The Emperor’s Beloved Ugly Girl

43. A’Chou’s Bad Luck

Translator: Iris Guo

The Emperor and the late Empress Xu Siyao were deep in love. Although it had been many years since Xu Siyao passed away, the Emperor still thought constantly of her. At present, Imperial Concubine Zhao was the Emperor’s favorite, and most of the government officials suggested making her the Empress, but the Emperor had no such plan. Besides, he made Zhong Mingwei, the late Empress’ eldest son, the Crown Prince. Therefore, Imperial Concubine Zhao, who had two sons, didn’t know how to vent her anger. Besides, her palace was next to the Jingren Palace, where the late Empress lived. No matter how luxuriously her place was decorated, it was after all the residence of a mere concubine. Naturally, she hated the late Empress to the core.

Therefore, Imperial Concubine Zhao was over the moon knowing that the Jingren Palace was randomly on fire, but she didn’t expect that one of her maids would risk her life and took the initiative to help put out the fire.

Finally, A’Chou completely understood the situation and felt totally desperate. She didn’t hope for any reward, but would feel blessed if she could keep her life.

A’Chou had been worried for months until her wounds healed, but Imperial Concubine Zhao didn’t take her life. After the accident, she stopped being chatty and funny, and became extremely quiet. Moreover, she began to bury herself in laundry all day long, and even helped others actively.

It was also then that A’Chou got such an offensive name.

Yes, A’Chou wasn’t born ugly but quite good-looking. However, she became ugly after having a narrow escape from the big fire. The scarlet scars could be seen everywhere from her right wrist to her chin. Although her facial features weren’t greatly affected, others tended to keep her at a distance because of the unpleasant scars. There was no way that the most beloved Imperial Concubine Zhao would keep an ugly and untactful maid nearby.

A’Chou got ready for being forced back to the Imperial Washhouse. However, it seemed that Imperial Concubine Zhao forgot about her, and she kept staying in the Yanxi Palace unexpectedly until the next Lunar New Year’s Eve, when a complete shake-up occurred in the Imperial Palace.

The Crown Prince Zhong Mingwei drank too much and lost his manners in front of the Emperor at the dinner party. He not only brandished the sword in the hall, but also accidentally overturned his late mother’s memorial tablet. The Emperor got furious, locked him up in the Court of the Imperial Clan, and ordered the Judicial Department to conduct a thorough investigation regarding his wrongdoing over the past years. Even if Empress Dowager came forward to intercede for her grandson, the Emperor still insisted on punishing him.

At the beginning of the 32nd year of Jiasheng Reign, when the Great Zhou Dynasty started, the royal family faced a tremendous change. The Crown Prince was deposed for “ganging up for personal interests, overbearing behavior, debauchery, disrespect, and unfilial conduct” and exiled directly to NingGuTa, a remote and barren place. Further, Duan Chenghong, the deposed Crown Prince’s future father-in-law who served as Co-Chancellor, got a six-grade demotion to a mere Sub-Sixth Rank Compiler at the Hanlin Academy.

A’Chou didn’t care much about politics, but her meagre life was also affected.

Imperial Concubine Zhao had been overjoyed since the Crown Prince was deposed. She also heard that Duan Chenghong, who was extremely powerful in the government, now lived a miserable life. As a Sub-Sixth Rank Compiler at the Hanlin Academy, he lost his position of eminence. The small quadrangle courtyard was too small for dozens of his family members to live in, and there was no maid doing laundry and cooking for them. Therefore, the “kind” Imperial Concubine Zhao sent A’Chou to the Duan Family, and specially told them that she liked the competent maid and they should treat her nicely.

Duan Chenghong dared not disobey Imperial Concubine Zhao’s order, so he brought A’Chou home that day, and then A’Chou’s life became extremely miserable.