Chapter 136 A Hero Has No Place to Use His Skills

The empress paused, her voice returning to a stagnant calm.

"By the way, has the newly appointed head eunuch from the Imperial Household Department arrived yet? Go and call him in so I can take a look at him and see if he is up to the task."

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

Ning Wei felt as if she had been granted a pardon and quickly withdrew.

Once again, only Hesheli remained in the hall.

She slowly leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and let all sorts of emotions rage inside her.

The pain of losing a child, the humiliation of being confined to his home, the fear and jealousy towards Jiang Nan, the uncertainty about the future, the disappointment with the family's lukewarm support, and the unfathomable loneliness...

She felt utterly exhausted.

For her, the position of empress is no longer a source of honor and power.

Instead, it became an incredibly heavy shackle, locking her firmly in this Kunning Palace.

Sometimes, she would even have a ridiculous idea.

If she weren't the empress.

Wouldn't it be easier for an ordinary concubine, or even a concubine without favor?

Could it be that, like Wang and Dai Jia, one could find someone to rely on, such as... attaching oneself to the shrewd Jiang Nan?

The thought sent a chill down her spine, followed by a deeper sense of self-loathing.

She was the daughter of the Hesheli family and the Empress of the Qing Dynasty. How could she have such a cowardly and despicable thought?

She forced herself to suppress this untimely and extravagant hope.

A moment later, Ning Wei led in a middle-aged eunuch dressed in the uniform of a chief eunuch, with a fair complexion.

As soon as the eunuch entered, he knelt down and kowtowed, his voice carrying just the right amount of respect.

"Your humble servant Li Guiping greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and be well."

The empress opened her eyes and swept her gaze across him indifferently.

"Stand up and answer me. Where did you previously serve?"

Li Guiping stood up, still bowing, and answered cautiously.

"Your Majesty, I was previously the head eunuch of Xianfu Palace. This time, I was transferred to Kunning Palace to serve Your Majesty by order of Eunuch Su Jing, the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department."

"Sent by Su Jing..."

The Empress sneered inwardly.

Su Jing was promoted by Jiang Nan. How could someone he sent possibly be truly loyal to her?

It's just eyeliner.

In the past, she would have gone to great lengths to plan, either to win them over or to guard against them.

But now, she only feels listless.

She suddenly realized that all the fighting and arguing was pointless. She was tired and afraid.

Especially when she thinks of Jiang Nan, she feels a strange chill and fear from the bottom of her heart.

She dared not entertain any more thoughts, only wanting to stay in Kunning Palace and eke out a living...

Thinking of this, she waved casually.

"Get up. From now on, you are to manage all affairs in Kunning Palace according to the rules. I only saw you today to recognize your face. You may leave."

Li Guiping was clearly somewhat surprised by the Empress's calm reaction, but immediately bowed in response.

"Yes, Your Majesty! This servant will do his utmost to perform the duties well and live up to Your Majesty's trust."

After saying that, he respectfully withdrew.

After the palace doors closed again, Ning Wei asked in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, this person... is he perhaps untrustworthy?"

Upon hearing this, Hesheli smiled bitterly, with a hint of mockery.

She gazed at the dressing table and murmured to herself.

"Believable? Unbelievable? Does it even matter? Even if someone with extraordinary abilities came, what could I do now? Could I possibly defeat Consort Jin?"

She slowly lay down on the phoenix couch, her back view appearing unusually thin and lonely.

——————

Yikun Palace, late at night

The hall was silent, save for the dripping of the water clock, which indicated the depth of the night.

Niohuru sat upright in front of her dressing table, holding a small medicine packet in her hand.

Standing beside her was her personal maid, Yun Cui.

Yun Cui held her breath and waited for her master's instructions.

After a long silence, Niohuru's deep and clear voice broke the stillness.

"Pass down the message: get our people in Kunning Palace moving."

Yun Cui's heart skipped a beat, knowing that her master was finally about to make a move, and she responded in a low voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty. How exactly should it be done?"

Niohuru handed the small package in her hand to Yun Cui.

"Give this to our own people in Kunning Palace. Instruct them to be very careful, to watch the dosage, and to mix it into the Empress's daily incense or tea. Do not rush it, but proceed slowly."

Yun Cui accepted the rather heavy packet of medicine powder with both hands, as if it carried an ominous aura.

She couldn't help but look up, a hint of worry in her eyes, and cautiously offered her advice.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider... The Empress is the mother of the nation. If... if she were to suddenly pass away, the Hesheli family of the previous dynasty would certainly not let this go unpunished. They would definitely force the Emperor to investigate thoroughly, and at that time, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Niohuru chuckled and interrupted Yun Cui.

"Don't worry, this isn't a deadly poison that kills instantly. The Empress... she can't die yet, she still has a great use to her."

She looked at Yun Cui and explained.

"This medicine is colorless and odorless. Long-term use in small amounts will not be fatal, but it can slowly erode the mind and spirit, causing palpitations, insomnia, nightmares, anxiety, and restlessness. Over time, it can even lead to mental dissipation and hallucinations. Ordinary imperial physicians cannot find the root cause by examining the pulse and will only assume that it is caused by excessive thinking and mental depletion."

After listening, Yun Cui suddenly understood, and a huge weight was lifted from her heart. She quickly said...

"This servant understands. Your Majesty's plan is brilliant. Winning hearts and minds is the best strategy. It can punish the enemy without leaving a trace. This servant will go and make the arrangements immediately. I will make sure everything is explained clearly and without any mistakes."

"Um,"

Niohuru nodded in satisfaction and waved her hand.

"Go, but be careful."

"Yes, sir!"

Yun Cui carefully put the medicine packet into her sleeve, bowed, and withdrew from the inner hall.

Silence returned to the palace.

————————

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Jiang Nan got up early, which was rare for her. She sat in front of the dressing table and let Fang Ruo and Chun Lan quickly do her makeup.

Yesterday, she specifically instructed Fangruo to go to Kunning Palace for her morning audience.

It wasn't that she was particularly rule-abiding; she was just incredibly bored and wanted to see the Empress, who had just been released from confinement.

Just treat it as something to have some fun.

At this moment, Zhao Deyi's clear voice rang out from outside the bedchamber.

"Your Majesty, this servant has something to report."

Jiang Nan examined himself in the bronze mirror from left to right, then raised his voice.

"Come in and answer me, I'm listening."

Zhao Deyi bowed as he entered and reported with his head bowed.

"Your Majesty, just now the eunuch from Kunning Palace sent a message saying that Her Majesty the Empress is unwell and needs to rest for a few days. By special decree, effective immediately, the morning and evening greetings of the concubines in the six palaces are temporarily suspended until Her Majesty's health is restored."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan raised her delicately drawn eyebrows slightly, and was immediately delighted.

Goodness, this Hesheli learns very quickly.

She stopped her morning reflection because she was too lazy to go to work, and instead started a drowsy reflection every three days.

The Empress turned around and used her Phoenix Body to directly exempt herself from the morning and evening greetings.

Is he traumatized by her previous methods?

On second thought, it's not surprising.

At yesterday's third-day-old celebration, the Empress managed to maintain a composed demeanor.

But his meek and submissive demeanor, coupled with his timidity in almost never meeting her gaze, made him seem timid enough to avoid eye contact with her.

It's practically a superfluous background.

If it weren't for the requirement of etiquette, she probably wouldn't have stepped out of Kunning Palace at all.

"Never mind, never mind,"

Jiang Nan waved her hand listlessly.

"Looks like we're not going to have any fun today."

Seeing this, Fangruo made a suggestion in a low voice.

"Your Majesty, why don't you rest for a while longer?"

Jiang Nan stood up, stretched, and shook her head.

"Never mind, I'm already all dressed up and can't sleep anyway."

Her gaze shifted towards the rocking carriage.

"Go and bring Xiao Yi here so I can play with him for a while."

Chunlan quickly smiled and advised.

"Your Majesty, the little prince is sleeping soundly. Please wait a moment. When he wakes up and starts crying, you will have time to soothe him."

Jiang Nan was speechless for a moment, looking at her bright and beautiful self in the mirror, yet with nowhere to go.

A sense of helplessness, like a hero with no place to use his talents, arose within me.

She suddenly felt a little reluctant to see the Empress leave like this. Without the Empress, who would she bully in the future?

How difficult will the days ahead be?

——————

For those of you looking for books in the book drought square, if you can, please help me promote my book drought.

If this is effective, I will write at least three chapters every day starting tomorrow. Let's give it one last push.