Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 122
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
Yao Xi groaned as she scrambled up from the ground. By the time she turned around, Ni Dong had already entered the bedchamber, and the doors had shut. She shook her small fists angrily at the empty air, muttered a few quiet curses under her breath, and went on toward the water room anyway.
“Does Your Highness have any commands?” Ni Dong immediately broke into a smile the moment he stepped inside the bedchamber. Since Yao Xi had gone to the duty room to sleep for the night, didn’t that mean the task of attending to the Empress Dowager tonight was clearly his? He stole a glance at the Empress Dowager and swallowed hard. His thirst for power and his primal male desires intertwined, leaving his mouth dry and his throat parched.
Wan Bi had long since lost the whimpering, pitiful look she’d had while weeping in Yao Xi’s arms.
“How did Yao Xi fall?” Wan Bi asked, her tone freezing. This coldness was different from when she was jealous of Yao Xi. Her coldness toward Yao Xi carried a touch of pride, but her coldness toward Ni Dong held a sliver of ruthlessness. By the time she rushed to the doorway, Yao Xi was already down, right at Ni Dong’s feet. She suspected Ni Dong had done something underhanded, but she wanted to make sure first.
After all, when life and death were on the line, it wouldn’t do to wrongfully accuse someone!
Since this was something that could easily be verified, Ni Dong naturally didn’t dare to lie. However, he’d already prepared an excuse before he even stuck out his foot. “This slave saw Eunuch Yao leave the bedchamber and wanted to come in quickly to serve Your Highness, but the moment this slave stepped forward, Eunuch Yao bumped right into me.”
“So, it was his fault then,” Wan Bi said, her gaze turning even colder. She was, after all, the grand Empress Dowager; there was no reason for her to rush over and help Yao Xi up in front of an outsider. She didn’t even know if the girl had hurt herself. Yao Xi playing the fool and deliberately scalding her own hand had already pained her heart enough.
Ni Dong smiled, pretending to be magnanimous. “This slave is fine. A collision from the Eunuch’s frail frame doesn’t hurt at all. I only wonder how badly the Eunuch fell.” It would be wonderful if he ended up with some permanent ailment.
“Which foot did Yao Xi bump into? In this bereaved one’s opinion, it’s best to apply some medicine.” Wan Bi had been holding her hand gun all along, but her wide sleeves concealed it from Ni Dong’s sight. “Shall this bereaved one help you?”
Ni Dong’s heart thudded twice, nearly leaping out of his chest.
Her Highness wanted to… apply the medicine with her own hands? Ni Dong was so happy he could nearly faint. When the Emperor had designated him to serve the Empress Dowager, although he’d viewed it as a golden opportunity, his heart had been filled with unease—indeed, absolute terror. Yet, not only was Her Highness not difficult to serve, she was even gentle and considerate toward him.
Ni Dong’s mind raced. Her Highness could have easily just bestowed some medicine on him; why did she have to apply it herself? Could she be trying to flirt with him before he served her in bed tonight? But he’d been so focused on serving Her Highness today that he hadn’t even washed his feet yet. Would they smell bad if he took off his boots?
Ni Dong raised his head to reply, only to see the Empress Dowager, her face as cold as frost, pointing a hand gun directly at his foot.
“Speak. Which one?” Wan Bi nudged the barrel to urge him. Yao Xi could return at any moment, and she didn’t want the girl to see this. Wan Bi preferred Yao Xi being cocky and smug in front of her, not timid and cowering. There were already more than enough people in this world who feared her.
“Didn’t Your Highness say… medicine…” Ni Dong’s emotions had swung too wildly; he was utterly dazed and couldn’t process the sudden shift.
“Gunpowder is a medicine too! If you don’t speak, do you want both feet to receive it?” Wan Bi’s index finger twitched on the trigger.
Ni Dong’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, begging for mercy. “This slave was wrong! Spare my life, Your Highness! This slave truly only tripped Eunuch Yao by accident!” He wasn’t a man of great courage to begin with, and with a dark barrel pointed straight at him—held by none other than the legendary, bloodthirsty Empress Dowager—Ni Dong completely broke down. His pleas came out in ragged gasps, tears and snot smearing across his face.
Bang!
Wan Bi fired. The shot didn’t hit Ni Dong; it merely blasted a crater into the stone floor.
At the sound of the gunshot, Ni Dong literally peed himself. It was no figure of speech—he was actually, truly terrified into wetting his pants.
Now it was Wan Bi’s turn to be startled. She hadn’t actually intended to kill Ni Dong; if her bedchamber were stained with blood, how could she live in it? She’d only wanted to terrify him with the hand gun, planning to have him dragged out and beaten afterward to vent her anger on Yao Xi’s behalf. Since he was sent by the Emperor, she still had to give the Emperor that much face.
Yet this slave actually dared to… in her bedchamber…!!! Wan Bi really regretted it to death.
“Someone, get in here!” Wan Bi roared, summoning the palace maids. She ordered them to drag Ni Dong, whose legs had turned to jelly from terror, out and lock him up, to be thrown out of the palace first thing tomorrow morning. Covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, she instructed, “Scrub the bedchamber floor with boiling water three times. And burn incense in the burners for the next few days.” She usually disliked burning incense.
“Where does Your Highness wish to sleep tonight, then? This slave-girl will immediately have a room prepared,” a palace maid said. She, too, had spotted the puddle on the floor. The stench clinging to Ni Dong as he was dragged away made it easy to guess what that puddle was.
Wan Bi was still full of disgust. “The warm pavilion will do. There’s no need to tidy up another room.”
“Yes,” the palace maid complied and withdrew from the bedchamber.
Cradling her hand gun and gathering her skirts, Wan Bi quickly retreated into the warm pavilion. She’d already caught a whiff of the nauseating stench in the air.
Yao Xi got quite a shock when she returned with the water.
Stepping into the bedchamber, she didn’t see Her Highness. Instead, several palace maid jiejies were scrubbing the floor with brushes, and Ni Dong was gone. Carrying the kettle, Yao Xi asked one of the maids, “Jiejie, where is Her Highness? And where is Ni Dong?”
The palace maid wiped the sweat from her brow and pointed to the adjacent warm pavilion. “Her Highness is inside. Ni Dong was dragged out.”
Dragged out? Dragged???
Yao Xi recalled the loud bang she’d heard while in the water room—it had sounded like a hand gun firing. Surely Her Highness hadn’t shot Ni Dong dead, right? Were the palace maid jiejies busy scrubbing away bloodstains?
She looked down at the floor. The wet stone tiles were dark, and under the dim lamplight, it was impossible to tell if there was any blood.
Still carrying the kettle, Yao Xi made her way straight into the warm pavilion. Her Highness had already taken off her shoes and was sitting on the small daybed by the window. Both windows were wide open, allowing the cool night breeze to pour inside and ruffle the stray hairs around her face.
“You’re back?” Seeing Yao Xi, Wan Bi rose, slipped her feet into her shoes, and stepped forward to take the water from her. She walked over to the washstand and used Yao Xi’s towel to wipe her face. She’d wept earlier, leaving her face feeling sticky, but washing it finally made her feel a bit fresher.
Yao Xi’s small hands hovered awkwardly in midair. She wanted to serve Her Highness but found she couldn’t even get a hand in. “Let this slave do it! By the way, Your Highness, why was Ni Dong dragged out?”
“He’s a spineless wretch. At the slightest fright, his legs gave out.” Wan Bi hung the towel back up, glanced down at Yao Xi, and smiled. “Why are you calling yourself ‘this slave’ again? Where did all the Eunuch’s fierce bravado from earlier go?”
“Wasn’t this slave just acting in the heat of the moment? Besides, the palace maid jiejies are right outside the screen…” Yao Xi smiled, wrapping her arms around the Empress Dowager’s arm as she spoke softly. Once her anger dissipated, her boldness went with it. In truth, it didn’t matter how they addressed each other in private. Her only fear was that if she couldn’t change her habits in public, the Empress Dowager might end up saddled with yet another reputation for excessively spoiling her male favorite.
“When there’s no one else around, feel free to be more casual. Earlier was actually quite nice.” Remembering that Yao Xi fell, Wan Bi pulled the girl into her arms with aching tenderness. “Did you hurt yourself anywhere? Do you need some medicine applied?”
Yao Xi shook her head and tried to push the Empress Dowager away. Her face flushed red as she whispered, “Your Highness, there are people outside! The screen is only covered with a single layer of silk painted with landscapes. Our shadows will be visible!”
“Everyone in the entire palace already knows the Eunuch is my male favorite, so what’s there to fear?” Wan Bi pushed Yao Xi onto the daybed with a wicked smile. She’d pushed Yao Xi down in this warm pavilion once before, but back then, she’d been plagued by worries and forced herself to hold back. This time, however, was different…
Wan Bi pinned Yao Xi beneath her and began undoing her clothes. Yao Xi struggled fiercely, clutching her collar tightly and refusing to let go. It didn’t look like she was half-resisting and half-yielding; she was truly struggling with all her might. Wan Bi didn’t have the heart to touch Yao Xi’s hands; the shocking red scald marks on them made her fear hurting her.
Moreover, if Yao Xi were truly unwilling, she wouldn’t force her.
But why was she unwilling? Wan Bi stopped her movements in disappointment. Did she feel she’d suffered too many grievances today?
Sensing her disappointment, Yao Xi explained with a flushed face, “Your Highness, there are so many people outside… and with the lamp lit, our shadows really will be seen… Another day, alright?”
So that was why! Reassured, Wan Bi curved her lips. Leaning forward, she reached out and lifted the lampshade beside the daybed, blowing out the flame with a soft whoosh. The warm pavilion instantly darkened, leaving only the light filtering in from the bedchamber. It was the perfect amount of light—dim, but not pitch-black.
Wan Bi pressed herself against Yao Xi once more, whispering suggestively against her ear, “If the Eunuch doesn’t want to be discovered, then don’t make a sound.” With that, she kissed Yao Xi’s neck.
Lying flat on the daybed, Yao Xi bit her lower lip hard as a tingling sensation spread from her neck. Her hands tightly gripped the mattress beneath her. Her neck was truly her weakness—the fuse that ignited her entire body.
Before long, Yao Xi was breathing heavily, her voice thick with longing. “Your Highness… I want…”
Hearing those words, Wan Bi felt as if her heart were gently scratched by a kitten’s claws, leaving a parching itch. She didn’t even bother to undo Yao Xi’s clothes any further, instead using the pad of her thumb to check if her middle fingernail would scratch her…
“The books say it might hurt,” Wan Bi said, a little unable to bring herself to start.
“Mmh.” Fearing she would cry out from the pain, Yao Xi pulled up her clothes and bit them between her teeth.
From the bedchamber came the sound of the palace maids scrubbing the floor.
Scrub, scrub, scrub—swish, swish, swish—
Yao Xi felt the warm fingers of the Empress Dowager. Perhaps because they were separated from the palace maids by only a single screen, it felt thrillingly tense. With her heart suspended in her throat the entire time, Yao Xi actually didn’t feel the legendary pain. She gazed up at the Empress Dowager’s face and smiled foolishly. “Your Highness, it doesn’t hurt!”
“Focus. Stop grinning.” Wan Bi was highly dissatisfied with Yao Xi’s attitude. Couldn’t she be a bit more serious? The girl was truly a mood killer.
Of course it didn’t hurt; she hadn’t even started yet.
Wan Bi applied a bit of gentle force, then moved tenderly. Through the dim light, she saw Yao Xi’s brow furrow in pain.
“Ah—mmph—” Yao Xi wanted to cry out but didn’t dare make a sound. When she opened her mouth, the cloth she was biting slipped out.
“Does it hurt a lot?” Wan Bi quickly withdrew her hand, kissing Yao Xi with deep concern. “Then let’s not do it.”
Kissed by Her Highness, Yao Xi couldn’t speak, but she foolishly shook her head.
It wasn’t because it hurt… it was… because it felt so good.
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