Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 93
by Little PandaThe Empress Dowager Refuses
“Suicide?” Longyi’s eyes widened in shock. It seemed this child Yao Xi had truly had her heart bewitched by Wan Bi. Watching Yao Xi like this made her a bit angry. Her Imperial Father and her Imperial Brother had both fallen into Wan Bi’s hands, and now even Yao Xi had tumbled in. Sometimes, she really wondered if Wan Bi possessed some sort of demonic art to bewilder people’s minds. What surprised her most was that even she herself, under the onslaught of the round after round of dowry gifts, had experienced a massive shift in her impression of Wan Bi.
With a flush of anger on her face, Longyi growled in a low voice at Yao Xi, “No more of this foolish talk! If you die, how devastated do you think your parents and your jiejie will be? Not to mention, suicide is completely useless. As long as you die in the palace, the Yao family will be implicated. Do you truly not understand such a simple truth?”
Yao Xi understood, of course. If not for her concern over the safety of the Yao family, she would have confessed everything to the Empress Dowager long ago.
She also understood that leaving the palace now would be best for both her and the Yao family.
But she did not want to leave, nor did she dare to. The Empress Dowager was not someone who tolerated being deceived. She had already concealed so many things from Her Majesty, which was bad enough; if she departed without saying goodbye on top of that, Her Majesty would certainly never forgive her this time. When the Yao family was cleared of their charges in the future, what would be the point of her returning to the palace? Her Majesty would no longer have her in her heart.
Seeing Yao Xi hanging her head in silence, Longyi advised her again with earnest patience, “We already know who framed your father, Lord Yao. If you go to my fiefdom to lay low for a while, it won’t be long before you can return to serve by the Empress Dowager’s side. You know how close my friendship with your jiejie is. Would I ever harm you?” She truly could not comprehend why Yao Xi was so unwilling to leave. This matter concerned the safety of everyone in the Yao family! Even if Yao Xi could not bear to part with Wan Bi, she would be back before long!
“Who was it that framed the Yao family?” Yao Xi suddenly raised her head and asked.
Longyi said, “Your jiejie said it is highly likely the Director of the Eastern Depot, Meng Delai, though she is still frustrated by a lack of evidence. But now that we have a suspect, finding proof is only a matter of time.”
Yao Xi gathered her thoughts and pondered for a long time. She had never known before why she was brought into the palace, but now it seemed the person behind Eunuch Liufu was indeed that Eunuch Meng of the Eastern Depot. She suddenly asked Princess Longyi, “If someone is forced into the palace by malicious schemes, does it still count as defying an edict and fleeing punishment?”
“If you had immediately confessed after being forced into the palace, of course it wouldn’t count,” Longyi said solemnly. “But you’ve been in the palace for nearly two years, constantly concealing your identity. If that isn’t defying an edict and fleeing punishment, what is? There are still so many people waiting outside. Go back with them first to report to the Empress Dowager, and make your way over here as fast as you can while she takes her afternoon nap. I will personally see you out of the palace!”
Princess Longyi’s fiefdom was not far south of the capital; it would take only two days by fast horse.
“I thank Your Highness for your kind intentions. This slave will not leave, and this slave will absolutely not bring the slightest trouble upon the Yao family.” Yao Xi had figured it out. Young Master Yao had been forced into the palace by a malicious scheme and had very likely already met his demise; he had not fled punishment at all. Previously, she could never understand why Eunuch Liufu had bought her to fill a vacancy left by a junior eunuch, and why, even believing her to be male, he had deliberately avoided having her castrated.
Now she understood it all. Eunuch Meng must have wanted to find a man who strongly resembled Young Master Yao and place him in the palace uncastrated, so that one day he could eliminate the Yao family using the capital crimes of defying an edict, fleeing punishment, and defiling the imperial court. It was just a pity Eunuch Meng had not anticipated that Eunuch Liufu would be deceived by her cheap older brother and sister-in-law. For the sake of money, Sun Ergou and his wife had lied and claimed she was a male, thus tricking Eunuch Liufu.
Judging by how Noble Lady Lan had mistaken her for her didi, her facial features must be extremely similar to those of Young Master Yao. Fortunately, she was actually female. If she had been an uncastrated man who looked just like Yao Xian, there would have been no way to explain herself out of this.
She had previously not been clear about what sort of conspiracy she was entangled in, nor who had harmed Young Master Yao, so she had not dared to act rashly. Now that she understood part of the story’s context, she felt much more secure.
Longyi could not believe her ears. “What did you say?”
“This slave is not leaving the palaceโฆ” Under Princess Longyi’s intense gaze, Yao Xi’s voice grew much softer. Her Highness had always treated her with gentle amiability, and rarely became as angry as she was today.
If not for the large crowd of the Empress Dowager’s people waiting in the courtyard outside, Longyi would have truly liked to bind Yao Xi up, stuff her into a palanquin, and smuggle her directly out of the palace. “If you don’t want to leave, then don’t leave! But you must not let the Empress Dowager find out about the Yao family’s affairs.”
Yao Xi nodded obediently. In truth, she desperately wanted to tell the Empress Dowager everything, but when she thought of how Her Majesty and Noble Lady Lan were as incompatible as fire and water, and Her Majesty’s divine skill at pinning false accusations on people out of thin air, she did not dare speakโฆ
If Her Majesty wanted to get rid of someone, did it even matter whether they were guilty or not?
“Right. I have not yet sent my festival gifts to the Empress Dowager. Since you have been serving by her side for quite some time now, come over after lunch to help me reference some options. Let’s see what kind of things she would like.” Longyi rose to escort Yao Xi out.
Having been schemed against too many times by the Empress Dowager’s side, Yao Xi asked suspiciously, “Your Highness, you aren’t still thinking of smuggling this slave out of the palace, are you?”
Longyi rolled her eyes at Yao Xi. “If you do not wish to help, Eunuch, then forget it.”
“I’ll help, I’ll help!” Yao Xi hastily agreed with a smile.
Wan Bi had spent a boring morning. She had sent Yao Xi to deliver the festival gifts to the various palaces because she wanted to see how devastated Yao Xi would be after having all her hard-earned rewards confiscated until not a single coin remained. Yet, before Yao Xi could even feel dejected, she herself had already begun to feel miserable. Resting her chin in her hands behind the writing desk in the very center of the Main Hall, Wan Bi stared longingly out of the wide-open palace doors.
Looking out from the palace doors, there was the apricot forest, and further in the distance, she could faintly see the small bridge and the stream.
Could Yao Xi have been so greedy for money that she monopolized all the gift-delivery tasks? The women of the inner palace were neither too many nor too few. If Yao Xi had to visit every single residence, she might be delivering gifts until nightfall. At the thought of potentially not seeing Yao Xi for an entire day, a wave of restless anxiety washed over Wan Bi’s heart.
She could feel that she was increasingly unable to do without Yao Xi. As long as the wench was not before her eyes, she felt as if everything lacked any interest.
“Someone, come!” Wan Bi decided to command someone to fetch Yao Xi back. Seeing that it was almost time for the midday meal, she would have no appetite without Yao Xi to accompany her, and she also loved watching the way Yao Xi ate.
A palace maid stood at the entrance of the hall to await her orders.
Suddenly, Wan Bi waved her hand at the maid. “Move aside!” It seemed a group of people had entered the apricot forest; she wanted to see if it was Yao Xi. Once the maid stepped aside, Wan Bi stood up and craned her neck to peer into the distance. Seeing that it was indeed Yao Xi returning, she sat back down, pretending to be completely indifferent, and picked up the book beside her to flip through it at random.
“Your Majesty! This slave has returned.” Yao Xi walked into the Main Hall, her entire being brimming with a joy she could not conceal.
Wan Bi looked up at the large pile of things cradled in Yao Xi’s arms and gave a mischievous smile. “It has been hard on you, Eunuch. Go wash your face and come over to serve.”
“Yes.” Yao Xi walked toward the warm pavilion with a smile.
“Ping’er,” Wan Bi called out to Ping’er, who had returned alongside Yao Xi.
Ping’er pulled out a sheet of paper from her robes, entered the hall, and presented it to the Empress Dowager. “Replying to Your Majesty, this slave-girl has recorded all the rewards Eunuch Yao received on this sheet.” She had managed to write this down in a hurry after borrowing a brush and paper from Princess Longyi’s palace servants while the Princess and Yao Xi were speaking.
“Mm. You may go.” Wan Bi swept her gaze over the items listed on the paper. No wonder the little thing was so happy; she had indeed received quite a lot of things.
Yao Xi returned to the warm pavilion to put away her things, washed her face, and changed into her everyday clothes. Holding the painting that Concubine Kang had sent to the Empress Dowager, she headed to the Main Hall. Before Yao Xi even had a chance to present the painting, she heard Her Majesty speak.
“Today, this bereaved one has received many expressions of filial respect, yet there is not a single one from you, Eunuch.”
Yao Xi felt as if Her Majesty had stolen her lines. Shouldn’t she be the one saying that? She had heard from Ping’er-jiejie that Her Majesty had distributed rewards to the subordinates early in the morning, so why hadn’t she received anything? It was fine not to receive a reward, but from the sound of Her Majesty’s words, not only did she have no intention of giving her anything, but she also wanted to take things from her instead?
Her Majesty was simply the reincarnation of Zhou Bapi and Huang Shiren1!
“This slave has prepared a gift for Your Majesty, intending to present it to Your Majesty after finishing the errands.” Yao Xi’s heart was bleeding. Her Majesty must have seen her carrying back so many rewards and grown envious, wanting to split the loot with her. “By the way, Your Majesty, this painting is what Concubine Kang requested this slave to bring back.”
“Concubine Kang? Didn’t she already send something yesterday?” Wan Bi cast an indifferent glance at the painting in Yao Xi’s arms and said, “Open it. This bereaved one shall have a look.”
Yao Xi carefully unrolled the painting. The moment she saw the figure depicted within it, she was thoroughly shaken.
Holy crap! Who are you, young master? Why are you so handsome?
Wan Bi also glanced at the painting, but her gaze was quickly drawn to Yao Xi, who was looking at the figure in the portrait with drool practically dripping from her mouth. To dare look at another person with the expression of someone who had not eaten for five days and suddenly saw a feast of meat and fishโthis wench was truly tired of living!
“Are you lost in staring, Eunuch?” Wan Bi sneered.
“This slave would not dare.” Yao Xi quickly withdrew her gaze. She had not lost her mind over a handsome face, nor did she harbor the slightest interest in the person in the painting; she had simply been astounded by such exquisite beauty just now. The young master in the painting was so exceptionally handsome! Tsk, tskโฆ
“No wonder Concubine Kang has long enjoyed imperial favor.” Wan Bi gazed at the painting Yao Xi held and remarked, “Concubine Kang knows this bereaved one is skilled in calligraphy and painting, and that among contemporary artists, this bereaved one admires Qin Taigu most. She actually had that old man Qin, who usually paints only landscapes and beautiful women, paint such a handsome youth playing a zither. And the poem inscribed on the painting is one this bereaved one composed many years ago. To use the opportunity of presenting a painting to offer a man to this bereaved oneโConcubine Kang’s methods are indeed clever.”
“Offering a man?” Yao Xi was thoroughly confused.
Wan Bi explained to Yao Xi, “This painting is called the Zither-Playing Portrait. Yet the one playing the zither is not looking down at his instrument, but raising his head to gaze out of the painting, as if he cannot wait to present his entire handsome face to the viewer. Concubine Kang sees that you have gained favor, so she wants to present a male favorite to this bereaved one!” After saying this, Wan Bi looked at Yao Xi and asked with a smile, “In your opinion, Eunuch, should this bereaved one accept Concubine Kang’s kind intentions or not?”
Yao Xi could not bring herself to smile. Her small face was deathly pale, and she bit her lip, remaining utterly silent. It was not that she had never considered the possibility of the Empress Dowager casting her aside one day; she simply had not expected this day to arrive so quickly. Actually, she could not blame Her Majesty. The young master in the portrait was truly so beautiful that anyone who saw him would lose their heart. Her Majesty was a girl too, and a girl who held absolute power over the empire at that. When she saw something she wanted, she would naturally take it.
Just like when Her Majesty had taken her as a male favorite. She had wanted her, and so she took her. Her Majesty could claim her whenever she pleased, but she could not simply discard her whenever she pleased.
“Why have you suddenly gone quiet, Eunuch?” Wan Bi asked with a deliberate smile.
“Your Majesty’s hair is a bit untidyโฆ” While the Empress Dowager was adjusting her hairpins, Yao Xi took the opportunity to sneak over to the writing desk. Dipping the tip of her little finger into the inkstone, she pressed it onto the painting in her arms.
Yao Xi’s subtle movements were completely captured by Wan Bi’s eyes, but she pretended not to notice. She wanted to see what the wench was up to.
“In this slave’s view, this young master cannot be Your Majesty’s male favorite. Please look, Your Majestyโฆ” Yao Xi spread the painting open on the desk and pointed to a mung-bean-sized black spot right in the center of the man’s neck. “This young master has a mole right in the middle of his neck. A mole like this attracts malicious individuals and makes one prone to romantic disasters. He is not a suitable companion!”
Looking at the wet spot of ink, Wan Bi’s heart had long since melted into a jar of sweet honey. She usually detested those who served her having hidden motives, but she absolutely adored this kind of petty scheme from Yao Xi. The little wench was jealous; this seemed to be the very first time Yao Xi had been jealous over her.
“Doesn’t the Eunuch often say that this bereaved one enjoys boundless fortune? Would this bereaved one really fear attracting malicious individuals through a male favorite?” Wan Bi could not get enough of Yao Xi’s adorable, jealous appearance and teased her on purpose.
“In any case, it won’t do!” Yao Xi cast the painting aside and spoke in a huff.
Wan Bi’s eyes crinkled into two crescent slits with laughter. “Why won’t it do?”
“Because having this slave is enough for Your Majesty!” Ever since Yao Xi heard Her Majesty say she wanted to take the person in the portrait as a male favorite, there had not been a trace of a smile on her face.
“But he can serve this bereaved one in bed, whereas you cannot, Eunuch?” Wan Bi said, still smiling.
“Who says I cannot? Hasn’t Your Majesty already tried it?” Yao Xi’s words carried a hint of small, proud complacency. Who was the one panting in ecstasy beneath me last time? Humph!
Wan Bi suddenly withdrew her smile and spoke with deep seriousness, “Then, what if this bereaved one wants to sleep with you?”
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