At the corner, the Second Prince, Pei Yang, was on his way to his mother’s palace when he inadvertently caught sight of a slender figure in thin, disheveled clothing.
Though her clothes were messy and her face pale, the fleeting glimpse of her fragile, delicate beauty made his heart skip a beat.
“Who is that?” he immediately stopped and asked his eunuch in a low voice.
The eunuch had already inquired and whispered back, “Your Highness, that is the Outer Chamber Consort surnamed Chu, whom the Crown Prince keeps in a suburban villa. She was summoned to the palace by the Empress today… It seems she received some ‘instruction.’”
Hearing this, Pei Yang’s interest grew even stronger.
The Crown Prince’s Outer Chamber Consort?
He had known about her before, but this was his first time seeing her—and she was such a stunning beauty, yet in such a pitiful state?
Rubbing his chin, he watched the figure disappear at the end of the palace path, a dark and sordid thought quietly taking root.
The Crown Prince had been gaining prominence lately for his outstanding ability to manage flood control. If he could get his hands on this treasure the Crown Prince had been hiding away… the thought alone was tantalizing.
It would both humiliate the Crown Prince and allow him to enjoy a beauty—a perfect two-for-one.
“Go, find a way to intercept that Outer Chamber Consort and bring her to my residence.”
Just thinking about it made his heart burn with desire, and he couldn’t help but issue the order in a low voice, a glint of determination flashing in his eyes.
Previously, he hadn’t been able to make a move because the beauty was in the villa, guarded by the Crown Prince’s men.
But now, the beauty had come out on her own. If he didn’t act now, wouldn’t he be missing a golden opportunity?
A chance like this was not something Pei Yang would let slip by.
Outside the palace.
Chu Shengsheng was barely holding on, supported as she boarded the carriage waiting outside the palace gates.
Once inside the carriage, shielded from prying eyes, her feigned weakness vanished instantly. She slumped down, exhausted—though mostly from hunger.
From morning until now, nearly evening, she hadn’t eaten anything. After acting all day, she was absolutely famished.
She immediately rummaged through the carriage but found nothing to eat.
“A miscalculation. Next time, I’ll have to stash some food in here.”
[Target Pei Zhen’s longing fluctuations are intense. Points +200.]
Just then, a System Notification informed her that more Points had been deposited.
She quickly checked herself and saw that her current appearance was truly pitiful and wretched. Her knees bore marks of abuse, though they were all created with props, and her clothes were stained with blood.
Tsk, tsk. This should definitely earn her a large amount of Points from Pei Zhen.
Afterward, she inquired about the status of Beauty’s Intoxication.
[Detected that the Empress has inhaled a large amount of Beauty’s Intoxication, while the two matrons inhaled a small amount. Expected onset in 12 hours. Initial symptoms: unexplained skin itching; 24–36 hours: itching intensifies, red rashes appear on the skin; 48–72 hours: rashes rupture and fester after scratching.]
[Toxin duration approximately 15–30 days. Non-lethal but causes extreme suffering, with patients experiencing skin itching and ulceration day and night, damaging both health and appearance. Note: This toxin is difficult for ordinary Imperial Physicians to detect and is often misdiagnosed as severe hives or malignant sores.]
“Oh, not bad at all!”
After hearing the description of Beauty’s Intoxication, she was quite satisfied with the toxin’s effects.
She couldn’t kill the Empress now, but making her suffer was good enough.
Once she had firmly established herself, she would seek revenge.
Lost in thought, the carriage swayed and jolted as it headed toward the villa.
Chu Shengsheng closed her eyes to rest, pondering what she could do with the remaining few hundred Points, how to sow discord in Pei Zhen’s mind, and how to use this “ordeal” to earn more Points…
However, when the carriage reached a quiet street still some distance from the villa, it was suddenly blocked by several seemingly ordinary carriages.
The coachman reined in the horses and stopped, asking warily, “Who dares block the way?”
From the opposing carriages, several robust-looking matrons and maidservants stepped out. The leader stepped forward and bowed toward Chu Shengsheng’s carriage, her tone carrying an undeniable authority as she said:
“Miss Chu, this old servant serves by the side of Consort Liu of the Eastern Palace.”
“Consort Liu heard that you entered the palace today and was deeply concerned. She specifically ordered this old servant to wait here and invite you to the Eastern Palace for a visit, so that she may see you in person and set her mind at ease.”
“Please come with this old servant.”
Half-asleep, Chu Shengsheng snapped her eyes open at these words. Through the gap in the carriage curtain, she looked at the matrons outside who clearly meant no good, her expression darkening.
She hadn’t expected that, just after leaving the empress, the women from the Eastern Palace’s rear courtyard would seize this opportunity as well?
Was it because they couldn’t take her away from the villa, so they seized this chance?
And these women from the rear courtyard wanting to see her—all this talk of concern was just an excuse. She knew their true intentions all too well.
Originally, she had thought of having the accompanying guards forcefully break through the obstruction and leave. After all, Pei Zhen had given orders before his departure that the guards would protect her.
But suddenly, a more thrilling and bolder idea sprang to her mind.
“System, how much longer until Pei Zhen reaches the capital?”
[Target Pei Zhen’s estimated time of arrival in the capital: six hours remaining.]
“Six hours… that’s roughly around midnight.”
She calculated the time, a flicker of madness flashing in her eyes as she made up her mind.
“System, exchange for a False Pregnancy Pill!”
Since she was already here and things had come to this point, she might as well go all out and give Pei Zhen something even more thrilling.
His beloved Outer Chamber Consort being tormented—first by the empress, then by the concubines in the rear courtyard, and finally, she would unleash a major move of her own.
Crown Prince, I wonder how many Points this performance of mine will earn?