After such an incident, the Xuanwu Emperor could not possibly go to the Empress's palace. Senior Concubine Xian was terrified, so he had to stay with her in Hexi Palace.
It was only human nature, and the Empress had to appear understanding and reasonable, "gladly" giving up the Emperor.
"Your Highness..." Fen Yun approached, "Who do you think wanted to endanger Senior Concubine Xian and the Sixth Prince?"
The Empress shook her head, "She enjoys great favor, so she must bear all this. It depends on whether the Emperor has the heart to protect her. In this palace, there are no secrets from His Majesty."
That's why for so many years, she had allowed Consort Li to provoke her without retaliating harshly.
Concubines came and went in the palace, each beautiful as flowers and jade. Every one of them had once been favored by the Emperor, only to be cast aside later.
Today's Senior Concubine Xian, who could say if she wouldn't be the next Consort Li?
She was the Empress; she didn't need to take anyone seriously.
Anyone... no one was worth her taking action personally.
At the Investigative Bureau—
In the dim torture chamber, various instruments hung on the uneven walls. Some old tools had rusted a bright red from frequent use.
The spacious chamber was empty except for a blood-covered palace maid tied to a human-shaped wooden stake. It was the maid Jiang Xinyue had caught.
She had been beaten so badly she could barely focus her eyes. Through the haze, she seemed to see a figure sitting before her.
The little palace maid struggled to open her eyes wider. A patch of imperial yellow robe came into view. "Your... Your Majesty..."
Flickering light from the high window illuminated his face and body alternately. Lounging in the massive chair was the expressionless Xuanwu Emperor.
"Bring them in!"
The handsome man's face was cold as he waved his hand without wasting a word. Guards from the Investigative Bureau brought in several terrified people.
"Ying'er!" The middle-aged man in the lead, upon seeing the dying palace maid, didn't show concern but rushed forward to slap her face. "You useless girl! What have you done? Why were we suddenly arrested and brought to the palace? We didn't expect you to give us a good life, but at least don't drag us down with you! You useless thing, what did you do?"
The peasant woman held the hands of two little boys, her expression numb as if long accustomed to such scenes.
"Hah!" The little palace maid spat out a mouthful of blood, looking at the man with disgust. "Why aren't you dead yet?"
"How dare you speak to me like that? I'll beat—"
"Guards, take them away." The guards stepped forward to escort them out. The Xuanwu Emperor's lips curled slightly. "Leave the woman."
Now the little palace maid's expression changed noticeably, her hidden hands struggling against her bonds.
"Tell me, who ordered you to sprinkle white phosphorus powder on Lady Cheng's clothes?"
Surprise flashed in the palace maid's eyes.
The Emperor mentioned phosphorus powder but didn't ask about the cotton.
That meant...
He knew she only sprinkled the powder. Someone else had planted the cotton.
The peasant woman was held by the neck by a guard. The little palace maid closed her eyes, then opened them. "If I tell you, can Your Majesty guarantee my mother's safe departure?"
"As long as you write a confession, I promise her safety."
The palace maid's gaze flickered. "Consort De promised me that if I completed this task, she would help me kill my father."
She had been sold to this couple by human traffickers. From childhood, she was beaten and abused by that beast. When she grew older, he set his sights on her body, violated her, then sold her to the palace as a slave for a few taels of silver.
From childhood to adulthood, the only person who had been kind to her was her adoptive mother.
But her adoptive mother was also a pitiful woman. As a young girl, she had been violated by that beast. Her family, not wanting to air their dirty laundry, forced her to marry him.
After the marriage, her adoptive mother was beaten every few days.
Her adoptive mother used to be a gentle beauty. Every time the girl was beaten, her mother would risk her life to save her.
But on the night she was violated, when her adoptive mother tried to save her, that beast beat her until she became simple-minded.
She would never again smile gently at her.
"I'll tell you one last time," said the Emperor. "Reveal the mastermind, or I will kill you and your adoptive mother. I'll give your adoptive father and two brothers gold, silver, beautiful wives and concubines. I'll let him live the rest of his life in unimaginable wealth and glory."
The mastermind couldn't be Consort De. She had pretended to be unambitious for over a decade; how could she break character at this crucial moment?
If she had done this, she wouldn't have left so many loose ends, and Xu Ying'er certainly wouldn't still be alive.
This is why those without a ruthless heart can never achieve greatness.
The mastermind wanted to kill the Sixth Prince and Jiang Xinyue, yet showed mercy to Xu Ying'er. That was the fatal flaw.
"No!" Xu Ying'er's greatest fear in life was that beast living well.
Tears finally spilled from her eyes. After a moment, she suddenly gave a cold laugh. "They say emperors are heartless. I used to watch Your Majesty shower Concubine Zhenxian with endless love and favor. I thought it was a misunderstanding about the imperial family. Now I know the truth – everything in the harem is under Your Majesty's control. No wonder Her Highness, even when bullied terribly, is unwilling to personally do anything immoral. Because as soon as she acts, Your Majesty would know everything she's done. Your Majesty's power is all-seeing; don't you know Concubine Zhenxian is no saint either?"
The Emperor had already guessed who was behind her and was just waiting for her to write it down as evidence to threaten Her Highness in the future.
Xu Ying'er was unwilling!
Her adoptive mother was the first person to be kind to her, and Her Highness was the second to treat her as a human...
If she had to betray Her Highness to save her adoptive mother, she would use her life to make amends to Her Highness.
But before that, she wanted to help Her Highness eliminate her greatest rival, Senior Concubine Xian.
"Whether she's a saint or not, what does that have to do with you trying to harm her?" The Xuanwu Emperor laughed again. "You all know clearly that in this imperial palace, those with a bleeding heart die miserably. Senior Concubine Xian is intelligent, brave, and decisive. I'm very fond of her. So if she likes to act, I'll play along with her. You fools who don't know better, insisting on provoking her – you may not be able to withstand her revenge. Even if it's the Empress who harms her, once she grows powerful under my protection, the Empress will also fall to her blade."
Xu Ying'er burst into laughter. The Emperor was finished. He had known from the beginning about Senior Concubine Xian's ambition and her excellent acting.
Yet he not only tolerated it but pretended to know nothing and played along with her act.
He probably couldn't tell himself whether he was using Senior Concubine Xian more or truly fond of her!
Poor Empress...
She couldn't help anymore.
