Ink Burns

Chapter 266 Sliced
Empress Dowager Fang's words were like a wake-up call. Lin Yuanzheng picked up a small pinch with his little fingernail, smelled it, and then tasted it lightly with the tip of his tongue. His face immediately darkened, and he hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed musk. This medicine is very potent. Pregnant women do not need to ingest it; they only need to wear it every day, and they may miscarry."

Consort Qiao, relieved of her predicament, breathed a sigh of relief: she was the one who summoned the person, and this Liu was the most useful one among the "Qingfeng" (a group of women). If it really was because of her that Liu lost her child, at this year's winter banquet, Jing'an would probably point his finger at her and scold her for "having the body of a princess but not the life of a princess"—of course, the people in her palace knew how important offspring were to a woman!

Since it wasn't her fault, Consort Qiao straightened her back and became more lively again, raising her chin to settle scores first: "Consort Zhen has slandered me with baseless accusations, so she shall be fined three months' salary!"

Not wanting to miss out on the excitement, someone raised their voice and said, "Musk? She's pregnant, why would she wear musk?"

The Noble Consort Qiao's alluring eyes darted around as she added, "Could it be that Lord Xue is all talk and no action, outwardly displaying the banner of 'loyalty,' while the women of his household present a completely different picture?"

She paused, then shifted her gaze to the young maidservant of the Xue family kneeling and sobbing beside the warm couch—this Lady Liu was not entitled to the service of the inner palace maids, so she could only bring her own maid in: "Has your Master Xue secretly taken a concubine? Or, are the maidservants he keeps around him unruly?"

Huang Zhi, who was huddled in the corner, instantly became the focus of everyone's attention.

Huang Zhi's face was covered in a glistening water stain.

It was hard to tell if it was tears or snot.

Huang Zhi's shoulders trembled, but her heart was filled with excitement: Mother! Godmother! The wicked gardenia has made something of herself! She's paved her way forward! She's left the Four Directions Heaven's inner quarters and entered the Six Directions Heaven's inner palace!

She, Xiao Huangzhi, was never afraid, but she never backed down. She was just a worthless person who would fight!

"No, no, no," Huang Zhi cried softly, not daring to cry too loudly, her words timid and unclear.

"Who gave it to her? Could it be that she embroidered it herself and placed it there herself?" Madam Qiao pressed.

Huang Zhi dared not answer, only lowered her head, her tears and snot mixed together, dripping and dripping into a shiny little rope that was lowered down.

Crying is forbidden in the palace; not even your head is allowed to be cried out.

Consort Qiao, who had been in the palace for twenty years, had never seen such disgusting behavior. She immediately waved her hand in annoyance: "Alright, alright! Stop crying! Your mistress has only lost a child, she's not dead here!"

Empress Dowager Fang sat behind the beaded curtain, the lingering smell of blood still clinging to her nose. Upon hearing Qiao's words, her elbow, hidden within her elegant robes, twitched involuntarily as if someone had struck a vital artery.

"Sister Qiao, please stop making noise."

Empress Dowager Fang rarely spoke.

Consort Qiao looked at Empress Dowager Fang in disbelief: Has Fang gone mad? She still dares to teach her?

"Since the incident occurred in my Qinghui Palace, the royal family must investigate to the end—Madam Xue holds the title of a third-rank official's wife, which means she is receiving a royal salary, and the royal family will not ignore it." Empress Dowager Fang spoke softly, as if she had been immersed in the scent of sandalwood, her eyes always lowered, always avoiding looking directly at others.

"Look at this sachet, the materials and workmanship are quite good, the stitches are still brand new, and the style is the duck-green wave that is popular in the Jiangnan area this year." Empress Dowager Fang frowned and asked the maid who was biting her lip and dared not speak: "You should speak properly. I can't make the decision, but the emperor can."

Empress Dowager Fang's voice was too gentle.

Huang Zhi lowered her head, sobbed a couple more times, then raised her head, opened her mouth wide, and burst into tears: "It was given by the second young lady of the Liu family! She gave it to us as soon as we arrived! She said she made it herself. Our lady wasn't raised by her husband and wife, and has never been very close to her maternal family. This time, the second young lady went to the trouble of giving a gift, and our lady was happy for several days. She not only wore it every day, but also hid it under her outer robe and kept it close to her body."

"Who would have thought! Who would have thought! The Second Miss, with such a magnanimous heart, would actually put musk in a sachet to poison our Madam!"

"Madam! Our poor madam! She was frail as a child and was sent away to be raised elsewhere! She finally mastered the art of painting, married into the capital, and gained the favor of nobles. Her future seemed so bright! But she was betrayed like this! Waaaaah—waaaah—"

Huang Zhi cried fiercely, forgetting all her emotions. Her passion for her career was like a moth drawn to a flame. She could manage everything, from being a powerful manager to a mere extra who would step in and say a few lines before leaving the stage.

Shui Guang shrank behind Lin Yuanzheng, casting an admiring glance at her.

"Was this sachet a gift from your wife's younger sister?" Empress Dowager Fang asked gently again, "Did you open it after receiving it?"

Huang Zhi immediately pointed to the sky and swore: "Everything I have said is absolutely true! If there is even a single falsehood, may I be struck by lightning and die as soon as I step out the door!"

"Why?" Empress Dowager Fang asked, puzzled. "It's normal for young ladies to have some minor squabbles when they're still young, so why would sisters be so cruel?"

Huang Zhi's straight back slowly relaxed, her head lowered, her eyes filled with fear and uncertainty, trembling wildly.

"Speak!" Empress Dowager Fang raised her voice, a rare occurrence for her: "Now that I've taken charge, I will see it through to the end!"

"Second Miss harbors thoughts of replacing our Madam," Huang Zhi said in a low, soft voice. "Ever since Master and Madam came to the capital, Second Miss's behavior has been extremely unusual. This young lady always chooses to come to the main courtyard when the adults are present. When she comes, she is meticulously and fashionably dressed, with long, thin willow-leaf eyebrows that seem to be fixed directly on the adults." Consort Qiao raised an eyebrow: Oh, so that's her motive. Now that the Liu family has fallen from power, it's not easy for their daughters to marry. If they seek help from the Grand Princess Jing'an, they'll most likely try to find a promising but unsupported scholar—none of those can compare to Xue Xiao.

High position, young and promising, skillful and capable, but most importantly, it's about that face.

That face, among all the civil and military officials, seemed to have been illuminated by a single beam of light.

If it were her, she wouldn't wait either; she'd just grab it, kill Liu Shanyue, and then "Qingfeng" would clean up the mess for her.

If it's just a contest between women, then this matter is easily resolved.

Consort Qiao turned her gaze to Empress Dowager Fang's face: Empress Dowager Fang was eighteen years older than her, with a small, pale face. Perhaps it was due to old age, but her eyelids drooped, and her eyes were much smaller than when she was young. Her nose and mouth were delicate, and delicate people tend to exude kindness and understanding when they get old. Although Empress Dowager Fang was not "Qingfeng," she had spent decades in the palace, dealing with women every day, and was very familiar with the intricacies and thoughts between women.

"What willow-leaf eyebrows, what 'tied to the body'?" Empress Dowager Fang was slightly dissatisfied, but even though she was dissatisfied, she spoke softly: "Although we can't be as cautious and meticulous as the Ministry of Justice in handling cases, we can't slander people based on their makeup and eyes."

Huang Zhi paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something: "Yanhetang! Yanhetang! On the third day after the Second Miss arrived in the capital, she sent her maid to Yanhetang to buy medicine! If we go to Yanhetang to check the prescription, it might be very effective!"

Lin Yuanzheng, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly realized, "So that's how it is!" He turned to Empress Dowager Fang and said, "This musk powder is extremely pure, the fine powder is ground perfectly, and it has a faint salty smell. In the capital, only Yanhetang Pharmacy uses salt bricks to pound musk powder when processing it. It is precisely because of Yanhetang's unique processing method that the musk in their shop is the purest and most potent among all pharmacies!"

"—Go and investigate. If the investigation is true, please invite Miss Liu to the Qinghui Palace."

Empress Dowager Fang made the final decision.

The Six Departments always valued efficiency in their work. In less than half an incense stick's time, Huang Gongzheng of the Palace Administration Department brought Yanhetang's confession, records, and a Liu Bozhu into Qinghui Hall.

Liu Bozhu had never seen such a scene before. As soon as she entered the hall, she knelt down, trembling. Upon seeing the torn sachet and the black-and-white shipping manifest from Yanhetang, she immediately began to sob softly, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Highness, save me!"

How could Madam Qiao possibly associate with such a person? She immediately distanced herself, saying, "This is the first time I've met you. The Empress Dowager is investigating impartially. You either did it or you didn't. Now that the evidence is right in front of you, what do you mean by begging me?!"

She was the one who made it!

Qiu Tao said that Xue Xiao didn't like any woman, but only the child!
If she were to abort the child without anyone noticing, wouldn't Xue Xiao be completely hers to keep, like a turtle in a jar?

Whether she takes things slowly or forces things to the extreme, she always finds a way to win over a man!

Having dealt with the man and lost the child, the original wife was now free to do as she pleased—she wanted He Shanyue dead!
Who would have thought that the child was lost, but it happened in the palace! And in front of a group of nobles! She thought she had done it discreetly, but who would have thought that the investigation would find out about her in less than half a day!
Liu Bozhu sobbed, while the Noble Consort above her wore elaborate makeup, her hairpins adorned with crimson gold tassels swaying wildly with each movement. Both were "Qingfeng" (a title for a powerful female official), yet this woman not only failed to protect her but also rambled on about strange and sarcastic things, such as why the Liu family was falling and how it was probably due to their corrupt family traditions.
Either way, it's certain death!

As Liu Bozhu cried, a surge of resentment turned into a desperate rage: "...It should have been me who married Xue Xiao! You kept changing your minds and making decisions, and in the end, it became that—"

Before the word "Congratulations" could even be uttered, a loud "smack" was heard!
The old nanny beside Consort Qiao rushed forward with lightning speed, grabbed Liu Bozhu's chin, and slapped her down. Immediately afterward, there was a "crack" sound as her jawbone dislocated!
“In the Forbidden City, in front of the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine, do you think you can say whatever you want with ‘you’ and ‘me’?” Concubine Qiao, who had been leisurely leaning back in her chair watching the commotion, suddenly stood up.

Liu Bozhu knelt there blankly, her chin swaying weakly in the wind.

"You inhuman bastard! You even scheme against your own sister! Drag him away!"

Consort Qiao pointed her slender finger at Liu Bozhu: "Since the Liu family has lost its official title and its academic honors, you will no longer have the dignity of an official's daughter when you are tortured. You will not get a dignified death like being put on arsenic or hanging yourself! Drag her away and kill her immediately!"

Consort Qiao was always decisive and efficient, and she would never allow Liu Bozhu, who was suspected of exposing "Qingfeng", to live peacefully any longer.

After a long pause, Empress Dowager Fang finally spoke slowly, asking, "...Anything keeps changing and being decided? What's the meaning of this? Why does my sister still have to worry about Lord Xue's marriage?"

Consort Qiao glanced sideways without speaking, then after a moment raised the corner of her lips in a half-smile: "Consort Zhen is right about one thing. We're all dressed in black, white, and gray, just widows in this vast Forbidden City—what else can widows do besides gossip, act as matchmakers, and join in the fun?"

After speaking, Consort Qiao stood up, covered her mouth and yawned: "What a load of rubbish every day! I'm tired of it all! I'm going back to sleep!"

"and many more."

Empress Dowager Fang lowered her voice: "Some time ago, everyone in the Forbidden City was checking pulses to investigate the 'pulse-pulse technique,' but it seems that no one in your palace has had their pulse checked, right?"

Consort Qiao stiffened, turned her head slightly, and her smile froze on her lips: "The people in my palace are very healthy and do not need to be examined by the Imperial Hospital. They did not need to be examined before, and they will not need to be examined later. Sister, please do not force me. I am impatient, and Prince Rong is just like me. Neither of us can stand being forced."

Having said that, he raised his wide sleeves, creating a gust of wind, and went straight outside.

Empress Dowager Fang sat alone in the main hall, her wrinkled, white skin unconsciously loosening the flesh on her cheeks. She softly murmured, "Amitabha," and then said nothing more.