The Beloved Imperial Consort Chapter 5

In the Hall of Taihe, a group of courtiers was gathered with their heads down and postures humble.

Yuanchen Emperor had just vented his anger. The former Provincial Governor of Qingzhou, Guo Jian Ping, was removed from office and being interrogated. The Regional Commander Song Yu was suspended from his duties and handed over to the Ministry of Justice for investigation. The rest were taken into custody, still waiting for trial. He then ordered the Ministry of Personnel to appoint new provincial governor candidates within three days. Yuancheng Emperor was always swift and decisive, and this time was no exception.

After the courtiers retreated, Yuancheng Emperor cast a casual glance at the princes. He saw his eldest son, Zong Zheng Chun, seemed to be getting along well with the Crown Prince, both showing love and respect for each other like two good brothers. The Sixth Prince, Zong Zheng Lin, was coldly nodding to courtiers’ compliments, a slight impatience visible on his face. On the other side, the Fifth Prince, Zong Zheng Ming, had a warm smile, showing quite a refinement in his interactions with the courtiers.

Yuancheng Emperor observed his sons, then went to the imperial study with Chief Eunuch-In-Charge Gu Chang De following him, his expression unreadable.

The changes in the imperial court had caught everyone off guard. Waves were secretly surging under the surface. All eyes were fixed on the vacant yet lucrative post of the provincial governor, with people contemplating how to place their own people in that position.

Zong Zheng Lin, on the contrary, appeared unaffected as usual, with his aloof demeanor. He clearly didn’t want to be dragged into this matter. Those who didn’t know would think that Qingzhou Case had nothing to do with him.

However, the truth is that His Sixth Highness had already set his sights on Qingzhou long before the Crown Prince did. But he left no evidence behind and pushed the boat with the current¹. His arrangements had been properly set up in advance. Afterward, the princes were bound to compete with each other, both publicly and privately. Their supporters would frequently be relocated. In this contest, Zong Zheng Lin’s people were going to be personally pushed up by them. The post of the provincial governor was not far from his grasp. his matter was confidential, not even trusted aides such as Wei Zhen knew about it. It was clear that Zong Zheng Lin’s hidden forces should not be underestimated.

Although the Crown Prince was older than Zong Zheng Lin, it was a pity that he rejoiced in grandiose deeds, was impatient, and was interested only in immediate benefits. He was created as an heir apparent at an early age, which made him bossy and arrogant toward his brothers, and he considered himself superior. He took many things for granted and committed countless misconducts by taking advantage of Yuancheng Emperor’s favor.

As for Zong Zheng Lin, the Crown Prince’s Sixth Brother, on the one hand, he was trying to win him over, but on the other, he was keeping a guard against him. Inwardly, he felt contempt for his Sixth Brother, considering him dull and cold-blooded. However, this didn’t mean that he didn’t see him as a threat. Princes who grew up inside the imperial palace would never be simple, so he had to keep a guard against everyone. Without considering his Sixth Brother Zong Zheng Lin’s usual attitude, even if it was a pretense, so what? He was still weak in his roots. Before establishing his prince’s residence, he stood little chance of winning the fight.

The biggest thorn at the moment was the First Prince, Zong Zheng Chun! Noble Consort Li’s maternal family was a long-established and prominent clan. Zong Zheng Chun’s maternal grandfather was Duke of An and his maternal uncle occupied the position of imperial guards’ commander. His backup was indeed strong.

By making use of the Provincial Governor of Qingzhou Case, they gave Zong Zheng Chun a slap. 

But this slap could only be counted as an interest; there was more waiting for him!

—–

In Qingzhou, Mu Xi Yao was also not idling around. Although she was just a womenfolk and had limited ways of gathering information, there were many instances when she could hear a word or two from Sir Mu’s and Lady Yu’s conversation before the evening meal.

Today, she heard Sir Mu informing Lady Yu that in the coming few days, he would not be able to attend dinner at home as the Fifth Prince would shortly arrive in Jinzhou, running some errands. Since Qingzhou is nearby, he will stop there for two days.

When the two words “Fifth Prince” came out, one person’s name suddenly jumped into Mu Xi Yao’s mind: Di Wu Yi Zhao!!

Di Wu Yi Zhao was a person of great talent! Thoughtful and far-sighted, his wisdom was almost on par with that of a devil. Only the best of the best strategists could compete with him! He was taught by the most acclaimed scholar of his era, Mu Yuan Zhen. Di Wu Yi Zhao had ambitions, yet he was not interested in taking imperial examinations. Furthermore, he possessed quite a strong persona as he patiently waited for a wise master.

Besides being renowned for his intelligence, Di Wu Yi Zhao was also a well-known doting husband. Even though his wife had a hard time bearing a child, as she had fallen victim to intrigues during her maiden times, and had borne him only one daughter, he didn’t mind it at all. He even went as far as to disobey his mother’s order, vowing to never take concubines. To avoid his wife being blamed by his mother, he along with his wife and their daughter, lived all year round outside. He had only one wife and one daughter in his lifetime.

In the previous life, Di Wu Yi Zhao’s wife and daughter had an unpleasant encounter with a rake on the outskirts of Qingzhou’s Fahua Temple. By chance, Zong Zheng Ming passed by and helped them. On the evening of that very day, Di Wu Yi Zhao sent him a visiting card² to personally express his thanks. The two had a chat that went on till very late at night. Henceforth, they became acquainted with each other.

Later, as Zong Zheng Ming returned to the capital, he repeatedly wrote letters expressing his admiration for Di Wu Yi Zhao’s talent and the wish to appoint him as his advisor. Di Wu Yi Zhao deemed Zong Zheng Ming to be honest, humble, and benevolent. Zong Zheng Ming treated men of talent with respect and also had his own view on politics. Although he did not have the qualities to become a sage ruler, he had the potential to be a wise sovereign. Moreover, Di Wu Yi Zhao was grateful to him for aiding his wife and daughter thus he voluntarily enlisted in his services.

With his assistance, Zong Zheng Ming reaped many benefits during the subsequent succession disputes as Di Wu Yi Zhao secretly used the Eight Prince’s hand to inflict serious damage on the Crown Prince’s faction in one swoop and then framed it to the First Prince, accusing him of conspiring machinations. This made Yuancheng Emperor infuriated. He stripped the First Prince’s title of Prince of An and put him under house arrest for the rest of his life. As seen, Di Wu Yi Zhao made a great contribution to such a significant development.

Unexpectedly, there was a vile person in the Fifth Prince’s household who was upset that Di Wu Yi Zhao was receiving too much honor. Afraid that Di Wu Yi Zhao would snatch his benefits, this person plotted to have people provoke the Fifth Prince’s shu daughter into alienating Di Wu Yi Zhao’s wife and daughter at a banquet hosted in the residence. The shu daughter, along with the invited noblewomen from the capital, denigrated and mocked the two. They also indicated that Di Wu Yi Zhao’s wife was a person of no virtue as she monopolized her husband. Despite their efforts, the mother and daughter pair were unable to avoid the coming quarrel. With the secret provocation of people with ulterior motives, the Fifth Prince’s shu daughter accidentally pushed Di Wu Yi Zhao’s young daughter into the lotus pond. The latter fell seriously ill afterward.

Di Wu Yi Zhao was a very protective person. His beloved wife and young daughter were off-limits! How could someone as smart as him not see through the intrigue? As smart as he was, how could he not see through the intrigue, yet he did not want his wife and daughter to suffer any grievances. Therefore, he devised a plan to leave unscathed for good with his family and never return. Mu Xi Yao suspected that all of this had something to do with the Sixth Prince, Zong Zheng Lin.

Since Mu Xi Yao had recalled this incident, she could not miss this opportunity. When she carefully calculated the time, it was exactly this month. Di Wu Yi Zhao and his family were coming to Qingzhou to visit a friend. On the sixteenth, his wife and daughter would go to Fahua Temple located on the outskirt of the city, to offer incense and pray.

As Mu Xi Yao entered Yingshui Pavilion, she instructed Hui Lan to summon one person.

A half-joss stick time later³, a tall young man walked inside with a quick pace. He stopped before Mu Xi Yao and gave her a respectful bow. This person owned a pair of clear eyes and a strong muscular build. His footsteps were steady and vigorous; he had obviously practiced the martial art.

This person was Zhao Qing, the younger brother of Mu Jin Zhen’s personal bodyguard, Zhao Yun. He was 21 years old. Usually, when Mu Xi Yao went out, Zhao Qing accompanied her as her bodyguard. So Mu Jin Zhen simply assigned him to Mu Xi Yao, making him partly Yingshui Pavilion’s person. Ever since she got Zhao Qing, she took him along every time she went out, as well as sent him to buy things or handle some matters for her when needed. After a year of observation, she found Zhao Qing to be loyal, capable, and possess an agile mind. The rare thing was that he not only knew martial arts but also could read. He had shown himself to be a person of worth. This time, she had summoned him for an important matter.

“This time, I called you for a matter I need you to take care of,” It was unusual to see Mu Xi Yao sitting properly with an expression that was serious and quite solemn. Moreover, she made all the serving maidservants retreat.

This was Zhao Qing’s first time seeing the Second Miss behaving in such a cautious way. He was immediately on high alert, attentively waiting for her instructions.

Mu Xi Yao said, “This matter is very important. You mustn’t tell it to Sir, even if he asks. Only one person besides me can hear it! Can you accomplish this task?”

What did that “only one person beside me can hear” mean? Did it mean that except for Mu Xi Yao, Zhao Qing was the only one who could know?

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Qing dared to look at Mu Xi Yao. Then, he lowered his head to give a bow, “Zhao Qing will do everything in his power to fulfill the given task.” Zhao Qing gave it serious consideration before answering.

Ever since Sir Mu had appointed him to Second Miss, almost two years had passed. Zhao Qing was a bright man, so he naturally detected some clues. Usually, when the Second Miss stayed in her Yingshui Pavilion, she acted differently than she did in front of her elders. The fact that she was able to, at such a young age, manage her courtyard without one drop leaking out⁴ showed that she wasn’t as innocent and naive as she appeared. Zhao Qing sometimes felt that he was unable to see through this Second Miss, who was just about to turn thirteen. It was as if what he saw was just a pretense.

When the Second Miss assigned tasks in her courtyard, it apparently was not because she was interested in doing so. It was more like there was some connection between the two, people just couldn’t see it. Even though Zhao Qing had such odd thoughts, he never mentioned them to others. He only focused on completing the errands his Mistress gave him. This was exactly the reason why Mu Xi Yao had hand-picked him.

“On the sixteenth day of this month, I will go to Fahua Temple……” Mu Xi Yao provided Zhao Qing with details about the preparations needed for that day.

The more he heard, the wider his eyes got, but he did not ask any questions. He silently memorized the instructions and then bowed and retreated.

—–

On the sixteenth, the sky was clear and the early winter sun was warm, lifting people’s moods.

Mu Xi Yao, along with her crew of bodyguards and maidservants, bid farewell to Lady Yu. Afterward, she climbed into the carriage and the group set out for Fahua Temple.

Today, Mu Xi Yao deliberately dressed up for the occasion, adopting the appearance of an official’s daughter and a young lady from a noble household, masking her usual lazy sensuality. Her garments were of the best quality from Qingzhou. Even the pink embroidered brocade cloak she wore and the fragrance used on top of it came from Tiao Xiang Boutique’s newly launched brand “Ting Zhi”.

The maidservants inside the rear carriage were neatly dressed and looked gracious and vivid without being flamboyant. The bodyguards were also carefully selected. They were tall and sturdy, wearing unified dark cyan-colored apparel that made them look full of vigor. Among them, Zhao Qing was particularly outstanding. This content belongs to thehlifestyle.com, if you see this translation elsewhere, it’s been stolen!

Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain where Fahua Temple was located, Mu Xi Yao exited the carriage and adjusted her expression to look like she had come to make a wish and pray for Buddha’s protection over her family, hoping everything may go smoothly for them and they may enjoy good health.

As the only insider, Zhao Qing was following behind the womenfolk. He peeked a glance at his Miss, who had a particularly sincere, pure, and dignified expression. He acted normally like the rest, but inside, he had a difficult time keeping up the bluff.

At the entrance to the temple, Mu Xi Yao made guards wait for her outside while bringing along her maidservants. Once inside, she naturally performed the praying rituals, shook fortune sticks, and then sent Hui Lan to give alms. Henceforth, she went through all the formalities. She stayed for the afternoon meal in the temple, consuming Buddhistic food. After resting for a while, she reckoned it was time to leave and took her people with her.

At the door, Zhao Qing saw his Second Miss coming out. He instructed others to follow him. Soon, the group of people slowly descended from the mountain. Zhao Qing was curious as to why Second Miss had taken such great pains to make these arrangements. 

Moreover, she had set up two ruffians on the road. Who did she want to hinder? Although he followed her commands, he didn’t know the reasons why. While he was pondering, a sudden commotion from the distance reached their ears.

A glint flashed through Mu Xi Yao’s eyes. She wasn’t in a hurry to rush over there. She still maintained her composed and well-bred lady-like demeanor, pretending not to be aware of the situation ahead. She turned around and instructed Zhao Qing to take a few people and go to investigate the situation.

Translator’s notes: 

[1] Push the boat with the current is a Chinese idiom that means to take advantage of the situation for one’s own benefit.

[2] Visiting card refers to a name card ancient people used when visiting others.

[3] A half-joss stick time – since one joss stick time may generally last either 5  or 30 minutes, a half-joss stick time may be 2.5 or 15 minutes.

[4] Not letting one drop leak out is a Chinese idiom that means without missing a single circumstance, flawless, no errors.

List of TBIC Character

Relationship Diagram  (by Sith Kazar)