"No, there’s no need." Consort Liu heard the voice, slowly ca to her senses, and seeing the scene before her, she realized it was just a nightmare and let her guard down.
She leaned helplessly in Qing Ya’s embrace, "Qing Ya, I just dread that I had died, my body rotting and stinking, discarded at the Mass Burial Mound, and that wretched woman, that wretched woman beca the lofty Empress..."
It was just a nightmare.
Qing Ya sighed with relief, then, enduring her sorrow, she glanced outside, made sure no one was there, and whispered in her ear, "That won’t happen, my lady. His Majesty doesn’t fancy her, how could he make her the Empress?"
Consort Liu’s gaze was empty, staring into the void, and upon hearing this, the corners of her mouth turned up in faint sarcasm, "Then why would His Majesty make her the Noble Consort?"
His Majesty never acted simply on a whim.
Qing Ya knew her master was obsessing again, she gently soothed Consort Liu’s back, adding, "She’s just a Noble Consort after all. After all these years, if His Majesty had wanted to elevate her to Empress, he would have done it long ago. Why wait until now? My lady, ease your mind, His Majesty won’t make her the Empress. Have you forgotten, there’s still Beauty Lian?"
Seeing Consort Liu gradually calming down, she seized the mont and advised softly, "Beauty Lian is the sole favorite of the Harem, deeply loved by His Majesty; even without offspring, her favor remains undiminished. She is on good terms with Consort De, and she has a deadly feud with the Noble Consort, whose family was ruined; she would definitely not stand by and watch the Noble Consort beco the Empress."
Consort Liu’s emotions stabilized, and she slowly showed a smile, "Yes, I had indeed forgotten about Beauty Lian..."
It had been many days since Canglan Court had news, she had forgotten she still had that sharp knife to wield.
Her mind gradually relaxed, weariness overca her, her eyelids grew heavier by the mont, and at last, she slowly closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. Just before sleeping, she seed to say sothing, her consciousness then sinking into darkness.
Qing Ya caught that phrase, her expression blank for a mont.
After a while, she looked down at the sleeping Consort Liu, her gaze filled with tenderness and sorrow.
She made sure Consort Liu was comfortably settled back to sleep, then turned and left the Inner Palace, through much struggle, her eyes now determined.
She had made up her mind, to do sothing for her master, to fulfill her master’s wish, even if it ant death.
She let down the heavy curtain and walked out of the Main Hall.
Upon seeing the person who was brewing dicine, her gaze turned icy, and she instructed quietly, "Qing Ping, I need to go out for a while. Take good care of our lady. You rember everything about how to serve her, don’t you?"
Fear inexplicably rose in Qing Ping’s heart, "Sister Qing Ya, you have taught everything, I rember."
She was more afraid of Qing Ya than of Consort Liu.
Qing Ya’s face remained expressionless, her voice cold, "Repeat it all from the beginning."
Qing Ping hesitated, thinking there was no need as she had done it all before, but upon catching Qing Ya’s gaze, she swallowed her words and compliantly repeated every single detail about how to take care of Consort Liu.
How to attend to the soup and als, the daily routines, what dicine to use for what symptoms, and so on; she repeated everything.
Listening through it, Qing Ya showed no sign of emotion until the end, only then did she nod slightly and turned to leave.
"Sister Qing Ya, where are you going?"
"Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t," Qing Ya turned back, glanced at Qing Ping, "Don’t ask."
Qing Ping shivered, looked down to avoid eye contact, her body trembling slightly, afraid to ask any further.
In stark contrast to the gloomy air of Huafu Hall, the streets of the Capital were festively decorated.
That day, main streets and avenues throughout the Capital began to be adorned with colorful silks and cloths, restaurants, food stalls, and textile shops vied with each other, fearful of being outdone, each dressed in splendid array.
To celebrate the upcoming Longevity Festival, shops and folks’ hos were decorated early, looking quite impressive, with increasingly more pedestrians on the streets, rchants, and travelers all around, all wearing happy expressions, having co to the Capital early for the Longevity Event in order to secure a good spot to scramble for the festive pastries of the Longevity Festival, aiming for good fortune and adding to the festivities.
What a bustling and prosperous scene it was.
In comparison, the governnt and official family sites were relatively understated, with each Yan only hanging up two big red lanterns, making no special decorations.
The Longevity Festival of the past was not so, for the governnt and Imperial Palace would spare no expense in lavish decorations, winning favor, while ordinary folks, having no extra money for such frivolous things, were even gloomy due to the forced cessation of all jobs during the Longevity Festival, uncertain where the next day’s food would co from.
After the Son of Heaven’s ascension to the throne, he issued decrees abolishing these harmful practices, prohibiting extravagant waste, forbidding disturbances to the people, and dictating that no one should exploit the masses, with the official family distributing festive pastries at various places in the Imperial City, which all people could receive.
On the day of Longevity, Civil and Military Officials from outside the Capital City were to set up incense tables and simply offer a bow in the direction of the Capital, without the need for a special celebration.
The Grand Court eting was to be suspended for three days, governnt Yan related to the livelihoods of the people remained on duty as usual, while others such as the Imperial Academy could rest for three days.
As the folks prospered over ti, the people and rchants began spontaneously lighting lanterns and celebrating, with celebrations increasing year by year, and more and more people joining in the celebrations for the Son of Heaven.
On the day of the Longevity Festival, there were opera performances, song and dance, variety shows, stilt walking, and admiring lanterns, everything that one could imagine, and at street corners, people dressed in bright clothes ca out to stroll, with won and young ladies appearing more beautifully dressed than usual.
Thus, these days, the Capital was very lively, while the governnt remained modest and unadorned.
That was what Longevity Festival was like.
Especially this year, with the nation in peace and the ordinary people well-fed and clothed, having so spare cash in their pockets, even the area outside the Imperial Academy during the re-examinations could turn into a market, much more during the Longevity Festival.
But at this mont, in the eastern city of the Capital where the Nobility gather, it had to be much more subdued.
In front of a large mansion, a huge plaque above the door read "Duke of Zheng’s House" and below the plaque hung three massive doors adorned with beast-head knockers, flanked by two smaller gates, with two imposing stone lions crouched on either side on the street.
This mansion was none other than the residence of the Duke of Zheng, a descendant of the founders of the dynasty.
At that mont, a woman with a serene face stood about ten steps in front of the gates, staring at the doors, her expression unreadable.
The woman was slightly older, appearing to be in her forties, with so wrinkles on her face, wearing ordinary clothes but her deanor was dignified and elegant, displaying excellent manners.
She nodded to the young man supporting her.
The young man imdiately walked straight to the center of the main gate, unhesitatingly lifted a knocker, and started hamring the door loudly.
This young man had a handso face with sharp features, a small scar on his face as if left by a blade, resembling the woman, likely mother and son.
As the street was crowded with celebratory passersby, the more observant sort couldn’t help but think quietly, "The Nobility have rigid protocols, ordinary people aren’t supposed to pass through the main door or even knock on it like that, and certainly not hamr it. That’s not knocking; that’s banging. It’s truly rude."
When soone from the Duke of Zheng’s House ca out, they would surely expel such a rude intruder, and who knows, perhaps they might even get a beating.
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