The imperial family’s weddings and funerals were all handled by the Ministry of Rites. However, others were not as reliable as oneself. After death, if someone submitted a remonstrance, one might not receive the proper funeral specifications. Only oneself was most reliable. Even in death, he wanted to lie in the luxurious coffin he had prepared for himself in advance.
“Your Highness, this…” Fu Bao said with difficulty, “this is not in accordance with propriety.”
The current Emperor was in good health and not on his deathbed. For the Crown Prince to openly place a coffin in his own bedchamber—what was he planning to do?
If the censors found out, memorials criticizing the Crown Prince would probably flutter into the Xuande Hall where the Emperor resided like snowflakes.
Upon hearing this, You Yusui looked at the eunuch Fu Bao who had taken care of him since childhood and said, “What’s improper about it? What’s wrong with me preparing a coffin for myself?”
The next moment, You Yusui took Fu Bao’s hand and revealed an infinitely sorrowful expression, “I am still young and did not originally want to make early arrangements for my affairs after death, but after experiencing life and death, I realized that some things should be decided early.”
Therefore, he would have a high-specification burial, and no one could lower his standards. If he could have a golden nanmu wood coffin, no one could give him a second-rate coffin.
“You saw that Imperial Physician Li called me a ghost before I had completely breathed my last. I fear there aren’t many in this world who wish for me to live. If I die, how will they wholeheartedly manage my funeral affairs?” You Yusui narrowed his eyes, his mind filled with images of his hasty burial in his previous life.
Upon hearing this, Fu Bao felt that the Crown Prince’s words made some sense, but he still felt something wasn’t quite right.
“Your Highness, rest assured that as long as this servant is here, no one will be allowed to bully you,” Fu Bao said, wiping his tears.
You Yusui said gently, “So, a golden nanmu wood coffin.”
“This servant will arrange it immediately!” A flame ignited in Fu Bao’s heart.
“If there isn’t enough money, ask me for it. It must be done quickly,” You Yusui instructed. The sooner the better, so he could find an opportunity to ask his good father emperor for an imperial edict allowing him to use the golden nanmu wood coffin he had prepared in advance after his death.
“Yes, this servant will arrange it right away. The coffin will be ready for Your Highness to see tomorrow,” Fu Bao immediately replied.
After speaking, Fu Bao took his leave, took a token, and left the palace to buy a golden nanmu wood coffin for You Yusui.
Meanwhile, in another location, Ruqiu returned anxiously to the Jijiu Palace where the Imperial Noble Consort resided.
As soon as Ruqiu stepped into the Jijiu Palace, the Imperial Noble Consort summoned her for questioning.
Thin veils hung in the palace hall, with butterfly patterns woven in gold thread that seemed to flutter in the sunlight. Nearby, a beast-shaped incense burner was emitting clouds of smoke, with a faint fragrance dispersing from within.
On the main seat of the hall sat a beautiful woman dressed in magnificent clothes. Though nearly forty years old, she maintained herself so well that she looked like a woman just over twenty. She was the highest-ranking woman in the imperial harem, Imperial Noble Consort Su Hewan.
Su Hewan was the daughter of the current Prime Minister. Her father was a commoner who had risen to nobility, representing the commoner faction at court. Though this faction’s status was not as high as that of the aristocratic families, the power they held was no less. Combined with the Emperor’s reliance on commoners and her having given birth to the eldest son, she was appointed Imperial Noble Consort.
“How is the Crown Prince’s health?” Imperial Noble Consort Su Hewan frowned deeply. As soon as the Crown Prince woke up, their man, Imperial Physician Li, had been kicked unconscious by the Crown Prince and sent to the Court of Judicial Administration, which made her vigilant. She immediately sent her confidant to investigate the situation in the Crown Prince’s palace.
However, she wasn’t worried that Imperial Physician Li would expose her, as she had never instructed him to harm the Crown Prince. She had only reminded him that the Crown Prince’s health was precious and that he should be extremely cautious when prescribing medicine. She had said this to the physicians of the Imperial Medical Courtyard, and Imperial Physician Li had no physical evidence against her.
“The Crown Prince’s breath is weak, he is lying in bed unable to rise. He doesn’t look well,” Ruqiu truthfully answered. “But I feel that the Crown Prince’s personality has changed dramatically, he is no longer as gentle and refined as before, and easy to bully.”
“His personality has changed?” Imperial Noble Consort Su Hewan was somewhat dismissive. “After experiencing life and death, one’s personality is bound to be different from before.”
In her view, the Crown Prince publicly punishing her spy placed in the Eastern Palace in front of her confidant was merely an impulsive move born of embarrassment. Such inability to control his temper made him unfit for great responsibility.
“Tell me everything that happened in the Eastern Palace today,” Imperial Noble Consort Su Hewan said, looking at the freshly applied nail polish on her hand.
With her spy removed from the Crown Prince’s side, apart from the Crown Prince punishing her spy and expelling him from the Eastern Palace, she had no idea what the Crown Prince and Ruqiu had discussed.
“Yes.” Ruqiu carefully chose her words and recounted everything that had happened in the Crown Prince’s palace.
“When this servant delivered the tonic to the Crown Prince’s palace to investigate his condition, the Crown Prince actually asked me for the five-hundred-year-old ginseng that the Consort treasures.”
“This servant knew the ginseng was Consort’s treasure that even you yourself would be reluctant to consume, so naturally I dared not casually agree. Who knew the Crown Prince would be so shameless, directly saying that his body was not worthy of the Consort’s good things.”
“How could this servant dare to respond?” Ruqiu said, lowering her head. She was a servant, and the Crown Prince was, on the surface, the most noble person besides the Emperor. The ginseng he wanted was her mistress’s treasure. As a servant, how could she comment on what was worthy or not?
“Then the Crown Prince said that although you are not his birth mother, you care for him and love him, and would surely be willing to give it to him.”
“Very well, very well!” The Imperial Noble Consort laughed in extreme anger, sweeping the blue porcelain teacup beside her hand to the floor.
The Crown Prince had put her in a high position. If she didn’t give him the ginseng, it would mean she thought the Crown Prince wasn’t worthy of her ginseng, and that she, as his stepmother, didn’t care for or love him. As for the ginseng, if the Crown Prince wasn’t worthy of it, how could the Imperial Noble Consort dare to give it to someone of lower status than the Crown Prince?
“Truly someone who has been to the gates of hell, he doesn’t even care about face anymore,” Imperial Noble Consort Su Hewan said through gritted teeth. To think there existed in this world a legitimate son who would force his stepmother to give him things like this.
After speaking, the Imperial Noble Consort’s gaze swept to the palace maid kneeling behind Ruqiu. The palace maid was holding a wooden box in her hands, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What is this? Bring it here.”
The palace maid, upon hearing this, respectfully presented the wooden box in her hands to the Imperial Noble Consort, while Ruqiu lowered her head even further.
The Imperial Noble Consort opened the box and saw inside the palace rules and old examples of palace affairs management. The familiar delicate calligraphy pierced the Imperial Noble Consort’s eyes, reminding her of that woman with unparalleled beauty and noble family background. The Imperial Noble Consort’s eyes couldn’t help but reveal a trace of resentment.
Fortunately, she was dead, and she herself was still alive.
“Why are these the Late Empress’s belongings?” The Imperial Noble Consort’s sharp gaze fell on Ruqiu.
Kneeling on the ground, Ruqiu had to harden her resolve and repeat the Crown Prince’s original words.
“Although the Imperial Noble Consort’s position is equivalent to that of a consort second only to the empress, the second was still second, not the Empress.”
“The Late Empress’s management of palace affairs was praised by the Emperor. The Imperial Noble Consort should learn more from the Late Empress.”
“It’s a pity that back then, my mother the Empress had the Grand Changqiu to assist her, but the Imperial Noble Consort doesn’t. No wonder there are times when she is not careful.”
After hearing this, the Imperial Noble Consort couldn’t help but tremble, and in a fit of rage, she tore the Late Empress’s belongings to shreds.
The scraps of paper were angrily thrown by the Imperial Noble Consort, fluttering in the air. She pressed her aching heart and muttered, “I am not as good as her? I am not as good as her?”
She was the Empress, and she herself was still only the Imperial Noble Consort. She had received the best aristocratic education from childhood, while she herself had to farm in the countryside with her father. She was an aristocratic lady, while she was a crude country girl from the countryside.
Su Hewan believed her beauty and talent were not inferior to the Empress’s in any way, but in their eyes, they only saw the Empress.
“I am not as good as her?” Su Hewan laughed. “I am alive, she is dead, and her son’s things will all belong to my son in the future.”
What did it matter that the Empress was born into an aristocratic family? Her maternal clan had declined and had no voice in the court, unable to help the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince himself was also disliked by the current Emperor for being born at the cost of his mother’s life. When her child succeeded to the throne, she would be the Empress Dowager, while the Late Empress would be a complete loser.
Thinking this, the Imperial Noble Consort slammed her hand hard on the table, and some of the resentment in her body dissipated.
Ruqiu, watching the Imperial Noble Consort, carefully asked, “The ginseng, should we still give it to the Crown Prince?”
“Give it, of course we must give it. If we don’t, wouldn’t it show that I, as his stepmother, am not devoted to the Crown Prince?” The Imperial Noble Consort said, grinding her teeth and panting. “Send that ginseng to the Crown Prince’s palace tomorrow.”
After speaking, the Imperial Noble Consort stormed off.
****
As night deepened, the candles in the Crown Prince’s bedchamber were still not extinguished. At this time, You Yusui was wearing an outer garment and reading a leisure book, his profile appearing particularly exquisite and charming in the candlelight.
However, when Fu Bao saw this scene, he detected a hint of loneliness in You Yusui. Since the Crown Prince had awakened, even the Empress Dowager had sent people to visit him, but the Emperor alone ignored the Crown Prince.
“Is Your Highness waiting for someone from the Emperor?” Fu Bao asked softly.
“Huh?” You Yusui, who was reading a story book, looked up with a confused expression. He was simply unable to sleep after having slept for so many days.
Fu Bao interpreted You Yusui’s confusion as realization and sadness. He quickly stepped forward to comfort him, “Your Highness, the Emperor is also busy with state affairs.”
However, no matter how busy state affairs were, even if the Emperor couldn’t come personally, sending someone was just a matter of a word. At this point, Fu Bao didn’t have the heart to continue comforting him.
You Yusui was silent for a moment. He truly wasn’t sad about his good father emperor not coming to see him. So, to prevent Fu Bao from continuing, You Yusui chose to extinguish the light and go to sleep.
Early the next morning, Ruqiu from the Imperial Noble Consort’s palace delivered the five-hundred-year-old ginseng to the Crown Prince’s palace.
Upon receiving the ginseng, the Crown Prince glanced at it and casually said to Fu Bao, “Take it to make soup.”
“What?” Fu Bao was stunned. A five-hundred-year-old ginseng, instead of keeping it for life-saving purposes, was directly used to make soup?
Ruqiu, upon hearing this, almost couldn’t stand steadily. Her mistress’s treasured possession was just being used to make soup?
You Yusui certainly knew that such a good item was used to sustain life in critical times, but if he were to die, no precious herbs could save him. It was better to use it for soup.
“Just use it to make old hen soup, and if there’s extra, send it to the Imperial Noble Consort,” You Yusui said indifferently.
Fu Bao: …… If the Imperial Noble Consort sees you using her ginseng to stew an old hen, she might die of anger.
“This servant will arrange it immediately.” Fu Bao took the ginseng and headed to the small kitchen in the Eastern Palace.
“Why don’t Aunt Ruqiu wait here? When the soup is ready, you can take it to the Imperial Noble Consort?” Fu Bao looked at Ruqiu, whose expression was difficult to describe.
“No need, no need.” Ruqiu hastily took her leave, then walked out of the Eastern Palace with floating steps.
An hour later, the ginseng and old hen soup was ready. You Yusui, thinking about how this was the treasured old ginseng snatched from the Imperial Noble Consort’s hands, happily drank two large bowls.
Then, You Yusui felt his nose getting hot, as if something was flowing out.
“Someone come quickly! Call the imperial physician! The Crown Prince is having a nosebleed!” Fu Bao shouted in alarm.
You Yusui: …… There was no need to announce his nosebleed so loudly.
![Beauty of Lies [Quick Transmigration]](https://moonlightnovel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/IMG_20220422_095659-1.webp "Beauty of Lies [Quick Transmigration]")
