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Imperial Concubine Jia was shocked to her bones.
Certainly, she could outright deny Noble Consort Hui’s accusation. But after she had thought it over carefully, she realized that since Noble Consort Hui could utter such words, the other party had clearly uncovered something. This woman did not even need a reason to kill someone, much less this situation, where she did.
In a flash, Imperial Concubine Jia fell to the side of Noble Consort Hui’s feet. “Your Highness, this concubine did this for your honored self!”
“For this palace?” Noble Consort Hui sneered. “You used this palace’s dog to frame this palace, then say that you did this for me? One would fear this was not the case, and that in actuality, you have done this for your son, Fourth Prince. So that Noble Lady Yu won’t give birth to another prince and ruin your good plans!”
If she denied everything, it would appear too fake. As such, Imperial Concubine Jia clenched her teeth. “Yes, this concubine admits it. This concubine does not want Noble Lady Yu to give birth to a prince. However this concubine was also considering your honored self. Your Highness already holds a great animosity against Yonghe Palace. If we do not completely cut off Noble Lady Yu’s escape route, one would fear it will cause endless trouble!”
Noble Consort Hui muttered to herself for a moment, before saying, “Tell me what you did to Noble Lady Yu.”
“Yes…” Imperial Concubine Jia rushed to explain the entirety of her scheme.
When Noble Consort Hui heard that Noble Lady Yu had already eaten the fake pearl powder for half a month, she wore a trace of surprise. “Is that woman truly this stupid? She didn’t sense anything wrong at all?”
“That woman was originally stupid. She only has Fangcao as a trusted aide. Once Fangcao betrays her, she’s finished,” said Imperial Concubine Jia, a smile on her lips. “Yesterday, Fangcao came to report that the shell powder sent over previously was almost finished. And that she needs a new batch.”
“Give it to her!” Noble Consort Hui smiled in a carefree fashion. “Give her however much she wants. Stuff up Noble Lady Yu’s stomach with it!”
Seeing her this happy, Imperial Concubine Jia felt a wave of relief wash over herself. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Naturally, Noble Consort Hui could send over all the shell powder at once without any care. But Imperial Concubine Jia was different from her. Compared to speed, she much preferred stability.
“If we believe everything Fangcao says, then we’ll be the next Noble Lady Yu.” Imperial Concubine Jia stored away the boot-licking appearance she had always put on in front of Noble Consort Hui. Calm, she instructed the trusted aide by her side, “Go out and ask around about any news from Yonghe Palace. Especially those pertaining to the imperial physicians.”
In almost no time at all, the trusted aide returned with information.
“Recently, Noble Lady Yu has had severe stomach cramps. The Imperial Academy of Medicine cannot find any abnormalities for the cause, and prescribed some medicine to calm the fetus as well as more pearl powder pills per day.” Then the trusted aide said probingly, “Your Highness, shall this slave immediately head out and prepare some new shell powder?”
“Yes… Wait!” said Imperial Concubine Jia after the trusted aide was halfway to the door.
The trusted aide looked back. “Does Your Highness have additional orders?”
“Go tell Fangcao…” A moment of muttering to herself. “…that one must be very meticulous when mixing the shell powder. It will require two days to make. We’ll meet again during the lychee banquet.”
The trusted aide’s expression was one of doubt. “There’s clearly still some left over—”
“Just do as I say!”
Although her heart brimmed with doubt, since her master had issued the order, the trusted aide could only swallow all her questions. She curtsied and left.
“Hopefully I’m just overthinking it. Noble Lady Yu isn’t the type of person to figure out such a scheme,” said Imperial Concubine Jia, looking at the back figure of her trusted aide. Then she mumbled to herself, “But just in case…”
Like before, Wei Yingluo arrived at Yonghe Palace to deliver the pearl powder.
Fangcao had already waited for her for a good while. The moment she caught sight of Wei Yingluo, she rushed toward her, bursting with anxiety. “Yingluo, Imperial Concubine Jia just recently sent someone to find me. They told me to go to them for the shell powder after the lychee banquet.”
“She’s actually well-informed.” Laughter spilled from Wei Yingluo’s lips. “Her Majesty the empress had just decided to host a lychee banquet, yet they already knew about it…”
It was evident that Imperial Concubine Jia was not a simple person. Without a word, she had extended her claws into Changchun Palace.
“You did very well. Keep it up.” Wei Yingluo patted Fangcao’s shoulder. “So long as you help me catch her red-handed, even you’ll be able to make up for your wrongdoings.”
Stammering, Fangcao said, “You’re the one who said it, so you better keep your word.”
The two were mutually content with the terms of their negotiations. Now they were just waiting quietly for the lychee banquet.
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This banquet would be held in half a month’s time. The leading role fell to the three lychee trees that the emperor had bestowed to the empress. The lychees had not yet been picked; all of them remained on the trees. Only when the banquet started would the servants pick the lychees one by one, placing the freshest and juiciest of them on the guests’ plates.
As she passed through the banquet area, Wei Yingluo sneaked a peek around. Attending the event were Consort Xian, Consort Chun, Noble Consort Hui, Imperial Concubine Jia, and the two new additions to the imperial harem. Finally, there was the emperor… Wei Yingluo rushed to drop her head, picking up her pace as she left.
When she reached the agreed-upon destination, a dark alley, Wei Yingluo hid quietly among the shadows of the walls for a period. From not too far away, two people gradually approached.
One was Fangcao. The other was a trusted aide of Imperial Concubine Jia.
The trusted aide’s actions were careful to the max; she was afraid that the walls had ears. She did not speak much to Fangcao, pretending to brush past her as she stuffed an embroidered silk bag into Fangcao’s bosom. Following that, she made to leave at once.
There was no way Wei Yingluo would let her escape. At lightning speed, she jumped out from the shadows of the wall, grabbing that person’s arm. “How dare you change out Noble Lady Yu’s pearl powder! You’re conspiring to murder an imperial prince!”
At first, she thought she had gained the upper hand by a show of strength. If she was lucky, she could get the trusted aide to spill some things due to fear.
Who would have imagined that this person would instead be very calm? “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
Her composed demeanor caused doubt to spring from Wei Yingluo’s heart. A good while later, she suddenly opened the embroidered bag in her hands in front of them all. Fangcao, who was standing next to her, cried out, “Why are these just aromatic herbs?”
Indeed, within the silk brocade bag were only aromatic herbs, not a speck of pearl powder in sight.
“Other than aromatic herbs, what else could it be?” The trusted aide smiled in an insincere fashion. “Her Highness Imperial Concubine Jia personally embroidered this silk brocade bag for the little prince for good luck. It’s not whatever pearl powder or shell powder that you speak of.”
“Her Highness Imperial Concubine Jia is truly astute. So it turns out she had long since guarded against this… Not good!” Since Imperial Concubine Jia already discovered something amiss, why did she still specially send someone to make the appointment? Unless… Wei Yingluo’s complexion changed. “We’ve fallen for her trap!”
She abandoned the other two people, turned around, and hurried toward the storeroom where the lychee trees were.
Before she could even step through the door, she heard someone weeping inside.
The moment Wei Yingluo entered the room, the little palace maid in charge of watching over the lychee trees tried her utmost to explain with a pale face, “It wasn’t me! And I don’t know who did this either. I was only away for a moment, but when I returned, I discovered that s-someone had poured boiling water all over the lychee tree to kill them!”
Wei Yingluo shoved her away. In a few steps, she was before the lychee trees.
And all she could see was this sight: The roots had grown swollen and mushy from the perpetrator’s actions, and all the lychees had fallen to the ground.
“What’s to be done?” wailed the little palace maid. “The emperor will have me beheaded…”
It wouldn’t just be her. If the tribute was damaged, perhaps a large group of people would lose their heads. Even Wei Yingluo might not be let off the hook.
“Stop crying!” said Wei Yingluo, expression unsightly. She dropped to a squat. Picked up a few of the lychees and examined them for a short period. Afterward, she said to the little palace maid next to her who wept endlessly, “Do you want to die? Or do you want to live?”
“Of course I-I want to live…” she replied, choking with emotion.
Wei Yingluo said, “Open your hands.” Then she placed the lychees she had been holding into the hollow of the palace maid’s palms. “Use these as a standard, and pick up any lychees that are pleasing to the eye. Send those to the Imperial Kitchens. Inform them that the empress is holding a lychee banquet, and that they must immediately think up recipes for lychee dishes! When the time comes, you must report to Her Majesty the empress the following: The lychees of two trees have been used to make dishes. The remaining tree’s lychees will be picked and served to the guests as planned!”
“A-as planned?” The little palace maid was scared silly. “T-then wouldn’t everything be exposed?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Just do what I told you to do!” said Wei Yingluo, ice cold. “Hurry and go!”
“Yes, yes!” Since Wei Yingluo wanted to shoulder half the responsibility, how could the little palace maid be unwilling? Immediately, she kneeled on the ground. Picked up some lychees from the ground in a fluster. From her peripheral vision, she could see Wei Yingluo rushing out of the storeroom.
Because the empress had said early on that she would personally pick lychees and present them to the emperor, it was only natural that she must not renege on this promise so easily. There must be a lychee tree available to carry into the banquet area.
If there wasn’t even one tree to bring over, then what’s to be done?
The empress would definitely be humiliated. Noble Consort Hui and Imperial Concubine Jia would for certain seize the opportunity to find fault with the way the empress’ servants handled affairs. They’d have the emperor punish those servants in charge of the lychee banquet. And those servants… are precisely the empress’ most capable trusted aides, as well as servants that are being raised to become those.
Since the lychee banquet involved tributes and the emperor, the empress had her most competent and reliable servants in charge of said banquet. And among them was Wei Yingluo.
If something happened during the lychee banquet, this group of people would definitely be punished. There was no choice but to punish them.
In this way, the empress would not only lose face, but her muscles and bones as well. Perhaps quite a few trusted aides at once…
There’s no way I would let this happen to her. Wei Yingluo clenched her teeth. I need to think of a plan. I need to think of a plan… There’s someone! I need to find her!