How Dare You?! 成何体统 (Cheng He Ti Tong)
By 七英俊 Qi Ying Jun
Translation by Spider
What was this thousand-year-old vixen trying to pull by acting like a saintess? Who did she think she could fool?
Xiahou Dan paused for a moment, then his expression softened. “Beloved Consort unexpectedly has such intentions?”
He was fooled!!
The palace attendants around them held their breath.
On this day, the name of Yu Wanyin spread throughout every corner of the harem.
Xie Yong’er listened as the maid recounted the conversation at the scene of the incident, her brows furrowed in confusion.
Was the tyrant so trusting of Yu Wanyin?
What’s even stranger was why didn’t Yu Wanyin reveal Xie Yong’er?
Was it because she was too stupid to suspect her? That seemed unlikely.
Was it because she lacked evidence, and a single word wasn’t enough to harm her? But given the tyrant’s temperament, he clearly didn’t need any evidence…
This was a perfect opportunity to eliminate her rivals, yet Yu Wanyin allowed it to slip away so easily.
Xie Yong’er remembered her remark of “taking care of each other,” her heart trembled slightly. But followed by a sense of amusement. In the original story of ‘A Thousand Trees Bloom at Night in the East Wind’ Yu Wanyin manoeuvred between the Emperor and the Prince adeptly and flawlessly, using all other concubines as stepping stones on her path to success.
With such acting skills, not a single word she said could be trusted.
That night, the first work exchange meeting of the Spider Silk Cave was successfully held around a small hot pot.
“Recruitment work isn’t going very well. Xie Yong’er seems to have built a high guard against me, treating me as a fictional character.” Yu Wanyin sighed, “and I dare not risk being discovered by Prince Duan to tell her that we’re real people…”
“No that’s not the case.” Xiahou Dan said.
“Huh?”
“Think about it carefully. Xiahou Dan said, “You are a real person, she is not. She is a character from ‘Transmigrated: the Devil’s Beloved Consort’. Her identity as a transmigrator, including her personality and thought processes were all pre-set by the original work long ago. Trying to persuade her to turn against her origins would probably be very difficult.”
Yu Wanyin had never considered it in this way. It was only after he reminded her that she realised she had unconsciously regarded Xie Yong’er as a fellow transmigrator.
But were they really not the same?
She felt a little discouraged for a moment and struggled to say, “Let’s not jump to conclusions so quickly and observe a little longer. How did your talk with Xu Yao go?”
“I told him that recalling his father was just a matter of one sentence. He’s a smart man so knows what to offer in exchange. But when he left, he seemed lost, probably still shocked and conflicted about who to trust.”
“Good, good, continue with this plan. You don’t have your own faction right now. So to survive in the cracks, you must stir up trouble and take advantage of the chaos.” Yu Wanyin helped him analyse, “I’ve been racking my brains these last three days about what I remember of the original novel. Seventy percent of the court supports the Empress Dowager and the other thirty percent support Prince Duan.”
“Is there any chance the Empress Dowager will help me?”
“In your dreams. She is your stepmother, young, proud, and frustrated with your disobedience. She’s kept the young Crown Prince by her side, hoping to have him replace you and become like Empress Lü or Wu Zetian*. But don’t worry, in the book, she’s kept struggling all along and never made any real waves. In the end, you still get taken out by the prince…”
*Empress Lü, the first woman to assume the title of empress of China and Empress Wu Zetian who was considered one of the great empresses of China. Basically she’s saying the Empress Dowager wants to be a powerful influential empress.
“The young Crown Prince?” Xiahou Dan said in surprise.
“Your son.”
“I have a son?”
“…”
“Yes, just one, born when you were fifteen, he’s now seven.”
Xiahou Dan took half a minute to digest this news.
“So, the mother of my son…”
“Dead, it seems she died from illness after giving birth it seems.”
Xiahou Dan smiled bitterly, “I haven’t even gotten married yet in real life.”
“Never mind these details,” Yu Wanyin reassured him.
The Empress Dowager wielded significant power, with her extended family controlling the court, united against outsiders. Which left the court living in constant fear. However, this faction mainly consisted of sycophantic courtiers who day in, and day out indulged in corruption and lawlessness, adept only in sweet-talking the tyrant until he was thoroughly beguiled.
Meanwhile, a group of generals, clumsy in speech and debate, had long been oppressed by the Empress Dowager’s civil officials. Unbeknownst to them, they had quietly been brought under Prince Duan’s command.
“I’ve thought it over and over, and there’s only one way through this: let them fight among themselves. Since you have nothing to lose, you can freely sow discord. It would be best if you could provoke them into killing each other, then take advantage of the chaos.” Yu Wanyin analysed, “As for the specifics of how to stage it…”
Xiahou Dan made an OK gesture. “I’ll improvise.”
And so, the first conference of the Silk Spider Cave ended in success.
After finishing the hot pot, Yu Wanyin remembered something else. “Actually, the biggest trigger for your usurpation was a drought.”
“When? Next year? The year after?”
“I don’t know, it was around two-thirds of the way through the whole book.”
“… “
Yu Wanyin felt somewhat guilty for skimming through the text without fully understanding it and tried to recall some details. “When the drought hit, the treasury was empty, and people were struggling. Instead of finding ways to relieve the disaster, you believed in treacherous ministers and built some kind of temple to pray to the heavens. Many people starved to death, rebellions broke out everywhere, and the country descended into chaos… and then you were assassinated.”
“But you don’t remember who the assassin was or even what day it happens.” Xiahou Dan said.
“… it was somewhere in the last dozen pages or so.”
Xiahou Dan rubbed his forehead. “Can’t you remember anything useful?”
Yu Wanyin snapped, “Well too late now, better than nothing! Anyway, after you were assassinated, Prince Duan entered the palace under the pretext of supporting the throne, but your injuries were too severe. The officials petitioned that with the nation in crisis and the young Crown Prince unfit to rule, that Prince Duan should become Emperor to stabilise the kingdom. So, he took over in a critical moment, governed diligently, and eventually became a respected ruler for the ages.”
“I see, you liked Prince Duan when you read the book.”
“Perspective… perspective determines stance.”
Yu Wanyin continued to try to make amends. “I think we can prevent this disaster from its roots! Let’s search for drought-resistant crops now and try to encourage large-scale planting.”
Xiahou Dan gave a thumbs up. “Yuan Longping.”*
*Yuan Longping was a Chinese agronomist and inventor. He was a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering known for developing the first hybrid rice varieties in the 1970s, part of the Green Revolution in agriculture. For his contributions, he is known as the “Father of Hybrid Rice”
“This is a serious matter. We must act discreetly. I don’t trust leaving it to others. I want to go to the library to search for information,” Yu Wanyin said.
“Then I’ll find an excuse to say you’re going to compile a book to get you in.”
“Alright.”
Yu Wanyin secretly delighted.
The library was situated at the edge of the imperial palace, with two large gates. One facing inward for ministers to enter and read, and one facing outward.
She had to leave herself an escape route. If Xiahou Dan couldn’t outmanoeuvre Xiahou Bo and rescue soldiers and cavalry stormed in, she might still be able to play the hare in three burrows*.
*狡兔三窟: a sly individual has more than one plan to fall back on
Just as Yu Wanyin was thinking about this, Xiahou Dan added, “That’s good. If I die someday, you can disguise yourself in the library and maybe escape.”
Yu Wanyin was momentarily stunned, unable to describe the feeling in her heart.
That day during morning court, General Luo of the Central Army triumphantly returned to the capital.
General Luo was brave and skilled in battle. When the Yan Kingdom invaded before, he repelled them three hundred li* in one strike. The geography in this book was fictional, with several small neighbouring countries established.
*One li = 500 meter or 1,640 feet or 0.311 miles
Xiahou Dan lounged lazily on the dragon throne, one hand pressed to his temple. He half-heartedly offered some perfunctory compliments before saying, “I still have to thank Genral Luo for looking after my imperial brother.”
“This subject is deeply humbled.” said General Luo.
Xiahou Bo stood slightly behind him, respectfully lowering his head without looking up.
Xiahou Bo had served the military and fought on the borders with the soldiers, forging deep bonds through life and death struggles. However, before General Luo’s return, he had received instructions from Prince Duan to act unfamiliar with each other in front of the Emperor.
Xiahou Dan said dismissively, “Hmm, what reward should be given…”
“Your Majesty, this subject has a memorial to present!” The Minister of Revenue stepped forward. “General Luo applied for military pay the day before yesterday, but for some reason, it was twenty percent more than previous years.”
This Minister of Revenue was one of the parasites from the Empress Dowager’s faction, who had been syphoning off the most from the Ministry of Revenue, gorging himself and growing fat off the public funds.
“This year, the harvests were poor, and most of the national granaries’ reserves have been used for disaster relief.For General Luo to make such exorbitant demands all of a sudden…”
At this moment, the Empress Dowager’s faction all stepped forward to fan the flames, criticising General Luo in every possible way. Meanwhile, Prince Duan’s faction, accustomed to lying low, did not step forward to reveal their stance.
General Luo was a mere military man and could not argue with so many civil officials. His face turned purple red with suppressed rage, barely concealing his murderous fury, and glared directly at the Emperor.
“What does my imperial brother think?” Xiahou Dan asked.
Xiahou Bo, “?”
Xiahou Bo hadn’t expected the usually autocratic Emperor to suddenly pass the ball to him. After a moment of deliberation, he responded, “Since the grain reserves are insufficient, and Your Majesty is concerned for the people, the Central Army should naturally share Your Majesty’s burden.”
Xiahou Dan’s lips curled almost imperceptibly, his eyes full of mockery.
It seemed that this seemingly righteous and upright prince did not truly care about his soldiers after all.
Xiahou Bo was trying to make the general resent the Emperor first, while he himself had secretly stored some private grain to send over later. Though it would be a mere drop in the bucket for so many soldiers, at least the gesture would be made to show his good intentions.
He wanted to say something to appease General Luo when the tyrant on the throne suddenly asked, “I just don’t understand. The military pay has always been the same every year. Why is it suddenly not enough this year? Could it be that life on the frontier has been too good, and everyone has gotten fat?”
The Minister of Revenue led the laughter, filling the court with a jovial atmosphere.
General Luo couldn’t hold back any longer. “Your Majesty, please allow me to present something so that Your Majesty can see what your soldiers eat every day!”
Two sacks were brought forward. An Xian reached in to grab a handful, and presented it to Xiahou Dan. In the dried yellow rice, thirty percent of it was sand and small stones.
“This is the military pay sent by the Ministry of Revenue!” yelled General Luo.
The Minister of Revenue laughed sharply, “Where did you get this coarse rice? How dare you turn black into white and deceive the Emperor? His Majesty sees everything clearly, how could he believe you?”
The civil officials who had been deceiving the Emperor for years joined in with their cold ridicule, filling the court with a festive atmosphere.
Xiahou Dan stood up.
He walked to the imperial guard, casually drew the guard’s sword, and strode down the jade steps, heading straight for the officials.
The Emperor had gone mad again. The Minister of Revenue initially watched with amusement. But as he gradually realised the direction of Xiahou Dan’s approach, his smile faded. “Your Majesty!”
Xiahou Dan charged at him with the sword.
The Minister of Revenue stumbled back a few steps, fell flat on his back, then scrambled to his feet and fled, shouting, “Your Majesty!”
Xiahou Dan pursued him relentlessly.
The Minister of Revenue circled a pillar.
The stunned guards finally reacted, rushing forward, they grabbed and pinned down the Minister of Revenue. One tied his hands, another pinned his feet, fixing him in place. Then they looked back at Xiahou Dan.
Xiahou Dan stopped, panting, and smiled at the guards. “What, are you waiting for me to do it?”
Guard, “…”
One guard killed the Minister of Revenue with a single sword stroke.
The court fell silent.
Xiahou Dan staggered slightly, pressed his temples, and sat back on the dragon throne. “He laughed too loudly.”
The officials, “…”
Xiahou Dan pointed at General Luo. “You, go to the Ministry of Revenue and get the military pay yourself.”
General Luo was still in shock and only knelt after a long moment. “Thank you, Your Majesty!”
The Empress Dowager’s faction intentionally or unintentionally casted glances at Xiahou Bo.
Xiahou Bo remained standing with lowered brows, a face full of concern for the country and the people, without showing a trace of triumph or satisfaction.
Back at his residence, Xiahou Bo summoned his strategists to discuss the situation.
Xiahou Bo asked, “Was it really a coincidence that the Emperor went mad today? Now that the Minister of Revenue is dead, the Empress Dowager’s faction would surely blame me and retaliate soon.”
“… At least the Central Army soldiers can eat well now. That’s a good thing.” Xu Yao said.
Xiahou Bo gave him a strange look, as if surprised by his sudden naivety. “If the Central Army soldiers eat well, they won’t hate the Emperor.”
Xu Yao, who had always believed in achieving great things without minor scruples and was grateful for Prince Duan’s recognition, never thought there was anything wrong with their scheming.
However, at this moment, he felt a chill down his spine. The mad Emperor’s words echoed in his ears, “Who, with a face full of pity and compassion, took you in as a watchdog…”
Xu Yao could feel Xiahou Bo’s eyes on him and quickly changed the topic. “The Emperor’s actions today were indeed abrupt. What kind of person is this Consort Yu he’s recently been favouring?”
Meanwhile, after court, Xiahou Dan was discussing Xiahou Bo with Yu Wanyin. “A villain, an absolute villain, whether he’s transmigrated or not, he’s evil.”
“This is very dangerous. We must find a way to be more villainous than he is.” Yu Wanyin said.
“That Xu Yao under him should be investigating the events of those years in these coming days. Unfortunately, there is no evidence against Prince Duan…”
“Evidence can be fabricated.” Yu Wanyin said.
“Brilliant.”
Yu Wanyin grinned and high-fived him.
“No, on second thought,” Xiahou Dan said, “something like ‘slandering a loyal minister’ usually doesn’t leave a trail. It would be suspicious if he found evidence.”
“Then let’s do this. First, we inform him that, to avoid arousing Prince Duan’s suspicion, we can only secretly bring his old father back without letting Prince Duan know… Then, during the process of bringing his old father back, deliberately make a mistake so that he thinks the secret has been leaked.”
Xiahou Dan understood, “Then finally find someone to assassinate his old man and put the blame on Prince Duan?”
“But your people must go through untold hardships, risking their lives to save Xu Yao’s old father.” Yu Wanyin added.
“Brilliant.” Xiahou Dan said.
Yu Wanyin grinned wickedly and high-fived him.
The library was built by the water, and the scenery outside the window offered quite a beautiful view with sparkling waves.
Yu Wanyin completed the sign in procedures and then confidently took her seat.
She focused on researching crop information for two hours but finding nothing, her attention gradually waned. The instinct of a corporate sheep overcoming her reason and began doodling on the rice paper.
It at this moment when, outside the library, a young eunuch announced, “Prince Duan is here. “
To avoid suspicion, Yu Wanyin’s desk was set up by the window deep on the second floor, where no one could access without a written order.
But palace people were accustomed to adapting to circumstances and knew whom to favour. Yu Wanyin vaguely heard some voices downstairs, not knowing what Xiahou Bo said, followed by footsteps ascending the stairs.
The footsteps were unhurried and steady. Yu Wanyin peered through the gaps in the bookshelf facing the staircase and saw Xiahou Bo walking in.
Today, he was dressed in the style of the Wei and Jin dynasties, with wide robes and broad sleeves, his long hair half tied and half loose. Walking leisurely like this, he was as bright as the moon, exuding elegance. Despite Yu Wanyin knowing the terrible deeds he would commit, at a glance, she couldn’t help but praise him as a “beauty.”
A few seconds later, another person followed him up the stairs, dressed as a common scholar, with a look full of bitterness and deep hatred. This was presumably Xu Yao in his slightly disguised appearance.
What are they doing here?
Yu Wanyin sat still, contemplating how she would behave if she were the original owner of this body.
. Oh, the original goods had a secret crush on Prince Duan.
The two appeared to be seriously looking for a book, glancing left and right, slowly approaching the corner where Yu Wanyin was.
Acting, just keep acting.
Yu Wanyin, “……”
Finally, Xiahou Bo inadvertently turned his head. As if just discovering Yu Wanyin’s presence, he exclaimed, “Lady Yu.”
Yu Wanyin hurriedly stood up, “Your Highness, Prince Duan.” She shyly and timidly greeted him.
According to the original story, Xiahou Bo and Yu Wanyin had met once before, at the flower market during the Lantern Festival, before she entered the palace. She had sneaked out to play on the street and encountered Xiahou Bo in disguise.
The girl fell in love at first sight with the mysterious and handsome young man, and after returning home, she was lovesick and refused to enter the palace as a concubine. Although Xiahou Bo enjoyed their time together, he soon forgot about it.
Later, Yu Wanyin was resentfully forced by her family to enter the palace. With the plot point of meeting Prince Duan again being erased by Xie Yong’er, it resulted in Yu Wanyin staying lovelorn throughout ‘Transmigrated: the Devil’s Beloved Consort’. And Xiahou Bo steadfastly only loved Xie-Niang*.
*Same Niang as Niangniang. But in this context, I believe it’s a casual way to refer to one’s wife
Yu Wanyin was unsure if the Xiahou Bo in front of her was the original goods and couldn’t guess why he had come looking for her.
To be safe, she decided to follow the script.
Yu Wanyin quietly looked at him through her lashes, her gaze filled with light melancholy, “Why has Your Highness come here?”
“I was looking for a book, but I couldn’t find it earlier, perhaps I remembered wrong,” Xiahou Bo replied smoothly.
“Then, Your Highness, please tell me the title of the book, and I’ll help you find it.”
Xiahou Bo didn’t respond to that, instead smiling at her, “I heard that the Lady* is compiling a book here?”
*He called her Yu-Niangniang. In this context 娘娘 means ‘Lady’
Yu Wanyin lowered her head, “I’m just organising some poetry. His Majesty saw that I was bored in the side hall all day and found something for me to do.”
“Lady Yu’s literary talent is admirable.”
Now that they were closer, Yu Wanyin could see that Xiahou Bo and Xiahou Dan were indeed brothers.
Both were very fair-skinned, and their features were about seventy to eighty percent similar. However, Xiahou Dan’s paleness had a sickly look, his eyes gloomy, almost as if the word “villain” was carved on his forehead. Xiahou Bo, on the other hand, was like a jade sculpture, serene and warm, like a spring breeze.
It was hard to believe that he was the one bearing a grudge and plotting something.
Yu Wanyin tried to judge from his demeanour whether he was the original or not, unconsciously staring a bit too long, and then saw Xiahou Bo smile, “At the palace banquet a few days ago, Lady Yu also looked at me the same way, as if puzzled.”
Yu Wanyin’s heart skipped a beat. Her mind raced, and she sighed softly, “I was just a little surprised to find out that the young gentleman I met at the Lantern Festival was actually the renown Prince Duan.”
Her explanation was logical and convincing, leaving no room for doubt.
Xiahou Bo sighed as well, “I was wandering in disguise at the time and was unable to reveal my identity. I hope Lady Yu can forgive me.”
Current score: 0 : 0.
Yu Wanyin continued to probe, “The news doesn’t travel well within the palace. I wonder, is my family doing well?”
According to the original story, her father was a minor official whom Xiahou Bo also knew. If he was the original goods, he should be able to answer that.
“The last time I saw him, Minor Minister Yu was in good health and seemed to have recently developed an interest in tea ceremonies.”
Score still 0 : 0.
Yu Wanyin continued to look at him expectantly, thinking quickly about her next move.
Xiahou Bo seized the initiative, sighing, “Since parting at that Lantern Festival, I almost couldn’t recognize you, Lady Yu.”
Yu Wanyin, “…”
Her character was supposed to be a pure and delicate flower, meant to be overshadowed by the heavily made-up Xie Yong’er. Because her heart belonged to Prince Duan, she was always fearful and resentful of the tyrant. Eventually entering palace intrigues to seek revenge against Xie Yong’er.
Now, she had prematurely taken the role of a seductive concubine, smiling and flirting with the tyrant in front of Xiahou Bo…
Yu Wanyin’s heart raced.
In the original story, Prince Duan didn’t care about Yu Wanyin at all. How could he notice these changes?
You’ve only seen me twice, yet you observed these changes so clearly. There must be something suspicious, right?
Although the evidence was still inconclusive, let’s call the score 0.5 : 0.
Yu Wanyin tried to salvage her delicate flower persona and smiled bitterly, “Who can enter this inner palace and remain unchanged? Those who didn’t have all turned to dust under these red walls. I…” She seemed a bit lost, “I still want to survive.”
Xiahou Bo paused, “Lady Yu, I will pretend I didn’t hear that. Please don’t mention it to anyone else.”
Yu Wanyin hurriedly covered her mouth, glancing with hidden fear at Xu Yao behind him, “I misspoke.”
Xiahou Bo smiled, “This is my friend. He won’t speak of it.”
Yu Wanyin nodded.
Nice! 0.5 : 0 lead.
Xiahou Bo bowed to her again, about to leave, but then his gaze shifted to the desk by the window, “Was Lady Yu painting?”
“…”
“…”
The scoreboard in Yu Wanyin’s mind collapsed.
She had been dozing off and lazily drew a turtle in a childish manner.
Since it had already been seen, there was no point in hiding it. Yu Wanyin played the part of being embarrassed in front of her crush, blushing in shame, “I saw something swimming in the pond outside the window and casually sketched it.”
Xiahou Bo stared at the turtle, the corner of his eye twitching slightly.
“This painting, hmm…” He said.
Yu Wanyin’s ears turned red enough to drip blood. She gritted her teeth, and grabbed the drawing ready to tear it up, “Your Highness, please don’t look.”
Xiahou Bo stopped her, “It has a certain naive charm. It would be a pity to destroy it.”
Struggling to maintain her expression, Yu Wanyin, “?”
Do you hear yourself? Is that even human speech?
Yu Wanyin cautiously asked, “Your Highness likes it?”
“I find it quite delightful. If the Lady doesn’t want to keep it, may I have it?”
Yu Wanyin sensed a trap but could only comply, “If Your Highness doesn’t mind, please take it.”
Xiahou Bo smiled, “Thank you, Lady Yu. I will return the favour another day.”
Yu Wanyin, “?”
Yu Wanyin glanced at the obviously new embroidered sachet on his waist. In the original text, this was a token exchanged between him and Xie Yong’er.
Balancing both sides, truly fitting for Prince Duan.
Keeping the other one waiting while flirting here, what are you plotting?
Xiahou Bo left with the drawing.
Outside the library, he indifferently asked Xu Yao, “Did you notice anything?”
Xu Yao pondered for a long time, “From this meeting alone, I couldn’t see any deep schemes. But her eyes are sharp and lively, suggesting she has many thoughts. No wonder she has won the Emperor’s favour.”
“Do you think her behaviour was odd?”
Xu Yao was taken aback, “Odd? What do you mean, Your Highness?”
Xiahou Bo smiled and didn’t say more.
He picked up the turtle drawing, looking at it in the light, seemingly finding it very interesting, and then ordered, “Investigate if she left any paintings or writings before entering the palace.”
Yu Wanyin turned and rushed to her side hall, calling for her maid Xiao Mei, “Do you remember if I’ve ever painted before?”
Xiao Mei was shocked, “Miss, you used to paint?”
Yu Wanyin danced with joy, “I’ve never painted, that’s good.”
It was the first day of the month, and concubines of the harem were to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
Normally, they should visit every morning and evening, but the Empress Dowager liked peace and changed the rule to only require visits on the first and fifteenth of each month. Naturally, these days became fixed palace intrigue events.
When Yu Wanyin arrived, she found that everyone had arrived early except for the Empress Dowager.
Noble Consort Wei* was seated in the hall, picking at the tea leaves in her cup, glancing at Yu Wanyin and said, “Concubine Yu is quite in demand now, no wonder she came so late, keeping us all waiting.”
* The as far as I know, the harem rankings are
- Empress, official wife
- Imperial Noble Consort 皇貴妃 Huang Gui Fei
- Noble Consort 貴妃 Gui Fei
- Consort 妃 fei
- Imperial Concubine 嬪 pin
- Noble Lady 貴人
- First Class Female Attendant 長使 zhang shi
- Second Class Female Attendant 少使 shao shi
So, this Noble Consort Wei has a higher rank than Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin, “…”
Here it comes.
The maid behind Noble Consort Wei said, “Mistress has had many matters to attend to and has forgotten that Lady Yu is now titled Consort Yu.”
Noble Consort Wei laughed lightly, “No wonder.”
Yu Wanyin, “…”
Racking her brain, she finally remembered who this person was.
After the Empress’s death, the middle palace position remained vacant. Noble Consort Wei was currently at the top of the pyramid. She was the sister of Imperial Tutor Wei, deeply favoured by the Empress Dowager, and used her family’s power to dominate the harem.
She would be defeated by Xie Yong’er in about five chapters and disappear.
Yu Wanyin looked at her like a dead person walking, and calmly went through the motions. “This younger sister was delayed on the road. I hope my sisters won’t blame me.”
Noble Consort Wei slammed the teacup down with a ‘clack’. “What kind of expression is that of yours?”
Yu Wanyin lowered her eyes and pretended to choke back tears, “This sister knows her mistake.”
Consort Zhuang who was sitting behind Consort Wei sneered, “She said she was delayed by something, so what kind of important thing is it? It couldn’t be another meeting with another one of the servants in the Peony Garden, could it?”
Next to her, Concubine Hè chimed in, “Elder Sister, one shouldn’t speak so recklessly. If she cries her way in front of His Majesty again, then it’ll be. ‘
“Then it’ll be what?” Xiahou Dan asked.
The concubines fell silent.
The scene of the crime pitter pattered as everyone fell to their knees.
Xiahou Dan sat right where Noble Consort Wei had just been sitting and gestured for Yu Wanyin to come forward. “What were you discussing just now?’
Yu Wanyin hesitated, “To reply to His Majesty…”
She silently asked him with her eyes: Why are you here?
Xiahou Dan raised his chin: Don’t mind me, just continue your act.
Yu Wanyin thought for a moment and promptly played innocent, “Replying to Your Majesty, it was just some idle chatter among sisters, nothing worth mentioning.”
“Is that so?” Xiahou Dan said, he raised his slender finger and pointed at Concubine Hè, “You speak.”
Concubine Hè was still kneeling, her face pale with fear. “This servant is guilty.” She dared not say more.
Xiahou Dan nodded, “Alright then, let’s keep it simple.”
He gestured and the guards promptly moved forward. Concubine Hè’s cries gradually faded as she was dragged away.
Xiahou Dan then pointed at Consort Zhuang, “Now you.”
Consort Zhuang’s vision darkened, and almost collapsed. “This servant… This servant was just reminding her younger sister to serve His Majesty wholeheartedly…’
Xiahou Dan’s hand lifted again.
Yu Wanyin quickly coughed.
She didn’t understand why Xiahou Dan suddenly staged this drama. Could it be that he was truly immersed and wanted to stand up for her?
Previously, Yu Wanyin had only read palace intrigue novels to pass the time. Now, having transmigrated here and living in this precarious situation where everything was uncertain, she found herself empathising more with the other characters. In the end, they were all victims of the system. Consort Zhuang and Concubine Hè were just clinging to Noble Consort Wei’s thigh for survival.
If these two had really done something serious, that would be one thing, but for now, they only just exchanged some harsh words and were about to be sentenced to death. Yu Wanyin couldn’t help but feel uneasy about this.
But she also feared that Xiahou Dan’s sudden performance had some hidden meaning. It might backfire if she intervened, so she hesitated.
Yu Wanyin remained silent, but Xiahou Dan glanced at her and then withdrew his hand.
“Send them to the Cold Palace.” Xiahou Dan said.
Then he asked a guard, “Was the one just dragged out not buried yet?”
Guard, “…”
Guard, “Understood, I’ll go intercept them.”
Among the kneeling consorts, Xie Yong’er quietly raised her eyes and glanced at Yu Wanyin, a flicker of surprise on her face.
The two cannon fodders exited the scene, and everyone thought the crisis had passed. They were secretly relieved, but then Xiahou Dan pointed his finger at a third person.
Xiahou Dan politely asked, “Noble Consort Wei, care to explain?”
Noble Consort Wei was struck dumb.
No, he couldn’t. She was the Empress Dowager’s person!
Noble Consort Wei trembled, “To reply to Your Majesty…”
“Hmm?” Xiahou Dan prompted.
A female voice came from behind the pearl curtain, “Hmph, the Emperor is quite imposing.”
The Empress Dowager has finally made her appearance to protect her pups.
The Empress Dowager appeared to be around thirty-five or thirty-six, dressed in splendour, holding the hand of a seven-year-old boy.
The young prince looked much like Xiahou Dan, his little face tense and his gaze straight ahead. The Empress Dowager had turned him into a delicate and obedient puppet.
Yu Wanyin glanced at Xiahou Dan.
Xiahou Dan stared at the cheap imitation son with an expression that seemed to say, ‘What is this thing?’
Fortunately, according to the original text, the little Crown Prince had always been kept close to the Empress Dowager and hadn’t seen much of Xiahou Dan so it wasn’t too out of character.
The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the table, receiving the greeting from Xiahou Dan and the consorts and said in a cold voice, “Today, the imperial son has come to my door with such grandeur. What is the reason?”
Xiahou Dan seemed to stiffen momentarily and reluctantly said, “It was this son’s momentary rashness that has offended Mother Empress.”
Yu Wanyin: ‘?’
The Empress Dowager was extremely displeased with Xiahou Dan.
Because just the other day, in court, he had gone mad and executed the Minister of Revenue, who was her person.
This Emperor had never been obedient since childhood, untamed and wild. She had struggled with him for years but couldn’t completely control him, so she settled on grooming the little Crown Prince.
She knew she wasn’t the only one who wanted Xiahou Dan dead, Prince Duan was also plotting against him.
However, Prince of Duan’s power was deep and immeasurable. If she assassinated Xiahou Dan now, she couldn’t guarantee that she would be the one who ascends in power.
While she was in a power struggle with Prince Duan, this mad Emperor suddenly killed one of her key officials in court. How could she swallow this anger?
The Empress Dowager originally intended to take advantage of this opportunity to give him a warning, but she didn’t expect him to come to her door voluntarily.
The Empress Dowager scanned the room and fixed her gaze on Yu Wanyin. “I have heard that recently, the Emperor has been so enchanted by this woman that he has been acting outrageously.”
Yu Wanyin considered kneeling.
She was halfway down when Xiahou Dan pulled her up again.
“Indeed.” Xiahou Dan said.
The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table. “Very good! It seems you no longer have me, your mother in your eyes. Today, I will teach you on behalf of the late Emperor what it means to respect your elders! Guards!”
A group of guards rushed in, surrounding Yu Wanyin.
“I’d like to see who dares!” Xiahou Dan exclaimed.
The guards hesitated, looking to the Empress Dowager for instructions.
The Empress Dowager sneered coldly, her aura overwhelming. It was known that this Emperor was only one in name without any real power, and today she had decided to make him realise this. She raised her hand assertively.
The guards moved past the Emperor to drag Yu Wanyin away.
Xiahou Dan’s breath hitched, as if struck by a heavy blow and regained some clarity, “Imperial Mother!”
He breathed quickly and hesitated for a few seconds before reluctantly smiling in submission, walking over to offer her tea, “When I said ‘indeed’ I meant that my temperament is indeed detestable. Imperial Mother, why get angry over a mere palace consort? Come, come, have some tea, we can talk things over.”
This tyrant actually managed to come up with such words; the sun truly rose from the west. Had he really been enchanted by that concubine and was now sacrificing everything to protect her?
The Empress Dowager regarded Yu Wanyin with new eyes.
Yu Wanyin, “…”
“Thanks to Imperial Mother’s virtue being widely respected, This Son can entrust the care of the young Crown Prince to Mother for education.” He awkwardly reached out and patted the little Crown Prince’s head, speaking in a soothing tone, “How have your studies been recently?”
The little Crown Prince was even stiffer than him, casting a panicked glance at the Empress Dowager. Without her instructions, he tentatively replied, ‘Imperial Father, my studies are passable.’
The Empress Dowager had a thought and suddenly revealed a meaningful smile, “The Crown Prince is exceptionally intelligent, but his archery skills are somewhat lacking. It’s understandable, though, studying archery alone can be lonely. I heard that General Luo has a young son about the prince’s age.”
Xiahou Dan asked, “Imperial Mother, what do you mean?”
The Empress Dowager said, “Why not bring him into the palace to accompany the Crown Prince?”
The prince’s study companion had already been decided, so bringing this young son into the palace, he would merely be a hostage.
General Luo was a subordinate of Prince Duan. With this, the Empress Dowager had already put the conflict on the table, forcing Prince Duan to pay for the Minister of Revenue’s death.
Xiahou Dan hesitated, “General Luo? He was just killing enemies on the front lines a while ago, is this move appropriate?’”
The Empress Dowager looked at Yu Wanyin for the third time.
Xiahou Dan quickly changed his tune, “This son will draft the decree when I return.”
Yu Wanyin, “…”
Yu Wanyin was led out of the Empress Dowager’s palace by Xiahou Dan, and finally realised the purpose behind his performance today.
It was to make the Empress Dowager believe that weakening Prince Duan was of her own initiative, while the Emperor remained oblivious, fixated only on the enchanting concubine.
Xiahou Dan not only managed to appease the Empress Dowager but also Prince Duan. With Xie Yong’er present today, she would definitely communicate with Prince Duan afterwards.
“I didn’t expect your mind to work so well.” Yu Wanyin said.
Xiahou Dan obviously calculated that the Empress Dowager was in a bad mood today, so he deliberately provoked her further, giving her an opportunity, thus facilitating this matter.
“What do you think?” Xiahou Dan asked softly.
Yu Wanyin replied, “Very good, very good. Let them bite each other, causing mutual harm, then quietly cultivate your own power. But this matter requires balance; trim a bit here, cut a bit there. You also need to act like the King of Balance Prince Duan.”
Xiahou Dan glanced at Yu Wanyin with a somewhat dull expression and vaguely said, ‘I’ve troubled you today.’
“It’s no big deal.” Yu Wanyin replied.
She wasn’t stupid; she had already seen Xiahou Dan’s other purpose. By publicly showing such favouritism towards her, he not only intended to push her to the forefront as a distraction but also to fabricate a false sense of vulnerability.
Yu Wanyin chuckled, “If one day an assassin holds a knife to my neck and forces you to surrender, you can tell him, ‘Are you kidding? I don’t care.’ stab us both like a skewer*…”
*Original text said Tang hulu which is a Candied fruit skewer
Xiahou Dan was stunned.
“You… if that’s what you think, why aren’t you angry?”
Yu Wanyin genuinely had no particular thoughts on the matter.
Translation by Spider
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Next: Chapter 3