Chapter 312

Chapter 312 "With the Gut-Rending Powder incident causing such a stir, I'm afraid we'll need to come up with some way to resolve it." Otherwise, if word reached the court, someone might stir up trouble. The Emperor had only recently ascended the throne, and he was still in a delicate balancing act with the old officials left by the Retired Emperor. The last thing he needed was to leave himself vulnerable. Dantao assumed Xie Run had a solution and asked curiously, "Your Ladyship, how do you think the Emperor will handle it?" Xie Run smiled. "I wouldn't know." "The Emperor and Empress both have it hard right now. As long as we stay put in Zhaohua Palace, we won't add to their troubles." Xie Run's only wish at the moment was to keep out of the way. A moment later, Xiaoshu brought Xie Run another piece of news. "Your Ladyship, do you know where Chan Yun Xuan is?" Xie Run: "No." Being new to the palace and not one to wander about, Xie Run wasn't familiar with many of the smaller halls within the Six Palaces. Xiaoshu suppressed a smile. "It's in the side hall of Fanghua Palace." Xie Run was taken aback, then couldn't help asking, "Isn't Fanghua Palace where Fang Yuan'er lives?" Dantao also reminded her in a low voice, "Your Ladyship, Lady Fang's rank happens to be higher than Lady Hua's, so when she arrived at Fanghua Palace, Lady Hua could only take the side hall—and she has to answer to Lady Fang." This was also an unexpected disaster for Fang Yuan'er. She had been managing a palace all on her own, and suddenly someone of nearly equal rank was shoved in with her. By having Lady Hua move to Chan Yun Xuan, the Emperor was effectively annoying both of them at once. Xie Run really couldn't imagine what kind of drama Hua Yu and Fang Yuan'er would cook up together. She laughed. "Life in this palace is getting more and more interesting by the day." "And this is just the beginning. If the Emperor holds an imperial beauty selection in the second half of the year... well, that would really be something." A thought flickered through Xie Run's mind—the protagonist of the Emperor's not-yet-appeared White Moonlight script—and she felt somewhat reassured. As long as she didn't stir up trouble or meddle in politics, even if the Emperor abandoned his entire harem for that White Moonlight, her life shouldn't be too difficult. As it turned out, Fang Yuan'er and Hua Yu simply couldn't get along. To this day, Hua Yu still hadn't grasped the dissatisfaction behind the Emperor's order for her to move palaces. Instead, she took it as a special honor from the Emperor—as if he were worried that Chonghua Palace might still harbor hidden dangers that could harm her. Carrying this mindset, Hua Yu arrived at Fanghua Palace without much courtesy and immediately claimed a large portion of the courtyard for herself. Before entering the palace, Fang Yuan'er had already fallen out of favor and been placed under house arrest by the Emperor. In Hua Yu's eyes, the Emperor had only given Fang Yuan'er the position of Lady of Appearance out of consideration for the deceased Third Prince. But given everything Fang Yuan'er had done, she would never rise any higher in this lifetime. Hua Yu, on the other hand, felt she was still young. Her elder brother had just begun to make a name for himself and was favored by the Emperor, and the Emperor himself showed her considerable attention. Naturally, she didn't think much of Fang Yuan'er. On the very first day she moved into Chan Yun Xuan, the two had a minor clash. But both sides cared about saving face, so they didn't end up actually arguing. On the second day, a young maid from Hua Yu's courtyard snatched something from Fang Yuan'er's courtyard, and the two sides got into a quarrel. Hua Yu took her own people's side without question. After much back and forth, it was Fang Yuan'er who finally brought gifts and apologized before the two could manage a grudging peace. In the blink of an eye, the Empress Dowager had been ill for five or six days. The Empress had been attending to her from morning to night throughout that time. But the Empress Dowager favored Noble Lady Xian, and in the last two days, she specifically summoned Noble Lady Xian to tend to her as well. By the next day, word spread through the palace that Noble Lady Xian was the epitome of filial piety, serving the Empress Dowager with great care. These words came out of Cining Palace, and everyone knew the Empress Dowager was deliberately building up Noble Lady Xian's reputation—but no one could say anything about it. Summer solstice was approaching, and the weather was growing hotter by the day. Xie Run was worried about Taotao catching a cold, so Zhaohua Palace still hadn't started using ice. When Xiaoshu brought up the matter of Cining Palace, she couldn't help feeling indignant on the Empress's behalf. "I heard the Empress stayed at Cining Palace for days, waking early and sleeping late, all just to serve the Empress Dowager well. She's lost several pounds." "Now that the Empress Dowager is recovering, all she does is sing Noble Lady Xian's praises and leave the Empress completely aside. It really is..." As a servant, she didn't dare speak ill of the Empress Dowager, but she truly couldn't understand her behavior. Dantao was fanning Xie Run with an ice-silk fan. "The Emperor hasn't said a word. What can the Empress, as the daughter-in-law, possibly say?" Xie Run took a bite of fruit and smiled. "You're underestimating the Empress." After all, the Empress had been married to the Emperor for all these years and had steadily held her position as his principal consort. The fact that she'd never let anyone in the household climb over her head all these years was proof enough that the Empress wasn't without skill. "Have you two been out these past few days to hear what people are saying about Her Majesty the Empress?" Xiaoshu and Dantao exchanged a glance. "It seems everyone is saying Her Majesty the Empress is pitiable—that she works hard but gets no credit." "They're all saying the Empress Dowager deliberately put the Empress through the wringer, and that the Empress is filial and kind, even tending to the Empress Dowager's chamber pots..." That rather unsavory topic successfully made both of them pause. Xie Run smiled. "It seems the Empress has already achieved her goal." When the Empress goes up against the Empress Dowager, the first thing to suffer is reputation. Now the Empress has established her reputation for virtue and filial piety, while simultaneously painting the Empress Dowager as a harsh mother-in-law. If anything else happened next, everyone would only blame the Empress Dowager. Xie Run was analyzing the situation when she suddenly heard Chunjuan say happily, "Your Highness, the Emperor has sent down rewards." Xie Run: "What did he send?" "Quite a few pieces of porcelain, along with some fabrics and jewelry." "Porcelain?" Xie Run's first thought was tea sets, and she was inwardly puzzled as to why the Emperor would send her those. As soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she saw a chest full of adorable little porcelain figurines. The colors were strikingly vivid and eye-catching. Xie Run smiled and said, "Go bring the Fifth Prince out. These are the Emperor's gifts to him, so he should personally express his gratitude." The little porcelain figurines in the chest were clearly meant for a child to play with. As for the fabrics and jewelry beside them, those were likely the Emperor thinking of Xie Run and having them added on a whim to make the gift nicer. Nanny Xu came out carrying Taotao. The moment Taotao saw the chest of little porcelain figurines, his eyes lit up instantly, and he grew extremely excited. "Mother, want to play!" Xie Run glanced over. "Not just yet. Once everything is inventoried, I'll set some aside for you to play with." Taotao vaguely understood, but couldn't wait and shouted, "Want it!" Xie Run smiled. "The imperial kitchen sent over your favorite mint milk today. Would you like some?" Taotao's attention was diverted, and he immediately said, "Yes." Xie Run: "Nanny Xu, take him inside to drink it first." It wasn't that Xie Run refused to let Taotao play with them—it was that she didn't trust anything carried into Zhaohua Palace from outside. Even if it was a gift from the Emperor. She had long formed the habit that no matter who gave something, it had to be wiped down and cleaned before being put to use. And when it came to matters involving Taotao, she was even more cautious. Chunjuan led a few young eunuchs to carry the items into the storage room, while Xiaoshu distributed rewards to the eunuchs who had delivered the gifts. Xie Run was just about to pick out a few sets of porcelain figurines to set out for Taotao to play with when she suddenly heard the sound of porcelain shattering from the main courtyard. Without a second thought, she gathered her skirts and rushed over. "What happened?" Xie Run moved too quickly, and the palace maids behind her lagged half a step before catching up. Seeing the scene before them, they couldn't help but gasp in shock, mouths agape. A bowl of porcelain lay shattered on the ground, fragments and milky-white soup splattered across the floor, and among it all, a milky-white worm was writhing frantically. The worm's head even had an eerie red tinge. Some of the younger palace maids who had never experienced such things were so frightened they gagged. Nanny Xu held Taotao tightly in her arms, her expression extremely grim. Only when she saw Xie Run did she belatedly rise to pay her respects, lifting Taotao's hand. "Your Highness, look." The Tianqiao Blood-Jade Bracelet sent by the Empress—originally white jade—was now a deep blood-red, as if it had been infused with thick cinnabar. Nanny Xu knew what this bracelet was for. "Your Highness, when the milk was delivered, this servant tested it with a silver needle and found no trace of poison." "Later, the Fifth Prince didn't want this servant to feed him and tried to grab the bowl to drink himself. The bracelet accidentally touched the soup, and it changed color instantly." "In a panic, this servant smashed the bowl of milk." Seeing the blood-red jade bracelet, Xie Run's legs felt weak. "What is this thing?" It took Xie Run a long while to find her voice. It was Zihu who reacted quickly, finding a copper box from nearby and scooping the writhing worm off the floor into it, sealing it with the lid. Her expression was grave as she said, "Your Highness, this is a Gu parasite!" Xie Run calmed herself. "Send someone immediately to summon the imperial physician, and also request the Emperor's presence!" Taotao, unaware of the danger, curiously examined the bracelet on his hand that had suddenly changed color. Xie Run: "Nanny Xu, you have rendered great service. Ben Gong will surely reward you handsomely." "Take Taotao away for now." Nanny Xu's back was already soaked with cold sweat, her body weak, her legs completely unable to move. She was immensely grateful that her first reaction upon seeing the bracelet turn red had been to knock the soup away. Otherwise, today would not have brought a reward, but severe punishment. Nanny Xu's lips trembled as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Xie Run noticed this as well and said, "Someone, take Nanny Xu and the Fifth Prince away." "Yes!" Those quick to react immediately stepped forward. Xie Run then quietly instructed Chunjuan: "Send people in two directions—one group to report what happened in our palace to Her Majesty the Empress, and another to go to the imperial kitchen." "Say that today's milk for the Fifth Prince was well made, and that everyone who helped is to be rewarded—then keep track of each and every one of them for me!" The Empress was at Cining Palace, and it would take time for her decree to arrive. This time, Xie Run had no choice but to act first and report later. Chunjuan's face was taut. "This servant knows how to handle it. I will find out which black-hearted wretch dared to harm our Fifth Prince!" With that, she led the eunuchs and matrons of Zhaohua Palace out. No one expected that the first to arrive at Zhaohua Palace would not be the Emperor or the imperial physician, but Lady Lu. She seemed to have run over, covered in sweat, her hair bun slightly disheveled. Lady Lu: "Is the Fifth Prince unharmed?!" Xie Run had already recovered from that moment and was now much calmer. "Taotao is fine." She raised her hand to have Xiaoshu support Lady Lu. "You ran over in such a hurry, drenched in sweat." Lady Lu dropped another shocking piece of news: "Word from Fanghua Palace—Lady Hua drank milk custard and was poisoned, vomiting blood. Her life hangs in the balance!" Xie Run straightened up. "When did this happen?" Lady Lu smiled bitterly. "I ran into a messenger on my way back and rushed straight to Zhaohua Palace. But on the way, I heard about the Fifth Prince's incident and my legs nearly gave out from fright." She had indeed been running the whole way, and now she could barely catch her breath. Xie Run said, "Out of nowhere, Lady Hua was struck down too?" She pondered for a moment, then sent her attendants to find out the specifics. Still, Xie Run was somewhat puzzled. "Though Lady Hua isn't the sharpest, she hasn't made enemies with anyone either. Who would want her dead?" Lady Lu, still panting, asked softly, "Hasn't she been constantly at odds with Xiurong Gong these past days?" Xie Run: "..." No matter how reckless Fang Yuan'er was, she wouldn't openly poison someone over such a petty squabble. If she had that kind of nerve, she would have poisoned Wan Linlang with a bowl of poison long ago. Hua Yu wasn't particularly prominent in the harem—she had some favor, but not much, no children, and rarely clashed with anyone. Who on earth would want to harm her? Xie Run couldn't figure it out, so she simply waited for news. Before long, the imperial physician and the Emperor both arrived. This time, it was Chief Physician Bai from the Imperial Medical Academy. He took one look at the jar and immediately recognized the Gu parasite. "Your Majesty, this Gu is called the Venomous Spider Gu. It requires the venom of ninety-nine poisonous spiders to feed it, saturating it with lethal poison." Physician Bai stroked his graying beard and said unhurriedly, "I once came across this in ancient texts. It's not a particularly sophisticated Gu, but it's rare, which makes it all the more frightening." The Emperor lacked his patience and asked after hearing this, "Is the Fifth Prince in any danger?" "No danger, no danger." Physician Bai even smiled. "The Fifth Prince never came into contact with the Venomous Spider Gu's venom. He's unharmed." Not a single person in Zhaohua Palace was injured—that was fortunate. Physician Bai couldn't help adding a few more words. "The Venomous Spider Gu lies dormant under normal conditions and is harmless. It only awakens in intense heat, producing venom that dissolves in water..." As he spoke, he crouched down to examine the porcelain shards on the floor. Xie Run had preserved the scene and hadn't allowed anyone to clean or touch anything carelessly. Physician Bai picked up a pair of chopsticks and turned over a few pieces. "Just as I thought." The Emperor said, "...Have you noticed something?" Physician Bai bowed to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, there was another layer beneath the jar that held the milk." "I estimate someone placed the Venomous Spider Gu in the lower compartment, using the heat from warming the milk to awaken it. The Gu's venom corroded the porcelain divider, seeped into the milk, and instantly turned it lethal." The Emperor sat in his chair, his face dark. "Do you know where this Gu comes from?" Physician Bai said, "The Shu region has a tradition of raising Gu, but they don't favor the Venomous Spider Gu. However, some wandering folk healers in the countryside might keep such venomous Gu." "Folk healers?" The Emperor's brow furrowed deeper with each word. When matters of the palace became entangled with folk healers, they were never easy to resolve quickly. His expression betrayed little as he said, "Have the Department of Punishments take people to investigate." Only then did Xie Run speak up. "When the incident occurred, I acted rashly and already sent Chunjuan to the imperial kitchen to detain the staff. I only hope I haven't interfered with anything." The Emperor gave a slight nod. "Jing Wu will handle it." He then asked Xie Run, "Who do you think is behind the poisoning?" Xie Run lowered her gaze. "I wouldn't know. I've never offended anyone connected to folk healers." "True. You've never been one to quarrel. It seems someone simply can't tolerate you and your son—and can't bear to see me well off either!" The Emperor's words were thick with fury.