Chapter 68
Chapter 68
Unlike the jubilant palace maid, Su Yiwan clutched her chest. Her heart pounded rapidly, and unease filled her.
This development, entirely different from her previous life, left her lost and bewildered.
If–if everything was different from her previous life, wouldn’t the advantage of her foreknowledge after living again disappear entirely?
In her panic, her fingers touched something hard at her neck. The jade, originally cold, had grown pleasantly warm against her skin.
Su Yiwan’s panicked heart gradually settled. That was right. Even if some things had changed from her previous life, she still had the spirit spring.
With this divine treasure in her possession, she was clearly favored by Heaven. What did she have to fear?
Low-ranking consorts had no sedan chairs, so she had to rise early to wash and dress, then walk to Qingzheng Hall.
Just before her departure, another round of news spread through the palace.
“I heard His Majesty and Her Majesty both sent extremely generous rewards to Chengyi Hall early this morning.”
“Apparently, the empress suddenly felt unwell last night. Lady Yu didn’t anger His Majesty at all. This morning’s rewards are compensation for her.”
The speaker was the same maid named Lü Yao. Across both lives, Su Yiwan’s impression of her was that she gossiped endlessly and loved to shirk work.
Su Yiwan thought to herself that if she ever gained the emperor’s favor, she would certainly replace the maid.
She lived far away and walked for more than an hour before finally reaching Qingzheng Hall. Given a second life, she had learned to be cautious. She had risen especially early and became the first to arrive.
The empress was eating breakfast. When she heard Attendant Su had arrived so early, she was surprised too.
She told those beside her, “She has come so early. Ask whether Attendant Su has eaten. If not, have her join me for breakfast.”
Su Yiwan was delighted. The empress was benevolent and greatly loved and respected by His Majesty. If she gained the empress’s favor, there would be no need to scheme so painstakingly over Lady Yu.
She hurriedly replied with respect, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The selected women in this group were all quite young. The empress pitied them for entering the palace at such an age. When Attendant Su entered, respectfully paid her greetings, and then stood behind the empress as if she truly meant to serve her breakfast, the empress could not help laughing. “There are so many palace attendants here. What need is there for you? Come, sit down.”
Of course Su Yiwan knew the empress would not truly make her serve. She was only putting on the proper display.
She sat down carefully.
The empress saw how cautious she was. Whenever the empress spoke, Attendant Su immediately set down her chopsticks, bowed, and replied. The empress shook her head and stopped speaking.
At that moment, a palace attendant announced, “Lady Yu has arrived.”
The empress’s eyes lit up.
Su Yiwan stared, dumbfounded, as the empress personally rose and went out to welcome her.
She thought in confusion, Lady Yu only missed one night in the emperor’s bed. Does Her Majesty truly need to go this far?
She had no time to consider it. The empress had already risen, so naturally, she could not remain seated. She hurried to her feet and followed.
At a glance, the empress saw Lady Yu surrounded by palace attendants.
She understood why the emperor had hesitated.
She had seen Lady Yu during the selection. Her impression of the young woman was of beauty, bright and striking, with confidence and pride visible to the naked eye.
But now, the first thing anyone noticed about the woman was her bearing.
It was deep and weighty, like a towering mountain that could neither be reached nor broken.
No fifteen-year-old girl could possibly possess such a commanding presence.
At the thought of who she might be, the empress’s heart surged with excitement.
An imperial consort meeting the empress for the first time should perform a full formal salute, but Zhu Yin did not move. Just as a palace attendant was about to remind her, the empress walked over naturally and took Zhu Yin’s hand with warm familiarity.
The two walked inside hand in hand. “His Majesty mentioned you to me last night and praised you as unlike ordinary women. I have been curious about you for quite some time.”
She was telling Zhu Yin that the emperor had revealed her identity.
Zhu Yin turned to look at the empress.
According to the plot’s official verdict, she was the wife and companion whom the emperor loved and trusted most throughout his life.
Even later, when the female lead was favored above everyone else in the harem, she could not shake the first empress’s place in the emperor’s heart. In fact, the emperor did not agree to make her empress until shortly before his death.
The empress was only in her twenties now. Her features were elegant and composed, her manner warm and approachable.
She was benevolent, kind, and free from jealousy, caring equally for every consort in the harem. She was also widely read and possessed considerable political judgment. By the standards of her age, she was a perfect wife and a perfect empress.
It was only a pity that she died rather early.
Zhu Yin recalled the plot. The empress had always been frail and suffered from insomnia. After years of marriage, the imperial couple had only one child, a five-year-old eldest princess.
When she finally conceived again, a collision caused her to lose the child. Her vitality suffered severely afterward. Grief and constant brooding compounded the damage, and before long, she passed away.
In the previous life, the female lead had been implicated in the empress’s miscarriage. The emperor flew into a rage, and blood flowed through both the outer court and the inner palace.
Su Yiwan watched the empress and Lady Yu interact with such intimacy, utterly stunned.
She could not understand what had happened.
In the end, she had still been young when she died in her previous life. Her rebirth had granted her foreknowledge and the advantage of the spirit-spring realm, but it had not made her any cleverer.
Lady Yu had indeed been greatly favored in the previous life, and the empress had treated her well. But that kindness was the same kindness the empress showed everyone in the harem.
When had they ever been this close?
No matter how hard she racked her brains, she could not understand how, after only one night, Lady Yu had won over the empress and accomplished the very thing Su Yiwan wanted most to accomplish.
Given His Majesty’s love and esteem for the empress, Lady Yu might have boundless wealth and rank waiting ahead if the empress offered even a word or two of guidance.
Zhu Yin suddenly stopped walking.
The empress asked in confusion, “What is it?”
Following her gaze, the empress introduced the young woman with a smile. “This is Attendant Su.”
Zhu Yin looked the female lead up and down and made an enigmatic observation. “Attendant Su has rosy cheeks and bright eyes. Clearly, her blood and vitality are abundant, and she is in excellent health.”
The words sounded like praise, but they were strangely out of place.
When consorts praised someone, they usually praised her beauty or talent, or at least flattered her family background. Who praised someone for being healthy?
Only Su Yiwan, who carried a secret in her heart, jolted at once. She could not help thinking, What does she mean? Is she hinting at something? Could she know about my spirit-spring realm?
That was absolutely impossible.
She did her best to remain calm and answered Zhu Yin with neither servility nor arrogance. “Thank you for the compliment, My Lady.”
Zhu Yin seemed merely to have mentioned it in passing. She immediately turned away and shifted the subject to the empress. “Compared with her, Empress, you are deficient in both blood and vitality. You should think less, set your worries aside, and carefully tend to your health.”
After a moment’s surprise, the empress agreed with a smile.
Su Yiwan found the strange feeling even stronger.
What imperial consort would speak to the empress in that tone?
She sounded less like a consort and more like Her Majesty’s elder.
That was an enormous breach of propriety.
Yet not only did Her Majesty remain unangered, she actually agreed with a smile!
This was truly bizarre!
Had Su Yiwan not been reborn at all? Was she actually trapped in some absurd dream?