The Empress Arrives: Rebirth of Concubine Hua

Chapter 173: Relegated to limbo
After Yinzhen finished his court session, he went to Yiku Palace. Nian Shilan was already waiting for him in the corridor.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be blessed with good fortune."

Nian Shilan bowed with a smile. Yinzhen looked at her delicate little face, which was fair and rosy, and the scarlet Manchu dress she was wearing made her look charming and pretty.

"Get up. Aren't you afraid of being blown by the wind again standing here so early in the morning?"

Nian Shilan took Yinzhen's arm and smiled sweetly.

"Your Majesty, are you feeling sorry for me? However, I woke up early and heard that Your Majesty stayed with me last night and didn't sleep well. You went to court again early this morning. I feel sorry for Your Majesty."

Yinzhen was very pleased with Nian Shilan's gentleness and coquettishness. It was rare that she was not indifferent to him.

"The sun is rising from the west today? Shilan actually feels sorry for me. I was indeed tired last night, but seeing that you were not feeling well, I couldn't sleep."

Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan let go of Yinzhen's arm and sighed softly.

"I heard from Songzhi. Originally, Songzhi was worried that the emperor would not be able to sleep with me, so she specially lit the incense that I usually use to help me sleep. Fortunately, Doctor Wen discovered the abnormality in time and extinguished the incense. Otherwise, if the incense caused harm to the emperor's dragon body, I can't afford it."

When Yinzhen heard Nian Shilan mention the incense, his face darkened again, but thinking that Nian Shilan had just recovered from her illness, he tried his best to soften his voice.

"Shilan only cares about my dragon body, but I am angry that the incense damaged your body. You are absolutely right. Fortunately, Doctor Wen was here last night, otherwise I would not know that the incense was so powerful."

Yinzhen ordered Su Peisheng.

"Su Peisheng, go and ask the queen to come to Yikun Palace. Just tell her that I am waiting for her in Yikun Palace."

Su Peisheng took the order and left in a hurry. After a while, he invited Ulanara to come over.

However, when Ulanara came over, Concubine Duan was chatting with Ulanara in Jingren Palace, so she followed her over to pay her respects to the emperor.

"I have seen the emperor, and the emperor is blessed."

Ulanara knelt down to pay her respects to Yinzhen. Nian Shilan watched her pay her respects to Yinzhen, and then she slowly paid her respects to Ulanara.

Yinzhen looked up and saw Concubine Duan, feeling a little surprised.

"Why are you here too?"

Concubine Duan took a step forward, bowed again, and replied.

"Your Majesty, I was just talking to the Empress in Jingren Palace, and Eunuch Su said that the Emperor asked the Empress to come over. I thought it was because Concubine Hua was ill, so I followed her and wanted to visit her."

Yinzhen waved his hand.

"Everyone, please sit down. Someone, bring the things up."

Xiao Linzi held an exquisite spice box in both hands, raised it high above his head, and knelt in front of Yinzhen.

"Queen, look at this thing, do you recognize it?"

Xiao Linzi changed the direction of his kneeling and held the spice box in his hand in front of Ulanara.

Jianqiu took the spice box from Xiaolinzi, and Ulanara took a look at Jianqiu's hand.

"Your Majesty, I recognize it. This is the incense I gave to my sister, Concubine Hua, last year. It has a very elegant name, Plum Dance. I wonder what your Majesty means by letting me see it?"

Ulanara looked at Yinzhen with a smile.

Yinzhen stared into her eyes, unable to see any emotion in them. "Since Concubine Duan is here today, I'll tell you the truth. I remember that you never liked spices. I wonder where you got these from, and why did you give them to Concubine Hua?"

Ulanara was stunned for a moment, as if she did not expect Yinzhen to ask this. She stood up and said respectfully.

"Your Majesty, you also said that I don't like to use incense. This incense was given to me by Shu Ying last year. I have never liked spices, and this Plum Dance Incense Cake has the plum fragrance that my sister liked when she was alive. I was moved by the sight and couldn't bear to use it. Because my sister Hua Fei always likes to burn incense, I thought it would be a pity to leave such a good incense unused, so I gave it to my sister Hua Fei. I don't know why the emperor said this today?"

Yinzhen looked at Ulanara's confused expression and her sincere nostalgia when she mentioned Yunxi, and grasped the Shu Da Ying in her words.

"What the Queen means is that this incense was not made by you, but by Shu Ying?"

Ulanara nodded in agreement.

"Shu Ying is my dowry. I heard that Shu Ying's ancestors were imperial merchants who were engaged in the business of rouge and powder, and they were quite knowledgeable about spices. Shu Ying herself also loved to tinker with these things, and often made some spices that were not available in the palace to give to the sisters around her. What the emperor asked today was strange, but is there something wrong with this spice?"

Yinzhen asked someone to call Wen Xianqing over.

"Doctor Wen, please tell the Queen what this spice contains."

Wen Xianqing knelt down hurriedly.

"Yes, I obey the order."

After hearing what Wen Xianqing said about the spices, Ulanara and Concubine Duan were both shocked.

Ulanara said anxiously.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I really didn't know that this incense was so harmful! If I knew, I would never give it to my sister, Concubine Hua! When I said good morning to you this morning, I was telling you sisters to continue the royal family as soon as possible and have more descendants."

Yinzhen said.

"Please sit down first. I know you are wronged, but the Queen didn't know people well enough and gave Shu Ying the opportunity to harm others with this incense. I am too lazy to ask why Shu Ying did this, but I really hate this method of competing for favor. I originally thought that Shu Ying was wronged in the hunting ground incident last time, but now it seems that what Seventeen said is probably true."

After a pause, Yinzhen said.

"Su Peisheng, go to Jiaolu Pavilion and banish Shu to the cold palace and give her poisoned wine. There is no need to interrogate her, just go. There is no need to come back to me, I don't want to see such a vicious woman again. I only thought she was gentle and obedient before, but I didn't expect her to be such a vicious person."

Nian Shilan suddenly said.

"Is the emperor sure that he will not see Shu anymore? If she has anything to argue, the emperor might as well give her a chance."

Yinzhen looked at Nian Shilan and said helplessly.

"I didn't know before that you were a soft-hearted person. I wanted to give her a chance, but the Queen also said that she gave this incense to the Queen. It can be seen that she wanted to harm the Queen from the beginning. She was the Queen's dowry, but her heart was so cruel. It was just a coincidence that this incense fell into your hands, and you treated it as a treasure and burned it every day. I have made up my mind, and there is no need to say more."

Nian Shilan sighed.

"I was just thinking that there are the Third Prince and Princess Kangle in the palace, and both children are still young. The palace cannot tolerate life and death. Your Majesty, if you spare Shu's life, it will also be a blessing for the two children. Your Majesty, do you agree?"

Yinzhen was silent for a while and then said.

"Then let's do as you wish. I will spare her life. Su Peisheng, banish Shu to the cold palace and let her fend for herself."

Su Peisheng went to handle the matter himself, but when Shu Da Ying heard that she was banished to the cold palace, she no longer had her usual calmness and composure. She cried and made a fuss, demanding to see the emperor.

(End of this chapter)