Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 51

The weather warmed up, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom.

These past few days, the empress dowager had been busy discussing the selection of the husband for the princess with the officials from the Ministry of Rites. As a result, the usual greetings were exempted. The emperor, on the other hand, was occupied with state affairs. Apart from occasionally visiting the Jingren Palace, his figure was rarely seen in the harem.

The palace was indeed a lonely place.

Consort Xue leaned on the couch, flipping through the book in her hand, and sneered, “It’s always the same old thing, no novelty at all.”

Qing Yue, peeling nuts beside her, said, “Then, shall this servant find someone to pick some new ones from outside the palace?”

Consort Xue threw the book aside and sighed.

Qing Yue looked at Consort Xue and said, “Your Ladyship, this servant has something to say, but it may not be appropriate.”

Consort Xue replied, “Speak.”

“Your Ladyship, why didn’t you use your wisdom for your benefit? Look at Jieyu Qin. When she entered the palace, she was just a sixth-ranked meiren. But since she gained favor, she was continuously promoted, and even her family was elevated. Weren’t you in a hurry, my lady?”

Consort Xue snorted lightly and said, “Jieyu Qin was favored simply because of her face. What abilities did she really possess?”

Gaining courage, Qing Yue murmured, “Even without abilities, she managed to raise the prince.”

Consort Xue’s expression turned fierce, and she shouted, “How dare you favor an outsider like this!”

“This servant is like this for your own good.”

While they were in the midst of their conversation, they suddenly heard a series of light footsteps. A young eunuch reported from outside, “Your Ladyship, Madam Xue has arrived.”

“So she came so quickly?” Consort Xue muttered to herself, straightening her posture with a hand on her waist. “Quickly, let her in.”

Madam Xue entered the hall and had just taken her seat when she anxiously said, “Your Ladyship, what you mentioned earlier…is true.”

Confused, Consort Xue looked at Madam Xue, her face serious, but she couldn’t recall what she had mentioned. She couldn’t help but ask, “What happened? What did I say?”

Madam Xue hurriedly replied, “About someone using the Xue family’s name to purchase a performer.”

Consort Xue nodded thoughtfully. She remembered now.

“After returning home that day, I relayed what you said to my husband. He found it suspicious and went to investigate the pawnshop. Guess what, my lady?”

“What happened?”

Madam Xue looked around, hesitating to speak, and whispered, “Your Ladyship, this matter is not trivial.”

Upon hearing this, Consort Xue waved her hand to dismiss the palace attendants and said, “Now, can you speak freely?”

Madam Xue took out a list from her sleeve and said, “If it weren’t for my husband’s personal intervention, the shopkeeper of the pawnshop would never have spoken the truth. My lady, please take a look.”

Consort Xue took the list and, after examining it, couldn’t help but cover her mouth in shock. “This…” she trembled, shaking the list. She looked at it several times and whispered, “Is this true? Jieyu Qin is the one who spent eight hundred taels of silver to redeem the performer?”

Madam Xue nodded and said, “My husband personally interrogated him. There can be no mistake.”

“This is too suspicious. Let me think it through,” Consort Xue rubbed her forehead and murmured, “Jieyu Qin, Qin Ling, and that face… Could it be, could it be that there’s a problem with the Qin family? Like… the Su family?”

The Su family.

At the thought of this, Consort Xue immediately exclaimed, “No, this matter must be reported to the emperor immediately.”

Madam Xue said, “Your Ladyship, please calm down first.”

“Calm down?” Consort Xue raised her voice. “Jieyu Qin is the only one favored in the entire harem. If she is a spy, then the harem is in grave danger.”

Madam Xue held Consort Xue’s arm and said, “My lady, are you planning to speak to the emperor like this?”

Consort Xue responded with an expression that said, “I should.” She continued, “Did you not observe Jieyu Qin’s face at the flower appreciation banquet? She bears an uncanny resemblance to the late empress. She gained favor shortly after entering the palace; even the eldest prince was entrusted to her care. If there is something suspicious about her identity, how can I turn a blind eye?”

“But we should wait, even if it’s doubtful! We currently have no evidence. Who do you think the emperor will believe if we expose her and she retaliates?” Madam Xue said. “Since she is favored, we cannot act rashly. Besides, my husband has already gone to the south to apprehend the performer. Once she is captured, wouldn’t it be better for the emperor to interrogate her personally?”

Consort Xue was still somewhat anxious. “And what about the Qin family? Has Brother sent someone to keep an eye on them?”

“The Qin family…” Madam Xue’s expression became even more solemn. “Something happened to their illegitimate daughter. Although the matter was temporarily suppressed by the Chu family, rumors have still spread.”

Frowning, Consort Xue asked, “What happened? How did the Qin family become involved with the Chu family?”

“Your Ladyship, please don’t rush. Let me explain slowly.”

“Three days ago, Madam Chu hosted a camellia tea banquet, and many noble ladies from the capital were invited to attend. The second miss of the Qin family was also among them. However, after the banquet dispersed, Second Miss Qin was nowhere to be found. The Chu family sent people to search, and to everyone’s surprise, she was discovered in the bed of the sixth son of the Chu family. Also, remnants of Yu’an San, an illegal drug used for inducing passion and conceiving a child, were found on her. Yu’an San is a drug that originated in the Qinhuai region. Those singing girls and dancing courtesans would do anything to conceive a child with their favored patrons. It is said that the drug is so potent that even martial artists cannot resist its effects,” Madam Xue shook her head. “Sixth Young Master Chu, who had just achieved the top ranking in the imperial examination this spring, was riding high and planning to propose to the young lady from the Duke of Ying’s residence. With this scandal, it will surely not end well for him.”

Consort Xue straightened her posture and asked, “How much truth is there to this matter?”

Madam Xue softly responded, “My lady, think about it. Since the rumors have reached this level, does it matter if it’s true or false?”

“Yes, you’re right… Once this news spreads, the reputation of the Qin family will be ruined. If they can’t establish themselves in the capital, what qualifications does Jieyu Qin have to care for the eldest prince?” Consort Xue raised the corner of her lips and murmured, “Our empress dowager truly has a way with schemes.”

***

Qin Ling received a letter from her brother, Qin Suizhi, three days ago. Since all correspondence within the palace had to pass through other people’s hands, Qin Suizhi did not detail the ins and outs of Qin Rong’s situation. Just by reading the first few sentences, Qin Ling knew that the Qin family was about to face calamity.

Scandalous affairs were always the most captivating, and it didn’t take long before everyone talked about it. If her guess was correct, the Chu family was likely in negotiations with the Duke of Ying for a marriage alliance. Once the marriage was settled, Empress Dowager Chu would have used Qin Rong as a scapegoat to hold the Qin family accountable. Being in the palace, Qin Ling couldn’t escape unscathed. Even if the emperor was willing to protect the Qin family, the Chu family would only offer a feigned compromise, suggesting that Qin Rong became a concubine to Sixth Young Master Chu to quell the turmoil.

Once the reputation of the Qin family was tarnished, there would no longer be a high-ranking noble lady in the capital willing to marry Qin Suizhi.

For the current situation, she had to see Qin Rong before being summoned by the empress dowager.

Qin Ling closed the letter and wrote a note. She turned to Zhu Lan and whispered, “This note must be delivered to Eunuch Sheng personally.”

“Yes, I understand.”

***

Eunuch Sheng was about to nap after finishing his shift when he received the note from Zhu Lan. His face changed dramatically as he read the note, and he immediately left the palace.

In the evening, disguised in eunuch attire, Qin Rong sneaked into the palace.

Once inside Jingren Palace, tears started to flow uncontrollably from Qin Rong’s eyes. Kneeling down, she pleaded, “Only Sister can save me now.”

Qin Ling had never held much affection for this half-sister, but the family had always believed in collective honor and disgrace. As long as they shared the surname Qin, Qin Ling couldn’t ignore her plight.

Qin Ling said, “Come, tell me clearly, what exactly happened?”

Qin Rong sobbed as she recounted her story.

Qin Ling listened for a while before fully understanding the sequence of events.

Qin Rong had always yearned for a prestigious marriage, so she used her identity as the sister of a favored consort to socialize with many noble ladies in the capital. Poetry gatherings, flower-viewing banquets, spear-throwing competitions, and polo matches—there was no event she didn’t participate in.

The first time she encountered Sixth Young Master Chu wasn’t at Madam Chu’s tea party but rather at a poetry gathering a month ago. As the heir of a prominent family, Sixth Young Master Chu possessed remarkable talent and had been honored as the current emperor’s chosen top scholar. Qin Rong quickly developed feelings for him. She would spare no effort to appear by his side at any event involving him.

With an alluring gaze and charming words, Chu Jiangya, fueled by alcohol, forcibly took advantage of Qin Rong in a restaurant’s private room. Qin Rong was only fifteen, and this incident shattered her courage. However, Chu Jiangya nonchalantly soothed her, saying, “Rong’er, I couldn’t resist myself when I saw you. I will marry you.”

As an illegitimate daughter, Qin Rong was naturally unworthy of a young master Chu. Fearful that their marriage might not materialize, she endured continuous nightmares. Chu Jiangya comforted her, running his fingers through her hair, saying, “Your elder brother holds a position in the Imperial Guards. Your sister’s favor with the emperor is strong, and even the emperor’s legitimate eldest son is under her care. The Qin family, as relatives of the emperor, has long ceased to be what it once was. Why are you still so foolish?”

This was Qin Rong’s first taste of such amorous affairs, and once it began, it became easier to handle. Even though Qin Rong harbored ambitions of climbing higher, it was rare for the man to suffer in matters like these.

Qin Rong had been waiting for Chu Jiangya to come to her family to propose marriage. However, as she continued to wait, she received news that Chu Jiangya was forming a marital alliance with the Luo family. He disappeared, and he didn’t respond to her letters.

Qin Rong couldn’t sit still any longer. She took advantage of the tea party hosted by the Chu family to confront Chu Jiangya and clarify their situation.

This confrontation ended up escalating the situation further.