Chapter 424

Chapter 424 Consort Jingshu wanted to mock her, wanted to console her, but found her tongue turning bitter, no longer knowing how to speak. Noble Lady Xi's interrogation seemed to pierce through her very soul, tearing apart those self-deceiving words, forcing her to confront her own heart. Had she never resented? Of course she had resented and hated! She had vented her anger upon the concubines of the Six Palaces, upon the Ducal Estate that had sent her into the palace, wishing she could tell everyone just how dissatisfied she was, and how wronged she felt. Countless times she had regretted entering the Prince's estate back then, regretted becoming an imperial consort, destined to be trapped within these palace walls for life. Now she appeared to hold high position and great power within the palace, basking in boundless glory, but only she herself knew how bitter it truly was, and how exhausting the path she had walked. In the midnight hours when dreams returned, recalling the hopes and longings of her maiden days, only melancholy and regret seemed to remain. Consort Jingshu refused to give up and asked: "You hate the Empress, hate that she rose to power stepping over the bones and blood of your father and brother, but your father and brother died defending the nation. You, however, colluded with Xia spies—that is nothing short of treason!" Noble Lady Xi: "I have never betrayed the Emperor, nor have I ever betrayed the Yu Dynasty!" "I simply wanted this Empress, who carries Xia blood in her veins, dead!" "Watching her be schemed against and harmed by her own Imperial Father, watching her be angered to death by her mother's dying words... my heart was filled with satisfaction!" Consort Jingshu had originally wanted to say that they were both women, why make things difficult for each other. But it seemed that their grievances and resentments were all confined within the harem, and could only fall upon the women of the harem. After a long silence, Consort Jingshu rose and left. She left only one sentence behind: "The Emperor still keeps the Ducal Estate intact because he remembers your father and brother." "You and I are ultimately different—the Eighth Prince was born from your ten months of pregnancy. You have one more thing to hold onto than I do." After Consort Jingshu left, Noble Lady Xi leaned weakly against the bed, all the strength in her body seeming to have been drained away. The indignation and unwillingness she had just expressed also seemed to have vanished entirely. How can a person live entirely on resentment and obsessive emotions? Her words were full of bitterness, yet in her heart she was still afraid and anxious. After the Empress died, though she was smug and satisfied, she also lived in constant terror day and night, unable to sleep in the small hours. These words, she only dared to vent to Consort Jingshu, never daring to say half a sentence before the Emperor. Who told her she had never won the Emperor's heart, and shared not a shred of affection with him? If she spoke them aloud, she would only be despised as vicious and obsessive, stubborn and unrepentant. "Affection? No, there is still some affection." Noble Lady Xi slowly raised her head, gazing toward the direction of the side chamber. Her Eighth Prince! The child she had carried for ten months and given birth to—he was the only bond of affection between her and the Emperor. Noble Lady Xi knew she was doomed to die, but she still took Consort Jingshu's warning to heart. She could die, but the Suguo Ducal Estate must not fall into decline, and her Eighth Prince must not become someone without the support of his maternal family! Noble Lady Xi sat from dawn until dusk before stiffly raising her head. The palace attendant standing at her side felt that her mistress carried not a trace of human warmth, colder than the November wind. She worriedly said: "Mistress..." Noble Lady Xi propped herself up and sat upright. "Go fetch me paper and brush." "Yes!" The attendant brought over the ink and brush, and Noble Lady Xi added: "Go fetch a dagger, and bring the bottle at the very back of the dressing table." The attendant's expression changed drastically, filled with worry: "Mistress, you're..." "Since I'm going to die sooner or later, I might as well die swiftly!" "Perhaps if I'm quick enough, I can still meet the Empress in the underworld." "But even if I see her, I won't be convinced." "All my resentment and unwillingness—she'll have to bear them all!" When the attendant handed over the dagger and the bottle, Noble Lady Xi's withered yellow hand gripped the dagger and cut a gash across her palm, bright red blood flowing like a spring. The vivid red color pierced her eyes, reminding Noble Lady Xi of Consort Hui's blood. The wound from the hairpin had been small, and the bleeding hadn't been that fast. She had been so afraid of being exposed back then that she had frantically stabbed Consort Hui more than a dozen times, only realizing afterward that Consort Hui's body was already drenched in blood. And she had fallen to the ground like that, eyes wide open. In the midnight hours when dreams returned, Noble Lady Xi often recalled that scene. Noble Lady Xi's hand gripping the dagger tightened. What did she have to fear?! Consort Hui was killed by her, and the Empress was also brought down by her. Once we're all in the underworld, we'll settle this account together—whether right or wrong, she would bear it all! Blood dripped into the ink, and Noble Lady Xi held the brush, writing a line of elegant, flowing characters on the paper. Her calligraphy was prouder than she was—every stroke carried backbone and sharp edges. In her youth, Noble Lady Xi had been hailed as the foremost young lady of the capital. Not only was she accomplished in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but she also possessed a magnificent hand, praised by many masters of calligraphy. Countless young men had developed admiration for her from a single piece of her calligraphy or painting. After entering the palace, Noble Lady Xi's accomplishments in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting went unappreciated, and her beautiful handwriting could only be used for copying Buddhist scriptures for blessings. Who could have predicted that the first time the Emperor saw her calligraphy, it would be her confession of guilt. The more Noble Lady Xi wrote, the more composed she became, producing a flowing confession filled with tearful remorse. There were sincere admissions of guilt, and pleas for mercy on behalf of the Eighth Prince and the Suguo Ducal Estate—not a trace of the resentment and dissatisfaction she had shown when speaking with Consort Jingshu. After writing it, Noble Lady Xi folded the confession and handed it to her attendant. Without hesitation, she picked up the small bottle on the table and drank it all in one go. The bottle contained arsenic. It was not a rare poison—some consorts even used it in small amounts for beauty and skincare. But consuming a large dose of arsenic meant dying with one's intestines and stomach rotting through. Before long, Noble Lady Xi clutched her stomach and writhed on the bed. She had been strong-willed all her life and refused to show weakness even at death's door, gritting her teeth without letting out a single cry. At the third watch of the night, Consort Jingshu was tossing and turning in bed. Suddenly she heard someone shout, "Noble Lady Xi has passed!" "Noble Lady Xi has passed!" She lay in bed for a long while, her mind a complete blank, not knowing how to react. After lying there for a time, Consort Jingshu still forced herself to get up. She was the principal consort of Yongning Palace and held the duty of Management of the Six Palaces—Noble Lady Xi's death would ultimately have to be handled by her. Consort Jingshu did not even need to change her clothes. She put on the mourning garments that had long been prepared, and led her people into Noble Lady Xi's palace to take charge. An attendant stepped forward, holding Noble Lady Xi's confession with both hands. "Consort Jingshu, this is what our mistress left behind before her death." "For whom?" Consort Jingshu only glanced at it. The attendant replied: "Our mistress said it was for the Emperor, but the sky is dark now, and I did not dare disturb His Majesty's peace." Consort Jingshu said: "Then deliver it tomorrow." "Yes." After arranging everything, Consort Jingshu did not even spare a glance at Noble Lady Xi's remains before returning to her own palace. Tao Yao leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Milady, I heard Noble Lady Xi drank arsenic to end her own life. When she died, blood flowed from all seven orifices—it was utterly miserable."