Chapter 21: It’s Him

Chapter 21: So It Was Him

Leng Yunqing’s already cold expression grew even frostier. Today’s banquet was held in honor of her and the child in her womb, yet the revelation that another concubine was pregnant made it impossible for her to maintain a pleasant demeanor.

"Your Majesty, I am feeling unwell. I shall return first."

Zhao Yi rose as well. "I will escort you back."

With the Emperor and Empress gone, the Empress Dowager surveyed the scene and invited Ye Wanwan to leave with her. She was anxious to know if Shen Yufu was truly pregnant.

Once outside, Ye Wanwan parted ways with the Empress Dowager. She had no such curiosity regarding Shen Yufu; she only wanted to return and shed her elaborate attire.

Yan Chen was nowhere to be seen. As Aunt Lin helped Ye Wanwan toward her palanquin, others nearby were whispering about Shen Yufu’s pregnancy. Ye Wanwan let out a cold laugh. "It is impossible for her to be pregnant."

Aunt Lin, hearing this, assumed Ye Wanwan was merely venting her frustration. She sighed inwardly but said nothing. It was natural for the Noble Consort to feel distressed; the Empress had already been enough of an eyesore, and now, with the addition of Concubine Shen, it was no surprise that the Noble Consort was upset.

Clearly, however, Ye Wanwan’s reasoning was quite different. On the contrary, she was in a rather good mood.

Shen Yufu would indeed appear pregnant, but not for real. The so-called vomiting and the slippery pulse were merely illusions created by specific drugs. Everyone at this banquet had been waiting to see her make a fool of herself, so how could she simply sit and wait for her demise?

What could be more embarrassing for the Empress than another concubine becoming pregnant? And what could better divert the attention of the other consorts?

Shen Yufu loved to watch a spectacle, didn't she? That made her the perfect tool to draw the Empress’s ire, ensuring she would be too occupied to cause trouble. Before long, the imperial physicians would diagnose Shen Yufu’s pregnancy as a false alarm, and she would become the laughingstock of the palace. That was exactly what Ye Wanwan wanted—to keep these people from paying too much attention to her for a while.

Back in her bedchamber, Ye Wanwan felt a wave of dizziness and disorientation. The alcohol had finally taken hold. She had consumed quite a bit; although it was only a light, fragrant fruit wine meant for ladies, too much of it would inevitably lead to intoxication.

Though drunk, she remained three parts conscious. She allowed Qing Sha and Hong Shang to remove her finery and bathe her before she finally collapsed onto the bed, surrendering to the depths of sleep.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Ye Wanwan opened her eyes. She stared at the bed canopy, her gaze hollow, momentarily losing track of time.

Sensing she was awake, someone entered and stood behind the curtain. "Reporting to Your Ladyship: the musician’s name is Lin Yu. He has been in the palace for over three months. Aside from his exceptional skill on the zither, there is nothing noteworthy about him. I have ordered men to keep an eye on him and will report any news immediately."

Ye Wanwan was still hazy, but the two syllables struck home: Lin Yu.

"So it was him."

She could not remember which year it was—perhaps after the Crown Prince was born—that someone had tipped off the Empress Dowager, claiming Empress Leng was having an affair with a musician. The Empress Dowager had been invigorated by the news, immediately ordering the musician’s arrest and impatiently bringing the matter before Zhao Yi. The end result was that the musician died to prove his innocence.

Zhao Yi believed the Empress Dowager had intentionally slandered the Empress, leading to a long and unpleasant rift between mother and son. The Empress Dowager had been furious. According to the information Ye Wanwan had gathered, Lin Yu and Leng Yunqing had known each other outside the palace and had exchanged letters; their relationship was intimate, and to call it an illicit affair would not be an exaggeration. Lin Yu had abandoned a promising career to enter the palace as a nameless musician, clearly driven by a lingering attachment to a past love.

Yet, no matter how the Empress Dowager argued, Zhao Yi insisted she was merely smearing the Empress out of malice, and the matter was eventually dropped.

Ye Wanwan murmured, "Is there truly someone in this world willing to die for the woman he loves?"

Ye Wanwan’s voice was so soft that Yan Chen could not hear her. He leaned in closer. "What did you say, Your Ladyship?"

Ye Wanwan turned slowly, looking at the silhouette cast upon the gauze curtains. Suddenly, she raised a hand and beckoned with her finger. "Come here."

Yan Chen hesitated, then parted the curtain and knelt on one knee before Ye Wanwan’s bed.

Ye Wanwan turned on her side, propping her head up with one hand while the other reached out toward Yan Chen. Her fingertips brushed his cheek, touching him gently. Her gaze was unfocused, as if she were not looking at him, but through him at someone else.

"For someone like Leng Yunqing, there is actually someone willing to cast aside everything and die for her. We are both rotting in this palace, so why is it that she can obtain such a sincere heart, while I am reduced to nothing more than a pawn in Zhao Yi’s hands?"

Thinking of her life, it felt like a game of chess played by others. From birth to death, not a single moment had belonged to her, nor had she ever known a moment of genuine affection. She had been left a mere shell, and in the end, she couldn't even keep that shell intact.

Ye Wanwan fell into a trance, her hatred surging as if to swallow her whole. Her fingernails raked across Yan Chen’s cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

Feeling the sharp sting as the blood welled, Yan Chen finally looked directly at Ye Wanwan. Her eyes were wide open, yet they reflected nothing—only endless hatred and resentment.

It was as if she were seeking someone’s life.

"Noble Consort..."