"Stroking the Jade" - Chapter Sixty-Seven.

Tianxi smiled faintly at everyone, without getting off the palanquin. She lowered her head slightly and gently stroked the gilded hand warmer in her arms, then asked, "Which of you just wanted to know if Consort Bai styled my hair?"
Consort Li and Consort An looked at each other, neither daring to answer. Seeing no one respond, Tianxi turned to Consort Bai and asked, "Which one?"
Bai Qingyan stared coldly at Consort Li and said, "Your Majesty, it is indeed Consort Li!"
Seeing herself being pushed forward, Consort Li panicked and forgot all about etiquette, hurriedly interjecting, "Your Majesty, I was only joking and had no intention of offending Consort Qin. I hope Your Majesty will understand!"
Tianxi chuckled lightly and said unhurriedly, "A joke? So, Consort Li, you've gained enough influence to joke about me and Consort Bai? Does that mean you can joke about the Imperial Concubine, or even His Majesty, for amusement from now on?"
Lady Li was so frightened that her face turned ashen. She quickly knelt down and cried out, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I would never have thought such a thing!"
Tianxi slightly raised her chin, looking at her kneeling on the ground, trembling all over, and said again, "Innocent! Now you're saying I'm wronging you and making trouble for you?"
Consort Li was on the verge of tears, sobbing as she cried out, "Your Majesty, I dare not, I did not mean that."
Tianxi ignored her, then turned to look at Consort An and asked, "Consort An, do you also want to make fun of me?"
Consort An immediately knelt down as well. Although she was young, she was more clever than Consort Li. She first kowtowed three times heavily, then cried out, "Your Majesty, please punish me for my sins! I will definitely repent and mend my ways in the future."
Tianxi smiled at her and said, "Very good! You know how to admit your mistakes and correct them. You are much better than Consort Li." Consort An forced a smile.
Tianxi's expression suddenly changed. She coldly surveyed the onlookers—the concubines and palace maids—and then said, "I know you are not convinced by Consort Bai. No! You are not even convinced by me. That's fine; I don't need your loyalty. But I must tell you today: I value Consort Bai because she pleases me. She has me in her heart, and I will promote her. Whatever favors His Majesty bestows, I will naturally seek them for her. I will take her with me as far as I can go. As for you, you can all do as you please!"
He finished speaking coldly, ignoring the reactions of those around him. Then, with a gentle smile, he said to Bai Qingyan, "The plum blossoms are quite beautiful today. How about Consort Bai accompanies me to admire them?" Bai Qingyan quickly replied with a smile, "It would be my honor." The two exchanged a smile, then ignored everyone else present and left together.
Consort Li and Consort An didn't dare to get up from the ground until they were completely out of sight. Consort An was indeed clever; as they left, she even called out, "Respectfully seeing off Consort Qin!" which led the other concubines to bow and see them off as well.
Li Meiren rubbed her knees, unable to resist glaring at An Cairen with resentment, and said in a hateful voice, "You're quite the sly one!"
Consort An glanced at her, inwardly cursing her as a fool! She said nonchalantly, "Sister, please don't be offended. The situation is beyond my control! Consort Qin is the second most powerful woman in the palace and deeply favored by His Majesty. I am merely a lowly consort; how dare I contradict her? Please forgive me, Your Highness! Besides, please forgive my bluntness, Your Highness was quite submissive in front of Her Highness just now, wasn't she?"
At first, Consort Li glared at her resentfully, but after Consort An explained herself, she blushed deeply. She stammered, "That's...that's..." Consort An didn't want to waste any more time with her, so she said, "This concubine will take her leave now!" and turned to leave without paying any attention to Consort Li.
Li Meiren stared blankly at her, then, realizing she was getting bored, turned around and went back.
Tianxi led Bai Qingyan to the plum garden, leisurely admiring the thousands of plum blossoms. As the group strolled under the dappled shadows of the trees, they suddenly spotted several figures ahead. Bo Tao, with her sharp eyes, noticed them first. Somewhat annoyed, she said, "Knowing that Her Majesty wanted a quiet place to appreciate the plum blossoms, I specifically instructed them to clear the garden beforehand and not let any unauthorized people in. How come there are still people here? What kind of people are they?"
Tianxi didn't seem to mind, saying, "It's alright!" Bo Tao had no choice but to give up, watching helplessly as the group drew closer. Tianxi recognized them first. It was Yan Ling, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, along with his servants. Seeing him, Tianxi's mood immediately improved. Since entering the Cold Palace, he hadn't seen Yan Ling at all. He had been thinking of him, but had been too preoccupied with unfinished business to pay attention. Now that he finally saw him, it felt like a lifetime had passed. He quickly ordered his servants to get out of the sedan chair, stepped down, and walked towards Yan Ling with a smile, saying cheerfully, "Your Highness, it's been a long time!"
Upon seeing him, Yan Ling quickened her pace with a hint of surprise, greeting him, "Consort Qin!" Her voice, however, lacked its usual clear and melodious quality, sounding rather hoarse and unpleasant. Tian Xi was taken aback and asked, "Wenruo, what happened to your voice?"
Yan Ling smiled slightly and said, "I just caught a slight cold, but I've recovered now, just a little cough. Don't worry!"
Tianxi said with some concern, "How did you catch a cold?" Remembering that he was also ill when she first met him, she couldn't help but feel a pang of worry. Looking at the servants behind him, she said with a slight reproach, "The Crown Prince is frail. Why don't you servants take better care of him? It's cold outside; you should be more attentive to his health! Just because the Crown Prince is kind and gentle doesn't mean you can neglect him!"
The servant, somewhat aggrieved, said, "Your Highness is right, but I have no choice. His Highness the Crown Prince won't listen to advice! This time, in this freezing weather, he played the flute all night and caught a cold. Even so, he insisted on playing every night, turning a minor illness into a serious one. For a whole month, he's been coughing so badly he can't even drink water. We're heartbroken for him!"
Yan Ling rudely interrupted him for the first time, saying, "What are you gossiping about! My illness isn't that serious!"
He glanced at Tianxi with some unease. Tianxi was shocked. He recalled the month he spent in the Cold Palace, the clear and melodious flute music that played all night long, a sliver of solace and support for his parched soul in his pain and despair, accompanying him through countless sleepless nights. But he never imagined that behind all this was a frail, ailing body struggling to stay afloat.
How could he be so stupid?
"Is it worth it for me?" He looked at the handsome man before him, his eyes filled with tears as he silently asked the question. The answer he received was Yan Ling's gentle, slightly apologetic gaze. It was a resounding reply: Yes! Instantly, tears welled up in his eyes, and his heart, which he thought he had deliberately cooled, warmed once more. Even in this quiet plum garden, many palace servants remained behind him. But at this moment, in his eyes, their presence was no different from the silent plum blossoms.
He bit his trembling lips and finally managed to utter, "Why...why are you doing this to yourself?"
Yan Ling smiled calmly, but unwilling to dwell on the matter and make him feel worse, he changed the subject and said, "I heard that Your Highness is pregnant with the imperial heir. I haven't congratulated Your Highness yet! So I'm adding my congratulations here. Also..."
He paused briefly, looking at Tianxi. His gaze was gentle and deep, like a calm sea: "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself! I am of no use, so I can only light an everlasting lamp for you before the Buddha. May the Buddha bless you and the imperial heir in your womb with eternal health and happiness, and may all your wishes come true!"

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"Stroking the Jade" - Chapter Sixty-Seven.

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