Chapter 6 Dragon Root Thinking of His Majesty's face and figure, she could…
*Inside the palace maid's room.
When Su Panyue returned, she found that she had started her period and had stained a large part of her clothes. After changing her clothes, she lay on the bed in discomfort, hugging a quilt and gasping for breath in pain.
Her periods are always unpredictable, and each one is enough to nearly kill her, and this time was no exception.
However, since she had just poisoned the emperor yesterday and had also ingested some of that "poison" herself, she had forgotten about it and only thought that she was poisoned and would soon die.
When she realized it was just her period, she breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't help cursing that damned emperor.
If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been locked in the side hall for a whole day, having to run around serving him without even getting a hot meal, which made the pain this time particularly severe.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Is Miss Su home?"
Su Panyue asked weakly, "Who is it?"
The eunuch outside the door said, "Miss Su, this is a physician from the Imperial Hospital. Please open the door."
What is the imperial physician doing here so late? Su Panyue muttered to herself as she fumbled for a small dagger in her hand before getting up to open the door.
There really was a young eunuch standing outside the door, and an old doctor carrying a medicine box behind him.
Even though Su Panyue hadn't been in the palace for very long, she already knew the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, who was a favorite of His Majesty.
She immediately guessed what was going on, and while inviting the two into the house, she asked, "Did His Majesty invite you here?"
The old doctor nodded: "I will now take the young lady's pulse."
Su Panyue sat at the table while the imperial physician took her pulse, still feeling surprised and suspicious. How did His Majesty know that she was unwell? And why did he send an imperial physician over?
After a moment, the imperial physician stopped: "Young lady, is your period just started and you are experiencing severe abdominal pain?"
Su Panyue nodded like a chick pecking at rice.
The imperial physician picked up his pen and wrote a prescription: "Young lady, your qi and blood are deficient, and your qi circulation is stagnant. This is likely due to past exposure to cold, which has left you with a chronic condition. You need to gradually recuperate. I will first prescribe a mild and nourishing medicine for you. Just take it on time."
Su Panyue thanked him and was about to take the prescription when a little eunuch quickly snatched it away from her.
The young eunuch, holding the prescription, said, "Miss Su, please rest well. I'll go with the imperial physician to get the medicine and bring it to you."
Su Panyue blinked, looked at his attentive manner and then at the imperial physician, and understood somewhat. She took out a piece of silver from her sleeve and stuffed it into their hands, saying with a smile, "Then I will trouble you, sir."
However, neither of them accepted the money and they left politely very quickly.
Su Panyue climbed back into bed, blinked, and still felt that something was amiss.
Her abdominal pain was simply due to her menstrual period. How did His Majesty know she was unwell? And why did he have the time to summon the imperial physician for her? Was His Majesty not poisoned either?
There were many suspicious points about what happened today, but she was the type of person who wouldn't think about it if she couldn't figure it out, so she quickly put those doubts out of her mind.
The young eunuch quickly brought her the medicine, while the old imperial physician returned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony to report back.
Eunuch Fu called him and whispered, "His Majesty has fallen asleep in the side hall. Tell me what you need to say, and I will pass it on to His Majesty tomorrow."
The imperial physician said, "That palace maid in the Imperial Kitchen, uh, Miss Su, suffers from a cold-related ailment. I have already prescribed her a formula to replenish her qi and blood, but it can only provide temporary relief. To cure it completely, she needs careful recuperation. Please trouble you to convey this to His Majesty."
Eunuch Fu agreed, but couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Why would His Majesty care about a mere palace maid from the kitchen?" He shook his head and entered the hall.
Xie Lanzhou was lying on the chaise longue in the side hall, sleeping more soundly than usual. The silver hairpin in her sleeve had fallen out without anyone noticing.
*
Su Panyue thought that what happened that day was just an accident, and continued to do odd jobs and slack off as usual in the Imperial Kitchen.
However, she noticed that someone seemed to be watching her from the shadows these past few days. She suspected it was the guard named Sun Shi, so she went to see him several times to tell him that she had already administered the Gu pill as he had instructed, and asked him to stop watching her.
However, after several unsuccessful attempts, Su Panyue learned from the other guards that Sun Shi had been missing for several days.
That's when she realized something was wrong.
On the third day, while she was washing vegetables by the well, someone suddenly covered her eyes and forcibly took her to a certain place.
Uncovering her eyes, Su Panyue squinted and saw a fierce-looking eunuch with a fleshy face, but he wore a fake smile.
"Miss Su, my master would like to ask you for a favor."
Su Panyue asked warily, "Who is your master?"
The eunuch said, "It's not good for you to know too much, young lady. Just do as I say, and you'll be richly rewarded if you succeed."
Su Panyue asked, "What do you need me to do?"
The eunuch's smile became even more fake: "All you need to do is add this to His Majesty's tea, and once it's done, I'll arrange for you to leave the palace and guarantee you a life of wealth and honor for the rest of your days."
Su Panyue rolled her eyes as she looked at the porcelain bottle he handed her. Did these people have no originality at all? Why was it poison again?
She also put on a fake smile and refused: "You flatter me, sir. I am just a lowly palace maid in the Imperial Kitchen. How could I possibly have the opportunity to come into contact with His Majesty?"
"You don't need to play dumb. You know best what you did with His Majesty in the Hall of Supreme Harmony that day. You are His Majesty's first woman. He shouldn't refuse you if you go to him... right?" The eunuch sounded a little guilty as he said the last sentence.
Su Panyue raised an eyebrow in surprise, her face practically screaming with question: "I'm His Majesty's first woman?? How did you figure that out?"
The eunuch kindly explained, "Our master knows everything about the bloodstains on the dragon throne and the hairpin you left in the side hall, so you don't need to pretend."
Su Panyue covered her face helplessly, wanting to explain her innocence again, unaware that her appearance was already seen as a shy reaction by the eunuch.
The eunuch lost his patience, shoved the medicine bottle into her hand, and told her again to hurry before blindfolding her again and taking her back.
However, this time Su Panyue was smarter. She secretly memorized the route back and took the opportunity to walk it again. She found that the place she was taken to was actually in the direction of Cining Palace.
She was shocked to learn that the person who wanted to poison the emperor was actually the Empress Dowager.
She immediately recalled what had happened at the Empress Dowager's investiture banquet. It seemed that the relationship between the mother and son was not very good. As a mere palace maid, she certainly couldn't get involved in this mess.
When Su Panyue returned home, she stuffed the porcelain bottle containing the poison into the bottom of the wardrobe and pretended that nothing had happened.
But she couldn't help but go to Aunt Cui to inquire about the grudge between the two.
Aunt Cui: "Why are you asking this?"
Su Panyue: "I want to know more, so I don't say the wrong thing later."
Aunt Cui glanced at her and suddenly remembered something: "You still haven't told me why you went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony that day."
Su Panyue didn't expect her to bring this up: "Hey Aunt, don't ask anymore."
Seeing her avoid the topic, Aunt Cui understood: "His Majesty has never been interested in women. Don't even think about it. If you really catch His Majesty's eye, you might not be so lucky next time."
"This is another misunderstanding," Su Panyue pouted and muttered under her breath, "What kind of good luck is this? It's just so unlucky."
Aunt Cui patted her hand reassuringly, looked around to make sure that only the two of them were there, and then spoke softly: "The current Empress Dowager is not His Majesty's birth mother. His Majesty's birth mother is Lady Ji, the legitimate daughter of the old Duke. She was made a Consort Li not long after entering the palace, and after giving birth to a prince, she was only one step away from becoming Empress Dowager."
Su Panyue couldn't help but ask, "What does 'one step away' mean?"
"I only heard that on the eve of the coronation ceremony, her palace caught fire and burned all the servants and servants to the ground, but the little prince was spared because he sneaked out."
Su Panyue gasped and asked, "And then?"
"Later, the Empress Dowager, who was then still Consort Shu, was made Empress, and the little prince was raised by her. Not two years later, she gave birth to another prince, but by then His Majesty had already been made Crown Prince, so the Empress Dowager..."
Aunt Cui finished speaking, and Su Panyue knew what happened next. Later, His Majesty murdered his father and usurped the throne, relying on ruthless means to get to where he is today.
Aunt Cui gave one last piece of advice: "Stay away from His Majesty."
Su Panyue nodded solemnly. Her life was the most important thing. With the Empress Dowager and the Emperor fighting each other, a nobody like her would only be buried with them. It was better to stay as far away as possible.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. After only a few days of comfortable living, that same eunuch came looking for them again.
This time, his attitude was clearly not as good as last time: "Miss Su, if you don't make a move, the master won't mind giving you a quick death."
Su Panyue, on the verge of tears, said, "Brother, you've been with me for quite some time now. Haven't you realized that I really have no chance to see His Majesty?"
The eunuch left with the words "You wait here" before hastily departing.
Su Panyue thought she was finally free, but that evening she received a message from Aunt Cui, telling her to go to His Majesty's side to serve the next day.
Su Panyue even doubted that she had misheard. Everyone in the palace knew that His Majesty was not interested in women and did not have any maids serving him. Why would he suddenly ask her to serve him?
Aunt Cui didn't know why, but she just sighed with worry.
Just as Su Panyue was beginning to doubt whether His Majesty was truly still thinking of her, the eunuch came and shattered her illusions: "It was the master who arranged for you to serve His Majesty. You can go ahead and do your work without worry. There are also several palace maids with you, so even if things come to light, there will be scapegoats."
Su Panyue frowned. His tone made it seem as if using others as scapegoats was a perfectly normal thing. She couldn't help but ask, "Does Your Majesty know about this?"
"You don't need to worry about His Majesty's side. Just find an opportunity to make your move."
Hearing his blunt and crude idea, Su Panyue was speechless. She sent him away and sat on the bed, resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
She's being targeted by the Empress Dowager because of that damned emperor. He should be the one to solve this problem for her, but why would His Majesty listen to her?
Su Panyue sat on the bed, racking her brains but couldn't come up with a good solution. In the end, she decided to give up and figure things would work themselves out.
She wouldn't be the only one sent to serve him; she would just avoid His Majesty. Poisoning him was out of the question; she wanted to live a few more days.
The next morning, Su Panyue went to the Yeting Bureau, accompanied by a total of ten palace maids.
According to the rules, these palace maids who could serve His Majesty were to learn etiquette and manners here.
Throughout the day, they were taught everything from the etiquette of bowing and greeting to His Majesty's daily life and meals. As the day drew to a close, the supervising nanny gave each of them a booklet to study carefully when they got home.
Back in her maid's quarters, Su Panyue was exhausted and her back ached. She took out the booklet and casually flipped through it, which opened the door to a new world.
Because this was a book on avoiding fire, Su Panyue hadn't expected that serving His Majesty would require learning such content. However, thinking of His Majesty's face and figure, she felt that she was ready again.
She studied so diligently that she forgot to eat and sleep for half the night, so much so that when she saw His Majesty the next day, her gaze involuntarily drifted downwards.
Then Xie Lanzhou heard her innermost thoughts:
Everyone says that emperors are reincarnations of dragons; I wonder what makes their "dragon roots" look different?
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