Chapter 18 This is hardly 'teaching etiquette'...
After Jiang Fushi left, the Empress was so angry that she smashed the porcelain cup in her hand on the ground.
The palace maids serving nearby were terrified and knelt down in unison, holding their breath and bowing their heads, not daring to make a sound.
Granny Sun quickly waved for the maids to clean up the broken pieces and leave, while she herself cautiously stepped forward: "Your Highness, please calm down. Why ruin your health over something so vulgar?"
The Queen took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
If it weren't for knowing that Yuhe was weak and incompetent, and hadn't seen much of the world outside the palace, she wouldn't have been able to discern the true nature of these medicinal herbs.
Otherwise, she would really suspect that the lowly maid was doing this on purpose to turn the tables on her.
When Yuhe was ten years old, she was brought back to the palace, and her birth mother was posthumously honored as Consort Hui. The Emperor met Consort Hui when he personally led an expedition, and their affection was so deep that for a time, Consort Hui's position as Empress was practically meaningless.
His Majesty has not yet appointed a crown prince, and her third prince is still young. Before Yuhe returned to the palace, Yuyao was His Majesty's only legitimate princess, enjoying unparalleled honor.
But now, His Majesty has another option.
Even if Yuhe has a flawed background, it is hard to guarantee that His Majesty will not, as compensation, marry her off to an important power, thereby diverting the political resources that should belong to Yuyao.
If in the future, Yuyao's marriage is overshadowed by this, what face will the empress have left?
Having served the Empress for over ten years, how could Granny Sun not know what she was thinking? She immediately stepped forward and suggested, "This old servant knows that Your Majesty is troubled and wishes to get rid of him as soon as possible."
"But now is not the time to take action."
"This old servant has a way to make Yuhe suffer in a legitimate way, and make her unable to complain."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
Granny Sun approached the Empress and whispered something to her. The Empress listened and nodded in satisfaction.
"Do as you say, go ahead."
"yes."
Lou Bingling arrived at the beginning of the 11 PM.
Jiang Fushi had just woken up from her afternoon nap when she saw her gracefully arrive carrying a book box.
"Your Highness, look! What wonderful things have I gathered for you?" She opened the book box, inside which were several ancient books with yellowed pages but well-preserved, namely "Supplement to Herbal Remedies" and a set of "Detailed Explanation of Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold".
"Your Highness, don't you want to study medicine? These books are rare copies that I specially ordered people to find; it took a lot of effort."
In fact, Jiang Fushi already knew the contents of the classics by heart, but faced with Lou Bingling's sincere feelings, she still treated it as a treasure and carefully asked Qingdai to put it away.
The two sat side by side on a soft couch under the window.
Zisu served freshly brewed almond tea, and its rich, sweet aroma immediately filled the room.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the pages of the book, the teacup, and the two people's slender fingers, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
"Your Highness..." Lou Bingling raised an eyebrow playfully, "Do you still remember Li Wanru, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yongjia, whom you met at Ci'an Temple that day?"
"Um?"
Of course I remember.
Li Wanru secretly sprinkled red cinnabar powder on the incense she was about to light, intending to injure her. However, she turned the tables and handed her an incense stick laced with Seven-Step Chaotic Spirit Powder, causing her to lose her composure and make a fool of herself in front of the Buddha.
"What's wrong with her?"
As the daughter of the Grand Commandant, Lou Bingling was far more well-informed than Jiang Fushi, who lived a secluded life.
"She's become famous. The scene of her suddenly going mad at Ci'an Temple that day has been spread by the worshippers present."
"Her behavior in front of the Buddha was inappropriate and she used foul language repeatedly, which has become a topic of conversation in the capital."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Fushi picked up her almond tea, gently blew on it, and a faint smile curved her lips. "Is that so?"
“Li Wanru usually relies on her status and speaks harshly, which has made her many enemies in the circle of noble ladies in Beijing.”
"After she made such a huge fool of herself, the noble ladies in the capital who had grudges against her were all secretly stirring things up, hoping that she would never be able to recover."
"Because of this, Li Wanru has been feigning illness and hiding in the Marquis's mansion for some time now, which can be considered as reaping what she sowed."
"By the way, Your Highness," Lou Bingling changed the subject, "you have a grudge against Cao Zhang, and after all, he is the Empress's nephew, and the Empress..."
Some things, once said, become reality.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a message was announced from outside the courtyard: Eunuch Lin, the chief eunuch of Fengyi Palace, had arrived.
Jiang Fushi and Lou Bingling exchanged a glance, their expressions slightly tense.
Lou Bingling immediately understood and got up to try to avoid it.
Logically, as a subject's daughter, Lou Bingling should kneel to receive the Empress's decree. However, her appearance at this moment would inevitably attract the attention of Eunuch Lin, potentially causing trouble. Jiang Fushi gently pressed her hand, gesturing with her eyes for her to temporarily retreat behind the screen.
She then straightened her clothes.
Eunuch Lin approached with a smile and bowed slightly: "Your Highness Princess Yuhe, we meet again. This old servant has come on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress."
"Her Majesty, mindful that the Princess has been living outside the palace for a long time and has become somewhat rusty in court etiquette, has bestowed this great favor upon her. Starting tomorrow, the Princess shall enter the palace at Chen Shi (7-9 AM) each day and go to the side hall of Fengyi Palace, where the experienced old nannies of the palace will carefully instruct her in etiquette. She may return home at Si Shi (9-11 AM). It is hoped that the Princess will diligently study and not disappoint Her Majesty's good intentions."
...
Jiang Fushi lowered her eyelashes.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will follow your instructions and will be on time tomorrow. I will not dare to be late."
"Then this old servant will return to the palace to report."
Once Eunuch Lin's footsteps had faded into the distance, Lou Bingling emerged from behind the screen, frowning as she spoke.
"This is not 'teaching etiquette' at all; it's clearly an excuse to torture people."
"For so many years, the Empress has ignored you. Why would she suddenly remember to fulfill her responsibilities as 'Empress Dowager' at this critical juncture? It must be Cao Zhang's doing; he's trying to find ways to punish you."
Jiang Fushi had also guessed this.
The Empress had suffered a loss she couldn't swallow, so how could she possibly let it go?
I'm afraid they might have even more ruthless tricks up their sleeves.
But things had already come to this point, and the imperial decree had been issued; all they could do was to deal with the situation as it came.
The next morning.
Jiang Fushi hadn't even had breakfast when Qingdai gently woke her up, informing her that the palace carriage was waiting outside the mansion.
She hurriedly changed into her palace attire, and the carriage bumped along as it headed towards the imperial city.
Outside the carriage curtain, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the streets were sparsely populated, with only the rumbling sound of wheels rolling over the bluestone road.
She was supposed to enter the palace at Chenshi (7-9 AM), but it's only just past Maoshi (5-7 AM). The Empress is deliberately trying to make her restless.
Fortunately, she had anticipated this and had Rongrong help her find the golden armor pieces that had been refined with cinnabar.
The gold armor itself is not poisonous, but if it is tempered with cinnabar for a long time, it will produce a poison called 'Red Crispy Hand'.
As the name suggests, once this poison comes into contact with the skin, it will cause numbness throughout the body, making it difficult to sit or lie down, and causing unbearable pain. The symptoms are very similar to sudden onset of malignant sores, and most imperial physicians would think that it is due to contamination with unclean things, and would find it difficult to associate it with deliberate poisoning.
She soaked her handkerchief in the ground poison for several days; if it came into contact with her skin, the poison would take effect in half an incense stick's time.
Upon arriving at the side hall of Fengyi Palace, two matrons were already waiting.
One was Granny Sun, whom Jiang Fushi had met before; the other had slanted eyes and looked like someone not to be trifled with.
“Princess Yuhe,” Granny Sun said with a forced smile, “This is Instructor Yan from the Imperial Household Department, who is most knowledgeable about palace etiquette. She will guide you through the proper procedures.”
Yan Sijiao slightly curtsied and gave Jiang Fushi a very perfunctory bow, saying, "This old servant is acting under orders. I hope Your Highness will learn carefully and not make a mistake."
She is, after all, a princess, yet the Imperial Tutor Yan treats her this way; he must have received instructions from the Empress.
Jiang Fushi nodded coldly: "Thank you for your help, Instructor Yan."
The training began with a long period of "standing posture" practice.
Yan Si ordered someone to place a thin porcelain bowl filled with water on Jiang Fushi's head and a lit incense stick on the hem of her skirt, leading her to an uneven cobblestone path.
"Your Highness, please stand here for an hour."
The bowl on her head was quite heavy when filled with water, and the pebbles on her feet made it difficult to maintain her balance. Jiang Fushi straightened her back to barely keep her balance. The water in the bowl swayed slightly, but she barely managed to avoid spilling it. The incense sticks on the hem of her skirt were hot, burning her calves.
Just as she was getting used to it and relaxed a little, Instructor Yan immediately raised the ruler in his hand and tapped Jiang Fushi's calf with a light tap: "Straighten! Does Your Highness have no bones in your leg? If incense ash falls or water is spilled, you will be punished with an additional half hour!"
Jiang Fushi gritted her teeth, focused her mind and strength again, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Granny Sun advised, "Director Yan is only doing this for His Highness's own good. If His Highness works hard now, he won't lose face in front of others and disgrace the royal family in the future."
After speaking, she excused herself to report to the Empress and temporarily left the side hall. She happened to run into Yuyao, who was coming to the Phoenix Palace to pay her respects.
Yu Yao's face was covered by a veil, but the red and swollen scars on her exposed neck and the back of her hands were still visible and could not be completely concealed.
"Your Highness, may you be well." Granny Sun bowed quickly.
Yu Yao glanced inside with disgust: "Is Yu He inside?"
"Yes, yes." Granny Sun lowered her voice and put on a cautious smile. "Her Majesty the Empress instructed me to properly 'teach' Princess Yuhe manners."
Yu Yao clenched her fists in anger.
If it weren't for the strange illness that had tarnished her appearance, making it inconvenient for her to show herself to others, she would definitely have gone to meet Yuhe in person.
This strange illness came about inexplicably. Why was she the one to suffer this misfortune, while Yuhe remained unharmed and enjoyed a peaceful life?
Since she can't have peace, then Yuhe shouldn't expect to have an easy time either.
"I trouble you, Granny, to discipline my younger sister properly and make sure she understands the Empress Dowager's loving heart."
"This old servant obeys."
As the sun rose in the east, the morning breeze of late autumn carried a chill, but Jiang Fushi was covered in a thin layer of sweat from maintaining a stiff posture for so long.
She struggled to stay upright, her legs already numb and devoid of feeling, and finally endured the hour.
Yan Sijiao said with a cold face, "The time has come. Your Highness, please rest for a moment and then practice dining etiquette later."
Jiang Fushi felt weak all over, and her legs were especially painful. Forgetting all decorum, she sat down on the ground and rubbed her calves. Qingdai and Zisu were unable to accompany her into the palace, and the Phoenix Palace was filled with the Empress's people, inside and out.
Even seeing her in such a state, none of them dared to step forward to help her up.
It hurts so much...
His neck was so stiff he could barely turn it, and his arms were trembling slightly.
I even felt a little dizzy, as if I was physically exhausted.
However, the mealtime etiquette will be coming up soon, so I guess I'll be able to take the opportunity to eat something.
At this moment, Zhan Xiao held his breath and waited under the eaves of a building outside the palace, still some distance from Fengyi Palace.
The palace was heavily guarded, with sentries both visible and hidden everywhere.
To infiltrate, the first step is to figure out the patrol routes of the palace guards and the deployment patterns of the secret guards.
He was confident that he could move freely within the palace if he were alone.
But his mission is to absolutely protect the princess's safety.
Although no one would openly lay a hand on the princess within the palace walls, creating some 'accidents' was incredibly easy for the imperial nobles who were well-versed in this art.
He seized the opportunity, nimbly flipped over, and headed towards the Phoenix Palace along the shadow of the palace roof. As he passed a large hall, he suddenly heard a deep, sustained breath.
This is the aura of a top-tier master.
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
