Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 72

The Empress Dowager Refuses

“However, regarding this matter of confiscating their property, Your Majesty shouldn’t be too honest.” Wan Bi knew the Zhu family had deep pockets, and the civil and military officials of the court were all staring at the National Treasury like flies. Thus, she instructed Emperor Ming Cheng, “The Zhu family. Confiscate half, and stash away the other half!”

After Yao Xi placed the calligraphy scroll gifted by the Empress Dowager back in the duty room, she went outside the main hall, hunching over to search for her silver notes. Last night, when she had rushed back from Princess Longyi’s side to save Her Majesty, she had stopped by the small bridge to pull out and burn the letter intended for Noble Lady Lan. When she had pulled out the letter, those silver notes had clearly still been tucked inside her robes.

            

Such a thick stack of things—as long as no one else had picked it up, it shouldn’t be hard to find.

She first searched outside the main hall. The area outside was a vast expanse of gray stone paving. The ground still bore unwashed, fire-blackened scorch marks and patches of dark red blood, but there was absolutely nothing that looked like a silver note.

Yao Xi went into the woods again, walking and searching along the small path leading to the stream. She walked all the way to the end, but still couldn’t find the silver notes. Her eighty thousand taels¹! Having gone from overnight riches to absolute destitution in the short span of two days, Yao Xi could not accept the reality that her silver might never be recovered.

            

Many of her beautiful hopes for the future had been built upon that sum of silver. Without money, she lacked the confidence to leave the palace. As dangerous as the palace was, at least she didn’t have to worry about food and clothing. If she left the palace without any money to settle down and make a living, who knew what terrible things she might encounter as a lone girl!

Yao Xi still pinned her hopes of saving money on the wealthy and generous Empress Dowager. Her Majesty gifting her a piece of calligraphy today surely wasn’t out of stinginess; rather, she genuinely felt that Yao Xi’s merit in saving her single-handedly was far too great, and that rewarding her with vulgar gold and silver wouldn’t be nearly enough. That was why she had personally taken up the imperial brush to inscribe the four large characters for “Loyal Liver, Righteous Gall” to bestow upon her.

Her Majesty wasn’t wrong to say that the calligraphy was an invaluable treasure. Hand-written by the Empress Dowager, and featuring those four specific characters—it could serve as a protective talisman in this life and a family heirloom in the next. Unfortunately, she was a thoroughly vulgar person who only wanted cold, hard cash to exchange for daily necessities. She didn’t want a family heirloom!

            

“What are you looking for?”

Yao Xi was still stubbornly looking down, searching through the apricot forest, when she suddenly heard Princess Longyi’s voice from in front of her. “Your Highness?” Seeing that the Princess hadn’t brought any attending servants, she stepped forward and whispered, “Last night, assassins broke into Her Majesty’s palace. This slave couldn’t get away, making Your Highness wait for so long.”

“It’s fine. It’s for the best to wait until the rumors about the fake eunuchs blow over before leaving anyway.” Longyi had come specifically to see Yao Xi. “Last night, I heard the gugu by the Empress Dowager’s side say that you fainted? Is it anything serious?”

            

When she came over last night, she hadn’t seen the Empress Dowager, nor had she seen Yao Xi, so she had planned to make another trip first thing this morning anyway. As it turned out, right after she woke up this morning, Noble Lady Lan had come looking for her while her Imperial Brother was at his morning court session. She said she had heard about the assassins entering the Empress Dowager’s palace last night and asked Longyi to help check if Yao Xi was alright.

“I heard Imperial Physician Fu came to take a look at this slave last night. This slave is fine. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness,” Yao Xi said gratefully.

Longyi looked at Yao Xi with a smile, feeling that this child was truly cautious. No wonder he had managed to hide his identity so well in the palace. Last time, when she mentioned to Yao Xi that she and Noble Lady Lan had known each other since childhood, Yao Xi’s look of shock had seemed so genuine. The first time they met at the Moon-Gazing Pavilion, Yao Xi had also pretended not to know her, and later at Ning’an Palace, he had babbled about not knowing she was the Eldest Princess and so on. When Yao Xi used to come to the palace to play as a child, she had even teased him.

            

“It’s good that you’re fine. Your sister worried all night.” Seeing that Yao Xi was alright, Longyi originally wanted to hurry back to her palace to tell Noble Lady Lan so she wouldn’t keep fretting over it. Or better yet, she could bring Yao Xi back with her and let the two siblings have a chat. Just as she was speaking with Yao Xi, she saw her Imperial Brother, Emperor Ming Cheng, walking over, surrounded by a crowd of attendants.

“Longyi? Have you come to see the Empress Dowager?” Emperor Ming Cheng also spotted his sister and felt deeply gratified. The last time Ning’an Palace caught fire, and this time when the Empress Dowager was attacked by assassins—Longyi was the second person to rush over, right after him. It showed that Longyi truly cared for the Empress Dowager. No matter how much they might seem outwardly agreeable but inwardly at odds, or even bicker occasionally, family was still family.

Longyi had actually planned on heading back, but hearing her Imperial Brother say this, it seemed it wouldn’t make sense if she didn’t go take a look at Wan Bi. She had no choice but to say, “Yes! When I came over last night, I heard the Empress Dowager had already retired for the night.”

            

“Good, good. Go on then!” Emperor Ming Cheng said approvingly.

After Emperor Ming Cheng walked far away, Longyi said to Yao Xi, “Your sister is right over in my palace. Go and tell her you’re safe! But don’t talk for too long; it might cause another mess like last time. The Emperor is currently highly suspicious because of the fake eunuch incident! If anyone asks, just say you went to my palace to help fetch something. When you come back in a bit, just bring something random with you.” With that, she crossed through the forest alone, heading toward the Empress Dowager’s palace.

Hearing that Noble Lady Lan had worried about her all night, Yao Xi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. When the day came for her to leave the palace, and Noble Lady Lan learned that Young Master Yao had met with a fatal mishap over a year ago, who knew how devastated she would be? Still, it felt really nice to have someone worry about her. Why had she been stuck with a brother like Sun Ergou, yet never met a sister like Noble Lady Lan?

            

Upon arriving at Longyi Palace, Yao Xi used the excuse of needing to fetch something for the Eldest Princess to enter the courtyard.

“Eunuch Yao, what does the Princess need?” A palace maid, fearing Yao Xi wouldn’t be able to find it since he was unfamiliar with the place, kindly offered to help. Furthermore, Noble Lady Lan was still inside the room waiting for the Princess to return, and the maid felt it was best that Yao Xi, a eunuch, did not go in.

Yao Xi said vaguely, “Her Highness won’t let me say…”

            

The maid didn’t dare to ask further. Remembering that Yao Xi was close enough to drink at the same table as the Eldest Princess and Noble Lady Lan, she stayed in the courtyard to keep watch and let him enter the room.

Yao Shuanglan was anxiously waiting for Longyi to return. Seeing a figure enter the doorway, she froze for a moment. Once she saw clearly that it was Yao Xi, tears of joy welled up in her eyes. “A-Xian~” She had followed the Emperor and Empress to the Empress Dowager’s palace last night, but having neither seen her brother nor dared to ask about him, she had worried so much that she hadn’t slept well all night. She had come over first thing in the morning to beg Longyi to make a trip.

“Jiejie…” Yao Xi called out, completely lacking confidence. But given the atmosphere and the fact that there was no one else around, calling her Noble Lady Lan again would seem suspiciously distant. “I’m fine.”

            

Yao Shuanglan stood up, walked over to Yao Xi, and pulled him tightly into her arms. Overcome with relief, tears spilled from her eyes. “Your sister was worried to death.”

Yao Xi felt Noble Lady Lan’s heartfelt concern for her. Although her identity was fake, and Noble Lady Lan’s care was actually meant for Yao Xian, Yao Xi’s eyes still reddened as she rested her chin on Noble Lady Lan’s shoulder. It had truly been far too long since she had felt the warmth of family. Far, far too long.

“But we still need to find a chance to send you out of the palace as soon as possible,” Yao Shuanglan said. Knowing it wasn’t easy to get a chance to speak with her brother, she released him and spoke concisely. “The person who harmed you and sent you into the palace hasn’t exposed your identity yet; they must be waiting for an opportunity. You must leave before they strike! After you leave the palace, go to Princess Longyi’s fiefdom to take temporary shelter. Wait until your sister clears our family’s name, and then you can return to reunite with Father and Mother.”

            

“Mhm.” Yao Xi nodded forcefully. “Then I’ll head back first. If anyone sees me, it’ll just cause more trouble.”

Yao Shuanglan said reluctantly, “Alright.”

Over on the other side, Longyi reluctantly went to see Wan Bi.

            

Wan Bi had just finished speaking with Emperor Ming Cheng and was about to order someone to summon Yao Xi to serve her when a palace maid came in to report, “Your Majesty, Princess Longyi has come to pay her respects.”

Longyi again? Wan Bi recalled hearing from the gugu last night that Longyi had led a group of the old, the weak, the sick, and the disabled to rush over and save her. Did Longyi truly care this much about her safety?

In truth, setting aside the grudges between them stemming from the Late Empress, Wan Bi actually approved of Longyi’s character. Longyi was straightforward and open-hearted. Her likes and dislikes were written plainly on her face, and she didn’t harbor any grand malicious intentions. Interacting with someone like that was the most trouble-free.

            

Longyi had risked danger to come save her last night, and had come to pay her respects early again today. Perhaps, after all these years, she had finally let go of the Late Empress’s death! Besides, she wasn’t the one who had murdered the Late Empress anyway. Someone had borrowed a knife to kill², using the Late Emperor’s doting affection for her to harm the Late Empress.

Since Longyi had figured things out and had made friendly overtures time and again, it wouldn’t be good for her to keep putting on airs.

“Invite the Princess in.” Wan Bi picked up the palm-sized bronze mirror from the table and very carefully adjusted her expression into a smile that looked both sincere and motherly.

            

Longyi stepped into the hall with a cold face. Just as she was about to curtsy, she suddenly saw Wan Bi sitting properly at the head of the room, smiling at her. She was instantly so frightened that her mouth fell open. It wasn’t that she had never seen Wan Bi smile before—she had seen her sneer, mock, and smile without the smile reaching her eyes.

But Wan Bi’s smile today was different from the past… Today, it looked like she had taken the wrong medicine! She smiled in a particularly bizarre, exceptionally terrifying way. Wan Bi had always been notorious, but Longyi had never been afraid of her. Yet now, she actually felt a twinge of fear.

“There’s no need to bow. Sit down!” Wan Bi tried very hard to play the role of a loving mother, smiling and speaking gently to Longyi.

            

Longyi felt a wave of panic in her heart and became vigilant. To offer courtesy for no reason… Had that lunatic Wan come up with some wicked scheme to set her up? She couldn’t help but think of the several chests of items Wan Bi had ordered carried to her palace not long ago. “Last time, the Empress Dowager sent Longyi many things, and Longyi has yet to visit and offer thanks. Longyi heard assassins entered the palace last night, so Longyi wanted to come see if Your Majesty was unharmed, and to thank Your Majesty at the same time. Longyi simply doesn’t know why Your Majesty suddenly sent Longyi so many things?”

The things she sent Longyi last time? Wan Bi remembered now.

At the time, she had extorted Zhu Xiangchang, the Zai County Magistrate, and two wealthy merchants. Aside from Zhu Xiangchang, who had paid entirely in gold and silver, the Zai County Magistrate and the merchants couldn’t scrape together enough to make up the amount. They had packed a massive pile of jade, jewelry, calligraphy, paintings, fabrics, and such. One merchant had even stuffed half a chest full of his hometown’s local specialties for her… There were too many things. Wan Bi felt her storehouse was getting a bit crowded, so she picked out a few chests of items she didn’t particularly like and sent them over to Longyi, all for the sake of clearing out some space.

            

After Ning’an Palace had burned down, she was already preparing to move to a larger underground vault. Silver notes were hard to preserve, and gold and silver took up space. The treasures she had accumulated over the years were growing more and more numerous; if she didn’t swap for a larger vault, there would be absolutely no way to fit it all.

“That is the dowry this bereaved one is giving you,” Wan Bi bluffed. “Although a Princess’s marriage is arranged by the Ministry of Rites, and the dowry is drawn from the National Treasury, and furthermore, the Late Empress prepared a dowry for you ever since you were born, and the Emperor will prepare an additional one when you marry in the future—no matter how you look at it, you don’t lack this bereaved one’s portion. But even if you have always refused to acknowledge this bereaved one as your Mother Empress, this bereaved one must still do what ought to be done. Do not scorn it as shabby. Over the years, the things the Late Emperor left for this bereaved one have steadily been given to the Emperor to fill the deficits in the National Treasury; there isn’t much left. Those few chests are everything this bereaved one has left.”

Wan Bi spun the lie so earnestly that she almost believed it herself.

            

Longyi was also stunned by what she heard. Had the Empress Dowager given her entire life’s savings to form her dowry? She knew it was difficult being a stepmother, and she also knew her Mother Empress’s death was not entirely Wan Bi’s fault. It was just that she had always felt that if not for Wan Bi, her mother wouldn’t have suffered the humiliation of being deposed, nor would she have been framed, angering her Imperial Father and ultimately dying of depression.

But as it turned out, had Wan Bi been quietly doing this much for the Feng family all these years? Not only taking from her private vault to fill the National Treasury’s deficits, but even saving up a dowry for her. The few chests of items the Empress Dowager had sent indeed couldn’t be considered precious—as part of the Eldest Princess’s trousseau, they were even somewhat shabby—but she felt that the most precious thing of all was the Empress Dowager’s silent care for her.

Holding back her moved tears, Longyi smiled and said, “Longyi thanks Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

            

Seeing Longyi so moved by her nonsense, Wan Bi felt a bit apologetic again. Perhaps she should genuinely prepare another dowry for Longyi?

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