Jiang Yiyun returned to the palace hall. Thinking that she had received instruction and guidance from an expert, she felt that revenge achieved would surely be within reach.
From now on, she only needed to cast aside distracting thoughts and stay away from the turmoil of the imperial palace.
But how could one easily evade such turmoil? Years of vigilance allowed her to discover that there was another person around her with “divided loyalties.”
The palace maid who served her during her washing and dressing was called Qiying. She was only thirteen or fourteen years old, yet quite scheming. Jiang Yiyun had already sensed something amiss about her when she first Entered the palace.
She had initially thought that Qiying would at most play a few petty tricks, but now her tricks had been “reinvented,” and her appetite had grown as well.
From the fragrance on Qiying’s body, together with the high-quality jade bracelet that had inexplicably appeared on her wrist, Jiang Yiyun knew that she had switched sides—to Jiang Yiyun’s “old friend,” Jia Yinger.
Her shadow guards handled matters with caution and meticulousness, often preventing trouble before it arose. For instance, they frequently scattered traces of nearly undetectable scented powder inside the various “enemies’” “lairs.”
After all, the shadow guards had no art of duplication and could not keep watch over so many people’s movements. Thus, at intervals, they used this method to inspect and investigate matters. Today had proven that this method was indeed effective.
Jiang Yiyun smiled bitterly. Jia Yinger truly was impossible to shake off!
She casually opened her mouth and asked, “Has anything happened in the imperial palace recently?”
Although Qiying did not regard her as her master in her heart, she still put on a superficial show of respect.
“Reporting to Your imperial consort, everything in the imperial palace has been peaceful recently. Nothing has happened.”
A sarcastic, cold smile flickered across Consort Chun’s lips. Did Qiying think she did not know that Consort Chun had nearly suffered a miscarriage?
The imperial palace had practically exploded with commotion, yet she actually claimed that nothing major had happened. It was truly perfunctory.
“I understand. You may withdraw.”
With her head lowered, Qiying secretly made a contemptuous expression before slightly raising her head and transforming it into one of respect.
“Yes, Your imperial consort.”
The moment she withdrew, An Luo and An Xiao appeared.
“Princess, this palace Maid is behaving strangely.”
“Mm, I know. The fragrance on her comes from Jia Yinger’s palace.”
An Xiao said helplessly, “That poisonous woman is plotting to harm someone again. She’s even reaching her hands right under our noses. She’s truly like wiping one’s backside with watermelon rind—never-ending.”
Jiang Yiyun was amused into laughter. “Now that Consort Chun is experiencing pregnancy, I thought she would be overwhelmed, but I never expected her to still refuse to let me off. She is truly testing this palace’s patience.”
“Tsk, women are troublesome. As expected, a woman’s heart is the most poisonous.”
An Xiao had never been restrained, and there was no guard at his mouth.
An Luo, standing nearby, instantly changed expression and elbowed him. “Say that again. The most poisonous what?”
An Xiao patted his own mouth. “No, no! I mean, ugly people cause the most trouble. Just look at that poisonous woman’s appearance and you’ll know how wicked she is. She’s uniquely ugly from inside out, ugly enough to shock the world.”
Although An Xiao was a Shadow guard with blood covering his hands, he had never appeared particularly cold and ruthless in his daily life. Instead, he was usually unrestrained and uninhibited.
Though his career was one of “darkness,” he himself seemed to be merely amusing himself in the world.
“Silver-tongued.” An Luo looked at him with undisguised disdain.
The two of them put Jiang Yiyun in a much better mood for a while.
An Luo said resentfully, “Hmph, when she first Entered the palace, she only used a few petty tricks. Now her methods are becoming increasingly vicious. Who knows what sort of tricks she plans to play this time? That Consort Chun’s near miscarriage was probably her doing as well. I’ll investigate and see what I can find, and look for evidence while I’m at it.”
An Xiao was clever as well. Before Jiang Yiyun could even speak, he had already reacted.
“I’ll keep watch on that Qiying. She isn’t very old, but her courage is considerable. I want to see exactly what gives her the nerve to betray her master.”
The two disappeared without a trace as soon as they finished speaking. They returned one after the other at noon.
Jiang Yiyun asked, “Judging from your expressions, it seems you gained quite a bit. I’m curious—what exactly does Jia Yinger intend to do by risking everything to buy off someone in my palace?”
An Luo replied, “Consort Chun’s fetus had always been stable, yet the abdominal pain she suffered several days ago came suddenly. The imperial physician said it was likely caused by her inhaling oleander pollen when she went to the Imperial Garden. Hmph. I don’t believe it—not even if she herself did.”
“Inhaling a large amount of pollen can naturally cause a miscarriage, but considering how many months pregnant Consort Chun is, inhaling a little would not have much effect. But I wonder how Consort Chun reacted upon hearing this explanation?” Jiang Yiyun asked.
“Consort Chun naturally did not believe it. According to those palace attendants, she suspected that someone wanted to harm her, but she had no evidence. She made quite a scene and even incurred the emperor’s displeasure.”
“That imperial physician must have been bought off as well!” Jiang Yiyun said with a bitter laugh.
“Your subordinate suspects the same. Today, she secretly summoned another imperial physician, but too much time had passed, and they could not find anything. Still, I can be certain that Noble Consort Li was behind it.”
“The princess’s guess is correct.” An Xiao chuckled from the side before finally speaking. “They have gone all out this time. Not only do they want to kill the one in Consort Chun’s belly, they also intend to frame the princess. It seems we must be more vigilant.”
An Luo hurriedly asked, “Tell us quickly. What underhanded scheme is that poisonous woman planning?”
Before An Xiao could reply, Jiang Yiyun had already guessed part of it. “Naturally, she intends to start with Qiying and frame me. Responding Internally and Externally from Within and Without would be best.”
With that, she took a shallow sip of tea, appearing completely composed.
Jia Yinger had been locked in an endless struggle with her. Every time, Jia Yinger was the one to provoke trouble first, yet Jiang Yiyun could only yield because Jia Yinger possessed the imperial bloodline of the Li Kingdom.
In terms of seniority, Jia Yinger ought to address Emperor Wenxian as her maternal uncle’s cousin. Jiang Yiyun, meanwhile, was merely Emperor Wenxian’s adopted daughter. Emperor Wenxian’s kindness made it impossible for her to deal ruthlessly with Jia Yinger.
“It’s no wonder the poisoning plot was exposed when Jia Yinger chose an accomplice like Qiying. I truly can’t tell whether Qiying is clever or foolish. She hasn’t even succeeded yet, but she’s already putting on airs, and she’s wearing the gifts she received as if she were afraid everyone else was blind.” An Xiao sighed.
Jiang Yiyun smiled confidently. “She’s still too green. But Jia Yinger must naturally have promised her something; otherwise, she would not be so restless.”
“The princess is indeed clever.” An Xiao laughed. “That poisonous woman promised to let her serve the emperor. Heh, only a foolish girl like Qiying would believe that.”
“The inner palace is cold and lonely, and as a servant, one has little hope of rising above one’s station. With an opportunity to fly onto a high branch right before her eyes, it is inevitable that her heart would flutter and her thoughts become careless.” Jiang Yiyun seemed to have seen through worldly affairs as she assessed the matter in a calm tone.
She then asked about the key point: “How do they plan to proceed afterward?”
An Xiao gave a mysterious smile before saying, “Speaking of it, their plan is rather ruthless…” An Xiao slowly explained. The enemies had their schemes, and the mistress and servant trio likewise had their own plans.
That night, Jiang Yiyun arrived at the agreed meeting place and waited for that mysterious master to offer her some guidance.
The moonlight was hazy, while the stars glittered brilliantly, scrambling to pierce through the shroud of night and reveal themselves one by one.
As she waited, she did not know how much time passed. Sitting atop the giant tree that had long since withered and collapsed, she admired the moonlight and gradually became entranced.
A metallic clang rang out, and Jiang Yiyun suddenly rose to her feet.
A silver flash drew near, bringing with it an icy, stern, and murderous aura that could not be ignored.
Her panicked evasion left Jiang Yiyun unsteady. Before she could stand firm, another attack came. After barely blocking it, she had no time to catch her breath before the next move arrived.
Her opponent’s attacks were extremely fast, each move targeting her vital points. They were so swift that she could only react on instinct, without using her mind to consider how to receive the next move.
After several exchanges, Jiang Yiyun found it truly difficult to cope. She abruptly turned and fell backward.
A sturdy arm caught her, and only then did she see clearly who had arrived.
“Master!” Jiang Yiyun exclaimed in surprise.
At that moment, the two were so intimately entwined that they hardly looked like master and disciple.
A moment later, as she stared at that strange mask, she gradually realized that she was in the other person’s embrace.
The arm encircling her waist was pressed tightly against her. Perhaps it was only an illusion, but she always felt that the arm against her body was gently touching and sensing her.
Jiang Yiyun shivered lightly and felt a heartbeat unlike the usual one.
The next moment, she broke free of the person’s embrace and then calmed her emotions.
At the same time, the person spoke coldly. “You have no vigilance at all. To have survived this long in the imperial palace, you must have had remarkable luck.”