OBS Chapter 314 Rushang
Chapter 314 Rushang
The dead are gone, so are the living.
Time flies by, and in the blink of an eye we have entered the hot July.
At that time, most of the concubines in the palace followed the emperor to the Old Summer Palace to seek some coolness and escape the scorching sun. Only Hai Lan remained in the Yuhua Pavilion.
Ever since Yongqi passed away, her soul seemed to have gone with him. Day after day, she devoutly chanted scriptures and prayed in front of the Buddha, praying that her beloved son would have a good journey to the underworld and be reborn in a good place.
For three whole months, Hai Lan's only visit to Yuhua Pavilion was Baohua Palace.
She never set foot into the rest of the palace gardens.
Inside the Yuhua Pavilion, the incense was sparse, and a few wisps of green smoke drifted slowly, lingering between the beams and pillars, adding a bit of stuffiness and silence to the already unbearably hot Forbidden City.
"My Lord, this is bad! Someone from the Cold Palace sent a message saying that person has passed away..."
Xiangyun, the young palace maid who had just arrived to serve Hailan, staggered into the room, looking panicked. Her words were full of urgency, and she was even a little breathless when she spoke.
Hai Lan was struck by lightning when she heard this. Her fingertips trembled, and the Buddhist beads bracelet that she rubbed day and night to calm her mind trembled.
The line broke with a "click".
The round Buddhist beads scattered instantly, bounced a few times on the ground, rolled in all directions, and in the blink of an eye, they were spread out at Hailan's feet.
"Sister? My sister is gone? How is this possible! Quick, I want to go to the cold palace immediately!"
Hailan was in a state of panic, her eyes turned slightly red, and tears burst out and rolled down her cheeks.
Ever since Yongqi's death, she had been filled with sorrow and loneliness, and only her sister could understand her torment. She had visited the cold palace several times, but her sister always avoided her.
As time went by, she thought about taking it easy and waiting for her sister to calm down before leaving. However, she never expected that in just a few months, they would be separated forever.
Hailan was extremely anxious and didn't care about her manners. She ran to the cold palace. Her steps were staggering and her hair was messed up by the wind, but she was completely unaware.
He stumbled all the way to the gate of the cold palace, only to find that the two doors were wide open. The space inside was as deep and dark as the mouth of a giant beast, eerie and cold, with a chill blowing in his face, making him terrified.
Hailan's body suddenly softened and her knees almost hit the ground.
She was filled with fear, afraid to see her sister's current appearance - Yongqi's lifeless face when she left was like a scar engraved on her soul, and it was heartbreaking every time she thought of it.
Now, are we going to have to watch our sisters, who are as close as sisters, leave again?
The dead silence of the cold palace froze her so much that she lost all strength in her limbs.
"Master? Master?"
Xiangyun called out several times before Hailan finally woke up from her dream, with a hint of panic and grief still in her eyes.
With Xiangyun's careful support, she mechanically raised her legs and moved step by step into the house like a puppet that had lost its soul.
The room was small and cramped, with only a tiny window letting in a feeble light that couldn't dispel the darkness. The stench of decay hit me in the face, creeping into my nostrils, mixing with the faint, nauseating odor in the air, making my eyes sore.
Hailan's feet felt weak, but she insisted on shaking off Xiangyun's hand and moving towards the bed alone.
Every step she took seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. The moment she saw Ruyi lying silently on the bed, she felt as if her heart was hit hard by a heavy hammer. Her breath was stuck in her throat and she couldn't breathe for a long time.
Ruyi's body lay quietly, as if she was just sleeping soundly, but her face was pale gray, her hair was disheveled, and she was covered with a tattered, thin blanket that was full of holes and whose original color could not be identified.
She did not pass away peacefully, with the sadness of the past still on her face.
"Sister...we agreed to support each other and lean on each other to walk through the long and arduous journey of this deep palace. Why did you...leave me first..."
Hai Lan choked with sobs, her trembling hands wanting to touch Ruyi, but they remained suspended in mid-air, not daring to let go.
At this moment, several palace maids who had hurried over after hearing the noise fell to their knees with a plop, their bodies shaking like sieves, and they spoke tremblingly.
"Empress Yu, please forgive me! It's not our servants' fault for not caring for her properly, it's this lady herself... A while ago, she contracted tuberculosis and had to take medicine every day, but she seemed determined not to live. Even when the medicine was brought to her lips, she refused to drink it, and she secretly poured all the medicine into the corner..."
On the eve of the emperor's move to the Old Summer Palace, considering Yongqi's early death, he finally restored her position as Concubine Yu.
This should have been a happy event, but everyone in the palace knew that she could never return to her former glory.
Although Hai Lan regained her position as a concubine, she could only live in seclusion in Yuhua Pavilion. Day after day, she prayed devoutly for Yongqi beside the green lamp and ancient Buddha, just like a nun practicing Buddhism with her hair uncut. The honor and power of the concubines in the past had become a thing of the past for her.
They gossiped about each other in private, implying in their words that Ruyi had lost her spirit and didn't want to live anymore.
Hai Lan stood by Ruyi's side, watching her face turn gray and blue. Her once lively and bright eyes had lost their luster, leaving only a dead silence. Her heart felt as if it had been hit hard by a heavy hammer, and the pain was excruciating.
How could my sister be the kind of person who would commit suicide?
It was obvious that she was pushed into despair step by step by that heartless man. The groundless suspicion and cold alienation were like sharp blades, cutting the rest of her life into pieces.
Hailan burst into tears, her heart filled with grief and unable to control herself. She just struggled to get up, but suddenly she felt dizzy, her vision went black, and she fell uncontrollably into Xiangyun's arms.
The news passed around and by the time it reached the Old Summer Palace, it was already the next morning.
The person who died was just a commoner who lost his title. If she didn't have a son who was a prince, such a trivial matter would never have reached the emperor's ears.
The emperor was willing to promote Yongji to the rank of Beile. Ultimately, it was because of Yongqi and he wanted to give the deceased some dignity.
"Your Majesty, the one in the cold palace... is dead..."
Jinzhong got the news and came running, suppressing the barely perceptible satisfaction on the corner of his mouth, and reported to the emperor before anyone else.
With Ruyi gone, the former glory is gone, and I’m afraid no one will mention it anymore. Wouldn’t our own mistress be able to sit firmly on the top seat in the harem?
The emperor was buried in a pile of memorials at that time, writing with a red brush in his hand. When he heard Jinzhong's words, the tip of the brush suddenly stopped, and a small ball of ink spread out.
His eyes flickered slightly, but without much hesitation, he said coldly, "Let's go. Go, pack up the things in Yikun Palace, and bury her in the mausoleum of Imperial Noble Consort Huichun. Keep the funeral simple."
Since Yongqi's death, the emperor's health had deteriorated like an autumn leaf exposed to frost. When he questioned the imperial physician Bao, he was told that "excessive grief, coupled with excessive indulgence in sexual activities, has led to his deteriorating health."
But the emperor's mind and eyes were filled with Ruyi's harsh words from that day. Every word was like a knife, forcing him to the point of vomiting blood.
Therefore, even though he was used to pretending to be sad in front of others, he did not feel any sympathy for Ruyi's death in his heart.
The love and affection of the past have all turned into a painful dream, worn away by years of suspicion, quarrels and disagreements.
The emperor always thought that if he could live again, he would rather he had never met her in this life, and the jade ruyi that symbolized the noble position of concubine would never be handed to her.
"Yes, I will give the order right away..."
Ruyi never thought that the final chapter of her life would come so suddenly, and this day came much sooner than expected.
On the night of her death, she coughed heart-wrenchingly, and thick blood spread wildly on her pillow, like a bunch of hideous dark red flowers.
Every time she coughed, it felt like a pair of ruthless hands were clutching her internal organs, and the severe pain was like a surging tide, instantly drowning her.
Her cracked lips were thirsty for moisture. She forced herself to get up and look for water, but found that the kettle was already dry.
The cold was like fine needles, piercing every inch of her skin. The yard was cold and silent, and the moonlight was pale, like a layer of frost and snow, wrapping the entire yard tightly.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the whisper of the wind in my ears.
The well stood quietly, just as it had been when she was trapped in the cold palace. Time seemed to have left few traces on it, except for a few circles of mottled moss on the edge of the well.
Ruyi dragged her heavy and soft body to the edge of the well with difficulty and slowly stuck her head out.
The well water was as deep as a magic mirror, reflecting a strange and haggard face - wrinkles crisscrossing each other, like a dried-up and cracked riverbed. Where was the dignity and composure of the past?
The bright moonlight cast her weathered face clearly in the well water, revealing every wrinkle and every dark spot.
Ruyi stood there for a long time, as if nailed to the spot. After a long time, she raised her hand tremblingly, and her fingertips gently touched her cheek.
So, I'm already this old?
She seemed to be nailed to the side of a well, her eyes fixed on the weathered face in the water, but her thoughts suddenly drifted away uncontrollably. The light and shadow in front of her eyes changed, and the young Qingying appeared vividly before her.
Qingying was dressed in a moon-white brocade dress, with a smile on her face, looking pretty and lively, without a trace of the vicissitudes of time.
Ruyi was so engrossed in watching that in a moment, the surrounding scenery seemed to be manipulated by a pair of invisible hands, and many familiar figures gradually emerged around her.
The aunt looked dignified yet kind, A Ruo was flattering yet secretly cunning, Gao Xiyue was spoiled and willful, Fu Cha Langya was dignified and steady, Jin Yuyan was charming but could not hide her calculations... and there was also Li Yu, with curved eyebrows and eyes, revealing a cleverness; Ling Yunche had an upright posture and a firm gaze; Lian Jiang Yubin's gentle face also became clear.
It’s them, those long-gone friends.
In a trance, they called out to her in unison.
Princess, Concubine Xian, Qingying, Empress
The sounds were lingering in her ears. These names had been there for most of her life. It was her, yet it seemed not to be her.
The light and shadow flowed again, and Ruyi stood still, finding herself sitting on the steps of the palace, with the young Ling Yunche sitting next to her.
At that time, he was dressed in a neat and tight suit, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, full of vigor and vitality. He had not yet suffered the ravages of fate and was not yet the incomplete eunuch.
The moonlight was like water, gently pouring down, outlining Ling Yunche's face with exceptional clarity, as if the scene of her sitting on these steps and comforting him was replaying itself.
He was young at that time.
"Your Majesty, this humble servant..."
He opened his lips slightly, as if he was about to speak, but stopped himself. The words that followed seemed to be swept away by the wind, dissipating into the night, leaving only a faint echo in Ruyi's ears.
Seeing him like this, Ruyi's eyes suddenly became sore, and tears gathered and rolled down uncontrollably. She couldn't help but slowly raise her hand, her fingertips eagerly reaching out to Ling Yunche, full of desire to truly touch him and feel the long-lost warmth.
However, his fingertips only touched emptiness, as if there was an invisible chasm between them.
The years passed by slowly, and the torrent of time swept away so much, but it could not take away the image of Ling Yunche in her heart.
He was ruthlessly crushed by fate because of her. This guilt and longing, after years and years, is still as hot as ever, and has never faded away.
The light and shadows before my eyes swayed like a dream. The scene seemed to be manipulated by an invisible hand, changing again and again like a kaleidoscope, and finally slowly stopped on the long winding corridor that carried countless memories.
The sunlight shone in patches, and his figure was light and agile. He ran a few steps in front, then turned slightly sideways, with a gentle smile on his lips, and softly called her "Qingying".
The voice was tender and pleasant, like a gentle spring breeze, blowing straight into her heart.
It was him, the young man who had been with her throughout her youth and whom she was deeply attached to, the one who had whispered with her under the red wall, played among the flowers, and made vows to her.
They immediately looked at each other from afar, and their hearts broke as soon as they saw Zhijun.
Ruyi murmured the poem, her mind spinning around her past with the emperor.
Gradually, sleepiness came over her like a tidal wave, draining all her strength away. She couldn't help but lie down on the steps.
But in a moment, he was no longer breathing.
The trace of blood coughed up at the corner of his mouth was like a sad withered flower, dazzling and sad under the moonlight, revealing endless desolation.
Soon it was daybreak.
She was lucky to be found early in the morning, before her body had stiffened and still retained some dignity.
The palace servant who had come to deliver the meal pushed open the door and saw the scene before him. He was so shocked that he almost dropped the food box in his hands. After a brief panic, everyone hurriedly carried her back to the bed, and hurriedly fetched a wet cloth, carefully wiping the blood stains on her face.
After a lot of trouble, she became the miserable look she was when Hai Lan hurriedly arrived.
She just left like that, ending her sad, lamentable and ridiculous life.
……
Jinzhong slowly withdrew from the Qinzheng Hall. Xiao Dezi went to the temporary palace and stayed there to retire. A new eunuch replaced him.
Such a scandal should be known to as few people as possible. The emperor did not kill Xiao Dezi for the sake of his reputation, but he could no longer keep him by his side to serve him.
As soon as he came out of the Qinzheng Palace, the news had already spread to Tiandi Yijiachun.
After all, the funeral ceremony had to be handled by Yan Wan. When Jin Zhong arrived, Yan Wan had just finished explaining everything to the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department.
Yan Wan already had a son named Yong Yan, so not long after Yong Lin was born, she sent him to be raised by Concubine Yu.
Now she should be called Concubine Yu.
There were only four concubines in the palace. The emperor wanted to restore Hailan's position, so he also raised Eyinzhu's position so that she could support the seventeenth prince.
"Your servant pays respects to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine."
Jinzhong bowed and nodded, a standard gesture of kowtow.
After all these years, he never bowed to her perfunctorily.
"Yongyan, it's been so long, take a break. Go check on the pony your fifth brother found for you. Mother has something else to do..."
Seeing him coming, Yan Wan sent Yongyan, who was practicing calligraphy in the palace, out.