258

Chapter 258: Untitled

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

The Consort of Virtue’s mouth twitched as she said, “She dares to eat what I offer her?”

“Why wouldn’t she dare?” The Jade Consort laughed and whispered into the Consort of Virtue’s ear, “Everyone can see the Empress’ tyranny. Sister is second only to the Empress and is the only one who is able to stand against her. No matter how powerful she is, given Sister’s family status and connections with everyone, wouldn’t the gap in your status already be covered?”

The Consort of Virtue’s eyes shone as she acknowledged what the Jade Consort had said. The Jade Consort then got up and smiled as she said, “I’ll give it to her personally.”

Initially, the Consort of Virtue was still worried, but after hearing the Jade Consort volunteer to go herself, she felt reassured and smiled back. “Then I’ll have to trouble you, Sister,” she said.

The atmosphere was light and cheerful in the Suxin Pavilion as the pair of “sisters” tittered with each other, but it was a different view in the Chongxing Palace.

Recently, Meng Fuyao had her head stuck in the clouds as she walked around urgently. She wanted to use a blunt knife and slice Xuanyuan Cheng slowly to death. At night, she returned from Xuanyuan Min’s Chengming Palace and had just stepped into the courtyard when she stopped walking.

Why was it so dark?

The past few years of experience told Meng Fuyao to retreat the moment she found something suspicious, but she hadn’t had the chance to retreat even a step when the courtyard doors suddenly closed noiselessly.

Meng Fuyao steadied herself, real energy rotating within her, but after that, she smiled and walked over happily.

A lantern had suddenly appeared in front of the palace.

The lantern was made of crimson mesh, its workmanship intricate. Gold ribbons adorned its edges, completing its look as a new year’s lantern, yet it shone brighter and looked even more beautiful than the regular palace lanterns.

The red lantern shone beautifully against the dark palace walls, casting a mesmerizing glow, yet because it was so wondrous, it also caused one to feel uneasy.

Meng Fuyao looked up attentively.

The lantern drifted towards her, and she noticed little round and black shadows upon it, doing a “dance of flight.” Meng Fuyao stared at it a little longer and laughed.

They were more like “flying pigs.”

The lantern floated slowly into Meng Fuyao’s hand, and two golden ribbons shot out. One said: ‘Bring the lantern along as your entry pass.’ The other said: ‘Let us celebrate the end of winter and the dawn of a new year.’

The words were written in beautiful and precise handwriting, unlike Zhangsun Wuji’s graceful ease or Zhan Beiye’s messy coarseness. Meng Fuyao smiled and grasped the two golden strips tightly in her hand. She glanced at the “flying pigs” and wondered, ‘It hasn’t burnt out yet?”

Upon closer scrutiny did she realize that the candles were wrapped with a faint jade tube. No wonder the light was so radiant.

Just then, Lord Yuan Bao appeared, donning its red robes as it smiled brightly, its white teeth shining. It felt extremely handsome at the moment and began to dance when it was suddenly grabbed by the collar and stuffed back into some corner.

After being used, it was cast aside…

Meng Fuyao’s eyes shone as she smiled and said, “It’s hard to imagine that someone like you would pull something like this.”

The man opposite her had half his face illuminated in the candlelight, his lips a luscious pink, his glassy eyes reflecting light in a thousand directions. He smiled lightly and nudged Meng Fuyao’s sleeve. “It’s New Year’s,” he said.

Meng Fuyao looked up and gazed at the sky. “Indeed, I have become a year older.” She sighed.

Shadow Blade chuckled softly and said, “If you’re old, then what are the rest of us? Walking trees?” He pulled her along as he walked and continued, “I’m cooking today, so you’re in for a treat.”

“What treat… I’m still thinking about what to eat…” Meng Fuyao lazily let him pull her along when she suddenly stopped and said, “Ah? There’s good food? Ah? Are you cooking?”

Shadow Blade did not reply her. Meng Fuyao wrinkled her nose and stared dubiously at his back, thinking, ‘Him, cooking? This kind of spoilt, delicate brat who can’t even stand the smoke and fire from the kitchen, could he have steamed a plate of green vegetables along with water?’

Shadow Blade lit the lamp in the hall and instantly, the dark room brightened along with a faint warmth from an intricately carved bronze stove. A lavishly decorated table lay in the hall, and atop it, a rainbow of dishes could be seen, along with a myriad of delicious smells emanating across all four corners of the hall.

Meng Fuyao sat down numbly as she stared at the beautiful dishes made with various medicines, herbs, and vegetables—heck, even the carrots were carved into beautiful flowers. After a moment, she inhaled deeply.

“This must be an illusion…” she remarked.

Shadow Blade picked up a piece of clam pancake and placed it in front of her. “Slowly fill your stomach first, I’m afraid you’ll eat too quickly.”

Meng Fuyao took several bites before suddenly blurting out angrily, “Someone actually knew how to cook all along…”

Shadow Blade continued to smile as he slowly filled her plate with dishes. Lord Yuan Bao squatted on the table and tugged at his sleeve, and he smoothly pushed the plate of clam pancakes towards him.

After he had gotten rid of the light bulb, he finally turned to Meng Fuyao and said, “It’s nice to celebrate New Year’s like this with the two of us.”

Meng Fuyao put down her chopsticks and slowly said, “In the past, my New Year’s were always very, very lively…”

Shadow Blade poured her a cup of wine and asked, “Were there a lot of people?”

Meng Fuyao paused for a moment before shaking her head. Looking slightly lost, she replied, “Ah, it was also just two of us, but why do I feel like it was extra lively then?”

Many, many years ago, under a dimly lit ceiling lamp, nothing like the grand palace that she was in; the table was filled with dishes, nothing like the expensive delicacies on this table. The space within the four walls was drab and undecorated, nothing like the gold incense burner and the bronze stove warming the hall. Nonetheless, when the two of them sat closely and shared a steamboat, picking food for each other over the heat of the steam, their faces red with laughter… Those memories were the warmest.

Beside her, Shadow Blade’s hand paused as he turned to look at her with an unreadable expression in his eyes. After a while, he said, “Don’t say that, I’ll be hurt, you know.”

When Meng Fuyao came back to her senses, she apologized sheepishly, “I’m sorry, old people tend to reminisce often.”

Shadow Blade shook his head and didn’t say anything further. The two of them sat in silence as they ate, but Meng Fuyao felt that the silence was rather comforting and peaceful. The person opposite her wasn’t the boisterous kind; he had a kind of cold loneliness, yet within that coldness, she felt a warmth that was given only to her.

After a while, he said, “Got any new year’s wish?”

Meng Fuyao sucked on the tip of her chopsticks as she thought for a moment, her eyes brightening and darkening as she thought.

Finally, she said, “I wish for my dream to come true, and for everyone, I love to live well.”

Shadow Blade lowered his eyelids and slowly drank his soup. Meng Fuyao asked, “What about you?”

Shadow Blade fell silent, and Meng Fuyao didn’t press any further.

After the two of them had finished eating, Meng Fuyao smiled and said, “We have to rest now, the night may not be safe.”

Picking up a stuffed Lord Yuan Bao, she turned to leave. She was about to reach the door when she heard Shadow Blade murmur, “I wish that someone will always be there to accompany you every year.”

Someone to accompany her every year.

Who was that someone?

Carrying Lord Yuan Bao in her arms, she stared listlessly into the darkness, thinking of the passionate yet cold man who had just spoken that line. The faint silhouette of the Imperial Palace of Xuanyuan could be faintly seen.

That palace… That kind of beginning and ending, what was he thinking of all the time?

Meng Fuyao sighed as the wintry wind carried her breath away.

It was already deep into the night.

“Report—”

The sound of hurried footsteps and an urgent terrified voice pierced through the silence of the night. Countless people were rushing around between Chongxing Palace and Cheng Ming Palace. The sound of terrible crying could also be heard faintly.

Meng Fuyao smiled in the dark.

She pushed open the door and stepped out. As she stood atop the steps, a sweat-soaked eunuch from Consort Shu’s palace was kneeling at the bottom of the steps. She called out coldly, “Why are you making such a ruckus this late into the night?”

“Replying Your Grace…” The eunuch’s face was twisted with fear, and even his voice had changed as he said, “Something, something has happened to Consort Shu!”

Meng Fuyao frowned and said immediately, “Prepare to head to Jinyun Palace!”

When she arrived, Jinyun Palace was already filled with people. Xuanyuan Min and the other concubines had already arrived. The hall was packed with doctors, and the corpse of Consort Shu had already turned cold.

Meng Fuyao rushed into the brightly lit inner palace and caught Xuanyuan Min’s eye. Then, she said loudly, “Who were the ones serving Consort Shu tonight? They should be beaten to death—”

“Have mercy, Your Grace!” Consort Shu’s lady-in-waiting had been stripped of her dress, and she knelt on the ground, crying uncontrollably as she dragged her knees and came in front of Meng Fuyao. “Your Grace, it wasn’t me, my Lady had gotten a stomach ache after eating the chicken slices given by Consort Jade…”

Meng Fuyao suddenly turned around and glanced at the Jade Consort Jian Xue, who had already been stripped of her crown. Jian Xue looked unapologetic and defiant as she knelt on the ground. “That dish was given by me, but it was personally prepared by the Consort Xian herself,” she said.

“Consort Jade!” Consort Xian screamed, her face green with anger.

Similarly, Meng Fuyao berated, “Consort Jade, don’t accuse others blindly—”

Consort Xian was stunned and stared suspiciously at Meng Fuyao. However, Meng Fuyao turned and bowed to Xuanyuan Min. “May Your Majesty make the decision,” she said.

“The harem is your business,” replied Xuanyuan Min. “I am very sad… I want to see my beloved consort one more time, ah, my Consort Shu…”

The cross-dressing emperor flung himself towards Consort Shu and began to act. Meng Fuyao had gotten impatient and said, “Send Consort Jade for interrogation. Since Consort Xian is a suspect, she is temporarily forbidden from leaving her palace.”

“Why am I forbidden?” Consort Xian was enraged. “Does Your Grace suspect me?”

“Can you prove your innocence right now?” Meng Fuyao met her glare steadily. “I am approaching this matter in the most impartial way, if you have something to say, I recommend that you say it at the Zongzheng temple.”

“Hmph!” Consort Xian continued glaring at her. Seeing that Xuanyuan Min was still “grieving over the corpse,” she spat, “You barbaric empress, one day…”

Meng Fuyao smiled and asked, “One day, what?”

Consort Xian opened and closed her mouth, but no words came out. She turned around promptly and left, slamming the palace doors loudly as she left.

Meng Fuyao smiled faintly and said, “Consort Xian has such a bad temper.”

All the other consorts and concubines dared not say a word. Meng Fuyao continued, “Consort Hua, stay behind and comfort His Majesty, do not let his grief affect his health.”

Consort Hua immediately agreed happily while Concubine Yao looked on with envy—Xuanyuan Min had flipped her tag that night and had just felt her body and praised her for having supple and snow-like skin, even promising to promote her as Consort Snow. Now that such a turn of events had occurred, her ambitions were shattered.