Consort Yun was extremely displeased with Consort Chen's gesture of showing off her might.
"Who is she trying to show off for?"
The Empress was also clearly very angry.
Her breathing gradually became hurried, and she couldn't help clutching her chest as she staggered back two steps before sitting down in a chair.
It was clear she had been angered by Consort Chen to the point where her heart condition acted up.
The concubines immediately gathered around her with concern about her condition.
Consort Yao stood outside the crowd and shouted loudly to order the palace maid, "The Empress's heart condition is acting up again. Quickly summon the imperial physician!"
"Don't go..." The Empress weakly stopped her with a sentence, knitting her brows and shaking her head,
"Noble Consort Xiao becoming pregnant is a joyous event. Don't make a big fuss lest the Emperor hear that I and Consort Chen have had another argument. This happy event might end up giving the Emperor another headache."
Consort Yin said, "How is this just Consort Chen arguing with the Empress? She is clearly bullying too arrogantly! When the Emperor finds out, Consort Chen should be taught a lesson to take a look at her arrogance!"
"This Palace has said not to go so don't go!" The Empress was clearly somewhat anxious as her face was flushed red.
Fortunately Shuang Ruo had medicine pills on her that could relieve heart conditions. She took them out for the Empress to take with water. She also continuously patted the Empress's chest to help relieve her breath.
After over half a moment, the Empress's condition finally eased somewhat.
She let out a long breath and said, "Harmony in the harem allows the Emperor to focus on handling court affairs out front. Don't let such a small matter bother the Emperor."
Song Zhao watched this scene unfold. She didn't know whether the Empress was truly sick from anger or deliberately putting on an act in front of everyone.
In any case, this little scene made the impressions of the wise and virtuous Empress and the arrogant and domineering Consort Chen even more concrete.
Later, the Empress ordered Noble Consort Xiao to rest well before taking her leave first.
On the way back to her palace, the Empress sat in her palanquin while Shuang Ruo walked alongside, attending to her.
In the winter, palanquins were sealed up tightly to prevent drafts.
Feeling somewhat stifled, the Empress simply lifted the palanquin curtain to let in some air.
About what happened earlier, Shuang Ruo had felt irritated the whole way.
After holding it in for half the journey, when the Empress lifted the curtain, seeing the Empress's pale and weak appearance made Shuang Ruo even more distressed. She couldn't help but say,
"Consort Chen is going too far. Your Ladyship should give her some punishment."
She lowered her voice and moved closer to the palanquin, continuing, "That sentence she said in your ear earlier, this servant roughly heard it. What did she mean? Could it be she thought it was Your Ladyship working with Noble Consort Xiao to harm her?"
The Empress was silent for a moment before saying,
"Consort Chen was vexed that Noble Consort Xiao is now pregnant and His Majesty revoked her punishment, so she lashed out at me to vent."
She leaned her elbow against the window frame, and her bare index finger gently massaged her sore temples. She said somewhat doubtfully,
"But I also feel it's strange. His Majesty has already pardoned Noble Consort Xiao, so if Consort Chen had any sense, she shouldn't have kept insisting to me that she was framed about the matter in Plum Garden. So why does she keep dragging me back to reiterate that she's innocent?"
"Perhaps she's putting on an act for others to see?" Shuang Ruo thought and said, "After all, she escaped punishment due to credit for the imperial heir. It wasn't that she was truly innocent. If this matter is glossed over, when the time comes after the imperial heir is born, it's hard to guarantee the Emperor and Consort Chen won't settle accounts in the future."
The Empress nodded perfunctorily and pondered for a moment before speaking,
"The palace maid attending to her is called Yin Zhi, I remember. It was her who took the initiative to go to the Imperial Pharmacy for snake flower buttercup without Consort Chen's order. His Majesty determined this matter to be an accident, and that palace maid is Consort Chen's personal servant. She will most likely be released soon. Keep an eye on the Judicial Department. After she's released, bring her directly to this Palace. I want to personally interrogate her."
*
At the same time, the liveliness in Zhao Chun Palace had already dispersed.
The concubines coming to congratulate Noble Consort Xiao was merely because she was pregnant so they had no choice but to come give blessings.
But most still believed she was the one who released snakes in Plum Garden,
Naturally, the concubines kept their distance from this kind of person.
Previously, Song Zhao put on an act of being close with Noble Consort Xiao, so she was the last to stay.
Only after seeing everyone had left did Noble Consort Xiao indifferently ask Song Zhao, "Do you believe me?"
Song Zhao was silent for a moment before slowly nodding her head, "I naturally believe Elder Sister."
Their previous interaction had given Noble Consort Xiao a bit of good feelings towards Song Zhao. Currently, Song Zhao was the only one she could talk openly with, so she directly said,
"Someone wanted me to be a scapegoat. From beginning to end I did nothing.
I admit that when I realized it was very likely my face was harmed by Consort Chen's sabotage, I thought about getting revenge on her. But after calming down, I thought that if I really harmed Consort Chen and the truth came out one day, with Consort Chen's powerful background, forget about me, even all my maternal family would be in danger."
Noble Consort Xiao became more agitated the more she spoke. She grabbed Song Zhao's hand and repeatedly shook her head,
"I can't implicate my family. So I gave up the idea of revenge back then. I really didn't do this! Believe me!"
"I already said I believe Elder Sister." Song Zhao grasped her hand in return. Her tone was firm as she spoke.
By this point, Song Zhao already had ninety percent certainty that this matter had nothing to do with Noble Consort Xiao.
But she also couldn't directly tell Noble Consort Xiao that she suspected everything was a scheme by the Empress. She could only hint obliquely,
"Actually, the most suspicious person in this whole matter is Yin Zhi. Without Elder Sister's order, why would she randomly go to the Imperial Pharmacy for snake flower buttercup? Now His Majesty says this was an accident. As Yin Zhi is Elder Sister's personal servant, she should be released soon. When that time comes, Elder Sister must ask her clearly just what exactly happened."
Noble Consort Xiao nodded repeatedly, then resentfully said,
"That treacherous slave! When she comes back, even if I beat her to death, I must wring the truth from her mouth."
*
That night, in the deep of night,
After winter came, few people would pass by the Lily Pond to the west side of the Imperial Garden.
The palace lights that used to burn all night here had broken recently. After night fell it was even more deserted without even patrolling guards willing to come by.
Yet tonight, there was a woman standing by the pond.
The woman stood under a tree. The tree shade immersed her in darkness so her appearance could not be seen clearly.
Before long, an internal monitor secretly ran over to rendezvous with the woman.
"Replying to Auntie, everything has been taken care of. Yin Zhi was disguised to appear as if she couldn't withstand torture and died suddenly. No one will notice anything amiss."
"Well done."
The woman took out a small, exquisite brocade box from her bosom. After weighing it in her hand she handed it to the internal monitor.
"This is the reward promised to you by Her Ladyship. Take a look, is it enough?"
The internal monitor smiled and said, "Many thanks to Her Ladyship's reward. This servant already has money in hand. I will naturally leave the palace stealthily with the water wheel tomorrow and never return in this lifetime. Please tell Her Ladyship not to worry."
After he finished speaking, he hastily opened the brocade box. But the instant the box opened, a large amount of white powder suddenly blew towards his face.
After just one sniff, he instantly lost consciousness and fainted with eyes rolled back.
The woman looked down at him with an icy smile. She mumbled softly,
"Her Ladyship only believes dead men can keep secrets."
She kicked the fainted internal monitor by the waist.
With the sloped ground, the internal monitor's body easily rolled into the Lily Pond appearing to have drowned by accident.
The woman watched as the internal monitor slowly sank inch by inch until no more ripples disturbed the surface of the pond.
Only then did she hurry away under the moonlight......
