The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

The good news from Yangxin Hall was like the clouds parting to reveal the moon; from top to bottom everyone felt as if they had survived a great calamity.

Compared to the clearing of storm clouds over Yangxin Hall, Prince Xiao and the others who had left it were like mourners at a funeral, seized by a vague sense that they were drifting farther and farther from the throne; as for those officials, they all felt their official hats were about to topple from their heads.

Who could have imagined it would turn out like this; no wonder the Emperor had refused to appear—he had actually caught the terrifying plague. If he had casually met people, and one careless slip led to another, then one person would pass it to ten and ten to a hundred; before long the entire Capital might have been riddled with the plague.

They were done for—just now they had been in the same hall speaking with the Emperor.

Everyone suddenly felt itchy all over; they had to hurry back, burn the clothes on their bodies, and then bathe several times.

The officials all left the palace one after another.

Prince Xiao and several of his brothers looked at each other in dismay—what were they to do?

Prince Wu cupped his hands. ”The Princess in my household is with child. I’ll take my leave first.”

He had to send people to search and see if there was any famed physician who could treat this plague; if he could cure Father Emperor, that would be a great merit.

Prince Yan’s gaze flickered slightly. ”Second Brother, wait for me—we’ll go together.”

Their two residences were not far apart; walking together made it convenient to talk.

Watching the two depart, Prince Zhou spat. ”One’s a quail that shrinks its head and tail, the other a little slick fox. Hmph.”

Prince Xiao said coolly, ”Rather than talk about them, we’d better think about how to soothe Father Emperor’s anger. The ones who took the lead, intending to force our way into the palace, were you and me.”

Prince Zhou’s heart gave a violent lurch.

He was worse off than Prince Xiao; he had even completely offended that old fox Song Zhiyuan. Though he had never counted on drawing Prime Minister Song into his own camp, the man was the arm most trusted by Father Emperor. Just from this illness alone it could be seen—if Prime Minister Song chose to put in a bad word for him, wouldn’t he be finished?

The more Prince Zhou thought about it, the colder he felt to the core. He said to Prince Xiao, ”Eldest Brother, do as you think fit. I’ll first go pay my respects to Consort Mother before leaving the palace.”

Prince Xiao smiled and made a gesture of ”as you please.” Once Prince Zhou had gone, his smile faded, his brows knitted, and his face was full of vexation.

This time, it was indeed that he had not kept calm and steady enough; in a moment of impulse he had wanted to storm the palace, and now it truly was a loss outweighing the gain.

He had to discuss it with his staff, to consider how to salvage the image he held in Father Emperor’s heart.

...

The news that Emperor Chu had summoned the officials and several Princes spread through the palace and beyond in an instant. Along with it came the news that Emperor Chu had contracted the plague; fortunately, it had already been brought under control and was in the process of healing. This made everyone breathe a sigh of relief—if the Emperor could receive people, it meant the Emperor was safe and sound.

Not long after, another piece of gossip circulated: the newly promoted Concubine had offended the imperial countenance and been cast into the Cold Palace, and because of her, her father had been dismissed and exiled, sent to the far Northwest to build towers.

As for the exact reason, only Song Zhiyuan and the Emperor’s close confidants knew: it was the Concubine who had inadvertently passed the plague to Emperor Chu. That handkerchief, besides being tainted with unclean disease, had most likely been steeped in scented essence, which was why the Emperor had lost control.

Whether she had been wronged or not, so long as she had served as the conduit, she could hardly claim injustice; the fact that her whole family had not been executed was already a grand act of clemency from Emperor Chu.

And the reason the Emperor extended this mercy was simply that they had discovered that the eunuch who washed the chamber pot had been a ”nail” planted by Cabinet Minister Ning of the former Xia Dynasty; the Concubine was thus deemed to have been struck by an undeserved calamity.

After this incident, the palace underwent another purge. Who knew how many deep-rooted little nails still lurked within? As for Xia Houzhe, who was confined in a separate courtyard, it was said he had been put through another round of interrogation by extreme tortures—this, however, belongs to a later tale.