Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 109
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
Repaying her slowly over a lifetime? Wan Bi was deeply moved, but at the same time, she felt all the more that she absolutely couldn’t hand the keys to her private treasury over to Yao Xi.
If a girl as greedy for money as Yao Xi were truly willing to spend ten thousand taels of silver just to share a single night of spring passion with her, she’d indeed be incredibly happy. But when the gleaming white silver and her own gleaming white flesh were laid out together, forcing a choice of one or the other, would Yao Xi make the right choice and claim her, or would she pick the wrong answer and end up empty-handed, losing both the girl and the gold? Wan Bi was rather curious.
“Your tongue’s getting slicker by the day.” Even if they were merely sweet words, Wan Bi still thoroughly enjoyed them. “Have someone serve the meal. This bereaved one is hungry.” Now that Yao Xi had returned to the palace, the worry weighing on her mind vanished, and her appetite returned with a vengeance. She hadn’t noticed it earlier while utterly dominated by desire, but now that the passion had receded, the gnawing discomfort of a ravenously empty stomach surged over her in an instant.
“Yes,” Yao Xi replied, departing merrily. She soon returned to the bedchamber after giving the orders, intending to support the Empress Dowager to the dining hall.
Wan Bi was so exhausted that she slumped in her chair, entirely unwilling to move. “There’s no rush to go over. It’s not a standard dining hour, so the imperial kitchen will take some time to prepare it anyway. Sit down as well, and chat with this bereaved one. What did you go through out there these past few days?” She wanted to know if Yao Xi had suffered any grievances. If the girl had remained with Longyi’s people the entire time, it would’ve been fine. Her greatest fear was that, in her desperation to flee back to the palace, she’d shaken off Longyi’s attendants and crossed paths with wicked people.
Yao Xi had returned safely, but if she’d indeed suffered any mistreatment, Wan Bi would surely demand justice for her.
“Your Highness hasn’t eaten much these past few days, so the kitchen was worried you might summon a meal at any moment. I heard they’ve been preparing dishes early and keeping them warm in the back,” Yao Xi said. Seeing the Empress Dowager’s fatigue, she added with concern, “Why don’t we have the palace maid jiejies bring the food in so Your Highness can dine right here in the bedchamber?” She deliberately avoided mentioning her experiences outside the palace.
Seeing how Yao Xi skirted around the main topic, Wan Bi didn’t bother to press further, only saying softly, “Very well. Let’s eat here then.” Yao Xi’s reluctance to speak was surely because she didn’t want to betray Longyi, just as she’d hidden her identity as the daughter of Yao Hezheng to protect her family. Wan Bi understood all of this, yet she couldn’t help but ache for the immense pressure Yao Xi had to bear at such a tender age.
She had to quickly resolve Yao Hezheng’s case, recall the elderly couple from the Southern Frontier to the capital, and reunite Yao Xi with her family. She planned to carry this out in secret as a surprise for Yao Xi. She also needed to win over Longyi and Jieyu Lan, lest those two wretched wenches constantly instigate or force Yao Xi to leave her.
The palace maids brought in the meal and set it upon the round table in the center of the bedchamber. Yao Xi picked up her chopsticks, and, as if guided by some unseen force, she began to separate the fish skin from the flesh. Placing the fish skin along with a few fine shreds of green scallion onto a small plate, she presented it to the Empress Dowager, while dropping the fish meat into her own bowl.
She’d already flipped through the booklet given to her by Gugu Yuanqian. Initially, she hadn’t wanted to cheat, wishing instead to understand the Empress Dowager gradually on her own, but the information she’d read had etched itself so deeply into her mind that she couldn’t forget it. The booklet had stated that Her Highness discarded the meat when eating fish, consuming only the skin.
Yao Xi performed these tasks in silence, leaving Wan Bi staring in a daze. For a fleeting moment, she almost believed that the one serving her was Yuanqian, not Yao Xi. How did Yao Xi suddenly become so well-acquainted with her culinary preferences?
Perhaps she’d carefully observed and memorized these details while accompanying me for meals in the past, only pretending to be clueless to keep up her disguise.
Wan Bi had always been highly curious about Yao Xi’s deeply concealed talents; after all, she was the precious daughter of Yao Hezheng! A sudden idea struck her. “It seems you’re quite satisfied with the likeness of you that this bereaved one painted?”
“Ah?” Yao Xi paused her chopsticks while serving Her Highness. Realizing Her Highness was referring to that painting which looked absolutely nothing like her, she nodded with a sweet smile. “Mhm. This slave truly never expected to appear so beautiful in Your Highness’s eyes.”
“This bereaved one also wants to know what she looks like in our Eunuch’s eyes.” Seeing that Yao Xi had obediently taken the bait, Wan Bi smiled with deep satisfaction. “Once we’ve finished our meal, this bereaved one must pay a visit to Kunning Palace. You don’t need to accompany me. Stay here and paint a portrait of this bereaved one from memory!”
“Ah???” Yao Xi’s hand holding her chopsticks trembled. She’d only been away from the palace for a few days, yet her trap-evading skills had already grown incredibly rusty. With her artistic abilities, let alone painting Her Highness to look even more beautiful than she already was, she’d be lucky if the result didn’t resemble an illustration from the Classic of Mountains and Seas1. “This slave doesn’t know how to paint. I fear I might offend Your Highness.”
Only at this moment did Yao Xi truly feel that the palace life of walking on the edge of a blade had returned!
“No matter. Our Eunuch may paint as you please; this bereaved one promises not to blame you.” Having finished her meal, Wan Bi glanced toward the bed and said to Yao Xi, “Oh, right. Fetch the hand gun from the head of the bed for this bereaved one.”
“The hand gun?” Why did Her Highness suddenly want it? It wasn’t as if assassins had breached the palace. Yao Xi uneasily unhooked the five-barrel revolver hanging at the head of the bed. Could Her Highness’s old illness be flaring up again, and this was an attempt to threaten her? Was the penalty for a poor painting to get shot? “Why does Your Highness require the hand gun?”
“For self-defense,” Wan Bi said with a smile. It was best to bring the hand gun along when she went to Kunning Palace to speak with the Empress about the assassins. Whether the Empress still harbored murderous intent toward her wasn’t her concern; she’d long since developed the excellent habit of constantly guarding against hidden spears and unsheathed arrows.
“This slave’ll accompany Your Highness!” Hearing the Empress Dowager speak of self-defense made Yao Xi feel a bit uneasy. Could Kunning Palace truly be dangerous? Aside from wishing to protect the Empress Dowager in person, she also wanted to seize this opportunity to escape the painting task.
Wan Bi carefully checked whether the hand gun was loaded, then rose and said to Yao Xi, “It’s enough for the others to follow. You stay here and paint this bereaved one properly.” Bending down, she planted a gentle kiss on Yao Xi’s forehead before turning to make her way out.
Yao Xi slumped against the back of her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling of the hall, completely at a loss. Though Her Highness claimed she wouldn’t lay blame, she’d undoubtedly fly into a rage if she saw herself painted as a grotesque monster.
In her eyes, Her Highness was naturally of peerless beauty—it was just a pity her hand couldn’t keep up with her heart!
As Wan Bi led her retinue past the exterior of Longyi Palace, she felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her from the shadows.
“Stop!” Wan Bi raised a hand to halt the crowd behind her. Her sharp gaze swept over the courtyard on her right as she barked, “Who’s there? Show yourself!”
Sun Yan had heard from her cousin Longyi that the Empress Dowager had moved here after Ning’an Palace caught fire. She was staying on the other side of the stream, and the moment Sun Yan heard the sound of people passing by, she rushed out. In folk rumors, the Demon Empress, Wan Bi, was wicked and terrifying, yet in the mouth of Eunuch Yao, the Empress Dowager was exceptionally kind. Having entered the palace this time, she wanted to see with her own eyes what the real Empress Dowager was truly like.
Hiding behind the rockery, she watched a young woman of elegant and refined features approach along the covered corridor, followed by a large retinue of palace maids. The young woman suddenly halted, fixed her gaze on the rockery where Sun Yan was concealed, and sharply ordered her to come out.
Sun Yan hastily stepped out from behind the rockery, coming forward to kneel and perform her salutations. “This commoner girl, Sun Yan, pays her respects to the Empress Dowager.” Having completed her greeting, she raised her head, meeting the Empress Dowager’s downward gaze. People always said that one’s appearance reflected one’s soul, yet no matter how she looked at it, the Empress Dowager’s face didn’t seem like that of a sinister and venomous person at all!
Longyi had just finished her bath and was about to look for Sun Yan when a palace maid informed her that Sun Yan had run out into the courtyard. Fearing that she might cause another disaster, Longyi quickly chased after her. The moment she stepped outside, she saw Sun Yan kneeling and paying her respects to the Empress Dowager… Why on earth did I have to be saddled with such a troublesome cousin?
“May the Empress Dowager forgive her. My little cousin has only just entered the palace and is ignorant of the rules. I trust she hasn’t offended you?” Longyi was worried that, after having just thrashed her Imperial Brother, Sun Yan would go on to offend the Empress Dowager. Wan Bi didn’t possess her Imperial Brother’s mild temperament! Terrified that Sun Yan might get into trouble, she hurriedly stepped forward to plead for her.
“Rise and speak,” Wan Bi said, casting a brief glance at Sun Yan. She wasn’t so petty as to trouble herself over a young girl who’d just entered the palace and was merely full of curiosity. It was just as well that Longyi had appeared. Wan Bi looked at her and said, “Come to this bereaved one’s palace at the hour of the evening meal.” With that, she led her attendants away.
Inside Qianqing Palace, Yao Shuanglan sat with an uneasy mind. The Emperor sat opposite her with a solemn expression, having said he had something to discuss with her.
Longyi had only just come by this morning to inform her that the Empress Dowager had discovered their secret, and the Emperor had just returned from the Empress Dowager’s quarters. Even so, there was no need to fear if the Emperor knew. The Empress Dowager couldn’t possibly have any evidence, and since the Empress Dowager had already attempted to frame her once in the Emperor’s eyes, she only needed to firmly maintain that she and Longyi were merely intimate friends.
“What does Your Majesty wish to say to this subject-concubine?” Yao Shuanglan carefully observed the Emperor’s expression. Neither sorrowful nor angry? It probably wasn’t about that matter then.
“That girl from all those years ago… the owner of the silk handkerchief. We encountered her today…” Emperor Ming Cheng found it somewhat difficult to speak.
Jieyu Lan hadn’t even participated in the imperial selection, yet he’d issued a decree to forcibly bring her into the palace. After she’d been won over by his gentle courtship, she’d then learned that the one he loved wasn’t her. This was far too cruel for a young woman. Jieyu Lan was a proud and high-spirited person by nature; she was entirely unwilling to share the Son of Heaven with the rest of the imperial harem, let alone remain by his side only to watch him dote on his true beloved with her own eyes.
Emperor Ming Cheng felt somewhat hesitant to look at Jieyu Lan. He rarely experienced feelings of guilt, but at this moment, he felt utterly mortified. He’d spoken so many solemn vows of eternal love and made countless promises, yet he was about to break his word. The moment he’d been knocked to the ground by that wench Sun Yan, he’d fallen with a smile on his face.
If it were merely to save his own face, he could’ve easily turned around and claimed that Jieyu Lan had refused to serve him in bed, causing him to lose his patience. Whether he cold-shouldered Jieyu Lan or pursued Sun Yan after that, it would’ve seemed entirely reasonable to outsiders.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to perform such an unprincipled act.
Yao Shuanglan was momentarily stunned, but she then smiled faintly and said, “This subject-concubine offers her congratulations to Your Majesty.” Did this mean she could finally extricate herself? Normally, once a woman entered the palace, she belonged to the Emperor regardless of whether she’d served him in bed, making escape an incredibly difficult endeavor. Just as she was contemplating ways to rid herself of her status as an imperial consort, she heard the Emperor say, “Why force a smile? We know you must be grieving.”
Indeed! She had to be sad, and sad enough to make the Emperor feel guilty.
“This subject-concubine’s truly happy for Your Majesty.” Squeezing out tears, Yao Shuanglan looked pitiable as she lightly covered her mouth with her handkerchief. “This subject-concubine’s always adored Your Majesty. Though I was too proud to serve you in bed, I believed that being able to accompany Your Majesty for the rest of my life was enough, so long as our hearts were aligned. When I learned a few days ago that Your Majesty’s affection for this subject-concubine was actually a mistaken love, and that the one you’d cherished in your heart all these years was someone else, I wept in secret many times, blaming my own lack of fortune.”
The more bitterly Yao Shuanglan wept, the deeper Emperor Ming Cheng’s guilt grew.
“Since Your Majesty has found that young lady, this subject-concubine dare not continue to occupy a place that is not hers.” Yao Shuanglan fell to both knees, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at Emperor Ming Cheng. “I beg Your Majesty to strip this subject-concubine of her title of Jieyu and demote her to a commoner!” Having finished speaking, she knocked her head heavily against the floor.
“Shuanglan…” Deeply moved, Emperor Ming Cheng stepped forward to help Jieyu Lan to her feet. “Please, rise and speak!”
“This subject-concubine should never have entered the palace to begin with, should she?” Yao Shuanglan gazed fixedly at Emperor Ming Cheng, her face drenched in tears that would break anyone’s heart. These tears weren’t entirely fake. Had it not been for that imperial decree years ago, she’d have long since found an excuse to go to Longyi’s fiefdom to spend the rest of her days with her beloved. “I beg Your Majesty to grant this subject-concubine’s wish!”
“There’s no rush to strip you of your title of Jieyu. Lord Yao is still in the Southern Frontier, and you’ve nowhere else to go outside the palace. Retaining your identity as a Jieyu will make it much easier for you to move about within these walls,” Emperor Ming Cheng said with deep regret. “We’ve failed you. If in the future you find a gentleman you desire, and he minds that you once entered the palace, We’ll personally step forward to explain on your behalf.”
“This subject-concubine will remain unmarried for the rest of her life!” Yao Shuanglan declared resolutely. “If an imperial consort were to remarry, how would the world look upon Your Majesty?”
Emperor Ming Cheng felt a lump in his throat, and two streams of deeply moved tears rolled down his cheeks. He even found himself suddenly thinking that spending the rest of his life with Jieyu Lan—who loved him so deeply—might actually be wonderful. Otherwise, wouldn’t he be destroying Jieyu Lan’s entire life due to his own mistake? “Shuanglan, We’re thinking that perhaps…” Emperor Ming Cheng wanted to elevate Jieyu Lan’s rank. Even if they couldn’t be together, he could at least keep her in the palace and ensure she was well provided for.
Yao Shuanglan realized something was amiss in the Emperor’s tone. Had she perhaps acted too deeply in love, inadvertently triggering his pity? Heaven forbid!
Before Emperor Ming Cheng could finish his sentence, Yao Shuanglan quickly interrupted, “Your Majesty’s willingness to let this subject-concubine leave the palace eventually, rather than forcing her to remain in this place of sorrow, is already the greatest grace you could bestow upon her. Before my father returns to the capital, this subject-concubine indeed has nowhere else to go. However, this subject-concubine can no longer reside in Qianqing Palace. I beg Your Majesty to permit this subject-concubine to move into Longyi Palace to live with her.”
“Into Longyi Palace?” Emperor Ming Cheng found himself in a difficult position. Sun Yan was also staying with Longyi. If Jieyu Lan moved in as well, it would be incredibly awkward should he wish to visit that girl Sun Yan. “There’re still many vacant palaces within the imperial grounds…”
“Your Majesty knows that this subject-concubine and Princess Longyi have known each other since childhood. Moreover, those who framed my father might not hesitate to target this subject-concubine next. Living with someone will bring peace of mind to this subject-concubine.” Yao Shuanglan didn’t relent.
Filled with immense guilt, Emperor Ming Cheng simply couldn’t find it in his heart to refuse Jieyu Lan, and was forced to agree.
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