CHAPTER 432: CHAPTER 400: HIS HIGHNESS IS BERATED (18TH UPDATE)

When Consort Qing first entered the palace, she was young and naive, and was manipulated by others to seduce Emperor Guangxi, which greatly infuriated the Emperor.

Since then, Consort Qing has been removed from the green card, and Emperor Guangxi has never favored her again.

Gu Yu’s words were undeniably harsh in their sarcasm.

Fearful of alarming her aunt inside the Rose Pavilion, Xue Yinhuan lowered her voice and said, "I alone am responsible for my actions. Playing shuttlecock was my doing, there’s no need to mention anyone else, Miss Gu Yu."

Gu Yu’s gaze turned mocking, "Responsible for your actions? Can you truly bear that responsibility?"

At that moment, Consort Qing appeared at the doorway of the Rose Pavilion. At a glance, she noticed her niece kneeling on the ground and looked toward Gu Yu, "What is going on here?"

"Oh, Lady Qing is here?" Gu Yu’s smile was restrained as she glanced over, "Since you don’t need to attend to the Emperor daily, perhaps you should take more time to educate your niece, so she learns her place and doesn’t provoke just anyone."

Hearing these words, Consort Qing stepped forward cautiously, "Yinhuan is only here to keep me company. She’s not from the palace and isn’t familiar with its customs. If there’s any shortcoming, you can take it out on me, Miss Gu Yu. Don’t hold it against a fourteen-year-old girl with a naive mind. If you speak too deeply, she won’t understand, and it won’t be good for you to upset yourself."

Apologizing while at the same time satirizing Gu Yu for bullying the young.

It seems no one in the palace is simple-minded; Gu Yu coldly chuckled, "Lady Qing has such a sharp tongue."

Consort Qing didn’t look at her, "If Yinhuan truly made a mistake, I’ll take her before the Imperial Concubine to knock heads and apologize. Miss Gu Yu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take her back to question her."

Gu Yu perceived the assertiveness in Consort Qing’s words, indicating her unwillingness to yield. She was about to reprimand them further but saw Xue Yinhuan being helped up by Consort Qing and led into the Rose Pavilion, leaving her no choice but to turn and enter the main hall.

Princess Consort Qi was half-lying on the beauty’s rest, lifting her eyelids, "Why is it so noisy outside?"

Gu Yu couldn’t help but mutter, "It’s all because of that Xue Yinhuan, who at such a young age learned to employ flirtatious tactics, attempting to use a shuttlecock to entrap His Highness. I couldn’t stand it and reprimanded her a few times."

Princess Consort Qi blandly remarked, "If something like this happens again, there’s no need to reprimand; just expel them from the palace. It saves me from facing such disgraceful scenes under my watch."

...

In the Rose Pavilion, Consort Qing looked at her niece, who kept her head lowered and eyes downcast, "Yinhuan, what happened just now?"

The palace maid was about to speak, but a sideways glance from Consort Qing silenced her, "Let her speak for herself."

Xue Yinhuan did not defend herself, "I accidentally kicked the shuttlecock too hard, and it happened to hit His Highness."

Consort Qing listened with her heart pounding, "Did His Highness say anything?"

"No." Xue Yinhuan shook her head firmly.

The conflicted look on Consort Qing’s face was fleeting as she made up her mind, "You will come with me to apologize to the Imperial Concubine."

"Aunt," Xue Yinhuan was perplexed, "His Highness didn’t say anything, and besides, Gu Yu already humiliated us just now. Isn’t that enough?"

"Silly girl, you’re too naive." Despite her helplessness, Consort Qing’s words leaned toward kindness, "In matters like this, even if you had no ill intention, if someone decides to portray you as having insidious motives, you’ll never clear your name. I’m asking you to apologize to the Imperial Concubine so you can learn to suppress your anger at times, otherwise, if your reputation is tainted, how will you marry in the future?"

"Aunt..."

Recalling Gu Yu’s arrogant demeanor, Xue Yinhuan could not resign herself to subjugation under a servant’s oppressive authority.

Consort Qing’s expression was stern, "If you don’t go today, then you must leave the palace immediately!"

...

A short time later, Consort Qing led her niece Xue Yinhuan to the main hall of Princess Consort Qi.

As soon as they entered, the aunt and niece knelt before Princess Consort Qi.

Consort Qing was the first to speak, "It’s all my fault for not properly disciplining my niece, resulting in her inadvertently offending His Highness. I beg for your Lady’s forgiveness."

Xue Yinhuan kept her head lowered, "As a young maiden new to the palace, I had no intention of provoking His Highness. I humbly ask for the Imperial Concubine’s pardon."

Princess Consort Qi looked thoughtfully at Gu Yu beside her, "What’s the matter?"

Gu Yu hurriedly knelt down, "Imperial Concubine, please discern clearly, earlier when this servant was escorting His Highness out, Miss Xue’s shuttlecock coincidentally struck His Highness. Afraid that someone might harbor inappropriate thoughts, I reprimanded her a bit. It was my recklessness, so please punish this servant."

"I’ll deal with you later!" Princess Consort Qi turned to the kneeling aunt and niece, "Since it was a misunderstanding, stop kneeling. Among sisters, why adhere to so many formalities?"

Finishing her sentence, she gestured as if to rise to help them.

Consort Qing dared not let the Imperial Concubine lower herself, and quickly pulled her niece up, and the two were soon standing.

Princess Consort Qi, halfway up, reclined back, her demeanor nonchalant, and after a moment instructed Gu Yu, "Miss Xue was startled today. Select two lengths of the cloud silk recently bestowed by the Emperor as a gift for her to have clothes made."

"Yes." Gu Yu went to the small storage room and shortly returned with the silk that Princess Consort Qi mentioned, handing it to Xue Yinhuan.

One plays the good cop, the other the bad cop; first a hard slap, then a sweet date, not only humiliating the aunt and niece but also indebting them to Princess Consort Qi.

This kind of psychological manipulation, Xue Yinhuan rarely encountered at home.

She used to hear people say that behind the magnificent red palace walls was a place that could consume people, and she didn’t believe it. Today, she finally witnessed it.

From the main hall to the Rose Pavilion, Xue Yinhuan said no more.

Consort Qing asked, "Are you still thinking about that incident?"

Xue Yinhuan looked at Consort Qing, her voice muffled, "I didn’t know survival in the palace was so difficult. Aunt has suffered all these years."

Consort Qing rubbed her head, "Huanhuan should firmly remember Aunt’s lesson: better a wife in a humble home than a concubine to the Imperial Family."

Xue Yinhuan nodded, "Yinhuan will remember."

——

When Zhao Xi arrived at Qianqing Palace, Emperor Guangxi had just awoken from his nap.

Upon hearing the Eldest Prince had come, he instructed Mr. Cui to invite him in.

Zhao Xi glanced at Emperor Guangxi’s condition and asked, "Father, are you feeling unwell?"

Emperor Guangxi rubbed his temples, "It’s just about the campaign against West Yue."

Zhao Xi had heard about this matter before and analyzed it privately, knowing that to eliminate West Yue without fail would require at least a million troops and precise military strategies.

"Father, I have some thoughts but don’t know if I should express them."

Zhao Xi’s suggestions were always well-received, so Emperor Guangxi naturally didn’t rush to refute them, indicating with his eyes for him to continue.

Zhao Xi said calmly, "Although the Northwest victory was comprehensive, thanks to the reinforcements from the Left Army Commander, he lacks enough experience in grand warfare. Letting him plan the attack on West Yue seems too hasty."

Emperor Guangxi lifted his eyelids, "From what you’re saying, do you want me to stop the plan and have him return to court directly?"

"Though I do not approve of the attack on West Yue, if Great Chu has the strength, I wouldn’t oppose it."

Emperor Guangxi sensed there was more to his words, choosing silence while waiting for further explanation.

Zhao Xi continued, "I believe if we can involve my uncle in the war’s planning, the plan to attack West Yue will be more secure once the troops are assembled."

Emperor Guangxi’s expression turned frigid, exuding a harshness that sent chills down one’s spine.

Mr. Cui was urgently signaling Zhao Xi.

Zhao Xi ignored him, resolutely presented his complete viewpoint, extolling the benefits of Lu Xingzhou participating.

Emperor Guangxi, incensed by anger, disregarded the fact that the person in front of him was his son, dismissing past father-son affection, and scolded him harshly—his words exceeding the decorum expected of an Emperor, making them hard to bear.

Zhao Xi didn’t expect that a mere suggestion would result in being berated by his own father, leaving him pale, lips pressed tightly, without retort.

Upon leaving Qianqing Palace, he was in a daze.

The fourteen-year-old Prince, who always maintained a stance of "being strong without desire," faltered at the barrier of familial affection, unable to withstand such a "serious blow." Upon returning to Yutang Palace, he dismissed the servants, lay on the inner hall’s bed, and didn’t rise for the Study Room next morning.

Though daylight had come, the main hall’s doors and windows remained tightly shut; without Zhao Xi’s order, no one dared to enter on their own.

Eunuch Sanbao was exceedingly anxious.

Finally, when Wan Qiu arrived, Eunuch Sanbao acted as if seeing a lifeline and quickly summoned her, "Among all the servants in Yutang Palace, only you’ve stayed overnight in His Highness’s presence. Go inside quickly and see what has happened inside!"

Wan Qiu was startled by Eunuch Sanbao’s tone, disregarding everything else, gently pushed the door, and walked inside.

Arriving at the inner hall, she rarely saw His Highness kick off the blanket, and the pillow remained properly positioned beneath his head.

The person on the bed showed no sign of awakening.

This seemingly ordinary sleeping posture felt unusual on Zhao Xi.

Wan Qiu quickly realized something was amiss, stepped forward, and instinctively felt Zhao Xi’s forehead, then exclaimed in shock, "His Highness is running a fever!"