The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 145

‘Put an end to her plan’? When it came to this matter, He Lian Min Min was quite clever. She was only a step away from suggesting directly that He Lian Wei Rui be sent to the Eighth Prince’s residence.

Mu Xi Yao felt a little cheated in this deal. Since He Lian Min Min dared to bring it up so openly, it meant that it has something to do with her return to her maternal home. Someone must have given her guidance behind the scenes; otherwise, this woman wouldn’t have let go of her grudges so easily.

“Since it’s all for the peace of the household, Qie has no reason to refuse.” Whether she said it or not, the job had to be done. This time, she might have suffered a bit on the surface, but she would make up for it next time. Besides, she could always act pitiful and weak in front of the Sixth Highness. The benefits should be enough to compensate for the ‘losses’ due to her excessive generosity.

If one really wanted to talk about what losses she suffered, it was just that demoness Mu did not gain any benefit and still had to use her brain to drive away the woman she disliked.

After receiving her straightforward answer, satisfied, He Lian Min Min leisurely left with her people.

Mu Xi Yao was indeed wary of the woman who had also drawn the Phoenix Stick. Her mother was right. The negotiation this time went unexpectedly smoothly, and the result made He Lian Min Min extremely satisfied. One mountain couldn’t contain two tigers? Hmph! After He Lian Wei Rui was dealt with, she and Mu Xi Yao would again go their separate ways. How to live on from there, there was a long way to go….Mu’shi was probably thinking the same thing.

“Wei Zhen, keep an eye on He Lian residence. Sir He Lian should be very busy these few days.” Mu Xi Yao was dependable in getting things done. When she agreed to do something, she always kept her promise.

“Mistress, should you not inform His Highness about this matter? He Lian House is not easy to deal with.” Wei Zhen had just been hiding in the corner and had heard the conversation between the two women clearly. He wasn’t sure what Mistress Yao was planning to do. His Highness probably would be very displeased if he learnt that He Lian Principal Consort instigated Mistress to carry out this task.

“He Lian House is certainly not a pushover. But some things are not necessarily achieved by having a strong foundation. A little flaw is enough to change the whole course of events.”

How to find this flaw? Mu Xi Yao decided to wait and see what action Sir He Lian would take first.

——

Zong Zheng Lin strolled outside the camp with Yan Cheng Zhou. As he was halfway up the mountain, he saw Zong Zheng Ming sitting on the ground in an almond-white brocade robe. He held a transverse flute against his lips, and the ancient tune of《Floating goblet》carried to Zong Zheng Lin’s ears. It was especially moving in this deep mountain.

Mu Xi Yao had a particular fondness for《Floating goblet》, and whenever she played the guqin, she never failed to include this piece. Now, Zong Zheng Ming also had a deep attachment to 《Floating goblet》. A glint of light flashed in Zong Zheng Lin’s phoenix eyes.

Upon hearing the music played by Fifth Prince for the first time, Yan Cheng Zhou found it quite pleasant to the ear. Although he was not knowledgeable in musical theory, he could at least grasp the general idea. Fifth Highness seemed to have a solid foundation as this melody went straight into people’s hearts. It felt like there was a sense of solace embedded within the melody.

When Zong Zheng Lin turned, he saw Yan Cheng Zhou listening intently. His eyes darkened even more.

“Sixth Brother.” After Zong Zheng Ming finished playing the tune, he turned and politely greeted the coming people. He had already noticed them when they arrived but had no intention of interrupting this ancient melody.

“Fifth Brother seems to be in good spirits.” All by himself at night, he chose such an elegant pastime.

Zong Zheng Ming swirled the long flute in his hand, then pushed himself up with one hand and rose to his feet. He roughly tidied his brocade robe and smiled with striking elegance.

“This piece is quite fitting for the occasion. An old friend once praised 《Floating goblet》as lofty and elegant. When there’s nothing to do, only this piece is still somewhat presentable.” There was a hint of regret in Zong Zheng Ming’s words. He had never heard that person play the guqin, otherwise, it would have been a refined event of people from high society.

An old friend? The curve on Zong Zheng Lin’s lips gradually disappeared. When did Mu Xi Yao, that woman, become Zong Zheng Ming’s old friend?

“We’ll strike camp early tomorrow. It’s better for Fifth Brother to rest early if you have had enough fun.” Zong Zheng Lin nodded and bid farewell with his hands behind his back, walking away at an unhurried pace with Yan Cheng Zhou.

On their way down the mountain, Sixth Highness glanced at the Commander of Guards beside him and spoke in a mild voice, “Is the tune good?”

Yang Cheng Zhou nodded honestly, “This subordinate thinks His Fifth Highness’s piece is quite good.” However, he couldn’t put into words what made it good since he was crude. He could only respond based on his feeling.

“Since you’re interested in musical theory, practice more during your spare time. During the break between the next military drill, it would be good to have some variety added to the routine.” After saying this, Zong Zheng Lin didn’t speak again.

Yan Cheng Zhou’s steps faltered, staring at his Master’s back with wide eyes.

Studying musical theory? Has His Highness given him the wrong task? He has been tone-deaf since he was young and couldn’t even read music scores. With such an aptitude, there was simply no musician willing to teach him.

Yan Cheng Zhou held back his doubts and followed Sixth Highness all the way back to the campsite. Even after going to sleep, he still didn’t figure it out. He just couldn’t help but wonder, does he really have to embarrass himself and perform during the next military drill?

Zong Zheng Lin picked up the letter from Mu Xi Yao and read it carefully under the oil lamp.

In the dead of the night with silence all around, he missed the soft appearance of the little woman when she acted shamelessly and coquettishly. Half a month had passed, but a string of matters kept coming up in the residence, leaving her with no idle moment.

He then took over Cheng Qing’s ‘seal’ that was always attached to the back of each letter. That boy must be having fun running around in Danruo Courtyard where he was raised by his mother with no restrictions.

Zong Zheng Lin glanced at the stack of letters in the box and felt that these rebels needed to be wiped out as soon as possible.

So on the second day, all the soldiers noticed that Sixth Highness’s expression had become even sterner, and the speed of their march seemed to have increased by a few notches. If it was just Sixth Highness who acted differently, people might have thought it was due to the urgency of the military situation. However, Fifth Highness next to him also wore a rare grim expression, which instantly made the whole troop more solemn. Everyone buried their heads and moved quickly. Out of the corner of their eyes, they caught a glimpse of two dark circles under Commander Yan’s eyes and did not dare to make a sound.

——

In the Shengjing’s imperial palace, He Lian Min Min led Su Lin Rou and two shufeis to pay their respects to Her Ladyship Consort Shu. Then, they got on a sedan chair and followed Her Ladyship to visit Empress Dowager in Fengan Palace.

As they entered the main hall, He Lian Min Min saw several princesses gathered around Empress Dowager, chatting and joking around. At the moment, the smile on Empress Dowager Jin’s face was amiable.

“Your Ladyship Empress Dowager, Chenqie brought Sixth’s family to pay respects to you.” Consort Shu said with a graceful smile and bowed respectfully. Behind her, He Lian Min Min and others followed suit. They closely followed behind Consort Shu and paid their respects to Empress Dowager Jin, who sat on the seat of honor of the couch bed.

“No need for formalities.” Empress Dowager Jin raised her right hand slightly, the golden crystal nail guard on her little finger was particularly eye-catching.

Consort Shu went to sit down with the imperial concubines while He Lian Min Min self-consciously led the people to sit on the seat left to the Fifth Princess Consort.

“Did Sixth Sister-In-Law not sleep well? Why are your eyes a little swollen?” Zong Zheng Ying, who was sitting opposite, spoke out and addressed He Lian Min Min with a question.

Empress Dowager looked over and it was indeed a bit eye-catching.

“Sixth’s Consort, what’s the matter? Did you not rest well at night, or did you overexert yourself? You have to take good care of yourself, Aijia is still looking forward to holding a great-grandchild.” Empress Dowager Jin was always worried about He Lian’shi’s pregnancy as there had been no news of it yet.

He Lian Min Min sat upright with her hands folded on her knees, maintaining excellent bearing.

“Replying to Old Ancestor, Qie is using a medicated diet to nurture Qie’s body. Qie used it late last night, hence Qie’s eyes were slightly swollen this morning.”

“Timing is important when using medicated diets. It’s important to keep in mind the matter of producing an heir. Tell your servants to remind you. Otherwise, drinking so many bowls of medicinal soup will be in vain, and it will be a waste of effort.” A pleased expression appeared on Empress Dowager’s face upon hearing that she was proactively using the medicine.

“What are Sixth Sister-In-Law’s results then? When will you fulfill Old Ancestor’s wish to hold her great-grandchild?” Zong Zheng Yin’s eyes gleamed with sharpness. She now saw Zong Zheng Lin’s whole family as an eyesore. With imperial favor on Consort Shu not waning, she couldn’t move her for the time being, but she could still make things difficult for He Lian’shi. This content belongs to thehlifestyle.com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!

He Lian Min Min was prepared to be nitpicked by her, but she didn’t expect that Zong Zheng Ying would also be so unbridled in front of Empress Dowager and deliberately target her vulnerability, giving her no face.

“Momo said that it takes two or three months of using the medicine with peace of mind. As for the heir, it still depends on fate.” He Lian Min Min’s face displayed a hint of bashfulness as if embarrassed to be elaborating so extensively in front of others.

“Why is it that Bengong heard that Sixth Brother often stays in Mu Cefei’s quarters and doesn’t visit Sister-In-Law’s chamber much.”

With this one sentence, Zong Zheng Ying brought to light two issues: Mu Xi Yao’s monopolization of favor and He Lian Min Min’s inability to win Zong Zheng Lin’s affection.

Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zong Zheng Ying, then turned to He Lian Min Min, whose expression has changed.

“Is this true?” What is going on with the decorum in Sixth’s household?

Consort Shu looked toward He Lian Min Min, fearing that she didn’t understand the situation and would say the wrong thing, aggravating the matter. Unexpectedly, He Lian Min Min showed unusually good judgment and offered an explanation that excused Mu Xi Yao.

“Old Ancestor, there’s nothing that could be done about it.” He Lian Min Min turned her head and looked at Zong Zheng Ying, patiently correcting her words, “This pregnancy of Mu’shi is really unstable, so His Highness naturally displayed more concern. In such a situation, it’s only natural for him to stay at her quarters and keep watch during the night. Moreover, His Highness slept on the nearby bed separated by a screen, which did not violate any rules.”

Whatever the truth may be, He Lian Min Min knew it better than anyone else. However, at this moment, she had to answer in this way, otherwise, if there was no conduct in the inner yard, Old Ancestor would certainly not be pleased.

Empress Dowager remembered what the Head Master of Anguo Temple had said. Considering that this child had the exceptionally good fortune, being lively and energetic should be a good thing. Since she sympathized with Mu’shi’s difficult pregnancy, her doubts were dispelled to some extent.

“Besides, His Highness won’t break any rules for Mu’shi. Before leaving the capital, His Sixth Highness would visit various courtyards each month. There was no such thing as Princess said. Perhaps, Princess heard the wrong news, or was deceived by someone.”

Where did Zong Zheng Ying get this information from? He Lian Min Min was waiting for her to explain herself.

Su Lin Rou had been persuaded by He Lian Min Min beforehand and they had already reached an agreement earlier. Although she was inwardly unwilling, she had a look of accord on her face.

Wan Jing Wen and Lady Zhang were just shufeis. They were not even qualified to speak in front of the Empress Dowager. If no one asked them questions, they could only remain silent and wait. Hearing He Lian Min Min’s answer just now, they were extremely shocked inside but did not reveal any of the emotion on their faces.

Empress Dowager felt relieved upon seeing that women in Zong Zheng Lin’s inner yard were getting along well. On contrary, she was displeased with Zong Zheng Ying for listening to rumors without verifying their truthfulness.

“Fourth Lass, how can someone of your status casually listen to and believe rumors, and make unfounded remarks in public? Why would you privately inquire about the affairs in your Sixth Brother’s residence? Do you want or not your dignity and esteem?” Empress Dowager, being a typical woman of the harem, had strict requirements for women’s conduct. When she saw Zong Zheng Ying overstepping her boundaries, she naturally had to give her a reprimand.

“You’re also the head of the household now. Does Aijia still need to tell you about your top priorities? Regarding what you said about Sixth’s Consort, what plans do you have for yourself? Have you had Momo take a look at you and properly nourished your body?

Empress Dowager’s question not only made Zong Zheng Ying feel ashamed but also surprised He Lian Min Min.

He Lian Min Min thought that Empress Dowager would scold Zong Zheng Ying for her unguarded tongue and for listening to some nonsense. To her surprise, Old Ancestor was influenced by her earlier reply and recalled the private affairs of the princess’s household.

He Lian Min Min cast a sidelong glance at Zong Zheng Ying and secretly laughed to herself.

That was a loud slap.

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Translation notes:

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)

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