Yao Hua Palace.
"Get out! All of you get out of here!"
Consort Yao threw a huge tantrum in her bedchamber, driving out all the palace maids who were attending to her.
She looked at herself in the mirror, at her badly swollen face, and felt both indignant and humiliated.
Ultimately, the two slaps from Yun Zhao were not what bothered Consort Yao the most. What she hated was the verbal humiliation from Song Zhao.
Consort Yao looked at the lingering dark sores on her face, and recalled how Song Zhao had said it was rosacea. She remembered the barely suppressed laughter on the palace maids' faces, and felt even more stifled.
"Ah!!"
She grabbed the powder box like a madwoman and smashed it at the bronze mirror.
As the bronze mirror shattered, a clear, bell-like female voice sounded from outside the door.
"Sister, why are you throwing such a big tantrum?"
Consort Yao suddenly turned back and saw that it was Consort Hui walking slowly into the room. Furious, she said,
"Who allowed you to come in? Get out of here!"
But contrary to expectations, Consort Hui not only did not leave, she even closed the door and shamelessly walked over to the yellow pearwood chair next to her and sat down.
"I know my sister has been wronged today, so I came specially to see you."
She took out an exquisite small box from her sleeve and handed it over.
"This is a high quality healing ointment. If my sister uses it for a day or two, the red swollen palm prints on her face can be removed."
"You..." Consort Yao was shocked, but she stroked her cheeks and pretended to be calm. "I don't have any, I bumped into something by accident!"
Consort Hui sighed and said sympathetically, "Sister, don't say things like that. Chun Lan has already told me everything."
"She told you?"
Consort Yao glanced at the palace maid following Consort Hui. She was short in stature and her looks were not particularly outstanding. She was inferior in every way compared to Chan Er who had previously served Consort Hui.
She asked, "Why is it not Chan Er following you today?"
Consort Hui's eyes darkened sadly as she said, "Chan Er contracted a serious illness and has passed away. Chun Lan is a new palace maid dispatched by the Imperial Household Department. I saw that she was clever so I had her attend to me first."
Consort Yao glanced at Chun Lan and asked, "What did you see?"
Consort Hui said, "Today is the first day Chengjing went to the Office of the Imperial Secretariat. I had Chun Lan send her off early. After sending off Chengjing, she passed by the Imperial Flower Garden and happened to see..."
Consort Hui left her words hanging, and Consort Yao felt that she could not pretend any longer. Breathing heavily, she did not speak.
After letting her calm down for a while, Consort Hui comforted her,
"Sister, don't worry. I haven't told anyone else about this. I came today to comfort you. What Yun Zhao did was too much, but I believe this matter definitely has nothing to do with Song Zhao. Sister knows what kind of person Song Zhao is, she is not that kind of person..."
"How do you know what kind of person she is? Are you a worm in her belly?" Consort Yao said resentfully, "Don't pretend with me. Everyone in the palace knows that you and Song Zhao are close. Are you coming to speak up for Song Zhao?"
Consort Hui shook her head. "I am close with Song Zhao, but I also have many years of friendship with my sister. I naturally do not want to see misunderstandings and disharmony arise between you."
Consort Yao had no intention of talking much with Consort Hui.
But Consort Hui had now given birth to the Third Prince, and held the same consort rank as her. Consort Hui's status was higher with a son.
And after becoming a mother, Consort Hui had matured a lot. When speaking with her, Consort Yao also had to consider propriety.
So although she was unhappy in her heart, she still had to pretend on the surface.
"I know you mean well."
She accepted the healing ointment from Consort Hui. Seeing the food box Chun Lan was holding, she asked, "What are you holding?"
Consort Hui said, "It's date paste cakes. Song Zhao used to love eating them. I just came back from her palace. Oh yes, sister doesn't know yet right? Song Zhao has caught many butterflies and is keeping them in Chang Le Palace. It's so beautiful!"
Consort Yao was not interested in flowers or butterflies. She just saw that the food box was full, as if untouched.
She found it strange and took the chance to sow discord,
"You said you brought food for Imperial Consort Zhao, but looking at the full food box, it seems like she was unwilling to accept your kindness?"
Consort Hui took the food box from Chun Lan and placed it on the table in front. She opened it, took out a date paste cake, ate one herself, and also handed one to Consort Yao.
"Song Zhao used to love eating these date paste cakes, but I don't know if it's because of the amnesia, her tastes seem to have changed. She said she found them too sweet and they didn't suit her palate. I thought since they were already made, it would be a waste not to eat them even if Song Zhao didn't want them, so I brought them back."
Consort Hui asked, "Sister, won't you try some too?"
Consort Yao ate two mouthfuls and said bitterly, "It's admirable that you have such good intentions toward her, yet she does not appreciate it. If you had made these date paste cakes just for me, I would have been very grateful. Mindful of our sisterly affection, even if I didn't like eating them, I would not have said it openly and hurt your feelings."
Upon hearing this, Consort Hui's expression fell for an instant. It took her a long time to say,
"Then in the future I will also make some for my sister."
Seeing her reaction, Consort Yao felt she had succeeded in sowing discord. Feeling slightly smug, she also nodded and smiled at Consort Hui to show intimacy.
She then heard Consort Hui say, "The things Song Zhao used to love eating the most, she doesn't like anymore. This shows the amnesia has really greatly affected her. Sister, what do you think, with the amnesia, will Song Zhao no longer be allergic to peach blossoms?"
"What are you talking about?" Consort Yao laughed at Consort Hui for being silly. "That allergy has been with her since birth, how could it be cured just because she has amnesia?"
"Oh!" Consort Hui lightly slapped the back of her own head and stuck out her tongue, "You're right, I'm so silly. I can't even understand something so simple."
Seeing her like that, Consort Yao could not help laughing.
But her casual words had also reminded Consort Yao of something.
That day, after Consort Hui left, Consort Yao sat alone in the hall, lost in thought:
There were butterflies flying in and out of Song Zhao's palace. If the butterfly wings carried peach blossom pollen that drifted all over Song Zhao's palace, wouldn't her allergy flare up again?
Consort Yao knew the allergy would make rashes break out all over Song Zhao's body and face.
When she had first entered the harem, just a little contact with it had made her face rot.
If she came into contact with large amounts of peach blossom pollen this time, wouldn't her peerlessly beautiful face be completely ruined?
The more Consort Yao thought about it, the more excited she became. Looking at her distorted reflection in the broken bronze mirror, her smile also gradually turned sinister as she muttered:
"You cheap slut, how dare you mock me? Saying you really like the 'rosacea' on my face too?"
Boundless hatred flashed in her eyes as she clenched her fist tightly.
"Good! Since you like it, I will fulfill your wish!"
