After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess - Chapter 30
The Empress, upon seeing Liang Xiao, immediately clasped her hand and carefully observed Liang Xiao’s complexion: “Indeed, you are ill, you look so frail.”
She lovingly stroked the back of Liang Xiao’s hand, but Liang Xiao suddenly drew her hand away as if startled, and began to cry out.
“She’s here, she’s back!”
“Mother Consort, have you come to see your daughter?”
“Mother Consort, Mother Consort, don’t leave, stay by your daughter’s side, Mother Consort…”
As she cried out, Liang Xiao squeezed out a few tears, clutching the garment that Consort Lian had loved most dearly in her lifetime.
The Empress was startled by this commotion, and coupled with Liang Xiao’s overly realistic performance, she continuously retreated a few steps, asking in a trembling voice to Yue Hua, who was beside her: “Princess, what is wrong with the Princess?”
Yue Hua knelt on the ground, also squeezing out tears, and wept: “Your Ladyship is unaware, but the Princess, some days ago, for some unknown reason, had a nightmare and woke up saying she had seen Consort Lian. Since that day, she acts like this every day…”
The Empress clutched her chest and took a few breaths to steady herself. Liang Xiao was still slumped on the ground, sobbing.
She regained her composure: “Have you had the imperial physician look at her? Could it be a hysterical disorder?”
Yue Hua shuffled on her knees, supporting Liang Xiao who was beside her, and said: “Yes, we have. The imperial physician also couldn’t say for sure.”
Liang Xiao suddenly broke free from Yue Hua’s grasp and crawled forward a few steps. The Empress was unable to dodge and was caught by her hemline: “Your Ladyship, can I see the Emperor, please? I miss him so much…”
The Empress had completely lost her composure, and being startled by Liang Xiao in this way, she was barely able to stand steadily, pointing to Xue Yin: “Quick, quickly pull her away!”
Yue Hua came forward and, together with Xue Yin, helped Liang Xiao up. Unexpectedly, Liang Xiao was strong and clung to the Empress, refusing to let go, all the while muttering: “Your Ladyship doesn’t recognize me? I am Qing Ruo, Your Ladyship!”
Qing Ruo was precisely Consort Lian’s given name. At this, the Empress nearly fainted; only with the support of a palace maid beside her did she manage not to fall.
She panicked and said: “Go and summon the imperial physician again! I, I will return first…”
With that, she ran away without looking back.
Once the figure was out of sight, Yue Hua stood up, went forward to close the door, and Liang Xiao had already risen from the ground. Yue Hua handed her a handkerchief and asked: “Your Highness, will the Emperor really come?”
Liang Xiao used the handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face: “Hopefully.”
She then turned her head and looked suspiciously at Yue Hua: “Was I very frightening just now?”
Yue Hua also felt perplexed and shook her head, saying: “I don’t know why Her Ladyship was so frightened.”
Liang Xiao was now a little worried: “I hope I didn’t frighten Mother Empress into sickness.”
The Empress regarded her as her own child; if she had truly frightened her into ill health, that would be a sin.
Yue Hua reassured her: “Probably not, Her Ladyship’s health has always been good.”
Liang Xiao still felt some anxiety: “It’s best if nothing is wrong.”
The act was complete; all that remained was to wait for the Emperor.
Inside the Qian Yuan Hall, the Empress sat on a small couch, nervously twisting a handkerchief.
Immediately after leaving the Liu Yang Palace, she had rushed non-stop to the Qian Yuan Hall and recounted everything she had witnessed to Liang Shu.
Liang Shu frowned: “Is Xiao’er truly like this?”
The Empress had not yet recovered from the shock: “I saw it with my own eyes. Your Majesty might as well go and see for yourself.”
Liang Shu remained silent, his heart already churning with immense turmoil.
Some days ago, he kept dreaming of Qing Ruo, and now her daughter had become so bizarre—could it be… that she had really returned?
Seeing him silent, the Empress continued: “The Princess… was crying out, asking to see you.”
Liang Shu lightly coughed, maintaining his usual composed expression: “I understand.”
He had not believed in ghosts and gods before, but that year, when he saw with his own eyes that his beloved consort was a demon, he had no choice but to believe.
He would go and see her; perhaps… she could forgive him.
Qing Ruo, I… was also forced to do it.
Liang Xiao had only relaxed for a short while when Yue Zhou, who was keeping watch at the door, rushed in urgently.
“Your Highness, I saw the Emperor’s sedan chair!”
Hearing this, Liang Xiao quickly messed up her hair, rubbed her eyes hard to make them red, and look as though she had been weeping intensely.
Liang Shu showed no expression on his face, but a trace of fear actually surged within him. He stopped at the entrance of the Liu Yang Palace and looked up at the sky.
The crimson brick walls blocked most of the view. Occasionally, a bird would fly past, quickly disappearing to an unknown place.
He lifted his foot and crossed the threshold of the Liu Yang Palace.
Before he even approached Liang Xiao’s chamber, Liang Shu could already hear a heart-wrenching sob. His heart skipped a beat, but he still maintained the dignity of an emperor.
Liang Xiao was sitting on the ground, struggling to wail loudly.
She rarely did such undignified things before, but lately, she had become more and more proficient.
In just a moment, she could be tear-stained.
Liang Shu managed to steady his mind and quickly walked towards the chamber.
He reached out and pushed the door open. Liang Shu, like a tiger spotting its prey, instantly pounced.
She practically crawled over, clutching Liang Shu’s hem, her voice hoarse: “Emperor, did you really come to see me?”
Although he had been described the scene by the Empress, Liang Shu was still startled and paused in his steps.
He bent down to help Liang Xiao up, but Liang Xiao firmly grasped his wrist: “Qing Ruo has been waiting for you…”
Hearing this familiar name, Liang Shu’s expression finally cracked, and complex emotions flickered in his eyes.
His voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly: “Qing Ruo, is it really you?”
The attendants surrounding them had all retreated; at this moment, only the two of them were in the palace.
The weather today was not bright, and it was just past noon, so the light inside the room was already dim.
“Of course, it’s me, Emperor.” Liang Xiao’s eyes were filled with tears, looking exactly like Consort Lian.
She already resembled her Mother Consort, and with the aid of the lighting, Liang Shu was momentarily unable to distinguish the person in front of him.
“Have you forgiven me?” Liang Shu wanted to touch Liang Xiao’s face, but his hand stopped mid-air after reaching out.
Liang Xiao’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this but continued the act.
“How could I not blame you? You were so heartless…”
Liang Xiao was gambling, betting that her Father Emperor had indeed done something to wrong her Mother Consort.
This was the outcome she least wanted to believe.
Liang Shu completely lost his imperial dignity, muttering: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
This was a clumsy trick, but because of his guilt, he fell for it so easily.
He continued: “When I learned you were a demon back then, I… I was also forced to.”
Liang Xiao looked at him with resentment: “I harmed no one, why did you have to do this to me?”
“I had just ascended the throne, the court was unstable, and someone, for some unknown reason, spread the word that you were a demon…” The rest of the words were obscured, but Liang Xiao had already guessed.
“So… you colluded with Yuan De and used the demon painting to kill me?”
Liang Shu buried his face in his palms and painfully nodded.
Liang Xiao no longer held onto him, letting go and slumping onto the ground.
She couldn’t act anymore.
“Father Emperor…” A sigh echoed in the quiet room.
Liang Shu suddenly looked up at his daughter: “Xiao Xiao?”
Liang Xiao did not answer him, chuckling self-mockingly: “I investigated for so long, and the true culprit turned out to be you.”
Liang Shu was momentarily flustered but quickly regained his composure. He was an emperor who manipulated power, so how could he be easily fooled by a so-called “nightmare”? Ultimately, he was also waiting for an opportunity to confess everything from back then to Liang Xiao, to make amends for the guilt in his heart.
Despite this intention, Liang Shu’s shame turned into anger. He abruptly stood up, pointing a furious finger at Liang Xiao: “You plotted against me?”
“You’ve known all along that your daughter was investigating, haven’t you?”
“You’ve missed Mother Consort all these years, and I originally thought Mother Consort was harmed by a villain. How could it be you?”
“How could it be you!”
Liang Xiao yelled out the last sentence with all her might.
Being exposed face-to-face, Liang Shu was extremely angry, but at the same time, he felt deeply guilty towards Liang Xiao. He squatted down: “Xiao Xiao, I was also forced to.”
Liang Xiao sneered: “Forced to?”
Liang Shu said sternly: “How can the court be imagined by you? Those people eleven years ago couldn’t wait for me to step down immediately!”
Liang Xiao shouted: “For the sake of your empire, you had to sacrifice the Mother Consort who loved you so much?”
Liang Shu was hit where it hurt: “It’s not just your Mother Consort; if anyone dares to block my path, they will never come to a good end!”
With that, he stood up and said: “If it weren’t for the fact that the demon bloodline in you is extremely little, do you think you could have lived till today?”
Liang Xiao looked up at him in despair: “I envy Mother Consort; at least death is a release…”
Liang Shu said chillingly: “I think you are truly possessed by an evil spirit and have lost your mind. Go and calm down in the Liu Yang Palace!”
With that, he angrily flung his sleeves and left.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Liu Yang Palace, he instructed the surrounding attendants: “The Princess is ill. She is not to receive visitors for three months, nor is anyone allowed to leave.”
Liang Xiao was slumped on the ground, silent, her eyes staring blankly at the exquisitely patterned rug.
Eleven years. Her Father Emperor had always played the role of a deeply loving and unforgettable husband, and a doting father to his daughter. Yet, she never imagined that it was this good husband and good father who personally colluded with a demon-catcher and sent her Mother Consort to her death.
A person appeared at the door, blocking the sunlight outside and casting a shadow into the room.
Yan Heng hurried towards the main hall, but she entered too quickly, tripped over the threshold, and fell embarrassingly to the ground.
Seeing Liang Xiao sitting silently on the floor like that, she practically scrambled to Liang Xiao’s side, using both her hands and feet.
Liang Xiao felt extremely cold all over, but she was pulled into a warm embrace.
The person was still panting, as if just catching her breath.
The person’s gentle voice sounded in her ear: “Don’t be afraid, Your Highness, I’m here.”
In that instant, Liang Xiao let down all her guard.
From soft sobbing to loud wailing, the noble and reserved Princess lost all decorum at this moment, with only a tear-streaked face remaining.
Yan Heng held her, her heart aching. She gently stroked Liang Xiao’s back while coaxing her tenderly: “Your Highness, I’m here.”
Liang Xiao’s hands tightly gripped the clothes on her back, and her arms wrapped around Yan Heng, making it a little hard for Yan Heng to breathe.
But Yan Heng maintained her embrace, feeling Liang Xiao’s body trembling from the intense crying and listening to her hoarse voice from screaming.
Yan Heng’s nose stung, and she nearly shed tears herself.
“Your Highness…”
She still didn’t know what had happened and could only offer weak, inadequate comfort.
After an unknown amount of time, the person in her arms gradually fell silent, and half of Yan Heng’s body had long since gone numb from sitting.
She carefully released her hold and called out softly: “Your Highness?”
There was no reply.
Yan Heng panicked, quickly cupping Liang Xiao’s face, only to find the skin under her touch extremely hot.
She supported Liang Xiao’s face with one hand and touched her forehead with the other.
Liang Xiao was running a fever. The extreme emotional distress had likely exhausted her, causing her temperature to spike suddenly.
Yan Heng staggered to her feet, half-supporting, half-carrying Liang Xiao.
She gently laid Liang Xiao on the bed, opened the door, and found Yue Hua, asking her to summon the Imperial Physician.
Unexpectedly, Yue Hua returned shortly after leaving.
“The palace gates are closed; no one is allowed out.”
Yan Heng was furious: “Does he want to harm his own daughter again?”
Although she didn’t know the exact details of what happened, Yan Heng had caught a few fragmented words during Liang Xiao’s cries.
She had roughly pieced together what had occurred today from those words.
Yue Hua said: “Your Highness still has some medicine here. It should just be a cold. I’ll go decoct the medicine right away.”
With that, she rushed out again.
Yan Heng brought in a basin of hot water, removed the hairpins and ornaments from Liang Xiao’s hair, letting it down, and gently wiped her face with a cloth.
Even with her eyes closed, her eyes were visibly red and swollen, so Yan Heng found a handkerchief, dampened it, and placed it over Liang Xiao’s eyes.
She murmured: “My Princess…”
Liang Xiao moved slightly, her lips half-parted, uttering a few words.
Yan Heng leaned in closer and heard Liang Xiao say “Mother Consort.”
She sighed softly, brushed aside Liang Xiao’s damp hair by her temples, and placed the warm compress on her forehead.
Then she leaned against the bedside, quietly watching Liang Xiao.
The Princess was truly beautiful.
Liang Xiao was frowning, perhaps dreaming of something.
Yan Heng raised her hand to smooth out her brow, her fingertips lingering on Liang Xiao’s face.
From her brow to the bridge of her nose, and then to her lips, which were slightly pale from the fever.
The Princess had always been exceptionally kind to her, completely different from everyone else.
This was something Yan Heng had never been able to figure out.
While she was deep in thought, Yue Hua came in with the decocted medicine.
Yan Heng helped Liang Xiao sit up, letting her lean against her, and then Yue Hua fed the medicine to her spoon by spoon.
Liang Xiao was relatively obedient when ill, and the entire process of feeding the medicine went smoothly, only for the bitterness of the medicine to make her frown again, right after Yan Heng had smoothed it out.
Yue Hua put down the medicine bowl: “Miss, please go and rest. I can take care of things here.”
Yan Heng was truly worried about Liang Xiao and felt she had to stay with her tonight: “I’m fine, Auntie, don’t worry. I can take good care of the Princess.”
A strange emotion was growing freely in her heart, making her heart feel both sour and tender.
Yan Heng looked at Liang Xiao, sitting on the side of the bed: “I want to stay with the Princess.”
Yue Hua looked around: “Then… I’m grateful for your trouble, Miss. The Princess’s fever has subsided a bit after taking the medicine.”
Yan Heng nodded, took the damp face cloth from her hand, washed it, and wiped Liang Xiao’s face again.
Yue Hua quietly withdrew at some point, and the room was very quiet, so quiet that Yan Heng could hear her own breathing.
She got up and sat on the footstool, leaning on the side of the bed.
Liang Xiao’s hand was outside the quilt, her fingers, like spring onions, were faintly pink.
As if possessed, Yan Heng bravely took hold of that delicate, jade-like hand.
Liang Xiao’s hand was extremely hot. Held in her palm, it brought a trace of warmth to Yan Heng as well.
Holding Liang Xiao’s hand like this, her consciousness began to drift, and eventually, unable to resist the drowsiness, she vaguely fell asleep.
By the time the sky was bright, Liang Xiao’s high fever had finally receded.
She opened her eyes, adjusting to the light for a moment, still feeling weak.
Sensing something warm against her hand, she propped herself up on the bed and slowly sat up.
Her head was still spinning. She supported her head with her other hand and rested for a while, finally seeing a person sprawled by the bedside.
Yan Heng was still sleeping soundly, her left hand tightly clutching Liang Xiao’s fingers, seeming to have slept in that position all night.
Liang Xiao wanted to pull her hand out and help her onto the bed, but she really didn’t have much strength in her hand, so she had to try and move Yan Heng’s wrist.
Finally getting her hand out, Yan Heng’s left hand dropped down, hanging near the edge of the bed.
With a clatter, something fell onto the footstool.
Liang Xiao strained to lean out and take a look, then her breathing hitched.
The Love-Knot had fallen off.
Support After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess
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