Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 98

Chapter 98: Scheme

Inside the hall, a servant tumbled off the bed in a panic, rolling and scrambling to the floor. His movements pulled up the bed curtains, revealing the scene within, Consort De hastily clutching her robe closed, her face flushed crimson, spring scenery spilling everywhere. The calm she always wore on her face was completely torn away as she looked up toward the doorway in terror.

She tried to get out of bed, but her legs gave way, and she collapsed back onto it.

Gripping the bedding tightly, the fog in Consort De’s mind finally began to clear. She could no longer keep calm, how could the Emperor possibly be here?!

The sight in the hall made the surrounding servants drop to their knees with a thud, wishing they could vanish on the spot. In an instant, the air in Yihe Palace grew oppressively heavy, sending cold sweat down everyone’s backs.
No one dared make a sound.

Gui Qiu saw the scene inside and stood frozen in shock.

Her gaze fell on that servant, and she could not contain her horror.
How could this be…

The Empress, frowning, saw clearly what was happening inside the room and couldn’t help but hold her breath.

What kind of scandal could utterly ruin a person beyond redemption?

For a woman of the imperial family, it was simple, make her impure.
Simple enough to be revolting.

That servant scrambled forward, kowtowing desperately.

“Your Majesty, spare my life! Your Majesty, spare my life!”

Tan Yuanchu’s gaze turned icy as he looked at Consort De.
His voice was frigid. “Everyone—get out!”

An imperial scandal, no one would want to know more.
Xu Shunfu hurried to lead everyone out.

He glanced up at the sky, fully aware that whether or not Consort De had been framed today, she was finished.

The Emperor would never keep her to bring shame upon the royal family, and upon the Eldest Prince.

A cold wind blew through the bamboo grove, making Xu Shunfu shiver suddenly. Just who had the skill to scheme against Consort De to such an extent?

Inside the hall, Consort De clenched her palms until they hurt, barely regaining some clarity. Smelling the heavy incense in the air, and seeing the disgraceful figure of the servant on the floor, she could no longer doubt she had been set up.

In a mess, she crawled to the floor, her mind a little blank. After a long while, tears streamed down her face.

“Your Majesty! This concubine has been framed! I beg you to see the truth!”

At her words, Tan Yuanchu let out a cold, mocking laugh.

Did Consort De truly take him for a fool?

Gui Qiu was guarding the door, and the moment she saw him she immediately called out loudly, giving a warning to the people inside.
For Consort De to be caught in an act of indecency like this, it could not possibly be the first time. Otherwise, how could Guiqiu handle it so skillfully?

What exactly did Consort De mean by saying she was “framed”?

Could she be referring to her illicit affair being exposed, deliberately set up today so that he would personally catch her in the act?

Reaching a certain limit of anger, Tan Yuanchu actually laughed in fury.
The filthy servant kept begging for mercy, so frightened that a foul, yellow liquid dribbled down his legs. The rage on Tan Yuanchu’s face slowly faded away bit by bit. The look he gave Consort De was as if she were nothing more than an irrelevant stranger.

Suddenly, he spoke, “Xu Shunfu.”

Outside, Xu Shunfu was startled and hurriedly pushed the door open to enter.

Tan Yuanchu pointed at the servant who was still groveling for his life, his voice flat and devoid of any ripple of emotion. “Drag him out and feed him to the dogs.”

When he said “feed him to the dogs,” it meant the man would not die before being torn apart.

The servant wept and snot ran freely, collapsing bonelessly to the floor, kowtowing again and again, wailing to the heavens.

“Your Majesty, spare me! Spare me! I was momentarily bewitched, I beg Your Majesty to show mercy!”

Xu Shunfu, afraid the Emperor’s anger would flare again, quickly ordered the man dragged away.

He was hauled far into the distance, swallowed into the dark shadows outside that could devour a man, yet his cries still echoed faintly in the hall, sending chills into everyone’s hearts.

All the palace staff knelt in place; the timid ones trembled violently, silent tears streaming down their faces.
Having witnessed Consort De’s illicit coupling with a servant, could they even expect to live after today?

No one knew the answer, but it didn’t stop the fear from creeping in.

Yun Si was waiting for news from Kunning Palace. Once she confirmed the Empress had already set out for Yihe Palace and that word was gradually spreading among the harem consorts, she finally departed for Yihe Palace herself.

She had planned this well, arriving neither too early nor too late, just a step behind the Empress, yet still ahead of the rest.

This was understandable; her Chu’an Palace was not far from Yihe Palace to begin with.

When Yun Si arrived, she happened to see a palace servant being dragged away, his clothes in disarray, his lower half soaked.

As he passed by, a wave of foul stench hit her, nearly making her retch. She quickly glanced over and, under the lantern light by the palace wall, caught sight of faint, suggestive marks on the man’s body.

Her guess had been correct. Yun Si swallowed discreetly, leaving no trace of her reaction.

Consort De… could she really have been this bold?

She exchanged a look with Qiuman, both of them feeling a chill creep up their backs. Yun Si hesitated, looking toward the path ahead, and suddenly felt a little afraid to go forward.

But the palace attendants in front of the hall had already seen her.

Yun Si could only brace herself and walk forward. In the courtyard, a whole crowd of servants were kneeling, and Yun Si even spotted Lu Dongxun’s Imperial Guards kneeling along the covered corridor.
A chill ran through her heart, if things went badly today, there would be few survivors among those present.

She was already beginning to regret coming here.

The only one not kneeling was the Empress. Yun Si stepped up beside her, and the Empress gave her a complicated glance.

Yun Si felt it was unfair, today’s incident wasn’t her doing.

At most, she had only helped summon Tan Yuanchu.

From outside came another burst of noise, the other consorts were gradually arriving. Yun Si saw the Empress’s expression change and immediately understood: this was an imperial scandal, and the fewer who knew, the better.

The Empress stepped forward at once to block the consorts.

“Stand where you are!”

An Cairen hurried over, but before she even entered Yihe Palace, she was stopped by the Empress. Looking puzzled, she tried tentatively, “Your Majesty, this concubine heard that Consort De is unwell, so I came especially to visit her.”

The Empress ignored her and instead ordered the palace attendants and Imperial Guards.

“Stop them. No one is allowed to step foot into Yihe Palace. Whoever dares to disobey will be sent to the Cold Palace!”

The words “Cold Palace” made all the consorts shudder. Just what could have happened to provoke the Empress into issuing such a harsh order?

The gates of Yihe Palace were slowly closed, barring the consorts outside. Some caught sight of Yun Jieyu inside and were shocked and indignant, why was she allowed in?

Su Jieyu also cast a cold glance at Yun Si.

While they were feeling wronged, Yun Si herself was nearly ready to cry. She looked hesitantly at the Empress and said, “Your Highness, perhaps this concubine should go out as well.”

The Empress was silent for a moment, her tone carrying an emotion Yun Si couldn’t quite place: “You’ve already come. Stay here with me and wait for His Majesty to come out.”

Yun Si forced a difficult smile, anyone could tell nothing good was happening inside Yihe Palace, and who knew if His Majesty might vent his anger on her?

Thinking of whose handiwork this was today, Yun Si suddenly realized something.

When she came in, the person being dragged away was not Lu Song.

She abruptly lifted her head and looked toward the kneeling servants inside the hall. Sure enough, among them, she saw Lu Song, head bowed and eyes lowered.

Lu Song had always been this way, no matter how much favor he gained from his master, he always kept a low profile and stayed inconspicuous.

He was like this in Heyi Hall, and the same in Yihe Palace.

Perhaps because she had been watching him for a while, Lu Song sensed her gaze. He suddenly lifted his head and looked in her direction; their eyes met, and he narrowed his slightly before lowering them again.

But Yun Si couldn’t shake the feeling that she saw a trace of regret in his eyes.

In that split second, a thought flashed through her mind, and she finally understood Lu Song’s goal.

He was using her hand to get rid of Consort De.

Yun Si cast a discreet glance, and sure enough, she saw Gui Qiu staring fixedly at Lu Song, while Lu Song acted as though nothing had happened, wearing the same uneasy and flustered expression as the other palace servants.

A heaviness settled over Yun Si’s heart.

If she wasn’t mistaken, the person who was supposed to be with Consort De in the hall today should have been Lu Song; otherwise, Gui Qiu wouldn’t be looking at him like that.

Lu Song was good-looking, and there were no shortage of concubines in the palace who could go an entire year without seeing the Emperor. Over time, through the long and lonely nights, these concubines inevitably developed other thoughts. Yun Si didn’t find it strange.

It wasn’t surprising that Consort De would choose Lu Song from among the servants.

But Yun Si thought, of all people, why choose Lu Song?
She knew Lu Song well; he had once been an ambitious man, while others farmed the fields, he pursued his studies. Now, with his physical disability, it was likely his deepest wound. If Consort De really had something with him, wouldn’t that be a constant reminder that he was no longer a man?

How could Lu Song possibly bear it?

No matter how obedient he acted, deep down he would only feel humiliated.

No wonder he had asked her that day to bring the Emperor over, Lu Song would never tolerate Consort De, but he couldn’t deal with her directly. Consort De was always cautious, and even when she was with him, she would likely choose her timing carefully.

Only on the first and fifteenth of the month would Consort De truly let loose.

So, Lu Song had chosen this day, and no wonder he hadn’t told her anything.

For something like this, Lu Song would wish that anyone who knew the inside story would disappear.
How could he possibly tell her?

Yun Si’s eyes turned cold.

Lu Song hadn’t only schemed against Consort De, perhaps he had also set her up. If today she had personally gone to invite the Emperor, how would she explain how she knew Consort De was engaged in disgraceful acts with a palace servant?

The only thing Yun Si couldn’t figure out was, how exactly had Lu Song managed to pull off the substitution?

After a long while, Yun Si’s legs were starting to ache from standing when the hall doors finally swung open, and her eyes lit up.

She discreetly glanced into the hall, and as the doors opened, she also caught the scent of an unusual fragrance wafting from inside.

The incense was wrong.

The doubt in her heart now had an answer, Consort De had been drugged.

If she had personally brought the Emperor here, people would likely believe that today’s incident had everything to do with her. Consort De having an affair with a palace servant was one thing, but deliberately arranging for it to be exposed in public, causing the imperial family to lose face, would easily stir dissatisfaction toward her in both the Emperor’s and the Empress Dowager’s hearts.

When Tan Yuanchu came out, the first thing he saw was her. Yun Si quickly bent in salute, glancing at him with a trace of unease.

His anger paused for a moment upon seeing her, though his voice still carried a chill.

“When did you arrive?”

Yun Si twisted her handkerchief nervously, her tone tinged with unspoken frustration and regret. “This concubine… came as soon as I heard the news.”

It was her fault for arriving too quickly, and also the fault of the other consorts for coming too slowly, leaving her as the only one inside, making her presence all the more conspicuous.

Her unease was so obvious, the very picture of someone afraid of being blamed, that Tan Yuanchu lost all interest in looking at her again after just one glance.

The Empress stepped forward at just the right time, blocking Yun Si from view as she explained,

“The other consorts I turned back. Yun Jieyu happened to run into that palace servant, so I took it upon myself to have her stay.”

Yun Si quickly added, “This concubine knows nothing at all.”

She was eager to distance herself from the matter.

Tan Yuanchu didn’t look at her again. Sweeping his gaze over the palace servants in the hall, and recalling the scene just moments before when Gui Qiu had guarded the doors for Consort De, his eyes suddenly grew cold.
His voice was like ice. “All the servants of Yihe Palace, drag them out and execute them.”

The words had barely left his mouth when, before anyone could beg for mercy, a stifled crying sound was suddenly heard. It was heavily suppressed, as though born from overwhelming fear.

Everyone turned toward the source, and upon seeing the Eldest Prince standing behind a pillar, they were instantly struck dumb.

The Eldest Prince was crying hard, dressed only in a thin inner garment. He must have been woken by the commotion in the hall and come running, only to hear his father’s order, scaring him into sobs on the spot.

Tan Yuanchu looked at his eldest son, whose little hands and feet trembled helplessly as he called out in confusion and fear, “Father…”

The look in Tan Yuanchu’s eyes grew dark and unreadable.

At last, the long-silent Empress spoke.
She sighed.

“Innocents should not suffer for others’ crimes. The Emperor may be angry at Consort De, but you must also think of the Eldest Prince. If all the people of Yihe Palace are executed, it will only stir fear and endless suspicion within the palace.”

After a pause, her voice dropped lower. “This matter, in the end, is not something that can be spoken of openly. If word spreads, it will bring disgrace to the imperial family.”

The matter had to be dealt with, but the quieter it was handled, the better.

Yun Si couldn’t help but glance at the Empress, not quite sure what to say. Kindness wasn’t a bad thing in itself, but in this palace, it was rare that anyone could truly be worthy of such kindness.

In the end, it only brought suffering to oneself.

Still, no one could say the Empress’s words were without reason. Tan Yuanchu was silent for a moment. He didn’t respond to the Eldest Prince’s cries, his manner especially cold.

“Send the Eldest Prince back.”

Xu Shunfu immediately carried the boy away.

Once the prince was gone, the surroundings fell quiet again. Everyone trembled all over, but no one dared to speak up and plead for mercy.

While Yun Si was silently wondering how Tan Yuanchu would deal with Consort De, he finally spoke in a voice as cold and thin as a blade,

“Consort De has suddenly caught a chill, making it difficult for her to move. Without My order, no one is to disturb her recovery.”

The crowd lowered their heads. Who could know how long such a “recovery” might last, or whether it would ever end?

Tan Yuanchu continued, “The palace attendants who failed to take proper care of Consort De, those serving inside her hall, are to be beaten to death.”

“As for the rest, thirty strokes each, then sent back to the Central Province Hall.”

The death penalty could be spared, but the living punishment was inescapable.

At once, the courtyard split into two scenes: on one side, wailing and begging for mercy; on the other, attendants quietly letting out a breath of relief.

Thirty strokes might well be fatal, and even if one survived, it would cost half a life.

But it was still better than a death sentence.

Yun Si cast a discreet glance at Lu Song, only to see that he showed not the slightest trace of panic. She frowned.

Palace servants also had ranks, and those who served inside the main hall earned a higher monthly stipend.

She had often seen Lu Song attending closely at Consort De’s side. Could it be that in Yihe Palace, he wasn’t actually counted among the inner-hall attendants at all?

When she next saw Gui Qiu gnashing her teeth at Lu Song, and thought about the time Lu Song had entered Yihe Palace, Yun Si immediately confirmed the suspicion in her heart.

Her heart sank abruptly. She felt no joy for Lu Song’s escape, in fact, her wariness toward him at this moment reached its peak.

She even began to wonder if the Eldest Prince’s appearance at just the right time was really a coincidence, had he truly been awakened by the noise?

When Gui Qiu was dragged away, she was still begging for mercy, repeatedly saying, “Your Majesty, Her Ladyship has been framed! Please see clearly!”

Lu Song, however, showed no panic when Gui Qiu spoke. Sure enough, once she disappeared from the hall, no mention of Lu Song had been made.

Yun Si wasn’t surprised.
If Gui Qiu named Lu Song, it would mean she had long known of some improper link between him and Consort De; such a so-called framing could never be explained away.

She was truly loyal to Consort De, and would never give her an additional crime to bear.

As things stood now, both she and Consort De insisted they had been framed, who could say whether the Emperor might soften because of the Eldest Prince?

Yun Si stole a glance at Tan Yuanchu’s expression and decided Gui Qiu and Consort De’s hopes were bound to be disappointed.