novelraw Chapter 133 Imprisonment in the Purple Palace
Chapter 133 Imprisonment in the Purple Palace
Song Shuangning's body went limp and she collapsed onto the couch.
Tingyu's heart skipped a beat, and almost instinctively she rushed forward, calling out urgently in a low voice, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
She checked Song Shuangning's breathing and, after confirming that she was alright, slowly raised her eyes, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Tinglu standing to the side.
She didn't yell, but quickly walked over and gave him a hard shove.
Caught off guard, Tinglu staggered back two steps.
"What did you do to that bowl of bird's nest?" Overwhelmed with concern for Song Shuangning, Tingyu lost her composure. "The Empress has always treated you well, how could you…"
Tinglu forced back her tears and whispered, "It's a tranquilizer, nothing else."
"Sedatives? Nothing else?"
Tingyu trembled with anger, her voice filled with disbelief, "Who told you to add that?"
Tinglu looked up, meeting her questioning gaze, and said helplessly, "Tingyu, in this palace, whose orders could I possibly receive?"
Tingyu suddenly paused, startled.
As if these words had awakened something, his face gradually darkened, and he could no longer utter the words he was about to ask.
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When Song Shuangning opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was the dragon and cloud pattern embroidered on the top of the tent.
She stared blankly for a moment before struggling to sit up, gently rubbing her throbbing temples.
She only remembered that after drinking the bird's nest soup sent by Tinglu, she was overwhelmed by fatigue, and she couldn't remember anything after that.
What happened? How did she manage to fall asleep so quickly?
She looked around; the furnishings in the hall were completely unfamiliar.
This is where?
That's so dramatic.
The hall was filled with the familiar scent of ambergris, the curtains were adorned with dragon patterns, and the furnishings were magnificent.
Song Shuangning roughly understood the answer. This was a side hall of the Zichen Palace. She had always stayed in the main hall and had never been to a side hall before, which was why it felt unfamiliar.
So, it was the Emperor who brought her here?
Was the calming medicine in that bowl of bird's nest also the Emperor's doing?
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
Song Shuangning couldn't help but laugh in anger.
If the Emperor wanted to see her, he would issue a decree, and she would have no choice but to come.
Why bother with medicine, going through all this trouble, all in such a sneaky way?
Song Shuangning put on her shoes and strolled around the palace.
Why must it be so roundabout and circuitous? Does His Majesty have this particular quirk?
Song Shuangning went to push the door, but heard a dull thud; it had been locked from the outside!
No matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge.
Song Shuangning was so angry she laughed. She drugged her and brought her here, locking her in a side hall. What was this? Did she want to see her or imprison her?
She gritted her teeth, "What exactly does the Emperor want to do!"
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the hall.
The palace maid, A-Liu, asked in a low and respectful voice, "Does Your Majesty have any instructions? I will be waiting outside. Just give the word and I will come in immediately."
Song Shuangning raised her voice and questioned, "Why have you brought me here and trapped me? Open the door, I want to get out."
A-Liu said with difficulty, "Your Majesty, please calm down. This servant was only acting on imperial orders. The Emperor has decreed that you have acted improperly and are to repent in the side hall of the Zichen Palace. You are not to leave without permission."
Is there a problem with the actions?
Even so, punishing her by confining her to Yaohua Palace to repent would have been enough, why did she have to come to Zichen Palace!
She still has things to do!
This completely disrupted her plans.
Depend on.
Song Shuangning stood there with her hands on her hips. "I wish to see the Emperor."
A-Liu said, "Your Majesty, the Emperor has instructed me that if Your Majesty has nothing urgent to attend to, you need not disturb him. The Emperor also said that he will not come to see you. Please take care of yourself... and repent carefully."
Xiao Yan clearly anticipated that she would make a fuss about seeing him, and even sent a message to the palace maid in advance.
Song Shuangning was so angry that she spun around in circles on the spot.
"When will Your Majesty lift my confinement?"
Confining her to this side hall, where she can barely breathe fresh air, might be bearable for a day or two, but if she stays trapped like this for too long, she'll eventually get sick from the boredom.
If she were confined to Yaohua Palace, she could still go out for a stroll and enjoy the flowers and plants.
"This servant does not know. His Majesty did not say..."
Since the emperor didn't say anything, it meant they would remain imprisoned indefinitely.
Song Shuangning reached out and lightly punched the air. The force was not great, but it was full of annoyance.
Xiao Yan's hobbies are quite peculiar.
He enjoys confinement.
Remembering something, Song Shuangning asked again, "Where are my two personal maids, Tingyu and Tinglu?"
"This servant does not know."
I know nothing about it.
However, given Xiao Yan's personality, he probably wouldn't hurt the two of them.
That's enough, that's enough, that's enough.
Don't get angry, don't get angry. Getting angry harms the liver and spleen, accelerates aging, and causes illness.
Song Shuangning ran to the window again and found that Xiao Yan had also tampered with the window frame, leaving only a five-finger-wide gap.
She strolled to the table and saw several storybooks piled on it, with her favorite pastries laid out beside them.
Song Shuangning pursed her lips, then simply picked up a storybook, sat down, and started reading.
You can't just sit there brooding and wasting your energy.
Just as noon arrived, Ah Liu brought in a food box filled with her favorite dishes, along with a bowl of thick, stewed bird's nest.
Song Shuangning picked up a silver spoon and stirred the bird's nest, scoffing, "There's no way this bird's nest has some kind of sedative mixed in again, is there?"
Ah Liu quickly smiled apologetically, "Your Highness, you jest. This is just a very ordinary bowl of bird's nest soup; how could I dare add any calming medicine?"
Song Shuangning didn't speak, only gave a faint sneer, and slowly began to eat her lunch.
It's not quite like confinement, though. What kind of person would be confined to such a place and receive such meticulous and attentive service?
The food delivered was exquisite, and the items to relieve boredom were also complete, including storybooks, musical instruments, chess sets, writing brushes, and ink.
Xiao Yan just wanted to keep her here.
In just two hours, Song Shuangning's mindset underwent a complete transformation.
She thought: If I could live like this forever, without having to worry or scheme, it would be a rare kind of happiness in this world.
Who doesn't like to give up?
*
A-Liu went to the Hall of Diligent Governance to report back.
Xiao Yan was having lunch when he heard this. He slammed down his chopsticks and asked angrily, "She didn't make a scene either?"
Ah Liu's voice trembled uncontrollably with nervousness.
"Except for when Her Majesty first woke up and was a little annoyed by the sound, she didn't react again. When I went in to deliver her lunch, Her Majesty was engrossed in reading a storybook. She ate quite a bit of lunch."
Xiao Yan stared at the soup on the table and suddenly lost his appetite.
I thought she would cry and make a scene.
Even while under house arrest, he can still remain so calm.
Not making a fuss means she doesn't care at all, doesn't it?
"She didn't make a scene to see me?" Xiao Yan asked.
"The Empress only mentioned wanting to see the Emperor when she woke up in the morning, and she never mentioned it again at other times."
A surge of anger rose in Xiao Yan's heart.
"Fine, very well." He gritted his teeth.
Li Fuquan became increasingly confused, his mind filled with bewilderment. The Emperor had clearly stated that he would not see Consort Zhaoyi, so why was he now blaming her for not thinking of the Emperor?
"Get down," Xiao Yan said angrily, then added, "and serve them well."
As A-Liu was about to leave, she stopped again. "This servant obeys your command."
*
After lunch, before evening, the Empress herself came, ostensibly to deliver soup.
Xiao Yan knew that the Empress must have had other intentions in coming here.
After expressing concern for Xiao Yan's health, the Empress cut to the chase, asking, "I've heard that Consort Yuan is currently confined to the Zichen Palace?"
Xiao Yan didn't even raise his head, only replying indifferently, "Yes."
The Empress carefully chose her words, speaking tactfully: "The Zichen Palace is the Emperor's sleeping quarters. Such a arrangement is against palace rules, and it might cause gossip if word gets out..."
Xiao Yan then raised his eyes, a layer of coldness filling them:
"Consort Yuan, in her cleverness, used datura pollen to cause Consort Qing to have nightmares. I have given her a small punishment as a warning. If I confine her to Yaohua Palace, I fear she will have no intention of repenting. But if I keep her in Zichen Palace, even if she has the greatest courage, she will not dare to be anything but sincerely repenting."
The Empress was speechless, choked by these words.
The Emperor's protection and affection for Consort Yuan was beyond anyone's imagination.
What is a house arrest?
Being confined to the palace meant being alone from dawn till dusk.
If other concubines were punished in this way, wouldn't they all be trembling with fear and not even dare to breathe loudly?
Consort Yuan, however, was confined to a side hall of the Zichen Palace.
With this kind of "confinement," who knows how the two might be whispering sweet nothings to each other in the palace? They've completely thrown all the palace rules and etiquette to the winds.
Xiao Yan didn't give the Empress time to complain and continued, "By the way, has the Empress investigated the matter of Consort Qing conspiring with Consort Liu and Consort Song to frame Consort Yuan? If you haven't found out, I will hand it over to Consort De and Consort Shao."
The Empress hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty, I can find out the truth."
The division of power was not her original intention, and now she only hopes to get the power back as soon as possible.
"Hmm." Xiao Yan's gaze returned to the memorial.