Chapter 76:

The Pavilion of Listening to the Rain had a constant stream of people coming and going. Emperor Jing stood in the outer chamber with a dark expression. All the concubines, big and small, in the palace stood on one side. Such a scene had only occurred once before in the palace, when Consort Hui Fu Jinyao had miscarried.

Lian Xiuyun and Apricot were both kneeling outside the door.

Finally, Imperial Physician Wan emerged from the inner chamber.

“Reporting to the Emperor, Concubine Chun’s life is no longer in danger and she will soon awaken. However, as this is early spring and the pond water is icy cold, for a full recovery, she will need to rest and recuperate extensively.”

Bang! The Emperor swept the cup off the table onto the floor. With the Six Palaces without a proper mistress, even if someone were a consort, no one dared to step forward and incur the Emperor’s wrath.

“Bring them two in.”

Upon hearing this, Lai Xi immediately understood and hurriedly led Apricot and Lian Xiuyun, who were kneeling at the entrance, inside. The two must have been kneeling for too long, as their steps were unsteady.

“Just what exactly happened?”

Lian Xiuyun’s makeup had been ruined by her tears. Upon seeing the Emperor’s inquiry, she quickly spoke up, “Your Majesty, I am innocent. I didn’t do it on purpose. I myself don’t even know how Concubine Chun ended up in the water. Your Majesty, please see the truth!”

Her insinuation was that Shen Layue had fallen into the water on her own and framed her.

Apricot, standing beside her, was furious, “You’re lying! It was clearly you who pushed the mistress into the water. Now that the mistress has not yet awakened, you twist the facts. Everything was clearly your doing, yet you still want to frame others. How could you be so cruel…”

Lian Xiuyun kept shaking her head, “No, Your Majesty, please see the truth. I didn’t do it. I really don’t know what happened…”

Jinxin had been anxiously waiting on the side. Seeing that Lian Xiuyun was still trying to pin the blame on her mistress, she immediately knelt down, “Your Majesty, my mistress was looking forward to going on the inspection tour with you the day after tomorrow. How could she use such a scheme to frame someone else? Moreover, look at this, would someone who wants to frame others end up in the dangerous situation inside right now?”

Jinxin couldn’t stop crying. Although the Emperor hadn’t asked her, she took the initiative to speak out. However, even if she were to be punished, she was determined to seek justice for her mistress.

Although Jinxin was impolite, she did point out a crucial point. Even if Shen Layue wanted to frame Lian Xiuyun, she wouldn’t have chosen this time. Not to mention the icy pond water in early spring that could easily harm someone, the day after tomorrow was the rare opportunity for her to go on the inspection tour with the Emperor. How could she be so foolish?

Lian Xiuyun was not favored and held a low rank. To frame her would not be worth putting herself in such a situation. Shen Layue would have been the foolish one. Moreover, if the rescue had been delayed, she could have died.

Everyone kept their eyes lowered, not speaking, and not wanting to get involved in this messy affair.

“You, describe what happened at that time.”

This was directed at Apricot.

Apricot wiped her tears, “My mistress and I were returning from Huici Palace and were admiring the scenery by the pond when coincidentally Concubine Lian also came by. Everyone knows that Concubine Lian does not like my mistress. My mistress, not wanting to cause trouble, was preparing to leave, but Concubine Lian did not allow my mistress to go. During the struggle, my mistress fell into the water.”

Apricot naturally spoke in favor of her mistress, while also implicating Lian Xiuyun.

This was natural. Without her saying it, others in the palace already knew. Lian Xiuyun had previously been demoted due to offending Shen Layue.

“No, I didn’t. I really didn’t. I just wanted to talk with my younger sister for a bit longer. It was indeed an accidental collision. Your Majesty, I did not do it on purpose. I really did not do it on purpose…”

At this point, Lian Xiuyun realized that framing Shen Layue would not be convincing, so she decided to insist it was an accident.

The Emperor had been watching their mutual accusations from the beginning without uttering a word.

Seeing the four major maids of Tingyu Pavilion kneeling there, Jinxin had knelt down earlier, and Ta’er and Guo’er quickly knelt beside her as well. The expressions on their faces were filled with grief.

The other concubines witnessed this and were even less inclined to speak. No one wanted to get involved in this mess. Recently, the palace had indeed been experiencing a lot of troubles, but nothing had been this serious before.

Since the new concubines entered the palace, there had been an endless stream of major and minor incidents.

Now the emperor was in a rage, and no one wanted to draw fire to themselves. And considering Lian Xiuyun’s character, aside from Bai Xiaodie, few people would want to associate with her.

Although she had the reputation of being a talented woman, her behavior was extremely erratic.

Since her entry into the palace, this reputation as a talented woman had become a laughingstock for others. No one knew how such a woman could have gained such a famous reputation throughout the capital.

“You go in and take care of your mistress.” After a long while, the emperor finally spoke, pointing at someone at random. That person was Guo’er.

“The servant girl obeys the decree.” Guo’er quickly got up and entered the inner chamber.

Jinxin kept her head lowered, so others could not see her expression, but no one noticed the flicker of concern in her eyes when the emperor pointed at Guo’er.

Emperor Jing finally sat down. The small couch in Tingyu Pavilion was their usual place for playful activities.

Now the young girl was inside suffering, and he felt a surge of irritation in his heart.

“It’s been a long time since the palace was properly disciplined. I suppose you all think I’m weak and can be taken advantage of. Since entering the palace, Yue has constantly been targeted because of my favor, not to mention her own cousin who harbors ill intentions. Today, she’s pitifully lying there. She’s young, and although she acts a bit ostentatiously, she has never harmed anyone or targeted anyone. Yet you lot, one after another, scheme against her. How virtuous you are. I suppose back in your families, you didn’t learn music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but rather how to harm others?”

The Emperor’s words were not just directed at Lian Xiuyun but also swept across many others. Although others didn’t know exactly what the Emperor meant, they understood he was genuinely angry.

Many people inwardly cursed Lian Xiuyun as a harbinger of misfortune. If she wanted to harm someone, she should have done it decisively. Now that Shen Layue had been rescued, she herself was reprimanded, but she also dragged them all into the Emperor’s disfavor.

Everyone knelt down and cried out their innocence in unison.

The Emperor rarely laughed coldly, “Innocent? Perhaps some of you are innocent, but those who are not innocent may not be a minority. Don’t think I don’t know anything. In the past, I refrained from speaking much out of consideration for your service, but that doesn’t mean I would allow things to develop unchecked.”

Everyone was startled, not knowing what the Emperor had uncovered. They only knew that this matter wasn’t just about Concubine Chun. The Emperor was likely using today’s incident to warn them all.

And indeed, that was the Emperor’s intention.

Recently, their behavior had become increasingly erratic. If he didn’t give them a timely warning, they might think they could do as they pleased in the palace. They might also believe that using schemes could elevate their status.

No one dared to speak further, kneeling there obediently. Even Chen Yulan was no exception. The Emperor had mentioned her earlier, which shocked her even more, making her dare not put on her usual act of pretending to be pregnant.

“Your Majesty…” Guo’er came out at the right moment.

Quickly she said, “Your Majesty, the mistress has awakened…”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor immediately got up and rushed into the inner chamber.

Layue slowly regained consciousness, secretly cursing herself for not being more careful and falling into Lian Xiuyun’s trap. Was she crazy? How could she dare to do such a thing?

As she was lost in thought, the Emperor had already rushed into the inner chamber.

Seeing her pale face, Emperor Jing sat on the edge of the bed.

Layue, with a pitiful pout, said, “You, you almost couldn’t see me anymore…”

Instead of elaborating on her grievances, she said this, which made Emperor Jing’s heart ache even more.

With a big hand, he gently brushed the hair from her cheeks to the sides.

“Where are you uncomfortable?”

She lightly shook her head, speaking in a very low voice, “Nothing. Seeing you suddenly makes me feel comfortable everywhere.”

“Comfortable everywhere?”

“Uh-huh. And being able to see you is really great!” Her voice was very soft, clearly showing her vulnerability.

Her fragile appearance moved the Emperor. He lay down beside her on the bed, pulling her into his arms, “I didn’t protect you well.”

She weakly moved a bit, leaning her head against his neck, “It’s okay. From now on, I will protect myself well so you won’t have to worry.”

Regardless of whether she was acting or not at this moment, the Emperor’s heart softened. He had expected her to cry and complain about her grievances, but he hadn’t expected her to say these things. She said she was fine and that it was good she could still see him.

“I can’t take you with me anymore.” His voice was somewhat muffled.

She felt a bit disappointed about not being able to go out, but since things had come to this, she would only let this incident work in her favor.

“I’ll wait for you here. Later, later on, you will still take me with you, right?”

Her eyes were filled with hope.

“Yes, I will. I will definitely take you with me in the future.”

The two only spoke for a short while before Layue began to feel tired. Seeing her drowsy expression, the Emperor patted her, “Good girl, go to sleep. Have a good rest. Don’t worry, I will make sure justice is served for you.”

While the Emperor was comforting Shen Layue in the inner chamber, the other concubines were kneeling in the outer chamber.

The people who were wrongfully implicated not only hated Shen Layue but also resented the instigator, Lian Xiuyun. They couldn’t understand how she could be so foolish.

After Layue fell asleep, the Emperor stepped outside and saw everyone still kneeling there. He finally spoke.

“Except for Lian Xiuyun, you may all rise.”

The Emperor looked at Lian Xiuyun, seemingly contemplating how to deal with her. In terms of her rank, she was already very low, yet even so, she hadn’t settled down, constantly causing trouble.

His gaze shifted to the crowd, pausing slightly when it landed on Bai Xiaodie. Considering Lian Xiuyun’s reputation as a talented woman, she shouldn’t be this foolish. However, since entering the palace, her actions had become increasingly unreliable. As for Chen Yulan, her behavior had also become more aggressive.

He let out a cold laugh.

Were they truly changing, or was someone causing mischief?