Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 90

by Little Panda

The Empress Dowager Refuses

“Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival. You are the one managing the Dragon Boat Festival gifts Concubine Kang is sending to the Empress Dowager, yes?” Meng Delai closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. Yao Xian was dead; the Yao family line had been severed. The people who had caused his son Guangshen to die in the Ministry of Justice Prison years ago had long been cleaned up. Looking at it this way, his vengeance for the murder of his son was essentially complete. Yet, Meng Delai had no desire to stop here.

Because Yao Hezheng was still alive, and the Directorate of Ceremonial was still Tang Huaili’s domain.

The Emperor favored the Yao family as well. Even after a shocking case like the massacre of the Shu family, Yao Hezheng had only ended up stripped of his official post and exiled to the Southern Frontier. The Southern Frontier was the territory of the Emperor’s fifth uncle, Prince Xiu. The Yao family was living quite peacefully there. He still didn’t dare to send people from the Eastern Depot; if Eastern Depot agents appeared in the Southern Frontier, given the feud between him and Yao Hezheng, the Emperor would definitely suspect him.

The one protecting the Yao family was the Emperor, so the only one who could eliminate the Yao family was the Emperor!

The one protecting Yao Xi was the Empress Dowager, so the only one who could eliminate Yao Xi was the Empress Dowager!

Xu Lian replied, “your son is managing it.”

Meng Delai stood up, retrieved a scroll from the bookshelf, and handed it to Xu Lian. “Find a way to persuade Concubine Kang to put this in her Dragon Boat Festival gift to the Empress Dowager.” This business with Yao Xi had started with a painting; let it end with a painting, too.

“This is…” Xu Lian hurriedly stood and respectfully accepted the scroll.

“See for yourself,” Meng Delai said, sitting back down.

Only then did Xu Lian dare to untie the red cord binding the painting and unroll it. It was a Zither-Playing Portrait. The person playing the zither was a young gentleman in white robes, his features more beautiful than a painting, as graceful as a banished immortal.

“The young master in this painting is incredibly handsome!” Even Xu Lian, who had no interest in men, clicked his tongue in admiration at the figure depicted.

Meng Delai coldly scoffed, his tone brimming with confidence. “There are many beautiful women in the palace, but the Emperor is the only man. Among the eunuchs, there are very few handsome ones, which is the only reason Yao Xi manages to stand out. Wait until the Empress Dowager sees what a true, beautiful young gentleman looks like—she won’t give Yao Xi another glance.”

When it came down to it, the Empress Dowager was just a little wench who had lived deep within the palace for a long time—she had some methods, but hadn’t seen much of the world. Setting aside the Late Emperor’s appearance, based on age alone, he could have been her father. Ever since the Late Emperor passed away, the Empress Dowager had been empty and lonely. Suddenly encountering a clever-looking, obedient little eunuch like Yao Xi—one who was with a handle¹, no less—it was no surprise she wanted to keep him by her side to enjoy.

“Is this a male favorite being offered to the Empress Dowager?” Xu Lian felt somewhat troubled. Persuading Concubine Kang to present a male favorite to the Empress Dowager would likely not be easy. Given Concubine Kang’s temperament, she never offended anyone and never curried favor with anyone. Furthermore, offering a male favorite to the Empress Dowager could easily result in Her Highness laying blame. “Your son worries this will anger the Empress Dowager. Even if she took Yao Xi as a male favorite, that is Her Highness’s own business. If we subordinates present someone to her, wouldn’t it seem like we are deliberately trying to ruin her reputation?”

Even if Xu Lian were given a hundred times his current courage, he still wouldn’t dare offend the ancestor of Ning’an Palace.

“Fool!” Meng Delai said in a low voice. “This painting is the work of a famous master, and the Empress Dowager excels at calligraphy and painting. We are presenting a painting, not a person—who would dare say anything? As for whether the Empress Dowager cares about who the young gentleman in the painting is after she sees it, that is none of our business.”

“Ah.” Xu Lian nodded in sudden realization. “Godfather is brilliant!”

“Go.” Meng Delai waved a hand, dismissing Xu Lian. Once the Empress Dowager no longer wanted Yao Xi, he could finally make his move.

After Yao Xi went to the study, Wan Bi closed her eyes, wanting to go back to sleep, but found she couldn’t. She opened her eyes, gazing at the faint light filtering in from the study, repeatedly savoring those three words Yao Xi had spoken to her.

The more she thought about it, the clearer her mind became, and the clearer her mind became, the more sleep evaded her.

When Yao Xi said those words, she had referred to herself as ‘I,’ rather than ‘this slave.’ She had called her ‘you,’ rather than ‘Your Highness.’

This was very good.

She had heard similar words from the Late Emperor, but the first word the Late Emperor used to begin his sentence was ‘We.’ With that single word, no matter how profoundly affectionate the rest of the speech was, it was all in vain.

We—such a lofty, unapproachable word. Even when expressing his love, the Late Emperor maintained the condescending posture of a monarch.

Yao Xi was different. Yao Xi’s love for her was incredibly careful, yet not subservient. On the surface, the wench strictly adhered to etiquette, calling her ‘Your Highness,’ but in her heart, she only saw her as the woman she deeply loved, nothing more.

Wan Bi bit the corner of her quilt, gazing foolishly toward the study with a smile. Even through the wall, she could faintly hear the sound of Yao Xi turning pages. If it weren’t for what had just happened—meaning she couldn’t let Yao Xi know she was actually awake—she really would have gone to the study to see what the wench looked like while reading. She definitely wouldn’t look as foolish as she usually did. But regardless of whether Yao Xi was truly simple-minded or brimming with talent, she liked her all the same.

Just as Yao Xi felt toward her—love was simply love, nothing more.

In the midst of her foolish musings, Wan Bi suddenly realized something: after finishing her book, Yao Xi would have to pass through the bedchamber to return to the warm pavilion to sleep. And given the extent of Yao Xi’s infatuation, she would definitely come over to the bed again to secretly watch her sleep.

Oh no! She really had fallen asleep earlier. She had only woken up when she heard a soft sound as Yao Xi sat down on the footstool. The moment she woke, her heart had tightened. Not knowing who was standing before her bed, she had kept her eyes closed and maintained a normal expression so as not to startle whoever it was. But when Yao Xi’s hand reached over, she caught the scent of the medicinal wine and felt instantly reassured.

Her hand, which had been stealthily reaching for her hand gun, withdrew.

How could a person maintain any semblance of grace while asleep? Who knew what ghastly state she was in right now! Wan Bi suddenly sat up and ran barefoot to the bronze mirror, hastily beginning to tidy her makeup and hair.

She had removed her hairpins before going to sleep, and after tossing and turning in bed, her loose hair was a bit messy. Sitting before the mirror, she saw that not only was her hair a mess, but her clothes were disheveled as well. With her hair unbound and wildly scattered, she looked completely like a female ghost.

Yao Xi truly loved her to an unparalleled degree—a love that would not change until death, that would last until the seas ran dry and the rocks crumbled, until the mountains collapsed and the earth split open. Even facing her in such a state, Yao Xi had been able to gaze at her with deep affection and say, “I love you.” Wan Bi felt a bit moved again.

In order to ensure that Yao Xi always saw her at her most beautiful, Wan Bi picked up a comb and quickly smoothed out her disheveled hair, then applied a bit more powder and lip rouge. She pursed her lips but then felt the rouge was too bright—anyone could tell at a glance that she had gotten up in the middle of the night to touch up her makeup. She wet a silk handkerchief and wiped it off.

There were still sounds of turning pages coming from the study, but Yao Xi could return at any moment. Wan Bi seized the time to examine herself in the mirror, feeling that she was simply a peerless beauty; from top to bottom, from left to right, she was breathtakingly gorgeous. Satisfied, she quickly slipped back into bed barefoot, slowly lay down, and arranged her hair. She even adjusted her collar and cuffs to the perfect angle.

Wan Bi lay on her side facing outward, legs slightly bent, one hand resting beneath her head, and the other exposed outside the quilt.

When Yao Xi came back and saw her exquisite, perfect, soul-stirring sleeping face, the wench would probably be so tempted she’d lose all control. Wan Bi couldn’t help but smile at the thought: That wench couldn’t resist touching my face earlier. Will she be unable to resist secretly doing other things to me later?

Just thinking about it was both embarrassing and exciting. Should she wake up, or continue pretending to sleep? Would Yao Xi only kiss her, or… Wan Bi covered her mouth and giggled.

Yao Xi sat by the lamp, holding the Great Xing Penal Code with a solemn expression, carefully searching through it.

Her pale, slender fingers traced down the index.

Defying an edict and fleeing punishment—

When she flipped to the third volume, Yao Xi finally found it. Defying an edict was one thing; fleeing punishment was another.

Defying an edict and fleeing punishment was compounding one crime with another.

She silently read the lines following the charge, the hope she harbored gradually extinguishing. Just as she had anticipated, fleeing punishment and defying an edict was not only a capital offense resulting in beheading, but it would also implicate one’s immediate family.

If it didn’t involve collective punishment, she could tell Her Highness everything. But for now, she could only wait until the Yao family was cleared of their crimes. Once the Yao family was cleared, Young Master Yao would no longer be fleeing punishment, but rather suffering an injustice.

She didn’t know what Young Master Yao had experienced, and she didn’t dare rashly drag the Yao family into danger. The Empress Dowager cared for her so much, perhaps she would protect her. But given the hostile, swords-drawn atmosphere every time Her Highness and Noble Lady Lan met, she couldn’t count on Her Highness to save the Yao family—she would be lucky if Her Highness didn’t add fuel to the fire.

Anyway, getting along with Her Highness like this was perfectly fine. She could serve Her Highness, as long as Her Highness didn’t see her body. Thinking about it that way, she was actually the one taking advantage of the situation!

Yao Xi sighed, returning the Great Xing Penal Code to its original spot on the bookshelf. She planned to use the opportunity of delivering items to Noble Lady Lan tomorrow to ask the Noble Lady how the investigation into the Yao family’s case was progressing and if there was anything she could do to help.

The sooner the Yao family was cleared, the sooner she could extricate herself.

Although things were fine right now, she didn’t want to keep hiding it until she could hide it no longer, only to have the Empress Dowager interrogate her and force a confession. She wanted to take the initiative to tell Her Highness who she was, what she had been through, and why she had kept it hidden for so long. She wanted to tell Her Highness that from this day forward, her heart, her life, her everything belonged to Her Highness.

Uh… excluding the whole transmigration thing.

That really couldn’t be explained clearly. Her Highness already thought she was an idiot whose brain had been ruined by drugs; if she heard her claim that she had actually transmigrated from the 21st century, she would definitely think she was a lunatic.

Having made up her mind, she felt at ease staying by the Empress Dowager’s side and helping Noble Lady Lan investigate the Yao family’s case. As for the people hiding in the shadows of the palace trying to harm her, like Eunuch Liu, Yao Xi wasn’t afraid of them. Serving by the Empress Dowager’s side, why would she fear assassins? What a joke.

Her Highness was a public enemy of all people!

Along with receiving Her Highness’s love, she would also receive a bonus gift—a big gift package of universal hatred!

Blowing out the candle in the study, Yao Xi headed toward the bedchamber. It was already very late; she needed to hurry back to the warm pavilion and rest so she could be full of energy tomorrow while delivering the Dragon Boat Festival gifts to the consorts in the various palaces.

Through the doors of the bedchamber, Wan Bi saw the light in the study go out, and she hurriedly closed her eyes to pretend to be asleep. The moment she closed her eyes, a scheme suddenly came to her. She kicked off the brocade quilt covering her and pulled at her collar to expose a small stretch of her fragrant shoulder.

It’ll be a miracle if that little thing doesn’t unleash her animal instincts when she sees this! Wan Bi thought smugly.

Listening to Yao Xi’s barely audible footsteps slowly drawing near, her heart gradually rose in her chest.

As soon as Yao Xi entered the bedchamber, she looked toward the phoenix bed, afraid of waking the Empress Dowager. Fortunately, Her Highness was sleeping soundly. It was just that her sleeping habits weren’t very good—she was a grown woman, yet she still loved kicking off her blankets. Seeing that Her Highness’s brocade quilt had been kicked to the side, leaving her upper body exposed to the cold night, Yao Xi quietly stepped up to the bed, took hold of the corner of the quilt, and covered Her Highness.

Still, Her Highness truly looked beautiful while asleep. It seemed she was even more beautiful than earlier, her cheeks like peach blossoms, her fragrant shoulder half-exposed. Yao Xi felt she could stare at her like this all night long, but she had duties tomorrow. Delivering the Dragon Boat Festival gifts was a lucrative task, but not an easy one. Besides, there was plenty of time in the future. She had moved into the warm pavilion, so she could see Her Highness every night from now on.

After covering the Empress Dowager with the quilt, Yao Xi returned to the warm pavilion and went to sleep.

Wan Bi waited and waited, but Yao Xi’s roaming hands never came. She opened her eyes to look, only to see that the lights in the warm pavilion were already out.

Wan Bi was left suffocating on a bellyful of frustration once again.