Chapter 715: 715
Lian Hua’s eyes widened dramatically as she exclaimed, "Wow, isn’t that just like an Immortal?" She had never seen one before.
The Emperor was somewhat amused and went along with it, "Yes, it’s an Immortal sent by me. All Nannan has to do is call out, and the Immortal will come to help you."
"I see..." Lian Hua looked as if she had just understood and then nodded with a smile, "Now I get it, it’s actually Your Majesty who is the true Immortal."
With a charming voice, she asked, "I wonder if the Immortal is celebrating his birthday today, does he have divine dew or precious jade, are there any celestial peaches? Bring some for the child and the child’s mother to taste, to see how they are?"
The Emperor smiled as he tousled her hair, "Naughty."
Lian Hua giggled, and His Majesty was playfully joining in with her laughter.
After her laughter subsided, Zhang Qing urged from outside that the time was nearly upon them.
The Emperor again reminded Lian Hua, making sure she remembered, before striding off.
Once he had left, Lian Hua stretched languorously; she had gotten up too early and was still a bit sleepy.
But the thought of finally being able to leave Canglan Court today made her excitedly summon Xiao Jizi and the others to hurry and get ready. She called for Nanny Qi to join her for the morning meal and quickly dress up; she could hardly wait to go out and give someone a fright.
It was regrettable that she hadn’t been able to scare Consort Zhen in person earlier, but today, she was going to give the entire Harem a big surprise, ha ha ha!
Stepping out of the gates of Canglan Court, the Emperor said to Zhang Qing, "Let it be known by My decree, pardon a group of Palace Attendants to leave the Palace, allowing them to marry and enjoy familial happiness after their departure. Have Liu Dayou prepare it immediately."
Zhang Qing was deeply shocked, and immediately responded, "Yes, Your servant obeys the decree."
He was very clear that all preparations had been made in advance, just waiting for today’s release, and a list of those to be released had already been composed.
Originally, the Emperor had ordered him to screen all the servants in the Harem and compiled a list; those with incontrovertible evidence of misconduct had been imprisoned, while those confirmed to be spies from outside and those with dubious, unclear backgrounds were included in this mass release from the Palace.
Additionally, among those released were some low-ranked concubines who had never been favored.
Zhang Qing hurried to the Harem to convey the Emperor’s will.
Meanwhile, the Emperor went to the altar to offer sacrifices to heaven, and afterwards, received congratulations from princes, dukes, civil and military officials in the Imperial Hall, then rewarded his ministers.
At the same time, throughout the Imperial City, as soon as the Emperor finished his sacrifice to heaven, officials from the Head Temple of the Taishang monastery started dispatching to spread the blessing, and Longevity Happiness Cakes were distributed as a symbol of universal celebration. Officials stationed beyond the Capital City set up incense tables, and when the time came, they performed grand rituals facing the direction of the Capital City.
Soon, everyone was busy with their tasks.
Within the Harem, under Consort De’s arrangements, Palace Attendants bustled back and forth, all busy preparing for the Longevity Festival.
This year’s Longevity Festival, overseen by Consort De, differed from any before. In the past, plenty of silver was spent, the Harem was lavishly decorated with colorful silk ribbons that were discarded after use—a tremendous waste.
But this year’s decorations, while present, lacked such extravagant flair. Many of the decorations were made from leftover scraps from the Weaving Bureau, an inspiration taken from Canglan Court, and most of the silver saved was spent on essential matters.
The aftermath of the Imperial Heir’s situation, despite the joy of the Longevity Festival, had completely dissipated, and most people felt that the storm had passed, including Qing Ya.
Consort Liu wasn’t required to attend such festive celebrations, especially after her last brush with death that took her to the gates of hell, leaving a considerable impact; her vitality greatly damaged to the extent of being bedridden for several days, unable to set foot on the ground.
Seizing the moment when everyone was sound asleep, Qing Ya stepped out of Huafu Hall. Before leaving, she called Qing Ping over once more, insisting that Qing Ping recite in detail how to attend to Consort Liu, her attitude bordering on paranoia.
Qing Ping, though angry, dared not speak out and could only obediently recite once again the procedures she knew by heart, following the instructions given.
Over the past few days, Qing Ya had her running in circles, tending to this and that, and closely monitored her every action, ready to shoot her a chilling glare at the slightest misstep, instilling great fear in her.
With Consort Liu being physically weak and Qing Ya being the one she trusted the most, in reality, the entire Huafu Hall was under Qing Ya’s control; it was just that she seldom showed herself outside.
Qing Ping was well aware that although Qing Ya appeared fresh, elegant, and gentle as water, her heart was colder and harder than anyone’s; she only cared for Consort Liu, and beyond her, she was ruthless towards everyone else in Huafu Hall.
Qing Ping had personally witnessed an incident where a Little Palace Maid, due to negligence, exposed Consort Liu to a draft. Qing Ya did not react in front of Consort Liu.
But once Consort Liu had fallen asleep, Qing Ya took the Little Palace Maid to a place far from the Inner Palace to kneel and summoned all the servants apart from the Nanny who took care of Consort Liu to watch.
After everyone had gathered, Qing Ya had the Little Palace Maid’s mouth gagged and had her beaten to death with a plank, one blow after another. Then, she pinned a crime on her and had her body carried out of Huafu Hall.
There were several servants who died like this, and Consort Liu seemed oblivious, saying nothing.
Thus, Qing Ping was exceedingly afraid of Qing Ya.
Seeing that Qing Ping didn’t make a single mistake, Qing Ya confidently stepped out of Huafu Hall’s doors. As for her destination, naturally, Qing Ping didn’t know.
Qing Ya knew time was of the essence. She was eager to fulfill Consort Liu’s wishes, but just as she had left the hall not too long, she heard shocking news. His Majesty was granting amnesty to the harem and letting a significant number of Palace Attendants leave the palace, and among those she was seeking out, several were precisely on that list.
She hurriedly made her way through the harem, only to see Deputy Steward Liu Dayou of the Bureau of Palace Attendants leading people to call out the names of those granted amnesty, declaring the Emperor’s boundless grace but ordering them to pack up and leave the palace immediately. Each time a person was called, they watched that person pack and then gathered them together before releasing them from the palace en masse.
She quickly hid herself, her heart pounding wildly.
She thought the ordeal with the Imperial Heir had ended, but unexpectedly there was this sudden turn. His Majesty was using the opportunity to thoroughly purge the harem. From now on, any machinations in any part of the harem would become difficult; her reach within the harem had been cleanly severed. To carry out any actions, she would now have to rely solely on people from her own palace.
Her plans were in complete disarray, and she realized that her earlier arrangements had been in vain. For a moment, she was at a loss, not knowing where to go...
The Hour of Si found the Capital City bustling with people, swarming like ants. The main thoroughfares were vibrant and colorful, with citizens dressed in red and green, beaming with joy. Musicians from the music academy could be heard singing, dancing, and playing music non-stop, presenting an extremely lively and flourishing scene.
The closer one got to the Imperial City, the denser the crowd. Sweaty Government Officials were stationed everywhere to maintain public order among the citizens and prevent stampedes.
Near the Imperial City, one didn’t need to worry much about pickpockets or thieves.
Firstly, with so many people around, there was nowhere for a thief to run after stealing; secondly, watchful Government Officials with keen eyes were lurking everywhere, leaving no place for a thief to hide; and thirdly, the appeal of the Longevity Happiness Cakes was too strong for petty thieves, who didn’t have time to steal when instead they might worry about being envied by those who hadn’t received their cakes yet.