The Legend of Zhen Huan: Year after year, we share the spring breeze

Chapter 170: Apricot Blossom Spring Pavilion

In the quiet and peaceful Qingliang Palace, the gorgeous curtains sway gently, and the sunlight shines through the window lattices, casting mottled light and shadows.

Concubine Hua lay lifeless on the bed, her face as pale as paper, and her originally bright and moving eyes became dull and lifeless, losing all their spirit.

She stared at the incense burner in the hall as if her soul had been sucked out. The wisps of smoke rising from the burner were like an invisible, ferocious hand, tightly strangling her slender throat, almost suffocating her.

Suddenly, she seemed to go mad, her voice sharp and shrill: "Songzhi, quickly... quickly put out the incense and throw the incense burner away! Quickly!

Songzhi was stunned. This was the Empress' favorite Huanyixiang!

Seeing that Songzhi did not move, Nian Shilan suddenly jumped up from the bed, completely ignoring her bare feet, and ran straight towards the incense burner.

Songzhi finally came to her senses and hugged Nian Shilan tightly with both hands, "Your Majesty, what's wrong with you? This is Huanyi incense. The Emperor personally ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make Huanyi incense!"

This further spurred Nian Shilan on. She struggled to break free from Songzhi's restraints, ran forward a few steps, and with all her might, pushed hard against the incense burner with both hands. The incense burner teetered under her fierce impact, but ultimately held. Unwilling to give up, she attacked again, veins popping out on her forehead and her face flushing crimson from the excessive force.

Seeing this, Songzhi burst into tears and shouted anxiously, "My queen, please be careful! Don't hurt yourself. I will send someone to handle it immediately."

After saying that, he ran outside the hall and called two young eunuchs to carry the incense burner out of the bedroom.

Nian Shilan was already in a frenzy at this time. Seeing the incense burner being carried away, she still felt it was not enough. "Songzhi, open the windows quickly, quickly, open all the windows, open the doors too, quickly!"

Songzhi didn't dare to delay and quickly opened all the doors and windows.

After a moment, the suffocatingly strong fragrance gradually dissipated with the breeze.

Nian Shilan then sat back on the bed. After all this trouble, her makeup was messy and her hair was disheveled.

Seeing her master's crazy look, Songzhi was a little scared and asked softly, "My lady, what's wrong with you?"

Nian Shilan seemed not to hear Songzhi's question at all. She just stared blankly out the window with empty eyes and muttered some incomprehensible words to herself.

Songzhi listened carefully, and after hearing the Queen's words clearly, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and she could not believe her ears at all. The Queen said:

There is musk in Huanyixiang.

The emperor doesn't want her to have children!

The emperor has been lying to her!

Why!

Nian Shilan couldn't understand.

Once upon a time, the immense wealth seemed so real, but it was nothing but an illusion; the emperor's love for her was now just false; and the so-called husband-wife relationship that she had built up with him over the years was like a mirage, so fragile that it could be easily destroyed.

So what is true?

I don’t know how long it took, but the sky gradually darkened.

Dejected, Nian Shilan put on her shoes and stumbled out of Qingliang Palace. She looked up at the starry sky, its glittering light like gems inlaid in the night sky. She slowly reached out, wanting to touch the distant light, but in an instant, her arm fell back down, powerless.

Looking back, the magnificent and tall palace looked like a ferocious beast with a bloody mouth, which would pounce on her and devour her completely in the next second.

She wants to escape.

Walking aimlessly along the Houhu Lake, Songzhi followed her closely, not daring to slack off for a moment.

A crescent moon like a silver hook is slowly climbing up the deep night sky above, casting a cool light. The summer breeze blows gently, bringing a little coolness, making the surrounding leaves rustle, and the crescent moon is also swaying gently in the breeze.

Walking past the Qinzheng Hall, passing the Bitong Academy, and passing by Shangxia Tianguang, Nian Shilan did not stop. After an unknown amount of time, the master and servant came to a vegetable garden again.

"This is where?"

"Your Majesty, this is the Xinghuachun Pavilion, it's... it's where Concubine Duan lives!"

Nian Shilan murmured, "Concubine Duan..."

Before Songzhi could react, Nian Shilan had already walked in.

Located northwest of Houhu Lake and surrounded by water, Xinghuachun Pavilion is inspired by pastoral scenery. Besides the surrounding apricot trees, many of the landscape features are related to agriculture, including vegetable plots, canals, and earthen hills. The name "Xinghuachun Pavilion" evokes the sentiment of the poem, "I asked where the tavern was, and the shepherd boy pointed to Xinghua Village in the distance."

Among the many richly landscaped gardens at the Old Summer Palace, the Xinghuachun Pavilion stands out. Its architectural form, arrangement of flowers and trees, and pastoral scenery not only embody a unique palace aesthetic but also express the Qing emperors' philosophy of governing the country based on agriculture and sericulture, as well as their yearning for a refined and pleasant rural life.

Although Yinzhen, though not particularly prominent among Kangxi's many sons, ultimately triumphed in the battle for the throne among the nine princes, this place played a crucial role. Seeing his father diligently cultivating a plot of land in the Fengze Garden of Zhongnanhai, earning the reputation of "the Taiping Emperor is a teacher of agriculture," Yinzhen took advantage of the farmland and, emulating his father's diligent cultivation of the land and his study of agriculture, earned his father's affection. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he officially named the place "Xinghuachun Pavilion," preserving its rural charm and the simple character of a farmhouse.

At this moment, the faint candlelight in the main hall flickered, emitting a dim and warm glow. Nian Shilan slowly walked towards the faint candlelight.

When she reached the front of the temple, the people inside heard the noise and opened the door.

Seeing who was coming, Jixiang was stunned at first, then a look of fear appeared on her face, and she shouted in a trembling voice: "Empress Hua!" Then, she subconsciously opened her arms and blocked the door, saying anxiously: "My queen has gone to bed, please come back when you have time!"

Nian Shilan stood quietly at the door, as silent as a sculpture.

Just as Jixiang was about to speak, Nian Shilan suddenly came to her senses. She suddenly realized where she was and felt panic and uneasiness in her heart. She subconsciously wanted to turn around and leave.

Before she could move, a gentle and weak voice sounded in the room: "Jixiang, who's here?"

For a moment, Nian Shilan stood there blankly as if she was under a spell. The whole world seemed to be plunged into dead silence, only the breeze gently brushed through Nian Shilan's hair, making a slight rustling sound.

Seeing that Nian Shilan didn't say anything, Jixiang didn't dare to speak either, for fear that he would accidentally offend this queen.