Chapter 34: Summer Palace Retreat

Having seen Shang Rong's bones broken and his ashes scattered that day, Wan Tang pretended to be calm, but could not conceal the terror in her heart.

Wan Tang wanted to protect those around her, but did not expect Chu Yunzheng's methods to be so ruthless.

That day, the Emperor personally carried Wan Tang to the Imperial Medical Institute.

Yet Wan Tang's fear of Chu Yunzheng outweighs her love!

From Qianqing Palace to the Imperial Medical Institute, all Guanren turned and faced the wall. Yet this favor spread throughout the Imperial harem within a single night.

The story of Shang Rong's bones being broken and his ashes scattered is known to all; every overseer repeatedly reminds subordinates: "Eunuchs and palace maids are forbidden to share food. Those who violate will meet the same fate as Shang Rong."

Today, Shang Rong is not just a name, but a form of punishment.

And this punishment originated entirely because of Lady of Grace Wan. One's birth is irrelevant; what matters is not to provoke this woman.

This woman can cause the palace's punishments to increase.

The midsummer heat blazed, cicada chirps—, and even the bricks within the palace walls grew scorching.

Rapid news from Bei Mo spread, and Chu Yunzheng's dragon‑like countenance beamed with joy as he took Imperial Concubines from the harem and the court‑appointed lady to the Rehe Summer Palace for a heat‑escape.

Li Ping'er sat in the carriage, her cheeks flushed with excitement, chattering all the way while pulling Wan Tang along.

Wan Tang forced a smile, her gaze fixed on the bright‑yellow dragon carriage at the front.

Li Defu was no longer as arrogant as before; as he walked, his back was slightly hunched.

When Shang Rong died, Li Defu was implicated, stripped of his qualification to guard the Imperial Seal and deprived of many privileges. Yet, to silence the endless gossip, the Emperor still issued a light punishment with a stern warning; Li Defu remained a senior eunuch, still serving as the person who attends the Emperor's sides.

Is this the gap caused by vastly different statuses?

【Mentioning the Summer Resort, one cannot omit those famous scenes from the original work.】

【All the court ladies have arrived; Xu Luoyan's mother must have come as well?】

【Speaking of it, Wang Jingyi is a truly excellent mother—dignified, graceful, with extraordinary bearing. Even among the court ladies, she stands out.】

【At first I thought Xu Luoyan hadn't inherited her mother's virtues—too straightforward, lacking emotional intelligence. Now I truly doubt; Xu Luoyan seems only to tarnish her mother.】

Wang Jingyi—just thinking of her makes Wan Tang's hatred grow even more ruthless.

Everyone says Wang Jingyi is wonderful in every way, but for Wan Tang, that's not the case.

After learning that Xu Chengyuan had a wife, Wang Jingyi did not cause a scene; instead, she brought Wan Tang back to the residence.

Even Wan Tang finds it hard to pinpoint Wang Jingyi's fault; the crux is, if she truly is good, why is Wan Tang merely a maid of Xu Luoyan?

The thing that still gnaws at Wan Tang is her mother's death.

Both gave birth on the same day; why did the mother, who was full‑term, die?

The carriage halted, severing Wan Tang's recollection of the past.

The summer palace was vast, its red walls and golden tiles built against the hills; pavilions and towers were arranged harmoniously, with misty hot‑spring vapor winding throughout, like a fairyland.

Just as they stepped out of the carriage, a chorus of chirping birds and flattering voices surrounded them.

The Emperor and the ministers entered the palace first through another gate, while in front of this vermilion‑painted gate stood only Imperial Concubines and court‑lady maidens.

Xu Luoyan stood at the palace gate, having grown noticeably thinner, yet her domineering air remained unabated as she gestured and scolded the Guanren.

Wang Jingyi stepped out of the line of court ladies, her eyes instantly reddening.

"Mother…" she whispered, like an aggrieved child, lunging two steps at a time into her mother's arms.

Wang Jingyi clutched her daughter tightly, trembling fingertips brushing her back, her voice hushed yet unable to hide her pain: "Yan'er, you've become thin…"

Wang Jingyi's eyes full of sorrow: "I've heard everything happening in the palace."

"You never liked my teachings before; now you see the loss, don't you?" Wang Jingyi said, sighing at her daughter, looking as if iron failed to become steel.

She squinted again, staring at Wan Tang a short distance away, a smile in her eyes: "Isn't that Wan? She's a Lady of Grace now, too?"

"Mother, you don't know how overbearing she is; just mentioning her fills me with anger." Xu Luoyan, having found a lifeline, proceeded to whine coquettishly.

Wang Jingyi raised her hand, placing a finger on Xu Luoyan's mouth: "You are a Noble Consort; you must be poised, elegant, and worthy of respect."

"Look at you, what are you like?"

Xu Luoyan pouted in grievance, cooing to show her displeasure.

As they spoke, many court ladies hurried over.

Because Xu Chengyuan was leading troops at the front, these court ladies, seeing this, rushed forward, scrambling to ingratiate themselves with Noble Consort Xu and Wang Jingyi.

Wang Jingyi stood amid the crowd, her demeanor modest and gentle, a faint smile ever present on her face.

She gave a slight nod, exchanging pleasantries with each court lady; her words were neither arrogant nor lacking in status, earning continuous praise from the crowd.

At that moment, a woman dressed in a lake‑green brocade gown stepped forward, her face full of ingratiating smiles: "Madam Xu rarely goes out; I have long wished to meet you, but never had the chance."

Wang Jingyi's brows twitched lightly, showing a perfectly timed doubt: "And you are?"

Her tone was gentle, as if she truly did not recognize the other, yet a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes.

The woman hurriedly introduced herself: "I am the wife of the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Lady Zheng."

"Oh, so it's Lady Zheng," Wang Jingyi smiled faintly, her gaze shifting to Xu Luoyan: "Noble Consort, do you recognize this Lady Zheng?"

Xu Luoyan, leaning nearby, raised an eyebrow at the words, her tone bearing a hint of arrogance: "Of course I know; isn't this the mother's family of the Elegant Concubine?"

Lady Zheng's smile deepened, she quickly nodded: "Exactly, exactly."

As she spoke, she pulled a woman behind her dressed in a light‑pink palace outfit: "I, the foolish younger daughter, never expected the Noble Consort to still remember."

The Elegant Concubine, ushered forward by her mother, wore a slightly awkward smile, addressing Xu Luoyan: "Noble Consort, peace to you."

Xu Luoyan snorted coldly, said nothing more, merely covering the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, a hint of contempt flashing in her eyes.

Wang Jingyi, seeing this, quickly smoothed things over, speaking gently: "The Elegant Concubine is young and beautiful, favored by the Emperor; how could she be foolish? Lady Zheng is being overly modest."

Lady Zheng, hearing this, smiled even wider, repeatedly gesturing: "Madam Xu's praise is misplaced; the younger daughter could never match the Noble Consort's graceful bearing."

The court ladies beside them echoed: "Indeed, the Noble Consort's elegance is beyond our reach."

"Madam Xu raises her daughter well; she truly is a model for us."

Wang Jingyi smiled faintly, humbly saying: "Ladies, you flatter me; the Noble Consort's present standing is all thanks to the Emperor's favor; I dare not claim credit."

Wan Tang stood to one side, watching it all with cold detachment. She observed Wang Jingyi putting on airs before the crowd, sneering inwardly.

Looking at those titled ladies, almost all of their husbands were connected to the Ministry of War.

And in the Imperial harem, women whose fathers served in the Ministry of War were almost all in Xu Luoyan's camp.

Those aligned with Xu Luoyan, from the show maidens to the Zhaoying, numbered no fewer than ten.

Back then, Xu Luoyan had complained to Wan Tang more than once, saying that Lord Zheng was a fool who dared to take any silver.

The daughter he produced was also a useless thing, charging around all day like a cannon barrel—touch her and she explodes. A complete troublemaker.

So she deliberately snubbed her, even making Wan Tang go out and offend people, telling her not to let her in the door if possible.

Over time, Xiu Zhaoying became almost invisible in Xu Luoyan's camp.

"Master, everything is packed. Let's go." Li Ping'er and Qiu Ju flanked Wan Tang on either side, while Xiao Shunzi followed behind carrying things.

Wan Tang nodded and smiled, but as she looked at Wang Jingyi, hatred surged within her.

She stared at her coldly, barely suppressing the urge to rush forward and kill her.

Knowing this was not the time, she swallowed her anger and just wanted to leave.

"Wan Tang, is that you?" Wang Jingyi seemed to have finally spotted her in the crowd, exclaiming in surprise: "Ten years unseen, you've grown so beautiful?"

"Mother, stop praising her—she nearly got me killed!" Xu Luoyan stomped her foot in displeasure.

Madam Zheng, who had been looking for an opening, immediately asked: "Madam, you know her?"

"Mm." Wang Jingyi nodded gently: "This child has had a hard fate. Her mother passed early, so I kept her by my side and raised her like a daughter."

"Later, I let her enter the palace with Yan'er, so they could look after each other. Now that she has made her own fortune, that's good too."

Madam Zheng's eyes lit up instantly. She pulled Xiu Zhaoying over and asked: "Do you know her?"

"Oh? No wonder she looked so familiar—isn't she that palace maid from the Noble Consort's side?" Xiu Zhaoying suddenly realized.

Xu Luoyan snorted coldly, grinding her teeth in anger at the sight of Wan Tang.

Seeing this, Wang Jingyi frowned: "Yan'er, is there some misunderstanding between you and her? Wan Tang seems very displeased to see me?"

"She has the nerve to be displeased with you? A foot-washing maid, ungrateful, even vying for favor with her own Master. Pah! I can't stand people like that."

"Noble Consort, you should have told me earlier. I'll go teach her a lesson right now!"

As Xiu Zhaoying spoke, she moved to pick a fight with Wan Tang.

"Don't." Wang Jingyi quickly stopped her: "Though I don't know the reason, with the Former Dynasty and the Imperial Palace both watching, we must prioritize the bigger picture and avoid stirring up trouble."

"Oh, Madam, you're just too magnanimous. This has nothing to do with you—it's purely that Xiu Xiu and I can't stand her." Madam Zheng hurriedly chimed in.

She was just trying to curry favor.

"Master, Li Pin seems to be coming for us?" Li Ping'er said softly: "What do we do?"

"The Empress has ordered all women to wait here. Let them come—don't be afraid!" Wan Tang remained calm and composed.

Li Pin walked step by step toward Wan Tang, her eyes full of contempt and mockery.

"So the palace maid who climbed into the Emperor's bed is none other than the former Noble Consort's foot-washing slave!" She let out a sneer, her gaze sweeping over Wan Tang's face like a sharp blade: "Where are the pockmarks on your face?"

"With such thick makeup, you probably don't dare wash your face at night, afraid the pockmarks will scare the Emperor!"

The surrounding titled ladies gathered around, some covering their mouths to giggle, others murmuring in agreement, their eyes full of schadenfreude.

Wan Tang stood her ground, her voice soft, her gaze level: "Xiu Zhaoying is still the same as before. No wonder back then, Noble Consort sister wouldn't let you set foot in Jingren Palace."

Those words struck Xiu Zhaoying right in her sore spot.

She sneered, her tone growing sharper: "How dare you speak to me like that? I am a Zhaoying, and you are merely a Lady of Grace. You see me and still dare not bow?"

A low ripple of laughter spread through the crowd. The titled ladies pointed and whispered, as if watching a good show.

"Xiu Zhaoying hasn't seen the Emperor in three years, has she?" Wan Tang kindly reminded her: "Today might be the closest you'll get to him. If I were you, I'd choose to put on a good show."

Seeing that Wan Tang dared to disregard her, Xiu Zhaoying flew into a rage.

But thinking of the rumors about Wan Tang in the Imperial Palace, fear still flickered in her eyes, and she dared not step forward.

Madam Zheng, however, was outside the palace and hadn't yet gotten the latest inside information.

Seeing her daughter humiliated before a mere Lady of Grace, she ground her teeth and stepped forward.

She roared: "Just a Lady of Grace! If I don't teach you some manners, you won't know your place."

She puffed out her chest, arrogantly scolding: "My daughter is a Zhaoying. Can a mere Lady of Grace turn the world upside down?"

"Get on your knees and apologize to my daughter right now!"