Chapter 102: Night Blockade of the Palace Gate

Chapter 102: Night Blockade of the Palace Gate

The next morning, the despicable Emperor sent Xing En to deliver a copy of "Female Admonitions" to Zhu Yan, ordering her to copy it a hundred times, claiming that reading a book a hundred times would reveal its true meaning. He wanted her to thoroughly understand and know the virtues and expectations of a woman.

Furious, Zhu Yan threw the book to the ground.

Then she called Lv Ping'an, "I heard there is a flowerpot in the corridor with an unstable base. Use this book to steady it."

Lv Ping'an was about to ask if that was true.

The items sent to Fuhua Palace from the Office of the Imperial Household and the Imperial Parks Department were always carefully selected and of the highest quality. How could there be a flowerpot with an unstable base?

However, seeing Zhu Yan’s look towards Xing En, he decided not to ask. "Tell His Majesty that this is how I value this book. It might take me ten or eight years to reach the level His Majesty expects. Once I do, I will send someone to inform His Majesty."

Realizing the situation, Lv Ping'an didn’t dare to ask any further, obediently taking the book to use as a flowerpot base, as if that was its destiny.

Xing En attempted to say more, "Your Highness, His Majesty is just angry..."

"You can leave. I won't see you out, and don't come back," Zhu Yan cut off Xing En's words, sending him away without giving him a chance to linger, and promptly left the main hall for the study.

Xing En felt a headache coming on.

Imperial Consort Zhu dared to speak her mind, and Xing En didn’t dare to relay her words. Since returning to the palace last night, the Emperor’s fury hadn’t subsided. This morning, in a fit of rage, he didn’t even eat breakfast and smashed his chopsticks before sending Xing En to Fuhua Palace with the book and a message.

Xing En had hoped that Imperial Consort Zhu would take the hint and soften her stance.

Instead, Zhu’s anger seemed not only unabated but even more intense.

Xing En, looking at Qu Gu who accompanied him to the side gate, pointed to the still-closed main gate and asked, "Why isn't the main gate open at this hour?"

"Her Highness instructed this morning that Fuhua Palace is to be closed by imperial decree starting today. When the fourth prince left for Renben Pavilion this morning, he used the side gate. From now on, only the side gate will be opened, not the main gate."

Upon hearing this, Xing En felt that Zhu's actions were like adding fuel to the fire.

He immediately guessed her intention. The main gate was for the masters, and they, the palace servants and eunuchs, used the side gates, "The Emperor’s words were spoken in anger. If he really wanted Fuhua Palace to be closed, he would have sent someone else to guard the gate."

After saying this, Xing En earnestly advised, "You serve Her Highness closely; try to persuade her when appropriate."

"I’ll do my best to advise Her Highness," Qu Gu said with an inward sigh. She knew that Zhu was not one to easily heed advice, shaking her head in resignation.

Qu Gu then reminded Xing En, "You're concerned about Her Highness and me, but you’d better think about how to report back to His Majesty."

A failure in duty could lead to a scolding or even a caning.

Yang Xin might be waiting to gloat over his misfortune.

Xing En's brow furrowed deeply, his concern for other matters fading as he faced his own urgent predicament.

Almost immediately, the entire harem learned that Empress Yuan of Fuhua Palace had angered the Emperor and was ordered to reflect in closed confinement.

The doors of Fuhua Palace were tightly shut.

In the afternoon, even Princess Xiangyang, who came to visit the palace, couldn't enter Fuhua Palace.

Empress Liu of Fenghua Palace frowned upon hearing the news, "What's the commotion now?" She turned to Lady Liu, who came to report, "Do you know what it's about?"

"I don't know."

Lady Liu shook her head. Those serving directly before the Emperor were very tight-lipped, and information involving the Emperor and Empress Yuan was nearly impossible to obtain, "I heard that Xing En was punished with ten lashes this morning, with Yang Xin personally executing the punishment."

After a moment of thought, Empress Liu decided not to delve further.

This dispute was likely another conflict between Zhu Yan and the Emperor, with Zhu Yan not wanting to see him and closing the palace in a fit of pique.

One reason is that the Emperor did not send anyone to inform Empress Liu about the closure of Fuhua Palace. If the Emperor had truly intended to close Fuhua Palace, he would have surely informed her, the Empress.

Secondly, apart from the main gate being closed, the Fourth Prince was allowed to leave the palace, and the palace staff had the freedom to come and go. As for Zhu Yan, she was someone who naturally disliked meeting outsiders and preferred not to leave her palace.

The only question was how long this dispute between the two would last this time.

Empress Liu remembered that the Emperor had mentioned recently that he planned to go to the summer retreat half a month earlier than last year. Only Zhu Yan and the Fourth Prince would accompany him, leaving the other members of the harem and the princes and princesses behind.

The Emperor did say that if she wanted to join, she could temporarily delegate her duties to a trusted concubine or Jiupin for management and accompany them.

Empress Liu had declined, unwilling to share her power.

It's uncertain whether this quarrel between the two will affect the planned summer retreat to the imperial lodge.

——

In Qianyuan Hall, the Emperor is in the midst of a fury.

"What's going on? How did this news spread throughout the palace? When did I ever announce that Zhu Yan was to be confined for reflection? Who is spreading these rumors? Yang Xin, how are you handling the messaging?"

Yang Xin, recalling why Xing En was punished, tried to shield Imperial Consort Zhu. Thus, he openly stated, "Your Majesty, on my way here, I inquired about it. The news originated from Fuhua Palace; it was Consort Zhu who said it to the outside..."

"Shut up,"

The Emperor roared in anger, his cold gaze drilling into Yang Xin. "Did you hear Consort Zhu say it yourself? How dare you just blurt out anything? Use your brain and don't bring me baseless gossip. Have you verified this information? Get out of my sight."

A crisp, clear sound echoed.

The Emperor, in a fit of rage, threw a thin porcelain cup on his desk.

Frightened, Yang Xin hastily retreated. Outside, he saw Xing En, still sore from the morning's caning, smirking at him. Yang Xin glared back, approaching and whispering through gritted teeth, "Did you set me up?"

Xing En, walking out, whispered back after a few steps, "Didn't you say I was deceiving the Emperor by only reporting pleasing news? That's why I got caned. I purposely told you the truth, see, you got scolded too."

"I indeed didn't verify it," Yang Xin muttered, admitting his negligence. The Emperor wasn't wrong.

Xing En, hearing this, couldn't help but feel speechless, patting Yang Xin's shoulder, "Alright, you and Changxing are cut from the same cloth, both of you have the same mindset, yet you think I'm the one who flatters."

Is this really just about you not verifying the information?

The sight of this burly man before him almost made Xing En laugh.

The Emperor, currently seething with anger and unwilling to blame or upset Consort Zhu, had no choice but to vent his frustration on his close attendants, rather than on high-ranking ministers or chancellors.

Consequently, they were left to bear the brunt of his wrath, with every action being wrong whether they stood still or moved.

The Emperor's anger was noticeably more severe than in the morning, and his temper seemed more irritable.

As dusk fell, dinner was served in the main hall of Qianyuan Hall.

The Emperor entered and sat down to dine alone. Looking at the empty space to his right, he felt the loneliness intensely. The table was set with eight dishes, as per Zhu Yan's usual arrangement, featuring exquisite delicacies like emerald green jadeite dishes. He picked up his rhinoceros horn chopsticks but found himself unable to eat.

Frustrated, he slammed the chopsticks down.

The surrounding attendants and eunuchs kneeled in fear.

"Clear it all away," the Emperor ordered sharply, rising to leave. Xing En, in pain but determined, quickly followed him to Yangxin Hall.

But just as he stepped in, the Emperor scolded him, "With that limp, stay out of my sight. Go back to your quarters."

"I'll leave immediately, Your Majesty, but I just remembered that nobody informed Fuhua Palace today that you wouldn't be dining there. The Fourth Prince might still be waiting for you to eat. Going there now could be a good opportunity to dine with him and quell the palace rumors," Xing En suggested, taking a risk.

After a moment's pause without being reprimanded, Xing En breathed a sigh of relief, "I'll take my leave now."

"Leave, and don't show up until your injury heals," the Emperor dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Xing En quickly exited, hearing the Emperor summon Yang Xin to prepare the sedan chair for a visit to Fuhua Palace.

Xing En felt relieved that he had guessed the Emperor's mind correctly. The Emperor's anger towards Consort Zhu used to last months, but now, it had lessened significantly, not even lasting a day. The morning's 'Nü Jie' and the afternoon's circulating rumors had made the Emperor restless and irritable, refusing to eat.

Yang Xin's scolding was indeed undeserved.

The Emperor, with a stern face, left Yangxin Hall, reminding himself that going there was to dine with his son and dispel the widespread rumors in the palace.

Fuhua Palace, located in line with the Fengyi Palace, Zhaoyang Palace of the Eastern Six Palaces, and Yuhua Palace of the Western Six Palaces, was quite close to Qianyuan Hall. Urged by the Emperor, they arrived there in about a quarter of an hour.

However, the main gate of Fuhua Palace was tightly closed, and even the palace lanterns were unlit, shrouding the area in darkness.

Yang Xin, feeling that the palace's servants and eunuchs had grown too lazy, regretted not sending someone ahead to prepare, as he hurriedly knocked on the palace gate, pulling the bronze ring on the door. Soon, a voice from inside called, "Who's there?"

"The imperial carriage has arrived."

Yang Xin announced loudly, expecting the door to be promptly opened. Instead, the side door opened and Lü Ping'an, holding a palace lantern, came out and knelt in the direction of the stopped sedan chair, greeting the Emperor.

The Emperor instructed Ping'an to open the main gate.

"Your Majesty, the consort ordered that the main gate not be opened," Ping'an replied hesitantly, barely managing to avoid stammering. His heart was racing; they hadn't expected the Emperor's visit tonight, and neither the consort nor Qu Gu had instructed him on how to handle such a situation.

As he sent someone to inform the consort and Qu Gu inside, Ping'an didn't dare to delay the Emperor's entry, but he had to remain steadfast at the side gate, following the consort's orders.

The Emperor was furious, never having imagined he would be barred from entering Fuhua Palace, "I command you to open the main gate now."

Panicked, Ping'an repeatedly kowtowed, "Your Majesty, someone has gone to inform the consort. She will soon be aware of your arrival. I am at fault, Your Majesty..."

Having taken the first step in defying the Emperor's command, Ping'an knew he had to go all out.

Besides, he trusted that the consort, once informed, wouldn't leave him to fend for himself. He just needed to endure until her arrival.

Watching Ping'an's incessant kowtowing, Yang Xin thought everyone in Fuhua Palace must be incredibly bold. He considered bypassing Ping'an to enter through the side gate and open the main gate himself but was stopped by Ping'an's firm refusal, "The consort has ordered that no eunuchs from the imperial presence enter. Please wait a moment; she will soon send a message."

"Very well, I will wait," the Emperor said coldly, his gaze full of anger fixed on the closed main gate.

Hearing this, Ping'an dared not move or make a sound.

Yang Xin, frightened, decided not to interfere further and stepped aside.

Fortunately, the wait wasn't long.

Otherwise, Yang Xin felt that Lü Ping'an was close to being severely punished, given the intense pressure emanating from the Emperor, which had everyone around hardly daring to breathe.

The person who came out wasn't the consort but Qu Gu.

Yang Xin wasn't surprised; he seldom saw Consort Zhu personally receiving the Emperor. But why wasn't the main gate opened?

Qu Gu first greeted the Emperor before approaching the imperial sedan, "Your Majesty, the consort sent me to ask if you have made your decision? She also said that if you choose her, I can open the palace gate and invite Your Majesty inside."

Author's Note: