newbobooks Chapter 194 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 7
Chapter 194 The Legend of Zhen Huan, Consort Qi 7
Once Yixiu had investigated the truth and didn't want any further complications, she directly sent Su Peisheng to the Cold Palace.
In Xianfu Palace, Zhen Huan sat in front of her dressing table, her eyes unfocused. She seemed to be thinking about the past again, about that child. If only her child were still here.
"Jinxi, what did Eunuch Su say about when to send Lady Nian on her way?" Zhen Huan asked softly, staring at the sunlight outside the window.
“According to the rules, executions in the Cold Palace are always carried out at dusk,” Jinxi replied after a moment’s thought.
"Help me do my makeup properly. I'm going to see off Consort Hua." Zhen Huan shifted her gaze to the mirror, thinking, "I'm going to see off her poor, unborn child. Mother has finally avenged you."
In the cold palace, Nian Shilan sat on a chair, staring blankly out the door, unwilling to comply.
Su Peisheng was in a dilemma. If he forced the emperor to comply, the emperor would remember the good things about Lady Nian, and Su Peisheng would be the first to suffer the consequences. Naturally, he would not do that.
In the blink of an eye, upon seeing Zhen Huan, Su Peisheng approached and respectfully bowed, saying, "Greetings to Consort Wan."
"No need for formalities, Eunuch Su, I've come to see this Lady Nian off." A hint of smugness lingered in Zhen Huan's eyes.
“If Lady Nian refuses to comply, Your Highness might as well try to persuade her?” Su Peisheng said, and then had the eunuch open the door.
Zhen Huan slowly walked in. Nian Shilan looked up, saw the familiar figure, and sneered, "You've got some nerve, daring to come to the Cold Palace."
“I’ve been to this place far more often than you have.”
Zhen Huan paused for a moment, then continued, "I was right here back then, watching Consort Li go mad and act recklessly."
These words struck a nerve with Nian Shilan, who immediately interrupted Zhen Huan, scolding her: "Don't dream anymore. You've ruined me to this extent. I'll haunt you even as a ghost."
Zhen Huan revealed her malice, staring intently at Nian Shilan, and said, word by word, "No one wanted to harm you. You brought this upon yourself. You were the one who caused Consort Chun's drowning, weren't you? You put cassava flour in Princess Wenyi's food, weren't you? You instructed Yu Shi to poison my medicine, pushed Meizhuang into the water, and framed Meizhuang for faking her pregnancy to gain favor. Every single one of these things, which one wasn't your doing? Who has wronged you?"
Nian Shilan's first reaction was not to regret her mistakes, but to say: "That bitch Cao Qinmo dares to bite me back. You must be the one who instigated her. She has the guts to do that."
Zhen Huan sarcastically remarked, "You really don't know how to judge people. You've used Wen Yi to gain favor several times, even at the cost of Wen Yi's life. Consort Xiang is her birth mother; how could she not hate you? Do you think her hatred for you only started today? You should have realized it when you played with Wen Yi's life like that!"
Seeing that she couldn't win the argument, Nian Shilan directly mocked, "In my glorious days, even that old woman, the Empress, had to give me some respect. Cao Qinmo was nothing more than a dog by my side. How could I possibly take her seriously?"
Zhen Huan snorted coldly. That was exactly why Cao Qinmo had sought a way out and wanted to kill Nian Shilan.
"It's a pity she's human; humans are much more complex than dogs."
Thinking of something, Nian Shilan said, "You wretch, you are as cunning as your father. If it weren't for your father and that so-called Zhaerjia setting up a scheme, our Nian clan would not have been so utterly defeated."
Zhen Huan thought of Zhaerjia Wenyuan. The main credit for quelling the rebellion of Prince Dun and Lady Nian was given to Zhaerjia Emin. Her father, like the fathers of Consort Rui and Consort Liu, had only picked up some credits. However, the Emperor still gave her father and Zhaerjia Emin the greatest credit because of her.
“If it weren’t for the Nian family’s arrogance and recklessness, how could things have come to this? Don’t forget, your husband is the emperor, and the emperor doesn’t allow others to sleep soundly.” Zhen Huan said guiltily. Since she was going to have Nian Shilan settle accounts, she wasn’t going to let herself be intimidated.
“My brother is a meritorious official who pacified the Northwest for the Qing Dynasty and made outstanding military achievements.” This point directly broke Nian Shilan’s defenses.
“He has made great contributions in battle and is also the emperor’s subject. How can he be above the emperor? Isn’t that tantamount to rebellion?” Zhen Huan argued logically.
As they were talking, the door opened again, and Su Peisheng walked in, followed by several eunuchs.
Su Peisheng respectfully said, "By order of Her Majesty the Empress, Your Highness may choose one item."
Nian Shilan stared blankly at the things on the tray and said, "The Empress's decree? Where is the Emperor's decree? Bring it here."
Su Peisheng explained, "His Majesty's intention is to entrust the Empress with full authority."
“I will never die without the Emperor’s decree. The Emperor himself ordered the execution of my brother, so why would he be afraid of another decree?” Nian Shilan said, her throat dry.
"His Majesty said he doesn't want to hear anything about Your Highness."
Nian Shilan could barely hold back her tears, and could only say, "Does His Majesty despise me to such an extent?"
"Go and fetch the Emperor's decree. I'll wait here." Nian Shilan had no intention of obeying the Empress's decree.
Seeing that the two were frozen in place, Zhen Huan said, "Eunuch Su, please slow down and allow Consort Nian and me to say a few more words."
"Yes, Your Highness, please make yourself at home. This servant will wait outside." Su Peisheng glanced at Nian Shilan, told the eunuch to put down the tray, and led the others out of the room.
Zhen Huan suddenly said smugly, "I'm really sorry, I'm so used to calling you Your Majesty, it's really not used to calling you 'Auntie' all of a sudden."
Zhen Huan had something to confirm, so she handed the hand warmer to Xiao Yunzi and asked him to add a few pieces of charcoal.
Now that only the two of them were left in the room, Zhen Huan dropped all pretense and said slowly and deliberately, "Do you know why the Emperor dislikes you?"
Mentioning this, Nian Shilan's thoughts seemed to return to the past, and she slowly said, "The Emperor has never disliked me. He used to dote on me. Even if I made a big mistake, no matter how angry he was, he couldn't bear to ignore me for too long."
Zhen Huan glanced at Nian Shilan again and suddenly asked, "Do you know why the Emperor likes you?"
Without waiting for Nian Shilan's reply, she said directly, "Because of your beauty, the palace is never short of beautiful women."
Nian Shilan broke down again, tears streaming down her face, and said, "You said the Emperor only favors me because I'm Nian Gengyao's sister, no, Consort Duan is also from a military family..."
Zhen Huan looked at Nian Shilan with a mocking gaze, shattering Nian Shilan's self-deception: "You know perfectly well what's going on in your heart, so why deceive yourself?"
“You’re talking nonsense. How could the Emperor not be sincere towards me?” Nian Shilan mocked.
Zhen Huan calmly said, "Perhaps there is, but even if there is, you and Nian Gengyao have been domineering for so many years that even this little bit of sincerity has been worn away."
"What do you know, you bitch? I remember when I first entered the palace, I was made a concubine and became the emperor's most favored person. There were so many women in the palace, and the emperor even took me horseback riding and hunting. He said he only liked me, but there were so many women in the palace, so many that it made me angry. He would stay with this concubine today and with that concubine tomorrow. I just waited like this, but unfortunately the emperor still didn't come to me."