Half of a Mandarin Duck (Part One)
In Qinghua Palace, Imperial Consort Xian sat next to the window and worked on an embroidery. The embroidery was a lifelike depiction of a mandarin duck.
Mu Jin walked over with some colored thread, “Which type of silk thread did Your Highness want? This servant found many types of silk thread in the warehouse and could not tell which one it was that you wanted.”
She simply brought all of the silk thread over to Imperial Consort Xian, and Imperial Consort Xian took a look at what she brought, “It’s this one, but it’s been left sitting for a long time. The color is not too vibrant. Go and see if there is any new thread. If there isn’t, send someone to request some more.”
“Yes, this servant will immediately send someone out. Your Highness, don’t rush with embroidering the mandarin duck. How about embroidering the ripples in the water first? When you finish, the new thread will have arrived.”
Imperial Consort Xian scolded her, “Then why haven’t you gone yet? Wasting your time here.”
Mu Jin retreated with a smile. She knew that Imperial Consort Xian was embroidering a pouch for Emperor Ning and was planning to fill it with fragrances for him during the Dragon Boat Festival. Between emperor and consort, their ages added up to almost one hundred, yet Imperial Consort Xian was still using such a loving image as mandarin ducks.
It was evident just how loving their relationship was.
After a long period of time, Imperial Consort Xian heard the sound of Mu Jin depart then return, “Did you bring it? The feathers on the mandarin duck’s torso must use this sort of golden silk thread. Other golden threads are too plain. The color just isn’t right.”
Mu Jin did not make a sound.
Imperial Consort Xian had her head down, and her neck was feeling sore. Lifting her head, she rubbed her neck and found that the person who had come was not Mu Jin.
“Your Majesty? Why have you suddenly come?”
Emperor Ning stood alone at the entrance with only Eunuch Gao behind him. He did not bring a single extra person with him.
Imperial Consort Xian was a little flustered, but she forced herself to smile and receive him. Emperor Ning’s gaze was inquisitive, “We had nothing better to do and came to see what Our beloved imperial consort was doing.”
“It’s nothing much. I was just in the middle of embroidering a pouch. When the Dragon Boat Festival comes around, I would fill it with some herbs to ward off poisons and ill omens.”
Ward off poisons and ill omens.
When Emperor Ning heard these words, his eyes immediately became vigilant. The way that he looked at Imperial Consort Xian was completely different from before.
Without any warning, he walked over to her side and grabbed a hold of her sleeve, “We have been treated by the Deity of Medicine. Even if We do not ward off poison and ill omens, We should be fine. What does beloved consort think?”
Imperial Consort Xian’s heart dropped.
In the past, Gu HuaiJiang was the only person in court whom Emperor Ning dreaded, and that was for wielding great power.
Now, it was completely reversed.
Aside from Gu HuaiJiang, it seemed as though he was suspicious of everyone. He had given the eldest prince and the second prince the cold shoulder for quite some time, and today, he had come to say such a vague thing.
Could it be that he knew something?
“Naturally. Your Majesty truly is the divine son of the dragon. With the blessing of the heavens, Your Majesty will surely live a long life.”
He had grown accustomed to hearing people wish him a long life and did not think much about it; however, when he heard Imperial Consort Xian say these words today, it felt a little fake.
“We were just thinking that to be able to live to the age of eighty like my empress dowager mother would be a very fulfilling feeling. What ten thousand years? My beloved consort would never use such fake words to comfort Us before.”
Imperial Consort Xian awkwardly smiled.
In the past, Emperor Ning would not say that she was saying something fake.
He flicked his robes and sat on the sofa, “Eunuch Gao informed me of something today. He said that a palace maid was caught by Princess DanYang in the Western Palace listening in on her master’s private conversation. She said that she was told by beloved consort to spy on DanYang.”
So that was the reason for Emperor Ning’s strange temperament today.
A spy was nothing much. The various members of the imperial harem fought for rank and favor, so which one of them did not have some spies?
The problem lay with this palace maid having helped her listen in on matters pertaining to the crown prince. This was something that absolutely must not be discovered by Emperor Ning!
“Your Majesty, this must be someone scheming against this consort. If it was said that this consort planted some spies in the inner palace, this consort would not dare deny it. The palace maids of the inner palace have complicated emotions, and this consort does not dare be negligent in managing the situation. But Princess DanYang is Your Majesty’s daughter and is not part of the inner palace. What would be the benefit for this consort to spy on her?”
Emperor Ning furrowed his brow, not daring to believe her so easily, “There is naturally a benefit for you to spy on her. She is the second prince’s sister born from the same mother. By spying on her, you will be able to learn of the second prince’s plans. You dare to say that you don’t hope for the eldest prince to compete for the position of crown prince?”
“The position of crown prince? Your Majesty hinted to this consort long ago that Your Majesty was leaning in the second prince’s favor. How could this consort still dare to have any hopes?”
Emperor Ning carefully observed the person who had been at his side for over two decades. When it came to taking care of him, she had always been thorough.
Spring had not yet ended, yet she was already working on embroidering a pouch to give him during the Dragon Boat Festival. She was even using the image of mandarin ducks, giving off the image of a truly loving couple.
Would such a woman truly try to poison him over the competition for the crown prince’s position?
He hesitated, “We have hinted at it before, but We never gave you a solid answer. We told the second prince, and he and DanYang mentioned that this had been heard by that palace maid. It’s inevitable that it would arouse the envy of other princes. It’s possible that this was the reason that We mysteriously fell ill.”
Imperial Consort Xian suddenly dropped to her knees, ” Your Majesty means that someone coveted the crown prince’s position enough to try and murder Your Majesty?”
“Yes, that is what We mean.”
She kowtowed deeply until her head touched the ground. In her desperate struggle to survive, an idea suddenly came to mind.
“If this consort may ask Your Majesty, on the day that Your Majesty’s illness suddenly worsened, was it because the second prince and Princess DanYang said something?”
Why would she suddenly ask about this?
Emperor Ning quietly said: “On that day, the second prince suddenly came to Us. Fearing that We would not recover from the illness, he wanted Us…”
He suddenly found it hard to continue and stared at Imperial Consort Xian in disbelief, “You mean to say that this was not done by the eldest prince but by the second prince?”
Half of a Mandarin Duck (Part One)
In Qinghua Palace, Imperial Consort Xian sat next to the window and worked on an embroidery. The embroidery was a lifelike depiction of a mandarin duck.
Mu Jin walked over with some colored thread, “Which type of silk thread did Your Highness want? This servant found many types of silk thread in the warehouse and could not tell which one it was that you wanted.”
She simply brought all of the silk thread over to Imperial Consort Xian, and Imperial Consort Xian took a look at what she brought, “It’s this one, but it’s been left sitting for a long time. The color is not too vibrant. Go and see if there is any new thread. If there isn’t, send someone to request some more.”
“Yes, this servant will immediately send someone out. Your Highness, don’t rush with embroidering the mandarin duck. How about embroidering the ripples in the water first? When you finish, the new thread will have arrived.”
Imperial Consort Xian scolded her, “Then why haven’t you gone yet? Wasting your time here.”
Mu Jin retreated with a smile. She knew that Imperial Consort Xian was embroidering a pouch for Emperor Ning and was planning to fill it with fragrances for him during the Dragon Boat Festival. Between emperor and consort, their ages added up to almost one hundred, yet Imperial Consort Xian was still using such a loving image as mandarin ducks.
It was evident just how loving their relationship was.
After a long period of time, Imperial Consort Xian heard the sound of Mu Jin depart then return, “Did you bring it? The feathers on the mandarin duck’s torso must use this sort of golden silk thread. Other golden threads are too plain. The color just isn’t right.”
Mu Jin did not make a sound.
Imperial Consort Xian had her head down, and her neck was feeling sore. Lifting her head, she rubbed her neck and found that the person who had come was not Mu Jin.
“Your Majesty? Why have you suddenly come?”
Emperor Ning stood alone at the entrance with only Eunuch Gao behind him. He did not bring a single extra person with him.
Imperial Consort Xian was a little flustered, but she forced herself to smile and receive him. Emperor Ning’s gaze was inquisitive, “We had nothing better to do and came to see what Our beloved imperial consort was doing.”
“It’s nothing much. I was just in the middle of embroidering a pouch. When the Dragon Boat Festival comes around, I would fill it with some herbs to ward off poisons and ill omens.”
Ward off poisons and ill omens.
When Emperor Ning heard these words, his eyes immediately became vigilant. The way that he looked at Imperial Consort Xian was completely different from before.
Without any warning, he walked over to her side and grabbed a hold of her sleeve, “We have been treated by the Deity of Medicine. Even if We do not ward off poison and ill omens, We should be fine. What does beloved consort think?”
Imperial Consort Xian’s heart dropped.
In the past, Gu HuaiJiang was the only person in court whom Emperor Ning dreaded, and that was for wielding great power.
Now, it was completely reversed.
Aside from Gu HuaiJiang, it seemed as though he was suspicious of everyone. He had given the eldest prince and the second prince the cold shoulder for quite some time, and today, he had come to say such a vague thing.
Could it be that he knew something?
“Naturally. Your Majesty truly is the divine son of the dragon. With the blessing of the heavens, Your Majesty will surely live a long life.”
He had grown accustomed to hearing people wish him a long life and did not think much about it; however, when he heard Imperial Consort Xian say these words today, it felt a little fake.
“We were just thinking that to be able to live to the age of eighty like my empress dowager mother would be a very fulfilling feeling. What ten thousand years? My beloved consort would never use such fake words to comfort Us before.”
Imperial Consort Xian awkwardly smiled.
In the past, Emperor Ning would not say that she was saying something fake.
He flicked his robes and sat on the sofa, “Eunuch Gao informed me of something today. He said that a palace maid was caught by Princess DanYang in the Western Palace listening in on her master’s private conversation. She said that she was told by beloved consort to spy on DanYang.”
So that was the reason for Emperor Ning’s strange temperament today.
A spy was nothing much. The various members of the imperial harem fought for rank and favor, so which one of them did not have some spies?
The problem lay with this palace maid having helped her listen in on matters pertaining to the crown prince. This was something that absolutely must not be discovered by Emperor Ning!
“Your Majesty, this must be someone scheming against this consort. If it was said that this consort planted some spies in the inner palace, this consort would not dare deny it. The palace maids of the inner palace have complicated emotions, and this consort does not dare be negligent in managing the situation. But Princess DanYang is Your Majesty’s daughter and is not part of the inner palace. What would be the benefit for this consort to spy on her?”
Emperor Ning furrowed his brow, not daring to believe her so easily, “There is naturally a benefit for you to spy on her. She is the second prince’s sister born from the same mother. By spying on her, you will be able to learn of the second prince’s plans. You dare to say that you don’t hope for the eldest prince to compete for the position of crown prince?”
“The position of crown prince? Your Majesty hinted to this consort long ago that Your Majesty was leaning in the second prince’s favor. How could this consort still dare to have any hopes?”
Emperor Ning carefully observed the person who had been at his side for over two decades. When it came to taking care of him, she had always been thorough.
Spring had not yet ended, yet she was already working on embroidering a pouch to give him during the Dragon Boat Festival. She was even using the image of mandarin ducks, giving off the image of a truly loving couple.
Would such a woman truly try to poison him over the competition for the crown prince’s position?
He hesitated, “We have hinted at it before, but We never gave you a solid answer. We told the second prince, and he and DanYang mentioned that this had been heard by that palace maid. It’s inevitable that it would arouse the envy of other princes. It’s possible that this was the reason that We mysteriously fell ill.”
Imperial Consort Xian suddenly dropped to her knees, ” Your Majesty means that someone coveted the crown prince’s position enough to try and murder Your Majesty?”
“Yes, that is what We mean.”
She kowtowed deeply until her head touched the ground. In her desperate struggle to survive, an idea suddenly came to mind.
“If this consort may ask Your Majesty, on the day that Your Majesty’s illness suddenly worsened, was it because the second prince and Princess DanYang said something?”
Why would she suddenly ask about this?
Emperor Ning quietly said: “On that day, the second prince suddenly came to Us. Fearing that We would not recover from the illness, he wanted Us…”
He suddenly found it hard to continue and stared at Imperial Consort Xian in disbelief, “You mean to say that this was not done by the eldest prince but by the second prince?”
