Within the high walls of the harem, though the red walls and golden tiles still exuded imperial majesty, they could not hide the undercurrents surging within. Lin Yue, the empress who bore the dignity of the mother of the nation, had long been trapped in the malicious vortex woven by Concubine Li and others, enduring their schemes and torture day after day. The long-term mental pressure, coupled with her perilous situation, was like a heavy mountain pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
Lin Yue was listless every day, having long lost her former sweet smile. The maids by her side were deeply grieved to see their mistress like this. Not knowing how to comfort her, they tried every means to amuse her. In the following days, although Lin Yue's body improved slightly under the careful regulation of medicine, she remained extremely weak and could only lie on her couch daily, watching Xiao Cui bustling in and out to decoct and change her medicine. The curling heat from the medicine pot, carrying a bitter smell, filled the entire bedroom.
Her gaze followed Xiao Cui's busy figure, while her mind kept pondering the abnormalities in the harem. In the past, even when there were struggles, they had never been so blatant and unrestrained. Now, Concubine Li and others acted too arrogantly—was there some unspeakable backing behind them? This doubt was like an invisible hand clutching her heart, keeping her restless.
One afternoon, sunlight spilled through the window lattice, casting golden patches that gilded the bedroom with warmth, yet failed to dispel the shadow in Lin Yue's heart. She was half-reclining on the couch, enjoying a moment of peace, when a faint quarrel broke out in the outer chamber, shattering the silence. Straining her ears, she recognized the voices of Xiao Cui and another young maid. "How can you say that about the Empress? She's always been so kind to us!" Xiao Cui said angrily, her voice trembling with indignation, her cheeks flushed and fists clenched.
"I… I heard it from others—that the Empress has lost the Emperor's favor, and now not just Concubine Li, but even Concubine Yuan and others dare to ride over her." The little maid replied in a whisper, her voice cowardly, her eyes darting away, unable to meet Xiao Cui's angry gaze.
Lin Yue felt a jolt, as if struck by a sledgehammer. Her body trembled slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief. She had not expected that during her illness, rumors in the palace would spread so wildly, like weeds growing uncontrollably. "It seems the waters in this palace are deeper than I thought," Lin Yue mused to herself, a flicker of determination—like a flame in the dark—shining in her eyes.
She decided not to wait for her doom. Even though her body had not yet recovered, she would uncover the hidden secrets behind this, restore peace to the harem, and expose all conspiracies. From then on, Lin Yue began to secretly observe every move in the palace. She sent Xiao Cui out under the pretext of purchasing medicinal herbs, allowing her to move around the palace and quietly gather information. Each time Xiao Cui returned, she brought shocking discoveries, like peeling away layers of a mysterious veil.
"Your Majesty, I heard that Concubine Yuan has been in close contact with a mysterious person outside the palace recently, meeting secretly in the garden corner under the cover of night," Xiao Cui whispered, her expression tense, as if afraid of being overheard. She glanced around warily before continuing, "It was too dark to see his face clearly, but he was tall, dressed in black, and moved very secretly, always coming and going in a hurry."
Lin Yue was startled. She knew that it was a grave taboo for harem concubines to have private dealings with outsiders. If true, it would cause a huge stir, plunging the harem and even the court into turmoil. "Did you see his face clearly?" Lin Yue asked eagerly, leaning forward as if to get closer to the truth. Xiao Cui shook her head with regret, "It was too dark. I only know he was tall, wore black, and acted very secretly, coming and going quickly."
Lin Yue fell into deep thought, her mind swirling with countless speculations. She thought of Concubine Hui, that kind and wise woman who always reached out when she needed help most. Perhaps Concubine Hui could help her unravel these mysteries and find the key to the truth.
So she sent Xiao Cui to quietly summon Concubine Hui. When Concubine Hui arrived and saw Lin Yue's gaunt appearance, her heart ached, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Sister, how did you fall so ill? Those people are too outrageous!" She hurried to Lin Yue's side and took her hand, which was cold and frail, sending a pang through Concubine Hui's heart. Lin Yue smiled bitterly, "Sister, I can't worry about that now. I've discovered a great secret in the palace. Concubine Yuan and others may be colluding with external forces. I need your help to investigate."
Concubine Hui nodded without hesitation, her eyes firm as if telling Lin Yue that no matter the difficulty, they would face it together. "Don't worry, Sister. I will do my best to ensure those people don't succeed." With Concubine Hui's help, the investigation made new progress. They discovered that Concubine Yuan's connections outside the palace involved a minister from the previous court named Zhou Yan, who held great power in the court, acted arrogantly, and abused his authority to do as he pleased. He formed cliques in the court, suppressing dissent and plunging the court into chaos.
Lin Yue faintly felt that the conspiracy behind this was not just a simple harem struggle—it might hide a greater crisis, even threatening the safety of the entire country. "Concubine Hui, why do you think Zhou Yan is colluding with Concubine Yuan? What do they want?" Lin Yue asked puzzledly, her brows furrowed with worry.
Concubine Hui pondered for a moment, her gaze deepening as if she could see through the conspiracy. "Sister, I believe they may want to use Concubine Yuan's status in the palace to obtain information beneficial to them, or even interfere in state affairs to pursue greater ambitions. Perhaps they want to install a puppet emperor and control the government themselves."
Lin Yue was horrified. She knew the seriousness of the matter. If what Concubine Hui said was true, it would not only affect her position as empress but also the stability of the court and the peace of the country. The people would fall into deep suffering, and the nation would face great crisis. "We must find evidence as soon as possible to expose their conspiracy and prevent their evil plans from succeeding," Lin Yue said firmly, her eyes resolute as if they could pierce through the darkness.
However, the investigation was not smooth. Concubine Yuan and others seemed to sense something was amiss and became more cautious. They no longer met easily with outsiders, acted more carefully, and planted more spies in the palace, like an invisible net covering the entire harem. It felt as if every corner had eyes watching, and every word might reach the wrong ears. Lin Yue and Concubine Hui had to be cautious in every move, like walking through a thicket of thorns, each step full of danger, fearing discovery.
One day, as Lin Yue was carefully examining the collected clues laid out on the table, a commotion broke the silence outside. Startled, she instinctively sensed danger and quickly hid the clues. At that moment, Xiao Cui rushed in, panicked and sweating, breathing heavily as if she had just run a race. "Your Majesty, Concubine Yuan is here, claiming to visit you."
Lin Yue secretly cursed—she knew Concubine Yuan's visit was not out of goodwill but to test the waters. "Please her in," Lin Yue said, forcing calmness, her face maintaining a serene expression despite her racing heart.
Concubine Yuan entered the room with a fake smile, as artificial as spring flowers, yet tinged with triumph. Dressed in splendid attire, she walked gracefully and confidently, as if the harem were already hers. "Oh, Empress, I heard you're ill and came to visit. Your face looks so pale—you must take good care of yourself."
Lin Yue felt disgusted but politely replied, "Thank you for your concern, Sister. This illness won't heal in a day or two; it requires slow recuperation." Her voice was calm and gentle, giving no hint of her inner turmoil.
Concubine Yuan looked around the room, her eyes full of suspicion, like a cunning fox searching for flaws. Her gaze wandered, missing no corner. "Sister, has anything new happened in your palace recently? I heard a little maid has been running out often."
Lin Yue's heart tightened—she knew Concubine Yuan was probing but pretended to be relaxed. "She's just buying medicinal herbs, Sister. Don't overthink it. I've always abided by palace rules." She wore a faint smile, her tone natural, as if it were a trivial matter.
Concubine Yuan snorted, "Is that so? Sister should be more careful—palace rules must not be broken. If anything goes wrong, I can't be held responsible." With that, she left with her attendants, her departing figure like a cold wind that chilled the room.
Watching Concubine Yuan leave, Lin Yue knew their investigation had alerted her. "We need to speed things up," she told Concubine Hui, her eyes urgent and resolute.
Just as Lin Yue and Concubine Hui were at a loss, an unexpected discovery turned the tide. One day, Xiao Cui accidentally overheard two eunuchs talking in the garden. "Did you hear? Lord Zhou is holding a secret meeting outside the city soon, and it seems related to palace affairs." "Shh, keep your voice down! Don't talk about this. If someone hears, we'll be in big trouble."
Xiao Cui was shocked, realizing this might be a crucial clue, and hurriedly told Lin Yue. Upon hearing this, Lin Yue and Concubine Hui decided to risk going to the outskirts to investigate. They knew the danger—they might fall into an enemy trap—but to uncover the truth and protect the harem and the country, they had no choice.
Disguised, they secretly left the palace under the cover of night. The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the capital like a giant black curtain hiding all secrets. In an abandoned courtyard on the outskirts, lights blazed like an island in the dark, exuding a mysterious aura. Lin Yue and Concubine Hui hid in the shadows, cautiously observing the movements inside, like wary little beasts, every action gentle and cautious to avoid making a sound.
They saw Zhou Yan and Concubine Yuan discussing something with serious expressions, the atmosphere so tense it seemed to ignite the air, each face filled with greed and ambition. "Lord Zhou, we've spread many rumors in the palace as you ordered. Now that the Empress is bedridden, it's the perfect time to act," Concubine Yuan said obsequiously, her smile like a fawning fox, her voice soft yet smug, as if everything were under her control.
Zhou Yan sneered, "Once the Empress falls, the harem will be ours. After we control the harem, we'll deal with the Emperor slowly—the world will soon be ours. Then the entire country will be at our feet!" His voice was low and fierce, his eyes shining with greedy light.
Lin Yue and Concubine Hui were shocked, as if struck by lightning. They had not expected Zhou Yan and Concubine Yuan's ambition to be so great—to vainly attempt usurping the throne and subverting the country, plunging the people into misery and the nation into disaster. "Concubine Hui, we must return immediately and tell the Emperor," Lin Yue said urgently, her voice trembling—not just with fear but with worry for the country and people.
Just as they prepared to leave, a shout rang out: "Who's there?" It was Zhou Yan's men who had spotted them. Lin Yue and Concubine Hui turned to run but were quickly surrounded like prey in a trap. The men held sharp blades, their eyes fierce, closing in step by step. "Unexpectedly, it's the Empress and Concubine Hui! How dare you spy on us!" Zhou Yan said viciously, his eyes blazing with fury, like a wild beast whose territory had been invaded.
Lin Yue stared defiantly at Zhou Yan, "Zhou Yan, you colluded with harem concubines to plot rebellion—your crimes are unforgivable! Now that we've caught you, you can't escape!" Her voice was firm and powerful, like a bell resounding through the night, her gaze so resolute it seemed to pierce Zhou Yan's heart, making him feel a twinge of fear.
Zhou Yan's face changed, "Hmph, since you've discovered our secret, don't blame me for being ruthless. Men, kill them!" At Zhou Yan's command, his subordinates pounced like wolves, their eyes bloodthirsty, their blades glinting coldly in the moonlight.
At this critical moment, the sound of rapid horse hooves suddenly approached. The Emperor had learned of the plot and rushed to the rescue with the imperial guards. "Bold Zhou Yan, how dare you rebel? Arrest him!" the Emperor roared angrily, his voice like a tolling bell resounding through the night. Dressed in his dragon robe and mounted on a tall horse, he was awe-inspiring, his majesty capable of quelling all evil.
Zhou Yan and his men fought desperately, but as they saw their comrades falling one by one, bloodied and battered, they knelt and begged for mercy, their arrogance vanishing without a trace, replaced by fear and despair. Their bodies trembled, their eyes filled with terror, as if they saw the approach of doom.
Lin Yue and Concubine Hui finally escaped danger, the boulder in their hearts finally lifting, smiles of relief crossing their faces. Back in the palace, the Emperor severely punished Zhou Yan, Concubine Yuan, and others, shattering the conspiracy. Zhou Yan was thrown into prison, awaiting legal punishment; Concubine Yuan was stripped of her title, reduced to commoner status, and sentenced to spend the rest of her life in the Cold Palace.
Thanks to this incident, Lin Yue completely eliminated the hidden dangers in the harem. Her body gradually recovered under nourishment, restoring her former radiance. Her once-pale face regained its rosy hue, and her eyes were filled with confidence and resolve once more.
Through this soul-stirring event, Lin Yue gained a deeper understanding of the complexity of the harem and the court.