After several days of keeping calm, Jiang Yiyun finally saw things clearly. Her foremost task now was to eliminate the Bianjian-King's faction.
Recalling the spirited Bianjian-King Gu Hanjue, that arrogant and bewitching eunuch official villain, her heart filled with resentment and fury.
In the morning, Jiang Yiyun had just finished washing and dressing when the outer room erupted in endless commotion. She saw Tao Ying dragging someone into the palace hall.
“Let go! Do you know who I am?” the person shouted, her tone extremely overbearing.
Tao Ying paid no attention to that and merely dragged her with greater force. “You’re nothing but Noble Consort Li’s lackey. Do you think I’m afraid of you?”
The two tugged and wrestled their way into the palace hall. Jiang Yiyun raised her eyes and examined the woman for a moment before realizing that she was the person who had splashed dirty water at the palace gate that day and lured Lian Ying away.
“What exactly happened?” Her bearing was entirely different from before, her aloofness carrying aura pressure.
“Imperial consort, I went to collect the meal today and saw this person acting furtively. Later, I discovered that she had put this thing into the soup.”
Jiang Yiyun took a packet of powder and sniffed it.
Lian Ying said anxiously, “Please take a look. Is this some kind of poison?”
Huan Cui showed not the slightest sign of concern, allowing the mistress and servant before her to investigate as they pleased, as though she was not worried about anything at all.
Without raising her head, Jiang Yiyun merely cast a cold gaze at the ignorant servant before her. “It is only medicine that relieves headaches and aids sleep.”
Huan Cui was utterly unafraid. “Hmph. Our imperial consort was worried that the empress might hear that Consort Chun was pregnant, and then suffer the loss of a maidservant as well—unable to withstand the blow and overcome with grief, perhaps damaging her health. That is why she specially sent this servant to deliver some calming medicine.” Her brazen attitude was fully exposed.
“You!” Tao Ying was furious.
“Do not misunderstand our imperial consort’s good intentions. Since everything has been clarified, this servant shall take her leave.” Huan Cui turned and prepared to depart.
“Come back.” Jiang Yiyun rose unhurriedly, her cold gaze fixed on the brazen palace maid before her.
“This medicine is indeed calming, but if this palace eats it together with those date cakes, I’m afraid I would die on the spot within moments. Am I wrong?”
Huan Cui was startled. She had not expected the empress to detect it, but in the next instant, she remembered that Noble Consort Li supported her, and the morale that had just fallen rose again.
“The empress is truly good at framing people! My imperial consort was merely concerned about your health and specially sent restorative medicine. How did it become poison once it reached you?”
Jiang Yiyun gave a cold laugh. If the Emperor of Li had not once saved her, and Jia Yinger had not been the princess of li, how could she possibly have allowed this woman to live until now?
“An Luo!”
“This subordinate is here.” A Shadow guard emerged from the darkness.
“How should one deal with a servant who sees the empress and does not bow?” Jiang Yiyun’s cool yet commanding voice filled the entire room.
Huan Cui was instantly so frightened by these words that she did not dare move. Before she could react, An Luo kicked her directly in the knee, and a crisp cracking sound rang out.
A tearing pain surged through Huan Cui’s nerves. Just as she was about to cry out, a suffocating sensation arose before she could even open her mouth. An Luo had seized her by the throat and slammed her hard against the wall.
Huan Cui gazed at everyone in the room in terror. Her throat, as though tightly bound by ropes, emitted a broken, hoarse sound.
“Ugh, ahhh!”
“Those who do not bow shall be killed without mercy!” An Luo’s low voice sounded as though it had come from hell.
Jiang Yiyun nodded. “Huan Cui has no regard for social hierarchy and dared to talk back. That tongue... she has no further need of it.”
Upon receiving the order, An Luo acted at once, and blood sprayed through the air!
The shadow guards hidden in the darkness all cheered. Their princess had finally vented her anger.
Tao Ying steadied herself against the nearby doorframe in shock. Her master had been somewhat too extreme today. What would they do if Noble Consort Li learned of this?
“Imperial consort, this...”
“Leave first. Do not spread word of this.” Jiang Yiyun’s calm composure also helped Tao Ying regain some composure.
After Tao Ying left, the room fell silent for a while. Jiang Yiyun slowly sat down, and an air of dignity naturally emerged.
“An Luo!”
“This subordinate is here.”
“Make it clean.” Having said that, she gave a cold laugh.
“Understood!” An Luo directly carried away Huan Cui, covered in blood, while the other shadow guards silently began tidying the main hall. Before long, everything had been restored to its original state.
Jia Yinger, I have returned your courtesy. Keep it well...
Tao Ying was somewhat worried, afraid that Noble Consort Li would come knocking. If the other party whispered into the emperor’s ear, her princess would be doomed this time.
The roof of the main hall.
An Xiao had always been playful and straightforward, so he asked, “Why do you think the princess endured it for so long before? This time, she finally vented her anger! That emperor is simply scum. The princess has sacrificed far too much for him.”
An Luo felt both amused and helpless upon hearing this.
An Jue had always been deep and taciturn. “We only need to protect the princess. Whatever the master says goes.”
An Xiao analyzed calmly, “That’s right. The princess has already lost most of her power. The only thing we can do is protect her properly and be careful not to let others scheme against her. When that happens, she may not even be able to preserve her life.”
An Luo nodded. “That is my meaning as well. The situation is far too unfavorable now. We should split up and investigate the movements of each palace to ensure complete security.”
After discussing matters, the three made their decision and departed, leaving only An Xiao behind to protect Jiang Yiyun.
Inside Liying Palace, Huan Cui’s failure to return for an entire day aroused Jia Yinger’s suspicions. Unwilling to wait any longer, she went straight to Huan Cui’s room, but the instant she stepped inside, she nearly fainted.
“Ah!!” Her scream reverberated through the palace.
From that day onward, Jia Yinger began having nightmares. Huan Cui’s appearance had been far too horrifying—bleeding from the seven orifices, her entire body mangled, her mouth hanging wide open...
A lifeless person like that was hanging directly overhead. After seeing her once, Jia Yinger did not want to look a second time, no matter how close she had once been to the servant.
She knew that Jiang Yiyun had done this, repaying one person in their own manner. For someone to meet with misfortune on her own territory was extremely suspicious, yet not a single clue could be found.
At this moment, Jia Yinger was sulking before the bronze mirror. Aside from Jiang Yiyun, she now also wished she could subject Consort Chun to death by a thousand cuts.
In the past, Consort Chun had been nothing more than a dog at her side, but now she showed signs of becoming carried away with herself.
Take the other day in the Imperial Garden, for example. When Consort Chun saw her, she merely offered a perfunctory bow before leaving smugly.
Jia Yinger found it infuriating just thinking about it! Fortunately, what could somewhat reassure her was that Chu Yinheng’s heart still belonged to her. Because of the empress dowager’s pressure, Chu Yinheng had been forced to favor Consort Chun, but he had also promised that he would never touch her again.
“Bitches, every last one of them! One Jiang Yiyun would have been bad enough, but now there is also Consort Chun. They dare monopolize the emperor right under my nose. I will settle this score sooner or later.”
Consort Li, standing nearby, also said unhappily, “Who knows what seductive tricks Consort Chun used to attract the emperor? What a lowborn wretch!”
“Sooner or later, I will deal with every one of them.” A sinister intent surfaced at the edge of Jia Yinger’s brows.
Consort Li hurriedly fanned the flames beside her. “Imperial consort, you need not worry too much. Although Consort Chun is feeling triumphant now, she has forgotten what her older brother Fu Tiande did! Although we instructed him to deal with Lian Ying, he was the one who carried it out. Even if it is discovered, the investigation will only lead to Consort Chun. Who told her to be so arrogant? She is acting so boldly merely because she is carrying offspring!”