Chapter 51:

Perhaps the weather this winter was particularly cold, and Layue somehow caught a chill in the twelfth lunar month.

With a flushed face, she obediently curled up beneath the covers. The imperial physician had already visited and diagnosed her with a sudden onset of chill-induced illness, advising her to take more medicine and rest adequately.

Upon hearing of Layue’s illness, the Empress Dowager sent some tonic herbs and exempted her from the morning greetings. At this time, Layue did not stubbornly insist on visiting to pay her respects, as this chill could easily spread, and if she passed the illness to the Empress Dowager or Fu Jinyao—who was pregnant—she would never be able to forgive herself.

When the Jing Emperor heard that Chunpin had caught a chill, he came to visit her.

Xing’er stood at the door and, seeing him, knelt down to greet him.

The Emperor looked straight ahead, intending to walk in, but Xing’er quickly spoke up: “Your Majesty, my mistress specifically instructed me—if you came to see her, please go back. She is ill now and must not pass the illness to you.”

The Emperor raised his eyebrows and looked at Xing’er, then glanced toward the room.

“I am the Son of Heaven; how could I worry about such things?” He said, though inwardly he felt touched. In the palace, if a woman was unwell and he came to visit, she would normally be delighted.

But she was actually concerned about passing the illness on to him. She truly was a simple girl.

Xing’er steeled herself and stood up to block the doorway. The Emperor was taken aback, not expecting the maid to dare such a thing.

“Your Majesty, forgive me. My mistress said that if you were allowed inside, she would send me to the Board of Discipline. Your Majesty, you are the Son of Heaven, and your body is precious. My mistress knows you care for her, but she begs you to take care of yourself.”

Kneeling at the door, Xing’er was visibly trembling.

“Bold indeed,” Lai Xi scolded from the side, though his eyes kept glancing at the Emperor. In truth, what the Consort had said made sense—if the Emperor caught the illness, it would be a serious matter.

“You are indeed an interesting maid,” the Emperor said, his tone neutral, “not fearing that your mistress might send you to the Board of Discipline, yet unafraid of me.”

Xing’er trembled even more.

Still, she did not move aside, continuing to kowtow repeatedly: “Please take care of yourself, Your Majesty… Please take care of yourself…”

Just as the standoff continued, a sound from inside the room was heard.

Layue’s soft voice came out: “Your Majesty, I beg you on my knees—please take care of your health. Xing’er is only following my orders. My illness came on fiercely, and Your Majesty’s body is of immense value. If you catch the illness, it could disrupt the affairs of the state. I would never be able to atone for such a mistake.”

Hearing her voice, the Emperor’s heart softened slightly: “Why are you kneeling? Quickly rise. You’re still ill—don’t act recklessly. Let Me see you.”

“No, I won’t rise unless Your Majesty leaves. Setting aside the affairs of the state, Your Majesty is also my husband. How could I not care for your health? This time, you must listen to me.”

Lai Xi, seeing the situation, spoke up: “Your Majesty, please heed Consort Chun’s advice. She is right—Your Majesty’s health is of utmost importance. If you catch the illness from her, how would she explain that to the Empress Dowager? Besides, she is already ill and kneeling like this—how can that be acceptable?”

The Emperor sighed: “Alright, alright. I will go, I will go. Since you refuse to let Me see you, I understand your feelings. Be obedient, take your medicine well, and you will recover soon. I will come to see you once you are better. Be good, understand?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, I understand.”

“Who is attending to Consort Chun?” the Emperor coldly asked Xing’er.

“Your Majesty, Jin Xin, Tao’er, and Guo’er are all inside. Please rest assured, Your Majesty. We will take good care of our mistress,” Xing’er replied, her voice still trembling.

The Emperor declared loudly: “You all had better serve Consort Chun well. If she feels even the slightest discomfort, I will not forgive you.”

“Yes.”

All responded with fear.

“You see, Your Majesty is scaring people again,” Layue pouted playfully from inside.

“Quickly help your mistress back to bed.”

“Yes.”

He glanced once more at the tightly closed door, his eyes dimmed slightly, his expression softening.

Xing’er, head lowered, dared not move. She never imagined she would dare speak to the Emperor like that—and still be alive.

“Lai Xi, let’s go back,” the Emperor said, flicking his sleeve and turning to leave.

Unbeknownst to him, his action caused several senior maids and Lai Xi to breathe a sigh of relief.

Xing’er immediately collapsed onto the floor.

Tao’er opened the door, saw Xing’er sitting on the ground, and hurriedly helped her up: “The floor is so cold—quickly get up.” Even as she said this, her legs were still weak.

Tao’er helped Xing’er back inside.

Layue, perhaps running a fever, had a rosy flush on her cheeks.

“Tao’er, help Xing’er back to her room to rest. It’s not easy for you either.”

Xing’er steadied herself and shook her head: “My Lady, I am fine. Your health is not good, and we have many people to serve you properly. I am alright—just a little frightened by the Emperor.”

Hearing this, Layue couldn’t help but laugh: “Though the Emperor is imposing, he wouldn’t punish people without reason. Don’t worry too much. Our Emperor is the kindest man in the world—he was just putting on a show.”

None of them replied, for while he might be kind to her, it didn’t mean he would be kind to others.

Jin Xin, being closer to Layue, couldn’t help but mutter: “My Lady, the Emperor loves you, but he doesn’t necessarily care for us servants. Just look how frightened Xing’er is.”

Layue pouted with wide eyes: “I said he’s a good person, so he is.”

Indeed, the sick did tend to act more childishly.

Jin Xin sighed helplessly and exchanged glances with the others, seeing amusement in each other’s eyes.

“Well then, we never said the Emperor wasn’t good.”

The palace was indeed too idle, and even the smallest matters could spread like wildfire.

Sure enough, the incident at Tingyu Pavilion soon became widely known.

Regardless of what others thought of Chunpin’s behavior, the Empress Dowager nodded in approval.

As the old saying goes, while a daughter-in-law may be good, she could never compare to one’s own son. Layue always prioritized the Emperor’s health, which greatly pleased the Empress Dowager.

Hearing that the Emperor had summoned the imperial physician to inquire about Chunpin’s treatment, the Empress Dowager disregarded the veiled provocations from Consort De.

Difei had become increasingly impulsive lately.

She was not as composed as before—was it because she now held the highest rank among the consorts?

The Empress Dowager’s lips curled slightly, and Consort De suddenly realized her indiscretion.

Knowing her place, she quickly changed the subject and ceased speaking of Chunpin.

Still, the Empress Dowager remained indifferent.

“Consort De, you may leave. I am feeling tired.”

Concubine De showed no embarrassment and smiled warmly, “Yes, please rest well, Your Majesty.”

As Consort De departed with her maid, the Empress Dowager’s smile gradually vanished.

“Once she appeared noble and virtuous, yet I never imagined she could be so base. Merely because she holds the title of consort, she’s already flaunting her status. The moment power was bestowed upon her, she transformed entirely. Does she truly believe I’m unaware of her schemes?”

Gui Mama brought over freshly prepared pastries.

“My Lady, why be angry with a mere consort? If you dislike her, simply replace her.”

The Empress Dowager shook her head: “Gui, the one sitting on the Dragon Throne is my son. Though I may not fully understand him anymore, I still know him somewhat. Everything I do now is for his sake. But if I were to remove someone simply because I dislike her, he would not approve. Don’t forget, she is the mother of the Second Prince. Even if she becomes increasingly inappropriate, the Prince himself is a good child. And how could I let a mere woman create a rift between my son and me? After all, he is the only close family I have left.”

Gui Mama nodded understandingly.

“If she cannot be replaced, then support others to rise. With more people around, she won’t stand out.”

The Empress Dowager smiled faintly: “Isn’t that exactly what I am doing now?”

Gui Mama moved behind the Empress Dowager and began massaging her shoulders.

“I have observed Consort Chun many times. Among the newly entered palace women, her favor with the Emperor is not entirely unexpected. It’s not that she is particularly extraordinary, but she has a certain quality that other consorts lack.”

“Oh?” The Empress Dowager became interested.

“Tell me—what kind of quality?”

Gui Mama paused, choosing her words carefully: “It’s hard to describe precisely. I just feel she is different from other women. I once saw her interact with the Emperor twice. She acted so naturally, as if the Emperor were simply her husband, not the ruler of the nation. That coquettish manner and soft voice—though I’ve never been married, I imagine if I were a man, I would prefer a woman like her.”

The Empress Dowager was momentarily stunned, then smiled: “Even though Cheren is the Emperor, he is still a man. Chunpin is young and constantly relies on him—surely he finds that endearing?”

Gui Mama chuckled: “I originally thought the Emperor would favor Fu Jinyao, following in Empress Fu’s footsteps. But instead, he has grown fond of this seemingly ordinary Consort Chun.”

“A mere imitation. She may think herself precious, but she is only a substitute. And even that substitute is a counterfeit.”

“Sometimes fate plays a great joke on everyone. Who could have imagined the Fu family raised their son as a daughter for so long?” Gui Mama sighed.

The Empress Dowager fell into thought.

Back then, when the seven-year-old Che’er met Fu Jinyu, who was dressed as a girl, he was captivated by her beauty. Upon returning to the palace, he requested from the Emperor to marry Fu’s daughter, planning to wed her in a few years. No one expected that Fu’s “daughter” was actually a boy. Only after the engagement to Fu Jinxiu was finalized did they discover the misunderstanding.

Later, Fu Jinyu entered the palace as a companion to the young Prince. It was only then that they learned Fu Jinyu had been frail since childhood. A master had advised his family to raise him as a girl until the age of eight.

Che’er always prioritized the greater good. Originally, his request to marry a Fu daughter was not only for her beauty but also for the status of Chancellor Fu. Upon learning the truth, he did not react strongly. Few knew the secret—only their mother, the Empress Dowager, and Gui Mama.

Now, watching Fu Jinyao imitate Empress Fu’s mannerisms, the Empress Dowager stroked her Go board, finding it truly amusing.

Glancing at the portrait of her younger self hanging on the wall, the Empress Dowager sneered coldly: “Fu Yunrui, your daughter turns out to be no more than this.”