warmer day by day. At this time, the sunlight fell like a soft veil, illuminating over the few people in the yard.
Lin Zhanyuan was holding the little rabbit in his arms with Chang Er by his feet as he sat obediently on the wooden stool, intently watching Xiao Lan craft the rabbit.
A dozen turquoise shades of grass rabbits in different sizes have been placed on the ground. They were also cutely placed in the shape of a heart. Of course, this was taught by Lin Feilu. When she came back, Lin Zhanyuan said happily, "Sister! Green rabbits!"
Lin Feilu went in and washed her hands. Then, she lifted a small wooden stool and sat beside Xiao Lan, resting her chin on her soft legs, "Mother Concubine, please make me a little tiger!"
Xiao Lan laughed, "Your mother doesn't know how to make that," Seeing her daughter's expectant look, she still picked up a bunch of grass, "But I will try."
Lin Zhanyuan clapped his hands excitedly beside her, "Little Tiger! Little Tiger(1)!"
(T/N: It is another nickname in China, localised into something that could replace the word 'tiger'. But it didn't work translated, so the original meaning was kept)
Lin Feilu poked him on the cheek, "Brother, what are you happy about? Have you memorised the multiplication table of 9×9 today?"
Lin Zhanyuan suddenly felt bitter.
Lin Feilu said, "Recite it! If you can't finish it, these green rabbits will all belong to me!"
When Lin Zhanyuan heard this, tears were almost gushing out but he sniffled his nose pitifully. His back emanated a sad feeling, full of grievances as he began to recite, "One time one is one, one times two is two, one times three is three…"
When Emperor Lin walked slowly and hesitantly to the gates of the Mingyue Palace, Lin Zhanyuan only only started to recite the table of 'five times six is thirty'.
Peng Man was about to announce the arrival of His Majesty, but the Emperor waved his hand to stop him as they stood at the door and looked inward.
The golden and soft sunlight warmly fell over the yard, gently enveloping the smiling beautiful woman. Holding the grass in her hand, she looked a little confused, but her gaze was gentle. While she was moving her fair and white fingers, she made a knot and before pulling it out; the little tiger was already in its initial stages.
The Little Fifth Princess was sitting next to her with her little head lying on her mother's lap. On the other hand, the handsome little boy had red eyes, looking as if he wanted to cry. He looked at his sister next to him, then at the rabbit in his arms before he continued to recite enthusiastically, "5×7=35, 5×8=40, 5×9…"
As soon as he got stuck, he secretly glanced over to see his sister's reaction.
Lin Feilu gave him a small clenched fist encouragement, "Brother is the smartest! You can do it!"
Lin Zhanyuan rubbed his eyes with his little chubby hands and sniffed. After thinking hard for a long time, he continued to recite, "5×9… 5×9=45!"
Xiao Lan couldn't help but laugh as the little tiger in her hand finally took shape. She bopped the tiger against the tip of Lin Feilu's nose lightly, "Here, the little tiger that you wanted."
The warm scene made Emperor Lin's footsteps suddenly lighten when he came.
The pair of siblings had perfectly inherited Xiao Lan's beauty.
The daughter was meek and adorable, whereas the son was handsome and cute. Emperor Lin's last impression of the Sixth Prince remained as the silly and dense child.
But in the past five years, the child has grown a lot taller as the image of him tilting his head and drooling in his imagination no longer exists.