"I can't stay here!" She stood up abruptly as her expression was slightly fearful and worried, "Something must have happened to Liu San! Consort Hui is going to silence those involved so she wouldn't be dragged into deep waters; I have to seek respite and forgiveness from His Majesty!"
She ran out as she spoke, but she was starting to hallucinate. She imagined Emperor Lin blocking her way and a guard who was guarding the gates of the Yinshuang Palace, preventing her from entering or leaving.
As she yelled, the guard by the gates had a front-row seat to witness Imperial Concubine Mei delve into a state of madness as he paid no heed to the string of words that came out from her mouth.
Xixiang and the other maidservant dragged the Imperial Concubine back into the room. Xixiang comforted her, "Imperial Concubine, nothing will go wrong! This is the palace and there are guards if she had the bravery of the Gods, she wouldn't dare to make a move when you remain here. We humble servants always check the Imperial Concubine's meals before serving them, so please don't worry. Tomorrow I will search for Liu San bright and early!"
Imperial Concubine Mei was still upset, so she asked them to take the scissors and hide it under her pillows. She huddled under the covers and her eyes remained open in horror as she did not dare to fall asleep until a later hour.
She made such a huge commotion to the point where Xixiang and the other maidservant didn't dare to sleep as they kept lying on her bedside to guard her.
But as the night grew stronger and sleepiness gradually hit, the two of them started to doze off.
The swaying candlelight in the house suddenly went out at some point and a strange fragrance wafted from the air, gradually relaxing the bodies of the two dozing servant girls.
Imperial Concubine Mei's nerves were already highly tense; she was abnormally frantically vigilant about any movements during the night and she was sensitive to foreign scent. As soon as she smelled the scent, she felt that something was wrong. She suddenly covered her mouth and nose with a quilt and screamed in horror.
The man in black who was waiting outside was taken aback by the scream.
He hasn't even entered yet, so why was there a scream?
If this attracted the guards on patrol, he wouldn't be able to take action tonight.
No, the Consort gave an order— I must finish off Imperial Concubine Mei by tonight!
The man in black no longer hesitated as he picked the lock of the door with a razor, moving towards Imperial Concubine Mei who was stunned on the bed. His martial arts skills sped up his movement and by the time she was able to react, her mouth and nose were already covered by a large and cold hand. At the same time, he took out a white silk in his arms and made it clear that he wanted to strangle her.
Imperial Concubine Mei's eyes widened in horror as her whole body began to struggle.
But her strength was weaker than that of the man in black. Seeing that the white silk was about to wrap her neck, she suddenly took out the scissors hidden under the pillow and fiercely pierced it into the arm of the man in black.
The man in black didn't expect her to have a trick under her sleeve, so he couldn't help but let go under the sudden infliction of pain. She crawled out of the bed with her hands and feet. When she passed by Xixiang, who was lying on the bed, she stabbed her shoulder with scissors as well.
Xixiang, who was stunned by the scent, woke up suddenly from her sudden injury.
She was still confused before she heard the screams of Imperial Concubine Mei yelling for help and raised her head. Ignoring the pain in her shoulders, she saw the man in black chasing after her mistress at the door. She stayed by Imperial Concubine Mei's side since she was a child, so without much thought, she hugged the legs of the man in black in a sacrifice of loyalty.
She yelled, "My Lady, run!"
Imperial Concubine Mei seized the opportunity to race towards the door.
Her thoughts have never been so clear.
The man in black was sent by Consort Hui to kill her. She was in the palace, so the Consort had to be cautious no matter how courageous she was. That's why the man in black secretly used the scent to drug them before sneaking into her house to strangle her, creating a theory where she could have possibly hung herself after her corpse was found. She was not sure whether the guards on patrol were part of Consort Hui's men, so she didn't dare to call out for help.
In the entire palace, the only one that was most likely able to save her life was none other than the Mingyue Palace.
Only they cared about the truth back then.
Consort Mei didn't even think about it, but after rushing out of the palace gate, she headed straight for Mingyue Palace.
The palace was like a lurking beast under the night sky, mysterious and dangerous, as if there were cannibalistic traps everywhere. Yet at this time, the only one who could save her and the only one willing to save her, was her enemy.
Imperial Concubine Mei found the situation ironic and sad, but her footsteps never stopped. She never ran this fast in her entire life. Not knowing whether it was due to fate's destiny or the heaven's remaining yearn of mercy, she just missed the guards that were patrolling along the way. Hence, when she ran to the Mingyue Palace, she banged her fists desperately against the old palace door.
The sound of loud and frantic knocks on the door alarmed the little eunuch who was guarding the gate late at night.
He quickly got up to open the door, nearly passing out as he saw Imperial Concubine Mei scantily dressed and barefeet in front of the palace gates.
Before he could speak, Imperial Concubine Mei had already pushed him away and rushed into the hall. She wailed and yelled as she ran, "Fifth Princess, please help me! Consort Hui wants to kill me! Please help me, Fifth Princess!"
(T/N: Though it seems like a normal cry, note that as an Imperial Concubine, pleading the daughter of an Honourable Lady is actually a huge blow to her status. Furthermore, FL is a child so I guess, desperate times calls for desperate measures)
Lin Feilu was awakened from her sleep.
There was noise outside the door, and the palace guards who watched the night all got up, shooting panicked and inconceivable looks at Imperial Concubine Mei who was crying like a madwoman.
Xiao Lan was faster than Lin Feilu as she had already gotten up under Qingyan's service. She walked out the door and saw Imperial Concubine Mei standing outside the door with disheveled hair. She thought she was hallucinating as she asked with a surprised tone, "Sister Imperial Concubine Mei, what are you doing here?"
When Imperial Concubine Mei saw her, it was like seeing a sliver of hope amidst the darkness. She jumped up and grabbed Xiao Lan's hand, "Sister, save me! Consort Hui wants to kill me— she sent someone to kill me! I'm sorry for what I've done to you, but I don't want to die! I don't want to die…"
Xiao Lan was surprised and became slightly suspicious. As soon as she pulled the Imperial Concubine into the house, Lin Feilu came over with a yawn.
Seeing Imperial Concubine Mei in that dire state, the little girl realised what had happened.
A dog biting a dog; how fun.
She turned her head and slowly relayed an order to Qingyan, "Get Father Emperor to come over."
Emperor Lin did not turn over any of his concubines' signs tonight as he spent the night alone in the Yangxin Palace. He was beyond livid when he was awakened by Peng Man. However, his desire to return to dreamland dissipated when he heard Peng Man's explanation.
The palace servants quickly served him and aided him in getting dressed. Qingyan waited outside as he appeared with a servant holding onto a night lantern.
Peng Man only spoke of the situation briefly. Upon seeing Qingyan, Emperor Lin asked, "Tell me what happened just now."
Qingyan then recounted what Imperial Concubine Mei had confessed after stepping into Mingyue Palace. With Emperor Lin vigorously pursuing the clues this year, it would be impossible if he didn't put two and two together with Qingyan's explanation. By the time she finished, he was brimming with rage.
While heading over to the Mingyue Palace, he instructed Peng Man, "Go and fetch Consort Hui!" After pondering for a bit, he added, "Send someone to the Yinshuang Palace again— I want to see them, dead or alive!"
Peng Man took a group of guards with him to fulfill the order while Emperor Lin hurried to the Mingyue Palace.
When he entered, Imperial Concubine Mei had somewhat calmed down. She was wearing Xiao Lan's coat and was drinking a cup of warm water.
The scar on her face was unbelievably frightening. The night was dark yet she appeared with a dishevelled head of hair and there were tears streaming down her face. She looks even more terrifying than a female ghost. Emperor Lin only glanced at her briefly but he already felt bile rising up his throat, so he quickly moved his gaze towards the gentle and elegant Xiao Lan that sat next to her.
Now this is what I call a beloved concubine.
Her genuine gentleness and kindness was the real deal. Despite knowing that Imperial Concubine Mei was the culprit who poisoned herself back then, she ignored all that and even tactfully poured the sobbing lady a cup of warm water.
With this comparison in mind, Emperor Lin's love for Xiao Lan grew deeper.
When Imperial Concubine Mei saw him coming, she immediately got on her knees and kowtowed(2) loudly three times. Then, she remained kneeling on the ground as she cried, "Your Majesty, this Imperial Concubine knows that she is guilty and I deserve death. However, this Imperial Concubine does not want to be welcomed into death's arms through the sinister acts of someone evil. Even if I die, I plead to die by Your Majesty's hands; I plead to die coming clean of my faults!"
(T/N: The deepest act of reverence or apology in Chinese culture. It is the act of kneeling and bowing so low that your head touches the ground. In more traditional and formal terms, kowtowing consisted of banging your head on the floor 3 times to the point where it would bleed to show your sincerity)
Emperor Lin didn't say a word as he coldly glanced at the figure kneeling on the ground as he pulled Xiao Lan over to have a seat on the cushions. Lin Feilu also ran over and crawled into his arms with sleepy eyes, and asked with a low and muffled voice, "Father Emperor, Imperial Concubine Mei said that someone is going to kill her— is it true?"
Emperor Lin rubbed her little head and looked over with a calm expression, "Proceed to kneel and think about all the tiniest details of the truth back then. This matter will be discussed collectively when Consort Hui arrives."
Imperial Concubine Mei replied with a shaky 'yes' as she continued to sob.
She also knew that His Majesty didn't like the face she had now, so she kept lying on the ground without raising her head.
After a while, Consort Hui arrived.
She could not sleep very well tonight. To make matters worse, someone knocked at her palace gates and relayed the order that His Majesty had summoned her for questioning.
Consort Hui's heart thumped loudly and she knew that something was definitely very wrong. When she came to a juncture, she was calmer than usual, hurrying out after whispering a few words to her personal maidservant. But she didn't expect to be taken to the Mingyue Palace. When she came in, she saw Imperial Concubine Mei kneeling on the ground. Upon looking at Emperor Lin's threatening stature and aura, her heart sank as she began to panic.
Consort Hui broke out a cold sweat as she made her way across the short distance from the entrance to the hall of the Mingyue Palace. Then, she slowly knelt under the compelling sight of Emperor Lin, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, "This Consort greets Your Majesty. Is there anything I can assist Your Majesty with at this hour?"
Emperor Lin said coldly, "Aren't you surprised to see Imperial Concubine Mei here?"
Consort Hui smiled reluctantly, "A little surprised, but I await Your Majesty's order."
Emperor Lin said, "Imperial Concubine Mei, repeat everything that has occurred tonight."
Imperial Concubine Mei slowly lifted her head and took a deep stare at Consort Hui who was next to her. The hint of insidiousness was evident in her red and swollen eyes, causing Consort Hui to feel goosebumps forming around her skin.
Imperial Concubine Mei recounted everything that happened tonight, including the fact that she had sent someone to find Liu San. Unable to locate him, she hid a pair of scissors under the pillow. Then, she spoke of the inexplicable fragrance in the room and the man in black who broke in.
Consort Hui's countenance turned paler with every additional detail that left Imperial Concubine Mei's lips.
Towards the end, she turned around. She looked at consort Hui as she uttered every word, "Sister Consort Hui is trying to silence the witness, huh?"
Consort Hui screamed, "You're framing me! I have no qualms with you at all. How could I be the mastermind behind this evil plot when I think of you as my own sister! I don't know who you offended, but I can't believe that you're trying to pin the blame on me once they decide to get rid of you!"
As she finished, she kowtowed again towards Emperor Lin and said, "I beg Your Majesty seek justice for this Imperial Concubine!"
Emperor Lin's facial expressions had also turned sour.
Although he didn't like Imperial Concubine Mei, but to have an assassination of one of his concubines to occur was unjust. This literally implied that the brave and daring mastermind of the entire plan didn't even acknowledge his presence as an Emperor!
He stared at Imperial Concubine Mei and asked in a deep voice, "Tell me, why does Consort Hui want to kill you? What is she trying to silence?"
When asked about this, Consort Hui felt her body become lax and she was about to collapse, but she abruptly clenched her fingers under her sleeve to endure the fear.
Imperial Concubine Mei closed her eyes as a weird smile appeared on the corner of her mouth. The expression of hers matched with the scar on her face as it became more and more terrifying. She glanced at Xiao Lan next to Lin Di and slowly said, "To explain this matter, I would need to go 8 years back in time."
In the middle of the dark night, the truth regarding the mental impairment of the 6th Prince Lin Zhanyuan, finally came to light.
How could there be any sort of possibility that a mother would so-called incur the 'anger the wrath of the Gods'? It was nothing but an elaborate scheme that broke out amidst the battle of gaining Imperial favour. The 6th Imperial Prince was supposed to be a healthy and intelligent royal child and Xiao Lan was supposed to be raised to the position of an Imperial Concubine.
Yet, all of that was ruined because of the two vicious women beneath her.
After she finished explaining, Emperor Lin couldn't help but smash the teacup on the case table with a heavy force.
The teacup was smashed to pieces and the scattered fragments scratched the back of Imperial Mei's hand. She brushed away the blood indifferently, but there was a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth.
With the matter turning out this way, Consort Hui was never going to let her go.
Even if I die, I'm taking you down to Hell with me to massage my back!
Consort Hui was already sweating as she kept repeating, "You're framing me! I know nothing of this medicine that you speak of! Your Majesty! Please be the judge for this Consort and seek justice towards my name!"
Imperial Concubine Mei looked at her faintly with every word she spoke, "Your Majesty, when one is about to die, their words are of truth."
What if there was no evidence? She was in a dead end, and now she was using her life to exchange the truth of what had transpired that year. It wasn't important to have evidence or witnesses; the important part was what the Emperor believed to be the truth.
At this time, the guards who went to the Yinshuang Palace to check on the situation had also returned.
Peng Man came in and reported, "Your Majesty, the Yinshuang Palace is empty and the assassin is nowhere to be found. There are only two corpses, which were the two maidservants of the Yinshuang Palace. Out of fear of disturbing the Honourable Lady and the Princess, this humble servant has sent them to the Handyman's Room."
Emperor Lin asked in a deep voice, "What is the cause of their deaths?"
Peng Man replied, "Death caused by a stab to the chest with a pair of scissors."
The outcome connected nicely with everything Imperial Concubine Mei had just narrated. It seems that the assassin saw her escape and used the scissors to kill the two maidservants.
Now that everything has happened under the pretense of a false image, Emperor Lin was more than angry to have been deceived all this time. Now, he wanted nothing more than to choke the sinister woman who insisted that she was framed.
Consort Hui's face was full of tears as she refused to admit the truth— like how Imperial Concubine Mei had initially denied back then. She even made a vow towards the heavens, "It wasn't me! Your Majesty, this Consort has never done anything like that! If I have, I will die a terrible death!"
She was certain that Imperial Concubine Mei would not be able to produce the evidence concerning the medication she gave her back then. Plus, now that the assassin had escaped, it was impossible to prove that she was the one who sent him. Regardless of Emperor Lin's beliefs, it would be impossible for him to do anything to her without the proper evidence.
Imperial Concubine Mei waited for her attempt at sophistry to finish before she said, "Your Majesty, the assassin was stabbed in the arm by this Imperial Concubine. As long as a search is conducted for those with an injury to the shoulder, Your Majesty will be able to uncover the truth instantly!"
Consort Hui clenched her teeth and knelt on the ground without speaking.
Emperor Lin ordered Peng Man to interrogate everyone in the Consort Hui's palace and check for any wounds to the shoulder. If nothing was found, then the next step would be to interrogate the palace staff and guards in the other palaces one by one. Even if he had to turn every nook and cranny of the entire Imperial Palace, he was going to find the assassin!
After such a disturbance, it was already very late. Imperial Concubine Mei wore an odd smile while Consort Hui was wailing out of pleas of framery that caused Emperor Lin a headache with her loud cries. When he looked at Xiao Lan, who was silent next to him with reddened eyes, he felt guilty and distressed.
Had it not been for the evil duo's intent to harm her, would her life be as hard as it was now?
Emperor Lin couldn't help but stretch out his hand to take her into his arms as he asked in a low voice, "When the truth comes to light, what does Lan Er hope I do with them?"
Xiao Lan slowly raised her eyes as she remained in his arms. Reddened with tears, she wore a heartbreaking gaze as she tried to smile, "According to Your Majesty's wishes."
Emperor Lin patted her delicate back and sighed for a long time.
Tracking a criminal, or even a person amongst the sea of people in the palace is a huge undertaking, and one night was definitely not enough to do it. Emperor Lin ordered Imperial Concubine Mei and Consort Hui to be taken away separately. They were currently detained in Yongxiang Prison, waiting for clues to be found before further interrogation.
As soon as they left, he didn't bother to return to the Yangxin Palace and stayed at Xiao Lan's palace, taking this opportunity to comfort her.
Early the next morning, the thrilling scene that happened last night began to spread around the harem. After all, Peng Man was the one who led his men to investigate the whereabouts of the assassin. Consort Hui's Yaohua Palace was the first to be inspected, but the assassin with an injured arm was not found.
Consort Hui had acted with vigilance— naturally, the man she hired would not be someone from the palace.
The Empress Dowager heard about the incident and sent someone to further enquire about it. Then, the palace staff reported the matter from head to toe. The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment when she learned that Consort Hui was involved.
For a long time, she laughed, mocking herself, "It seems like there are times where I have missed the signs as well."
Ever since Lin Nianzhi was slapped and confined by Consort Hui last time, she had not uttered a single word to her.
Until now.
She always had a fierce temper. Although her heart was full of anger, she knew the consequences of plotting against a royalty. On one hand, she wanted to protect her Mother Consort, but on the other hand, she was feeling guilty about what had happened to the Little Fifth Princess. This dilemma put her into a state of numbness as she passed her everyday life with dampened feelings.
In the middle of the night, the palace staff came to summon Consort Hui. Lin Nianzhi slept very soundly after taking the sleeping pills, so she was unaware of what had transpired last night until the next day.
Yongxiang Prison was a place where guilty concubines were sentenced to. So, having Consort Hui imprisoned there was a self-explanatory action that spoke louder than any words that can describe.
She was already feeling very guilty about the Little Fifth Princess's affairs, but now, she felt worse knowing that the princess's brother's mental impairment was also directly caused by her Mother Consort's medication.
The palace was turned upside down, but the source of the pandemonium, which was the Mingyue Palace, remained as peaceful as ever.
In the morning, a group of palace servants brought a mountain full of gifts over to the Mingyue Palace despite Emperor Lin just departing not long ago.
In the past, Emperor Lin only appreciated Lin Feilu and Xiao Lan, but this time together with Lin Zhanyuan, he gave him the Four Treasures of the Study and a bow-and-arrow riding outfit. The other things that the prince had once taken a liking to were all granted to the young boy all in one single morning.
Lin Feilu squatted beside the flower field and watered the flowers, watching Lin Zhanyuan circling excitedly around the presents. While he was running, he squealed, "It's mine! It's all for me!"
He had never received so many gifts.
Although he was a dense child, he knew that his Father Emperor was the most powerful person here in terms of authority as everyone had to listen to the words of the Emperor. Now that the most powerful person granted him so many things, he was naturally elated.
Xiao Lan smiled and sat aside. Her eyebrows were still gentle and she didn't feel the pride of raising her eyebrows(1) after revenge.
(T/N: The phrase of raising eyebrows after revenge meant the arrogance and satisfaction that came out of an act that serves the opponent right. Can be used for both positive and negative scenarios)
Her character was evidently the same— despite the fact that she stood up to the challenge, she couldn't erase the softness in her heart. Qingyan and Yunyou were very happy, both talking as they handled matters while beaming.
Yunuou asked Xiao Lan while pulling the line, "My Lady, what do you think His Majesty will do to Imperial Concubine Mei and Consort Hui? The crime of sinister deeds against a prince is punishable by death."
Xiao Lan glanced at her reproachfully, "His Majesty has his own opinions on these things, so you don't need to talk about it too much."
Yunyou spit out her tongue. She entered the palace with Xiao Lan and practically grew up with her, so her character was a lot more direct than Qingyan. After a while, she ran to Lin Feilu and helped her water the flowers together, "Princess, do you think His Majesty will order Imperial Concubine Mei to be executed?"
Lin Feilu pulled up a weed hidden in the flowers and threw it aside. Her crisp voice was slightly nonchalant, "Isn't Imperial Concubine Mei's father still managing the flood in the Southern River? At most, she would be confined in the Cold Palace in solitude."
The princess had always been smart, so if she said so, it must be true.
Yunyou was a little confused before she asked, "What about Consort Hui?"
Lin Feilu wiped his hands with a handkerchief, "At best, her rank in the harem would only drop, I guess."
Yunyou almost lost her voice, "Huh? That's it? That's letting them off too easily, right?"
Xiao Lan scolded her from the side, "Yunyou, speak carefully."
Yunyou quickly closed her mouth and said nothing more.
Three days later, the guards who searched for the assassin finally gained a lead. But the man was already dead and his corpse thrown into a dry well. The wound on his arm that was stabbed by scissors had become rotten. At the same time, the guards also found another corpse, which was the eunuch Liu San who had disappeared from the Yinshuang Palace.
Liu San was directly involved in the assassination of Lin Feilu. Therefore as soon as he died, Consort Hui completely removed herself from the incident.
The dead assassin's identity was also discovered. He was just one of the guards patrolling in the palace and had nothing to do with Consort Hui. Now that everyone was dead, Imperial Concubine Mei could only make verbal claims without having any witness or evidence to prove that the man had followed the instructions of Consort Hui.
Consort Hui acted fiercely and swiftly, cutting off all potential clues that would lead to her.
In fact, when Emperor Lin heard Imperial Concubine Mei's cry that night, he knew that she was telling the truth. Even though Consort Hui had destroyed all the evidence, the crime she committed sat even graver in Emperor Lin's heart.
He had just realised that his concubine was such a scheming, strategic minded and yet cruel woman. Throughout the years, she had been living in the harem peacefully and never initiated any fights or brawls between the other women, to the point where even the Empress Dowager praised her benevolent attitude. She truly fooled everyone in the palace!
Emperor Lin was really angry and enraged, but just like the incident with Imperial Concubine Mei, no matter how angry he was, no matter how much he wanted to kill her, he had to consider the matters in court.
Consort Hui's father was now an official to the Minister of Households and was a fierce general who contributed his share of services to the national treasury. Many of her maternal family's children were officials in various places and developed the nation's economy very well. The silver tax her family paid to the national treasury every year also had a spot as one of the top ten contributors.
She also gave birth to a princess— the first child of Emperor Lin.
Although the crime of plotting against the prince was a serious crime, Consort Hui had done it too cleanly. Even if Imperial Concubine Mei tried to expose her wrongdoings, it was impossible for Emperor Lin to do anything to her without the evidence that could prove otherwise.
Like Lin Feilu guessed, after a few days of thorough investigation and interrogation, Emperor Lin made the decision.
Imperial Concubine Mei was deprived of her position and sent to the Cold Palace. Consort Hui was demoted to the position of an Imperial Concubine, sentenced to half a year of imprisonment out of the Yaohua Palace and to be evicted instantly.
Emperor Lin couldn't punish her, so he could only vent his anger in other aspects. For example, the new residence he gave to Imperial Concubine Hui was a palace that was abandoned by the previous Emperor. Rumours of paranormal hauntings have been heard around the palace.
It used to be called Mingcui Palace but the name was changed into the 'Huisheng Hall' by Emperor Lin before she moved over.
The new name meant 'repent and reflect'— a very evident yet metaphorical slap in the face towards Imperial Concubine Hui.
When Imperial Concubine Hui moved with the help of the palace staff, she almost vomited blood when she saw the brand-new plaque under the sunlight.
Humans were very strange creatures. After such a fight, her hatred for Xiao Lan was reduced by a lot as most of her resentment and resentment was now directed at Imperial Concubine Mei.
The same was true for Imperial Concubine Mei. Since moving into the Cold Palace, she had stopped pinning Xiao Lan and Lin Feilu's dolls as she focused on stabbing Imperial Concubine Hui's doll, cursing her to die in an unpeaceful manner.
Along with the punishing decree of the duo, there was another royal decree that was passed to Mingyue Palace. The decree stated that Xiao Lan had a humble, gentle and kind heart of gold. With the contributions of giving birth to a royal son and daughter each, she was to be rewarded.
She was granted an elevated rank of a Lady of Bright Deportment— the only one rank higher would be the Imperial Concubine rank.
Emperor Lin had originally planned to promote her directly to the rank of an Imperial Concubine, but remembered that Xiao Lan was harmed because he favoured her too much, so he eased his hand to prevent her from being too conspicuous.
Originally, he also wanted to give Xiao Lan a new palace, but Xiao Lan declined on the grounds that both children were accustomed to the environment here.
Lin Feilu's flower field was only established and now that the flower farming business was in full swing, Emperor Lin didn't force the matter any longer.
Xiao Lan's position soared four steps higher in one go. Although everything that happened back then was now revealed, everyone knew that this was Emperor Lin's compensation to her. However, everyone was surprised by the sudden jump in rank.
Now that there are only two Consorts left among the four, the minds of the beauties in the harem have begun to liven up again. In the past, the position of the four Consorts were occupied, leaving no room for any other to attempt to climb the ranks. No matter how hard they fought, they would only be able to obtain the rank of an Imperial Concubine at most. Now that they had the opportunity to rise, everyone was eager to try their luck.
The harem was suddenly surging with desperation.
Honourable Lady Xiao Lan, who had become the Brilliant Lady Xiao Lan, was still as calm as before.
Compared with how she was before, she was indeed much smarter now— knowing how to be liked by Emperor Lin and knowing how to utilize her own advantages.
But she didn't want to fight for the Emperor's Imperial favour; she just hoped that she would enable her two children to grow up safely.
Lin Feilu had a different point of view, however.
Now that they have come to this point, it would be best to fight even if she had never intended to.
We'll have to fight anyway, so why not shoot for the moon while we're at it?
She thought that the position of an Imperial Consort sounded quite good in name.
Although Emperor Lin made an order to evict Imperial Concubine Hui to the Huisheng Hall, Lin Nianzhi still remained in Yaohua Palace.
The Great Lin's tradition was that the princes and princesses would move out of their palaces to build a mansion or a palace for themselves when they reached adulthood. Before that happened, they all lived with their biological mothers.
In the end, Emperor Lin still loved her as the eldest princess. Although he hated Imperial Concubine Hui, he didn't direct his irritation towards her as he didn't want her to suffer with her mother.
The Yaohua Palace was temporarily vacant and Emperor Lin asked the Imperial Household Department to rearrange a group of palace staff to serve the princess. Thus Lin Nianzhi was able to enjoy the life of living alone as an adult way ahead in time.
She stayed in bed ever since she fainted from the violent heart attack. The illness came and went like no other, but when she learned that her mother's position had been demoted, her entire being became a lot sluggish and she was no longer as lively as she was before.
After recovering from her illness, Lin Nianzhi went to the Huisheng Hall with the company of Baoyou.
Imperial Concubine Hui was confined for half a year. She was not allowed to exit her confinement space and outsiders were not allowed to visit either.
Lin Nianzhi stood at the gate of the Hall for a long time before Imperial Concubine Hui's maidservant came out and whispered, "Princess, Imperial Concubine wants you to go back and to not come back again."
Lin Nianzhi asked with red eyes, "I just want to see my Mother Concubine, how is she?"
The maid replied,"Imperial Concubine Hui is in good hands. Eldest Princess does not have to worry about her, but do take care of yourself in the future."
Lin Nianzhi glanced inward through the half-opened door of the palace. Knowing that her Mother Concubine was trying to protect her from being involved in her mess, she raised her hand to wipe her tears, gave a bow towards the door before turning back to return.
On the way back, Lin Nianzhi still couldn't help but cry as she said, "I told her not to interact with Imperial Concubine Mei! It was clear that she was not a good person! Mother Concubine was provoked by her and in the end, she backstabbed her and caused her to fall!"
Bayou was heartbroken to see the sight of the princess in this state. She convinced and consoled her throughout the entire journey back to the Yaohua palace, where Lin Nianzhi gradually stopped sobbing as they got nearer.
Baoyou suddenly asked, "Princess, that seems to be the Fifth Princess standing there?"
Lin Nianzhi snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. Sure enough, she saw a small figure standing under the big tree at the intersection. She was hiding behind the tree and poking her head towards the Yaohua Palace. It seemed like the little girl wanted to go over, but was also reluctant to do so.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally turned her head down, looked at the pink sachet in her hand and left with a depressed expression.
Just a few steps away, she saw Lin Nianzhi standing at the intersection.
The little girl's expression became tense as her eyes visibly portrayed panic. She glanced around as if she wanted to find a place to hide. But there was only the same big tree that she hid behind just now; otherwise, there were no other places to hide and she was standing in plain sight.
Lin Feilu stood there blankly, not daring to move forward or backwards as she didn't even dare to look at her.
Bayou had asked Lin Nianzhi before, wondering if she hated the Fifth Princess.
Lin Nianzhi was sick at that time and felt uncomfortable in both her body and soul. Her thoughts were full of fury, rhetorically asking why wouldn't she hate her? She hated the girl so much and she hated Mingyue Palace as well!
But after lying on the bed for a long time, there was nothing for her to do every day, so she opened her eyes and gave it some thought. She remembered her first encounter with the Little Fifth Princess, reminiscing the fact that the little princess had always treated her well. She also remembered that time in the Begonia Flower Garden where she sat on the ground, crying and kicking as she asked why she was avoiding her in a very pitiful way.
In fact, what did the Little Fifth Princess do wrong?
When the Little Fifth Princess was born, the drug conspiracy happened eight years ago and she was even implicated innocently. After so many years of misery, she finally went through so much trouble to obtain her Father Emperor's paternal doting and was even surviving an assassination attempt by her Mother Consort at the time.
From beginning to end, she, herself, did nothing.
Lin Nianzhi's Mother Concubine's pathetic downfall was also due to Imperial Concubine Mei's counterattack.
Lin Nianzhi may have a grudge against her, but she was definitely not resentful.
Especially now that Lin Nianzhi felt amused to see her being overwhelmed and pitiful.
What are you nervous about? Shouldn't it be me who should be nervous and guilty?
Lin Nianzhi took a step towards Lin Feilu's direction.
The little girl took two steps back subconsciously before she stopped again timidly. Her little head slumped and her lips were pressed into a thin line. When Lin Nianzhi approached closer, the girl called out, "Eldest Imperial Sister."
Lin Nianzhi's voice was somewhat abrupt, "What are you doing here?"