In the warm room of the Cining Palace, a gilded incense burner simmered expensive ambergris, its smoke curling upwards, forming a hazy curtain in front of the carved golden nanmu couch. The Empress Dowager reclined on a couch covered in nine-curve interlocking brocade, twisting a string of beeswax beads, each polished to a lustrous shine. She glanced at Chen Weiwan, who knelt across from her, her eyes wrinkled with laughter. "Wan'er, I'm delighted to see your cleverness. You're much better than those dull souls in my palace."

Shen Weiwan's heart skipped a beat. The Queen Mother's tone was so sweet that it was sickening. It was definitely not a good thing. She quickly put on a smile, and the pearl headband on her head shone with tiny silver glints as she moved. "The Queen Mother loves me. My heart feels like it's been filled with honey. It's sweeter than the sweet-scented osmanthus cakes sold in the West Market!"

"Don't try to fool me." The Queen Mother slammed the beeswax beads onto the small table, leaned forward, and said in a low voice, "That Concubine Wu in Jingren Palace, relying on having a favored son, always puts on airs in front of me. Yesterday, she even deliberately jingled her new oriental pearl and phoenix hairpin. You need to help me cure this habit of hers."

Shen Weiwan raised her eyebrows and pinched her palm secretly with her fingertips: "Treat him? How does the Queen want to treat him? Should she also go to the imperial kitchen to take care of the chickens, or..."

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, that's so cheap." The Queen Mother waved her hands, her hair full of jewels and jadeite trembling. "Use your stealthy method to make her embarrass herself in front of everyone. See if she dares to show off again!"

Chen Weiwan's eyes swirled as a plan came to mind. She had just had Chuntao sneak some croton powder from the Imperial Pharmacy a few days ago, and was worried about where to try it. "Okay! But give me two days to prepare it. I'm sure it will help the Dowager Concubine... uh, have a smoother stomach."

Three days later, Chen Weiwan, clutching a palm-sized blue-and-white porcelain vase, followed the Empress Dowager into Jingren Palace. Concubine Wu had been waiting in the main hall, wearing a brand-new lotus-colored silk gown embroidered with gold. The pearl and phoenix hairpin on her head, a palm-length long, dazzled the eye with every step. She deliberately bowed when she saw the Empress Dowager, the pearl pendant on her hairpin nearly brushing against her skirt. "Oh, it's the Empress Dowager who has graced your presence. You truly grace Jingren Palace."

The Queen Mother looked at her phoenix hairpin with a forced smile and said, "Sister Wu, this phoenix hairpin is really beautiful. Each pearl is so round. Where did you get it?"

"Where else could it have come from?" Concubine Wu raised her chin proudly, the gems on the hairpin sparkling in the sunlight. "Of course it's a new gift from the Emperor. Unlike some people who can only wear some old jewelry to look decent."

Shen Weiwan chuckled quietly, pretending to wipe her sweat with a handkerchief, but in reality, she took the opportunity to move closer to the coffee table. Concubine Wu's teacup sat there, its emerald green tea steaming. With a flick of her finger, the cork of the porcelain vase quietly uncorked. She covered the pale yellow powder with her handkerchief and precisely shook it into the teacup. This "ventilation powder" she'd concocted was a mixture of croton powder and three times the amount of osmanthus honey. It tasted sweet, and there was going to be something interesting to watch later.

Concubine Wu picked up the teacup and drank it without even looking at it, smacking her lips and saying, "This Longjing tea before the rain is so fragrant." Shen Weiwan quickly handed over a plate of freshly baked osmanthus cake, which was sprinkled with shiny icing sugar: "Madam Concubine, would you like to try the new snacks I asked the chef in the palace to make?"

"You still have some sense." Concubine Wu picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, completely unaware of the glint in Shen Weiwan's eyes. Shen Weiwan retreated behind the Queen Mother and winked at Chuntao. Chuntao quickly lowered her head, but her shoulders were shaking like sieves.

Before the incense stick had even passed, Concubine Wu's face was already looking a bit off. She frowned, then shifted awkwardly, her hand unconsciously pressing against her stomach. The warm room was silent, save for the sound of the Empress Dowager slowly twisting beads. Concubine Wu wanted to fart, but because the Empress Dowager was present, she couldn't hold it in, her face turning from red to pale.

The Queen Mother pretended not to see it, took Shen Weiwan's hand and praised: "Wan'er, I heard that you asked Concubine Liu to raise chickens last time, and she was so angry that her face turned green. It's really funny!"

"Your Highness, you're joking," Shen Weiwan suppressed a laugh, but the corner of her eyes was fixed on Concubine Wu, "Those were just petty quarrels, not worth mentioning."

Suddenly, a muffled "puff" sound, like a leaky leather bag, shattered the silence in the room. Concubine Wu's face flushed bright red, even brighter than the rouge on her lips. She covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes frantic. "Oh, what...what's that sound? Is the window not closed properly?"

Shen Weiwan pretended to be surprised and opened her eyes wide: "My Lady Concubine, are you...stomach upset?"

"Puff, puff—" Two more farts, louder than before, with a hint of air tremor. Concubine Wu could no longer sit still and wanted to stand up and leave, but her stomach felt like a drum beating, and she couldn't control it at all. Then, "Puff, puff, puff—" a series of farts rang out like firecrackers, one after another, without stopping.

"Hahaha!" The Queen Mother laughed so hard she slapped her thigh and nearly fell off the couch. "Sister Wu, what's wrong with you? Are you performing ventriloquism for me? Your fart sounds like firecrackers, so loud!"

Concubine Wu was both embarrassed and angry. She tried to defend herself, but the constant farting prevented her from uttering a complete sentence. She covered her face, wishing she could shove herself under the table. The surrounding palace maids and eunuchs were already shaking with laughter. Some, unable to contain themselves, burst out in laughter, quickly covering their mouths and running out of the room.

"Puff—puff—" The farts grew more frequent, carrying a faint, indescribable stench that even altered the scent of the ambergris in the room. Concubine Wu finally gave up and burst into tears. Her vision went black, and she passed out. The pearly phoenix hairpin on her head fell to the ground with a clang and rolled a long way.

This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!