The face of Consort Chen lying on the bed had haunted her memories for seven years. Every time she thought of it, she was overwhelmed by shame. How could she ever have forgotten?
Chen Yunxiang!
Fifteen years ago, her parents had brought home a young girl to keep her company. They told her the girl’s name was Chen Yunxiang, and that she would always stay by her side and look after her. She had been her very first maidservant. Since Chen Yunxiang was only a year older, the two had become the closest of playmates, like sisters.
Whenever she was bullied, she never dared tell her parents, but she would tell Chen Yunxiang. She entrusted her with all her important affairs, and none of her secrets had ever been secrets from Chen Yunxiang.
Yet now, the moment she saw that face again, a chill spread from the soles of her feet through every inch of her body. Every part of her was telling her the same thing:
Chen Yunxiang had faked her death.
Chen Yunxiang had deceived her!
Why had she deceived her? Why had she hidden the truth from her all these years? And why had she tried to harm her, her daughter, and the entire Cui family?
Cui Huaiyin abruptly turned toward Dantai Ji, staring at his face as though it held the answers she sought.
“Lady Cui, why have you not paid your respects to Consort Chen?” Dantai Ji suddenly spoke after a long silence had settled over the room.
Cui Huaiyin withdrew her gaze and looked straight at Consort Chen again. Raising her hand, she bowed. “This concubine pays her respects to Consort Chen. May Your Highness enjoy peace and happiness.”
When Cui Huaiyin finished speaking, Consort Chen did not respond for a long while. She merely stared at Cui Huaiyin in a daze, as though her soul had been stolen and she had forgotten how to speak.
“Consort Chen, Lady Cui has paid her respects. Why have you not replied?” the Emperor said again.
Consort Chen suddenly tore her gaze away and turned to the side, doing her best to hide her face. “There is no need for formalities, Sister. I hope you are well.”
Cui Huaiyin smiled and took another step forward, lowering her head to gaze at Consort Chen on the bed. “I find you rather familiar, Sister. I wonder, have we met before?”
Dantai Ji’s eyes darkened. He looked up at Cui Huaiyin, then at Consort Chen, his gaze filled with suspicion as he waited for her answer.
Consort Chen said, “How could I possibly have met you before? Perhaps… perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else.”
Cui Huaiyin moved one step closer. “Is that so? It is only that you resemble her far too much—even your voice is exactly the same. That year, she fell from a cliff while carrying out an errand for me. The mountain was so high that I could not even find her remains. When I saw you, it was as if I had seen my dear elder sister again.”
Consort Chen stammered, “L-Lady Cui must be joking. How could I have ever met your sister?”
“No.” Cui Huaiyin’s voice was cold. “I have never liked making jokes. And if a careless joke hurts someone, that would be unfortunate.”
This time, Consort Chen did not answer. She covered her mouth and began coughing violently. Then, before Dantai Ji could question her, she pleaded, “Your Majesty, I truly feel unwell. My head aches, and my whole body hurts. I am not well enough to receive guests any longer. Please take them and leave.”
Dantai Ji’s expression turned cold. “I have yet to ask you, my beloved. Are you truly unacquainted with Lady Cui?”
Consort Chen replied, “How could I possibly know Lady Cui? I have never seen her before.”
“You have never seen her?” Dantai Ji’s voice was icy. “Then why does she recognize you? And why, in My eyes, do the two of you look so much alike?”
His cold gaze swept over Consort Chen before moving to Lady Cui.
“Lady Cui, how much do you think you resemble Consort Chen?”
A trace of suspicion flashed through Cui Huaiyin’s eyes. She pointed at herself. “I resemble Consort Chen?”
Dantai Ji asked, “You do not think so?”
“Of course not!” Cui Huaiyin answered. “In what way do I resemble her?”
Dantai Ji’s voice caught. He turned to Consort Chen. “And you, Consort Chen? What do you think?”
Consort Chen lowered her head and covered her lips. “What does it matter whether we look alike or not? Naturally, I look most like myself.”
Dantai Ji gave a derisive snort and abruptly rose to his feet.
“Imperial Father!”
A figure suddenly rushed in from outside. The child appeared to be six or seven years old. She wore pink brocade embroidered with colorful phoenixes, while her head was adorned with velvet flowers and jewels. She looked every inch a young princess.
The little girl ran over with a bright smile and stopped before Dantai Ji, taking his hand. She gazed at him with clear, innocent eyes and asked in a childish voice, “Imperial Father, what’s wrong? Why do you look unhappy? Did Mother Consort upset you?”
Dantai Ji’s body stiffened. He lowered his head to look at his elder daughter, and his voice softened slightly. “Nothing is wrong. I only have something to discuss with your mother. Go play with your nanny for a while.”
Princess Shengping shook her head and glanced at Cui Huaiyin, her eyes filled with grievance. “Mother Consort is ill, yet Imperial Father has brought a consort here to disturb her. The sick should come first. Whatever it is, couldn’t Imperial Father wait until Mother Consort has recovered?”
With that, Princess Shengping pointed at Cui Huaiyin and complained, “Imperial Father, look at her! She didn’t even bow when she saw me. She was also being aggressive toward Mother Consort just now. Aren’t you going to do something?”
Cui Huaiyin said, “This concubine pays her respects to the Princess. May Your Highness remain safe and well.”
Princess Shengping gazed at Cui Huaiyin with utterly guileless eyes. “I am not deliberately making things difficult for you. It is only that you were speaking nonsense in front of Mother Consort just now, so I became angry.”
“I understand,” Cui Huaiyin said. “But I meant no disrespect toward Consort Chen. I merely thought she resembled someone I once knew who has since passed away, so I said a few extra words.”
“You actually dared compare Mother to a dead person!” Princess Shengping exclaimed. “Leave! I don’t want to see you!”
Cui Huaiyin clenched her hands but did not move.
With reddened eyes, Princess Shengping tugged at Dantai Ji’s sleeve and began to cry. “Imperial Father, make her leave. I don’t want to see her! I have something to tell you in private. Hurry and send her away!”
Dantai Ji frowned at Princess Shengping, then raised his head and looked at Cui Huaiyin. “Leave.”
Cui Huaiyin tightened her grip, lowered her head, and said, “Yes, Your Majesty. This concubine takes her leave.”
After Cui Huaiyin departed, Dantai Ji looked at the weak Consort Chen and his innocent-looking elder daughter. His brows drew together slightly.
“What is it you wished to tell Me, Shengping?”
Princess Shengping pointed in the direction Cui Huaiyin had left and said solemnly, “Actually, I have seen Lady Cui before.”
Dantai Ji’s figure jolted. “What did you say? You have never left the palace. Where could you have seen Lady Cui?”
Princess Shengping replied, “Two days ago, on the day Lady Cui entered the palace. I was curious about what the new consort welcomed by Imperial Father looked like, so I secretly went to Moon-Gazing Pavilion to see her. While I was there, I also saw someone sneaking around. He secretly entered Lady Cui’s bedchamber and seemed very close to her.”
Dantai Ji lowered his eyes. “Whom did Shengping see?”
“It was Eunuch Little Niu from the Office of Palace Administration.”
Dantai Ji’s gaze sharpened. Wang Zhong, who had been listening nearby, also widened his eyes and tilted his head to hear more clearly.
Princess Shengping continued in her childish voice, “The two of them even embraced each other. They were very intimate, and I don’t know what they were whispering about. I saw…”
Before Princess Shengping could finish, Wang Zhong hurried forward and covered her mouth.
“Little Ancestress, you mustn’t say such things carelessly! Careless words can cost someone their life!”
Princess Shengping seemed completely oblivious to Dantai Ji’s dark and unreadable expression. She pushed Wang Zhong away and continued speaking without a hint of restraint.
“Shengping isn’t lying. Everything I said is true! Eunuch Little Niu hugged Lady Cui and even kissed her. He said that he would protect Lady Cui and would never let anyone bully her. Imperial Father, what were Eunuch Little Niu and Lady Cui doing?”
