Thank you Starrynight for the ko-fi!
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Translation: marchmallow
“Old Madam.”
Old Madam Chen said nothing. In the end, she was advanced in age, and after spending an entire day doing an act that enervated her body, her spirit was wearied and her strength was exhausted. If there was someone beside her this instant, she perhaps would have told them a few words. However, there was no one there, and Noble Consort Hu and the others had gone, leaving her to fend for herself. Several palace maids and eunuchs were stationed nearby, but caution had its grip on them that they no longer dared to advance forward to pull her up.
But Old Madam Chen knew that her method was already proven effective. With the current momentum, there was no need for the Empress and even the Chen family to push the waves and add to the billows. Simply relying on other imperial concubines in the palace sufficed for the Imperial Noble Consort to have her fill of acrimony.
“Old Madam.”
“Princess Consort Wei, you need not say more. This old woman is here today to humbly beseech the Imperial Noble Consort for forgiveness. It has nothing to do with you.”
Feng Sheng crouched down before her and returned with a smile, “Old Madam, you’re overthinking it. I am not here to persuade your honored self. Watching you court trouble despite how anile you have become due to your old age, my heart just could not bear it.”
She enunciated the last sentence in a very hushed voice, and Old Madam Chen happened to hear it. She widened her eyes and stared incredulously at Feng Sheng as though she was some fiend, unable to comprehend why she had uttered such words.
“Old Madam’s love for your daughter and son is actually understandable, but what a pity that you chose the wrong method. If I’m not mistaken, Old Madam’s plan is to separate the Empress from the matter to declare her innocent while you pretend to be pitiful to express your regret for all the things you’ve done all those years. Am I right?”
Without waiting for Old Madam Chen’s answer, she went on, “It’s a pity that Old Madam has been far removed from reality for too long, never having experienced suffering or defeat. Even if you know what it is you ought to do to achieve the best result, you are more or less not reconciled to do it. Because you are not reconciled, you contrived to stir so great a disturbance, pining for the finality of compelling the Imperial Noble Consort to absolute despondency. But for this very reason, because you are not reconciled, despite your aim to appeal to the sympathy of your spectators, your countenance unfortunately still manifests your innate malevolence and ferocity.”
She sighed and revealed a smile that exhibited a hint of melancholy. “You’re counting on the reactions of the people within the palace. If my guess is not wrong, the Empress must be feigning illness at Kunning Palace this very moment. You, mother and daughter, have a tacit understanding and have no need for collusion, as you are both already privy to the best course of action in such a situation. However, I actually feel sorry for you and Her Majesty the Empress. You who have lived so many years, a distinguished and titled person with grandchildren and even great-grandchildren under your tutelage, are now kneeling before someone of the younger generation, someone who just so happens to be the daughter of the woman you abhorred most in those years.
“And Her Majesty the Empress, the noble empress of this nation holds this title in vain, for she, despite enjoying all the honor and glory in the world, is sacrificing her own mother for self-preservation. How absurd and woeful.”
“You——”
Feng Sheng’s expression was still as before, with a smile so gentle and so commiserative. “Old Madam, by all means, cast aside your anger. I’m merely analyzing the current situation for you to apprise you of where you went wrong.”
“You don’t have to waste your breath. I know what I want to do!” Probably aware that her words must not fall into others’ ears, Old Madam Chen’s voice was extremely low in volume.
“Do you really know?”
This woman opposite her was truly too loathsome. Whether it was her smile or her tone of voice, it stimulated Old Madam Chen’s nerves, inducing unpleasant pulsations in the veins running through her skinny old hands that were speckled with age spots.
“Do you really know?” Feng Sheng propounded, keeping her lips upturned as she shook her head. “You know nothing! You have taken everyone into account, but you forgot to count one person.” She leaned forward and gazed into Old Madam Chen’s turbid eyes. “You forgot to include His Majesty.”
Her eyes were dark, within which was the glistening gleam of waves, as if contained inside was a pool of deep water. Old Madam Chen could even behold her own face reflected in her pupils——a dismayed old face ridden with consternation.
“How do you think His Majesty views you, mother and daughter, based on your past deeds? A mother-daughter pair so brazen, despicable, and duplicitous. You have committed a lot of filthy things, yet you still masquerade as some compassionate person even when, deep in your heart, you esteem yourself above everyone else. You still want to convey your innocence even when you have always occupied the high ground and trampled on everyone beneath your heel. Now that you’re doing this, do you think His Majesty will be more inclined to take pity on you and the Empress, or will he be more inclined to express his tender love to the otherwise innocent and humiliated Imperial Noble Consort?
“Look. How pitiful. An old mother shouldering all the blame by herself and a daughter who was implicated and fell ill. The daughter is disregarding her elderly mother, who has been humbly begging her enemy for forgiveness, while resting innocently in her own palace, malingering just to claim ignorance of and to separate herself from the situation.
“But doesn’t it all seem too artificial? Shouldn’t a normal person’s initial response be to weep and to stop her mother, as she would rather bear the fault herself than have her mother be subjected to such indignity? Old Madam Chen, you educated your daughter too well. You taught her to wield just enough reserve and selfishness, but it is precisely this reserve that makes everyone feel that everything is too deliberate.”
Old Madam Chen’s cheeks were already twitching as if suffering from paroxysm.
Feng Sheng gazed at her with sympathetic eyes. “In fact, this cannot be blamed on the Empress. Your honored self frightened her by cutting off all her means of retreat without warning. If I guessed correctly, Old Madam has come here because the Empress sought the Chen family for help. Does Old Madam know that what the Empress actually wants is for you to take on this matter in silence, to express your penitence, and to inform His Majesty that you know your faults instead of being this wicked and unreasonable?”
Take on this matter in silence?
Old Madam Chen actually perceived the pity in the other’s eyes, and her heart trembled uncontrollably.
Yes, yes. In fact, she had long known that there was another way to solve this matter, one that did not require her to squander any more words. Just letting herself wither away in the Chen Manor was enough to explain everything.
All the sins would fall on her. It would have nothing to do with whomever else, and her tragic death could, contrarily, win His Majesty’s pity, rendering him incapable of chastening the Empress too much. But she had lived this long. Even if she was aware that she only had a few more years to live, she was not reconciled to die just like that.
In the depths of everyone’s heart, there was a bottom line that no one could touch. How could she allow that woman who was no longer in the mortal realm hound her to death, let alone her daughter? That would most certainly keep her from being at peace in the afterlife. Thus, she disregarded the best method and chose a different one using her dignity as a sacrifice.
She felt that she had sacrificed enough. She not only sacrificed her dignity, but she even implicated the Chen family’s prestige. But so long as she could succeed, that was nothing. Now, she was being told that, as the consequence of having exhausted every power of her mind, she became too clever for her own good and ended up missing out on more important matters.
“And your honored self has probably forgotten that even if the wind blows favorably in your direction, even if the world deems you pitiful and innocent, so long as His Majesty does not think so, you are simply wasting your efforts. But it’s too late to say anything now. The matter is already set in stone. Old Madam, your honored self better hurry back, else you will incur His Majesty’s disgust.”
Old Madam Chen’s breathing could not keep up, and her consciousness drifted away.
“Old Madam, Old Madam? Just how old do you think you are to disregard others’ concern for you like this? Someone come, quickly summon an imperial physician,” cried Feng Sheng, her voiced raised in apprehension, but a trace of hostility flashed in her half-hung eyes.
*
The imperial physician who had been invited to examine the Imperial Noble Consort first moved to Old Madam Chen.
Qian Ru could only send another person to invite an imperial physician once more. Prince Wei swiftly rushed over upon hearing the news, and the Jianping Emperor followed not long after.
The Jianping Emperor’s face darkened, evidently furious.
Half reclined against a soft pillow, the Imperial Noble Consort was requesting the imperial physician to examine her pulse. After the imperial physician did as he was bid, he explained that the Imperial Noble Consort’s heart was fraught with anxiety, but it was nothing of much concern. All she had to do was take good care of herself and prevent getting angered to preclude any consequential malaise.
“How is Old Madam?” inquired the Imperial Noble Consort.
“You still care about her? You’re not so well yourself, yet you still have time to worry about others.” The Jianping Emperor snapped.
The Imperial Noble Consort slightly drooped her head and offered no response.
The Jianping Emperor was also aware that his tone had been too imperious. Observing her face drained of color, looking all delicate and pitiful, he clarified, “Zhen is not angry with you but with others. You, too. You’re too soft-tempered. She was causing a disturbance and you just let her? Have someone beat her away! Yesterday, you urged zhen that the Empress has nothing to do with it. Now, does she still have nothing to do with it?!! That old woman, how dare she force her way into the palace of a dignified Imperial Noble Consort? Whose power is she relying on?!”
After which, with the Jianping Emperor’s rage once again enkindled, he kicked the edge of a stool by his feet. With the sound of a few thumps, the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace hall collapsed to their knees.
“Your Majesty……”
“Alright, zhen won’t say anything more. You recuperate and take care of yourself well. Zhen still has cabinet ministers waiting in the imperial study and will come see you once it’s over.”
The Jianping Emperor came and went in a flurry, but he did not forget that Old Madam Chen was still in Xianfu Palace and commanded Fu Lu to have someone send her back to the Chen Manor.
He said nothing more, but it was precisely his lack of remark that made people’s hearts pound with trepidation.
When the Jianping Emperor left, Feng Sheng and Prince Wei approached the bed.
“Mother.”
“Feng’er, thank you. Mother is too useless. In the end, you took matters into your own hands.”
“Mother, I actually didn’t do anything,” said Feng Sheng as she flushed with shame.
She said that, but the Imperial Noble Consort naturally did not believe her words. She had not witnessed their exchange outside, but as per Qian Ru’s account, Princess Consort Wei and Old Madam Chen battled with words, and the latter fainted after the former’s provocation.
“It’s getting late. You and Yue’er should take Grandson back home. Jin ge’er was frightened today, and I fear he will make trouble when night comes. Tell the wet nurse to be more careful when you go back. Yue’er, bring an imperial physician with you just in case. “
Prince Wei expressed his assent and departed with Feng Sheng.
After getting on the carriage, Prince Wei said, “The matter has passed. Don’t overthink.”
“I’m not overthinking. The me hurling all those cruel words at an elder is too unfamiliar to myself, but at the same time, I feel that it wasn’t wrong. I’d do it again if I could. I just feel a little complicated.”
