Chapter 130 Scented Sachets
The osmanthus flowers in the palace have bloomed, and their fragrance fills the entire Weiyang Palace.
Jiang Huan sat on the veranda, resting her chin on her hand, directing everyone to prepare lanterns and mooncake molds for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Xiao Zhao squatted down beside her, holding a half-embroidered sachet in her hand, the stitches crooked and uneven.
"Your Majesty, do you think this pattern is acceptable?"
Xiao Zhao presented the sachet as if it were a treasure, saying, "This servant embroidered a jade rabbit pounding medicine."
Jiang Huan took a look and saw that the rabbit had its head tilted to one side, looking like it was drunk, and the pestle was tilted to the side.
She couldn't help but chuckle, teasingly saying, "It's quite unique."
Xiao Zhao scratched her head sheepishly, "I'm clumsy, and none of the several I embroidered turned out quite right. This is the most successful one yet."
As the two were talking, a young palace maid brought over tea and snacks. She was someone who usually served Jiang Huan.
She wore an exquisite sachet at her waist, embroidered with intricate osmanthus patterns and fine stitches, clearly the work of a skilled hand.
Jiang Huan noticed it immediately, "What a beautiful sachet, did you embroider it yourself?"
This skill surpasses Xiao Zhao's by a mile.
The young palace maid blushed upon hearing this, her fingers stroking the sachet.
"Your Majesty, this was sent by Sister Jinju from the Laundry Department. She said it was a Mid-Autumn Festival gift she prepared in advance."
As she spoke, she respectfully placed the tea and snacks down, and the sachet swayed gently with her movements, emitting a faint fragrance.
Hmm...it's beautiful, but it doesn't smell very good.
Jiang Huan hadn't planned to bring it up again, but just then, a gust of wind suddenly blew through the corridor.
The ribbon around the young palace maid's waist, which held a sachet, somehow came loose. The small sachet was swept away by the wind and fell straight into the stove by the corridor where fallen leaves and other debris were burned.
"Ah, my sachet!" the palace maid exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to grab it.
"No, no!" Jiang Huan quickly stopped her, "What if your hands get burned?"
The young palace maid then realized what was happening and immediately withdrew her hand in fright, watching helplessly as the sachet caught fire.
A strange fragrance suddenly burst forth as it burned, so strong it was almost suffocating.
Jiang Huan suddenly covered her mouth and nose, but still coughed a few times.
Something's not right, something's very, very wrong.
What flowers or plants smell so good when burned?
"Your Majesty?" Xiao Zhao coughed as well, leaning closer with concern. "What's wrong?"
Jiang Huan waved her hand, her brows furrowing.
"Go and invite Granny Deng here."
Granny Deng arrived quickly, and Jiang Huan briefly explained the situation.
Upon hearing this, Granny Deng's expression immediately hardened, and she immediately ordered someone to bring water to completely extinguish the fire.
Then, rub a little bit of the still-burnt residue between your fingertips and smell it.
“Your Majesty,” Deng Mama’s voice became unusually serious, “there’s something mixed in with this sachet.”
Jiang Huan's heart tightened; she knew it.
I've been showered with favor lately, and now I've attracted some bad luck again.
What is it?
Granny Deng leaned close to Jiang Huan's ear and whispered, "Musk, safflower... these are all medicinal materials that harm a woman's health. If a woman wears or smells these fragrances for a long time, it will make it difficult for her to conceive."
Goodness, another classic miscarriage scene.
Jiang Huan gazed wistfully at the palace maid.
If the sachet can't be hung on her, then should it be hung on her personal maid?
Who would be so malicious as to expose her to secondhand smoke?
The young palace maid stood there blankly, completely unaware of what had happened.
It wasn't until Granny Deng demanded sternly, "Where did this sachet come from?"
The young palace maid knelt down with a thud, her face deathly pale: "It really was sent by Sister Jinju from the Laundry Department. This servant has no idea what's inside."
"Lies!" Granny Deng angrily rebuked, "How could an ordinary palace maid obtain such a vicious thing?"
The young palace maid was so frightened that she trembled all over, and tears streamed down her face.
"This servant truly has no idea. Sister Jinju said she embroidered it herself. Please, Your Majesty, see the truth!"
This time, Jiang Huan only coldly watched her weeping and wailing, finding it hard to feel any pity for her.
Being low-key doesn't work, being high-profile doesn't work either; ultimately, it's because I'm too soft-hearted.
She always had a worldly mindset, believing that one should leave room for maneuver so that they can meet again someday.
But this is the imperial harem, a feudal dynasty. They're lucky if they don't completely block your escape route. Who's going to leave you a way out?
Search her residence.
Jiang Huan's voice was frighteningly calm, "Send someone to the laundry department again and bring that kumquat here."
Soon, the search team returned, and it turned out that there was no one named Jinju in the laundry department.
In addition, they also found a half-embroidered new sachet under the little palace maid's pillow, with the same pattern as the one that had been burned.
Even more frightening was that there were several packets of medicinal herbs hidden in the sewing basket, just the ones that Granny Deng had mentioned.
When the palace maid realized her scheme had been exposed, she went limp and powerless, but she still stubbornly refused to admit it.
"Your Majesty, these are not mine. I have never seen these before. Someone must have framed me on purpose."
Jiang Huan felt increasingly disheartened as she listened. "Oh? The person who framed you is quite clever, mimicking your embroidery technique so perfectly?"
The young palace maid was speechless and could only keep kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Granny Deng's face was ashen: "Your Highness, such a traitor should be beaten to death according to palace rules."
Upon hearing this, the palace maid fainted from fright.
Jiang Huan shook her head: "No need, just kick her out of Weiyang Palace."
After all, beating a palace maid to death would be of no use; on the contrary, it would only confirm her arrogance and domineering attitude due to her favor with the emperor, making the mastermind behind the scenes smile with delight.
Now she's Niohuru Jiang Huan. If anyone dares to let her inhale secondhand smoke, she'll shove the cigarette butt into their mouth!
Granny Deng was somewhat surprised: "Your Highness? Such a scourge..."
"Just kick her out," Jiang Huan said calmly. "You know better than I what will happen to a palace maid who is kicked out."
Understanding the situation, Granny Deng instructed someone to drag the unconscious palace maid out.
The entire Weiyang Palace fell silent, everyone terrified by this sudden turn of events.
Jiang Huan felt a chill run down her spine as she looked at the pile of ashes that had been extinguished by water.
Skilled in using hidden weapons and poisons, this isn't a harem, it's the Tang Clan!
"Xiao Zhao, have someone throw all these things out. Let's get rid of the bad luck during this festival and not let it affect our mood."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhao immediately made arrangements, and the surrounding palace servants also sprang into action, quickly disposing of the sachets.
The cool autumn breeze blew in, carrying away that nauseating fragrance.
Jiang Huan took a deep breath and silently memorized it.
From now on, I need to be extra careful.
Want to harm her? Not so easy.
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