Chapter 45 Scapegoat

From afar, one could hear the heart-wrenching cries of a child emanating from the main hall. Broken porcelain shards littered the floor, and tea spilled onto the carpet, leaving dark stains. Scattered, delicate pastries lay scattered everywhere, their crumbs coated in sticky tea.

Consort Cao knelt amidst the mess, her hair disheveled and untidy, half her body soaked in icy tea. She gently rocked and soothed Wen Yi, who was struggling in shock, while looking at Wen Yi's red, tear-stained face. Her heart was like an ant on a hot pan.

"Cry, cry, cry! All she does is cry!" Consort Hua had just finished smashing things and was quite exhausted. Now, she sat at the head of the table, slightly out of breath, her eyes fixed on the two people below her, one big and one small, as if spitting fire. The more she looked, the angrier she became. She grabbed the only remaining soft pillow beside her and threw it away.

It was described as a soft pillow, but it was densely woven with gold thread and filled with spices. When it hit you with force, it wasn't light and airy. Cao Qinmo didn't dare to dodge, but she was also afraid of hurting the princess, so she could only hold Wenyi tightly in her arms, curl up and endure the blow.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. The princess is just too young and was frightened..." Her voice trembled noticeably. She had tried her best to raise her voice, but the deafening cries echoed in her ears and were barely audible to Nian Shilan.

"You came up with such a terrible idea that not only did Shen Meizhuang get pregnant, but you also gave that old woman, the Empress, a handle to use against me. How can I possibly appease your anger?"

She took two deep breaths and looked disdainfully at the still-fussing child in her arms—"You're useless, and your daughter is useless too! Even if she weren't a prince, someone as intelligent and beautiful as Hongjin would have attracted the emperor's attention. All you do is cry; you're utterly useless!"

“Princess Hongjin was named by the late Emperor, so Wenyi is naturally incomparable. Besides… the princess is two years older, while Hongzhou is the same age as Wenyi, and he is just a little baby who only knows how to cry.” Cao Qinmo, with her loving mother’s heart, couldn’t help but want to say a few words in defense.

These words immediately struck a nerve with Nian Shilan, who retorted, "So what if the late Emperor bestowed a name upon her? If Wen Yi is my daughter, she will certainly be no less noble than Hong Jin... Yes... If Wen Yi is my daughter, then this time..." Her voice grew softer and softer, but she became more and more certain.

Before she could finish speaking, Cao Qinmo immediately looked up alertly and tightened her grip on Wen Yi in her arms. Even when she noticed the child struggling uncomfortably, she didn't let go this time.

If Consort Hua really takes Wenyi away, that would truly be the end of her.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to think of a solution quickly.

"Your Majesty!" she interrupted boldly, while secretly pinching the delicate skin of the child in her arms, suppressing her heartache.

Wenyi, whose crying had been subsiding due to exhaustion, felt pain and her wailing suddenly became shrill again, causing Consort Hua to cover her ears in annoyance and instruct Songzhi to quickly take the child to a quieter side hall.

Cao Qinmo then handed the child back to the wet nurse, signaling her to quickly take the princess back to the side hall.

Alone with Consort Hua in the palace, he lowered his head and quickly organized his thoughts—"Our defeat this time was because we never expected Consort Hui to be so fortunate as to actually become pregnant. Otherwise, she would have been defeated by Your Majesty long ago, just like Zhen Huan."

Mentioning Zhen Huan softened Nian Shilan's expression. After all, not everyone was brought down. The most detestable Zhen Huan was demoted and confined to her quarters, and she would be at Nian Shilan's mercy in the future.

She let out a sigh of relief and gestured with her chin for Cao Qinmo to continue.

Seeing her like this, Cao Qinmo seized the opportunity to continue, "Fuling is easy to handle. We have her family in our hands, so she won't dare to say anything. However, Your Majesty still needs to put in some effort to find Liu Ben before the Empress and eliminate him quietly."

Her voice was as gentle as ever, but the words she spoke were extremely cold.

"Do you need to tell me that?" Nian Shilan rolled her eyes, looking at her as if she were a fool.

"Your Majesty is wise." Cao Qinmo flattered with a smile, "Fuling and Liu Ben have been dealt with, but there is one more person we need to pay attention to."

She parted her lips slightly—"Flower spike."

Cao Qinmo: "The Emperor ordered Zhang Mi to take care of Consort Wan. Physician Zhang is highly skilled, and it's only a matter of time before her poisoning is discovered. We should make plans as soon as possible."

Seeing Consort Hua's resolute expression, Cao Qinmo understood that she wanted to kill someone, which was indeed the fastest way, but it would inevitably reveal more clues. She spoke up to stop her, saying, "The matter between Consort Wan and Consort Hui is very complicated. They have long been inextricably linked in secret. Someone has to stand up and take responsibility for the mastermind before we can sit in peace."

Upon hearing this, Consort Hua looked up at her and remained silent for a long while.

Cao Qinmo avoided eye contact, instead lowering her head shyly to avoid her sharp gaze.

"What do you mean?" Consort Hua had completely calmed down by now and asked Cao Qinmo with great interest.

Cao Qinmo casually brought up a matter as if it were a casual conversation: "I heard that Kang Luhai, the chief eunuch by Zhen Huan's side, once went through the connections of Consort Li when she was out of favor."

She didn't finish her sentence, but it was enough for Nian Shilan to understand her plan.

Kang Luhai did try to use his connections to serve Consort Li in Qixiang Palace, but before anything was finalized, Zhen Huan ran into the Emperor in Yimei Garden, and the matter was dropped.

Fei Yunyan...

Nian Shilan stopped speaking, her expression revealing a hint of inner conflict. Cao Qinmo didn't urge her, but quietly walked to the only corner untouched by the war, picked up a clean cup, poured a cup of cool tea, and steadily presented it to Consort Hua.

"Your Majesty comes from a military family and should know the art of war, which is based on deception. Only by striking unexpectedly can one find a way out. In any case, Your Majesty's status and favor are already established, so why worry about the future?"

Consort Hua turned to look at her, her sharp phoenix eyes staring at her for a long time. She looked down at the cold tea that Consort Hua was holding in her hand, which was trembling slightly along with her arm but she dared not put it down. Her eyes flickered and she took it from Consort Hua.

"Wenyi, take good care of yourself. Bring her here to me for a look whenever you have time." She turned her head and said lightly, in a casual, even condescending tone.

She naturally knew what Cao Qinmo feared most.

The heavy weight that had been hanging over her heart finally lifted. Cao Qinmo's arms ached terribly, but she dared not move them. She could only express her gratitude and say repeatedly, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

——

This can be considered a major upheaval in the harem. However, it had little impact on Hongzhao. In fact, his mother no longer required Hong Xihai to watch over him and Shu'er every day, so the two of them were more free.

That day, the two of them were chasing a kite when, somehow, they wandered into a secluded spot in the garden. Although palace maids and eunuchs followed them from a distance, the darkness still gave it an eerie feel, and Shu'er was a little scared and wanted to pull Hongzhao away quickly.

All secluded places in the palace should not be visited. This was an experience that Hongzhao had summarized after watching dramas for many years. However, he never expected that he would get so engrossed in the drama that he would go astray.

Just as he was about to call out to the people in the distance to follow, he heard faint footsteps coming from the opposite direction. However, the footsteps were not as slow and steady as those of normal palace servants; instead, they sounded hurried and unsteady.

Hongzhao's mind stirred, and he pulled Shu'er close, ducking into the bushes. The Yuanmingyuan Garden was covered in vegetation, and the two of them were small, so they were really not noticeable under the cover of night.

Shu'er covered her mouth tightly in fear, not daring to make a sound.

The footsteps grew closer and closer, and Hongzhao stared intently at the outside with sharp eyes.

Before long, a pair of pink embroidered cloth shoes came into his view, and the corner of the clothes shimmered with green through the shade of the tree.

Um... this combination is hard not to remind him of someone.

—Huanbi.