Chapter 421: with translation of chapter title

Empress Dowager Ning'an sat beside Xiao Yin, her voice filled with profound grief, feeling as if she would die of heartbreak.

She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and wept softly: "Although this child is not my own by birth, I have raised him beside me since childhood."

"This child has also endured many hardships; after finally marrying and settling into a peaceful life, he unexpectedly faced successive misfortunes."

"This truly weighs heavy on my heart; I ache for him!"

The other imperial consorts also came in to visit Xiao Yin, only to see him lying on the bed with a deathly pale face and faint breath.

Several senior consorts sighed incessantly; Consort Gao, looking at Empress Dowager Ning'an, hurriedly advised: "Elder sister, don't grieve too much; take care of yourself!"

"Now we can't just let him lie there forever; there must be a solution."

Empress Dowager Ning'an spoke in a muffled voice: "How can I not be anxious? He's lain here for so many days, still unconscious—can we really let him lie like this for the rest of his life?"

"We've tried every medicine, the imperial physicians have examined him, yet we still can't find the cause."

"If we press the matter with Bei Di, relations between the two nations will surely suffer, and the common people will bear the brunt."

Empress Dowager Ning'an could not continue, and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief.

Consort Gao collected herself and said: "Elder sister, if all conventional methods have been used and Prince Rui still won't wake, perhaps we could try an unconventional approach; it might bring some improvement."

Empress Dowager Ning'an's expression flickered with surprise, and even Xiao Yin, feigning illness on the bed, felt a hint of curiosity, inwardly mocking the idea of an "unconventional method."

"Could it be that they intend to perform a ritual to exorcise evil spirits?"

Xiao Yin inwardly sneered: if they really dared to do something to his body, he would simply stop pretending and reveal the truth.

Both Empress Dowager Ning'an and Xiao Yin listened intently, wondering what clever scheme Consort Gao would produce next.

In the Imperial Harem, Consort Gao had only borne a princess who died young; fortunately, her disposition was also cheerful, and during the palace power struggles she consistently sided with Empress Dowager Ning'an.

Empress Dowager Ning'an saw that Consort Gao had no powerful backing, nor any children beside her, posing no threat at all, so she decided to keep this "dog" around.

Whatever she did, she would bring Consort Gao along; if things succeeded, all would go smoothly; if they failed, Consort Gao would be her scapegoat.

Consort Gao paused, then mused: "Elder sister, I'm just speaking off the cuff; you can listen and take it as you will."

"Before I entered the palace, in my hometown there was a consumptive laborer who, after marrying, gradually recovered."

"Although the mourning period is not yet over, Prince Rui is in this state, and we can't worry about many others; why not select a suitable young lady from a noble family in the capital to conduct a 'chongxi' ritual for Prince Rui?"

As soon as the words "chongxi" left Consort Gao's lips, Xiao Yin, whose hand was gripped by Empress Dowager Ning'an, nearly exploded.

He had thought Consort Gao had devised some cure for his illness, but it turned out to be a chongxi ritual.

He already has a wife and sons and daughters—what joy could there be in chongxi? Isn't this disgusting to him?

Yet Xiao Yin could not resist, for the one lying unconscious in bed was himself.

At this moment, Xiao Yin wished he could wake up immediately and drive these women out of his bedchamber.

But obviously, if he woke now, his pretense of illness would be exposed, which would be a crime of deceiving the sovereign.

At present, Xiao Yin's plans are not yet complete; they lack just a little, so revealing himself now would clearly be inappropriate.

Empress Dowager Ning'an also grew eager, released Xiao Yin's hand, turned to Consort Gao, and said slowly: "Your method sounds feasible, but I don't know how to choose."

"Elder sister," Consort Gao felt that she had been idle in the harem before, but now that she had left the palace she was much more active.

She quickly smiled: "First, the person for the chongxi must be a lady from a noble family, befitting the prince's status."

"Second, her birth characters must be strong enough to subdue evil spirits for it to be effective."

"Moreover, it would be best if she were born in a yin year and yin month; ordinary girls simply won't do."

As Consort Gao uttered the words "yin year, yin month," Consort Chen, seated nearby, interjected: "Eh? What a coincidence—I have indeed heard that among the noble families there is a young lady born in a yin year and yin month."

"Isn't she the eldest daughter of the An'guo Gongfu, Lin Rujun?"

Consort Gao hurriedly echoed: "Yes, yes, it really is a coincidence; I've heard that the Lin family has been running around seeking matches for Miss Lin these days, but her temperament is too unrestrained, and she even enjoys studying military strategy and martial arts—if so, she would be quite suitable for Prince Rui."

Empress Dowager Ning'an slowly rose to her feet, her expression easing somewhat.

She called out loudly: "Issue the order—let the Ministry of Rites draft the edict; I shall now bestow marriage upon Miss Lin and Prince Rui."

"Since it's a chongxi, the sooner the better—better to pick a day than wait for an auspicious one; let's hold it in seven days."

"After all, the third prince's wedding will keep us busy; we should finish the chongxi before his wedding."

Empress Dowager Ning'an turned and glanced at the lifeless Xiao Yin on the bed; a flicker of coldness crossed her eyes.

"After all, Prince Rui's life is important; let the Lin family bear some burden—when Prince Rui awakens, I shall reward them handsomely!"

After Empress Dowager Ning'an left the Rui Wangfu, the entire capital of Shang Jing nearly exploded in an uproar.

The most tumultuous scene was actually at the Princess's mansion, where the entire residence was about to be torn apart by the young Marquis Cheng Ming.

Empress Dowager Changzhu quickly ordered her mad son locked in his courtyard, then commanded the veteran subordinates of the Chengjia Army to seal off the inside and outside of the yard, after which she hurriedly entered the warm pavilion.

No sooner had she entered than the sound of a shattered vase reached her ears, accompanied by the thud of fists striking the bedposts.

"Stop! How long will you keep this up?" Empress Dowager Changzhu watched as Cheng Ming's fist smashed the bedpost, splinters of wood piercing his palm, his hand dripping blood.

She stepped forward, heart aching, wanting to bandage her son's injured hand, but Cheng Ming pushed her away.

Cheng Ming's eyes reddened with rage, and he shouted: "How can the Empress Dowager be so vicious?"

"Everyone in Shang Jing knows that Xiao Yin is destined to kill his wives—how many have died before? Sending Miss Lin to him now is tantamount to sending her to her death."

"That bastard Xiao Yin ought to live out his days alone! He's already brought disaster to so many—is that not enough?"

"What chongxi! Damn chongxi! Why don't you just go die!"

"He's an old monster—what right does he have to ruin a girl like Miss Lin?"

"A woman like her shouldn't be confined to the inner quarters; she belongs on the battlefield, galloping forth."

"On what grounds does a single word 'chongxi' end another person's life—that is Miss Lin's very life!"

"Whether Prince Rui or not, they might as well all die—enough!"

"Young master, this is just sending him on his way, so he won't harm anyone!"

Having said that, Cheng Ming suddenly realized the crux of the problem; he rose, drew his sword, and charged toward the Rui Wangfu to slaughter Prince Rui—if Prince Rui were killed, Miss Lin would not have to undergo the chongxi.

"Damn the chongxi!"

Cheng Ming held the sword and walked toward the door.