Concubine Shu remained silent.
Consort Ning had first sought her out a month ago. At that time, the palace was still under restrictions, and Consort Ning had slipped into the Palace of Heavenly Purity one night, avoiding notice.
When someone she had never previously deigned to notice came to her, Concubine Shu's initial reaction was scorn. Yes, even though she was now the one under house arrest, she still looked down on Consort Ning—clearly lacking the Emperor's favor, yet putting on an air of aloof detachment and solitary refinement, even styling herself as a talented literary woman. Pah! Truly talented women either wrote realist works or were masters in their field, but Consort Ning merely read some sentimental poetry and dabbled in painting before presuming to call herself a talent. How shameless.
If you asked Concubine Shu, Consort Ning was just average-looking and unloved, so she had to gild her image in other ways.
With this mindset, when she heard Consort Ning propose cooperation, Concubine Shu merely sneered.
That was until Consort Ning said: "The Yuan family has fallen. Your clansmen are still suffering in that pestilential, insect-ridden land. Without covert assistance, I fear your Yuan family won't even be able to preserve its lineage. You pin your hopes on the Eldest Prince growing up to rescue them, but do you truly believe the Eldest Prince will live to adulthood? Can the Empress stand by and watch a first-born son block the path of her own legitimate heir?"
Consort Ning's words struck directly at Concubine Shu's deepest fears. Her willingness to remain confined in the Palace of Heavenly Purity hinged entirely on placing all her hopes in the Eldest Prince. Once her son grew up, the Yuan family would have a chance to rise again. But as Consort Ning said, would the Empress tolerate the Eldest Prince?
After all, Concubine Shu herself could not tolerate the Second Prince. If not for Consort An's dissuasion earlier, she would have long since made a move when the Empress was pregnant.
Her hatred for the Empress had festered for far too long, perhaps planted from the very beginning in the Eastern Palace, when she was a concubine and the Empress was the Crown Princess. She was clearly more beautiful, and Jiang Yuan spent more nights in her chambers, yet whenever she clashed with the Crown Princess, Jiang Yuan invariably sided with the Empress.
Jiang Yuan doted on her, but he reserved the respect due to a principal wife solely for the Crown Princess.
Later, when Jiang Yuan ascended the throne, the Crown Princess became Empress, and she became Concubine Shu, the conflicts of interest between them grew ever larger, almost irreconcilable.
Concubine Shu did not believe the Empress would kindly allow the Eldest Prince to survive.
Perhaps... the incident where Consort An took the Eldest Prince to the Imperial Gardens was actually orchestrated by the Empress? Maybe Consort An had long since defected to the Empress's side! Such suspicions even crossed Concubine Shu's mind.
When it concerned her son, Concubine Shu, as the person involved, could not think clearly.
"What do you want?" Concubine Shu asked Consort Ning.
Consort Ning merely smiled faintly. "If the Empress were gone, and the Second Prince is still so young, he likely wouldn't survive either. Then, only the Eldest Prince would remain, standing alone at the pinnacle."
Concubine Shu hadn't expected Consort Ning's ambitions to be so grand, aiming directly at the Empress. She wasn't foolish and asked in astonishment, "You want the phoenix throne?"
She thought Consort Ning was delusional, but soon she became thoughtful. Actually, it wasn't impossible. Though confined to the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Eldest Prince could still go out, and she could still learn of major events at court and in the palace. She had heard that Consort Ning's father, Yang Heng, was now a Grand Secretary. If the Empress were to pass away, the position of Central Palace couldn't remain vacant indefinitely; a successor would surely be chosen. Consort Ning had the family background, seniority, and with Yang Heng exerting influence at court, she might indeed become the next Empress.
Concubine Shu's mind raced, weighing whether the Empress alive or dead was more advantageous to her. After much thought, she still wanted the Empress dead—the Empress had contributed no small effort to the Yuan family's downfall!
The very thought of the Empress being brought down by someone as inconspicuous as Consort Ning almost made her laugh aloud!
"Speak. What do you want from me?" Concubine Shu didn't believe Consort Ning's visit was merely to reveal her own ambition.
But then Consort Ning said, "I need you to wait. Wait for my message."
"So, that's how you learned about Concubine Hui sending the beauty cream to the Empress?" Consort An asked, sensing something amiss. It seemed Concubine Shu was still hiding something.
Concubine Shu's eyes flickered. "Consort Ning only told me that much. The rest were my own arrangements."
Consort An took a deep breath. "I don't know what spell Consort Ning has cast on you, but if you want to die, don't drag me down with you. Use that brain of yours—good for nothing but your looks—and think! Consort Ning dared to approach you; she naturally arranged an escape route for herself. If this comes to light, she'll withdraw unscathed. And you? You know perfectly well how deeply the Emperor treasures the Empress. Do you think your current state can evoke even a shred of pity in His Majesty's heart? With so many new faces in the palace, the Emperor has long since forgotten you!"
"Your own death would be one thing, but what about the Eldest Prince? A mother under house arrest already makes his position awkward. If it gets out that his birth mother poisoned the legitimate mother, what face will he have to show the world in the future? How would the Emperor treat him?"
Consort An, knowing Concubine Shu best, had hit the mark—Concubine Shu did still cling to the notion that the Emperor might still care for her.
Concubine Shu's face paled and flushed. "The Eldest Prince is still His Majesty's son!"
Consort An: "Has this dynasty seen so few princes and imperial kinsmen confined or stripped of their titles?"
"Yuan Yaxin, your son could have been a respected prince, enjoying wealth and honor his entire life. He just said that when he grows up, he'll bring you to his princely estate to care for you properly. Aren't you afraid he'll resent you, hate you, for ruining his life?"
Concubine Shu faltered. "I..." The image of her son, with his chubby belly, earnestly making his vow was still before her eyes.
But no matter the regret, having come this far, what room was left for retreat?
Consort An saw her wavering. "If you turn back now and implicate Consort Ning instead, there's still hope. A'Xi won't betray you. As long as she insists she was instigated by Consort Ning, who deliberately tried to shift the blame onto me, neither of us will face great disaster!"
That Qilan leaf was indeed hers, but she had only used it on herself, never to harm others. At worst, she'd be charged with failing to manage her subordinates and misjudging character, while Concubine Shu would be completely excluded from the matter.
Seeing Concubine Shu still hesitating, Consort An delivered another blow: "The Empress is poisoned, her life hanging by a thread. Your wish is nearly fulfilled. Now the most important thing is not to sacrifice yourself in the process. But think: after the Empress dies, if Consort Ning truly ascends to power, will you have any chance of survival? Will the Eldest Prince?"
These words truly made Concubine Shu shudder. If it were her, she would never leave alive someone who knew so many secrets.
"You're right. The Empress must die, but Consort Ning cannot live either," Concubine Shu murmured.
Consort An let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. "I've said all I can. The Emperor will return within two days at most. Think it over carefully. What I told you three years ago still holds true. I have only a princess. Our mother-daughter's future glory will depend on the Eldest Prince. No matter what, I will do my utmost to protect him."
It was getting late. Not daring to linger, Consort An turned and left.
Once they were beyond the confines of Chengqian Palace, Puying asked in a low voice, "Can Concubine Shu actually bring down Consort Ning?"
Consort An's face was stiff. "It's not important. As long as Consort Ning is dragged into this, suspicion will naturally be lifted from me." She didn't care about the fate of the Empress, Concubine Shu, or Consort Ning; all she wanted was for A'xi to change her testimony. So, even if Concubine Shu was still hiding something, she didn't care.
Her gaze turned deep and distant, looking towards the direction of Yikun Palace. It was truly hard to imagine that the palace concealed someone so hypocritical, with a Buddha's words and a serpent's heart.
Inside Yikun Palace, Consort Ning was kneeling before a statue of Buddha. Though she knelt, her expression held no reverence. If one were to move the statue aside, they would find a hidden compartment beneath it containing two portraits painted by Consort Ning herself: one of Lady Yang and one of Yang Luoniang.
Consort Ning couldn't quite remember when she had developed the habit of kneeling before this Buddha statue for half an hour before sleep. It seemed only this could grant her a moment of peace.
"Mother, it seems the Empress is at the end of her strength now."
"Qilan leaves... what an unexpected boon. I originally only intended for Concubine Shu to be the scapegoat, but she proactively told Consort An about possessing the Qilan leaves, saving me a great deal of trouble. From the Empress's past medical records and prescriptions that Ju Yi provided earlier, it's clear the Empress already suffered from a heart condition. Those Qilan leaves would only aggravate it. Even if Imperial Physician Xia rushes back, the Empress won't live much longer."
A faint smile flickered in Consort Ning's eyes. She had originally prepared a different poison. After obtaining the Empress's medical records, she had privately consulted physicians to specially concoct a poison tailored to the Empress's constitution. That poison would create a false impression of recovery from the heart ailment for a short time, but within half a month at most, it would cause a fatal reversal of the heart's meridians.
But then that fool Concubine Shu proactively exposed that she had planted someone near Consort An and volunteered to frame both Consort An and Concubine Hui. The more Concubine Shu acted, the safer Consort Ning became, so she was content to sit back and watch.
"Mother, are you watching over me?" Consort Ning whispered softly. With everything progressing so smoothly, she felt as if heaven itself was aiding her.
Just as she was murmuring to herself, Suihe quietly entered from behind the screen. "My Lady, Ju Yi wishes to see you."
Consort Ning tilted her head. For Ju Yi to find an opportunity to come out at this time meant the situation in Kunning Palace must be quite dire.
"Let her in."
Ju Yi entered in a state of panicked helplessness. "Consort Ning, the Empress is launching an investigation! What should I do? The Empress has ordered Mei Yi to conduct a thorough inquiry. She will surely find me out soon. Once discovered, I'm finished!"
Ju Yi never doubted the Empress's methods. She had been able to add substances to the beauty cream only by leveraging her position of trust and convenience. But precisely because of her position, the likelihood of exposure was much greater once the Empress was determined to investigate.
She had seized a rare chance to come out tonight, hoping to get a solution from Consort Ning.
"You said you would save me if things went wrong. You must save this servant!"
Consort Ning had Suihe help Ju Yi to her feet. "Why the haste? Since I said I would save you, I naturally won't stand by and watch you come to harm."
"Let me ask you, have you disposed of all those things cleanly?"
Ju Yi nodded. "I didn't dare keep anything; I burned it all. But only a handful of people can enter the Empress's bedchamber and access the beauty cream. With so many servants in Kunning Palace, someone might have noticed something. I..."
Consort Ning: "Since everything has been disposed of cleanly and no related evidence can be found, mere suspicion directed at you is useless. However, you are right. If someone did happen to notice your movements, it would be unfavorable for you. Alright, return to Kunning Palace first. Go find Li Lu; he will help you."
Li Lu? Ju Yi's eyes lit up, but then she looked at Consort Ning with a flicker of fear. Had Consort Ning even bribed Li Lu?
As the chief eunuch of Kunning Palace and a deputy chief eunuch of the rear palace, Li Lu certainly had the ability to conceal some of Ju Yi's traces. Ju Yi felt slightly reassured.
"Thank you, Consort Ning."
Consort Ning smiled faintly. "The Empress still needs you there. It's best you don't stay out too long. Suihe, see Ju Yi back."
She glanced at Suihe.
Suihe lowered her eyes. From an angle Ju Yi couldn't see, she cast a look of pity at her.
The Empress no longer had any need for Ju Yi.
