“Your Majesty, the wet nurse has sent something over.”
The palace maid, Suyu, entered carrying an exquisitely crafted box.
Su Wanmei had already received the message by carrier pigeon. The person had not disappointed her—they had successfully completed the task she had assigned.
She touched her prickly shaved scalp and sneered.
At last, I’m not the only ugly one.
Her hair had been shaved off, and Hua Zhiyun wouldn’t get to keep her beautiful hair either.
Not only did she want to ruin Hua Zhiyun’s reputation, now she had even taken away her hair.
A yin-yang haircut was far too ugly. Unable to bear it, Su Wanmei had shaved her head completely bald. Now she could only wear wigs whenever she left her chambers. Unless absolutely necessary, she rarely stepped outside the palace.
Until her hair grew back, she couldn’t risk exposing herself.
She couldn’t afford such humiliation.
Nor did she want the other women in the harem laughing at her.
She knew perfectly well those bitches were all waiting for her to be deposed.
Earlier that day, rumors had spread throughout the harem that her chastity had been ruined. The gossip had left her trembling with rage. Before she even had a chance to act, Xiao Lian had already dealt with it.
Quite a few gossiping maids and eunuchs had been beaten to death.
They deserved it.
Thanks to Xiao Lian’s ruthless methods, no one dared discuss the matter anymore.
In everyone’s eyes, Empress Su Wanmei’s purity had been preserved.
As long as Xiao Lian refused to acknowledge the rumors, she remained the spotless, virtuous Empress.
The box was placed before her.
Su Wanmei signaled for Suyu to open it.
Inside lay a bundle of glossy black hair.
It seemed even longer than she remembered.
So she really did have beautiful hair…
Picking up a pair of scissors, Su Wanmei’s face twisted viciously.
Snip. Snip. Snip.
She cut it off strand by strand until the floor was covered with silky black hair.
Suyu lowered her eyes, pretending not to see anything, until the carefully maintained hair had been completely destroyed.
Only after venting her anger did Su Wanmei accept a handkerchief, wipe her hands, and order someone to clean everything up.
“Burn it.”
According to tradition, one’s hair was a gift from one’s parents. It was not to be cut lightly, much less burned.
Yet Su Wanmei had done both.
She had cut that bitch’s hair…
And burned it.
Just thinking about it made her feel immensely satisfied.
As for her own hair, it had been carefully preserved.
She would never burn it.
It would bring bad luck.
Burning hair was considered a major taboo.
She had thought venting her anger would make her feel better.
Instead, before long, her fingers began itching unbearably.
By the time she realized something was wrong, angry red rashes had erupted all over her body.
When the imperial physician arrived, she had already scratched herself until her skin broke.
Her hands.
Her neck.
Her body.
Even her face.
She was so frightened she didn’t dare look into a mirror.
Nor was she the only victim.
Everyone who had touched the hair developed the same symptoms.
Every one of them suffered miserably, itching so badly they wished they could scratch through flesh, tear out their bones, and pound them just for relief.
After examining them, the imperial physician declared they had been poisoned.
In severe cases, the poison could be fatal.
He wasn’t confident he could cure it.
He could only try.
“It was her! It has to be that bitch!”
Soaking naked in a medicinal bath, Su Wanmei roared with fury.
Even her bald scalp had broken out in itchy red bumps from all the scratching.
To keep herself from tearing her own skin apart, she’d even had her beautiful fingernails cut short.
The medicinal bath barely worked.
While soaking, the itching eased.
But not long after getting out…
The unbearable itching returned.
Scratch. Scratch.
Unable to control herself, Su Wanmei clawed her body until it was a bloody mess.
The imperial physician could only apply ointments.
They helped very little.
They even tried medicinal fumigation.
Still…
She itched.
For half a month she suffered this torment, to the point that she wanted to have Hua Zhiyun kidnapped immediately and tortured until she experienced the same agony.
Under Su Wanmei’s orders, several attempts were also made to poison Hua Zhiyun.
None succeeded.
Compared to Hua Zhiyun, their poisons were child’s play.
No one could poison her.
She was the one poisoning everyone else.
Meanwhile…
Hua Zhiyun had no idea Su Wanmei was living through hell.
Exactly as she’d intended.
Anyone who plotted against her rarely ended well.
Su Wanmei was no exception.
After a peaceful night’s sleep, Hua Zhiyun woke to loud commotion from the Third Branch.
Chu Linquan was crying for his mother.
Everyone had been mobilized to search.
After looking everywhere, they couldn’t find Li Shi.
“She couldn’t have run away, could she?”
“No wonder I saw her sneaking around last night. She must have been planning her escape.”
“Li Shi is heartless! She abandoned her husband and children!”
“Good riddance! At least she won’t drag the rest of us down anymore. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have lost an eye.”
Mentioning that only made him grit his teeth with hatred.
The others who had also lost an eye nodded in agreement, condemning Li Shi together.
Everyone cursed her for fleeing when disaster struck.
Only Third Master Chu looked utterly devastated.
His wife had run away.
His concubines all depended on him.
Without Li Shi taking charge, life for the Third Branch would only become harder.
He was furious.
If you were going to run, you could’ve at least taken me with you!
I’m a cripple now! How am I supposed to survive?
Hua Zhiyun hadn’t expected Li Shi to flee.
She’d assumed the woman would continue trying to make trouble for her.
Running away without causing another scene…
That wasn’t Li Shi’s style.
Still…
If she’d run, she’d run.
Hua Zhiyun didn’t care.
Breakfast was simple.
Among the things Hua Zhiyun had looted from someone’s kitchen were fresh wontons that had originally been prepared as a late-night snack.
Now they were her breakfast.
The wrappers were thin, the filling generous, and each wonton contained a whole shrimp.
One bite…
The shrimp was springy.
The pork filling was perfectly balanced between lean and fat.
With seaweed, dried shrimp, and chopped scallions in the broth…
It was wonderfully fresh.
If only the cook had been in the kitchen.
I’d have packed her into my space too and had her make wontons for me forever.
She was eating happily when she sensed someone approaching.
“Who is it?”
Chen Dali smiled ingratiatingly.
“It’s me, Grandma. The men who went shopping bought steamed buns and mantou. There are meat buns too. Would Grandma like a couple?”
Almost belching from being full, Hua Zhiyun stretched out her hand.
Two hot meat buns wrapped in oiled paper appeared in it.
They were still warm and soft to the touch.
Unfortunately, she’d already eaten her fill.
Her Infinite Space kept everything frozen in time.
Whatever state an item entered in…
It came out exactly the same.
Nothing spoiled.
Nothing expired.
Food stayed hot when hot, cold when cold.
Chen Dali had another matter to report.
“A carrier pigeon arrived earlier. That person sent poison and ordered me to poison Grandma.”
“Court death, are they?”
Chen Dali nearly dropped to his knees.
“I wouldn’t dare! I’d never poison Grandma!”
“If not me, then yourself?”
He looked ready to cry as he hurriedly explained.
“If I die, someone else might replace me and fail to serve Grandma properly. That would only make Grandma unhappy. I’d rather stay alive a little longer and continue serving you faithfully.”
Hua Zhiyun knew exactly what he meant.
He was afraid of dying.
She snorted.
“Tell her Grandma was poisoned and nearly died. Say I suffered terribly. Let her celebrate…”
After all…
The one currently half-dead was Su Wanmei.
Once that itching poison took effect, life became worse than death.
For now, her movements were still restricted by the exile route.
She had to complete the journey before regaining her freedom.
Until then…
She would endure when necessary, deceive when necessary, and enjoy her life as best she could.
As for Su Wanmei…
Killing her now would be letting her off too easily.
She intended to keep Su Wanmei alive…
Until she personally returned to finish her off.
Over at the prison cart, Chu Linzhang watched Chen Dali leave.
He knew Hua Zhiyun would soon come to change his dressings.
When she arrived, she noticed a food box sitting beside him.
The aroma of roast chicken drifted through the air.
If she hadn’t already eaten, she really would have wanted a taste.
Seeing her staring at the food box, Chu Linzhang smiled.
“It’s roast chicken.”
“I had it prepared for you.”
“I hope you like it.”
Hua Zhiyun: “…”
This man really knows what he’s doing.
He knows how to return favors.
Not bad…
No wonder he managed to become a prince.
Watching her bright expression and the way her eyes lit up the moment she heard the roast chicken was for her…
Chu Linzhang finally understood.
So…
She had a weakness too.
From now on…
I’ll have Bai Zhu prepare more delicious food for her.
As long as she’s well fed… she’ll be happy.