[Title] Throwing stones down a well: equivalent to kicking someone while they’re down in English.

  [1] See note 49 on the following page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astronomy#cite_note-46

  [2] Junzhu is a title for the Emperor’s niece, daughter of one of his brothers, in other words but it can also be bestowed as an honorary title.

  [3] Metaphor for: words have power and can play a decisive role. The Nine Tripod Cauldrons are regarded as national treasures and symbols of power; only the Emperor was entitled to use all nine. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_Tripod_Cauldrons

  Tuoba Yu looked at Li Wei Yang. After all, he couldn’t let her be sacrificed like this. Despite the Virtuous Consort’s efforts to stop him, he went over in front of the Emperor. Everyone’s eyes were on him, but he couldn’t care less, he was about to ask the Emperor——


  At this moment, a eunuch was spotted rushing in and crying out: “Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Ji Xiang Hall caught fire!”


  The Emperor’s complexion immediately changed as he stood up from the throne. He could hardly believe his ears and sharply said, “What did you say? Say it again!”


  The eunuch’s face was grave as if leading a funeral procession: “Your Majesty, Ji Xiang Hall suddenly caught fire!”


  Fearful looks appeared on everyone’s faces upon hearing this. The Empress Dowager’s palace is a remnant of the previous Imperial family, where it is humid in autumn and unbearably hot in summer. The palace itself was also slightly small and old, so the Empress Dowager is worried throughout the day. The Emperor noticed that his mother was unhappy and went to ask about it many times, but the Empress Dowager worried that the Emperor’s grand and extravagant construction would deplete the Royal Treasury and insisted on not voicing her thoughts, until one of the Empress Dowager’s personal attendants took initiative to share these sentiments with the Emperor, only then did he come to know off the situation. To ease the Empress Dowager’s concerns, the Emperor decreed to use his personal funds to build a new palace for the Empress Dowager in the highest grounds north of the Royal Palace, called Chong Yang Palace with the hopes that the Empress will be able to rise like a phoenix and forever enjoy its happiness.

  Speaking of Chong Yang Palace, not only did it signify the Emperor’s filial piety towards his mother, it was also the first palace built with the Emperor’s personal assets since the founding of Da Li. The day that construction for Chong Yang Palace began, the builders were digging for the foundation of the palace when a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared from underground. The builders did not dare to dig any further and went to report to the Emperor. The Emperor was so surprised that he personally came to the construction site and ordered the workers to continue digging and digging until a shining light broke out, nearly blinding everyone in sight, it turned out a phoenix had been dug out, with its golden shimmer, radiance and ancient patterns on the phoenix feathers, not a speck of dust clinging to it. Stunned, the Emperor thought that it was an auspicious sign and officially renamed Chong Yang Palace to Ji Xiang [Auspicious] Palace and enshrined the excavated treasure in the palace and sent people to guard it, and at the same time ordered the Imperial Astronomical Bureau [1] to choose a date and prepare to officially have the Empress Dowager move in.

  Ji Xiang Palace was a manifestation of the Emperor’s filial piety as well as a symbol of Da Li’s glory and prosperity. It held a very special place in the Emperor’s heart. On most days, he sent people to guard it, not leaving it for a moment, plus there were no occupants in that palace yet. Without heaters and candles, how could it suddenly catch fire and burn? It was unfathomable!

  The Emperor descended the stairs with urgency and walked towards Ji Xiang Palace without a second look back. The ministers felt that there was something amiss with the situation and rushed to follow. They stood and watched from afar as the magnificent gold and jade palace was plunged into a sea of flames. The wind was strong at the moment, stoking the fire, and within moments, flames continuously shot up in the sky in a terrifying manner, black smoke covering the sky as it lingered in the atmosphere. It was truly a terrible sight to behold.

  The Emperor looked on with dread and could not believe that the palace he put in so much effort and labor to build would be destroyed. The eunuch beside him urgently said: “Quick! All off you put out the fire! Quickly go!” Many palace maids and eunuchs flocked over as a result, but the Emperor simply stood there, motionless as if he had forgotten how to speak.

  Consort Lian glanced at the fire and a sneer flashed across her eyes, but her words became even softer and gentle: “Your Majesty, how could Ji Xiang Palace suddenly go up in flames?”


  The Emperor snapped out of his thoughts and shouted: “Zhou Tian Shou, Zhou Tian Shou! Come out here for me!”


  Zhou Tian Shou, who had been called out by the Emperor, quickly emerged from the crowd, but there was not the slightest trace of surprise or panic on his face, sharply contrasting with those around him.

  “Daoist, Ji Xiang Palace caught on fire all of the sudden, what is the meaning behind this?” The Emperor eyed the flames rising skyward and an ominous feeling emerged. He subconsciously frowned and asked this when he was in fact already quite worried and anxious.

  Seeing the situation, Li Yuan Heng felt a bit frustrated. As he was from Mo Bei, he was not aware of the Da Li people’s strong fears towards fire. Everyone believed that ghosts and gods originally created fire, the flames spreading for no reason. This is a warning from the Heavens to the common people, especially a fire at Ji Xiang Palace, this was not an ordinary place. The Emperor’s first reaction was that he had made a mistake, so the Heavens delivered judgment.

  “Your Majesty, this humble Daoist has followed your orders and has been responsible for observing the sky and land for signs, to avoid calamity and deliver warning in advance, but this humble Daoist did not notice any signs of such a big fire in advance, which is rather unusual.” Zhou Tian Shou pretended to say.

  The Emperor revealed a face of surprise because the other party’s words aligned with his own thoughts. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “So what is the Heavens telling me?”


  Zhou Tian Shou pinched his fingers into a lotus hand sign and closed his eyes and meditated, not answering yet. The people around him grew anxious, but in the crowd, only Li Wei Yang had a small smile on her face.

  Sure enough, everyone saw Zhou Tian Shou’s eyes fly open, his facial expressions unchanged: “Your Majesty has just bestowed a marriage. According to this humble Daoist, Anping Xianzhu has a rare Eight Characters Birth Weight, which is very precious and cannot simply be matched with ordinary folks, let alone foreigners. Very well! Whether it is for Da Li or Mo Bei, this marriage is a big deal!”


  Zhou Tian Shou spoke with an air of confidence that made the entire hall fall silent. The Virtuous Consort frowned and immediately spoke her mind: “This old Daoist, always making a big deal out of everything!” She thought of it in this way and couldn’t help but smile as she stepped forward: “Your Majesty, Daoist Zhou is merely speculating, Anping Xianzhu is just a girl, what kind of precious Eight Characters would she have? The Mo Bei Prince is a majestic descendant of royalty, why can’t he be a match?”


  Zhou Tian Shou coldly eyed the Virtuous Consort and said: “Ji Xiang Palace did not catch fire earlier, nor did it catch fire at a later time. It happened right when His Majesty bestowed the marriage. How would Virtuous Consort niang niang explain this?”


  Stunned, the Virtuous Consort immediately retorted: “That doesn’t mean that this matter must be related to the marriage, it might just be a coincidence.”


  Zhou Tian Shou’s smile became withdrawn, he ignored the Virtuous Consort and spoke to the Emperor instead: “Your Majesty, do you remember the Minglan disaster?”


  This so-called Minglan disaster was referring to Minglan Junzhu [2]. Back then, Emperor Chao Ning Yuan personally bestowed a marriage on his niece, Minglan Junzhu, marrying her off to the mighty General Wang Feng of that dynasty. This was a wonderful marriage, but on the second day that the marriage engagement was made, one of the walls of the Imperial Palace gates collapsed for seemingly no reason. Many people said that Minglan Junzhu’s marriage was very inauspicious and should not follow through. However, the Emperor thought that the decree had already been made, so there was no reason to take it back. He still married Minglan Junzhu to Wang Feng, but he found an excuse to keep Wang Feng in the Capital by having him guard the granary in the Capital, thinking that nothing would happen by keeping him under his eyes.

  However, this Wang Feng became more arrogant and overbearing with the status of his wife’s family behind him and didn’t even hesitate to withhold military rations to fill his own pockets. When the enemy army reached the Capital, the Emperor opened the granary and discovered that granary wass completely emptied, everything had been reduced to a mixture of rice husks, sand, dirt and tree roots…… This was not quite enough to decide complete defeat, but this Wang Feng also happened to open the Capital gates, ushering the founding Emperor of Da Li into the city. The empire of the previous dynasty had fallen, half of it under Wang Feng’s hands.

  Consequently, their descendants regarded this as something the Heavens had warned Emperor Ning Yuan about, yet he refused to obey the Heavens’ will. If he did not marry Minglan Junzhu to Wang Feng, Wang Feng would neither stay in the Capital nor remain a resentful official who had to manage the granary, and everything would not have fallen into such a dire situation later…… Perhaps this is just a far-fetched tale in the eyes of others. Even without Wang Feng, there were countless other corrupt officials who would eventually lead to the fall of the former dynasty, but in the Emperor’s eyes, Zhou Tian Shou had spoken these words with such conviction and reason, precisely regarding his concerns, leaving him in an uncomfortable position yet a complete believer.

  Although Li Yuan Heng did not understand Da Li’s superstitions, he also knew that there was something wrong with this situation and quickly looked to Tuoba Zhen. However, Tuoba Zhen seemed as if he didn’t see it, his head still bowed in silence. He impatiently looked around for Jiang Hua, but Jiang Hua’s official position was low, so he had no place to speak here. Jiang Hua could only whisper a few words into Jiang Xu’s ear, but Jiang Xu shook his head.

  If it was anything else, the Emperor might still listen to him, but a fire broke out right in front of him. Being a superstitious person, the Emperor will believe that it is a warning from the Heavens. If the Jiang family spoke up against it now, they might encounter misfortune, so they might as well keep their mouths shut. In Jiang Hua’s eyes, eliminating Li Wei Yang is more important than anything, but in Jiang Xu’s eyes, such a move would be too dangerous and not worth the risk just for a measly Li Wei Yang!

  The Virtuous Consort was anxious. If Li Wei Yang was not driven away, then Tuoba Yu would not give up. She looked over at the Empress and Crown Prince and their blank faces and knew that they would put themselves first and refuse to participate in this matter. She couldn’t help but grit her teeth before smiling to make peace: “Daoist Zhou, it has been many years since the Minglan disaster. It’s simply a legend and obviously far-fetched if you put it like that, Daoist.”


  Consort Lian coldly scoffed, her eyes beautiful and wavering as she replied: “It’s better to believe in it than to not believe. Such a terrible thing happened right under our noses, yet Virtuous Consort can still turn a blind eye? There are many beautiful women in Da Li, the Prince of Mo Bei can choose whoever he likes, must it be Anping Xianzhu? The Heavens have declared that this marriage cannot happen, so how can we proceed? Could it be that Virtuous Consort niang niang insists on destroying the fate of the Da Li empire?”


  A waning smile appeared on Li Wei Yang’s lips. Consort Lian has made progress indeed, speaking only to exploit weaknesses.

  Surely enough, the Emperor coldly jeered: “Virtuous Consort, did you hear that, why haven’t you shut up yet! Are you intent on destroying my empire?”


  The Virtuous Consort’s face suddenly paled as she hastily said: "Your Majesty, this concubine does not dare, this concubine is just—"

  The Emperor waved his hand, cutting her off and said coldly: "Enough is enough, I don’t want to hear it anymore. Mo Bei Prince, you can choose another beauty, Anping Xianzhu cannot marry you!"

  This marriage is a bad omen, a very bad omen, the moment he agreed to it, Ji Xiang Palace was burning. Wasn’t this a catastrophe? The Emperor remembered Li Wei Yang’s ingenuity, and suddenly came to his senses. If he sent such a clever girl to Mo Bei, wouldn’t he be bolstering their strength? If Li Wei Yang turned against Da Li, he might as well have sent Mo Bei a little helper! It would be a different matter if this was any other young ladies in their boudoir, women who didn’t understand politics and how to fight for power would be mere decorations once they married over…… The Emperor had a tendency to overthink and be overly suspicious. He finally made up his mind and decided to never let Li Wei Yang marry Li Yuan Heng!

  Li Yuan Heng’s face changed. He understood what the Emperor said just now and quickly said: "No, Your Majesty, I want her!" As he spoke, he pointed to Li Wei Yang in the crowd.

  Li Wei Yang slightly lifted her head but merely glanced at him in a distant manner.

  The Emperor looked coldly at Li Xiao Ran and said, "My dear subject, you know what I mean. Since Wei Yang is your daughter, I want to hear your opinion."

  The Emperor didn’t want to speak directly to the Mo Bei Prince who didn’t understand how things worked. This was for Li Xiao Ran to express his opinion on the matter. Li Xiao Ran naturally understood the Emperor’s intentions. It was a pity that Li Wei Yang could not be sold off, but on second thought, now was not the time to offend the Emperor. He smiled and said: “Mo Bei Prince, the Heavens have given us a warning, this marriage is indeed a bad omen. If you insist on the marriage, I’m afraid it will invite disaster upon both Mo Bei and Da Li. Surely the Emperor of your country will not agree, so I believe that this marriage must be abandoned, please forgive me!”


  Li Yuan Heng looked at the Emperor of Da Li with disbelief and looked at Li Xiao Ran again. He heard the people here speak, their words equal to the weight of Nine Tripod Cauldrons [3], regarding the Emperor’s decree and unexpectedly continuously overturned, how ironic!

  Li Wei Yang looked at the man who was originally going to marry her off with a hint of contempt in her smile. Originally, she had many ways to refuse this marriage, but it would have taken quite a bit of effort and be rather troublesome.The fire broke out just in time. It was like it was custom-made just for her, specifically for the purpose of refusing the marriage…… No, wait a minute, the Heavens had never helped in this way, or rather, this matter was intentionally done by someone. Li Wei Yang thought about it and looked around for Li Min De, but he was nowhere to be found.

  Where did this man go at such a critical moment?

  The Emperor turned back first, and then Li Xiao Ran turned to look around and didn’t recognize anyone. This Emperor and minister pair were very similar in this respect, only doing things that were beneficial to him, even if he wanted to be shameless. The Emperor got rid of the ominous marriage and turned to ask, "Has the fire in Ji Xiang Palace been put out?"

  The eunuch hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, rest assured that everything has been done." This means that the fire has gone out.

  The Emperor looked at the Ji Xiang Palace, where many people were gathered and couldn’t help but sigh and turned back: "Return to your seats, the banquet will continue."——

  *****——

  Translator: joeyburbz

  Editor: joeyburbz

  [1] Lit. Red-crowned crane; an archaic way of saying a generic form of arsenic. For convenience: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%25E9%25B9%25A4%25E9%25A1%25B6%25E7%25BA%25A2&prev=search&pto=aue

  [2] Original: 鹧鸪霜. A partridge is a short-tailed, brown game bird. Not sure about the last part tbh——“frost” or “dew”--I went with Dew because it sounds more……literary.

  [3] 對食

  [4] Original: wàn jié bù fù, lit. ten thousands lives of damnation.

  Buddhist principle: “Because of a grievance cannot be washed away, even after reincarnating and experiencing ten thousand lifetimes, it cannot be forgiven.”


  tldr; eternal damnation.

  Everyone looked at one another. Although the marriage at hand had been called off, Li Wei Yang did not appear. As long as Li Yuan Heng and the Imperial Mo Bei family persisted in marrying a young noble lady of Da Li, the great families will be troubled. There are a handful of unmarried girls that just turned of age in their own families, beautifully dressed up for the prince’s concubine selection. If they happened to catch Li Yuan Heng’s eye and were brought to some desolate place, they would have invested in a loss. The young ladies began to cover their faces with fans in fear that Li Yuan Heng would chance upon them.

  Li Yuan Heng indignantly eyed the Emperor’s back, and when he could no longer see him, he turned to stare intently at Li Wei Yang. He immediately chased after her, saying: “I won’t give up!”


  Sun Yan Jun cautiously eyed him: “What do you want to do!” Li Wei Yang took her hand and turned back with a smile: “Fourth Prince insists on wanting me but not because you like me. Besides, we have only met by chance. It would be ridiculous to call it love at first sight. I suggest that you consider the intentions of the person who prodded you to propose marriage. Don’t be a stepping stone for others. It certainly would not be a good thing for the people of Mo Bei.”


  These were words of caution. Li Yuan Heng froze and his anger momentarily subsided. He looked at the girl in front of him in all seriousness. It was said that she was clever and strategic. While he hadn’t seen that for himself yet, the part about her words finding their mark was true. His Imperial Father told him to bring a hostage princess back, but since this was a hostage princess, they would be reluctant to offer an actual princess. If Mo Bei was weak, Da Li would choose someone of low-birth and give them the title and status of a princess in response, but Mo Bei was quite strong now, so Da Li would choose at least a noble minister’s daughter to marry him—as for which specific candidate, it was up for him to decide.

  Jiang Hua originally sent him a painting of a beauty, but he didn’t seriously consider it. Later, Jiang Hua wrote him a letter, telling him many things about Li Wei Yang, making him curious about this girl. He knew that Jiang Hua did it for Li Wei Yang’s own good, he would never mention this girl so frequently around him, but what about it? A girl that even caught the cunning fox Jiang Hua’s attention naturally interested him too.

  He saw Li Wei Yang with his own eyes today and his curiosity towards her intensified as a result. Looking at this cold-faced, cold-hearted person, she seemed calm and steadfast, not at all like girls of this age. His initial curiosity instantly turned into a fire blazing across the meadow. He wanted to understand what kind of girl Li Wei Yang was. Girls have always flocked to him the moment they saw him like a bee to honey, why was she this cold?

  Jiang Hua returned to his seat. For some reason, he coughed more fiercely as if he was coughing up his lungs. He spent his days lying in bed, thinking of every possible path. The play that had been carefully planned was easily destroyed by a mere fire. Li Wei Yang, you are a daring, impudent girl! You can even commit arson in the Imperial Palace. If evidence could be found, it wouldn’t be an issue, but thinking it over, he knew that if the other party had set their mind to it, they would leave themselves a way out…… What good fortune, Li Wei Yang. It seems even the Heavens were helping her. Jiang Hua tried to suppress the anger in his heart and outwardly kept an indifferent face.

  Tuoba Zhen handed him a cup of wine all of the sudden. Jiang Hua looked up.

  “Third Young Master. While it’s good that you have dedicated yourself for my sake, if you overdo it, it will become an annoyance.” Tuoba Zhen smiled as he spoke, but his words seemed to be reminding Jiang Hua to abandon his intentions to deal with Li Wei Yang. “Her marriage will be taken care of by someone else. In the future, don’t interfere.”


  Tuoba Zhen had cruelly dealt with Li Wei Yang several times, yet somehow he always failed. At the moment, even he himself could not tell if he loved or hated her more. In any case, he would not allow others to covet what belonged to him. Even if she had to die, Li Wei Yang had to die in his hands. He could not borrow someone else’s hands.

  His words were rather unreasonable. As his ally, Jiang Hua naturally had the obligation to clear out obstacles like Li Wei Yang. That being said, as a prince, if Tuoba Zhen did not want to touch upon reason, then no matter how much you try to reason with him, it would not make a difference. How could Jiang Hua not understand this?

  “My apologies.” Jiang Hua slightly smiled. “This is something I did not properly account for. It’s a good thing that it didn’t succeed. Your Highness does not need to worry.” If Jiang Hua reacted angrily, Tuoba Zhen would have his ways to force Jiang Hua to let go of the matter, but seeing that he acted as if nothing happened, it seemed to imply that he was still holding onto it instead. Tuoba Zhen’s eyebrows slightly lifted. At last, he let out a cold laugh and didn’t say more.

  The banquet went on as usual, but after the fire broke out, everyone’s expressions were a bit forced. Only Consort Lian was no different from usual, her smile unwavering as she spoke softly to the Emperor. The warmth of her breath grazed past, and the displeasure on the Emperor’s face gradually eased back to normal. He took her hand and said: “My beloved consort always knows what to say.”


  Li Wei Yang noticed this and smiled. Consort Lian has a stunning appearance. The Emperor may be wise, but he is still a man nonetheless. Consort Lian was also a civilian with no family influence or external pressure. The Emperor could favor her as much as he wanted, and it would not be an issue. Coupled with previous rumors of a celestial goddess that descended as a mortal, she was shrouded in an air of mystery, making the Emperor favor her even more.

  On the platform, Consort Lian laughed and said: “Your Majesty is teasing this concubine again, we should be paying attention to the song and dance.” She lightly clapped twice. A dozen women carrying lanterns with the elegance of the Imperial Court gracefully appeared not too far away. The evening breeze blew past, creating a dazzling sense of a celestial fairy descending into the mortal world. These women who were shy as flowers began to dance at the center of the hall. At this moment, hundreds of silver shelves of varying sizes had been set up on the fireworks platform not far away from the main hall, the fireworks organized by color and decorated with ribbons of all colors, one massive and spectacular display. As the beautiful women gracefully danced, the eunuchs immediately put out all the candles and oil lamps in vicinity, lit the fuses, countless fireworks rose into the sky, crackling, beautiful lights each blossoming high in the sky and plummeted downwards, with more and more fireworks, they became a beautiful continuously constantly animated picture.

  Ji Xiang Palace just burned down, so the Emperor was still upset, only Consort Lian dared to set off fireworks at this time, but the Emperor seemed to have completely forgotten the unpleasant matter just now, looking at the sky and fireworks with great joy and said: “My beloved consort is quite ingenious.”


  The Empress’s gaze turned to Consort Lian with a bit of resentment, but Consort Lian’s smile only widened.

  Sun Yan Jun whispered: “Wei Yang, you see that? His Majesty especially favors Consort Lian, a fire just broke out earlier, and she even dared to set off fireworks in the Imperial Palace.”


  Li Wei Yang nodded and said: “Consort Lian niang niang is very beautiful and clever. She has her intentions in doing so.” On one hand, it is to show off to others, on the other hand……

  Sure enough, Consort Lian could be heard laughing and saying: “Look, Your Majesty, so many fireworks yet all is well. One can see that Your Majesty made a very wise decision, and it is in line with the will of the Heavens.”


  The Emperor nodded. This is indeed the case. Ji Xiang Palace spontaneously burning down was strange, but now that he had canceled the marriage, no matter how many fireworks were set off, nothing happened. It appeared to have been a warning from the Heavens indeed. He suddenly felt glad that he hadn’t insisted on pushing his opinions. If his own unwarranted decisions provoked Heavens’ fury, he would have had more to lose. He took and pulled Consort Lian’s hand with a smile: “My beloved consort is right indeed, I should have soon listened to you.

  Once the Empress and Virtuous Consort heard this, their faces turned quite ugly, especially Virtuous Consort, who could barely control her anger, her grip tightened on the cup of wine in hand, almost spilling it out. She was usually the most dignified one, yet she couldn’t restrain herself anymore. Consort Lian really acted too arrogantly. A few days ago, she even found an excuse for provocation and beat one of Virtuous Consort’s close female attendants to death, to seriously aggravate Virtuous Consort.

  Consort Lian subtly signaled to Li Wei Yang beneath the platform with a glance. Li Wei Yang smiled and inadvertently turned around, only to find that Li Min De was already back in his seat. Against the lamp not too far behind him, the person and candlelight overlapped. He had a natural extraordinary beauty, enchanting yet wicked for the most part. As if he noticed someone was looking in this direction, Li Min De suddenly looked up at her and smiled.

  Li Wei Yang saw the amusement in his eyes and suddenly came to a realization. This person, daring and impudent enough to set fire in the Palace is one thing, now he could even act as if nothing happened…… Li Wei Yang suddenly faltered and took a sip of the sweet pear blossom wine. Once the wine entered her mouth, her heart calmed down, but she couldn’t help but worry.

  “Pa.”


  The cup of wine made a crisp sound as it fell onto the table, attracting many onlooking eyes. Virtuous Consort’s face turned even uglier, but Consort Lian simply took a sip of wine before mildly asking: “What’s wrong, Virtuous Consort jiejie?”


  “I accidentally dropped a cup of wine.” Virtuous Consort forced a smile. In order to deal with Li Wei Yang earlier, she had lost her composure and must not reveal the slightest dissatisfaction.

  “Oh?” Consort Lian glanced at Virtuous Consort’s face upon hearing this and blankly smiled: “Virtuous Consort jiejie must be careful then. Don’t spill good wine again.” She didn’t say anything more after that as if she didn’t care about Virtuous Consort’s slip-up, turning all of her attention onto the song and dance in the hall.

  Virtuous Consort’s face paled, people around her had different thoughts, but only the Seventh Prince, Tuoba Yu, appeared worried. No matter how his Concubine Mother was, she was still his birth mother, how could he not worry?

  Li Wei Yang noticed from afar and turned away with a sneer. In her eyes, Virtuous Consort had been leisurely throwing stones down a well earlier, unaware that her impending death was close.

  After three rounds of drinking, the music and dance also began to subside. The cool evening breeze fiercely swept over him, but the Emperor was caught up in the moment with high spirits, the dragon’s heart mulling over something before loudly saying: “Consort Lian provided an excellent performance. Come, grant Qing Long wine as a reward.” The Empress and Virtuous Consort’s faces simultaneously changed once they heard this. Qing Long wine is a secret brew belonging to the Imperial family of the previous dynasty. It could extend one’s lifespan and nourish the body. For many years, only the Emperor had the exclusive right to enjoy it. Not even the Empress has had a taste, but it was granted to a concubine here and now. Absolutely unacceptable, yet during this occasion, no one had the right to speak a word about it.

  The eunuch raised the Qing Long wine in his hands and ascended the steps one by one until he stopped in front of Consort Lian. Consort Lian smiled like a flower in bloom: “Your Majesty, this consort fears that her body currently cannot drink much more—”


  The Emperor smiled and said, “You only need to take a sip, then leave the rest to me.” Such a gift had almost reached extreme heights. The Empress suddenly recollected herself. She only let out a cold scoff, not saying a word.

  Consort Lian smiled and accepted the wine from the eunuch. She was about to drink it when she suddenly exclaimed: “Your Majesty, look!” The Emperor glanced over. A little winged insect had somehow fallen into the wine. He was about to be enraged when he noticed the wine soon turned ash gray. The Emperor knocked the cup of wine over and angrily shouted at the Head Eunuch: “What is the meaning of this!”


  The Head Eunuch Zhou Xiang was stunned. He fell to his knees and went over to where the wine cup laid and picked it up to examine, only to see the dead bug inside. As if someone poured cold water over his head, he trembled from head to toe, his face ashen pale as he stiffly said: “Your Majesty…… This bug might have been attracted to the wine and drunk itself to death—this servant will immediately send someone to investigate.”


  Amidst the guests, Chen Yuan Pan of the Imperial Physician Court quickly came forward: “Your Majesty, please allow this official to examine it.” The Emperor nodded, and Chen Yuan Pan proceeded to carefully lift the little insect up. His face immediately changed as he said: “Your Majesty, this insect is called Wine Fiend, and it likes to live in wine. It’s highly unlikely that it died because of the wine. May Your Majesty allow this official to examine the wine in detail.”


  Time passed, minute by minute. The faces of the Emperor, Empress and Crown Prince became more and more sullen. Li Wei Yang kept the amusement in the depths of her eyes hidden. At times, being an Emperor is worse than being a civilian, living in fear of assassination and being poisoned.

  It was a while before Chen Yuan Pan said: “This wine is poisoned.”


  “No! Impossible! All the wines have been tested with silver needles!” Zhou Xiang cried out. The previous dynasty liked to have junior eunuchs personally test the wine, but this method was too cruel. Many poisons take effect over time, so it is difficult to immediately determine whether something is poisoned. To ensure that nothing slips by, silver needles, silver chopsticks and certain medicines provided by the Imperial Physician Court are used to test for poison. This Qing Long wine was brought forth after many procedures. How could it be poisoned?

  Chen Yuan Pan shook his head and said: “Arsenic[1] in addition to Partridge Dew[2] is still enough to poison a tiger. Arsenic is bright in color and has a slightly fishy smell while Patridge Dew is slightly sweet. When the two are combined, they temporarily suppress the toxicity of the other. It won’t be detected by silverware, nor will it take effect immediately, so those who drink it will not be poisoned immediately. It cannot be easily detected, and the toxicity will completely break out within three days. The toxicity will return with twice the intensity, the person who poisoned the wine is too cruel—"

  Consort Lian’s face changed. She fell to her knees, then onto the ground with bright tears in her eyes: “Your Majesty, having grown up in a rural area ever since this consort was a child, this consort is not knowledgeable, without ambition, a young woman who is unfamiliar with the ways of the world. Fortunately, the Heavens have bestowed wealth and honor, the Emperor is sincere and adores this consort. This consort once thought that these circumstances are enough to satisfy a lifetime. Who would have thought that there is someone who doesn’t want this consort to accompany Your Majesty. Please forgive this consort, Your Majesty, and let this consort leave the Palace in order to keep the dragon child in my womb—”


  The Emperor was furious: “Get up at once! I want to see who dares to murder my beloved consort and dragon child in front of so many people!”


  Li Wei Yang looked at Consort Lian and blinked, thinking that she should add more oil to the fire. Consort Lian seemed to have an acute intuition, her tears falling like rain, the silk tassels hanging from her hairpin swaying to the sound of her distressed cries: “Your Majesty, please don’t escalate this matter for this humble consort’s sake. Don’t look into it. After all, they are only jealous of this consort’s favor, not because they want to harm Your Majesty—so that the tragedy of the Second Prince won’t be repeated, it’s best to let this consort leave and save face for the Imperial family!”


  Tuoba Yu, who has been quietly observing as the situation developed, thought to himself: not good. The Emperor’s face twisted into uncontrollable fury in a moment. Over the years, what the Emperor grieved and agonized over most was the death of the Second Prince, Tuoba Jing. The Second Prince, Tuoba Jing, was the Emperor’s second son. He was two years younger than the Crown Prince, kind and generous towards others, loved by his mother and father from a young age, perhaps more so than the Crown Prince. However, he loved his Secondary Consort, Lin Shi, too much and neglected the Primary Consort, Liu Shi. Liu Shi was a vicious and scheming woman. Seeing Tuoba Jing lovingly with Lin Shi all day, she felt helpless yet resentful, and so she laced the meal with poison. However, it wasn’t Tuoba Jing’s time yet; he didn’t die after having those meals, but he fell ill and was bedridden from then on.

  The incident and the chaos that ensued made the Emperor red-eyed in fury and decree that Liu Shi be demoted to a commoner and sentenced to death in her home. Tuoba Jing was taken back to the Palace to recuperate, but because the toxicity had entered his body, coupled with his regret and anguish, his condition worsened day after day. He held out for almost half a year, then he died. The Emperor’s heart ached at the thought of Tuoba Jing. From there, he thought of the disputes between wife and concubine, bringing disaster to the Palace……

  Although he was only in his fifties, his mental and physical strength have clearly aged, and his body got weaker with every passing day. He falls ill several times a year, and each time he falls ill, he becomes physically and mentally weaker. It has been long since he was able to recover like he used to be able to. As a result, he became more lenient towards his concubines, but he did not expect that his tolerance would inadvertently indulge the murderer, leading the harem battles to grow fiercer and take place right in the great hall, making the Imperial family lose all face.

  Thinking of this, the Emperor raised his eyebrows and sharply said: “Investigate! Investigate and get to the bottom of this! I want to see who dares to be this presumptuous!”


  As soon as the Emperor’s words rang out, he heard a sound from beneath the platform. It turned out a palace maid standing at the bottom of the steps had fallen to her knees, prostrating on the ground. It was the palace maid, Bai He, who used to serve the Virtuous Consort.

  Virtuous Consort saw the situation, and a “boom” rang out in her head as she cried out in her mind: What’s going on with this yatou?!

  The Emperor sharply asked, “What is the matter?”


  Seeing that the Emperor was questioning her, Bai He trembled from head to toe and said: “YYour Majesty…… Your Majesty, the poison……has nothing to do with nubi!”


  The moment that this was said, Virtuous Consort abruptly stood up and scolded her: “You’re talking nonsense here! Why haven’t you made yourself scarce!” Then, she quickly turned back and said, “Your Majesty, this yatou has been in an unstable state of mind, possibly cursed by something—”


  Consort Lian’s face changed, and she said: “Virtuous Consort jiejie, this maid is someone by your side, could it be that she has something to say!”


  Virtuous Consort’s face changed color as she glared, her brows furrowed in anger. She forced her anger back down and said: “What do you mean? Are you saying that you’re suspecting me?”


  The Emperor looked at her coldly and said: “Shut up! Let her speak!”


  The Empress and Crown Prince glanced at one another, exchanging a look of mutual understanding.

  Seeing the two individuals who thought of themselves as praying mantises, Li Wei Yang smiled in a carefree manner and leisurely watched them as if she was sitting in the audience, watching a spectacular play on stage.

  Consort Lian coldly eyed the palace maid named Bai He and slowly said: “Just now, you disregarded etiquette in front of the great hall, you could have been beaten to death. If you don’t speak truthfully, then wait to be dealt by the Palace rules.”


  “Nubi—Nubi wants to denounce the Head Eunuch! Nubi wants to denounce Zhou Xiang!” Bai He suddenly straightened up and gritted her teeth.

  Zhou Xiang leapt to his feet and coldly said: “Yatou, you have gone mad, make yourself scarce already!”


  The Empress suddenly sneered and said: “Zhou Xiang, you act this arrogantly in front of His Majesty. Is it because you have been Head Eunuch for so long that you really think of yourself as a master?”


  Zhou Xiang’s complexion changed, suddenly at a loss for words, he only glared at Bai He, giving her a warning look. But Bai He paid no attention to it, shouting: “Nubi knows everything, it was Virtuous Consort niang niang who bribed Zhou Xiang, the Head Eunuch, and let him poison the Qing Long wine!”


  As soon as these words came out, the entire hall went up in an uproar. Virtuous Consort was furious and yelled: “This yatou has gone mad, I have never bribed Zhou Xiang, where did he pick up the courage to murder Consort Lian, under whose orders are you spewing nonsense!”


  At this time, all the ministers in the hall had sweat breaking out on their foreheads, especially those who have been particularly close to Virtuous Consort or the Seventh Prince, their hearts racing, yet they all clenched their teeth and tried to sit upright, watching the situation develop with wide eyes. If Virtuous Consort did indeed do this kind of thing and it was exposed, the Emperor will explode in a thunderous rage……

  Bai He forcefully kowtowed against the ground. Her forehead turned bruised blue when she lifted her head again: “Niang niang, Nubi should not betray you, but you should have given Nubi to Zhou Xiang for pleasure in order to bribe him.[3] In the past three months, Nubi has not lived like a human being. Nubi couldn’t bear it anymore. Between life and death, Nubi no longer wants to keep living with him!”


  With that said, she pulled her clothes down and exposed her left shoulder. Such a move would be considered crude, but no one paid mind to it because they clearly saw Bai He’s shoulders, some places blue, others purple, covered in wounds, to the point where each layer of flesh looked as if had been scratched by a wild beast, a terrible sight to behold, there is almost no place where the skin had healed. Every word she spoke was relentless: “Zhou Xiang is not human, he’s a beast, he abused and tortured me in every way, niang niang, if it weren’t for your own selfish desires, why would you give me to him! You pride yourself on tolerance and kindness, yet how could you treat a yatou who is loyal to you this way?”


  Listening to this yatou’s words and tears of blood, Li Wei Yang’s smile flitted past in the depths of her eyes. This drama is getting more and more exciting…… Virtuous Consort niang niang, when you pushed me down the fiery pit, did you ever think that I was also waiting for you to be damned for all eternity?[4]——

  *****——

  Translator: joeyburbz

  Editor: joeyburbz