Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Death of the Noble Consort De

In the afternoon, Lin Miaomiao continued as usual to teach the people sent by Emperor Yongchang. Most of her lessons were already finished; in truth, the course should have ended by now.

When the Fifth Prince saw the bouquet on Lin Miaomiao's table, Li Anping suddenly thought of the bouquet that had been in the Fourth Prince Li Deren's hand when he left.

Because Lin Miaomiao was a woman, and in ancient times women were not allowed to sit at the same table with men from the age of three, a screen stood before her.

Through the screen, Li Anping could see the brilliant flowers on the table before Lin Miaomiao. Lowering his gaze, he silently thought, "This bouquet really suits her."

After Lin Miaomiao finished teaching, the two gentlemen bowed and took their leave. Lin Miaomiao stood and said to them, "Our lessons should come to an end as well. If you have any questions, you may come to me at any time."

After seeing the two of them off, Lin Miaomiao noticed Fifth Prince Li Anping still standing there in a daze. She smiled and asked, "Aren't you leaving yet?"

Li Anping was startled, then hurriedly bowed. "Princess."

Lin Miaomiao was somewhat embarrassed by his excessive courtesy. Smiling, she quickly said, "It's fine. Aren't you leaving yet?"

Hearing her ask the same question again, Li Anping immediately replied, "I am leaving now."

Lin Miaomiao nodded. At almost the same moment, the two of them stepped out of the study.

By then, the two children, Lin Langluan and Lin Langze, had already returned from school. As soon as they came home, they clamored for the cookies Lin Miaomiao made.

Hearing them shouting for cookies, Lin Miaomiao suddenly looked up at the departing Fifth Prince and said with a smile, "Your Highness, would you like some cookies?"

Li Anping was startled by her words, then said, "Would that be proper?"

Lin Miaomiao shook her head. "There is nothing improper about it. I baked plenty for the two of them anyway."

After speaking, she went to the kitchen and brought out two tins. With practiced ease, she packed a great many cookies for Li Anping.

At first, Lin Miaomiao had still been holding the bouquet, but when she went to pack the cookies for Li Anping, she found it cumbersome, so she tossed the flowers onto the table in the pavilion.

Li Anping picked up the bouquet and examined it carefully. The flowers had already wilted, but he did not think that made them any less precious.

After Lin Miaomiao had finished packing the cookies for him, she came out and saw Li Anping still holding the flowers and looking at them.

Smiling, she said, "If you like them, you can take them with you. When you get home, spray them with a little water and they'll perk up for a couple of days."

"Once flowers are cut, they lose the life and spirit they once had, but that does not diminish their beauty."

As she spoke, she handed him the cookies. Li Anping accepted them, thanked her, and departed.

In the carriage, Li Anping opened the cookies Lin Miaomiao had given him. He lifted one with his fingers and put it in his mouth; it was sweet and delicious.

For some reason, he suddenly sighed. Looking at the bouquet in his hand, he thought quietly, "He really is very good."

Then he sighed again, thinking, "It has been a very long time since anyone has called me Fifth Highness."

Emperor Yongchang looked at the message sent to Li Zheng and, with a displeased breath, said to Li Zheng, "The crown prince is far too petty."

"He is so ruthless even to his own brothers, hardly better than an outsider."

Li Zheng heard this and said carelessly, "He never truly belongs here. He has no direct ties to the people here."

"He has no need for gain, and he has money besides. He has no relatives to speak of, so of course he can be generous to an old acquaintance."

Hearing this, Emperor Yongchang was taken aback, then gave a wry smile. "That does not sound like something you would say."

Li Zheng burst into laughter and said to him, "It was said by the one who sent the flowers."

At that, Emperor Yongchang fell silent.

At that moment, the chief eunuch, Bai Qiu, came in to report, "Your Majesty, Her Imperial Noble Consort Xianrou, Yuan Chuxia, requests an audience."

Emperor Yongchang nodded. "Let the noble consort in."

After Bai Qiu bowed and withdrew, Imperial Noble Consort Xianrou Yuan Chuxia slowly entered. When she saw Li Zheng, she was momentarily startled and bowed to him.

Emperor Yongchang looked at her and asked, "What is it?"

Yuan Chuxia smiled and said lightly, "It is not joyous news, so please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Emperor Yongchang waved a hand. "No matter. Speak."

Yuan Chuxia sighed and said, "The birth mother of the Third Prince, Consort De, has hanged herself."

Emperor Yongchang's expression darkened immediately. He said to her, "Bury her with the rites due a consort."

Consort De's funeral was held as scheduled. Looking at Crown Prince Li Hanwen kneeling on the ground, Emperor Yongchang said coldly, "Why are you not crying?"

Li Hanwen was startled by the question, but said nothing, only knelt there stiffly.

Emperor Yongchang slapped him across the face. Li Hanwen staggered from the blow, and the concubines kneeling there to mourn were all startled.

Li Yanhe pulled Lin Miaomiao to kneel as well. Only then did Lin Miaomiao truly feel Emperor Yongchang's fickleness.

The Fourth Prince, Li Deren, tried to help Li Hanwen up, but Emperor Yongchang kicked him hard in the body. Li Hanwen slowly pushed himself up from the ground.

He said to Emperor Yongchang, "As for the death of a concubine, in public terms Consort De was only a concubine. I have no reason to mourn."

"In private terms, I am not Consort De's son, so I likewise have no reason to grieve. Please forgive me, Father."

After saying this, Li Hanwen remained kneeling, straight-backed and unmoving.

The Seventh Prince, Li Yankang, and the Ninth Prince, Li Yonghe, both knew why Emperor Yongchang was taking out his anger on Crown Prince Li Hanwen.

But in truth, the two of them had also done more than their share in helping against the Third Prince, so they were even more afraid now that the emperor would turn his fury on them.

Seeing his sons kneeling so far away, Emperor Yongchang was overcome with rage and snapped at them, "Why are you kneeling so far away?"

Looking at his sons, one by one grown tall and old enough to scheme, Emperor Yongchang gave a cold laugh, swept his sleeves, and stormed away. Only after he had gone did Lin Miaomiao finally let out a breath.

Li Yanhe patted her arm, and Lin Miaomiao shook her head without speaking.

Consort De's death had come too suddenly, and the Third Prince could not possibly return. Lin Miaomiao glanced at Li Yanhe, then at the concubines whose eyes held no real sorrow.

A disturbing thought suddenly struck her: Consort De's death might have something to do with the women in the harem.

At night, Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe could not remain in the palace. By custom, they were to bid farewell to Imperial Noble Consort Xianrou Yuan Chuxia and then leave.

Li Yanhe took Lin Miaomiao with him to Yuan Chuxia's palace. There, Lin Miaomiao saw the imperial noble consort watering the flowers.

Yuan Chuxia glanced at Li Yanhe and said, "Go back early. The capital will be unsettled again, and there is no need for us to tangle with those people."

"If you return early, Mother can rest easy."

After saying this, she waved to indicate that Li Yanhe should leave.

As Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe departed, Lin Miaomiao could not quite understand why Yuan Chuxia had said such a thing.

Seeing her deep in thought, Li Yanhe could not help but ask with amusement, "What are you thinking about so seriously?"

Lin Miaomiao sighed. "Just now, did the imperial noble consort mean something by that?"

Li Yanhe was startled, then nodded. "When a tiger falls on level ground, even dogs will dare bully it. The Third Prince is finished, so naturally the women in the palace want to climb higher in rank."

"The crown prince sent men to assassinate the Third Prince, but he underestimated him. Though the assassins failed, they still wore him down quite a bit."

"If I am not mistaken, while Consort De was still alive, she could more or less mediate on the Third Prince's behalf. Now that she is dead, he will have far fewer chances to rise again."

After speaking, Li Yanhe glanced at Lin Miaomiao. Hearing his analysis, Lin Miaomiao trembled all over.

The next day, at court, the crown prince and the Fourth Prince both pleaded illness. Seeing this, Li Yanhe could not help but let out a cold laugh.

Then he saw the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince speaking eloquently there, and he sighed quietly to himself.

The waters of the capital are going to turn murky again.

When Lin Miaomiao saw Li Yanhe return from morning court, the two of them ate breakfast together.

Because Consort De had died so suddenly, and the period of mourning was now underway, naturally no banquets could be held.

Lin Miaomiao knew that in ancient times, for someone of Consort De's rank and power, once some time had passed after death, no drums or gongs could be sounded, and no joyous occasions could be celebrated.

She said to Li Yanhe, "Suddenly I feel the capital is so troublesome. One cannot do this, cannot do that. It's simply dull to death."

Li Yanhe could not help but shake his head with a smile. "Although Father has turned his wrath upon the crown prince, the common people of the capital still have to live. Naturally they will not stop doing business just because of Consort De's death."

"Let me put it another way: even the noble families of the capital know what His Majesty is thinking, and they know there is something suspicious about Consort De's sudden hanging death."

"Father has already given the crown prince enough face by not thoroughly investigating the matter. If he were to investigate it fully, the crown prince's faction would surely be exposed, and too many things would come to light."

After saying this, he sighed and continued to Lin Miaomiao, "So there is nothing wrong with us going out for a stroll."

"If the historians criticize us, at worst we can pack up and return to Daankou. In any case, there is nothing much in the capital."

Hearing this, Lin Miaomiao nodded. Thus the two of them took a carriage out of the residence.

Looking at the capital, so prosperous and bustling, Lin Miaomiao saw that although mourning forbade weddings and celebrations, there were still many street vendors doing business.

Her eyes kept wandering after the little merchants and peddlers, and she felt everything was so fresh and novel.