Chapter 422

Chapter 422 Returning to her own palace, Noble Lady Xi spent a long time calming her emotions. But in the end, she was a woman of the inner chambers who had never truly killed anyone, much less witnessed such a bloody scene. Every night she found it hard to sleep—the moment she closed her eyes, all she could see was the gruesome manner of Consort Hui's death. She felt as though a sharp blade hung suspended above her head, ready to fall and take her life at any moment. Yet she waited and waited—even through Consort Hui's funeral—but no punishment came from the Emperor. Noble Lady Xi was quietly rejoicing that she had escaped disaster when suddenly she fell ill with an acute sickness. In the span of a single night, she collapsed. Each day she drifted in a haze, unable to eat, unable to sleep, her entire body aching, and she even began vomiting blood. Imperial physicians came one after another to diagnose her, but none could identify the cause. The most capable physician, Xie, had been assigned to care for Noble Consort Zhao and her son. Noble Lady Xi was no Bai Fu, lost in the Emperor's tender embrace—after a moment's thought, she guessed that the Emperor wanted her dead. If the Emperor wanted her dead, how could she possibly live? Given the current situation, the Emperor was likely considering the Eighth Prince, at least refraining from stripping her of her rank or exposing her crimes to the public. If she were foolish enough to struggle, her fate would surely be worse, and she would drag down the Dukedom of Suguo and the Yang family as well. Noble Lady Xi could only drink the poisoned medicine day after day, watching herself march step by step toward death. Her heart burned with resentment, yet she dared not resist in the slightest. Now her heart felt as though it were being corroded by venom, and she could not help but harbor malice toward everyone and everything. Noble Lady Xi thought no one would ever set foot in her palace again. But not long after Noble Lady Bai left, Consort Jingshu suddenly came to see her. Noble Lady Xi gave a smile that did not reach her eyes. "What great fortune brings Consort Jingshu's noble feet to tread upon such humble ground?" Consort Jingshu sat down calmly and said in a flat voice, "If even the Eighth Prince's residence is humble ground, then how many precious places remain in this palace?" "Noble Lady Xi may be tired of living herself, but at least spare a thought for the Eighth Prince's future." The smile vanished from Noble Lady Xi's face, replaced by a cold, sinister expression. She stared at Consort Jingshu for a moment, then suddenly said, "You knew all along?!" "What would Ben Gong know?" Consort Jingshu lowered her head, idly toying with her slender, fair fingers. She gazed at her pink nails, wondering when she might finally shed her mourning clothes and dye them again. Seeing Consort Jingshu's casual demeanor only made Noble Lady Xi's anger flare. She had always been proud and strong-willed her entire life, and nothing infuriated her more than being looked down upon. Noble Lady Xi lowered her voice, her words laced with resentment and fury: "What do you have to be so smug about? Your face is ruined, you have no children—the Emperor keeps your Fei rank only to use you to suppress the Duke of Yingguo's household, to keep them from leveraging their power!" "A legitimate daughter of a ducal house, reduced to such a state—I truly feel sorry for you." Consort Jingshu clicked her tongue, looking Noble Lady Xi up and down with a hint of disdain. "Why don't you take a look at your own face before you start discussing Ben Gong's affairs?" When it came to trading barbs, Consort Jingshu had never been one to hold back. Noble Lady Xi said with defiance, "It's just that my Dukedom of Suguo isn't as good at picking the winning horse as your Dukedom of Yingguo." "If I had been the one to enter the Prince's household as Side Consort first, how could I have been kept under the thumb of a scholar's daughter for my entire life?!" "And I even ruined my own face, completely cutting off any chance at the position of Principal Consort?" Consort Jingshu let out a light laugh. "Fool. No wonder you've ended up where you are today." When had the Prince's household ever lacked clever people? But look at now—those who survived were the ones who played dumb and obedient, while those who loved to show off their cleverness had all died one by one. "One Consort Hui was enough to finish you off, and you still have the nerve to mock Ben Gong? Truly, stupidity breeds audacity!" After finishing her mockery, Consort Jingshu continued, "You envy my Dukedom of Yingguo for picking the right horse, but when it comes down to it, that's just because the people of the Dukedom of Suguo are short-sighted and ignorant." "You are where you are today for two reasons: first, your own foolish greed, and second, being dragged down by the Dukedom of Suguo. And even now, on the verge of death, you still worry about them." To be honest, Consort Jingshu genuinely thought Noble Lady Xi was stupid. Noble Lady Xi, thoroughly provoked, ground her teeth and said, "Is that why you came today—just to mock me?!" "Ben Gong came to warn you to behave yourself!" Consort Jingshu's playful demeanor vanished, her face suddenly turning several degrees colder. "Do you think no one knows what you were scheming when you met with Noble Lady Bai today?" "You think that the more people who know how you fell ill, the greater the chance the secret leaks out, and that the Emperor, mindful of his reputation, might spare your life." "Or even if the Emperor shows no mercy, you might drag down one more person with you?" The two came from comparable family backgrounds, and they had interacted often in their maiden days. Each knew the other's temperament well, and could always see through the other's thoughts at a glance. Noble Lady Xi, her intentions laid bare, sank into a sullen silence. But Consort Jingshu laughed coldly. "Do you take the Emperor above for a fool?" "If you want to die, then die quietly. Don't stir up so much trouble, or the Eighth Prince and the Dukedom of Suguo will both suffer for it." Noble Lady Xi let out a cold laugh of her own and turned her head away, unwilling to listen to Consort Jingshu's lecturing. Consort Jingshu gave a light snort. "I'm afraid no one has told you yet, have they? The eldest son of the fifth branch of the Duke of Suguo's mansion broke his arm yesterday in a brawl, and Master Yang of the third branch, who pleaded for the corrupt official Zhao Li, has also been demoted and exiled." Noble Lady Xi, who had been holding her breath and refusing to concede, suddenly changed color. The Duke of Suguo's mansion had six branches of descendants, yet none of the younger generation had any real promise. Now, the only one holding an official post at court was from the third branch; Among the dozen or so younger members, only the eldest son of the fifth branch showed any promise in his studies, with a future chance at the imperial examinations. With these two meeting misfortune in succession, it was almost the death knell for the Duke of Suguo's mansion's hopes. Noble Lady Xi said in grief and indignation, "How could the Emperor be so heartless?!" "I made a mistake, and I have already paid the price, but the Duke of Suguo's mansion is, after all, the Eighth Prince's maternal family. With him acting this way... how is the Eighth Prince supposed to hold his head up among others?!" Consort Jingshu had wanted to say that the Emperor had always been this heartless and ruthless, but she feared the words might reach his ears. Consort Jingshu: "When you, as his birth mother, were harming others, you never thought of him. Now you beg the Emperor to think of him?" "Her Majesty the Empress's status is supremely noble—how dare you harbor such treasonous intentions?!" Noble Lady Xi seemed to have suffered a tremendous shock, her whole being unable to recover. Consort Jingshu: "The Duke of Suguo's mansion has met with misfortune, but not everyone is dead. As long as someone lives, there is hope. But if you fail to appreciate your good fortune and still stir up trouble in the harem, that may not remain the case." "For plotting against the Empress, even the execution of your entire clan nine generations over would not be excessive." Noble Lady Xi was enraged to the extreme and could not help but shed tears. She suddenly raised her head and glared coldly at Consort Jingshu. "When has anything in my palace ever escaped your eyes?!" "You must have known all along!" Consort Jingshu: "You still refuse to give up, and you still want to drag Ben Gong down with you?"