7:00 PM, Yongning Palace.
A woman draped in a phoenix robe sat composed before her vanity, preparing to undress for the night. Several palace maids hovered around, attending to Empress Qian, who bore the mantle of Mother of the Nation. Though born of humble origins, the Empress carried herself with grace and solemn dignity.
"Your Majesty, the Grand General is at the palace gate. He says he has an urgent matter to discuss."
Empress Qian paused, reinserting the hairpin she had just removed, and stood up without a change in expression. The eunuch attending to her understood at once and shouted toward the palace gates: "Announce him!"
"By order, the Grand General is summoned!"
Grand General Qian Yong, clad in golden scaled armor and radiating an imposing air, strode in. As a member of the imperial nobility, he paid no mind to the guards at the gates. He hurried to the Empress, bypassing the usual courtesies, and blurted out, "Empress."
Empress Qian dismissed the attendants, frowning in displeasure. "Brother, how can you be so discourteous in front of others? Our stations are different now. Do not violate protocol and give people cause for gossip!"
"Sister, I heard the Emperor’s health has recovered. Is this true?"
Empress Qian gave a light chuckle. "Brother, have you been drinking?"
"That day, I saw the Emperor gasping for his final breaths; even the imperial physicians were helpless. How could his health possibly be restored in such a short time?"
"Fu’er is the Crown Prince, and his succession is a certainty. Where on earth did you hear such a rumor?"
Qian Yong hesitated for a moment before saying, "What you saw with your own eyes cannot be false, but the news I received today is also absolutely certain."
"It came from a personal maid who has served the Emperor for years. She said the Emperor has fully recovered and went straight to Yuxiao Palace upon returning to the inner palace."
"Sister, if the Emperor has truly recovered, the matter of Fu’er ascending the throne will need to be reconsidered."
Empress Qian swept up her robes and stood, her expression turning ice-cold. "Nonsense! It is impossible for him to be healed! I intend to see for myself which blind fool dares to spread rumors and cause trouble in this palace!"
Qian Yong bowed hastily. "Then I shall leave it to you, Sister, to go to Yuxiao Palace and find the truth!"
***
9:00 PM, inside Yuxiao Palace.
The hall was ablaze with light, enveloped in swirling mist. A dozen palace maids in sheer red silk skirts crowded the edge of the pool, jostling to help Zhao Zheng change his clothes. Per the instructions of Grand Eunuch Cao, Zhao Zheng donned a light undergarment and strode into the grand hall, making sure to be seen by as many eunuchs and maids as possible—a deliberate, flagrant display.
His objective was clear: to let the eyes and ears of the noble families planted in the palace see for themselves that the Emperor of Dazhen had recovered. Today, the Emperor had given him a crucial task: to deal with the consorts of the inner palace. With the Emperor suddenly "recovered," the consorts’ inquiries were inevitable. As the Emperor’s body double, he could not avoid these encounters. Tonight was his first performance. His life depended on his acting skills.
Mist billowed around him. The dozen maids were dressed in fabrics so sheer they might as well have been wearing nothing. They poured hot water and flower petals into the white jade pool, kneeling at the edge. They knew that if they were favored by the Emperor, they would rise to greatness overnight.
Amidst their soft chatter, Zhao Zheng opened his arms, allowing the maids to strip away his garments. He stepped into the pool, letting the scalding water submerge him. The mist rose, obscuring his vision.
"What are you standing there for? Get in and attend to me!"
At his command, the maids jumped into the pool like dumplings into a pot. Surrounded by the graceful women, Zhao Zheng laughed and bantered with them. Outside the hall, Grand Eunuch Cao heard the laughter and nodded in satisfaction.
"He has clearly shed his old ways. From now on, he will indulge in luxury and drown in pleasure here."
Cao Zhengchun signaled to a nearby eunuch. The eunuch approached the pool with a tray, trembling. "Your Majesty, it is time to choose a consort for the night."
Zhao Zheng, who had been playing with the maids, perked up. He knew exactly what it meant to "choose a tablet." He was essentially cuckolding the Emperor of Dazhen! According to Cao Zhengchun’s briefing, most of the consorts were insignificant, but three required his special attention.
The first was Empress Qian, the Emperor’s legal wife. Their relationship had soured over the years; they were harmonious in appearance but discordant in heart. Since her son became Crown Prince, their conflicts had intensified, and the Emperor had even considered deposing the heir.
The second was Noble Consort Li, once the Emperor’s most favored. She had been the height of fashion and affection until rumors spread that she was of foreign descent, after which the Emperor lost interest. Though she was not sent to the cold palace, her current state was no different. She had no servants and was bullied at will by the other consorts.
The third was Consort Zhang, currently the Emperor’s favorite. The Empress Dowager had brought her into the palace to keep Empress Qian in check. With a single performance of the "Rainbow Skirt" dance, she had so mesmerized the Emperor that he had lost interest in his morning court sessions.
This was all the information Zhao Zheng had. Since he had the choice, he could not choose randomly.
"It seems there is no real choice to be made."
Noble Consort Li’s side was relatively safer. Zhao Zheng thought to himself, too lazy to even flip a tablet. He said in a low voice, "Prepare the carriage for Youning Palace."
The young eunuch stared, stunned, his tray nearly slipping from his hands. Why would the Emperor suddenly want to see Noble Consort Li? She was a discarded consort!
The surrounding maids and eunuchs were equally wide-eyed with shock. No one had expected the neglected Noble Consort Li to have a day of resurgence. They had all kicked her when she was down; if she were to regain favor, they would all be in mortal danger.
Grand Eunuch Cao, waiting at the palace entrance, heard that Zhao Zheng was heading to Youning Palace and grabbed the eunuch by the collar. "Why is the Emperor not going to Consort Zhang?"
"Grand Eunuch, I don't know! Those were the Emperor’s own words, I would never dare to lie!"
Cao Zhengchun’s face grew heavy. What was this body double playing at? Had he not told him that Consort Zhang was the favorite?
Just as the servants were in a panic, a voice rang out from outside the gates: "Empress has arrived!"
In Yuxiao Palace, all the servants knelt to welcome her. Empress Qian entered with two personal maids, walking with a steady, imposing gait. At the height of her beauty, wearing a golden phoenix crown, she approached the pool with ethereal grace. The mist blocked her view; she could only discern the silhouette of a man.
"Your Majesty?" she probed.
Zhao Zheng, sitting on the other side of the pool, could also only see her outline. "What brings you here, Empress?"
His voice was bone-chillingly cold, leaving the Empress shocked. A few days ago, he had been gasping for his final breath. To hear him now, full of vigor, was incomprehensible! Could her brother have been right? Had the Emperor truly recovered?
Regaining her composure, Empress Qian bowed. "I have been deeply worried for your health, Your Majesty, and have prayed for you at the temple every day. To think you have truly recovered! My heart is filled with joy."
Zhao Zheng sneered inwardly. Of the three, Empress Qian was the one most desperate for the Emperor to die, so her son could ascend and her family could solidify their power. She had come to probe for the truth. Zhao Zheng was no fool; he knew the Emperor had cultivated him as a body double for exactly this reason—to show these people what they wanted to see.
He rose from the pool and allowed the maids to dress him. "If there is nothing else, Empress, you may leave."
Empress Qian craned her neck, trying to see more clearly. Only when the rosy-faced Zhao Zheng walked toward her did she find her breath hitching. He looked nothing like a dying man; he looked… as if he had been restored to his prime.
"Prepare the carriage for Youning Palace."
Zhao Zheng didn't even glance at the Empress as he walked coldly out of the palace. Empress Qian stood frozen, watching his retreating figure. The imperial authority he had projected moments ago had made her feel suffocated. She had never felt such fear.
She took a deep breath and turned to her maid. "Go quickly. Tell the Grand General: the Emperor has recovered."