Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 91

The Empress Dowager Refuses

When Yao Xi awoke, she felt a tightness in her chest and shortness of breath. It wasn’t a symptom of her cold, but rather the constriction of the chest binding cloth she’d had no chance to remove. Back when she was staying in the duty room, she could bolt the door and breathe freely for a while. But after moving to the warm pavilion, that was out of the question. The Empress Dowager could walk in at any moment.

She had even resolved to wait until Her Majesty was sound asleep before she herself slept. This was, of course, to prevent Her Majesty from doing anything strange while she slept, but it was also to allow herself a few more moments to watch Her Majesty sleeping.

            

After putting on her clothes, shoes, and socks, combing her hair, and donning her official cap, Yao Xi walked out of the warm pavilion in high spirits.

The Empress Dowager was seated before the dressing table in her bedchamber while a palace maid styled her hair. Yao Xi approached with a smile and bowed low. “This slave pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

Wan Bi cast a displeased, sidelong glance at Yao Xi. Hmph! You unromantic little thing, she snorted internally. “Why have you put that eunuch skin back on?” Wan Bi couldn’t help but ask, her tone sharp, as she noted Yao Xi was once again wearing her Junior Director’s official uniform.

            

Yao Xi, completely unaware of what had transpired the night before, was still beaming. “This slave was thinking that delivering the Dragon Boat Festival gifts to the consorts is official business. Wearing the uniform seems more formal.”

“This bereaved one has changed her mind.” Wan Bi rose, adjusting her coiffure, and leveled a cold glare at Yao Xi. “Gugu Yuanqian can handle the delivery of the Dragon Boat Festival gifts. You just organize the gift list and have someone send it over to Ning’an Palace.” With that, she waved a hand, dismissing the maids attending her.

Since she had been denied what she wanted, Yao Xi could forget about getting what she wanted.

            

The smile vanished from Yao Xi’s face. Why has Her Majesty gone back on her word again? Didn’t she agree to it just last night?

“Furthermore,” Wan Bi continued, looking at Yao Xi, who was wilting from the terrible news, “you said delivering the Dragon Boat Festival gifts is ‘official business.’ So what, then, is unofficial business? Serving this bereaved one?”

A faint smile touched Wan Bi’s lips. On second thought, it was rather unofficial business. But since Yao Xi also knew that serving her was an unofficial duty, she should at least act the part! She showed not a shred of awareness for the role of a male favorite. The person she supposedly adored lay there before her, yet she remained completely unmoved.

            

“…” Yao Xi had yet to recover from the grief of losing a prime money-making opportunity when another massive, damning accusation was dropped on her head. “That’s not what this slave meant. It’s just that delivering the Dragon Boat Festival gifts is public business, while serving Your Majesty is private business…” As Yao Xi spoke, she began to feel a little shy.

Hearing this, the smile on Wan Bi’s face deepened. If she were to be scrupulous about it, last night’s events weren’t Yao Xi’s fault at all. The girl had covered her with a blanket, worried she would catch a chill. Her failure to make a move was perhaps a refusal to take advantage of the situation. It meant the child had high moral character, which was a good thing.

Still, she was going to make Yao Xi have a good, long taste of the disappointment she herself had felt last night.

            

And mere disappointment wasn’t enough. The greatest pain in life was to gain something only to lose it. Since Yao Xi was so eager to earn some reward silver, then fine, let her go. Afterward, Wan Bi would simply confiscate every last bit of the girl’s earnings. Wouldn’t that be perfect?

“This bereaved one is teasing you. Finish your breakfast, drink your medicine, and then go find Gugu Yuanqian at Ning’an Palace to collect the items.” Wan Bi’s smile was exceptionally sweet, and she even reminded Yao Xi gently, “Don’t dally. There’s a boat race at Xiyuan later. If you’re late, many of the palaces may be empty.” Although that wasn’t a certainty. She’d heard the Emperor wouldn’t be attending the Dragon Boat races this year. If he wasn’t going, the women of the palace probably wouldn’t bother either.

Yao Xi was all too familiar with that smile. Her Majesty’s smile was not a smile.

            

“This slave was wrong! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!” She had no idea how she had offended the Empress Dowager, but in a situation like this, one didn’t ask questions or make excuses. One simply accepted fault unconditionally.

Wan Bi had been speaking to her perfectly pleasantly, yet the girl had suddenly started begging for forgiveness. This, in turn, puzzled her. “And what were you wrong about?” Wan Bi decided to test her.

“This slave is dull-witted and doesn’t know how I’ve offended Your Majesty. But this slave knows that Your Majesty is angry with me, so I must have inadvertently done something wrong. I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me.” Yao Xi didn’t fall for the trap, tossing the question right back.

            

Wan Bi chuckled. “You’ve done nothing wrong, and this bereaved one isn’t angry. Now hurry and drink your medicine.” As she spoke, she gave Yao Xi’s little face, still warm from sleep, an indulgent pinch. Her anger came on quickly, but it vanished just as fast. The moment she thought of a way to vent, it dissipated completely. Not to mention, the girl had made a deeply affectionate confession to her last night. That could be considered a balancing of merits and demerits.

“Your Majesty had best tell me, so that this slave may correct his ways.” Yao Xi’s unease only grew. Her Majesty was clearly angry but insisted she wasn’t.

“Correct your ways?” Wan Bi raised a delicate eyebrow. “You truly wish to?” She walked over to Yao Xi and straightened the collar of her uniform. “From now on, when we are alone, don’t refer to yourself as ‘this slave.’”

            

Yao Xi looked up, aghast. She rarely looked at the Empress Dowager so directly when Her Majesty was awake. The morning sun streamed through the bedchamber’s window lattices, bathing her in a halo of light. Shrouded in the dawn, Her Majesty was as beautiful as a distant, unattainable dream.

Wan Bi lowered her gaze, looking at Yao Xi with deep affection. The words “I love you, too” were lodged in her throat, just about to spill forth when—

“This slave wouldn’t dare!” Yao Xi stammered, her composure shattered. For a moment, she had nearly lost herself in Her Majesty’s beauty and fallen right into the trap.

            

To dare refer to oneself as “I” before the Empress Dowager was a crime of great disrespect! She only dared to think it in her heart; she wasn’t stupid enough to actually speak to the Empress Dowager about things like universal equality.

A beautiful morning, starting with dodging a pitfall dug by Her Majesty.

The words “I love you, too” were forced back down Wan Bi’s throat by Yao Xi’s protest, nearly choking her to death. She took a deep breath, her face turning to ice. “Go do what you need to do. If you dilly-dally any longer, this bereaved one will get truly angry!”

            

Yao Xi backed away, filled with trepidation, glancing over her shoulder every three steps to check the Empress Dowager’s expression. Her Majesty stood as cold and remote as the moon, her expression at once beautiful and sinister.

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The imperial palace was home to a multitude of consorts, and the Empress Dowager’s Dragon Boat Festival gifts were arranged according to rank.

Yuanqian had people retrieve the items from the storerooms according to the gift list, then instructed Yao Xi, “Eunuch Yao, you need only deliver to the consorts of Concubine rank and above. Gugu Liufang will take people to see to the Jieyus and Noble Ladies. As for the minor masters of Attendant rank and below, any palace maid or eunuch will do.”

            

Yao Xi was deeply disappointed. There were very, very few consorts of Concubine rank or higher in the palace—you could count them on one hand. And just the other day, Consort Shu had been sentenced to death. A quick count left only Empress Zhu, Consort Liu, Concubine Kang, and Concubine Li…

Sigh! It looked like she wouldn’t be able to earn much in rewards after all. Moreover, she had originally planned to use this opportunity to ask Noble Lady Lan about the Yao family’s case. Now, it seemed, she had lost that chance too. If she couldn’t see Noble Lady Lan, seeing the Eldest Princess would be the next best thing. The Eldest Princess and Noble Lady Lan were old, dear friends; perhaps Her Highness the Princess knew some inside details of the Yao family’s case.

“Gugu, perhaps I should also deliver the gift to Eldest Princess Longyi?” Yao Xi asked.

            

Yuanqian nodded. “I hear you have some acquaintance with the Eldest Princess. It would be best if you went.”

As Yao Xi took the items and prepared to leave, Yuanqian suddenly called out to her. “There is something else I must tell you, Eunuch. Please, step aside with me for a moment.” Yuanqian led Yao Xi into a side hall. The main hall of Ning’an Palace was still a field of ruins.

Inside the side hall, Yao Xi asked dutifully, “Does Gugu have any other instructions?”

            

“It’s not an instruction. You serve by Her Majesty’s side, and there are some things you ought to know.” Upon learning that Yao Xi was Lord Yao’s son, Yuanqian had been more pained than surprised. A fine young master from an official’s family, framed and forced into the palace as a eunuch. Lord Yao Hezheng and Tang Huaili had been the closest of friends. For Tang Huaili’s sake alone, she ought to look after Lord Yao’s young son.

“I have served Her Majesty for ten years, ever since she entered the palace as a Noble Consort. I know a thing or two about her likes and dislikes.” Yuanqian produced a small booklet and handed it to Yao Xi. “Gugu wrote down everything she could remember. Read it when you have time.”

“Gugu, why are you helping me?” Yao Xi was just then vexing over Her Majesty’s capricious and unpredictable moods. Take that morning, for instance—Her Majesty’s anger had been utterly baffling. With this booklet, she would know what to do and what to avoid. But Gugu Yuanqian was, after all, the person who had once added fuel to the fire¹ for her in the main hall of Ning’an Palace… Yao Xi hesitated, not taking the booklet.

            

Yuanqian knew Yao Xi was suspicious of this sudden kindness, thinking it had ulterior motives. She smiled. “How is this helping you? I’m afraid you won’t serve Her Majesty well and will cause her to be slighted.”

Ah, that made sense. Yao Xi took the booklet, her worries eased, tucked it into her robes, and thanked Gugu Yuanqian.

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Empress Zhu had grown visibly haggard these past few days. Not only had the Zhu family’s estate been confiscated, but the matter of her hiring assassins to kill the Empress Dowager could be exposed at any moment. Worst of all, a rumor about her had begun to circulate among the common folk, claiming that Xin’er was not the Emperor’s biological son, but was instead the product of an affair with a fake eunuch who had served in her palace years ago before disappearing.

            

It was a slanderous lie. Someone was clearly using the fake eunuch scandal to come after her! Xin’er was the Emperor’s own flesh and blood. She had carried him, she had birthed him—who would know better than she?

Empress Zhu fiddled with the pomegranate flower before her and said to Chun Yang, “Have you found out? Where did those rumors start?”

“It was a beggar named A Jin,” Chun Yang said. “But the day before yesterday, he fell into a hidden ditch and died.”

            

“Hah—silenced.” Empress Zhu took the cup of calamus wine² Chun Yang offered her and drained it in one gulp.

Chun Yang lowered her head and said nothing. She could share the burden of the assassination attempt against the Empress Dowager. But the matter of the Second Prince not being the Emperor’s son was not a crime she could take the blame for. With this rumor emerging at such a critical juncture, it would be nigh impossible for the Empress to regain her footing with the Emperor. The beggar A Jin was dead, and the dead tell no tales. Her Highness had no way to prove the Second Prince was the Emperor’s biological son.

The practice of dripping blood to prove kinship³ was not to be trusted. Everyone knew that the blood of two complete strangers could often merge in water. It wasn’t as if the whole world was a family of siblings, was it?

            

Because this could not be proven, the Emperor would forever harbor a sliver of doubt in his heart, and he would certainly never name the Second Prince as the Heir Apparent.

A palace maid announced from outside the door, “Your Highness. Eunuch Yao from the Empress Dowager’s retinue has arrived with a group of people.”

“He’s brought people with him?” Empress Zhu looked at Chun Yang, her body trembling, her eyes filled with helplessness. “Chun Yang, the Empress Dowager’s people are here.” The assassination plot must have been exposed. She’s sent someone to arrest me.

            

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