The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 19

This day, Mu Xi Yao was watching Mu Xi Ting tying knot in the courtyard. The deft movement of her hands and her fingers that seemed to fly made Mu Xi Yao repeatedly acclaim. It’s so good to have a pair of skillful hands, she thought. Unfortunately, she was not competent in needlework. Otherwise, she would certainly make herself a Chinese knot. That was definitely worth to be called a fine piece of work. Compared to Great Wei’s thousand something history, Huaxia¹beats it in every aspect. The more Mu Xi Yao thought of it the more unwilling she became. She contemplated that she could draw a pattern. As long as she found the finest master, she wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to make a knot.

Although Mu Xi Yao watched Mu Xi Ting’s hands distractedly, she was reckoning in her mind that since she had a store among her dowries, she could use it to create a Jia Yi Workshop² that womenfolk were fond of. Once she married, it would not be so convenient for her to use money. Or could it be that when the principal wife married over, she had to go and ask her with a a thick skin for money? It would be too shameful. So shameful it would reach another time-space. It was absolutely not possible. Hence, she rushed to find lady Yu, telling her that she wanted extremely skillful seamstresses and needlework teachers.

Lady Yu was already used to her younger daughter’s unpredictable personality. Since she thought that Mu Xi Yao was going to fool around, she asked her what were these people for. Mu Xi Yao greatly praised her exquisite ideas and then gazed at lady Yu with an expression that was saying, “I’m so clever, right? I request a praise”, making lady Yu not know whether she should laugh or cry³. What was the “Jia Yi Workshop”, lady Yu did not understand at all. She only felt that it should be the same as the embroidery workshop. However, as this was their last few moments together, she could not bear to refuse Mu Xi Yao. Thus, she complied. Mu Xi Yao was immediately overjoyed. She hugged lady Yu and cuddled with her for a while before she contentedly went back to her quarters.

—–

On the other side, Zhong Zheng Lin also learnt that Yu House was searching for needlework teachers. He was quite perplexed. Didn’t reports say Mu Xi Yao was not versed with needlework? How come she needed so many needlework teachers? Zhong Zheng Lin instinctively felt that rabbit was probably bored and she was about to start getting naughty.

Sure enough. A little while later, news that mistress Yao wanted to open something called Jia Yi House arrived. The shadow guard looked at His Highness’s face, thinking that he was about to get angry. To one’s surprise, his Highness cared only about whether she had found people or not. If not, they were to secretly send her some. There was no such thing as him feeling like losing face because his shufei was making a fuss outside. The shadow guard now understood that his Highness’s decorum never applied on that attention drawing mistress Yao.

Since Mu Xi Yao was preoccupied with her own affairs, she had long ago forgotten about Zhong Zheng Lin. Fancy that his sixth Highness was concerned about her progress yet unexpectedly, he had raised a little white-eyed wolf⁴.

Of course, there were many people who were interested in prominent and powerful and also young and handsome sixth Highness. For example, the four concubines in his inner yard. Oh, strictly speaking, it should be three since lady Wu was an invisible. At this moment, they were racking their brains and thinking how to make his Highness visit their chambers.

Although lady Kong was the senior in the inner yard and not favored, she was still unwilling to resign. Besides, her current circumstances were much more tolerable than those two newcomers. However, when she recalled that his Highness would rather be like that than make love with her, she started to worry. Though she was prohibited to conceive, at least there were some prospects. Nowadays it became even more difficult. If she did not hurry up and gave birth to a child while she was still young, she will have no more opportunities as there will be only more and more people entering the inner yard in the future.

Lady Zhang understood her situation well. She knew that his Highness didn’t give her a thought thus she did not even try to seduce him, making him despise her. She stayed contently in the inner yard, hoping that his Highness seeing her so well-behaved would treat her leniently. After all, although that lady Kong was not favored, his Highness still occasionally visited her chamber. As long as he did not completely ignore her, she still had hope. This lady Zhang was indeed lighthearted. Unfortunately, she did not understand lady Kong’s awkwardness or else she would not be able to sit so still.

Lady Qi thought even more. Being the pampered and spoilt miss at her home, she has never received such a cold treatment. Therefore, she could not adapt to life in the residence at all. During the days, she could not even see a fly. She thought that she was going to suffocate to death. Sometimes, the women would visit each other but they couldn’t find anything to converse about. After finishing chatting about those needleworks, there would be no more topics for them to talk. Or else were they to say that they have been given a cold shoulder by his Highness again?

Besides, the protocol in the inner yard was very strict. They could only stroll in nearby places. As soon as they walked a little bit further away, they would be politely sent back. However one looked at this, it appeared like a house arrest. Lady Qi was indignant for receiving such a cold treatment. Previously, her personal maid came to inform her that she had heard that there was one very beautiful courtyard in this residence. It has been sorted out already several times and things were being constantly sent inside. It seemed to be called “Danruo Courtyard” something. When lady Qi heard that there was such a good place, she became restless as she wanted to have a look at it. Who would have known that when she asked the steward about its location, he would tell her that only people appointed by his Highness could enter “Danruo Courtyard”. It exasperated lady Qi into flicking her handkerchief and leaving.

Lady Qi could not help herself from complaining. Did she enter prince’s residence to enjoy wealth and ranks or was she at the temple cultivating herself? She did not want things to go like this. As a result, she started to craft a devious plan in her mind.

This day Zhong Zheng Lin returned to his residence early. Therefore, he planned to go to Danruo Courtyard to sit for a while and take a look at what other things could be added there. As soon as he entered the inner yard, he met on his way a young woman who walked slowly toward him. She lowered her body to curtsy and greet him. The woman’s fair neck was slightly exposed, the faint fragrance coming from her body was quite elegant. Zhong Zheng Lin told her to rise and then strode forward without giving her even a glance.

“Your Highness～” The woman behind spoke softly, yet not appearing to be boisterous.” Qie⁵ has prepared a walnut lotus seed soup today. Is your Highness willing to give it a try?”

Walnut lotus seed soup? Zhong Zheng Lin suddenly called to mind that the dessert Mu Xi Yao picked on that day in West Lake had exactly this name. After a moment of thinking, he instructed Wei Zhen to bring it to his study later on. Afterward, he went straight to Danruo Courtyard.

It was lady Qi’s first time seeing his sixth Highness close-up. She didn’t expect him to be so handsome. Inwardly, she was even more determined. She looked at the sun and then turned to return back to her courtyard. She wondered if today she would be able to succeed. Originally, she wanted to personally bring him the soup to the study, but unexpectedly, his Highness has sent Wei Zhen to do the task. Hopefully, his Highness would more or less remember her and would seek her instead of those wenches.

—–

Evening.

Inside the study, Zhong Zheng Lin looked at the little blue-white porcelain bowl on the table. There were few pieces of chopped walnuts floating on the crystal clear soup. It gave him a little appetite. He scooped some with the spoon and slowly swallowed. He consumed a little bit of it and then had people withdraw it.

That day, he saw Mu Xi Yao consuming it gleefully. So it tasted like this. He wondered how sweet it would turn to be if it was tasted through Mu Xi Yao’s little mouth. The more Zhong Zheng Lin thought the more his thoughts started to deviate. He felt his body getting hotter. When he suppressed the desire, he only felt that rabbit was too tormenting.

Unexpectedly, in the evening, his body started to stir restlessly again. It wasn’t until then that Zhong Zheng Lin finally sensed something was wrong. As he recalled that bowl of lotus soup, a cold light flashed through his phoenix eyes. Very well, daring to mess around in the prince’s residence. Although Zhong Zheng Lin’s prince residence was packed densely with shadow guards, he did not keep an eye on his inner yard. After all, his inner yard was practically empty all these years, so there was no need to waste his manpower. Nowadays, it seems that he should not let off even the inner yard.

Zhong Zheng Lin intended to suppress his desire by force, but it did not turn for better. As time went by, it became more and more intense. Very good. It seemed that even the medicine they used was very carefully selected. Previously, he has already suppressed it once. Now, the medicine went out on full force. He ought to carefully check this woman’s background. Zhong Zheng Lin resisted the discomfort and contemplated for a moment. After that, he rose and went to the inner yard. Want a man? Alright. He might as well fulfill her wish.

Zhong Zheng Lin kicked off the door to lady Qi’s courtyard and went directly to her quarters. Before she could get up, he grabbed her and threw her on the bed. He tore her clothes without any pity. Lady Qi was still a virgin hence how could she bear such a crude treatment from Zhong Zheng Lin? She miserable shrieked an “Ah!”, hurting so much that her whole body was convulsing.

“You want a man?” Listening to his icy cold tone and sensing the viciousness in his words, lady Qi knew that she has been exposed. But since her using the drug was absolutely confidential and it was difficult for someone to easily discover, she bit her teeth and refused to relent.

“Your Highness, this servant doesn’t.” She was really hurting down there. Zhong Zheng Lin only vented his lust. He wasn’t tender with her at all. Lady Qi’s eyes glistened with tears.

“Doesn’t?” Zhong Zheng Lin’s movement became savage. His eyes turned into a frost.

He clutched her chin, “Do you know Yu Gu of Red Pavilion?” After he asked the question, he cast her off.

Lady Qi’s face immediately changed. Red Pavilion was Shengjing’s most famous brothel. Yu Gu was the person in charge of Red Pavilion from behind the scene and also the descendant of Tianxian elder, making her one of few people that could see through lady Qi’s trick. Ordinary people had absolutely no idea about Red Pavilion’s Yu Gu and her hidden identity. In an instant, her face paled. She did not expect his Highness would know Yu Gu. Indeed, one careless move and the whole game was lost.

“Your Highness, this servant deserves death. Please spare this servant, your Highness. This servant will not dare to do such a thing ever again.” For several times, lady Qi has been tormented by Zhong Zheng Lin until she has almost fainted but at the end the severe pain made her even more sober.

Zhong Zheng Lin’s cruelty made lady Qi keep shivering despite that her whole body ached. Her heart felt icy-cold.

“Want a man? Your wish shall be fulfilled.”

Lady Qi’s miserable shrieks lasted for one night. When the sky was slightly bright, Zhong Zheng Lin cast away the woman on the bed. He draped over himself the outer robe and went out.

When lady Qi’s maidservant entered the room, she saw her mistress lying on her back, half of her body dropped out of bed, seeming to have passed out. There was no blood on her face. Her hair was messy. She looked just like a ghost. Her naked body was covered with bruises and scratches, some places even had broken skin and little bits of blood seeped from those places. Her lower body was in an even more horrid state. The two deep five-finger prints on her thighs were so red it got purple, looking like a bruise.

The servant girl was so frightened she kept trembling. Afraid that words would spread out, she carefully did a cleaning and then settled lady Qi in bed. When she heard lady Qi’s heart-rendering shrieks and his Highness’s cold and furious chiding inside the room, she knew that her mistress had angered his Highness. Yet, she did not expect his Highness would be this enraged. Although his Highness was abnormally cold, he never had an abusing people’s habit. This time, she was afraid, her mistress had brought upon herself a disaster.

“Wei Zhen, investigate!” As soon as Zhong Zheng Lin entered the front yard, he ordered for hot water and had Wei Zhen investigate this matter. He also did not forget to instruct him to dispatch shadow guards to monitor the movements of each courtyard.

Wei Zhen got so scared he did not dare to utter any more words and retreated. Today, his Highness was infuriated. Lady Qi most likely won’t get her desired outcome. That year when his Highness was seven, he has also got so furious. As a result, inside the inner court, thirteen people lost their lives and seven people were dismissed and investigated. He was afraid that today it would be even worse.

In the morning of the second day, the chief steward took people into the inner yard and pulled lady Qi out of the bed. Lady Qi was pushed onto the bench and received flogging. In addition, the women inside the inner yard were all called over to “attend” this ritual. The chief steward has then announced his Highness’s orders. Lady Qi lacked morals and had no conducts of the noblewoman, hence she shall be put under house arrest for three months and nobody was allowed to visit her. Afterward, people lifted up lady Qi and departed.

Everyone gritted their teeth when they received the news that his Highness rested in lady Qi’s place yesterday. However, they did not expect such turn of events today. These women were now so frightened their legs turned wobbly. As they returned to their respective courtyards, they needed to be supported by their maidservants.

This time, lady Qi has been first ruthlessly abused by Zhong Zheng Lin and, following after, she received solid board strokes. As she was barely alive, she could only slowly recuperate in the inner yard. This episode has made her completely lost her face in the inner yard. In addition, when she learnt from the imperial physician who came to examine her that since she has hurt her foundation and caused herself too severe damage, in the future she will most likely have difficulty to conceive; she forgot to draw a breath due to the anger and passed out.

[1] Huaxia is a historical concept representing the Chinese nation and civilization

[2]Jia Yi Workshop has a literal translation of “fine craft store”. It is a shop that sells variety of items that include clothes, jewellery and other items that femalefolk are fond of

[3] Not to know whether to laugh or cry is an idiom referring to when one find a particular thing or situation both funny and extremely embarrassing

[4] White-eyed wolf is a term used to describe ungrateful people who show no thanks to other people that help them, or refuse to pay back the kindness of others (source)

[5] Qie means this consort. It’s a first person pronoun used to refer to oneself

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