The day after Yin Zhuli was banished to the Cold Palace, Emperor Jiayu conferred the title of Virtuous Consort upon Xue Cangshi. She was granted residence in Zhaohua Hall, tasked with managing the inner palace on behalf of the Emperor and Empress. Shen Tingjiao never once visited Water Duckweed Palace; it seemed he had truly lost all heart for Yin Zhuli.
However, as night fell, a figure hurried into that dilapidated, desolate palace. Yin Zhuli was currently fretting under the light of an oil lamp, though a package of beef and another of candied fruits sat upon her table. Turning to see the visitor, her face immediately broke into a radiant smile. "Prime Minister He! My, my, what a distinguished guest we have here."
The visitor was indeed He Jian, though he had disguised himself as a palace eunuch to sneak inside. Yin Zhuli had used her Yellow Spring Lead to chop up several termite-eaten chairs and tables, using the wood to start a fire. Though it produced a great deal of smoke, it was warm. He Jian sat down on the only remaining solitary chair in the room, his voice tinged with anxiety. "My Chief, how can you still sit there so calmly? If His Majesty does not establish Xue Cangshi as Empress this time, Xue Chengyi will never let the matter rest! Do you truly intend to spend the rest of your life feuding with His Majesty? Do you even realize what you’ve done this time?"
Yin Zhuli handed him a slice of beef, her smile bright and fluttering. "Then let him take her. I have already yielded to such an extent; what more does the Minister want from me?"
He Jian gulped down the beef, and Yin Zhuli handed him a candied fruit. He took it, asking, "Yin Zhuli, if the King truly makes Xue Cangshi his Empress, how will you handle yourself? Why did you do this? After more than ten years, do you truly have no feelings for the King at all?"
Yin Zhuli did not answer, merely staring at him with a faint, eerie smile. He Jian felt his skin crawl under her gaze and couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?"
Yin Zhuli answered honestly, "Yesterday, a stranger sent me these two packages. I wasn't sure if they were safe to eat. Now, I am simply observing whether you remain well or not."
He Jian’s nose nearly twisted with rage. "You—you!!" He stood up resentfully. "I suppose I’m just a dog chasing mice—meddling in things that aren't my business!"
Yin Zhuli bit into a slice of beef and sighed, lamenting the lack of wine. He Jian paused in his tracks. "Yin Zhuli, you once trusted Tang Yin without reservation. Why won't you trust us?"
Yin Zhuli popped a candied date into her mouth, her voice seemingly coated in honey. "Because if the person who came today were Tang Yin, the first thing he would ask is whether I am cold, whether I am hungry, and how I have fared these past few days." She turned to look at He Jian, the smile never leaving her lips. "He would not ask me what should be done once Xue Chengyi enters the capital."
He Jian was speechless. No matter what this woman did, right or wrong, she always managed to hold a sliver of reason in her words. Yin Zhuli licked the sugar from her fingers, her posture relaxed. "So, in all of heaven and earth, there is only one Tang Yin. The only one."
The following day, Virtuous Consort Xue Cangshi led a group of palace attendants to "comfort" Yin Zhuli, bringing several quilts and cotton clothes. To Yin Zhuli’s surprise, she also brought Qu Lingyu and Zhang Qi-shi. By then, Qu Lingyu’s figure had begun to show; she was perhaps four or five months pregnant.
Upon seeing Yin Zhuli, Qu Lingyu kept her head lowered and remained silent, her hands clenched tightly into fists. Yin Zhuli did not even ask her to sit, nor did she allow her to perform formal greetings. In this corner of the Cold Palace, she assumed the air of the Mistress of the Inner Palace for the first time. "Since you are carrying a prince, you should be prudent. You shouldn't be out in this snowy weather."
Qu Lingyu nodded, but Xue Cangshi merely smiled. "I heard that Elder Sister and Sister Lingyu had some grievances. Looking at it now, it seems Sister actually cares for her."
Yin Zhuli waved a hand dismissively. "Xue Cangshi, I am not your 'sister,' and you are not mine. Whether Consort Hui and I share gratitude or a grudge is our personal business. As long as I, the Empress, am here, it is not your place to dictate matters. I find the palace's brand of hypocrisy utterly tedious, and I have no time to play games of vying for favor with you. You needn't come here again."
Xue Cangshi had a belly full of words left unsaid. She had heard her father, Xue Chengyi, mention Yin Zhuli, and his tone had been one of extreme wariness. But she was disdainful; the position of Empress was nearly within her grasp. This woman wasn't even worthy of being a stumbling block. Her original plan was to have Yin Zhuli "accidentally" knock Qu Lingyu over; the most urgent matter was to deal with this unborn prince. But Yin Zhuli refused to take the bait. Her eyes flickered with several thoughts before she smiled again. "Sister is indeed a person of direct words. Then, this consort shall take her leave."
Yin Zhuli gave a cold snort but said to Qu Lingyu, "Why don't you stay and sit with me for a while longer?"
Qu Lingyu was not stupid; she knew Xue Cangshi came with ill intentions. This child was not Shen Tingjiao’s, but Xue Cangshi didn't know that. She simply nodded. Xue Cangshi gave her a look and departed with elegant poise.
Yin Zhuli added two pieces of rotted wood to the fire and sat in silence for half an hour before saying softly, "Scram."
Qu Lingyu’s hands clenched and loosened several times. Yin Zhuli sneered. "If I were you, I would first go to Empress Dowager He to protect the sprout in your belly. However, the Empress Dowager wants to use Xue Chengyi to suppress Fu Chaoying. Right now... I'm afraid seeking her help is useless."
Qu Lingyu’s eyes turned red. Her mortal enemy was right before her, and she bit her lip until it bled. After a long silence, she turned and left Water Duckweed Palace. Yin Zhuli only sighed as she watched her go—Qu Lingyu had no one left to rely on. If she sought out Shen Tingjiao, he might show some old affection. But he was an Emperor; he couldn't protect her every hour of the day. In this inner palace, various powers permeated every corner, reaching further than his hand could.
An Emperor’s heart, in truth, cannot protect anyone.
Sure enough, when Zhou Xianlu came to deliver food that day, he chatted with Yin Zhuli and mentioned that Consort Hui had lost her child. It was said that while she was paying respects to Xue Cangshi, she had knelt in the snow for a moment and caught a chill, leading to a miscarriage that very night. He had received two bracelets from Yin Zhuli previously, but he was a gambling addict; the more money he had, the larger he bet, and it wasn't long before he was empty-handed again. These days, he was busy currying favor with Yin Zhuli.
Yin Zhuli did not treat him poorly. She used a piece of charcoal to write a note and handed it to him. "Go to the Thousand-Acre Prosperity House and find Gou Qian. He will give you some silver. Stop gambling. Find a palace maid to marry, adopt a son, and live a proper life."
Zhou Xianlu rubbed his hands together. Yin Zhuli acted as if she had grown up among the poor; there was no distance between them. Sometimes he even felt she was like an elder brother, and he became more casual in her presence.
He took the note, but turned back before leaving. "Your Majesty, I’ve been observing..."
Yin Zhuli interrupted him impatiently. "Go, go! What 'servant' this and 'servant' that? I'm living worse than you are right now!"
Zhou Xianlu dropped his formal restraint. "I’m saying, you should be careful too. I’ve been watching that Virtuous Consort... she is no kind soul."
Yin Zhuli glanced at him sideways. "You wouldn't put poison in my food, would you?"
Zhou Xianlu shook his head vigorously. "How could I do that!"
Yin Zhuli hooked an arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "If she asks you to poison me, you don't need to do anything—just let me know in advance."
Zhou Xianlu assumed she wanted to catch the Virtuous Consort’s weakness to return to the main palace, so he nodded quickly. "Of course, of course."
In the afternoon, Chao Xi came by again, bringing Yin Zhuli some cotton clothes. Though they were old, they were enough to ward off the cold. Having visited several times, he was more at ease. As soon as he entered, he rushed to make Yin Zhuli’s bed and then gathered her clothes to wash. Yin Zhuli tried to stop him, but he argued righteously, "My mother told me to help you. She said you are a person of high status and can't do these things."
Yin Zhuli was dismissive. "A few ragged clothes? I don't believe I can't handle them."
Chao Xi smiled. "You've probably never washed a piece of clothing in your life, have you? The business in Rich-and-Noble City is so big, you must have had many people serving you."
Yin Zhuli squatted beside him, watching him skillfully pound the laundry. "How old are you? Have you had any schooling?"
Chao Xi’s cheeks were frozen red, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He was truly too young; his smile was full of burgeoning vitality. "I'll be fourteen by the end of the year. I had no money for school, but I used to listen to the private tutor teaching from outside the wall."
Yin Zhuli nodded. "Many children at home? Why did you enter the palace?"
Chao Xi moved the basin further away to keep the water from splashing on her. "There are eight of us siblings in total. Mother said if I entered the palace, she wouldn't have to sell my eighth brother."
Yin Zhuli found it difficult to understand. This child was so sunny, yet he could no longer be considered a boy. "How much do you earn working in the palace each month?"
Chao Xi grinned. "One string of coins a month. I'm in the palace by myself, so I don't have much to spend it on. I want to earn a bit more so my eighth brother can go to school."
Yin Zhuli reached out to brush a stray hair from his forehead, sighing after a long moment. "All for a dozen or so taels a year... not even enough for a single leaf of the Guangling Zhixi... Damn, what a world."
Chao Xi didn't see it that way. Though young, he already had the air of an adult. "How could you know our hardships? The world is unstable. The war only ended a few years ago, and just when we hoped for better days, internal strife broke out again. In truth, no matter how these people fight, the ones who suffer in the end are... hehe, you don't know hunger. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."
Yin Zhuli stood up, leaning lazily against a wooden pillar riddled with termite holes. Suddenly, she spoke: "Go back and tell your mother... they say I am a wicked consort... whether I am or not, I suppose it's not entirely an injustice."
After Qu Lingyu’s miscarriage, Virtuous Consort Xue Cangshi knelt before the hall for a long time to plead for forgiveness. Shen Tingjiao helped her up with one hand and led her into Zhaohua Hall, never pursuing the matter further. Everyone in the palace was observant; they all scrambled to curry favor with her. Only one person could not, and that was naturally Qingwan in Zhaohua Hall.
She and Yin Zhuli had grown up together; how could she be willing to stay by this woman's side? After Yin Zhuli was demoted to Water Duckweed Palace, she had come secretly, but Yin Zhuli, worried that Xue Cangshi would make things difficult for her, had driven her away and forbidden her from coming again.
However, she still showed much dissatisfaction toward Xue Cangshi in her daily life. Xue Cangshi, for her part, treated her with great kindness, and for a time, the inner palace seemed to be at peace.
Shen Tingjiao had not visited Water Duckweed Palace. By this point, recalling Xue Chengyi to court was inevitable. His exclusive favor for Xue Cangshi was also intended to focus everyone's attention on one place; it was better for Yin Zhuli to be forgotten in the Cold Palace.
He intended to transfer Qingwan to serve in the Imperial Study, but on that day, something happened that shocked even him.
At that time, Yin Zhuli was drinking tea in Water Duckweed Palace, teaching Chao Xi how to read and write. Before long, Eunuch Zhou came running in a panic. "Chief! It's bad, Chief!" He was panting heavily. "In Zhaohua Palace... the Virtuous Consort... she broke the legs of that maid of yours, Qingwan."
Yin Zhuli slowly stood up, her voice ice-cold. "What did you say?"
When this happened, Empress Dowager He naturally rushed to Zhaohua Palace immediately. Xue Cangshi was still throwing a tantrum. The Empress Dowager was a shrewd figure; how could she not know that Xue Cangshi was making a show of force to Yin Zhuli? However, this move had gone too far. She ordered people to carry Qingwan away, her voice carrying a hint of tactful persuasion. "Cangshi, you... you shouldn't lower yourself to bicker with a servant."
Xue Cangshi did not dare be too insolent before her and smiled. "It was Cangshi’s poor handling of the matter. I shouldn't have disturbed Mother Empress." The Empress Dowager sighed. She knew Yin Zhuli’s character well; this matter would certainly not end peacefully. But as she currently needed to use people, she couldn't afford to offend Xue Cangshi, so she said no more.
Upon leaving the palace, she gave Zhang Qing a word of instruction. "Find an imperial physician to look at that girl. We cannot have someone die in the palace."
Just as Zhang Qing accepted the order, he received a decree from Shen Tingjiao. Shen Tingjiao had sent Chen Zhong to check on Qingwan’s injuries, knowing in his heart that Yin Zhuli would never let Xue Cangshi off. He immediately ordered Zhang Qing to strengthen the guards at Water Duckweed Palace to strictly prevent Yin Zhuli from sneaking out.
When Zhang Qing led his men to Water Duckweed Palace, Yin Zhuli was already waiting for him. Upon seeing her, he knelt in greeting. "Mother Consort."
Yin Zhuli had been in the Cold Palace for several days, yet she still maintained her arrogant and domineering air. "Commander Zhang, I do not dare accept this bow."
Zhang Qing stiffened but remained kneeling. "Mother Consort, you know Father’s temperament. Can't you just..."
Yin Zhuli did not want to hear more. "Zhang Qing, since you and your mother entered the Fulu Prince’s Manor, how has Yin treated the two of you?"
Zhang Qing bowed again. "It was like a second birth."
Yin Zhuli stood with her hands behind her back, her expression solemn. "I wouldn't go so far as to say a second birth, but at the very least, I have never made things difficult for you and your mother. Your mother’s medicine, her clothing, her daily life—I have never been stingy in the slightest. Do you admit this?"
Zhang Qing nodded. "I keep Mother’s grace and virtue in my heart."
Yin Zhuli’s expression softened slightly. "Then I have one request." She didn't wait for Zhang Qing to speak, finishing her words in one breath. "Qingwan is like a sister to me. I hope she can have a place to settle down."
Zhang Qing frowned slightly; he understood her meaning. "My marriage is a major matter that should be decided by my parents' command. I shall follow Mother’s decision."
Yin Zhuli shook her head. "I no longer have the power to decide. But you are currently the King’s favorite; asking for a palace maid is a small matter. Moreover, after what happened, if you speak up, His Majesty will surely grant it. I only hope you can treat her as I treated you and your mother. If she is willing to marry you as your wife, I have nothing more to say. If she is unwilling, let it be as she wishes."
Zhang Qing prostrated himself, not daring to look up. "Your son obeys. If she is unwilling, I am willing to treat her as my own sister and protect her forever."
Yin Zhuli nodded. "Withdraw."
Zhang Qing was puzzled. "Mother, why are you staying here?"
Yin Zhuli smiled faintly. "I am waiting for someone. Remember what you promised me. Withdraw."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
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水萍宫 | Water Duckweed Palace | The name of the Cold Palace where Yin Zhuli is sent.
贤妃 | Virtuous Consort | The high-ranking consort title given to Xue Cangshi.
惠妃 | Consort Hui | Qu Lingyu's title.
朝喜 | Chao Xi | A young servant boy in the palace.
清婉 | Qingwan | Yin Zhuli's loyal maid.
周衔鹿 | Zhou Xianlu | A eunuch who helps Yin Zhuli.
千顷富贵坊 | Thousand-Acre Prosperity House | A business/gambling house associated with Yin Zhuli's wealth.
勾钱 | Gou Qian | A contact/subordinate of Yin Zhuli at the Prosperity House.
