Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 100

The Empress Dowager Refuses

“We’re already here?” Hearing that they had already reached the Princess’s Mansion¹ of Princess Longyi, Yao Xi found it hard to believe. She had planned to make a grand scene in the market streets or even drag things straight to the local yamen² to leave some sort of clue for the Empress Dowager. Yet she had simply fallen asleep and arrived just like that? She looked out at the gray sky outside the carriage, unable to believe she had slept for an entire day. “Has the sky gone dark so quickly?”

The palace maid smiled and said, “Of course not! The weather is just turning. We were afraid of being trapped on the road by a torrential downpour, so we hurried a bit. That’s why we arrived early.” As she spoke, she gestured for Yao Xi to move outward so she could untie her.

            

Yao Xi did not move, still feeling a bit dazed. Having been brought here so silently, she feared the Empress Dowager would never find her, even if she wanted to. She had failed to escape when only two people were guarding her on the road; now that she was at the heavily guarded Princess’s Mansion, it would likely be even more impossible.

“Cousin,” the two palace maids suddenly greeted someone as Yao Xi was lost in thought.

Sun Yan had heard that a carriage had arrived at the gates, driven by the palace maids serving Longyi. Believing Longyi had rushed back to spend the Dragon Boat Festival³, she had hurriedly come out to meet them. Reaching the carriage, she excitedly lifted the curtain, only to find that the occupant was not Longyi but someone dressed in men’s clothing, lying bound tightly with ropes inside the carriage compartment.

            

“This…” Sun Yan sized Yao Xi up, then turned to the palace maids with a puzzled look. “Who is this? A villain captured on the road?” If they were a criminal, they should have been sent to the local yamen. Why bring them back to the Princess’s Mansion?

“You misunderstand, Cousin. This is Eunuch Yao—Yao Xi—who serves by the Empress Dowager’s side.” The palace maid quickly retrieved a secret letter from her robes and handed it to Princess Longyi’s cousin and the niece of the Late Empress, Sun Yan. The other palace maid bent down and crawled into the carriage to untie Yao Xi.

The confusion in Sun Yan’s heart only deepened.

            

Why would Longyi tie up a eunuch serving the Empress Dowager and bring him back? Suspicious, she unfolded the letter her cousin Longyi had written to her. After reading it, Sun Yan understood. This little eunuch was Yao Shuanglan’s didi, who had been framed and forced into the palace to serve as a eunuch, and because he was a criminal in the eyes of the law, he could not remain in the palace.

She was not surprised that Longyi cared enough about this little eunuch to risk offending Wan Bi. Shortly after moving to the fiefdom⁴, she had heard from her cousin about her affection for the young lady of the Yao family. Her only regret was that the Emperor was muddled and lecherous, bringing the young lady of the Yao family into the palace with a single imperial decree.

Truly, not a single emperor was any good. Her maternal aunt, the Late Empress, had once been deposed, only to later die of depression due to a misunderstanding with the Late Emperor. And now, the childhood sweetheart of her cousin had been snatched away halfway by the reigning Emperor. A lover turned into a sister-in-law? What a cruel twist of fate!

            

Folding the letter, Sun Yan asked the palace maid, “Is the Eldest Princess not coming back?” In previous years, after paying respects to the Late Empress in the capital, Longyi would always rush back to her fiefdom before the Dragon Boat Festival. This year, for some unknown reason, she was staying in the palace for an exceptionally long time.

The palace maid shook her head.

“Please invite Eunuch Yao inside to speak,” Sun Yan said, looking at Yao Xi with a smile. Although she had never seen the young lady of the Yao family whom her cousin Longyi yearned for day and night, judging by the appearance of this young master of the Yao family, she could well imagine what a peerless beauty⁵ his sister must be.

            

Coincidentally, though the young lady of the Yao family had once been her cousin’s reading companion⁶, Sun Yan had never met her. It was all because, back then, the one to enter the palace as Empress could have been her own mother, or her maternal aunt. After a round of fierce court intrigue, her mother had lost, and her aunt had entered the palace. Since then, the two sisters had refused to associate with each other until their dying days. Even though Sun Yan had lived in the capital as a child, her mother had never allowed her to enter the palace to play.

It was not until both of her parents had passed away, and her maternal grandparents were gone as well, that her cousin Longyi had brought her to live on the fiefdom.

Yao Xi was invited (or rather, escorted) into the main hall, and Sun Yan ordered all the servants to withdraw.

            

“My cousin’s letter says that you have thoughts of running away, and she wants me to keep a close eye on you so you don’t escape back to the palace.” Sun Yan smiled and invited Yao Xi to sit, personally serving her a cup of tea. “Would it be convenient for you to tell me, Eunuch, why you want to return to the palace to seek your own death?”

Yao Xi thanked her and sat down, receiving the teacup with both hands. “You do not understand, Cousin. The Eldest Princess has misunderstood. This slave is not returning to the palace to seek death, but wishes to return to serve by the Empress Dowager’s side,” Yao Xi replied honestly. Seeing that this young lady seemed good-tempered and reasonable, she wanted to persuade her to let her go.

“Return to serve the Empress Dowager?” Sun Yan almost thought she was hallucinating. With Wan Bi’s terrible reputation, there was actually someone who wanted to scramble to get close to her? This Eunuch Yao was either a hero once in a century, or his head had been squeezed by a door.

            

“Yes, yes.” Yao Xi nodded firmly. “Did the Princess mention this slave’s identity in her letter? And the reason she sent this slave out of the palace?” Since this matter concerned the Yao family, she had to be cautious. If Princess Longyi had not told her cousin, she certainly could not speak of it either.

“My cousin said that you are a criminal in the eyes of the law, framed and forced into the palace. If she didn’t send you away, not only would you be in danger, but your Yao family would also be implicated.” Sun Yan explained the contents of Longyi’s letter. “That is why I do not understand. Why are you so bent on returning to the palace? If that is not seeking death, what is?”

It was truly a long story! Yao Xi suddenly felt a wave of helplessness, unsure of what she should tell this young lady and what she should keep hidden.

            

Seeing Eunuch Yao hesitating in silence, Sun Yan did not press further. “You must be exhausted from the journey. Let us have a meal first!” She had heard Eunuch Yao’s stomach growl several times; having been bound up the whole way, he probably had not eaten a thing.

Yao Xi was indeed starving. Even if she wanted to escape, she needed the strength to do so. Sipping her tea, she nodded obediently.

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Upon returning to the palace, Wan Bi did not simply sleep soundly in her bedchamber just because she knew Yao Xi was unharmed. Though her worries over Yao Xi’s safety had vanished, she now had a new matter weighing heavily on her mind.

            

Longyi and Jieyu Lan had gotten together? What a dreadful mess!

The Emperor had only just managed to pull himself together after the consecutive blows of the fake eunuch incident, even bringing Jieyu Lan in person to offer her tea and officially change her form of address. If the Emperor ever found out about the relationship between Jieyu Lan and Longyi, that child would surely go mad! And if the Emperor lost his mind, Longyi and Jieyu Lan would likely be severely punished as well.

Telling him was out of the question.

            

But if she kept the Emperor in the dark forever, she would feel a twinge of guilt.

There were only two paths forward. Either she had to persuade Longyi and Jieyu Lan to break off their affair, so that Jieyu Lan could rein in her heart and properly remain with the Emperor; or she had to convince the Emperor to let go of his feelings for Jieyu Lan and direct his affections toward other women.

It was already dawn by the time Yuanqian returned with the palace gate entry logbook. Seeing the Empress Dowager sitting upright in the grand horseshoe-back armchair in the Main Hall, she asked with deep concern, “Has Your Imperial Majesty not slept at all since waking?”

            

“I have not,” Wan Bi said, extending her hand. “Present the logbook.” Even though she knew Yao Xi had been sent away by Longyi, she still needed some supporting evidence. Having accidentally stumbled upon such an embarrassing scene the previous night, she had chosen not to burst in and expose Longyi on the spot. If she were to ask about Yao Xi today, with Longyi’s temperament, she would certainly refuse to admit anything.

This was where she needed some evidence. She only knew that Longyi had sent the person away, but she had no idea where Longyi had settled Yao Xi. The world was vast; if Longyi did not open her mouth, Wan Bi would never be able to bring her back. Thinking of it this way, the secret she had stumbled upon last night seemed like something she could use.

After finishing the morning court session, Emperor Ming Cheng hurried over to Wan Bi’s palace.

            

When Yuanqian had gone to retrieve the entry logbook from the palace gates, she had made a massive detour to Qianqing Palace. It was not because she missed Tang Huaili that much, but rather because she was utterly helpless in the face of the Empress Dowager refusing to eat or sleep. Fearing that Her Highness would ruin her health, she had gone to Qianqing Palace to inform Tang Huaili so that he could pass the word to the Emperor. The Emperor had always cared deeply for the Empress Dowager; upon learning that Her Highness was neglecting her own well-being like this, he would surely not stand by and watch.

“We heard that the Empress Dowager has only eaten a single morning meal⁷ over the past two days?” Emperor Ming Cheng’s tone sounded like he was scolding a disobedient daughter. Seeing Wan Bi sitting listlessly in the grand armchair, her eyes slightly bloodshot and her face pale, he could not help but feel a pang of sympathy. This sympathy was not entirely for Wan Bi, but rather more out of respect for the Late Emperor.

Back when the Late Emperor passed away, Wan Bi had still eaten and slept exactly as she pleased, never letting anything disrupt her. Yet now, merely because a little eunuch had gone missing, Wan Bi had worried herself to the point of looking half-dead. If the Late Emperor ever found out, he would probably rise from his grave in sheer fury!

            

Seeing that Emperor Ming Cheng had come purely to interrogate her about not eating, Wan Bi swept a cold glance over to Yuanqian. So that was why Yuanqian had taken so terribly long to fetch a single logbook—she had gone to Qianqing Palace to complain to the Emperor!

“Sit down, Your Majesty,” Wan Bi said, rolling her eyes at Yuanqian before turning to smile warmly at Emperor Ming Cheng.

Emperor Ming Cheng was deeply concerned.

            

This wench Wan Bi seemed to have truly been devastated by Yao Xi’s disappearance; she was actually being so warm and gentle toward him… “Mother Empress, have you forgotten how you counseled Us in Huiling Hall? There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome, but one must still eat properly.”

Wan Bi looked at Emperor Ming Cheng with a wave of pity. She herself had no obstacle she could not overcome, but he did, that silly child!

“It is merely a pretty little eunuch who has gone missing. Do not be too sorrowful, Mother Empress. If worst comes to worst, We can simply find a better one for you!” Emperor Ming Cheng tried his best to comfort Wan Bi, who remained silent, only gazing at him with eyes full of sorrow.

            

Wan Bi did not appreciate those words. To her, there could never be anyone in this world better than Yao Xi.

Yet she truly could not bring herself to ruthlessly snap back at Emperor Ming Cheng as she usually did. Instead, she said with genuine earnestness, “If Jieyu Lan were to disappear, this bereaved one could also find a better one for Your Majesty, would that be well?”

Wan Bi was trying to prepare him for the worst, but Emperor Ming Cheng assumed she was merely speaking out of pique. He replied with a solemn expression, “In this life, We desire only Shuanglan.”

            

The more devotedly Emperor Ming Cheng spoke, the more Wan Bi’s heart ached for him.

“Gugu, have them serve the meal. We shall accompany the Empress Dowager for the morning meal today,” Emperor Ming Cheng said to Yuanqian.

Once the morning meal was served, Emperor Ming Cheng personally scooped a bowl of porridge for Wan Bi. With her mind entirely consumed by the images of Longyi and Jieyu Lan from the night before, she absentmindedly picked up her spoon to eat. Her grip slipped, and the spoon fell to the floor with a sharp crack, shattering into two pieces.

            

Seeing Wan Bi looking so utterly lost, Emperor Ming Cheng helplessly picked up a clean spoon, scooped up some porridge, and held it to her lips. “Open your mouth.”

Wan Bi obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the porridge, though it tasted bitter as it went down. What a filial child! It was a pity he had not met the right person.

“Has Your Majesty truly set your heart on Lady Yao in this life, unable to let her go no matter what?”

            

Disregarding the presence of the serving palace maids, Emperor Ming Cheng nodded with complete openness.

“…” Wan Bi did not know what to say. Matters of the heart could not be forced. No matter how she tried to persuade Longyi or Emperor Ming Cheng, the final outcome would still depend on Jieyu Lan’s feelings. And from what she had witnessed last night, the possibility of Jieyu Lan choosing the Emperor was minuscule.

Wan Bi waved her hand to dismiss the palace servants, then asked Emperor Ming Cheng, “Has Lady Yao ever served in bed⁸?” If she had, it would mean Jieyu Lan still held at least some affection for the Emperor, and perhaps her involvement with Longyi was merely a temporary lapse in judgment.

            

Emperor Ming Cheng did not answer the question directly. Continuing to feed Wan Bi the porridge, he asked, “Why does the Empress Dowager ask about this?”

“This bereaved one wishes to know when she might hold a grandchild.” Seeing Emperor Ming Cheng avoid answering, Wan Bi guessed, “She has never served in bed?”

Then it was over. It was only a matter of time before Feng Qian had his heart broken.

            

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