Mama Qin directly pressed the porcelain vial into her palm, slowly closing her fingers around it. "With His Highness's favor and Her Majesty's support, the position of an Imperial Concubine can certainly be granted to you."
Yun Kui was too shocked to speak: "Imperial Concubine?"
Mama Qin smiled. "If you win this gamble, you'll enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor. Even if you lose, Her Majesty will remember your service to the Crown Prince and merely issue a light punishment, allowing you to continue serving. That's the position of the Crown Prince's Imperial Concubine—need I say more about what future prospects that holds?"
Clutching the object in her hand, Yun Kui hesitated. "Then… what does Her Majesty need me to do?"
"Her Majesty truly didn't misjudge you," Mama Qin chuckled. "Since you asked, I'll be straightforward. His Highness isn't Her Majesty's biological son and has always been aloof and distant. Over the years, there have been misunderstandings between them. Her Majesty only hopes for an intermediary to help mend their mother-son relationship. You're clever—in the future, you'll be able to speak on Her Majesty's behalf, won't you?"
…
When Mama Qin returned to the hall, the Empress was holding bronze tongs, stirring the incense ashes in the burner.
"Did she accept that vial of medicine?"
Mama Qin smiled. "The young girl was so overwhelmed by this unexpected fortune she didn't know what to do with herself. Her Majesty's words convinced her she's about to rise from branch to phoenix."
The Empress sighed. "I wonder if she can succeed."
After so many years of intricate schemes, even the Empress felt somewhat disheartened.
Mama Qin hurried to console her. "Your Majesty has a discerning eye and chose this girl. His Highness has never allowed just anyone near him all these years. For her to serve him two nights in succession, she must have some capabilities. She probably knows her humble status too—that the Crown Prince merely sees her as a diversion, otherwise why would he have her test his food for poison? Now that Your Majesty has given her this chance to rise instantly, wouldn't she cling desperately to this opportunity? Your Majesty will see—good news should come within days."
The Empress sighed faintly. "I hope so."
Mama Qin said, "In my opinion, the abortifacient is unnecessary. Not only does the Crown Prince avoid women, but his body is at its limit—how could he possibly consummate anything?"
The Empress sighed. "Better safe than sorry. Whether they've consummated or not is their own claim—who knows what happens behind closed doors? The Crown Prince himself is the only heir. If he hadn't been too young back then, it wouldn't have been his turn…"
Here, the Empress's gaze suddenly turned sharp. "This empire belongs to His Majesty, and in the future, it will belong to the Second and Sixth Princes. After all my years of careful planning, how can I allow another to sit securely in the crown prince position? Much less permit his bastard to covet His Majesty's throne!"
Mama Qin quickly responded, "Your Majesty considers everything thoroughly."
…
Yun Kui returned to Cheng Guang Hall with a troubled heart, the last words Mama Qin had spoken before she left Kunning Palace echoing in her mind—
"Remember, in this palace, it's not the Crown Prince who can protect you, but Her Majesty."
The Empress wanted her to use the secret medicine to win the Crown Prince's favor—this was simply… too absurd, too overestimating her.
With the Crown Prince's vigilance and keen perception, along with Qin Ge and other guards protecting him, she had no opportunity to drug the Crown Prince's food or drink.
If discovered, could the Empress truly protect her? The Crown Prince despised those who climbed into bed to curry favor. It was possible that before any news could reach Kunning Palace, she would already be dead.
The palace maid who had administered the Joyful Union Powder to the Crown Prince that day was a stark warning.
But if she refused, she would be seen as ungrateful and defying the Empress's decree.
Yun Kui was lost in thought for a moment when a faint pain stirred in her lower abdomen. She rubbed it, realizing it wasn't the time for her monthly cycle, nor did she feel the usual dampness. She decided to lie down on the couch, but just then, she heard a soft knock at the door.
Opening the door, she saw an unfamiliar palace maid holding a redwood box and a palm-sized black lacquer box inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
"Don't be alarmed, miss. I'm here to convey my master's intentions."
The maid entered and opened the two boxes one after another. "As long as you apply this lip rouge from the box before serving the Crown Prince tonight, no matter what happens, my master has a way to ensure your safe escape. These silver notes are a token of greeting. Once the task is accomplished, my master will reward you handsomely."
Yun Kui glanced hastily at the stack of silver notes in the box. Lacking experience and unable to read the printed characters clearly, she couldn't tell their exact value, but it was undeniably thick!
Her palms grew sweaty, and she couldn't help but ask, "May I ask who your master is…?"
The maid avoided the question, saying only, "There's no need for you to know, miss. Just do as you're told, and you'll surely reap benefits in the future."
Before Yun Kui could recover from her shock, the maid had already vanished without a trace.
Yun Kui opened the box first and finally saw that the silver notes inside were all fifty-tael denominations, and there were a full twenty of them!
Deep breaths, deep breaths…
This is nothing, no big deal…
Yun Kui felt a bit dizzy, her body light and unsteady.
She then opened the other box containing the lip rouge. Its vibrant crimson hue shimmered with a faint pearlescent glow. She instinctively reached out to test the color but abruptly stopped her finger as a thought struck her.
Earlier, the maid had said: apply this lip rouge before serving the Crown Prince…
Yun Kui thought of the arsenic Cai Ju had put in the Crown Prince's meal and the handkerchief laced with Joyful Union Powder from that night. Could this lip rouge also be poisoned?
Her mind instantly became restless and uneasy.
After sorting through her chaotic thoughts, she belatedly realized that she had likely been "bribed."
The master the maid spoke of had given her a thousand taels in silver notes, surely intending to use her to harm the Crown Prince. After all, she was now the only palace maid who could get close to him.
As for why the poison was in the lip rouge… it was probably because they were certain the Crown Prince would kiss her lips at night, ingest the rouge, and die from the poison.
If her suspicions were correct, this method was even more cunning than lacing a handkerchief with an aphrodisiac.
And there was a thousand taels!
If she were a proper assassin, she'd be eager to try.
She wondered what the rules were—she should have asked earlier. If the poisoning failed, or if she never got the chance to act, would they demand the thousand taels back?
Surely someone who could easily produce a thousand taels in silver notes wouldn't be so petty, right?
Poisoning was most likely impossible.
First, the Crown Prince detested brightly colored rouge and heavy makeup scents. She'd probably be ordered to leave the moment she entered his chamber.
Second, the Crown Prince would never kiss her lips. He had even resisted the effects of the Joyful Union Powder; sober, he'd be even less likely to do so.
Of course, it wasn't entirely hopeless—
She could take the initiative to kiss him forcefully while the Crown Prince was unconscious.
Yun Kui inopportunely recalled the Crown Prince's pale, soft lips, her cheeks warming slightly.
The paleness was visible, but as for why she knew his lips were soft—it was because while feeding him medicine through a sheep intestine casing earlier, her fingers had accidentally brushed against them.
She had even caught a glimpse of his pink, moist tongue.
She rarely paid attention to men's lips, unless they left a deep impression on her.
Like her cousin's lips, for instance. She could hardly remember her cousin's face now, but she remembered how he used to stick out his tongue at people as a child. His lips were always chapped and peeling, often with blisters, and his tongue coating was thick. The image of him sticking out his tongue at her in their youth was truly unforgettable.
But the Crown Prince's lips were different—a light pink hue, thin and clean, quite alluring, and likely soft to taste.
There was one drawback, though.
The drawback was that she couldn't taste them.
Yun Kui touched the stack of silver notes again—so thick, so many, so delightful.
The thousand taels of silver notes had left her dizzy, even making her forget the discomfort in her lower abdomen earlier. But as her mind cleared a little, the pain surged back like a tide.
On her way to the privy, she was still pondering what to do with the silver notes when she encountered a pale, slender young eunuch under the corridor. He quietly beckoned her behind a rockery and, without waiting for her response, shoved a bottle of medicine into her hand.
"My master requests that you find an opportunity to slip this medicine into the Crown Prince's food or drink. Once it's done, my master will arrange for you to leave the palace to avoid trouble and reward you with a thousand taels of gold and a hundred acres of fertile land."
"Hey, I can't—"
Before she could refuse, the young eunuch had vanished without a trace.
Yun Kui: "…"
What a lucky day—everyone's offering money to buy the Crown Prince's life!
Not to mention, their offers were incredibly tempting, truly hitting her weak spot. But the problem was, did they really think assassinating the Crown Prince was that simple?
Step one: enter Cheng Guang Hall.
Step two: poison the Crown Prince.
Step three: the Crown Prince dies from the poison, and she successfully escapes, living a life of luxury ever after.
Even she, foolish as she might be, knew this was impossible.
The only likely outcome was her failed assassination attempt ending like the palace maid who tried to drug him or Cai Ju—before anyone could come to her rescue, the Crown Prince would have her dismembered and thrown to the dogs.
Yun Kui let out a sigh.
Last time, it was her greed for ten taels of gold that taught her a harsh lesson. This time, she absolutely wouldn't be so foolish again.
Although mountains of gold and silver were truly tempting, and she had never been one who couldn't be corrupted by wealth.
If she were wealthy, she'd be more corrupt than anyone.
In the end, she settled on a compromise: on any day she sensed the Crown Prince intended to kill her, she would prepare in advance. Whether using lip rouge or poison—oh, and there was also the secret medicine given by the Empress—no matter what, she would drag him down to hell with her!
Yun Kui visited the privy and found no signs of her menstrual cycle on her undergarments. Fortunately, the pain wasn't severe, so she didn't pay it much mind.
Checking the sky, she was about to head to Cheng Guang Hall for meal tasting when De Shun, Cao Yuanlu's apprentice, came to relay a message: His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was unconscious, so there was no need for her to go for the noon meal tasting.
Yun Kui was more than happy to rest.
This half-day had been a whirlwind—visiting Kunning Palace, followed by one temptation of gold and silver after another. Her head was still spinning, as if she were in a dream.
For dinner, I ate some of the food previously bestowed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I must say, even as leftovers, this table of dishes was the most delicious leftovers in the world, far more sumptuous than the standard meals for palace maids.
However, my appetite was poor today. After drinking a bowl of hot soup, the pain in my lower abdomen finally eased considerably.
I had thought I wouldn’t need to serve at Cheng Guang Hall tonight, but as soon as I lay down, Aunt Wei came to summon me. She even smiled at me—a rare occurrence—saying, “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will be taking a medicated bath at the Hot Spring Palace this evening. Prepare yourself and accompany him to attend to him.”
Fortunes change unpredictably. No one expected this girl to become the Crown Prince’s favored maid, so naturally, Aunt Wei treated her with courtesy on the surface.
Yun Kui nodded, but her mind kept echoing the words “medicated bath” that Aunt Wei had mentioned.
Doesn’t that mean… she would be able to see everything?