Chapter 248: Virtuous Consort, Help Me

The umbrella's canopy, at some unknown moment, developed a small hole, and a drop of icy rain fell on Wan Tang's nape, making her shiver slightly.

She watched Su Yanci's back disappear into the rain curtain, and a wave of shared sorrow rose in her heart.

They, after all, are all unwilling pieces in this massive chessboard.

The daylight gradually brightened.

【Su Yanci's appointment was still announced; after all, he was trapped by the Emperor. A Minister of the Ministry of Rites, hearing the splendor, actually completely bound him to the Forbidden City.】

【Isn't it because his good sister did a good deed!】

【She indeed got her wish fulfilled, no need to leave.】

【Everything changed from the moment Su Yanci knelt in the Golden Throne Hall to receive the appointment.】

Wan Tang's emotions were unsettled, yet a commotion came from outside the Gongmen.

Looking up, it turned out to be Xiao Dongzi from the imperial presence personally bringing Su Guiren back.

Xiao Dongzi stood firm, scanning the startled and doubtful gazes of the Palace of Eternal Joy crowd, and loudly declared, "After thorough investigation, the poisoning incident was purely a misunderstanding; the true culprit has already been captured."

"The Emperor has issued an edict; the follow‑up of this case is entrusted to Virtuous Consort."

Wan Tang sat upright on the throne, watching a pallid palace maid being dragged up; without further questioning, she banged her forehead in kowtowing, taking full responsibility for the poisoning.

"Reason?" Wan Tang's voice was cold.

"I… I once was severely punished by Lady Liu over a trivial matter, harbored resentment, thus committed this evil…" The maid's voice trembled; as soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly broke free of her restraints and slammed her head into a beam in the hall!

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, and the scene turned chaotic.

Wan Tang's lips curled into a cold arc.

What a "perfect" climax of a crime drama.

At this moment, Su Guiren, with Xiao Dongzi's feigned support, slowly walked into the hall.

Her complexion was waxen yellow, her eyes hollow and lifeless, as if her soul had been drawn out, a stark contrast to the once pampered, vibrant girl.

Her vacant gaze swept around, and when it finally landed on Wan Tang, she jolted sharply.

Like grasping the only lifeline, she broke free of the support and lunged forward: "Sister! Virtuous Consort sister!"

"Help me! Please help me!"

Wan Tang turned away indifferently, unwilling to look any further.

"Virtuous Consort sister! Help me!"

Su Guiren, seeing her about to leave, completely lost composure; with a "thud" she knelt on the ground, forcefully pounding her forehead against the cold floor, producing a muffled sound.

Li Ping'er and Xiao Shunzi, quick‑eyed and swift‑handed, hurried forward to block her.

Wan Tang, irritated by the crying and pleading, frowned with disgust: "Noisy."

She stepped forward to leave, coldly dropping a line: "It's too noisy here; I shall go to Jingren Palace to find some peace!"

Wan Tang, holding Minghui, rode the sedan chair to Jingren Palace.

Just upon entering the Gongmen, she saw Li Pin in the courtyard playing with the Second Prince.

The Second Prince clutched a cloth tiger in his hand, his small face still pale, timidly crouching at Li Pin's feet.

Wan Tang couldn't help but pause, stopping her steps, looking coldly.

This child, having grown a bit, his brows and eyes have also widened a bit.

He is nothing like Xu Luoyan at all, more resembling Chu Yunzheng.

Hearing the footsteps, Li Pin abruptly lifted her head; upon seeing Wan Tang, a flash of panic crossed her face.

Almost instinctively, she tucked the Second Prince behind her.

She slightly bent her body, showing her usual meek expression, and whispered, "Virtuous Consort, are you well?"

Li Pin always knew in her heart that Wan Tang disliked her, and consequently also kept little affection for the frail and sickly Second Prince.

Now that Wan Tang's power is unpredictable, even Lin Zehai is seemingly insignificant in her hands.

More than once, letters have made Li Pin exceedingly respectful and flattering toward Wan Tang.

She is willing to abandon glory solely for this child.

She only wishes to rely on the Second Prince for survival within this harem.

Fearing that Wan Tang might see that scene and take out her anger on the Second Prince, she tries to avoid meeting him as much as possible.

Wan Tang merely gave her a faint glance.

Li Pin, seeing this, hurriedly found an excuse: "I… I am taking the child back to drink medicine."

Having said that, she grabbed the Second Prince and hurried away as if fleeing.

Wan Tang was indifferent, heading straight toward the main hall where Hui Guifei resided.

When Wan Tang entered Hui Guifei's Sleeping Hall holding Minghui, Hui Guifei was wielding a long sword, slicing through the hall with a sharp edge that sang through the air.

"Get out of the way, you noisy nuisance." Hui Guifei didn't even lift her head, her tone cold and hard, twirling a sword flower with her long sword.

Minghui, unafraid, stretched out his chubby hand and, in a babyish voice, called, "Hui Niangniang."

"Want a kiss."

"Want a hug."

"Want to be lifted high."

Hui Guifei instinctively reached out.

"Sister." Wan Tang called softly.

That call made Hui Guifei's hand pause; she snorted coldly.

She casually grabbed an item from the treasure rack and tossed it over: "Take this and get out of the way, don't bother me."

The object was thrust into Minghui's hand.

Wan Tang glanced at it, secretly startled in her heart.

It turned out to be the pair of ivory‑white jade ponies that had just arrived from the Western Regions as tribute.

The jade was warm, smooth and flawless; the Empress Dowager had been murmuring two days ago that she wanted to see them.

The Emperor handed them over to Jingren Palace, and at this moment Hui Guifei tossed them to Minghui as if throwing pebbles.

Ning Daying watched with a terrified heart and whispered softly, "Little ancestor, be careful playing with this; it's sister's prized possession, don't break it…"

Hui Guifei gave a cold glance, and Ning Daying fell silent at once, shrinking her neck and daring not to speak further.

"I heard you were almost poisoned to death?" Hui Guifei sheathed her sword, her tone mocking, "Your palace‑intrigue skills are still lacking."

Wan Tang smiled wryly and shook her head, "The drunkard's intention is not in the wine."

"Poisoning in front of the Emperor and still walking away unscathed," Hui Guifei sneered, "You truly are a useless person unsuited for palace intrigue."

Wan Tang's expression grew solemn as she said seriously, "In this deep palace, where is there any real palace intrigue?"

"When the Emperor acts, whoever he wants to win will win."

Hui Guifei fell silent after hearing that, the sharp edge of her voice gradually fading, a barely perceptible melancholy flashing through her eyes.

She lightly brushed the intricate pattern on the sword sheath with her fingertip, her voice lowering, "Why must only men be able to escape this cage…?"

The hall fell silent for a moment, leaving only the faint sounds of Minghui handling the jade pony.

The two women, facing each other in silence, felt an indescribable melancholy rise in their hearts.

Autumn wind howled.

While Wan Tang was speaking, she suddenly felt an itch in her throat and couldn't help but cover her mouth and cough violently.

Her thin body trembled lightly with the cough, and even the corners of her eyes shed tears.

The young attendant hurriedly handed her warm tea, his face full of worry: "Your Highness, you must have caught a chill in the Cold Palace earlier and left a lingering illness."

"Now that the weather has turned cold, you…"

"Tch." Before he could finish, Hui Guifei impatiently cut him off, looking down at Wan Tang with disdain.

"Blown down by wind, scattered by rain, your frail body is probably not even as sturdy as the stone lion at the gate of Palace of Eternal Joy!"

"What a waste of such sharp looks."

Before the words finished, she briskly rolled up her sleeve and seized Wan Tang's slender wrist.

Without a word, she dragged her to the center of the courtyard, "From today on, you'll practice basic skills for half an hour each day!"

"Sister Hui! This… what kind of propriety is this…?" Wan Tang shouted in shock, trying to struggle, but her feeble strength was like an ant shaking a tree before Hui Guifei, who was trained in martial arts.

"Shut up! Can propriety feed you, or at least keep you alive?"

Hui Guifei sneered coldly, casually folding a sturdy branch and stuffing it into her hand, "Grip it tightly! If your lower stance is unstable, no amount of deep thought will help!"

As she spoke, the sword sheath gave a "Snap" and struck Wan Tang's knee with a light, non‑heavy thud, forcing her to bend her knee downwards.

"Spread your legs shoulder‑width apart! Drop your shoulders, lower your elbows! Sink your Qi into the dantian! Have you not eaten?"

Hui Guifei's scolding rang especially clear in the open courtyard, "With your weak, wind‑blown appearance, you wouldn't even need someone to poison you next time; a simple chill would take your little life!"

"What a useless person!"

The word "useless" pierced Wan Tang's heart like a needle.

The plea she had wanted to make was instantly stuck in her throat; she clenched her lower lip, and the once‑distant look in her eyes suddenly sharpened with an unwillingness to be defeated.

Sweat quickly soaked her hair at the temples, sliding down her pale cheek.

Her legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, trembling uncontrollably, while her waist and back throbbed with a sour numbness.

"Can't stand it any longer?" Hui Guifei crossed her arms, her tone mocking, "It seems Virtuous Consort can only play mind games; when real strength is needed, she becomes a soft‑shell shrimp."

Wan Tang thrust her head up sharply, sweat dripping into her eyes, bitter and painful, yet she stubbornly widened her eyes and forced a voice through her teeth: "Who… who says I can't?"

She inhaled deeply, driven by an unwillingness to be looked down upon, and forced her sinking body to straighten a few more degrees.

Her trembling legs worked hard to stay steady, her finger joints whitening from gripping the branch.

The autumn wind swept by, bringing a bone‑chilling cold, yet it could not disperse the fire ignited in her heart.

Hui Guifei watched her bite‑her‑lip, hard‑pressed stance, her mouth corners barely twitching before she returned to her cold, sharp expression.

The sword sheath tapped again on her slightly curved lower back: "Straighten your waist! With that posture, the enemy hasn't even arrived and you've already fallen!"

No one could tell how long they had been training.

Wan Tang only felt that her body was no longer her own.

Dragging her nearly broken body back to Palace of Eternal Joy, Wan Tang felt every inch of bone screaming with soreness.

Before she could catch her breath, a junior eunuch from the imperial court arrived with an edict: the Emperor summoned her to attend to him tonight.

Stepping into the familiar Sleeping Hall, the scent of dragon‑saliva incense filled the air.

Chu Yunzheng leaned casually on the couch; seeing her enter, a faint smile curled at his lips, and he reached out to pull her into his arms.

"Tang'er, you were startled today," his fingertip brushed her cheek, his tone gentle yet undeniably commanding, "I have already set things right for you; tonight is your reward."

Wan Tang lowered her gaze, obediently nestling against his chest as he untied her sash.

Their skin pressed together; she could feel the heat radiating from him, a possessiveness that seemed passionate yet distant.

He leaned over her, his movements not rough but skillfully teasing her senses.

Wan Tang closed her eyes, her body receiving the Emperor's favor, while her heart remained icy, as if she were an outsider.

Another reward?

Rewarding herself by diverting disaster, or rewarding, using such vile means, leaving Su Yanci behind.

【Dog Emperor had repeatedly reminded Wan Tang that it was a time lacking talent. Wan Tang then attended the banquet, bringing Liu Guiren along.】

【In fact, Dog Emperor loved Wan Tang; after all, the moment Wan Tang was present, he went immediately. If Hui Guiren hadn't eaten, the Emperor might have given up this chance.】

【The Emperor had decided that Wan Tang, for his sake, deliberately set a trap, leaving Su Yanci behind.】

No…

Wan Tang never wanted this.

Her thoughts drifted far, drifting to the night of torrential rain.

In her mind, Su Yanci clearly appeared, sitting alone atop the high wall, a solitary figure drenched by rain.

It was when they gazed beyond the palace wall that those eyes, once full of youthful vigor, now brimmed with the despair and unwillingness of being trapped in a cage.

Tears, silently, fell, rolling down the corners of the eyes……