Chapter 89: Palace Strange Events

 

Empress Xiao Qi immediately perked up: “What did he say?”

 

“He said that the Crown Princess indeed doesn’t talk much, spends most of her time in her quarters, and doesn’t seem to manage many affairs. What Momo Hong and our informant said matches, so it seems trustworthy.”

 

“Oh?” Empress Xiao Qi was clearly a bit surprised. She thought that Chu Jinyao was playing one game in the open and another in secret, yet even the spies in the shadows said the same? She pressed on, “And those four palace maids?”

 

“They are all serving as usual, without being kept at a distance.”

 

Empress Xiao Qi was puzzled: “If they can see the Crown Prince, why haven’t they been taken into his chambers?”

 

Lanyu remained silent. Empress Xiao Qi pondered for a moment and concluded: “It must be because I openly sent them over, so Qin Yi is unwilling to use them. Forget it, those four are lost causes. Quietly send a few young and fresh palace maids to the Eastern Palace again. No matter what, we must have people stationed by Qin Yi’s side.”

 

“Your Majesty is wise.”

 

Empress Xiao Qi knew well the importance of pillow talk, so she never strayed from this approach when dealing with others. Empress Xiao Qi believed she thoroughly understood men; as long as there was a young and fresh woman around, regardless of beauty, men would always want to try. The Emperor was a prime example. Empress Xiao Qi didn’t want Qin Yi to grow his power, so she never brought up the matter of choosing consorts for him. Even when someone mentioned it in court, Empress Xiao Qi would push hard for the Emperor to dismiss the idea. Like the harem, the Eastern Palace also had ranked women, most of whom were daughters of officials from respected families. Empress Xiao Qi was adamant in not allowing this.

 

Seeing that Empress Xiao Qi still looked worried, Lanyu tried to comfort her: “Your Majesty, the spies’ reports match what Momo Hong said. The Crown Princess truly seems inexperienced. Even if she’s a bit clever, how could someone like her deceive you? Perhaps you’re overthinking this.”

 

Empress Xiao Qi didn’t want to believe she had been fooled by a young girl earlier either, but she was still testing whether Chu Jinyao’s meekness was genuine. Lanyu, feeling confident due to her own status, unconsciously looked down on a girl like Chu Jinyao, who had no background or experience. Seeing her attitude, Empress Xiao Qi laughed and shook her head: “What does it matter if it’s real or not? Whether or not she was pretending to be weak before, she is the Crown Princess now.”

 

“Your Majesty…”

 

“So, why worry about what’s true or false? It’s better to be overly cautious than let anything slip through.” Empress Xiao Qi smiled as she glanced at her perfectly manicured, crimson nails, the sunlight reflecting off them in a blinding red.

 

When Chu Jinyao returned to the palace, she quickly sensed subtle changes around her residence. She stayed put for now, knowing that she had people keeping an eye out. She had a clear idea of who the spies from the Empress were. Empress Xiao Qi didn’t want the Eastern Palace to grow stronger, so she never suggested bringing in new women from noble families, which suited Chu Jinyao just fine. As long as no daughters of officials entered the palace, palace maids were of little concern. The difference in status between a Crown Princess and palace maids was vast, and with her instructions, Erxue was more than enough to deal with any restless palace workers.

 

Princess Ru Ning’s wedding had been a lively event for several days. It seemed that the Crown Prince’s grand wedding had opened the door to more joyous occasions. After that, royal weddings became frequent—first the Eldest Princess’s marriage in February, then Prince Su’s wedding in June, followed by talks of marriage for the Second Princess and Prince Lu. Once Prince Su’s wedding was over, Consort Lian’s due date was approaching, and there would be more celebrations for the baby’s third-day and one-month milestones. Joyous events seemed to follow one after another.

 

Amid all this joy, the willows in the Imperial Palace gradually sprouted new green buds. The Emperor was in an excellent mood during this time. A new favored concubine was pregnant, and his sons and daughters were marrying off one by one, as if the gods were favoring him. The Emperor, who always enjoyed a good celebration, became even more jubilant, with banquets and festivities happening frequently.

 

In the bright days of April, the Emperor held a grand banquet in the Western Inner Garden, inviting the entire nobility, including royal family members, princes, dukes, and marquises. The Western Garden, with its vast waters, had a magnificent palace at its center, surrounded by beautiful pavilions and waterside structures. The banquet was set in this splendid location. The nobles and their families, guided by green-clad palace maids, crossed bridges and passed through blooming flower corridors on their way to the feast.

 

The banquet hall had been prepared three days in advance. Fearing the Emperor’s displeasure, seasonal flowers had been freshly transplanted around the palace. Whether they would survive or not was of little concern, as long as they appeared vibrant at the moment. The food for the banquet had been meticulously planned by palace eunuchs for over half a month, with all the wine and drinks brewed by palace staff, without any outside help.

 

Chu Jinyao stayed in the Ciqing Palace, waiting for Qin Yi to finish his work in the Wenhua Hall before they both headed to the Western Garden together. The scenery along the way was filled with lush blooms, and even though Chu Jinyao had mentally prepared herself, she was still taken aback by the extravagance when they arrived at the banquet venue.

 

Linglong and Jiegeng, who had seen many grand occasions, couldn’t help but be impressed. Jiegeng even started mentally calculating the day’s expenses, realizing that just the refreshments and wine alone were a huge sum.

 

Chu Jinyao discreetly glanced at Qin Yi, who, as expected, didn’t look pleased, though he kept his composure. The Western Garden was akin to a royal water park, and while it had a more relaxed atmosphere than the Imperial Palace, there were still rules, and men and women couldn’t dine together.

 

Qin Yi had to head to the East Hall, where many officials were already waiting. For some reason, he seemed a little uneasy and gave a few instructions before reluctantly heading toward the East Hall. Chu Jinyao watched him until his figure disappeared from sight, then boarded her sedan chair to head to the West Hall, where the women were being entertained.

 

Upon entering the West Hall, the room was quickly filled with greetings and formalities. A marquise’s wife, with a quick tongue, remarked, “On the way, I caught a glimpse of the Crown Princess’s sedan chair from afar. I thought we were late, but it turns out we arrived before the Crown Princess. Was something holding you up on the road, Your Highness?”

 

Another prominent duchess smiled and said, “We should ask the Crown Prince about that. When I arrived from another route, I saw the Crown Prince speaking with the Crown Princess. With such a beautiful wife, he probably couldn’t bear to leave her side and gave a few extra instructions, fearing we might bully the Crown Princess.”

 

Everyone laughed at this, and the marquis’s wife added, “So that’s the reason! I spoke out of turn. Your Highness and the Crown Prince truly have a deep affection for each other.”

 

“You’re all teasing me,” Chu Jinyao smiled, gracefully deflecting the topic. She didn’t think much of the compliments, but while the women were praising her, their words also held a certain truth. It was often said that men married for virtue and took concubines for beauty. Most noblemen treated their main wives with distant respect and only showed intimacy with their concubines. The fact that the Crown Prince still treated the Crown Princess as if they were newlyweds months after their wedding was something that left the other women feeling a bit envious.

 

As the women continued their lighthearted banter, Empress Xiao Qi arrived.

 

Once the Empress was seated, the banquet began shortly after. As expected, it wasn’t long before a eunuch hurried over from the East Hall and whispered something to Empress Xiao Qi, who then signaled for the banquet to start.

 

The women’s banquet also had music and dance performances, but these were elegant court performances. While beautiful, they could become monotonous after a while. Chu Jinyao sat to the right of the Empress, in a seat higher than the others. Below her sat Noble Consort Shu, Noble Consort Li, and other high-ranking concubines. Following the palace women were the noblewomen, seated according to their ranks.

 

Compared to the slow and graceful dances, Chu Jinyao found observing the interactions among the women at the banquet far more interesting. The seating arrangement alone spoke volumes about relationships, who was in favor, and who wasn’t. It was much more entertaining than the performances.

 

However, unlike usual, today Consort Lian was present, seated just below Noble Consort Li and at the same level as Consort Hui. Consort Lian was the former palace maid Chu Jinyao had spotted pregnant some time ago. After her pregnancy was “discovered” on New Year’s Eve, the Emperor was overjoyed and immediately promoted her to Consort Lian. From a mere maid to a high-ranking concubine, Consort Lian had not only become one of the nine concubines, but now she could sit alongside her former mistress—Consort Hui.

 

If Consort Lian successfully gave birth to a prince, she would truly rise like a phoenix. Since the Emperor learned he had another child on the way, he had been doting on the child’s mother, and Consort Lian’s delicate beauty perfectly suited his tastes. Although she could no longer receive his favor directly, the child she carried elevated her status, putting her on par with Noble Consort Li.

 

Of course, for Noble Consort Shu and Noble Consort Li, who were either proud or long favored, sitting alongside a once-lowly maid was insufferable. As for Consort Hui, she was even more furious. Consort Lian had once been her maid, doing menial tasks, and Consort Hui had never thought much of her. Now, that same maid had become her “sister,” sitting next to her and even more favored.

 

Throughout the banquet, Consort Hui’s face twitched with suppressed anger. She was so consumed by rage that she had no appetite. But no matter how much the other concubines looked down on Consort Lian, what could they do? She was pregnant with the Emperor’s child, and if she gave birth, she would likely be elevated.

 

Chu Jinyao watched for a while, finding the women’s silent rivalry far more intriguing than anything else. She picked up a pea, which had been carved to look like a pearl, and marveled at how even something as small as a pea had been simmered in pigeon broth. Before she could finish marveling at the palace’s opulence, she heard a long, drawn-out melody from behind her.

 

Where did that music come from? Who would dare sing here? Chu Jinyao turned her head and saw a slow-moving pleasure boat gliding across the shimmering water. Standing at the bow was a woman in a green dress, seductively dancing with her sleeves. Her pretty face flickered in and out of view, arousing curiosity. Inside the boat were musicians playing zithers and lutes, and the music came from them.

 

Many others, like Chu Jinyao, turned to look outside. Even Empress Xiao Qi’s attention was drawn. The banquet hall was filled with murmurs as people questioned who these performers were. The palace maids, who had been performing a slow dance, stopped, looking panicked and unsure of what to do.

 

It wasn’t just the West Hall; the men in the East Hall had also taken notice. Chu Jinyao guessed that this was probably a “surprise” prepared by the eunuchs for the Emperor. The eunuchs were good at catering to the Emperor’s tastes. He loved beauty and romance, and this was just the sort of performance that would delight him.

 

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before a eunuch came out from the East Hall and called out in a high-pitched voice, “Keep dancing! If you perform well, the Emperor will reward you handsomely.”

 

The East and West Halls were built symmetrically, with both facing the central body of water. The pleasure boat was moving across this water, playing music and dancing. The eunuch’s message was clearly intended for the people on the boat, but it was loud enough for everyone in both halls to hear.

 

The woman at the bow, overjoyed by the Emperor’s favor, bowed toward the East Hall. When she rose, she stopped her small, flirtatious movements and began spinning rapidly. To dance so vigorously in such a confined space showed that she was confident in her skills.

 

Chu Jinyao didn’t know what was happening in the East Hall, but in the West Hall, filled with concubines and noblewomen, the atmosphere grew tense. Even though the distance made it hard to see the dancer’s face, her soft, flexible body made it clear that she was a stunning beauty. Chu Jinyao was actually quite interested in seeing the dance, but as the Crown Princess, and out of respect for the Empress, she kept her eyes forward after a quick glance at the performance, maintaining her composed and dignified posture.

 

The other women soon realized it wasn’t appropriate to keep watching and gradually turned their attention back to the hall. Empress Xiao Qi, observing the scene, smiled and said, “The palace servants have outdone themselves. This dance on the boat has an ancient charm reminiscent of the palm dances of old.”

 

Noble Consort Li dabbed at her lips with a handkerchief and rolled her eyes, saying, “It’s nothing but a flashy trick.”

 

As if to prove Noble Consort Li wrong, just as she finished speaking, applause erupted from the East Hall. The Emperor had stepped out to watch the performance.

 

Chu Jinyao stifled a laugh and continued staring at the floor tiles. Noble Consort Li, clearly offended, angrily snapped her handkerchief. Empress Xiao Qi gave her a sidelong glance and said, “We in the harem must always put the Emperor first and share his burdens. Now that the Emperor and the officials are watching, how can we just sit here? Lanyu…”

 

Lanyu quickly responded, and Empress Xiao Qi said, “Let’s go outside.”

 

With the Empress’s orders, everyone quickly complied, following her out of the hall. Chu Jinyao was the second to rise, trailing behind the Empress. Only after she left could the other women follow suit.

 

The Western Garden’s main feature was its water, and the palace buildings had been designed with walkways and pavilions overlooking the water, allowing guests to enjoy the scenery. Empress Xiao Qi led the women to one of these walkways, where they had an unobstructed view of the dancer on the boat.

 

Once outside, Linglong and the others quietly increased their vigilance, forming a protective circle around Chu Jinyao, who also remained alert. As the Crown Princess, no one dared stand in front of her, so she had to stand at the very front of the walkway, with nothing but water before her.

 

While keeping her gaze level, Chu Jinyao was on high alert. The dancer on the boat had reached the most dramatic part of her performance. She gracefully bent backward, her body seemingly boneless, and her gaze seductive. Before anyone could react, she suddenly straightened and began spinning rapidly again. The layers of her grand, elaborate skirt fanned out like waves, creating a stunning visual. Dressed in green, the dancer’s swirling skirts resembled the leaves of a lotus, with her body as the flower at its center. Chu Jinyao could hear murmurs of admiration from the crowd, praising her for being as graceful as a lotus in bloom and as light as a swallow.

 

Chu Jinyao also nodded in silent approval. The dance was indeed beautiful. As she watched in admiration, the dancer suddenly let out a shriek. Before anyone could react, her skirt caught fire. Chu Jinyao was startled, hearing the crackling of flames even from a distance. Even more alarming was the thick white smoke billowing into the sky.

 

No one had expected this sudden turn of events, and the noblewomen, unable to maintain their composure, began screaming in fear. Chu Jinyao instinctively took a step back, and Linglong, Jiegeng, and the others immediately stepped forward to shield her.

 

“What’s happening?”

 

The women were in a state of panic, and on the men’s side, there was also chaos. Officials and eunuchs shouted, “Protect the Emperor! There’s an assassin, protect the Emperor!” Chu Jinyao quickly glanced toward the East Hall and saw that Qin Yi was surrounded by guards. Only then did she feel a bit of relief.

 

How could a peaceful water performance suddenly catch fire?

 

Amidst the chaos, only a brief moment had passed. The dancer, seeing her skirt aflame, was terrified. She frantically tried to extinguish the fire by beating at it with her hands, but when that didn’t work, she bit her lip and jumped into the water. Yet, the scene only became more bizarre. Instead of extinguishing in the water, the fire seemed to persist, flickering in and out as the woman struggled in the water.

 

What was this strange fire that could burn even underwater?

 

Someone shouted, “Demon fire!” and the panic among the women intensified. These women, pampered and delicate, would call for a doctor if pricked by a needle, so witnessing such an eerie sight caused half of them to lose their wits. With the sudden chaos, Empress Xiao Qi and Chu Jinyao were quickly surrounded by their attendants, but the lower-ranked concubines weren’t so lucky. Consort Lian, newly promoted, didn’t have enough people by her side to protect her. Already frightened and clutching her pregnant belly, she was suddenly shoved from behind. Unprepared, she screamed and tumbled into the water.

 

Chu Jinyao was startled by the sharp scream nearby, and before she could react, she felt someone grab hold of her. In the next instant, there were two splashes. The walkway fell silent for a moment, before erupting into cries: “The Crown Princess and Consort Lian have fallen into the water!”

 

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