Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Removal from the Register

Chu’an Palace was solemn and still. Xu Shunfu led a squad of Imperial Guards out; the sound of hands gripping sword hilts was neither loud nor soft, yet when it reached those inside the hall, it made hearts suddenly tighten.

Su Jieyu also quieted down. Only a double layer of pearl curtains separated the outer and inner halls, far from enough to block Qiu Yuan’s voice.

She lifted her eyes toward the direction in which the guards had gone. A flicker passed through her gaze, but she made no sound and did nothing to interfere. The Empress glanced at her unobtrusively and, seeing that she seemed unmoved by the matter of searching Yihe Palace, frowned slightly.

Could she have been mistaken?

Was there actually no connection between Su Jieyu and Consort De?

The Empress only felt that Su Jieyu was a little strange today. She looked as though she were trying to sow discord, yet she was overly calm, as if she had already anticipated what would happen to Yun Si.

All the other consorts had rushed here upon suddenly receiving the news, with hair simply gathered and a crane cloak thrown over their shoulders. Yet Su Jieyu’s attire was exactly the same as when she had gone to Yihe Palace earlier, even the position of the jade hairpin on her head had not shifted in the slightest.

The Empress, always observant, had taken note of everyone’s appearance when at Yihe Palace, so the moment Su Jieyu appeared now, she sensed something amiss.

She tightened her hold on her handkerchief, her gaze sweeping almost imperceptibly across Su Jieyu’s face.
She wanted to tell herself it was just a coincidence, but her heart involuntarily grew colder bit by bit.

Turning her eyes away, she no longer looked at Su Jieyu.

Inside the inner hall, all was quiet. The woman lay on the bed, her apricot eyes shut tight, yet everyone knew her sleep was restless.

No one dared wake her.

A quarter-hour later, Tan Yuanchu finally stepped out from the inner hall. He was neatly dressed now, no longer as loose as he had been inside, his face still cool. Perhaps the news that the woman inside would ultimately be unharmed had eased him somewhat, his expression was not as terrifying as when everyone had first arrived, but it still weighed oppressively on the heart.

The gathered consorts bent in salute as Tan Yuanchu passed without so much as glancing aside.
It was only when he passed the bowing Empress that he simply said,

“Rise.”

His voice was cold; anyone could hear that his anger had not abated. Seeing that after saying “rise” he simply passed over the Empress, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat.

In the past, no matter how displeased he might be, in public he would always give the Empress due face, at the very least, personally helping her up.

The Empress acted as though she had noticed nothing amiss. She stood and, her expression concerned, frowned.

“Your Majesty, how is Xi Xiurong?”

Song Fu, perceptive, brought over a chair for the Empress to sit.

As for the others, Song Fu did not bother with them at all.

With his own mistress lying inside and not knowing which of these women might be the culprit who harmed her, Song Fu kept his resentment in his heart and had no wish to let them all sit in comfort.

Tan Yuanchu said nothing, and no matter how tired the other consorts were, they had no choice but to remain standing in the hall.

His gaze turned toward Qiu Yuan. Since she had asked him to investigate Yihe Palace, she must have noticed something.

Qiu Yuan did not hesitate in the slightest. With a loud thud, she knelt heavily to the floor; the sound made the scalp of those listening prickle, and Qiu Yuan herself paled from the pain.

“Your Majesty, everything in the hall has been inspected by Imperial Physician Lin. The only difference today was that Her Ladyship went to Yihe Palace.”

Her expression turned grim.

“Just now, when the physician was administering the needles to Her Ladyship, this servant smelled a fragrance on her clothing, one I also smelled when we were in Yihe Palace.”

She did not dare say outright that it was the scent of peonies; her words were deliberately vague.

As soon as she spoke, Imperial Physician Lin emerged from the inner hall, carrying with him the sachet Yun Si had always kept with her. His expression was grave.

“Your Majesty, both this sachet and the waist of the palace gown Her Ladyship wore yesterday contain safflower.”

At these words, Qiu Yuan instinctively refuted, “Impossible!”

Hearing Qiu Yuan’s certainty, Su Jieyu could not help but speak.

“How do you know it’s impossible? Perhaps you servants were careless and allowed safflower or similar substances to be mixed into the sachet. Wasn’t Lu Pin’s miscarriage back then also caused by negligence?”

Seeing her mention Lu Pin’s miscarriage, Tan Yuanchu lifted his eyes without any change in expression, a cool, sharp glance sweeping over her.

Qiu Yuan looked at Su Jieyu, silently committing her to memory, then paused briefly before kowtowing toward Tan Yuanchu.

“Your Majesty, this servant dares to be so certain because when Imperial Physician Lin came to take Her Ladyship’s pulse today, this servant had him inspect this sachet. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may ask Imperial Physician Lin directly.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the physician.
Imperial Physician Lin nodded.

Moreover, the safflower was on the outside of the sachet, as though someone had hastily sprinkled safflower powder over it.

At this, Su Jieyu’s expression turned a little sour. Curling her lips in faint mockery, she said, “That is rather strange. Aside from your people in Chu’an Palace, who else could get close to your mistress?”

Qiu Yuan refused to yield an inch.

“Who says they couldn’t?

“Today at Yihe Palace, there were many people and a jumble of eyes. Even if there was some jostling, no one would think twice about it. Who’s to say someone didn’t take the opportunity to act?”

Su Jieyu’s words were cut off completely, her face hardening.
She was about to speak again when Tan Yuanchu’s cool voice interrupted,

“Did I tell you to answer? Who permitted you to speak?”

His eyes were calm, yet a frown creased his brows in open impatience.

Every word Su Jieyu had stuck in her throat at once. She clenched her hands, face stiff, her voice catching in humiliation.

The sachet was presented to Tan Yuanchu. He reached out and took it.
Embroidered upon it was a camellia, white petals against a pale blue background. He remembered this sachet, when he had visited Yun Si before, she had been just finishing it.

Her slender fingers had looped and twisted the thread, tying off the knot. Hearing his approach, she had lifted her apricot eyes to him, her voice clear and sweet:

“Does it look nice? When I have time, shall I make one for Your Majesty too?”

He had only said it looked nice, but did not agree to the latter half. She was pregnant, and there was no need for her to waste her strength on such things.

Who would have thought that conversation was only yesterday, and today the woman was lying unconscious on the bed.

No one spoke again.
The main doors of Chu’an Palace stood open; cold wind howled in, stinging faces and seeping into bones, making even crane cloaks feel insufficient against it. Some instinctively pulled their garments tighter, trying to keep warm.

No one knew how long they waited, long enough for their legs to go numb, before the sound of footsteps finally came from outside.

Xu Shunfu returned quickly, his face grim, and bowed respectfully.

“Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Chang has discovered that the ground all around Yihe Palace has been soaked with safflower water. Even the base of the incense burners lit inside Yihe Palace was hidden with safflower.”

The last incense burning at Yihe Palace had been meant to mask the smell of the corpse and blood. But no one expected that such a minor detail would be used by someone with ulterior motives.

As for the ground around Yihe Palace, it seemed that someone had prepared in advance, sprinkling safflower water bit by bit over the entire area. The surface dried easily, leaving no visible trace, but on the peony petals there were still many lingering water stains.

Aside from Chang Deyi, this was the first time Qiu Yuan truly hated someone.

There was only one person in the palace who was pregnant, Her Ladyship. Consort De’s intent was self-evident: she was determined to drag the imperial heir in Yun Si’s belly with her to the grave.

To be honest, if Qiu Yuan had stood in Consort De’s position, perhaps she might have done the same.

If her life was already forfeit, she would have to make every possible arrangement for the Eldest Prince.

And perhaps some would think, didn’t Consort De fear this would implicate the Eldest Prince?

She might have had her concerns, but she was even less willing to see Her Ladyship give birth to an imperial heir.

Even Qiu Yuan could faintly sense that His Majesty’s attitude toward Her Ladyship was different, how could someone as meticulous as Consort De fail to notice?

She could.

And would she worry that, once Her Ladyship gave birth to the imperial heir in her belly, the Eldest Prince would be regarded as a thorn in the eye?

No one knew.

But Consort De had no choice but to consider it.

Rather than wait until after Her Ladyship gave birth and then see the Eldest Prince targeted, it was better for her to strike first.

Human ambition knows no ceiling.

The Eldest Prince might hold the advantage of being the firstborn, but without his birth mother in the harem to support him, any time a consort bore an imperial heir, they would never let him go unchallenged.
She needed to buy time for the Eldest Prince.

The Emperor was a man who clearly separated consorts from heirs. Consort De knew well in her heart which weighed heavier.

Qiu Yuan closed her eyes. She did not act on impulse, but pondered who could possibly get close to Her Ladyship.

Though she had said earlier that there were many people and mixed eyes in Yihe Palace and anyone might approach, in truth, she and Her Ladyship had both been especially cautious, never having any direct contact with other consorts.

Scenes from Yihe Palace flickered one by one in her mind.

Suddenly, the image of a palace maid carrying a blood basin and, in panic, about to kneel and beg for forgiveness flashed across her thoughts. Qiu Yuan’s breath caught; she abruptly opened her eyes and asked Xu Shunfu,

“Eunuch Xu, when you were in Yihe Palace, did you see a round-faced palace maid with a mole at the corner of her brow?”

Xu Shunfu was startled.

Qiu Yuan immediately said, “In Yihe Palace, only this palace maid could have possibly gotten close to Her Ladyship.”

In other words, the safflower on Her Ladyship’s sachet was most likely the work of this palace maid.

Tan Yuanchu immediately ordered. “Go investigate!”

Xu Shunfu left at once. When he returned a quarter of an hour later, he was panting, his face grim. Dropping to his knees, he said, “Your Majesty, this servant was a step too late.”

The person was already dead in her room.

Such a brazen, naked silencing made even Xu Shunfu feel a trace of dread.

He knew well that this was Consort De’s usual method. Catching a glimpse of Qi Guipin’s unpleasant expression among the gathered consorts, Xu Shunfu felt no surprise.

It was just like when Su Jieyu miscarried, and the palace maid from Qi Guipin’s quarters hanged herself in Changchun Palace, leaving no proof in death.

The only thing Xu Shunfu could not understand was, Consort De was already dead, so who would still risk their life to act for her?

The hall suddenly fell silent.

No one dared to look at Tan Yuanchu’s expression. After a long while, the stillness was broken by his voice, seemingly calm, yet carrying an undercurrent.

“Well done, Consort De.”

Even in death, she had not let the harem know a moment’s peace.

The words held neither joy nor anger, seemingly without emotion, yet for no reason they made everyone feel a chill of fear.

The Empress couldn’t help but glance at Tan Yuanchu. In her heart, she was a little stunned; her breath tightened.
What did His Majesty mean by this?

If it were confirmed that Consort De had plotted, before her death, to harm the imperial heir in Xi Xiurong’s belly, the Eldest Prince would inevitably be implicated.

Would the Emperor be willing to do that?

Qiu Yuan also raised her head to look at the Emperor. She still harbored suspicions, but for now, she said nothing.

Compared to anything else, convicting Consort De was the priority.

Only then would the Eldest Prince’s birth be tainted, making it easier in the future for Her Ladyship’s imperial heir to take precedence.

Qiu Yuan gave the Emperor no time to weigh pros and cons. She dropped to her knees with a thud, her forehead already red and swollen, now instantly turning bruised, a stark contrast against her pale face:

“I beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for Her Ladyship!”

The palace servants of Chu’an Palace knelt in a dense crowd.
The Empress, unusually, had said nothing all this time.
Everyone was waiting for an answer.

Tan Yuanchu did not look at them. He kept his lids lowered, hiding his emotions, and only his cold, deep voice was heard,

“All the palace staff of Yihe Palace, put to death.”

Consort De, gravely ill, could not possibly have had the ability to carry out such a deed. The only ones who could act for her were the slaves of Yihe Palace.

And how had the safflower that nearly caused Yun Si to miscarry been obtained?

A cold gleam flickered in Tan Yuanchu’s eyes.

“Investigate the origin of the safflower in Yihe Palace. All those involved, beat to death without exception.”

The Imperial Hospital kept records of all medicines used; such a large quantity of safflower would never be allowed to circulate within the palace. The only way for Consort De to obtain it was through purchases from outside.

And the only people who could pass in and out of the palace gates were those tasked with daily procurement for the palace.

Xu Shunfu lowered his head even further. It sounded simple, but in reality, every single item brought in for purchase, and even the dirty refuse taken out, would have to be checked one by one. To bring in this much safflower into the palace, countless strings must have been pulled.

This single imperial order would claim an untold number of lives.

Yet no one could cry injustice.

“Consort De plotted to harm the imperial heir, her mind vicious and her crime unforgivable. Though she is dead, the charge cannot be erased,” Tan Yuanchu seemed to pause for a heartbeat, or perhaps not at all.
“From this day forth, remove Consort De’s name from the Jade Butterfly register, and demote her to commoner.”

Tan Yuanchu kept his gaze lowered, the candlelight flickering light and shadow across his face, making it impossible to read his expression.

The crowd, however, could no longer hold back a murmur of shock.

The year Consort De gave birth to the Eldest Prince, her name had been entered into the Imperial Jade Butterfly register, so that generations to come would know she was the Eldest Prince’s birth mother.

But today, she was struck from that same Imperial register.
Once a consort was removed from the Jade Butterfly, she became nothing more than an obscure commoner.
From this day forth, the Eldest Prince’s mother would no longer be the exalted Consort De.

Realizing the implication, some sharp-minded individuals could not help but let their expressions shift in discomfort, though before anyone could notice, it was gone in an instant.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

When the Empress left Chu’an Palace, she was still somewhat dazed. Bai Zhi supported her carefully. Outside, the sky was already pale with dawn. Catching sight of the camellias blooming in front of Chu’an Palace, Bai Zhi murmured,

“His Majesty is truly thoughtful.”

This whole stretch of camellias must have taken the palace gardeners no small amount of effort; though the weather was turning cold, the flowers had not withered.

The Empress also returned to herself, her gaze falling on the camellias by the path. Not until they were nearly at Kunning Palace did the brilliant colors fade from sight.

Suddenly, the Empress realized something.

The Emperor hadn’t planted them at random, Xi Xiurong liked camellias, so he had filled the road she passed each day on her way to pay respects with them.

The pure, pale clusters made all the other flowers around them fade into insignificance.

By the time they reached Kunning Palace, Bai Zhi let out a long breath, the tension in her back finally easing.
She whispered, “Scared me to death.”

In Chu’an Palace, she hadn’t dared breathe too loudly, feeling that if she so much as irritated the Emperor in that moment, she might not keep her life.

But she couldn’t help adding, “I never thought that, when Consort De committed such a disgrace to the royal family, His Majesty didn’t strip her rank and title, but for Xi Xiurong’s sake, he would demote Consort De to the very bottom.”

To a mere commoner, was that not the lowest she could fall?

The Empress sat before her dressing table, head lowered as she removed her nail guards. Hearing Bai Zhi’s words, she showed not the slightest reaction.

Bai Zhi paid it no mind, she was used to Her Majesty’s quietness.
But then, thinking of something, she pursed her lips and muttered, “His Majesty truly values Xi Xiurong.”

From Lu Pin to Su Jieyu, miscarrying under unclear circumstances, the Emperor seemed to care and yet not care. Bai Zhi had always felt that His Majesty surely knew Consort De’s hand was in it, yet had endured it for the sake of the Eldest Prince, only in Xi Xiurong’s case was his attitude different.

At last, the Empress moved.

She lifted her gaze and said faintly, “His Majesty does value Xi Xiurong, but it’s more than that.”

Bai Zhi, puzzled, looked at her in confusion.

The Empress lowered her eyes, then suddenly asked a question,

“In the past, His Majesty valued Xi Xiurong too, but whether it was Consort De or Qi Guipin in conflict with her, the Emperor punished them, never implicating the imperial heirs. Why do you think this time His Majesty disregarded the Eldest Prince?”

Bai Zhi frowned uncertainly, unable to answer.

The Empress looked up, meeting the eyes of the woman in the bronze mirror, seeing in them both calm and sorrow.

“He is paving the way for the imperial heir in Xi Xiurong’s womb.”

The Eldest Prince held the seniority of birth and had the Song family’s backing.
What did Yun Si have?
She was merely an orphan girl, with not the slightest support from any faction at court.

It seemed balanced, but everywhere one could see his partiality.

—He did not even know whether the child she carried was a princess or a prince.