Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 68

The Empress Dowager Refuses

A eunuch from Qianqing Palace came again.

When the palace maid returned to report to Wan Bi, she said, “Your Highness, a eunuch from Lady Lin’s palace has identified Yao Xi as the one who administered the poison. His Majesty’s eunuch has come and insists on taking Yao Xi for confrontation before His Majesty.”

            

Yao Xi had been obediently chatting with the Empress Dowager when, suddenly, a grave accusation descended from nowhere. She was instantly dumbfounded. “Your Highness, this slave really didn’t…”

Wan Bi raised her hand to signal Yao Xi not to speak, then asked the palace maid, “That eunuch said he saw Yao Xi administer the poison with his own eyes?”

The palace maid nodded. “His Majesty’s man is waiting outside the hall. Should Your Highness summon him in for questioning?”

            

“No need.” Wan Bi smiled. “This bereaved one will personally take Yao Xi over there.”

The matter of Lady Lin’s poisoning was actually difficult to investigate, because too many people had handled the lychees. People from the Bureau of Imperial Gardens, Yao Xi, people from Lady Lin’s palace—all were possible suspects. As long as the poisoner refused to confess, this case could very well become an unsolved mystery.

But now someone had suddenly stepped forward to identify Yao Xi? And claimed to have witnessed it personally? From the Bureau of Imperial Gardens to the palace, the road was so long. If it really had been Yao Xi, why would she choose to secretly administer poison in Lady Lin’s palace, right in front of everyone? The little castrated donkey’s brain wasn’t very good, but it wasn’t completely brainless either. This eunuch’s frame-up was too stupid.

            

But why Yao Xi? They clearly knew Yao Xi was her person and shouldn’t be touched.

Yao Xi, with a bitter face, accompanied the Empress Dowager to Lady Lin’s palace. The sky had already darkened, and the palace gates had long been locked. She could only leave the palace tomorrow at dawn. That was assuming she could return alive from Lady Lin’s palace tonight!

But why would a eunuch from Lady Lin’s palace try to pin this dirty water on her? Was it because she had offended those people by standing up for Yunxiang?

            

Lady Lin’s palace was brightly lit with candles. The Emperor sat in the courtyard with an exhausted expression, only rising to greet Wan Bi when he saw her arrive, supported by Tang Huaili. Wan Bi glanced unhappily at Emperor Ming Cheng, then sat in a chair beside him. She ordered someone to bring a stool for Yao Xi—she was still worried about Yao Xi’s injury.

Emperor Ming Cheng had originally felt some guilt toward Wan Bi for having done something excessive to her, but seeing how she doted on this eunuch, he felt an inexplicable anger rise again. He suppressed his anger and tried to persuade Wan Bi calmly, “Empress Dowager. Yao Xi is a suspect. How can she sit?”

Wan Bi couldn’t be bothered to deal with Emperor Ming Cheng. She was tired enough today; she just wanted to finish this matter quickly and return to the palace to rest. “Who identified Yao Xi?”

            

A eunuch walked out from the crowd and knelt.

“You saw Yao Xi administer the poison with your own eyes?” Wan Bi looked down at the eunuch, her gaze turning cold.

The eunuch nodded.

            

“Seeing someone poison your mistress and yet not stopping it? You slaves are loyal enough.” Wan Bi was gradually losing patience.

The eunuch defended himself, “Replying to Your Highness. This slave only saw Eunuch Yao do something to the lychees while resting in the tea room. At the time, this slave didn’t suspect anything! Not just this slave—several eunuchs saw with their own eyes. Eunuch Yao turned away from people and picked up the lychees, then put them down shortly after. Only after the Lady was poisoned did we realize that Eunuch Yao was…” The eunuch glanced fearfully at Yao Xi, who sat behind the Empress Dowager, then gritted his teeth and said, “administering poison!”

Wan Bi also turned to look at Yao Xi. The little castrated donkey’s small face was pale with fright, but her brows and eyes were full of grievance.

            

Emperor Ming Cheng was also tired. Today he had even handled state affairs in Lady Lin’s palace. Once tonight passed, who knew how much chaos would erupt tomorrow? He also wanted to return to Qianqing Palace. Emperor Ming Cheng said to Wan Bi, “We know the Empress Dowager favors this slave. But there is already a witness. Whether or not this slave administered the poison, a trip to the interrogation room will reveal the truth. If the Empress Dowager keeps protecting her like this, this matter will never end…”

The interrogation room? Yao Xi’s heart trembled. If she really entered the interrogation room, she would lose half her life even if she didn’t die.

Wan Bi didn’t yield. The little castrated donkey’s body, fragile as jade chips, would have no chance of coming out alive from the interrogation room. She couldn’t bear it! Wan Bi was about to sternly push back against Emperor Ming Cheng, but just as the words reached her lips, a weak female voice suddenly came from the crowd.

            

“This slave-girl knows who administered the poison…” Accompanying this voice, a delicate and slender palace maid walked out and slowly knelt before the Emperor.

Yao Xi recognized this woman—it was Yunxiang, whom she had helped during the day.

Regarding Lady Lin’s death by poisoning, Yunxiang had been watching coldly from the sidelines. If Lady Lin died, she could change masters and her days would have hope again, so she didn’t want to bring trouble on herself. But seeing several eunuchs frame Eunuch Yao, and the Emperor about to drag Eunuch Yao to the interrogation room for questioning, she couldn’t stand by and watch.

            

If not for Eunuch Yao, she would have sought death after coming out of the bathhouse. Eunuch Yao not only helped her drive away those flies, but also genuinely pleaded with the Empress Dowager for her. Not long after Eunuch Yao left, the Empress Dowager’s personal maid personally came to speak with Lady Lin. This debt of gratitude, she had to repay! She actually didn’t know who administered the poison, but even if it really was Eunuch Yao who did it, she would still help him. Lady Lin deserved to die anyway.

Emperor Ming Cheng asked, “Who? Do you have evidence?”

Yunxiang raised her frail arm and pointed at the eunuchs who had framed Yao Xi—the same ones who usually bullied her the most. “It was them. After Lady Lin became pregnant, she was extremely careful about her food. She wouldn’t eat anything that hadn’t been tasted first. Yet today, only Lady Lin ate the lychees. Who else could it be but people from our palace? This slave-girl has no evidence, but His Majesty can order that this slave-girl and those few be tortured. See who tells the truth.” Yunxiang spoke with determination. At worst, she would risk her life. If she could save Eunuch Yao and drag these eunuchs down with her, it was worth it. If she could drag everyone in this palace down with her, even better!

            

Just because the Emperor had spoken a few words to her, her days in Lady Lin’s palace had become utterly dark. So why not speak a few more words to the Emperor and make those people’s days dark too?

Before Emperor Ming Cheng could speak, Wan Bi said to those eunuchs, “Who administered the poison! If this bereaved one cannot find the culprit, she will kill all of you—better to kill wrongly than to let anyone go!” Seeing those eunuchs pushing and shoving each other without speaking, Wan Bi stood up and ordered someone to bring her a sword. She drew the sword and pointed it at one of the eunuchs kneeling in a huddle on the ground. “This bereaved one will ask only once!”

“It was Eunuch Liufu from the Directorate of Palace Servants who told him to administer the poison. This slave is a tasting eunuch¹; he told this slave.” A young eunuch, unable to withstand the Empress Dowager’s intimidation, sobbed and pointed at the one who had first identified Yao Xi. “He also told us slaves to identify Eunuch Yao.”

            

Yao Xi’s mind buzzed. Eunuch Liufu wanted to harm her? Before she could think further, she heard the Empress Dowager order, “Go to the Directorate of Palace Servants and bring that eunuch named Liufu!”

Bring Eunuch Liufu? Although Eunuch Liufu didn’t know she was a girl, he thought she was a fake eunuch who hadn’t been castrated! If Eunuch Liufu was brought in for questioning, would he expose the fact that she was a fake eunuch? She was supposed to leave the palace so soon—why did things keep happening at this exact moment!

Yao Xi waited anxiously and received news of Liufu’s death. She heard he had died suddenly in the Directorate of Palace Servants, cause unknown.

            

So Eunuch Liufu wanted to harm her, and someone else harmed Eunuch Liufu?

Yao Xi vaguely felt that the storm she had been swept into for no reason was slowly beginning.

“Who else have you offended?” Wan Bi asked Yao Xi on the way back to the palace.

            

Yao Xi didn’t know who else she had offended; she had no way to answer. “This slave doesn’t remember having any conflicts with anyone besides Liao Bing.”

Wan Bi didn’t believe it. Otherwise, why would that eunuch named Liufu from the Directorate of Palace Servants harm Yao Xi for no reason? And who killed Liufu? The little castrated donkey hadn’t just offended people—she had offended people with some status. Liufu, for all his shortcomings, was still a Junior Director at the Directorate of Palace Servants, yet he was killed without a trace.

“This bereaved one advises you: if something happens, don’t hide it. No matter how great the matter, this bereaved one will take your side. But you cannot hide things from this bereaved one.”

            

Yao Xi looked at Her Highness’s exquisite profile illuminated by candlelight in the darkness, and suddenly felt an impulse to tell her everything. But she was about to leave. If she told Her Highness, perhaps she wouldn’t be able to leave. “This slave understands.”

“Then do you have something you’re hiding from this bereaved one?” Wan Bi felt an inexplicable unease in her heart. She could see the little castrated donkey’s character clearly, but she couldn’t see his past. And the little castrated donkey obviously had things hidden from her.

Yao Xi lowered her head to look at the road, murmuring, “Replying to Your Highness. No.”

            

“There had better not be.” Wan Bi glanced coolly at Yao Xi, suddenly feeling a bit disappointed. The little castrated donkey had something on his mind, but wasn’t willing to tell her. “Tonight, you will stand night watch outside this bereaved one’s sleeping quarters!” Wan Bi ordered with anger.

“Yes.” Yao Xi bowed in acknowledgment. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight anyway. She had to leave the palace at Yin hour²; this would be her last duty serving Her Highness!

After the Empress Dowager bathed and entered the sleeping quarters to rest, Yao Xi held her quilt and stood night watch outside the hall, leaning against the door. She counted the watch drums one by one. When she judged the time was about right, she quietly crawled out from under the quilt, took out the letter she had written to the Empress Dowager from her chest, and slipped it through the crack beside the door.

            

Your Highness, take care! Yao Xi said softly outside the door, her heart feeling sour.

After saying goodbye, she turned and walked out of the main hall, heading toward Princess Longyi’s palace.

Wan Bi hadn’t slept at all. Just thinking about the little castrated donkey being right outside the door made her restless. She wanted to hold the little castrated donkey and sleep, but then she thought of his broken body and felt disgust again. While she tossed and turned, the door suddenly made a soft sound. Her first reaction was: assassin. Her second reaction was: the little castrated donkey had been killed. Her third reaction was: quickly hide.

            

But the door only swayed gently, and a paper letter was slipped through the crack. Wan Bi walked to the door holding a candlestick and picked up the letter. Seeing those ugly characters, she knew it was written by the little castrated donkey. Just separated by a door—what words couldn’t be said face-to-face that had to be written down?

Wan Bi thought this letter might be a confession of love, or it might be a secret letter in which the little castrated donkey revealed his heart to her. Either way, she felt happy. She walked lightly back to the bed, set down the candlestick, and leaned into the candlelight to carefully tear open the letter. She tore it very carefully, afraid of making noise that the little castrated donkey outside the door would hear.

The letter had several pages. Wan Bi read the first two pages with a smile on her face, thinking the little castrated donkey was so thoughtful, remembering all the good she had done for him. But her expression changed as she read on. The little castrated donkey was grateful for the eighty thousand taels of silver she had bestowed, saying he had no fortune to serve her and was leaving the palace to live a peaceful life…

            

Those eighty thousand taels weren’t bestowed for that kid to leave the palace and take a wife!

Wan Bi suddenly felt an indescribable sadness in her heart. Leaving just like that—could it be that the little castrated donkey didn’t love her?

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