Chapter 8 In the Painting
573 Words
"Hmph!" Noble Consort Yu fumed inwardly. Since that wretch's death, she had never dreamed of her. Tonight, she dreamt of her crawling out from a pile of corpses, walking to her bedside, and strangling her. Then, she saw her own head being severed and thrown next to Sanlang. Sanlang, busy with his paperwork, didn’t even glance at her head. Instead, he walked over and kissed that wretch—who was a ghost! She kept shouting, but could only watch as Sanlang cradled that wretch in his arms and laid her on the bed. Then, she saw a large pool of blood splatter onto the curtains, staining them with a vivid, sinister color. The woman behind the curtains turned her head, smiled eerily at her, and the sight jolted her awake.
Shuddering, she angrily threw her teacup to the ground. The red carpet reminded her of the blood in her dream. Grabbing Zhong Mengquan, she commanded, "Change this carpet immediately!"
Zhong Mengquan, while trying to calm her, called for the servants to remove the red carpet. "Tonight, I won’t sleep. I’ll stay here with Your Highness. Please rest, as you need to be in good spirits when the other concubines come to pay their respects tomorrow."
Noble Consort Yu allowed Zhong Mengquan to help her lie down, but she couldn’t help sneering. "Seeing those simpering concubines every day gives me a headache. How can I ever be in a good mood?"
Zhong Mengquan replied honestly, "No concubine in the palace can match Your Highness’s beauty. The Emperor's affection for you surpasses all others. There’s no need for you to be upset."
His words soothed her slightly, but the nightmare still haunted her, preventing her from sleeping.
Qinghua Palace remained brightly lit throughout the night.
***
Standing outside the bed, Siyu felt a bit troubled. Yesterday, no concubine came to pay their respects to the concubine despite her early rise. Today, when the concubine was sleeping deeply, a concubine arrived, claiming to pay respects.
Footsteps approached; it was Siwei, who had been preparing tea outside. Seeing no one come out for a while, she entered. "I told you to help the concubine dress. Is she still asleep?"
Siyu hesitated, "The concubine is sleeping deeply. I’ve called several times."
From the bed came a faint sound, followed by the concubine’s slightly hoarse voice, "What is it?"
Siwei answered, "Concubine, there is a concubine named Ruhua outside, saying she has come to pay respects."
Chu Lianruo was silent for a moment. For some reason, she had slept exceptionally well last night, waking up later than usual. She had the two maids help her wash and dress, which took some time. When she finally entered the outer hall, she saw a woman in purple sitting below. Upon seeing Chu Lianruo, the woman stood up with a smile and bowed, "Ruhua greets the Concubine."
Chu Lianruo walked to the main seat and nodded at Ruhua. "I slept deeply, so I woke up late. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
Ruhua shook her head with a smile. "It's no problem. I wasn’t in the mansion yesterday; otherwise, I would have come to greet you sooner." Ruhua's smile was gentle and seemingly harmless, her eyes fixed on Chu Lianruo. They looked at each other, their thoughts unknown.
Chu Lianruo’s thoughts were straightforward. As she listened to Ruhua’s voice, something felt off, though she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
- Writer
