Li Yuanjing lowered his head and pressed a kiss to Shen Wei’s hair. Once the kingdom was stable and the princes had grown, he would take Shen Wei far from the court’s intrigues to live a peaceful and carefree life in their twilight years.
After a while, Shen Wei, "exhausted in body and mind," finally fell asleep. Li Yuanjing held her close and gradually drifted off as well.
...
Tantai Yinxue lay awake all night, sitting by her desk as the candles in the room burned out and the light of dawn crept through the window.
Morning had come.
She hadn’t slept a wink.
The palace maid Xiaomeng brought in a simple meal of porridge and side dishes, her voice filled with concern. "My lady, please eat something first, then rest in bed for a while."
Tantai Yinxue shook her head, her ethereally beautiful face now pale. She gazed at the chrysanthemums blooming in clusters under the morning light in the courtyard and suddenly let out a self-deprecating laugh. "The Empress’s words can’t threaten me."
Xiaomeng’s eyes widened in surprise.
Tantai Yinxue smiled faintly. "I’m just... a little unwilling. Jealous of Consort Chen."
Before entering the palace, Tantai Yinxue’s beauty had been renowned throughout Yanjing City. Skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she was the epitome of talent and grace, adored by countless noble suitors.
She had set her ambitions high, dreaming only of becoming an imperial consort and basking in the Emperor’s exclusive favor. Yet after entering the palace, not only did she fail to win the Emperor’s affection, she couldn’t even step beyond the confines of the small Huayang Palace.
The talents and beauty she had once prided herself on were nothing extraordinary in a harem teeming with stunning women.
"Xiaomeng, do you know? These days, I keep thinking about Consort Chen and the Emperor," Tantai Yinxue murmured. "I remember that night under the moonlight when I played the zither. Consort Chen and the Emperor were strolling through the imperial garden. She spoke, and he listened attentively—the exalted sovereign patiently hanging on her every word... They looked like an ordinary, loving couple."
"That was when I realized Consort Chen was different from us noble-born ladies. She wasn’t the most beautiful, nor the most talented, yet she managed to find her way into the Emperor’s heart... A man’s heart is truly strange."
Perhaps out of jealousy, or perhaps a lingering unwillingness deep inside, Tantai Yinxue wanted to drag Consort Chen down into the mud.
Xiaomeng tried to comfort her. "My lady, men are never constant in their affections. Consort Chen may be favored now, but that doesn’t mean she’ll remain so forever."
Tantai Yinxue shook her head with a bitter smile. "Perhaps... miracles do happen..."
No sooner had she spoken than faint footsteps rustled outside Huayang Palace. Eunuch Deshun arrived with an imperial decree, flanked by four young eunuchs.
A sudden sense of foreboding gripped Tantai Yinxue. She knelt with Xiaomeng to receive the decree.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Snow Lady of Huayang Palace, Tantai Yinxue, harbors malice and conspired to harm an imperial consort... She is hereby banished to the Cold Palace, never to leave for the rest of her days."
Tantai Yinxue kept her head bowed as Eunuch Deshun’s words pierced her ears like needles.
She had been condemned to the Cold Palace.
But "banishment" was merely a euphemism. Tantai Yinxue knew that once she entered, only a silken noose or a cup of poisoned wine awaited her.
A strange sense of relief washed over her. Numbly accepting the decree, she glanced at the chrysanthemums blooming riotously in the courtyard. Tilting her head, she admired them for a moment before returning inside to gather her few belongings.
By the time the sun had fully risen, Tantai Yinxue was escorted from Huayang Palace under the watchful eyes of the eunuchs.
Concubine Lan, already roused by the commotion, stared blankly at Tantai Yinxue’s retreating figure. Clutching her handkerchief tightly, she should have felt triumphant—after all, the detested Snow Lady had finally fallen.
Yet inexplicably, a pang of shared sorrow crept into Concubine Lan’s heart.
...
With the decree issued, the imperial guards mobilized. The Tantai Mansion, a household that had flourished in Yanjing for a century, was raided.
The masters and young lords of every branch were thrown into the imperial prison, subjected to harsh interrogations by the Ministry of Justice. Those guilty of severe crimes were sentenced to execution; the lesser offenders were exiled. Hundreds of servants were detained or sold off.
The once-mighty Tantai family collapsed overnight. Rumor had it that over three million taels of silver were seized from their estate, along with untold amounts of gold and jewels—all confiscated for the imperial treasury.
The echoes of the Tantai family’s downfall reverberated for half a month before the dust finally settled.
...
Cold Palace.
Rats scurried boldly across the floor. The crumbling walls, unable to withstand the autumn wind, had collapsed in places. Wild grass and chrysanthemums thrived in the desolate courtyard.
Tantai Yinxue lay gravely ill on a broken-down cot, a thin blanket draped over her.
In her feverish haze, she heard the creak of the wooden door. Squinting against the harsh light, she made out a slender figure.
It was Cai Lian.
In her hands was a tray bearing a white silk noose, a cup of poisoned wine, and a dagger.
Tantai Yinxue forced herself to sit up.
Cai Lian’s expression was icy. "Thanks to the Snow Lady, my grandmother died of shock three days ago."
Clutching her chest, Tantai Yinxue let out a shrill laugh. "Serves you right! You wretched slave!"
Cai Lian set the tray down and spoke calmly. "I came not only to send you off but also to deliver good news. Your father in Yanzhou, convicted of corruption and reckless disregard for human life, has been sentenced to execution in the autumn."
"Your mother and brother were implicated. Your brother was bitten to death by rats in prison. Your mother survives, now enslaved for life. At Consort Chen’s mercy, I was granted the honor of seeing you off."
Tantai Yinxue erupted into violent coughs, laughing madly between fits.
Cai Lian seized the poisoned wine and forced it down her throat.
Some time later, Cai Lian left the Cold Palace.
Outside the gates, Cai Ping approached anxiously. "Sister Cai Lian, our mistress has granted you three days of rest. I’ll take over your duties in the meantime."
Cai Lian bowed her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Cai Ping couldn’t bear to see her cry. She quickly wiped the tears away, comforting her, "Dear sister, don’t weep. You’re not alone—I’ll always stand by you as family."
Cai Lian closed her eyes and nodded deeply.
...
Kunning Palace.
The autumn wind howled through the untended courtyard, scattering fallen phoenix tree leaves. Weeds choked the grounds, and wild chrysanthemums sprouted in haphazard patches.
An Old Matron dozed on the threshold of the prayer hall until a sharp kick startled her awake. Rubbing her eyes irritably, she saw the gaunt figure of the Empress.
The Old Matron grumbled, "It’s not yet time for lunch, Your Majesty. You’ll have to wait."
The Empress, clad in a drab gray autumn robe, wore no ornaments in her disheveled hair, now streaked with white. She looked decades older than her years. Clutching her prayer beads, she asked, "Where is the Snow Lady?"
The Old Matron replied, "She was banished to the Cold Palace. She died yesterday."
The Empress closed her eyes.
Useless fool. She deserved it.
"And my family?" the Empress pressed.
The Old Matron rubbed her ear and sneered, "Raided, imprisoned, exiled, executed come autumn—the main line is wiped out. You’re lucky to still be breathing, Your Majesty."
