Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

That day, after Emperor Huizong welcomed Chen Jinhuan into the palace, the Empress stopped him and had the head of the Imperial Observatory bring up the matter of Chen Jinhuan's fate being cursed to bring bad luck to her husband when she was selected as a concubine years ago. Because the Empress was in charge of all matters in the inner palace, Emperor Huizong dared not disobey her.

The next day at court, Emperor Huizong flew into a rage, inexplicably berating several civil officials and throwing down a stack of memorials, all urging him not to favor Consort Luo and to banish her to the Cold Palace. The beauty he had almost possessed was now beyond his reach, and Emperor Huizong was furious. The chief eunuch, Liu Guangyu, could no longer bear to watch, and suggested that Emperor Huizong consult with ministers such as Ning Weizhi, Gao Can, Xiao Minghao, and Shen Daoyuan to devise a solution.

So, although it was already dinner time, Emperor Huizong had no appetite. He quickly summoned his trusted ministers, such as Ning Weizhi and Gao Can, to the palace to help him find a way to win the heart of his beloved as soon as possible.

Before entering the palace, Gao Can had already learned from palace spies that the one who reopened the old case of the selection of concubines was Consort Xian—Chen Jinhuan's new elder sister. He knew that Consort Xian was jealous of Chen Jinhuan for receiving a title without entering the palace, and was even more afraid that she would seek revenge on him once she entered the palace. After all, back then, Consort Xian not only used a scheme to force Chen Jinhuan to withdraw from the selection of concubines and steal her spot to enter the palace, but also suspected that her mother had married Chen Jinhuan off to an old man as a concubine, almost causing Chen Jinhuan's death.

Gao Can's thoughts were conflicted. On the one hand, he and his son had arranged for Chen Jinhuan to enter the palace as their pawn, so of course he wanted to help her gain a foothold in the palace. On the other hand, he didn't want Chen Jinhuan to fulfill her wish for revenge so quickly. He wanted to keep Chen Jinhuan firmly under his control, as he didn't trust the Wolf King.

Ning Weizhi knew that Emperor Huizong of Song summoned him to the palace to reopen the old case of selecting concubines for the harem. He felt that this was the responsibility of the chief eunuch of the harem, and he wondered why Liu Guangyu would pass this hot potato case to him. He, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was not so idle.

Since taking office, Ning Weizhi had diligently investigated many difficult old cases. Emperor Huizong summoned him almost every morning at court to inquire about the cases he had solved that day. In short, Emperor Huizong increasingly valued Ning Weizhi, making him somewhat overshadow Shen Daoyuan and Xiao Minghao. It was precisely because of this that Ning Weizhi had no choice but to bite the bullet and take on the old case concerning Chen Jinhuan's fate.

Ning Zhanyan didn't remain idle after entering the palace. Using his new identity as Chen Ge, the commander of the Imperial Guards, he familiarized himself with the palace layout and the concubines residing in each palace, and also won over several of his trusted guards. When he learned that Consort Xian had deliberately brought up the old case of Chen Jinhuan's selection of concubines, he already knew that this was a good opportunity to retaliate against Consort Xian.

Due to his status, he couldn't leave the palace to directly escort the Imperial Observatory disciple he had detained years ago into the palace for trial. However, he still secretly sent the message to Ning Weizhi using a Kongming lantern. Ning Weizhi already knew about Chen Jinhuan's past being framed by her sister during the selection of concubines, so before entering the palace, he had decided that he must take this opportunity to help his future cousin-in-law, Chen Jinhuan, clear her name and get revenge.

Xiao Minghao was the son-in-law of the Left Prime Minister, so he naturally knew that Consort Xian wanted to suppress Chen Jinhuan. However, he felt that it was inappropriate to reopen old cases, as it could give the enemy a chance to retaliate if not handled carefully. But since the Left Prime Minister and his daughter, Consort Hui, both supported Consort Xian, he could not refuse to help.

Fortunately, Xiao Minghao had previously worked in the Ministry of Rites, and he knew some basic knowledge about destiny and astrology. He had a set of arguments to use to help the Imperial Observatory slander Chen Jinhuan:

"Your Majesty, according to the calculations of the Imperial Observatory, Consort Luo, Chen Jinhuan, belongs to the Earth element, while Your Majesty's belongs to the Metal element. As we all know, Earth overcomes Metal, therefore Consort Luo's fate is indeed incompatible with Your Majesty's, and she is not suitable to enter the palace. For Your Majesty's health and the great cause of our Song Dynasty, I urge Your Majesty to send Consort Luo to the Cold Palace or expel her from the palace."

Upon hearing Xiao Minghao's words, Emperor Huizong's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. His brows furrowed, and he loudly rebuked Xiao Minghao, who was kneeling in the main hall, and Mo Miaoming, the supervisor of the Imperial Observatory: "I do not believe a single word you have said. I am the Son of Heaven, destined to be emperor. Do you think I would be afraid of a woman threatening my life? I summoned you here to investigate the matter of the concubine selection that framed Consort Luo, not to have you stir up trouble!"

Mo Miaoming, the Imperial Astronomical Supervisor, was an elderly man nearing sixty. He was unaware of Chen Jinhuan's selection of concubines years ago; it was the Consort Xian who bribed his subordinates at the Imperial Astronomical Supervisor to alter the records of her fate. Therefore, he now believed that Chen Jinhuan's fate was indeed unfavorable to Emperor Huizong of Song, and he stepped forward with a whisk to remonstrate:

“Your Majesty, Consort Luo’s fate is indeed that of a woman who brings misfortune to her husbands, and her birth chart is also incompatible with Your Majesty’s. On the night Consort Luo entered the palace, I observed the stars and saw a shooting star inexplicably enter the network of Your Majesty’s Ziwei star, which is your guardian star. I fear that this woman will be detrimental to Your Majesty and to the stability of the Song Dynasty!”

"Nonsense! I think you're getting senile and should retire to your hometown. Where is Minister Shen? Why hasn't he entered the palace yet? He has considerable knowledge of astrology and Taoism. I want to hear his opinion on Consort Luo!" Emperor Huizong angrily scolded Mo Miaoming a few times, then looked around for Shen Daoyuan's figure.

Seeing this, Liu Guangyu quickly went to Emperor Huizong's side and whispered to him, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten? Lord Shen just sent someone to say that he went to Xiangshan Temple to find Master Mingfang and his disciple to come to the palace, saying that he wanted to tell the fortune of Consort Luo."

"Yes! In my haste, I completely forgot about Master Mingfang. He is the most trusted reclusive master in my life. Shen Daoyuan has always been on good terms with him. Now, let him invite the master into the palace; he will surely be able to answer my questions. Goddess, no! Consort Luo will definitely be able to clear her name of the suspicion that she is destined to bring misfortune to her husband, and she will soon be able to serve me in bed." Emperor Huizong's anger turned to joy, and he looked at Liu Guangyu with expectant eyes. Eunuch Liu said repeatedly, "Your Majesty, please rest assured! You will surely achieve your wish!"

Seeing that Mo Miaoming had been scolded and angered Emperor Huizong, Xiao Minghao dared not say anything more, but they remained kneeling in the main hall, appearing as loyal subjects. Ning Weizhi, seeing Xiao Minghao and Mo Miaoming so persistent, remained silent, his hands behind his back, looking on with amusement.

Ning Weizhi was waiting for his men to interrogate the former disciple of the Imperial Observatory in the Ministry of Justice prison. That man had been bribed by the Consort Xian and received a large sum of money. However, he was a gambler and lost money in the Underworld Cave, injuring someone. Ning Zhanyan used this as a pretext to arrest him. Unable to withstand severe torture, he had written a confession two years ago, which Ning Zhanyan had hidden away.

Emperor Huizong of Song, sitting in the main hall, ignored Xiao Minghao's meeting with Mo Miaoming and had tea and snacks served while he reviewed memorials. Liu Guangyu ground ink and added tea for him.

About half an hour later, a eunuch's sweet voice announced from outside the hall, "Minister of War Shen Daoyuan requests an audience with His Majesty." Emperor Huizong quickly rose and looked out of the hall. He saw Shen Daoyuan dressed in a magnificent purple palace robe, the fabric of which was as smooth as silk, embroidered with exquisite cloud and phoenix patterns, shimmering with a faint light. He walked into the palace hall with light and steady steps. Sunlight streamed through the huge windows, illuminating the marble floor and casting his tall, slender figure.

Shen Daoyuan had a handsome face, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. His high, straight nose and slightly upturned lips revealed a subtle smile. His hair was neatly tied up and secured with a jeweled hairpin, further enhancing his dashing appearance. When he stepped into the center of the hall, the entire space seemed to become solemn and dignified because of his presence. Behind him followed Master Mingfang, dressed in a red kasaya, and Chai Nianci, a graceful woman in a purple ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

Chai Nianci had a good relationship with Chen Jinhuan when they were at Zixiang Pavilion. She was quite surprised to learn that Chen Jinhuan had entered the palace, but Du Shiniang kept the backgrounds of each of the female Cuju players a secret. Therefore, Chai Nianci only knew that Chen Jinhuan was a female prisoner who had been forcibly taken by Ning Zhanyan. She sympathized with Chen Jinhuan's plight but did not know that she had been selected as a concubine in the palace. Today, she happened to overhear Shen Daoyuan inviting Master Mingfang to the palace, so she asked Shen Daoyuan to take her with him.

“Shen Lang, I want to go to the palace to see Chen Jinhuan. I used to get along well with her when we were at Zixiang Pavilion. She often taught me how to make some pastries and such. Please take me to the palace to see her. I’m curious why she’s willing to go to the palace, and I’m worried about her safety.” Chai Nianci tugged at Shen Daoyuan’s sleeve and pleaded with him.

Seeing Chai Nianci's curious expression, Shen Daoyuan gently pinched her cheek and said, "Chen Jinhuan is now Consort Luo. When you see her, you must address her as Consort Luo, otherwise it will be disrespectful. It's not difficult for you to enter the palace to see her; I can help you find a way. But you must promise not to talk too much and cause trouble for me when you see the Emperor!"

Upon hearing this, Chai Nianci smiled obediently and assured Shen Daoyuan, "Amitabha! After entering the palace, I will listen to Shen Lang in everything and will not say a word! I will just stay by Master Mingfang's side, okay?"

Left with no other choice, Shen Daoyuan could only agree to bring Chai Nianci to the palace to see Emperor Huizong of Song.