The Treacherous Concubine’s Guide To Whitewashing

The Treacherous Concubine's Guide to Whitewashing

Chapter 11, Pt 2 - Li Jie Yu

"How is her condition?"

"I heard from imperial doctor Tian a few days ago that Li Jie Yu was frustrated, possibly because an old illness that has yet to heal."

Yuan Luo frowned, "This palace will go take a look."

Bringing everyone northward, she discovered that the place where Li Jie Yu resided was really cold and desolate and that it was in the far northeast corner of the imperial palace. The yard in front of the palace was full of overgrown weeds. Yuan Luo and her party approached, but the palace did not even have a door keeper to greet them.

After entering the main hall, the medical officer in charge of diagnosis and treatment came out to kneel and kowtow. Yuan Luo entered the inner palace hall and immediately saw a slender girl lying on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her expression was gloomy. The room was clean and tidy, but the smell of medicine was strong and suffocating.

Arriving at the front of the hospital bed, Yuan Luo was disconcerted when she saw Li Jie Yu’s face clearly.

It was no wonder that Si Xi hadn’t elaborated on what she’d said before. What about her appearance could overturn a nation? What about her could make Sikong Lin[1] so happy and would personally confer a title on Jie Yu? She had thought she would be an immortal beauty, so that fools like Sikong Lin[1] would be emotionally affected.

Well, Li Jie Yu was very beautiful, but her general facial features resembled Yuan Luo to a striking degree. Sikong Lin[1] completely enjoyed the novelty, therefore he personally conferred the title. And East China Sea king, Sikong Yan, had sent such a beauty into the palace deliberately to provide stress for the original owner!

It's no wonder that the original owner was so utterly discomfited that she ordered someone to ruin Li Jie Yu's appearance.

Now, Li Jie Yu’s face had a solitary and striking dark spot, which was extremely obvious on her fair skin. There were also two or three scratches on her lower jaw. Her original face was completely ruined. She was only fifteen or sixteen years old. She was quite pathetic.

Yuan Luo felt pity in her heart then suddenly remembered something. She remembered in the original book that Yuan Luo was formally punished and among the many crimes announced to the world were the mutilation of an imperial concubine followed by the persecution of Zhong Liang.

This Li Jie Yu was formerly from an aristocratic family, but was implicated in the King of Chang Sha's plans for rebellion. She was convicted, denounced, and reduced to living among the common people. She was collected by the East China Sea king's subordinates and was offered an entrance into the palace. A few years later, details of the mutilation case were spread repeatedly and her family, after feeling unjustly treated, wanted to clear away their grievances.

It was discovered that Zhong Liang's daughter was tortured to death in the palace, so Yuan Luo had another charge added to her accusations.

Considering all that was needed for the great undertaking of whitewashing, Yuan Luo sighed. She ordered the medical officer to carefully diagnosis and treat the patient and let Si Xi obtain a lot of medicinal materials.

----

Outside the palace in the mansion of East China Sea king.

Sikong Yan was standing in the study, discussing the procedures of the ceremony with a few trusted aides.

Du Wang, a Ministry of Rites’ doctor, said with a smile, "The altar for the sacrifices is completely prepared. It just waits for the fool to approach it and then you can implement according to the plan."

Sikong Yan smiled and said: "This plan is flawless, thanks to Master Han's writings."

Han Chang Wen, the left governor of the Ministry of Works, hurriedly bowed: “I dare not accept such praise. Heaven blesses the prince. That the Ministry of Works discovered such a strange thing shows that it is clearly the will of Heaven for things to be this way. A foolish son must not claim such a high position."

Du Wang interrupted and said, "But only yesterday, Concubine Feng went to the Temple of Heaven and apparently she was somewhat dissatisfied with the arrangement of the decorations."

Han Chang Wen took exception to his words: "A married woman’s opinion doesn’t mean much, nor should you pay attention to it. The altar decorations are all subject to ancestral rules. Is she able, as a woman, to point out even three or four of the rules?"

Du Wang thought about it. Then he nodded, sighed, and said: "It’s because of that foolish son on the throne that we have such a thing as this woman who meddles in politics."

Sikong Yan lowered his gaze: "In point of fact, I honestly don't wish to cause internal fighting, but this is for the people of the realm and I have no other choice."

His face was full of guilt and helplessness. Moreover, his just and honest prominence was clearly meaningful and vivid.

Several trusted aides persuaded repeatedly: "National and imperial affairs are related to all the people in the world. How can we allow a foolish young child to be in control of arrogate power?" This was why they were willing to take risks to support the East China Sea king.

Following their persuasion from the left and right, Sikong Yan smiled.

Once everyone had finished negotiating details, Sikong Yan personally escorted the trusted aides out of the mansion and returned to the inner hall to think carefully.

The major restaurants in the capital already had the manpower arranged and once the sacrificial ceremony was complete, the rumors would begin to spread.

Having this kind of disturbance happen at a solemn sacrificial ceremony, even the steady, former Emperor or old officials would very likely call into question the rationality of Sikong Lin, this fool, succeeding to the throne.

He then recalled that they had just mentioned that Yuan Luo had visited the sacrificial site of the Temple of Heaven. Sikong Yan couldn’t help but remember how she spoke with a frank and assured attitude in Qianqing Palace a few days ago.

Indeed, she was a stunning beauty. An extraordinarily beautiful woman like that ought to be reclining on a couch permitting a man to properly enjoy the treat. Contrary to expectation, she spoke idly about important matters and had set herself against him, which made him angry. Humph, wait until the future...

He had a firm and persistent temperament and was not deeply engrossed with charming women. There were only two or three concubines in his residence, but bringing to mind the figure which was completely different from weak women in the bedroom, unexpectedly, his throat tightened.

A maid came forward and offered tea.

Sikong Yan's gaze fell on her plain white wrist holding the tea cup. He took that hand and pulled her into his arms.

At first the maid panicked, but soon her expression was cheerful once more.

With no mood to say anything, Sikong Lin pushed her onto a soft couch and directly lifted the hem of the maid’s complicated skirt, revealing her slender, white legs.

Leaning down, he regretted the other woman who should not have been sent into the Emperor’s palace. Immediately after entering, her face had been disfigured. In vain, she was now a chess piece with no purpose.  He might as well have left her behind his residence for his amusement.

----
TN:
[1] Original text had Sikong Yan (司空彦) in a few instances, which doesn’t make much sense in the context where they were used. Sikong Lin (司空霖) was the individual who conferred a title on her due to her resemblance to Yuan Luo, unless somehow the author meant that Sikong Yan conferred a title on her before she was married into the palace, but that also doesn’t make much sense.