CH 36

“Your Highness, Your Highness, bad news!” said Zhilan to Noble Consort Hui after she had returned. “Many people are outside! They’re headed for Yonghe Palace!”

The court eunuchs who were trying to bash the door open paused. And they all turned toward Noble Consort Hui.

“What are you looking at?” Noble Consort Hui refused to give up halfway. She gritted her teeth. “They’re not here yet, so hurry and bash the door open! Otherwise, you’ll get what’s coming!”

“Aye!”

The front doors had held on for a good while, but in the end, they could not stay shut any longer.

With a bang, even the table and chairs barricading the doors were sent flying.

Noble Consort Hui was overjoyed. She led everyone as they rushed into the palace. She turned her gaze. Caught sight of a fire pan by the window. Not only were there ritual money for the dead and candles, there were also torn bed curtains and gauze curtains. Thick, black smoke drifted from the pan to the windows, covering half the sky.

Noble Consort Hui slowly shifted her gaze to the culprit of all this standing by the fire pan. At first, she was shocked. Then, anger born from being played with flared in her heart at once. “Indeed it was you!”

The fool who had eaten seven bowls of lotus root balls in front of her!

But the person who could save Noble Lady Yu from the eunuch she had sent to assassinate her, and the person who could use smoke and fire to turn everyone in the palace into rescue troops, definitely could not be a fool!

At that moment, Noble Consort Hui didn’t even pay Noble Lady Yu any mind anymore, merely pointing at Wei Yingluo. “Kill her!”

Many eunuchs ran toward Wei Yingluo, like a spider that had crawled out its web. There was no escape in sight. As they approached, so did their pitch-black shadows, covering Wei Yingluo’s face. All of a sudden, a ray of light flashed into her eyes. Her gaze brightened. She used all of her strength to yell, “Sir Fucha, save me!”

The hero finally rushed before her.

Pushing her behind him, he pointed his sword at the court eunuchs at the front. Expression serious, Fucha Fuheng questioned, “Your Highness the noble consort, what is going on?”

Noble Consort Hui slowly parted her lips, and twisted the situation with her words. “This palace passed by Yonghe Palace and thought to check on Noble Lady Yu in passing. After bumping into this girl trying to kill someone, this palace naturally wants her seized!”

Wei Yingluo had long since foreseen she would say such a thing. At once, she countered, “If you want to know the truth, just wait until Noble Lady Yu awakes and ask her.”

At the sound of those words, everyone noticed the unconscious Noble Lady Yu. Some quickly stepped forward and examined her. Others went to find an imperial physician. Once an imperial physician had arrived and diagnosed Noble Lady Yu, Fucha Fuheng pulled Wei Yingluo aside. Asked her in a soft voice, “Just what happened? And explain it to me in detail.”

“Under Her Majesty the empress’ order, I came here to check on Noble Lady Yu. And I discovered this eunuch trying to strangle her to death,” said Wei Yingluo, pointing at the attempted murderer who had just woken up. “I couldn’t win against him in a fight, and could only run out of the palace to look for help. In the end, I encountered Noble Consort Hui. But the moment she caught sight of me, she wanted me dead! I had no choice but to hide in the main hall and use smoke to draw people to save me!”

Fucha Fuheng’s gaze fell upon the eunuch. Cold and severe, he said, “Speak. Who are you? Who sent you here?”

Compared to Wei Yingluo, it was even more suspicious how that eunuch had come here.

He was covered in blood. Furthermore, the moment Fucha Fuheng had questioned him, he realized the eunuch didn’t belong to Yonghe Palace in the first place.

Now that he was surrounded by everyone, the eunuch slowly lifted his head, face covered in blood. He exposed a strange smile and said, “It was Her Majesty the empress who sent me here.”

“When did this palace order you to kill someone?”

Everyone turned to the origin of the voice. And they saw the empress standing in front of the door from who knew when. It was evident she heard what that eunuch had said, her typically calm and pacifist expression revealing a rare anger.

The eunuch sneaked a glance at Noble Consort Hui. She blinked. And he lowered his head again. Kowtowed toward the empress again and again, forehead slamming onto the ground. “Your Majesty the empress, this slave doesn’t want to confess, but the scheme has already fallen through. It truly can’t be hidden any longer! You lost your son and resents Noble Lady Yu for becoming with child. So you used the excuse of having the Imperial Household Department send more manpower to Yonghe Palace to place me there. You ordered this slave to eliminate Noble Lady Yu! Today is the forty-ninth day since Imperial Concubine Yi’s death. Because it is forbidden to hold a memorial service in the palace, Noble Lady Yu could only send away her servants and do so in secret. And this slave had found an opportunity just now—”

“Complete nonsense!” The empress was angered to the point of trembling. She had already been unwell from the start, but now her vision went dark. Were it not for Erqing from the side supporting her, she would have collapsed onto the ground already.

“Your Majesty the empress, watch out for your health!” Fucha Fuheng rushed to console her. He turned to look at the eunuch, gaze cold and sharp, filled with the intent to kill. In a few steps, he was before him, and he pulled up the eunuch to his feet. “Who told you to frame the empress?! Do you know that this is a crime that can eliminate your clan and eight others related?!”

“This slave doesn’t dare! If Her Majesty did not order me, how could this slave dare to kill someone? Now Her Majesty has turned around and denied this, so there’s nothing this slave can say! But begging for death can be considered being loyal to Her Majesty!” All of a sudden, the corners of his lips tilted up. And he sent Fucha Fuheng a faint smile. Laughter left his lips, red and black blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Startled, Fucha Fuheng yelled at once, “Imperial physician!”

The imperial physician who had just diagnosed Noble Lady Yu rushed into the room. He placed his fingers over the eunuch’s neck, then pried open his eyelids and lips for a look. Following that, he shook his head. The imperial physician said to Fucha Fuheng, “There was poison hidden in his tooth. It’s highly potent, and he can’t be saved anymore.”

Dead men told no tales. These five words suddenly flashed through his mind.

Just when Fucha Fuheng felt as if his heart were on fire, someone said with a clear and cold voice by his ears, “He was lying.” Fucha Fuheng turned to the direction of the voice at once. And he saw Wei Yingluo standing by him. Although her hair was in disarray, she was still lofty and unyielding, as if she were a pine tree crawling out of a cliff. Cold as ice, she said to everyone, “If her Majesty the empress wanted to kill Noble Lady Yu, why did she order me to pay her a visit? Sir Imperial Physician, please tell everyone how many injuries this eunuch had.”

Although the eunuch didn’t understand what her intention was, after seeing Fucha Fuheng hint with his eyes to answer, he replied in a well-behaved manner, “This eunuch has three large and small injuries. There is a wound on his neck made from a hairpin, and there is swelling at the back of his head from blunt trauma.”

“It was all from me,” said Wei Yingluo immediately, rolling up her sleeves in passing, exposing the purple bruises. “I have a lot of similar bruises all over my body because I wrestled with him. One might as well ask this: if Her Majesty the empress truly wanted to kill Noble Lady Yu, then why did she send me to prevent this from happening? Wouldn’t that just be giving trouble to herself?”

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Noticing everyone contemplating, Noble Consort Hui narrowed her eyes. Then she said, light as a feather, “Perhaps… the empress sent you to assassinate her?”

“Look at how miserable this slave looks.” Wei Yingluo took a few steps in front of the crowd. She showed her wounds and messy hair, showed her most battered and exhausted appearance to them all. Afterward, a smile graced her lips. “If this slave were here to kill Noble Lady Yu, why come empty-handed? Let’s not talk about a dagger. This slave doesn’t even have a club!”

Was it possible?

There was a difference in strength between men and women from the start. If she didn’t even have a weapon, let’s not talk about killing someone; it was even possible for the other party to kill her.

“It’s your honored self.” At that moment, Wei Yingluo stared at the crowd. She asked softly, “Why did your honored self come to Yonghe Palace today? If you say it’s to visit a sick patient, then why did your honored self come empty handed, only bringing a group of evil eunuchs…?”

The gazes of everyone looking at Noble Consort Hui changed in an instant.

“Outrageous!” roared Noble Consort Hui. “You dare to suspect this palace!”

Behind her, the many palace servants looked at her. As long as she gave them the order, they would rush forward and arrest Wei Yingluo.

“This palace thinks she hasn’t said anything wrong!”

However, there was someone with a more noble identity than Noble Consort Hui around. As long as she said something, no one would dare to touch Wei Yingluo.

After resting for a short period, the empress felt a lot better. She used Erqing’s arm for support. Walked in front of Noble Consort Hui. Their gazes met. Flatly, she said, “Yingluo already gave an explanation. What about you? Noble Consort Hui, how can you explain your actions?”

Wei Yingluo’s words had proved the empress’ innocence.

Dead men told no tales. Not only did this apply to the empress, but to Noble Consort Hui as well.

Only relying on talking and only discussing intentions, the two were caught in a standstill. Both were suspicious people, but Noble Consort Hui was more suspicious.

If this matter spread to the emperor’s ears, who would he help? Who would he believe?

Under the gazes of so many people, with so many people listening, Noble Consort Hui could only suck in a deep breath, forced to swallow what she had wanted to say. “…It’s this subject that was at fault. A murderer’s words cannot be trusted. Perhaps in order for him to hide the mastermind, he tried to frame Your Majesty.”

“Yes, how could a murderer’s words be trusted?” the empress half admonished, half warned. “You are a noble consort. Everything you say is seen as a model for others. You ought to be more careful with your words. Enough. Return to Chuxiu Palace and reflect on your actions properly!”

The empress was very clear on the entire process of development regarding this case. She had already guessed almost everything.

On the way back to Changchun Palace, she lifted her hand and beckoned for Wei Yingluo to come to her side. The empress placed her hand on Wei Yingluo’s for support, walking as she said, “Now that Noble Consort Hui has suffered a loss, she will definitely hate you to the bone. Are you afraid?”

“Yes,” Wei Yingluo with her head lowered. “But for Your Majesty the empress’ sake, for Noble Lady Yu, I had to say those words.”

The empress smiled in satisfaction. She looked at Wei Yingluo’s gaze, with her own filled with tender action. “If it weren’t for what you said, this palace wouldn’t have been able to escape being framed. Good child, don’t worry. This palace definitely will not let Noble Consort Hui touch you.”

The empress’ words implicitly and explicitly spoke of her intention to nurture Wei Yingluo into a trusted aide.

As a trusted aide, she was naturally unlike the other little palace maids and court eunuchs: she could not be handed over as one wished to other people to handle. Naturally, she would be akin to the wings grown on one’s body, cherished with the utmost care.

“Thank you, Master,” said Wei Yingluo. All of a sudden, she probingly asked, “But are we… really just going to leave it like that?”

“The most important witness is already dead. We have no evidence. Even if we brought this case to the emperor, what could he do?” Knowing how things were done in the palace, the empress felt like guiding Wei Yingluo. For this reason, the empress gave her a careful analysis, saying, “The most important thing is that Noble Lady Yu did something she shouldn’t have done…”

“Your Majesty means…” Wei Yingluo furrowed her brows.

“This palace knows that she and Imperial Concubine Yi were close friends. And Imperial Concubine Yi died because of her. As such, she would send away all her servants during Imperial Concubine Yi’s forty-ninth day since passing. She arranged for the mourning hall privately, holding a memorial service for her deceased friend,” said the empress, eyes narrowed. “But you need to know that in the Forbidden City, only the master of the residence has the privilege of holding a memorial service. What Noble Lady Yu did, if put lightly, was breaking palace protocol. If put heavily, it was cursing the emperor and empress dowager. Thus, in order to protect Noble Lady Yu, to protect her fetus, this case must not be blown up. And it especially cannot be brought to the emperor’s attention!”

“This slave understands…” said Wei Yingluo. However, a trace of sympathy for a like-minded person in distress flashed in her heart.

What a pitiful Imperial Concubine Yi.

She was just like her elder sister. She suffered an unredressed injustice, and didn’t even have a memorial tablet after death. In the world, only one person remembered her. Only one person held a memorial service for her.

Her mood plummeted. And her injuries felt painful. But she could not grimace in the empress’ presence. Wei Yingluo supported the empress all the way to Changchun Palace. She stayed until the empress took her medicine and fell asleep, before retreating without a sound. Then Wei Yingluo limped toward her bedroom.

There was no one on the road there. She rolled up her sleeves. Looked at the bruises on her snow-white arms and frowned. Maybe I should go to the imperial physician for some medicine.

All of a sudden, a man across from her said, “Take it.”

Wei Yingluo stopped in her tracks, Slowly lifted her head.

Before her eyes was a snow-white medicine bottle.

Her gaze moved along the medicine bottle and toward the hand holding it. Slender and powerful fingers with clear joints. In the end, she caught sight of his face. Somewhat surprised, Wei Yingluo asked, “Young Master?”