“You can learn slowly. You’ll understand more things later on—there are many hidden details,” Feng Zhao said while teaching Xiao Hongyi.
But Xiao Hongyi focused on something else.
“Mother means I can learn slowly… does that mean you will always teach me in the future?”
He looked expectant.
Feng Zhao confirmed it. “Of course. Only I can teach you these things. If you want Nie Huai to teach you, that’s also possible—but it would be troublesome. He is a court official and cannot review memorials. I would have to think of a way…”
“No, no!” Xiao Hongyi quickly interrupted. “I don’t mean that. I just want Mother to teach me.”
He spoke anxiously, afraid she would misunderstand.
How nice. Maybe in the future, he could use state affairs as an excuse to come to Fengming Palace more often.
He started planning secretly in his mind. Feng Zhao only smiled slightly and said nothing.
After Feng Zhao finished reviewing the memorials, she left the side hall and returned to her own palace.
..
At that moment, the system appeared:
“Ding~ New mission detected. The target has been harmed. Host is required to plan retaliation.”
Before the system even finished, Feng Zhao already nodded.
“Splashing water right in front of me, and still acting so arrogant afterward? Thirty strikes of the rod is already too light.”
With her personality, the other party should suffer far more.
But how could she make Consort Wen suffer?
Right now, she was probably hiding in Furong Palace and refusing to come out.
Feng Zhao thought for a moment and called Lian Qiao.
She whispered instructions in Lian Qiao’s ear. Lian Qiao first widened her eyes, then firmly nodded.
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. This servant will complete the mission!”
That Night
The sky was full of stars, but there was no moon. A cold wind blew through the palace paths, making the lantern in Imperial Physician Sun’s hand sway back and forth.
As the saying goes: people who have done no wrong fear no ghosts—but tonight the cool wind sounded like ghost cries to him.
He was on duty and had to go to Furong Palace to treat the concubine who was in pain and unable to sleep.
The closer he got to Furong Palace, the more frightened he became.
“D-did you hear something?” he asked the maid leading the way, Cui’er.
Before she could answer, a black shadow flashed past.
At first, she thought she saw wrong—but then Physician Sun suddenly shouted:
“There! Someone is behind you!”
Before Cui’er could turn around, she was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground.
The black shadow disappeared again.
Physician Sun was terrified. He dropped his medicine box and squatted on the ground, covering his head.
“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me! I didn’t do anything! It was all ordered by the Consort!”
At that moment, Lian Qiao—wearing a black cloak—froze.
“Who told you that?”
She had disguised her voice using medicine, making it rough and harsh like metal scraping glass.
Physician Sun was so scared he cried.
“Please spare me, Your Majesty! I have elderly parents and children! If I don’t obey, my whole family will be killed by the consort!”
He was so frightened that he fainted on the spot.
Lian Qiao picked up a porcelain bottle and sprinkled powder around before quickly leaving with the information.
Cui’er woke up first. She looked around and saw no one—only Physician Sun lying beside her.
“Wake up! Wake up!” she shook him.
Physician Sun, still shaken, immediately begged to leave the palace.
“It’s too scary… there are ghosts!”
Cui’er asked, “Did you see the black shadow’s face?”
“No… only a shadow.”
That was the truth. So Cui’er stopped asking further.
“Give me the medicine. I’ll take it to the consort.”
Physician Sun quickly handed everything over and ran away.
Inside Furong Palace
Consort Wen, spoiled and delicate, could not even tolerate a small injury. After being punished with thirty strikes, she was in unbearable pain.
She could not sleep at all, so she sent Cui’er to fetch her trusted physician.
But only Cui’er returned.
“Where is Physician Sun?” she asked.
Cui’er explained about the strange black shadow stealing his identity token.
Consort Wen did not care much about the missing token.
“Then where is he?”
“He was too frightened and unable to walk, so this servant let him leave.”
Consort Wen snapped, “Then hurry up and apply the medicine!”
Cui’er hesitated. “Your Highness, that black shadow was strange… maybe we should wait—”
“Wait? I can’t eat or sleep because of the pain! Apply it now!”
Under pressure, Cui’er applied the medicine carefully.
Consort Wen’s skin was delicate and fragile, and now badly injured—so the pain was extreme.
She screamed in agony.
At the same time, Lian Qiao returned to Fengming Palace.
She had already disposed of Physician Sun’s identity token on the way, leaving no trace behind.