CHAPTER 130
In the third episode of "Deep in the Palace," Lu Jingnian, playing Su He, made her official debut. Through a conversation between her and a few younger palace maids, the audience understood that she was a quiet, introverted, and even a bit timid palace maid.
Her voice was soft and delicate, rarely lifting her head, yet the camera captured her angles perfectly—her ancient costume exuding an elegant, serene beauty.
Another scene showed her delivering pastries to Liang Ji.
Beneath the city walls where autumn leaves rustled with a cool breeze after the rain, Su He handed Liang Ji the treats. Her eyes remained lowered, cheeks flushed as she murmured, "...I made these myself. I heard you like sweets."
She pressed the small pastry box into Liang Ji's hands, her face burning red, then turned and hurried away. After taking a few steps, she looked back to secretly glance at Liang Ji, embodying the bashful charm of a maiden—like "lowering her head to sniff the plum blossoms," hesitant yet longing.
Xiaoyuan hadn't gone to Zou Yirui's place to watch the third and fourth episodes together. Instead, she watched alone at home, distracted, constantly checking her phone. Finally, a call came through—but it was Ruan Qing.
"Sweetheart, what are you up to?"
"Nothing much..." Xiaoyuan replied listlessly.
"I saw Zou Yirui and Zhou Yu both posted on Weibo. Do you want to make an appearance too?"
'Zhou Yu had posted?' After finishing the episodes, she had just sat there in a daze, not even checking social media. Xiaoyuan steadied herself and said, "Let me take a look first."
She hung up and switched to Weibo.
Zhou Yu: [So good! (crying emoji)]
The accompanying photo showed him watching Deep in the Palace on a tablet in his hotel room. Zou Yirui and the others had already interacted with the post. With the drama's popularity soaring, their reposts fueled discussions, quickly pushing it into the top ten trending topics.
Xiaoyuan scrolled through the hot searches. Zhou Yu's post was among the top, but the number one spots were occupied by:
"Liang Ji, absolutely unreal!"
"Xiang Xiaoyuan."
She was momentarily stunned.
Clicking into the trending topic, she saw:
[I'm on my knees! The first half had me shocked at Suhe and Liang Ji's implied relationship, but then the second half—Liang Ji and the Crown Prince? BL, right? Holy mother of—I was gaping! I watched it with my mom, and we were both stunned! There wasn't even anything explicit, but my face was on fire!!!]
[In Episode 4, I was still guessing who killed the poor little prince, and then Liang Ji gets tortured—my heart ached! But then later, he's serving the Empress?! I don't even know if this is BL or GL anymore! I nearly crushed my mouse in shock! Too intense!]
[There wasn't even anything expl!cit! Just a couple of subtle sounds, and my nose bled! And when He Chenying gripped her chin—I wanted to scream: PUSH HER DOWN!! Don't hold back, just go for it!]
[All I could think was—rip his clothes off!! Forgive me for my sins!]
[But seriously... that scene with the Crown Prince was so tragically beautiful. The cinematography was stunning too. When Liang Ji descended the steps, that air of being ravaged—I should've felt heartbroken, but my inner wolf was howling!!!]
[Only Xiang Xiaoyuan could pull off such a coldly elegant yet tragic harem role! Her acting range is incredible! Oh my god! She's just perfect for it! The director has such a sharp eye!]
[So who actually k!lled the young prince? (trying to stay calm while analyzing)...]
[It seems Liang Ji passed by Yuxi Palace, and Suhe was also spotted there, so... (barely maintaining rationality)]
[Which faction does Liang Ji belong to anyway? Is she with that newly introduced Prince Rui?]
[Truly 'Xiang Xiaoyuan dominates all charm, captivating whether playing male or female roles!']
[Pfft! That poetic line on the far right...]
[Changing the subject, the Empress Dowager terrifies me, and that Eunuch Zheng too—all smiles yet so sinister...]
There were simply too many buzzing Weibo posts to read them all. She skipped to her own account, usually managed by Tiantian. Around the premiere of "Deep in the Palace," a few promotional posts had been made on her behalf.
Ruan Qing probably wanted her to interact with Zhou Yu and the others, right? So Xiaoyuan reposted Zhou Yu's Weibo without paying much attention to what she wrote.
After posting, she exhaled as if completing a task and collapsed onto the sofa.
Why hadn't that woman reacted at all after being blocked?
What was she even doing?
What was she thinking?
Xiaoyuan felt utterly frustrated.
The next day was Sunday. Clearly, the intensity of episodes three and four had left a huge impact—discussions about the show flooded Weibo, Douban forums, Rabbit Zone, and other major platforms.
With "Deep in the Palace" halfway through its run, the buzz had already cemented it as the breakout drama of the second half of the year. It had everything viewers wanted: depth, plot, stellar acting, catfights, melodrama, and provocative subtext.
Gao, the assistant, refreshed Weibo and noticed a prominent influencer had posted GIFs of Liang Ji's two int!mate scenes.
One showed clothes rustling by the bed behind a palace screen, ripples of emotion flickering in Liang Ji's eyes.
The other showed the Empress tilting Liang Ji's chin before sliding open her collar.
A poll accompanied the post, asking which scene was more alluring.
Assistant Gao itched with curiosity but had to vote to see the results. She blindly picked the first option, only to discover that after an hour, over 50,000 votes had been cast—with the latter scene winning by more than double.
Scrolling through comments, she found everyone raving about the chemistry between He Chenying and Xiang Xiaoyuan, declaring He the ultimate "top" in their ship...
Assistant Gao sighed. The boss's defenses were crumbling—who knew how she'd react to this?
On a chilly November night, Wei Zhuang swam several laps in the rooftop pool. Pausing at the edge to rest, she tilted her head back, gazing through the glass ceiling at the moonless, windless sky.
The night was cool as water.
Dark clouds veiled the heavens.
Under the pale lighting, her skin resembled polished jade. Wei Zhuang leaned against the poolside, her eyes deep and unreadable.
After a while, she climbed out, wrapped herself in a large towel, and picked up her phone. She seemed to deliberate for a long moment before sending a WeChat message.
The next second, her brows furrowed.
A glaring red "!" appeared in the chat bubble.
She stood motionless for a long time, silent. Eventually, she set the towel aside, slipped into a robe, and strode inside with her long legs.
She went inside to take a hot shower, running her fingers through her damp black hair. Her eyes gleamed coldly as she tightened her grip on the phone and finally made the call.
After three or four rings, the call connected. Xiaoyuan's voice sounded indifferent, almost disinterested, yet there was a suppressed lift at the end of her tone. "Hello? What do you want?"
"Why did you block me on WeChat?"
"..." Xiaoyuan clenched her hand. If asked for a reason, she wouldn't even know how to explain it.
Saying "I'm mad at you" would only invite the question, "Why are you mad?"
But she didn't want to say it. It felt pointless—just an inexplicable sense of grievance, always hoping the other would show more, say more, instead of leaving everything to her imagination.
Yet if she didn't speak up, this woman might never understand.
Tangled in these thoughts, Xiaoyuan's mood soured further. The initial thrill of "she called me first" faded, replaced by bitterness: "If I hadn't blocked you, would you have even called?"
Driven by this resentment, her reply came out stiff. "...I blocked you because I felt like it."
The moment the words left her mouth, Xiaoyuan regretted them—but she stubbornly held her ground. On the other end, Wei Zhuang fell silent.
The pause stretched so long that Xiaoyuan wondered if she'd hung up—but she hadn't.
"You can be angry," Wei Zhuang finally said. "But you have to tell me why. I don't like it when you talk like this."
Xiaoyuan stiffened at her tone and couldn't help retorting, "If you don't even know why I'm angry, what's the point of me saying anything?"
Wei Zhuang went quiet again.
Xiaoyuan's frustration deepened, as if she were being roasted over a fire.
When Wei Zhuang spoke again, her voice carried a cold detachment, weighed down by unspoken emotions. "We shouldn't talk right now. Let's wait until you've calmed down."
The flames of anger surged inside Xiaoyuan, scorching her in waves. A sliver of rationality held her back from saying something worse, and she pressed her lips tightly together.
Wei Zhuang waited another two seconds—then ended the call.
Xiaoyuan collapsed onto the sofa in frustration.
'So annoying! That big bad wolf!'
She grabbed her phone, swiped to the call log, and stared at the number. Come to think of it, this was the first time they hadn't used WeChat for a call.
After a long hesitation, she still couldn't bring herself to block Wei Zhuang's number.
'Ugh, so irritating! She really is the worst!'
She tossed her phone aside again.
Episodes five and six aired over the weekend, and viewers quickly realized every installment was packed with drama. The mystery of the young prince's death remained unsolved when the Emperor fell ill. Meanwhile, the emperor's aunt—Princess Fuchong, played by Lu Yue—and his younger brother, Prince Rui, began revealing their ambitions.
With the Emperor bedridden, the Empress and Consort Zheng competed to attend to him, feigning concern while secretly fearing his sudden demise. Both probed for hints about the imperial edict, worsening the emperor's condition. Right by his sickbed, the Empress and Consort Zheng clashed openly.
One moment, Consort Zheng was viciously berating someone—the next, hearing the Emperor stir, she dropped to her knees in tears, her voice trembling with sorrow. "Your Majesty, please don't leave us! My son is already gone... without you, I have nothing left to live for..."
The Empress reprimanded, "Consort Zheng, the Emperor is unwell and needs peace to rest. Do not disturb him here!"
"Shut your mouth!" Consort Zheng hissed through clenched teeth, her words laced with venom, "...Now everything has gone exactly as you wished."
The Empress glanced at her and said lightly, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
The Emperor was seized by a violent coughing fit. He slapped the bed, gasping for breath, "Enough... enough..."
The Empress signaled to her two attendants, who seized Consort Zheng from both sides. "Escort Consort Zheng back to her palace."
"How dare you?" Consort Zheng's attendants and eunuchs had been detained outside by the Empress's people. Forced into a humiliating bow, she had never appeared so powerless before the Empress before. A wave of desolation washed over her heart.
In the imperial harem, without a prince to rely on, one lost all support.
"I am the Empress." The Empress looked down at her, the faintest hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips.
That trace of a smile only fueled Consort Zheng's fury. She wailed for the Emperor, begging him to intervene, but he merely clutched his chest, drinking water served by his attendants without so much as a glance in her direction.
Tears finally streamed down Consort Zheng's face. Had all the past affection and favor been nothing but lies?
Defeated, she allowed herself to be led away by the two attendants. The Empress turned to the Emperor, whose ashen face managed a weak smile.
The most noble couple of the Great Chong Dynasty, who had lived together respectfully for decades, now understood each other's thoughts through their intertwined gazes.
The closest yet most distant of relationships—that of husband and wife.
The Emperor smiled faintly. "I've been poisoned."
The Empress stared at him, her voice icy. "You suspect me?"
The Emperor sighed. "I don't want to, but it benefits you the most now."
After a pause, the Empress chuckled. "First the little prince, then you. If it were me, I would suspect the same."
The Emperor gazed at her deeply before sighing again.
In that silent exchange, they both knew the trust between them was irrevocably broken.
Zeng Li and He Chenying's performances here were entirely cinematic—understated, leaving much to the imagination, yet the audience could keenly feel the faint sorrow lingering between them.
Under the weight of power, genuine affection was fragile, and trust even more so.
At that moment, the Empress Dowager arrived.
She immediately ordered the Empress to return to her palace, much like how the Empress had dismissed Consort Zheng earlier.
Settling by the Emperor's bedside, the Empress Dowager waved a hand. "No need for words."
Before leaving, the Empress turned back to look at the Emperor, but he no longer met her gaze. Her eyes dimmed before she drew a breath, lifted her chin, and departed.
Once she was gone, the Emperor asked the Empress Dowager with a smile, "Did Consort Zheng seek you out?"
"I ran into her in the outer hall—she made quite a scene." The Empress Dowager grew serious. "Your Majesty, the situation is growing dire."
Before long, a eunuch announced the arrival of Princess Fuchong.
The Empress Dowager arched a brow, exchanging a glance with the Emperor before patting his hand. "This old one will go receive her. You rest now and listen to the imperial physician."
The Emperor's smile was a bit weak. "Thank you, Empress Mother."
As the Empress Dowager rose, the Emperor called out, "Mother, I dare not die yet. These past days, I keep remembering when I was ten—how you summoned me and said I would live with you from then on. In the twelfth year of Great Chong, it was also you who said I would be Emperor. You chose me over Uncle Rui. I've always been grateful, Mother, I—"
He began to cough violently. The light in the Empress Dowager's eyes flickered, but she did not turn around. The corner of her lips curled slightly as she listened to the Emperor cough and gasp repeatedly. Still, she remained facing away until he continued, "This unworthy son knows his capabilities are mediocre. Everything has depended on Empress Mother's guidance."
After his ascension, the Empress Dowager had held the reins of power for many years before finally relinquishing them to him. Even now, the Emperor could not be certain how many of her loyalists remained in court.
Imperial authority stood supreme, and deep in the palace, even bl0od ties did not guarantee familial affection—especially since he was not her biological son.
Yet at this moment, he had no choice but to gamble once more, staking his sincerity on the hope that her ambition remained. As long as she still harbored ambition, she might choose the Crown Prince over Prince Rui.
The Emperor smiled bitterly in his heart. This was all he could do for the Crown Prince now.
"The Crown Prince takes after me in ability. In the edict, I have already..." the Emperor gasped, "I can only hope Your Majesty will guide him in the future... Only when you deem him ready should he assume governance... cough cough cough..."
The Empress Dowager's lips curved imperceptibly. Producing a silk handkerchief, she turned with reddened eyes, dabbing at their corners. "You child... don't speak such words. You must rest now..."
The Emperor's eyes also reddened, his expression of filial devotion appearing utterly genuine as he choked out, "Mother..."
Emerging from the inner chamber, the Empress Dowager paused briefly upon seeing Princess Fuchong sitting there, fingers idly turning the prayer beads around her wrist, an image of unworldly detachment.
But she alone knew this princess was far from harmless...
Consort Zheng had sought to ally with the Empress Dowager, being her paternal aunt, yet could never fully grasp the older woman's intentions. This time, she was met with outright refusal.
"This grieving widow is the Empress Dowager of Great Chong. From the moment I married into the late Emperor's family, I ceased to be of the Zheng clan."
Consort Zheng stumbled out of the palace, and halfway encountered Prince Rui, who stepped forward. "Consort Zheng..."
Episode six ended with the two forming an alliance.
Episodes Five and Six overflowed with intricate power plays—bl0odless stratagems of deception and counter-deception, featuring masterful performances from veteran actors throughout.
When the episodes ended, viewers remained spellbound, clamoring for more with fervent cheers, declaring it utterly exhilarating.
After the first six episodes aired, view counts on both major streaming platforms surpassed 100 million each. The Douban rating rose from its initial 9.1 to 9.3, with over 100,000 reviews.
The entire internet awaited Monday night's grand finale.
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