Nanny Li accepted the treasure box, kneeling on the ground and bowing deeply. Xi Que, Shuang Jiang, Nanny Xiang, and others turned their heads away to wipe their tears.
"Nanny Xiang, take some people to see Nanny Li off. If you meet her family members, give them my regards."
The gesture of sending regards was merely a pretense; the real intention was to provide Nanny Li with support.
Senior Concubine Xian had truly considered every aspect to ensure Nanny Li's happiness in her later years.
Nanny Xiang and Nanny Li were old friends. If anyone in the palace would miss Nanny Li the most, it would undoubtedly be Nanny Xiang.
Jiang Xinyue asked her to see Nanny Li off, giving the two old sisters one last chance to reminisce.
"Woof, woof, woof... whine..."
Even the dog frolicking under the swing in the courtyard seemed to sense the somber atmosphere, barking incessantly at Nanny Li.
Its drooping ears and eyes revealed its low spirits.
Fearing she might burst into tears if she stayed any longer, Nanny Li strode out with large steps.
Half a cup of tea's time after Nanny Li and Nanny Xiang left, someone arrived from Yikun Palace: "Senior Concubine Xian, our Empress wishes to summon you to Yikun Palace for a chat."
The Empress must have some collaboration in mind, right?
It wouldn't hurt to see what she wanted. Perhaps it could be beneficial.
She had fallen out with Consort De, but not with the Empress. In fact, their relationship was quite good on the surface.
With the Empress in a precarious situation, she was more likely seeking allies rather than making enemies.
At the entrance of Yikun Palace, fallen leaves that had replaced the green foliage lay unswept at the palace gates, a sight that would have been impossible in the past.
Jiang Xinyue lifted her skirt, careful not to let the hem brush against the withered leaves, and entered Yikun Palace without a sideways glance.
The palace staff was pitifully few; even at the entrance, only Fen Yun was there to announce visitors.
Fen Yun should have been attending closely to the Empress. Since when did she start doing the work of second-tier palace maids?
"Your Highness, Senior Concubine Xian has arrived."
"Let her in!"
Even at such a time, the Empress didn't bother with empty courtesies.
She had a white silk bandage wrapped around her head, with fresh blood seeping through at the forehead. In just a day or two since their last meeting, her once reasonably fit figure had shrunk to little more than a skeleton.
Her face was devoid of color, her lips dry and cracked with blood. She looked as if she were on the brink of death.
Jiang Xinyue stared at her for a moment and noticed that the color of her cheeks didn't match that behind her ears. She immediately understood that the Empress had powdered her face to appear pitiful.
She had even gone to the trouble of powdering her neck, but had overlooked one detail. Jiang Xinyue had spotted the dividing line behind her ear.
"This concubine greets the Empress..."
But who was Jiang Xinyue? When it came to acting, she was the true master!
"Cough, cough, cough... Senior Concubine Xian... there's no need for formalities, please rise quickly..."
The cough didn't sound quite genuine!
It should have been two coughs, followed by rapid breathing, then coughing to the point of dry heaving, with tears welling up in the eyes. Then Fen Yun should have patted her back, and after her breathing stabilized, she should have spoken in a weak voice.
Jiang Xinyue's face bore an expression of disbelief and concern, her eyes constantly scanning the Empress: "Your Majesty, what has happened to you? How have you become so haggard in just a few days?"
She reached out to support the Empress, who grasped her arm. The palm of her hand was ice-cold, making Jiang Xinyue realize that while half of the Empress's illness might be an act, the other half could very well be real.
The Empress's breathing became more rapid, her grip on Jiang Xinyue's hand tightening: "Senior Concubine Xian, my body has failed me. Consort De... I never imagined that after all my precautions, the most ambitious person was right by my side. Senior Concubine Xian, you must help me seek revenge!"
She spoke these last words through gritted teeth, her eyes quickly becoming bloodshot, as if she might shed tears of blood at any moment.
If it were merely because the old lady of the Mansion of the Duke of Cheng had injured her, or even if Consort De had framed her, it wouldn't be enough to provoke such hatred and anger in the Empress.
The Empress that Jiang Xinyue knew would only blame herself for being outmaneuvered after a brief moment of anger.
"Your Majesty..."
The concern in her eyes was genuine: "What exactly happened? Consort De recently accused me of poisoning the third prince, how did she suddenly change her story to say it was you? I know that if you had wanted to kill the third prince, he wouldn't have lived until now. How could it possibly have been you?"
The Empress gave a light chuckle: "If even you understand this logic, how could the Emperor not know?"
As she laughed, tears began to fall: "I didn't lose to Consort De, I lost to my own delusions. It's the Emperor who wants me dead... the husband I've shared a bed with for a lifetime wants me dead!"
She cried out, pounding on the bed: "I was so foolish, always thinking that as long as I devoted myself to him, he would eventually see my worth. I brought this upon myself, I... hahaha... ugh..."
A mouthful of fresh blood spewed from the Empress's mouth. Jiang Xinyue cried out in shock, supporting the falling skeleton of a woman: "Your Majesty!"
How had it come to this?
If the Emperor is heartless, I should let go. If the Emperor doesn't love me, I should love myself. Why reduce oneself to such a ghastly state?
It's simply not worth it!
The Empress collapsed into her arms: "This is the path I chose, I don't blame anyone. But... my children... my children were innocent!"
Mentioning the deceased Crown Prince Duanhui and Second Prince, hatred blazed in the Empress's eyes once more: "My children, Zhan'er and Chuan'er, were killed by Consort De!"
"What?"
"Not just my children, the reason there have been only the third prince and fourth prince born in the harem for so many years is because Consort De secretly administered drugs to pregnant concubines, preventing any children from being born in the palace."
The Empress's eyes were full of regret: "Back then, I trusted her too much, which gave her the opportunity to kill Zhan'er and Chuan'er."
"How does Your Majesty know it was Consort De?"
After so many years of being unable to uncover the truth, how did she suddenly know it was Consort De?
Without evidence, Jiang Xinyue wouldn't foolishly rush to conclusions.
"I say this because I naturally have evidence."
The Empress glanced at Fen Yun, who, with tear-rimmed eyes, took out a blood-stained handkerchief from a drawer in the dressing table.
"This is a blood letter written by Ning Feixiu, a palace maid from Consort De's quarters, before she died here in Yikun Palace. It confesses Consort De's crimes of harming the former Crown Prince and Second Prince, as well as numerous pregnant concubines in the harem. Before entering the palace, Consort De had studied medicine for a time and was well-versed in creating poisons. These were all things I never knew."
Her younger son had drowned after suddenly falling into the water while admiring fish by the river.
The Empress suspected that Consort De had used some drug to make him lose consciousness, otherwise how could he have fallen into the water without calling for help?
The little Crown Prince had died even more suspiciously, suddenly contracting smallpox.
Thinking back carefully, Consort De's shadow could be seen in every incident, but because Consort De had been her ally at the time, she had never thought to suspect her.
