I've Decided To Be This Tyrant's Dark Moonlight - Chapter 40
“Ahhh, a big rooster!” one of the consorts screamed, though no one knew exactly who. Immediately, chaos erupted.
The large rooster spread its wings and flapped, hopping from one consort’s table to a eunuch’s head, dragging its glittering tail feathers behind. Every now and then it would stretch its neck and crow loudly, “Cluck, cluck, cluck,” its voice echoing through the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility.
The consorts shrieked and yelped, the eunuchs flailed and tried to catch it, and the entire palace descended into utter disarray—a true scene of “scattered feathers everywhere.”
Xiao Qianxue widened her eyes in astonishment: “Can this chicken really fly this—high? Could it not actually be a bird?”
Wei Ying smiled faintly: “Perhaps it hides a phoenix’s heart within.”
In truth, the effect of [Vividly Lifelike] was to bring the dead back to life. This jade phoenix carving should have transformed into a phoenix, but alas, in this world, phoenixes do not exist…
So the jade phoenix turned into a rooster instead.
The big rooster crowed loudly, completely disrupting the birthday banquet.
The Empress Dowager clutched her chair, tilting her body sideways, afraid the rooster would fly over her head.
She was both terrified and furious, glaring at the sisters of the Gong family, and scolded, “Look at what you brought! What is this?!”
A chicken that can only fly this high—was this meant as a farewell gift?
The scene was so chaotic that the Empress Dowager’s furious scolding was drowned out by the cacophony of crowing and screams.
The Gong sisters held each other’s arms: “Ahhh, sister! Why did it turn into a chicken?!”
Shu Fei’s head throbbed from the noise. She screamed in frustration: “How was I supposed to know? How could I know?!”
She had already heard that Master Lu’s craftsmanship was divine, and that Vividly Lifelike was miraculous—but who would have guessed his jade phoenix would turn into a chicken?
Even if it were “Vividly Lifelike,” shouldn’t it have turned into a phoenix?!
The big rooster flapped its wings and flew onto the ceiling lantern, its claws hooking onto the trembling lamp. A few eunuchs surrounded it, poking and prodding it with poles. The lamp swung, casting flickering shadows across the floor, like ghosts and specters.
The Gong sisters stared at the scene, eyes wide, shouting: “Sister, could it really be that this chicken is a jade carving?”
Shu Fei pinched her arm, scolding: “What are you thinking? Even if it could transform, it should be a phoenix!”
The younger sister replied: “Isn’t there a saying, ‘A golden phoenix rises from a chicken coop’?”
Shu Fei almost fainted from anger. How did her little sister always have this uncanny knack for hitting where it hurts? Truly miraculous.
As the two sisters tussled, a sharp voice rang out: “Your Highness, watch out!”
Turning their heads, they saw the big rooster flapping toward them from the lantern, crowing loudly.
The rooster grew closer, its iron-hook-like claws coiling, crimson comb blazing like fire, wings flapping to create a gust of wind.
Shu Fei screamed and was suddenly grabbed, pulled down in an instant, ending up crawling under a table, facing her sister eye-to-eye.
The rooster stomped on the table, overturning a goblet full of precious wine, strutting proudly.
The younger sister said: “Sister, luckily I pulled you down in time!”
Shu Fei could only … sigh.
And to think, they were forced under a table by a chicken they themselves had sent! She sobbed quietly, thinking: “What’s the point of living anymore? Everything is ruined!”
Finally, several eunuchs managed to subdue the big rooster. Overpowered, it could only flap its wings and stretch its neck, lamenting the cruelty of humans in overwhelming numbers, lamenting the hardships of life as a mere chicken.
Wei Ying covered her face, shoulders trembling slightly. “Poor chicken.”
Xiao Qianxue patted her shoulder: “If you feel like laughing, go ahead. The Empress Dowager isn’t looking at us.”
The Empress Dowager, at this moment, was staring at the backsides of her two women…
The sisters were under the table, their round bottoms peeking out from the deep crimson silk of their skirts. Fortunately, they were facing the right direction, so no one else could see. She cursed repeatedly in her mind and ordered: “The chicken has been caught. Come out.”
The Gong sisters crawled out, their bright clothes wrinkled, looking pitifully at the Empress Dowager.
She was so furious that her vision blurred and she was too tired to listen to any explanations. “Sit down.”
Shu Fei, still shaken, took her sister and sat down.
The Empress Dowager slumped into her chair, staring blankly.
She had endured far too much.
The birthday banquet continued with difficulty. After a few more consorts presented their gifts, it was Wei Ying’s turn.
When the Empress Dowager heard the name “Ying Guiren,” her unfocused eyes sharpened slightly as they fell on a wooden box. Slowly opening it, a large black turtle rested inside, and the Empress Dowager felt her vision go dark again, clutching the armrest, veins bulging on her hand.
A eunuch said, trying to remain composed: “Ying Guiren wishes the Empress Dowager longevity as endless as the sun and moon, and everlasting health like pine and crane.”
A turtle?
The Empress Dowager was furious but refrained from punishing Wei Ying; otherwise, the sisters who had sent the rooster would be in even bigger trouble. To protect the Gong sisters, she had to pretend as if nothing had happened.
She was furious.
The Empress suddenly remarked: “In folklore, turtles symbolize longevity. Such a large turtle must have taken considerable effort by Ying Guiren.”
Wei Ying smiled: “For the Empress Dowager’s happiness, a little effort is nothing.”
The Emperor said: “Good turtle, reward her.”
The younger Gong sister muttered: “But my chicken also has auspicious symbolism.”
The Emperor tilted his head, smiling faintly: “Gong Jieyu, you shall be rewarded as well.”
The Emperor’s elegant, delicate face glowed in the candlelight. The younger Gong sister’s heart pounded with joy, receiving her reward: “Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Empress Dowager, for liking it!”
The consorts whispered among themselves: “So the Empress Dowager likes turtles and roosters?”
“I only learned this after so many years! Next time I’ll bring a turtle.”
“I’ll bring a chicken.”
“Yay, the Empress Dowager’s tastes are so down-to-earth, just like my housekeeper!”
“Shh.”
The Empress Dowager’s face darkened with anger. She took deep breaths, trying not to faint.
The palace servants carried the large turtle away. Wei Ying remained at the front, smiling innocently, making the Empress Dowager’s heart race with a premonition of trouble.
Wei Ying said: “During Mid-Autumn, the Emperor asked me to perform a piece for the Empress Dowager.”
Yun Shao recalled it and smiled: “Indeed, I did say that.”
Wei Ying pulled out a suona from behind her back: “Then I shall humbly perform!”
The Empress Dowager’s body trembled, her pupils dilated, and at the first blaring note of the suona, she fainted from the overwhelming sensation.
In her last second of consciousness, she thought: Finally, it’s over.
She had lived for decades, enjoying privilege, yet at her fiftieth birthday banquet, she experienced despair, a loss of will to live, and utter destruction.
At this palace feast, Wei Ying’s suona caused the Empress Dowager to faint, resulting in a three-month house arrest in the Anle Hall. Xiao Qianxue, for defending her, was also punished and confined.
Coincidentally, this aligned with the original story, where the female lead was confined in the Cold Palace for three months.
Wei Ying hugged a small bundle, watching Lǜ Là scurry anxiously like a little hamster.
Lǜ Là almost cried: “What do we do? The Cold Palace is so cold, there’s no coal, just leftovers every day. How will Master survive the winter?”
She felt guilty: “It’s all my fault for not warning Master not to play the suona at the Empress Dowager’s birthday. I only knew she couldn’t play the erhu. I didn’t know she could play the suona.”
Wei Ying rolled up her sleeves: “Well, I have many talents—you’ll discover them slowly.”
Lǜ Là’s sadness vanished, nearly choking with relief, stomping her feet in frustration: “Master, how can you be like this?”
Wei Ying shrugged: “Not my fault. The Emperor… ordered me to do this.”
It was all the Emperor’s command.
Lǜ Là’s eyes drooped: “But the Cold Palace is so scary.”
Wei Ying patted her hand: “Not scary.”
Lǜ Là: “I heard there’s not enough food or clothes, and no coal for heating in winter. What then?”
Wei Ying pulled her close: “Don’t worry. I’ve already prepared for life in the Cold Palace. It won’t be that bad.”
Lǜ Là’s eyes reddened: “Really?”
Wei Ying: “Really.”
After a pause, Lǜ Là whispered: “But… I heard the Cold Palace is haunted.”
Wei Ying’s eyes lit up: “Perfect! I can see if the spirits like the scripts I’ve written. We can chat when bored.”
Lǜ Là hesitated: “But… I’m scared of ghosts.”
Wei Ying held her: “There, there. Don’t be scared. I’ll chase them away for you, alright?”
The little palace maid nodded obediently.
Wei Ying took a red bean cake, stuffed it in her mouth, and held her hand: “Come on, let’s find Qianxue together.”
Lǜ Là thought that being sent to the Cold Palace would be tragic and lonely, but from afar, she heard Xiao Qianxue’s excited voice:
“Ahhh, the Cold Palace! Finally, we get to go!”
“Yay, yay, yay!”
“No more weekly visits to pay respects to the Empress and Empress Dowager. We can sleep in all the time!”
“Yay, yay, yay!”
“I get to sleep in the same room as Ying Ying every day!”
“Yay, yay, yay!”
Lǜ Là froze, timidly asking: “Yay, yay, yay?”
The atmosphere in Yulu Hall was full of joy, even the blustering autumn wind outside seemed festive.
Outside, the Gong sister walked leisurely in the autumn wind, thinking of how she would humiliate them.
She imagined the two who had just been sent to the Cold Palace, trembling in fear, begging her to plead with the Empress Dowager for mercy, starving, freezing, understanding human cruelty, and emerging pale, thin, and ragged.
Then she would appear resplendent and triumphant, making them kneel and cry for help.
With this thought, a triumphant smile returned to her lips, and she strode away, skirt swaying proudly in the wind, as arrogant as the rooster at the birthday banquet.
Wei Ying and Xiao Qianxue watched her leave from the window.
Xiao Qianxue: “She looks really happy?”
Wei Ying: “We always bring happiness to others!”
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