Chapter Fifty-Three: The Quarrel in the Palace of Tranquil Earth

Consort Dowager Zheng wore a look of mockery as she gazed at the Empress Guo, who was already teetering on the edge of madness. With a cold sneer, she said, “I sought your cooperation because you, too, have your own interests at stake—we simply share a common goal. Now that our grand plan has begun, you wish for the Emperor to kill his own son. Never mind whether you can succeed, it will certainly arouse the Emperor’s suspicion. Should that ruin our endeavor, would you not gain nothing but loss? You are blinded by rage. What you need now is to regain your composure. When you are calm, then speak to me again!” As she spoke, Consort Dowager Zheng found a high-backed chair and sat down, falling silent.

Empress Guo fixed her gaze on Consort Dowager Zheng for a long moment, then took a deep breath and said, “You claim your plan has already commenced and fear my actions will undermine it. Yet, when I first had someone approach you and had Chief Minister Fang persuade the Eastern Forest faction to support executing that bastard, you readily agreed. But then you stabbed me in the back, allowing the Emperor to counterattack and resolve his crisis. I believe you owe me an explanation—not to come here and lord it over me with ridicule!”

Consort Dowager Zheng responded with a serene expression, “I’ve just explained this to you. As for why I agreed at the time, you had already lost all reason. If I had refused, who knows what else you might have done? I would not have been able to stop you. That is why I pretended to agree.”

Her tone softened as she continued, “My dear Empress, think about it—if our plan succeeds, you will rule from behind the curtain as the Empress Dowager. Then you may deal with anyone as you wish. Why jeopardize everything for the sake of this moment’s wrath? Everything I’ve done is for your own good. Right and wrong—consider them carefully! Do not lose all sense because of your anger.”

At those words, Empress Guo snorted coldly. “Anger may have caused me to lose my judgment, but that is no excuse for your betrayal. Besides, that heartless man already threatens to depose both the Crown Prince and myself—how can I simply swallow such humiliation? Why should I endure it? Since you’ve sabotaged my plans, don’t expect my cooperation in the future!”

Though she spoke thus, deep down Empress Guo understood clearly: in her current predicament, she had no other path but to cooperate with Consort Dowager Zheng. Yet, to be stabbed in the back like this—no matter her status—was intolerable. Thus, she spoke as she did.

Consort Dowager Zheng snorted in turn. “My Empress, you are the one who must cooperate now—not me. I could very well live quietly as Dowager Consort. The Emperor has always treated me with respect; I lack for nothing. But if you persist in this folly, who knows how much longer you will sit on the Empress’s throne? Perhaps soon, it will have a new occupant. You might even lose your precious life!”

These words left no room for Empress Guo’s dignity. Consort Dowager Zheng deliberately pressed her sorest spots, and Empress Guo could not maintain her composure. She sprang from her throne, her face twisted with fury, and pointed at Consort Dowager Zheng. “You—how dare you! Even if I am deposed, you will never become Empress! A woman who has never sat upon the throne herself—what right have you to speak to me so? How laughable!”

Stung by Consort Dowager Zheng’s words, Empress Guo struck back with abandon, laying bare Zheng’s own wounds. Consort Dowager Zheng trembled with rage, pointing at Empress Guo and cursing, “You wretch! How dare you speak to me like this? Have you forgotten to respect your elders? Have you forgotten how you used to beg me to plead for your husband? Now that you’re on the throne, you dare speak thus? Ungrateful woman!”

The two women, exposing each other’s deepest pains, lost all reason in their fury. A vicious battle of words erupted in the Hall of Kunning—two women, unrestrained, hurling personal attacks at one another.

No one knew how long they argued. In the end, it was the slightly older Consort Dowager Zheng who first ran out of strength. She collapsed into her chair, panting heavily, and waved her hand. “Empress, this is pointless. No matter who wins this argument, what does it matter? If we do not find a way soon, the women of the harem—all of us—will have to bow to that Lady Liu. Think how you once treated her—do you have any doubt what she will do to you when she rules the inner palace?”

Consort Dowager Zheng’s words pierced Empress Guo’s heart, redirecting her anger from Zheng to Lady Liu, Zhu Hao’s mother. Empress Guo sneered, “That vile woman! I was too merciful to her in the past. Had I known things would come to this, I would have ensured she and her bastard son vanished from this world long ago. I was soft-hearted then, and now I pay the price! But I will not sit and await my doom. To depose me and the Crown Prince and take our place? She dreams! I will not let her succeed!”

With that, Empress Guo looked back at Consort Dowager Zheng. “Advance your plan swiftly! I will overlook your actions this time, but if you betray me again, even if that heartless man deposes me, I will no longer work with you. Remember my words!”

Consort Dowager Zheng inwardly scoffed: “When my plan succeeds, if you dare speak to me like this again, I will depose you myself! The power to remove an Empress is not the Emperor’s alone. For now, I will endure you. Through your hand, I will achieve my grand ambition. The future of the Ming realm will be in my hands!” These wicked thoughts, of course, she kept to herself, and Empress Guo remained unaware.

Collecting her thoughts, Consort Dowager Zheng put on a sincere smile. “Empress, rest assured. I will inform you of my every move from now on. As for what happened before, I apologize. Let us not quarrel over trifles—the future demands our cooperation.”

Empress Guo snorted. “Since you say as much, so be it. I am tired. Go and rest. If there are any developments, have someone inform me. The Hall of Kunning is a place of trouble now—best you stay away until the new Emperor ascends.”

Seeing Empress Guo’s emotions stabilizing, Consort Dowager Zheng felt the weight lift from her heart. She knew the Hall of Kunning was now a dangerous place for her, but after having tricked Empress Guo over Zhu Hao’s killing of Eastern Forest’s Cui Shi, she had no choice but to come and offer an apology. Without this, not only would future cooperation be impossible, but Guo might have sabotaged her plans in a fit of rage.

Hearing Empress Guo’s words, Consort Dowager Zheng nodded. “The Empress speaks wisely. From now on, we will send messages through intermediaries. We must avoid arousing suspicion through close contact. At this moment, caution is our greatest ally—so our grand plan may succeed without fail.”

Empress Guo nodded silently, her face a mask of complicated emotion. Thus, these two most powerful women of the Inner Palace, after a stormy confrontation, parted in silence.

Meanwhile, in his private chambers, Zhu Hao had no inkling that, in the brief time he had summoned Wei Xiaobao, such a great upheaval had occurred in the Hall of Kunning. The two most powerful women of the harem had once again come into deep and dangerous contact, and the tides of fate were about to shift.

Just after Zhu Hao had assigned tasks to his people and was waiting for their reports, Wei Xiaobao, who had only just left, returned in haste. The joy he wore when he first departed had vanished, replaced by terror. Zhu Hao saw at a glance that something had happened. Before Wei Xiaobao could speak, he asked, “Xiaobao, why are you so flustered? What has happened?”

Wei Xiaobao collapsed to the ground, gasping so violently he couldn’t get the words out. Zhu Hao, growing anxious himself, nevertheless soothed him, “It’s all right, Xiaobao. The sky isn’t falling. Speak slowly—there’s no need to rush.”

After a few deep breaths, Wei Xiaobao stammered, “Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Just as I returned, there was a loud quarrel in the Hall of Kunning. The imperial guards told me, since I was not present. I asked who entered the hall, but none of them saw anyone come in. I have failed in my duty and ask Your Highness for punishment!”

Hearing this, Zhu Hao immediately caught the key point. A quarrel in the Hall of Kunning could only mean the old witch was arguing with someone. No palace maid or eunuch would dare make such a commotion in her presence. Although she had been confined, her status remained formidable. Whoever dared argue with her must be someone extraordinary, yet their identity was unknown—a decidedly tricky matter.

After pondering for a long moment, Zhu Hao finally said, “This is not your fault—I was the one who summoned you away. Return now, investigate quietly, and keep a close watch. The person who argued with the Empress may return. You must find out who this person is for me. This individual may be a key figure.”