Your Majesty is Poisonous – Chapter 6

The Empress Dowager is Terrifying

“Are we not at your residence yet?” Yao Xi asked in a whisper. This young master had led her out of that pitch-black area, and their surroundings had gradually grown more lively. Afraid of being seen by a passing eunuch or palace maid, Yao Xi had to shrink her neck and lower her head from time to time.

Longyi said, “We’re almost there.” Everyone in the palace was already asleep, and there was no one on the path. Seeing the eunuch beside her acting so timid, Longyi couldn’t help but smile.¹ A person who didn’t even fear death was, of all things, afraid of falling into the Empress Dowager’s hands. It had to be said, Wan Bi’s ability to make everyone hate and fear her was a skill in its own right.

With her heart in her throat, Yao Xi supported the young master for another stretch of the road before she couldn’t resist asking again, “Are we still not there?”

She was in a hurry to die. It wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid of death, but now that things had come to this, what else could she do but die? There was no way to live, so her only option was to find a way to make her death less painful. As for whether the Empress Dowager would feel unsatisfied after her death and whip her corpse, that was beyond her control.

Longyi didn’t speak, merely resting her hand on Yao Xi’s as she walked forward at an unhurried pace.

Yao Xi felt utterly tormented. The young master beside her walked slowly, and the two of them seemed to be trapped in a labyrinth they could never escape, following the palace path—turn left, go straight, turn right, go straight, then turn right again… Yao Xi regretted agreeing to escort this person back to her palace.

Seeing that the surroundings were well-lit and the young master was walking steadily, not as drunk as she had imagined, Yao Xi decided to throw down the carrying pole and quit.² She didn’t want to risk being brutally tortured just to escort this woman she’d only just met back to her palace. “Seeing as you’re still quite clear-headed, how about this slave just sees you to here?”

“Perfect. We’ve arrived,” Longyi said, stopping in her tracks.

Yao Xi followed Longyi’s gaze and saw, on the plaque above the palace gate before them, three large characters emblazoned in stark relief—Ning! An! Palace!

All along the way, she had been so focused on guarding against being seen that she hadn’t even noticed the woman was leading her down the road to Ning’an Palace. This was the sorrow of someone with no sense of direction.³ To be so stupid, she deserved to be sold out by someone.

But this woman clearly knew she was afraid of falling into the Empress Dowager’s hands, yet she still brought her to Ning’an Palace?

Yao Xi quickly figured it out. This young master wasn’t going back to her palace at all; she was clearly planning to use her to curry favor with the Empress Dowager! It was her own fault for misjudging someone. Just because she drank two cups of fine wine and thought the person looked kind, she had foolishly followed along. It wasn’t as if she’d never heard stories of consorts using unscrupulous means to climb higher, but she never in a million years thought she’d be so unlucky as to have someone step on her life to climb up.

Not wanting to be captured and tortured, Yao Xi turned to run. Longyi smiled and said to the eunuch guarding the gate of Ning’an Palace, “Seize him.”

As a delicate and weak girl, Yao Xi was naturally no match for a genuine eunuch. In the blink of an eye, she was captured and dragged back to the entrance of Ning’an Palace. She struggled, roaring in fury at the perpetually smiling Longyi, “I have no grievance or grudge against you, yet you would harm me just to curry favor with the Empress Dowager?” From the moment she had met this person, she had been all smiles. But what had seemed amiable and approachable just moments ago now felt sinister and terrifying.

The most indefensible weapon is a dagger hidden behind a smile.⁴

Longyi smiled at the indignant Yao Xi and said, “In any case, Gonggong is wholeheartedly seeking death. Wouldn’t it be nice to help me out along the way? It could be considered dying a worthy death!” She turned her face to the gatekeeper eunuch. “Go and report to the Empress Dowager. This palace has something to request.”

“Your Majesty, the Eldest Princess requests an audience.” Yuanqian had stayed up all night with her master, and her eyelids were already heavy, but she had to force herself to stay alert.

Wan Bi glanced at the bronze clepsydra⁵ on the floor. “It’s already the Chou Hour⁶, isn’t it? Pass on this bereaved one’s decree. Say that this bereaved one has already retired. If there is business, she may return tomorrow.”

The Eldest Princess Longyi was not only the emperor’s younger sister but also the Late Empress’s daughter, and she was a year older than Wan Bi herself. Back then, to bring her into the palace, the Late Emperor had wronged the Late Empress. Later, the Late Empress’s death was also somewhat related to her. Because of this, Longyi had always hated her, and hated the Late Emperor even more.

The two had never gotten along, so there was no need to meet and annoy each other. Especially tonight, Wan Bi was not in a good mood; seeing Longyi would only make it worse.

Longyi normally resided in her fiefdom and had only returned to the capital because the anniversary of the Late Empress’s death was approaching. She would leave as soon as it passed. In all the days Longyi had been back in the capital, they had only met once when she first returned to the palace to pay her respects. The emperor had been present then, and by the time they finished their meal together, the two of them had exchanged no more than three sentences.

“Come back.” Wan Bi changed her mind, stopping Yuanqian who was about to go out and relay the message. Longyi hated her so much; she wouldn’t come to Ning’an Palace for no reason, especially in the middle of the night. “Let her in.”

“This slave begs you, please let this slave end things myself.” Yao Xi was utterly terrified when she was brought into Ning’an Palace, and teardrops fell uncontrollably. It was not hard to imagine what awaited her after being handed over to the Empress Dowager, and it was definitely not something she could bear.

Longyi had only been joking to scare Yao Xi earlier. Seeing the little eunuch frightened to tears, she put away her playful thoughts and said with a serious expression, “I was just teasing you. In a moment, when we see the Empress Dowager, we’ll tell the truth: that you got lost and ended up at Wangyue Pavilion, and that I forced you to stay and serve, which is why you were delayed. This palace will shield you from this calamity.”

This, of course, was not the whole truth; she had not forced the little eunuch to serve her. Longyi preferred to drink alone. Wangyue Pavilion was built against a mountain, and it was the only place in the palace with such an open view. She often went there after nightfall to overlook the palace city, using the scenery to accompany her wine. Right now, with the eunuchs of Ning’an Palace present, it was inconvenient to say much.

Longyi was not one to meddle in others’ affairs, especially Wan Bi’s messes. Plenty of outrageous things happened in Ning’an Palace, and as long as it didn’t affect her, Longyi’s policy was what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over.

Today, she was intentionally helping this little eunuch escape his predicament, partly because she felt that besides him being a blockhead who got lost, it was also somewhat related to her having changed the palace path, and partly because this little eunuch had offended Wan Bi. The enemy of her enemy was her friend.

Back at Wangyue Pavilion, Longyi had seen that the main hall of Wan Bi’s Ning’an Palace was still lit, but she hadn’t expected it was because a eunuch had angered her to the point of being unable to sleep. It was hardly surprising. Everyone was completely subservient to Wan Bi. Although she hated Wan Bi, there was nothing she could do about it. Protected by their father the Emperor’s testamentary edict, let alone her, even the emperor could only swallow his anger. If even the majesty of the ninth-five had to endure it, for a lowly little slave to dare defy her—someone as arrogant as Wan Bi would naturally fly into a rage out of humiliation.⁷

Yao Xi heard this woman refer to herself as “this palace,” so she had to be a consort of at least Concubine rank or higher. This person said she would help her, but she didn’t know if those words were true or false. She simply made up her mind: in a moment, if the situation went south and the Empress Dowager looked like she was about to order torture, she would find an opportunity to end things herself. Biting her tongue or holding her breath would do. She didn’t know if a person could actually hold their breath until they died—after all, who would be idle enough to try that?

If neither of those worked, she would just smash her head against a pillar. There were always more solutions than problems.

Yuanqian came out to welcome Longyi and saw Yao Xi, the little eunuch who had caused her master a sleepless night. She assumed that the people from the Bureau of Imperial Gardens had caught Yao Xi and sent him over, so she didn’t say much, merely following her master’s orders to welcome Princess Longyi inside.

Upon entering the bedchamber, Longyi curtsied to Wan Bi, who was sitting primly on the edge of the heated brick-bed. “Longyi pays her respects to the Empress Dowager.”

Yuanqian leaned in and whispered a few words in Wan Bi’s ear. Wan Bi, whose nerves had been stretched taut all night, finally relaxed. As long as that little castrated donkey was still alive, there would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him in the future.

“For you to come to Ning’an Palace at this hour, isn’t it a bit too early just to pay respects to this bereaved one?” Wan Bi waved her hand, signaling a palace maid to grant Longyi a seat. She wanted to send Longyi away quickly so she could properly discipline that ungrateful little castrated donkey. Wan Bi had been too blessed by fate, to the point that she had never encountered anything challenging. The thought was actually a little exciting.

Longyi thanked her and, after sitting down, said, “A little eunuch from Your Majesty’s palace was delayed in his duties because of me. I came over to explain on his behalf, fearing Your Majesty might punish him.”

Wan Bi also wanted to know why that Yao Xi hadn’t come to Ning’an Palace, so she said, “This bereaved one thought that little castrated donkey was defying an edict. I had even ordered people to seize him, but it turns out there was another reason. I’d like to hear it, then. What matter could cause a delay of several hours?”

In the entire world, the only one who could remain calm and composed before Wan Bi was probably the Eldest Princess Longyi. “That little eunuch got lost and went to Wangyue Pavilion. I hadn’t brought any servants, so I ordered him to serve by my side and wait to escort me back to my palace. Later, I heard that Your Majesty had sent people searching all over the palace for him, so I brought him over immediately. He is waiting outside the hall now.”

“When you told him to serve, did he not tell you he was on duty at my palace tonight?” Wan Bi’s gaze toward Longyi held a hint of displeasure.

“Naturally, he did.” Longyi met Wan Bi’s unfriendly gaze and gave a charming smile. “It was because I had drunk a bit too much today and was acting recklessly, but Longyi trusts that Your Majesty will surely understand.”

“Enough. This bereaved one understands. I will not punish him for this matter,” Wan Bi said. In any case, if she wanted to punish someone, she wouldn’t have trouble finding an excuse. Right now, she just wanted to get rid of Longyi.

How could Longyi not know what kind of person Wan Bi was? She wouldn’t punish the little eunuch for this matter, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t punish him at all. Longyi felt that the little eunuch’s prospects of staying in Ning’an Palace were grim. Thinking she might as well see the good deed through, she said, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for the grace of not punishing him. I would also like to ask something of Your Majesty. That little eunuch and I get along quite well. I wonder if Your Majesty might show mercy and allow Longyi to take that slave to serve in my residence when I leave the capital?”

Without even looking at Longyi, Wan Bi toyed with the nail guard⁸ on her hand and said, “Regarding today’s matter, perhaps that slave is not at fault. But you, knowing full well he was a slave assigned to my palace, still ordered him to stay and serve. That was already improper. This bereaved one will not hold it against you, yet you now have the audacity to ask this bereaved one for him?”

Yao Xi was held by guards just outside the hall. Before long, that young master came out. A palace maid followed closely behind her and stood at the entrance, giving an order to the maids outside, “Prepare the sedan chair. Escort the Eldest Princess back to her palace.”

Only then did Yao Xi realize that this young master who called herself “this palace” was Her Highness, the Eldest Princess. The Eldest Princess was the daughter of the Late Empress and the younger sister of the Current Emperor; surely she had no need to suck up to the Empress Dowager. Only then did Yao Xi believe that the Eldest Princess was telling the truth about shielding her from this calamity. A hope for survival was rekindled within her, and she looked at Longyi with pleading eyes. “This slave, Yao Xi, had eyes but no pupils and failed to recognize Her Highness, the Eldest Princess.⁹ Please, Your Highness, forgive me.”

She truly was a little expert at courting death.¹⁰ Not only had she offended the Empress Dowager, but she had also stolen the Eldest Princess’s wine to drink.

“Your name is Yao Xi?” At that moment, Longyi had no desire to know what this little eunuch’s name was. She had tried to save his life, but she had failed. She wasn’t going to truly offend Wan Bi for the sake of a little slave.

If she didn’t know this person’s name, then in a while, regardless of whether he died at Wan Bi’s hands or not, to her he would just be one among many eunuchs. No matter how interesting or good-looking this eunuch was, with the passage of time, the memory would fade.

But this eunuch had told her his name.

And so, the impression of this eunuch in her heart underwent a subtle change. He was no longer a humanoid symbol, but a living, breathing person with a name, who could cry and laugh.

Longyi gave Yao Xi a sad smile. “This palace did my best. Take care of yourself.” After speaking, she walked toward the sedan chair that had just been prepared outside the palace gate.

What did that mean? Yao Xi was a little stunned.

The hope for survival that had just been kindled was extinguished just like that? With tears in her eyes, Yao Xi pushed the tip of her tongue between her teeth and secretly applied pressure.

There really wasn’t much time left for her.

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