AWB Chapter 39 Moon Harp
Chapter 39 Moon Harp
When Qin Li arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Li Yu was limping out of the passageway.
Jinbao helped Li Yu up and said anxiously, "Master, if there is any errand, you can just leave it to me. Your legs are all so sore from kneeling, you should rest."
Qin Li stepped forward and asked, "Oh, what's wrong, Eunuch Li?"
Jin Bao said, "Master injured his leg kneeling today, and now he insists on going out. Eunuch Qin, please help persuade him."
Qin Li then advised, "Eunuch Li, Jinzhong and Jinbao are right. You have injured your leg and should rest more."
Li Yu said, "I just have something to do and need to go there. I'm used to being tough, so there's nowhere I can't go."
Jin Bao said, "If it were just a short walk nearby, it wouldn't be so bad, but I heard everything today. Consort Xian asked you to go to Yanxi Palace. Yanxi Palace is so far away, how can your legs take the time to walk there? At least let me help you to a nearby place!"
Li Yu said angrily, "Jinbao, how could you eavesdrop on the ladies' conversation! I'll let you off this time, but if there's a next time, see how I deal with you!" With that, he shook off Jinbao's hand and limped away.
Jinbao stood there, stunned. Qin Li patted Jinbao's shoulder and comforted him, "I think your master is just in a bad mood for a moment, don't take it to heart. I've been summoned by the Emperor and need to go in first. If you're really worried about Eunuch Li, I'll have someone bring you medicine."
He looked up and exchanged a glance with Jinzhong, who was on duty at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation not far away, before entering the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, the Emperor threw the list presented by the Empress at Qin Li: "How can you be the head of the Imperial Household Department! Look at all the gossips in the harem!"
Qin Li inwardly groaned. "You're asking me about the rumors? Aren't you putting me in a difficult position?" he thought. He immediately knelt down and begged for mercy: "This servant deserves to die! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
The emperor said, "Forget it, things have come to this. You should thoroughly investigate the people on this list. Once you've verified their identities, those who should be expelled should be expelled from the palace in batches."
Then he summoned Jinzhong and delivered an imperial edict: "Now the court and the harem are both in turmoil. I am busy with state affairs and cannot take care of everything. The Empress sets an example for the six palaces. She is virtuous and talented and fair in her dealings. Since becoming Empress, the six palaces have been well-governed and she has won my heart."
"Afterwards, whatever happens in the six palaces, all those in the harem should first report to the Empress. If the Empress can handle it, then so be it. If it is a major matter that the Empress cannot handle, then she should consider the matter and present it to me before I make a decision. Do not bring every little thing to my attention."
Jinzhong stiffened and bowed his head, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty. This servant will immediately issue an edict to the six palaces."
In Changchun Palace, Rongyin and the palace servants expressed their gratitude. As Jinzhong left, she rewarded him with a purse filled with silver fruit. Bai Ruiji, a girl learning etiquette in Changchun Palace, also expressed her gratitude, but she was filled with panic.
In the team's frequency band, Yingluo sent a message: The emperor had previously insisted that she go to Xianfu Palace in the middle of the night to stand up for his childhood sweetheart, which resulted in an unmanageable situation. Now he has finally decided to relinquish power! However, this old emperor is very cunning. He said that he should make the decisions on important matters, but he did not specify what those important matters were. In the end, he still kept the power to decide on matters of the harem in his own hands.
Rongyin replied with a message: In that case, we must be even more cautious.
Yingluo replied: Of course we should be cautious. This power of decision-making was granted by the Emperor. For our future well-being, and to have a better tool to deal with the Chosen One and guide the world in order, we must seize this power. To make this power our own, we must have actions commensurate with it. That way, even if the Emperor wants to renege on his decision and take back power in the future, he will have to think twice. The first thing now is Bai Ruiji.
Bai Ruiji was standing blankly in the courtyard when she suddenly saw Rong Yin look up at her and say softly, "Miss Bai, please come to my place. There are some things that need to be clarified."
Rongyin remained as gentle and serene as ever, but Bai Ruiji felt a chill run through her body.
She entered the Empress's palace with trepidation, but the Empress acted as if nothing was wrong and asked her to sit down, instructing Yingluo to serve her tea and snacks.
Yingluo brought over a plate of mung bean cakes and said with a smile, "Miss Bai, these are mung bean cakes that Mingyu made for you. They are very good for clearing heat and reducing internal fire, and they won't affect your wound. I also specifically told her not to add honey, so it won't make you feel uncomfortable. Please try a couple of pieces."
Bai Ruiji tried to remain calm, but her trembling hands betrayed her panic: "Alright, Your Majesty, you don't need to make Miss Yingluo put on a smiling face anymore. It's my fault for being less skilled. I admit defeat."
Yingluo smiled and put down the mung bean cake. Rongyin said gently, "If Miss Bai has no appetite, please have a cup of tea first. Miss Bai has talked so much today, so you must be very thirsty. After you finish drinking, you can talk about what you want to say."
Yingluo smiled and said, "Yes, Miss Bai will have to find someone to help her later. Please eat and drink well first."
Bai Ruiji was startled, then seemed to understand something, and said, "It seems you've discovered Xiao Miaozi too." Now that things were at a critical moment, she calmed down and asked, "What did he say?"
Yingluo said, "Let him tell you himself."
He then called out to the outside, "Bring them in!"
Zhao Yitai dragged Xiao Miaozi in. Xiao Miaozi trembled all over and scrambled to her knees, crying, "Your Majesty, spare my life!"
Rongyin said in a calm tone, "You have violated the palace rules by having private exchanges in my Changchun Palace, but if you tell me everything that needs to be said, I can be lenient with you."
Xiao Miao kowtowed repeatedly, "Your Majesty, I'll tell you everything! I'm a cleaning eunuch at Shou Kang Palace. Once, I accidentally broke an antique vase in the Empress Dowager's palace. Aunt Fu Jia, who serves the Empress Dowager, asked me to do something for her. If I did it well, I would be rewarded; if I didn't, she would report it to the Empress Dowager. I was blinded by greed and agreed to deliver messages and items to Chang Chun Palace. I was wrong! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Yingluo asked, "How did you transmit it, and what did you transmit?"
Xiao Miaozi said, "This servant was meowing like a cat outside the palace walls. Miss Bai heard me and said she wanted to go for a walk, but in reality, she wanted to meet with this servant in secret to get something. This servant once relayed a message from Aunt Fujia, asking Miss Bai to injure herself more severely to gain the Emperor's sympathy. And today, I asked Miss Bai to hurry up and do her job. That's all."
As for the items, this servant only carries one package each time and has no idea what's inside. This servant has confessed everything he knows; I beg Your Majesty to spare my life!
Yingluo said, "Take him away and send him back to Shou Kang Palace."
Zhao Yitai took Xiao Miaozi out again.
Yingluo chuckled and sighed, “Miss Bai, your methods are too crude! If it were me, I would have taken a brick from the palace wall and slipped the things in, or bribed the people in the laundry department to pass messages while they were collecting chamber pots and emptying charcoal ash. But you all, going out the moment you hear a cat meow, aren’t you just asking to arouse suspicion?”
Bai Ruiji sneered, "Heh, it seems Her Majesty the Empress has long suspected me. Today, she really did set a trap for me!"
Yingluo thought to herself, "In a sense, that's not wrong. After all, I even deliberately chose the time to advise you by watching the live broadcast clips Yuan Yi gave me. I was waiting for the Emperor to learn about the messy affairs of the previous dynasty from Prince He and Prince Xian, and for his suspicion of the Empress Dowager to reach its peak."
However... we really did give you a chance.
Yingluo said seriously, "Miss Bai, you are mistaken. What do you mean that Her Majesty the Empress set a trap for you? It was the Empress Dowager who damaged your appearance, and it was also the Empress Dowager who sent you to file a complaint. Her Majesty the Empress did nothing, did she?"
Before you went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation, didn't I tell you about the current situation? Didn't I advise you not to go? It was all thanks to Her Majesty the Empress's keen insight that you went astray, but she couldn't bear to see you make a mistake, so she sent me to persuade you! If you hadn't gone yourself, would things have turned out this way?
"If Her Majesty the Empress truly wanted to harm you, she should have had me seize that little Miaozi long ago and brought him before the Emperor for a confrontation. Then you would have been accused of framing a concubine before the Emperor, which would have implicated the Empress Dowager. She would have easily shifted the blame onto you, the little Miaozi, or Aunt Fu Jia, and your situation would have been ten times worse than it is now!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ruiji suddenly smiled sadly.
She didn't want to admit it, but she had to, that Yingluo was right. To achieve her goals, the Empress Dowager had even forced her to use dangerous substances like aconite powder. If she hadn't been cautious and only applied honey to her face for a few days, she might have been in mortal danger. From beginning to end, the Empress Dowager had only treated her as a disposable pawn, never caring about her life or death!
Now that the Empress Dowager has failed to achieve her goal, and even lost more than she gained, the Emperor has further favored the Empress. It is feared that the Empress Dowager will no longer take care of her from now on.
As for herself, she had become a useless concubine in the eyes of the Empress Dowager. Although the Emperor did not say anything on the surface, she knew that she had already been suspected by the Emperor of framing the concubines.
Now, there is only one path left for me.
Bai Ruiji rose and bowed deeply to the Empress: "Back then, I was chosen by Empress Ulanara to enter the Southern Palace, but Empress Ulanara lost power, and I had no choice but to go with the flow and seek refuge with the current Empress Dowager. Your Majesty's shrewdness and wisdom far surpass mine, and you have left me a way out. I am sincerely convinced and wish to follow Your Majesty from now on!"
Rongyin supported her arm and helped her up, saying, "You are a woman learning etiquette, and you will become a palace concubine in the future. The first person you must follow is the Emperor. As the mistress of the six palaces, I naturally have to protect the people in the six palaces."
She stood up and said to Yingluo, "Yingluo, have Zhao Yitai go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and tell him that I have prepared some snacks here. If the Emperor is interested, please come and have a taste. Go to the storeroom and bring over that moon zither."
Bai Ruiji was stunned: "Your Majesty, what is this...?"
Rongyin smiled gently: "I heard from Yingluo that you were originally good at the Yueqin, but you switched to the pipa because the late emperor liked it. So I asked the Imperial Household Department to prepare a Yueqin. I originally planned to give it to you as a congratulatory gift after your investiture, but although it is a bit early now, it is just the right time."
Within this deep palace, everyone is subject to circumstances beyond their control; when they have the freedom to act as they please, they should strive to make themselves as comfortable as possible.
Bai Ruiji said gratefully, "So it turns out that Miss Yingluo's appearance that day wasn't a coincidence, but rather something Her Majesty the Empress instructed her to do to protect me... Thank you so much, Her Majesty the Empress!"
Rongyin patted her shoulder: "Go and get ready. When the Emperor comes to Changchun Palace, I will speak to him on his behalf first, and then you can be honest with him about these things. Once you've talked it out, everything will be fine. You are the first person the Emperor has chosen according to his own wishes since he ascended the throne. The Emperor will not reject you just because you were confused for a moment."
Yingluo opened the storeroom, took out the rosewood-inlaid ebony-tuned moon lute with plum blossom head, and sent it to Bai Ruiji. This was something she had instructed the Imperial Household Department to do earlier that morning. According to Qin Li, this lute was a tribute from the common people, and each one was to be used for three years; it was a top-quality lute.
When Bai Ruiji saw the moon lute, her eyes lit up. She tuned it, casually played a few tunes with a pick, and exclaimed, "It is indeed a fine lute!"
But he reluctantly had it put away, and then had the pipa, a gift from the emperor, brought out.
"His Majesty enjoys my pipa playing because he appreciates how well I've improved with his guidance. Otherwise, he wouldn't have listened to Consort Gao's pipa instead. Tonight, I must be honest and please His Majesty, so I can't play the moon lute, which I'm naturally good at," Bai Ruiji explained to Yingluo.
Yinglu thought to herself that this emperor had no real ability but loved to act like a teacher. On the surface, she said regretfully, "That's a real pity."
Bai Ruiji said, "Even if the Emperor doesn't like it, it doesn't matter. I can play it for myself from now on. If Your Majesty the Empress likes it, I can play it for you too. Your Majesty the Empress is right. Even if I am like a duckweed, drifting with the tide, I still have my own time. I should make myself feel comfortable."