Chapter 278
**Chapter 276: The Burial of Consort Chen**
She wore a light yellow autumn gown, her brows and eyes like a painting. The soft candlelight in the hall cast a halo around Shen Wei.
Like a harbor, like a homecoming.
Li Yuanjing held Shen Wei close. She gently stroked his back and whispered, “Your Majesty, you’re back.”
Li Yuanjing replied, “Mm.”
Shen Wei said, “Let’s have dinner first.”
“Alright.”
The weight of the nation rested heavily on Li Yuanjing’s shoulders, but only when he returned to Yongning Palace, back to Shen Wei’s side, did he feel a sense of ease. Over the long years, Shen Wei had taken deep root in his heart.
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In Huayang Palace, Dantai Yinxue was filled with worry, having not slept well for several days. Important members of the Dantai family had been dismissed one after another, leaving only the direct line of descent temporarily safe.
A sense of foreboding gnawed at Dantai Yinxue—her family seemed on the brink of collapse.
Fortunately, her parents and younger brother were far away in Yanzhou and had not yet been affected.
“Your Highness, the Empress wishes to see you.” In the dead of night, a palace maid quietly returned to Huayang Palace with news she had gathered.
Dantai Yinxue froze and quickly shook her head. “I won’t go.”
Just the thought of the Empress sent a shiver down her spine. Not long ago, she had been summoned in the middle of the night to attend to the Empress’s illness after being called by Consort Chen.
Dantai Yinxue had been forced to go several times, each time returning with harsh words and scorn from the Empress, who even used a lit incense stick to burn her delicate hands, employing cruel and vicious methods.
Now, Dantai Yinxue’s slender fingers bore more than a dozen burn scars the size of rice grains.
“Your Highness, your family is barely hanging on. Sooner or later, the Emperor will vent his anger on you.” The maid urged softly, “At a time like this, you should set aside grudges and join forces with the Empress to save yourselves. You and the Empress share the same lineage; you should endure hardships together.”
Dantai Yinxue wasn’t foolish; she knew that if her family fell completely, she would become a discarded pawn.
If luck was on her side, she might survive alone for the rest of her life; if not, she could be granted white silk and meet her end.
With a long sigh, Dantai Yinxue felt a wave of regret wash over her. The palace was not as simple as she had imagined; the women in the harem were like ferocious beasts, each with their own brand of cruelty.
The Emperor was not a ruler lost in the charms of beauty; to him, women were merely tools to be used. He held no nostalgia and was decisive in his actions.
Dantai Yinxue closed her eyes and finally spoke, “You go prepare. I’ll meet with the Empress.”
As the night deepened, the oil lamp in Dantai Yinxue’s chamber was extinguished, creating the illusion of sleep to deceive the watchful eyes of Lan Pin across the way. The early autumn night was chilly, and Dantai Yinxue disguised herself as a palace maid, keeping her head down as she made her way to Kun Ning Palace.
At the entrance of Kun Ning Palace, guards stood watch, fully armed. The once grand and solemn palace gates had become a cage for the Empress.
Dantai Yinxue circled around and reached the back wall, slipping through a hole hidden by overgrown grass into Kun Ning Palace. The autumn night was cold and lifeless; the tall phoenix trees rustled in the wind, and the chrysanthemums in the courtyard lay scattered and neglected.
The surroundings were eerily quiet.
Only the candlelight flickered in the Buddhist hall. At the stone steps leading to the hall sat the Empress’s gaunt figure, motionless, almost blending into the darkness.
Dantai Yinxue approached the entrance of the hall, illuminated by the moonlight, and whispered, “Empress…”
The Empress slowly raised her head, and Dantai Yinxue gasped, nearly letting out a scream. The Empress was so emaciated she resembled a skeleton draped in human skin.
The Empress opened her mouth, her voice hoarse. “You’ve come.”
Dantai Yinxue felt a mix of fear and surprise. Summoning her courage, she asked, “What do you need from me?”
With the loss of two children, the death of her mother, and her family on the verge of collapse, the Empress’s thoughts, clouded by hatred, suddenly cleared. She said, “A centipede, even when dead, does not stiffen. The Dantai family is about to fall, and the Emperor’s heart is cold; he will surely grant my death, along with yours.”
Dantai Yinxue clenched her fingers.
She knew the Empress spoke the truth.
The Empress gazed at the crooked chrysanthemums in the courtyard and said softly, “If I must die, then so be it. I would rather die sooner. But before I go, I must take that wretched Consort Chen with me to accompany me in death.”
Dantai Yinxue was stunned. “You want to kill Consort Chen?”
The Empress turned her head, her bloodshot eyes glinting. “She has taken the power from my hands, stolen my husband, and caused the death of my children… If nothing changes, she will be the next Empress.”
After all these years, Li Yuanjing’s favorite remained Shen Wei. The Empress had no doubt that after her death, Li Yuanjing would support Shen Wei as the next Empress.
She could not accept it!
The Empress continued, “I am trapped here, with no one to help me… Dantai Yinxue, you pride yourself on your cleverness; you must have a way to eliminate Consort Chen.”
Dantai Yinxue stood up, unwilling to harm Consort Chen. She refused, “I won’t help you.”
The Empress smiled, her tone sinister. “You come from the second branch, with your parents and brother far away in Yanzhou, engaged in the silk trade. If the Dantai family falls, your family will likely seek refuge in the neighboring Nan Chu Kingdom—but can they escape?”
Dantai Yinxue’s footsteps halted, and she turned sharply, her eyes filled with resentment.
The Empress said softly, “Be obedient. I only want to take Consort Chen with me to the grave.”
Kun Ning Palace fell into a deathly silence, the night wind rustling the fallen leaves, the crooked chrysanthemums swaying.
After a long while, Dantai Yinxue left without a word.
As she departed, Kun Ning Palace was once again engulfed in a terrifying quiet. The Empress struggled to stand, her gray robes sweeping across the dusty floor as she made her way back to the Buddhist hall.
The white jade statue of the Bodhisattva remained seated on the offering table, receiving the incense offerings. The Empress lit a stick of incense and murmured, “Bodhisattva, bless me.”
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The next morning, the palace servants resumed their busy routines, each attending to their duties, everything proceeding in an orderly fashion.
The head eunuch of the Neiwufu smiled broadly and said, “Aunt Cailian, please inform Consort Chen that the palace’s monthly silver has been distributed, and the funds for the royal merchants have been received.”
Cailian smiled. “Well done.”
The head eunuch continued with flattery, but Cailian listened without taking it to heart.
After completing her tasks, Cailian returned with two palace maids. In the afternoon, her mistress would inspect the porcelain and fabrics sent by the royal merchants, so she needed to make arrangements early. There were also errands to run outside the palace that needed attending to.
Her mistress preferred efficiency and disliked delays from her servants.
As Cailian walked along the long palace path, she contemplated her work plan for the day. Along the way, the palace maids and eunuchs greeted her warmly—“Aunt Cailian.”
“Aunt Cailian, you’ve dropped something.” A unfriendly voice rang out.
Cailian paused, pulled from her thoughts. She looked up to see a young palace maid by the stone lantern.
Cailian had a good memory; she could recall most of the names of the eunuchs and maids in the palace and knew their positions.
The slender, sharp-eyed maid before her was Xiaomeng, who served beside Xue Jieyu in Huayang Palace.
Cailian asked, “You say I’ve lost something? What have I lost?”
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