Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 103
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
Yao Xi froze for a moment, then a look of pure excitement rushed over her face. Her Highness is looking for me! Her Highness actually cares about me!
Sun Yan’s expression, however, was incredibly solemn. She called a maid inside and asked, “When Gugu1 Liufang asked if Eunuch Yao was at our mansion, how did you reply?”
“This slave-girl…” The maid bit her lip, whispering, “This slave-girl said she didn’t know…” Of course she knew Eunuch Yao was staying in the mansion. The commotion this morning when the Cousin2 rescued Eunuch Yao and brought him back had been so massive that everyone in the household knew about it. But the gugu asking the questions was one of the Empress Dowager’s people. Lying to her was as good as lying to the terrifying Empress Dowager, whose very name made people tremble with fear! She didn’t dare.
“You actually said you didn’t know?” Sun Yan was worried sick.
Yao Xi was also worried sick. This jiejie had clearly seen her before, so how could she claim she didn’t know?
“You should’ve said no strangers had ever set foot in this mansion!” Sun Yan worried that Gugu Liufang already knew Yao Xi was here. “Quickly, invite Gugu inside to speak.” Fearing the maid would let something else slip, Sun Yan decided to handle Gugu Liufang herself.
Yao Xi listened from the side, her heart pounding with fear. What does she mean by ‘no strangers had ever set foot’? Is the Cousin going to go back on her word?
“Cousin, you promised that if the Empress Dowager came looking for me, you’d let me go.” Yao Xi set down her bowl of ginger soup and stood up, intending to go straight to Gugu Liufang. She’d barely taken two steps when the Cousin, who possessed the strength of an ox, easily dragged her back.
Sun Yan merely hooked a finger through Yao Xi’s waistband3 and gave a gentle tug, barely exerting any effort. Yet Yao Xi’s body was simply too weak. She stumbled backward several steps and fell directly into Sun Yan’s embrace.
Sun Yan sat on the chair with Yao Xi in her lap. She didn’t push Yao Xi away either; instead, she took the opportunity to cover Yao Xi’s mouth and explain, “Of course I’ll let you go, Eunuch. But I don’t know what happened in the palace, or how the Empress Dowager managed to find her way here. The Empress Dowager has quite a reputation out there. If her elderly self finds out you’re in our mansion, I fear it’ll bring disaster to everyone in our household. I know Her Highness is good to you, but she might not be as tolerant with others as she is with you.”
“I beg of you, Eunuch, alright? Once Gugu Liufang leaves, I’ll personally escort you back to the palace!” Sun Yan entreated Yao Xi earnestly.
Yao Xi nodded. She stood up awkwardly from the Cousin’s lap and said, “You must keep your word, Cousin. Even if you won’t let me leave, I’ll find a way to go back myself.” The Cousin’s words made sense. Her Highness had always treated her differently from others; that Her Highness was able to find her way here meant she might already know that Princess Longyi was the one who had kidnapped her. No matter what, the Princess was family to the Empress Dowager and wouldn’t face any harm. But the same couldn’t be said for the Cousin and the rest of the Princess’s Mansion if they were implicated.
Not to mention, the Cousin had just saved her life!
“Mm-hmm. I’ll keep my word!” Sun Yan pointed toward the inner chamber. “Would you step inside to avoid her for a moment, Eunuch?” The Empress Dowager’s representative had traveled all this way in such heavy rain. There was no excuse not to invite her in for a cup of hot tea.
Although Liufang hadn’t served the Empress Dowager as long as Yuanqian, she was still a seasoned veteran of the palace. When she asked the young maid whether Yao Xi was here, the girl stammered for a bit before claiming she didn’t know about the mansion’s affairs and needed to ask her master. It caught Liufang by surprise; with Princess Longyi currently staying in the palace, she hadn’t expected there to be another master in the Princess’s Mansion.
The young maid emerged shortly after, leading several umbrella-bearing servants to the carriage. They held the umbrellas over the arrivals from the palace as the maid said, “The wind and rain are fierce outside. Our Cousin invites Gugu to speak in the main hall. To all the other eunuchs and jiejie, please make your way to the side hall for some hot tea and pastries!”
“Your Cousin is very thoughtful,” Liufang said with a smile, stepping under the maid’s umbrella. She walked along the wet stone pavement, crossing the front courtyard toward the main hall.
“This slave Liufang greets the Cousin,” Liufang said, bowing to Sun Yan. From the maid’s form of address, she deduced that the young lady rising to welcome her was likely one of the Eldest Princess’s cousins.
Sun Yan invited Gugu Liufang to sit down, and after ordering tea to be served, she said, “I hear Gugu’s searching for someone?”
Liufang nodded with a smile. “Yes. This slave has come under the orders of the Empress Dowager to escort Eunuch Yao back to the palace. Eunuch Yao is Her Majesty’s personal attendant. In the two days since he’s been gone, Her Majesty has been so anxious that she has lost her appetite, looking quite haggard.”
Yao Xi was right behind the door of the inner chamber, hearing every word Gugu Liufang said. The Empress Dowager has lost her appetite and sleep over me? Yao Xi felt both happy and guilty. She’d actually been eating quite well… Maybe she should also try to hold back and eat less?
“That’s truly a shame,” Sun Yan said, taking a sip of tea to moisten her throat. “My humble residence hasn’t had any visitors.”
“The servants in your mansion say otherwise, Cousin.” Liufang glanced at the maid who had escorted her to the main hall. “This meimei here didn’t say Eunuch Yao wasn’t here.”
“When a gugu questions them, the little maids naturally wouldn’t dare talk nonsense about things they aren’t sure of. She didn’t say Eunuch Yao was here either, did she?” Sun Yan looked straight at Liufang.
Liufang didn’t back down an inch. “This slave won’t hide it from the Cousin. The Empress Dowager gave this slave her token, commanding this slave to search the Princess’s Mansion. If the Eunuch is here and you hand him over, it’ll make things easier for everyone. Otherwise, whether he’s here or not can only be known after we’ve searched your honorable residence.”
“Please, suit yourself, Gugu,” Sun Yan said, her eyes darting anxiously toward the rear of the main hall.
Liufang caught the direction of the Cousin’s gaze. Since the other maids and eunuchs were having tea in the side hall, she stood up and headed toward the back of the hall alone.
Yao Xi was hiding in the inner chamber to the right of the main hall. Sun Yan had deliberately led Gugu Liufang away to buy time to hide her. Slipping quickly into the inner chamber, she picked up the eavesdropping Yao Xi, and brought her to the main hall. Shielding Yao Xi’s head with her hand, she stuffed her under the late Empress’s spirit altar4. The thick silk cloth draped over the table concealed Yao Xi completely.
“Don’t make a sound, Eunuch,” Sun Yan whispered. Leaving Yao Xi with her instructions, she hurried to the rear hall. Gugu Liufang was conducting a meticulous search. Sun Yan stepped forward to help her, personally moving tables, chairs, cabinets, and screens. “I told you he wasn’t here, Gugu, but you just wouldn’t believe me.”
After finishing her search of the rear hall, Liufang went to the side hall to gather all the accompanying maids and eunuchs, proceeding to search every corner of the Princess’s Mansion.
They weren’t able to find Yao Xi. She was hidden in the very main hall where Liufang had been sitting for half the day—specifically under the altar table hosting the late Empress’s spirit tablet5, a sacred spot that no one dared to disturb.
Although they hadn’t found Yao Xi, Liufang’s intuition told her she was indeed in the Princess’s Mansion. “Would it be possible for this slave and her companions to rest at your mansion for the night before setting out? We traveled through the night, and none of us managed much sleep.”
“Of course,” Sun Yan said. She ordered servants to escort the Empress Dowager’s delegation to the guest rooms to settle in. With Gugu Liufang’s party occupying the guest quarters, Yao Xi couldn’t stay there anymore. Having dealt with Gugu Liufang for half the day, the crowds had finally dispersed, and the hour was drawing close to the evening meal6.
Sun Yan returned to the main hall with an air of nonchalance, intending to move Yao Xi—who hadn’t even had a chance to eat lunch—to a different hiding spot.
“Eunuch, you can come out now,” Sun Yan said, lightly tapping the heavy silk cloth draped over the spirit altar that concealed Yao Xi.
All remained quiet beneath the table; there was no response.
Sun Yan lifted the silk cloth and saw Yao Xi curled into a tight ball on the floor, fast asleep. Thank goodness Eunuch Yao doesn’t snore! Sun Yan thought, feeling a lingering sense of relief.
She reached out to shake Yao Xi awake, but hesitated and withdrew her hand. She’d heard from the maids guarding Yao Xi’s door last night that the lantern in the guest room had flickered on and off multiple times deep into the night; Yao Xi had likely stayed awake the entire night, searching for an opportunity to escape. Having suffered such a massive scare this morning as well, Sun Yan really couldn’t bear to wake him as she looked upon his peaceful, sleeping face.
During Gugu Liufang’s search of the mansion, Yao Xi had stayed true to his word and remained perfectly hidden, for which Sun Yan was deeply grateful. This child, who would normally risk his very life to return to the palace, had chosen to starve under the spirit altar for half the day the moment he heard the rest of the household might face the Empress Dowager’s wrath.
With Yao Xi being so faithful to his promise, Sun Yan felt all the more bound to keep hers. Once Gugu Liufang left tomorrow, she’d have to return Yao Xi to the palace as quickly as possible. Someone who’d just been caught in the rain would surely fall ill after sleeping on the freezing floor for so long. Sun Yan bent down, crawled under the table, and easily scooped Yao Xi into her arms. Standing back up, she carried her back to her own bedroom.
Gugu Liufang had personally searched her private bedchamber this afternoon, so she wouldn’t search it a second time. Especially since Yao Xi was a eunuch, and men and women shouldn’t touch, Gugu Liufang would surely never suspect she’d hide Yao Xi in her own room.
Yao Xi was woken up by hunger. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was lying on an unfamiliar bed.
The last time she’d woken up like this, she was in the Empress Dowager’s bedchamber. Where is this… Yao Xi sat up and looked around, spotting the Cousin sitting at the table far by the window, eating her dinner. No wonder she’d smelled the tantalizing aroma of food earlier; she’d assumed she was just dreaming of delicious food because of her hunger.
Having missed both breakfast and lunch, Yao Xi was absolutely famished. She got out of bed, sat down opposite the Cousin, and was about to eat when she realized there was only one pair of chopsticks and one bowl.
Is the Cousin planning to eat alone? Yao Xi pouted unhappily, secretly swallowing her saliva.
“You’re awake?” Sun Yan smiled at Yao Xi’s famished expression. “Wait a moment, Eunuch, I’ll order the kitchen to make some fresh food.”
Yao Xi craned her neck to make sure the Cousin had gone out before swiftly grabbing her chopsticks. Using the opposite ends of the sticks, she hastily pinched a bite of food and stuffed it into her mouth. She was truly starving and couldn’t wait for the kitchen to finish cooking; right now, she just wanted to pad her stomach with whatever she could find. As for her earlier thought of starving herself in solidarity with the Empress Dowager, that had been tossed to the back of her mind—instinct was truly a difficult thing to resist!
Sun Yan hadn’t actually gone all the way to the kitchen; she had simply instructed a servant at the door to pass along the message before turning back. Seeing Yao Xi sneaking food when she turned around, and wanting to spare her any embarrassment, Sun Yan stepped outside, planning to wait until Yao Xi finished eating before returning.
Yao Xi didn’t dare to overeat either, taking only two bites. She fetched a cloth, wiped the tips of the chopsticks clean, and placed them back down for the Cousin, sitting obediently at the table while swallowing her saliva as she waited. Sun Yan stood outside the entire time, entering only when the freshly prepared food was ready, carrying the dishes in herself.
“Please enjoy, Eunuch!” Sun Yan said, setting a bowl and chopsticks before Yao Xi.
The portions were quite generous, but Yao Xi devoured everything like a whirlwind sweeping away autumn leaves. Once she had cleared every last bowl and plate, she asked sheepishly, “Is there any more?” She was already full, but she still wanted to keep eating. “The food at your mansion is delicious. Since I’m leaving tomorrow, I fear I won’t have the chance to taste it again.” She’d have to return to the Empress Dowager’s side and resume her days as a tasting eunuch7.
“How could you not taste it again? Just visit whenever you like; it’s not far from the palace.” Sun Yan poured a cup of tea for Yao Xi. “Oh, right. You don’t mind sleeping here tonight, do you, Eunuch?”
Yao Xi recognized that this was the Cousin’s private bedchamber. Though she knew she was a girl, in the eyes of outsiders she was still a eunuch. Hearing the Cousin’s suggestion, she hesitated and didn’t answer.
“Gugu Liufang is sure to search the mansion again. Relatively speaking, this place is the most comfortable and secure. We can’t very well have you hide under the spirit altar all night, can we?” Sun Yan explained. “Angering the Empress Dowager is no small matter, so I’ll have to trouble you to endure another uncomfortable night. Is that alright?”
It was fine, but… “Then where will you sleep, Cousin?” Yao Xi asked innocently. Surely the Cousin wouldn’t sleep in the same room with her?
Sun Yan said calmly, “Here, naturally.” She picked up Yao Xi’s empty bowls and plates, standing up. “I’ll have the kitchen prepare some more food for you.”
Yao Xi’s face filled with panic. There’s only one bed in this room!
Wan Bi placed a piece on the chessboard and cast a disdainful glance at Emperor Ming Cheng. “Your Majesty has lost again.”
“Again!” Emperor Ming Cheng had originally taken some time to come over and play chess to help the Empress Dowager relieve her boredom, knowing she wasn’t eating or sleeping well because she’d lost that little eunuch Yao Xi and was in a foul mood. But he kept losing and losing, gradually growing frustrated from his defeats. “Jieyu8 Lan’s chess skills are also superb, yet We’ve already managed to beat her. Why can’t We ever best the Empress Dowager?”
“Silly child. This bereaved one has told you before: she’s deliberately letting you win.” Watching Emperor Ming Cheng gather his pieces, Wan Bi could only say listlessly, “Play one more game, and then Your Majesty should go back! State affairs are important, and this bereaved one doesn’t need your company.”
She only wanted Yao Xi to accompany her, but there had been no news of her. If all else failed, she’d have to force Longyi to hand Yao Xi over. If they had to fall out, so be it! She wasn’t her biological child anyway.
Emperor Ming Cheng really wanted to win a game against the Empress Dowager. He handed the gathered pieces to her and was preparing for another game when Ping’er rushed in with boundless excitement. “Your Highness! Yao Xi’s been found!”
Footnotes
- Gūgu (姑姑) is a respectful term of address for senior palace maids in the imperial household.
- Biǎoxiǎojie (表小姐) is a term used by household servants to address the female cousin of their master or mistress.
- Yāodài (腰带) is a traditional Chinese sash or belt used to secure robes or everyday garments.
- A líng'àn (灵案) is a sacred altar table placed in front of a deceased ancestor's memorial tablet to hold offerings and incense.
- A páiwèi (牌位) is a wooden or paper tablet inscribed with the name of a deceased ancestor or deity, serving as an object of veneration in traditional Chinese ancestral worship.
- Wǎnshàn (晚膳) refers to the formal evening meal or dinner within the imperial household.
- A shìshàn tàijiān (试膳太监) is a tasting eunuch responsible for testing imperial dishes for poison before they are served to royalty.
- Jiéyú (婕妤) was a high-ranking rank for imperial consorts in dynastic China.
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