Chapter 23 Chapter 23 I think... take this opportunity, from...
The incident of Cao Zhang's inappropriate behavior caused quite a stir, and Jiang Fushi naturally heard about it.
She listened to Cao San's report absentmindedly, leaning lazily against the soft pillows.
"Your Highness, I have done as you instructed and successfully made Cao Zhang look foolish at Xiefang Pavilion. Now..." Cao San cautiously raised his eyes, smiling ingratiatingly, "Shouldn't the antidote be..."
Jiang Fushi smiled faintly and waved gently at him.
Seeing this, Cao San quickly crawled two steps closer, staring longingly at the small white jade bottle in her hand.
Jiang Fushi did not immediately hand it over. Instead, she slightly withdrew her hand and asked in a low voice, "Where did you come from? Did you notice what was behind you when you came?"
With the medicine almost in hand, Cao San hurriedly replied, "No, no! I was extremely careful, and no one followed me. I came from Xiefang Pavilion, and lied to them that I was investigating clues about the Second Young Master's poisoning, which is why I sneaked out!"
"You're quite clever." Jiang Fushi let go of her hand.
Cao San was overjoyed. He unconsciously leaned forward a little more, reached out and caught the medicine bottle, opened his mouth and poured the antidote into it, swallowing it down.
Jiang Fushi quickly gave Liu Zi a wink, and then Liu Zi grabbed Cao San's shoulder and deftly covered his mouth and nose with her other hand.
"Your Highness... what are you doing?" Cao San struggled in terror, his voice muffled by his palms.
Jiang Fushi calmly took out a slender silver needle and, under Cao San's terrified gaze, precisely and swiftly pierced his neck, inserting three needles in succession. Cao San's eyes rolled back, and he instantly fainted.
Liu Zi grabbed Cao San by the back of his collar, dragged him into the courtyard, and stuffed him into a carriage that had been prepared beforehand.
When they arrived at the back alley near Xiefang Pavilion, the driver dragged Cao San down and made him lie face down on the ground. Then, he used a stone wrapped in soft cloth that he had prepared to strike the back of Cao San's head lightly, causing a bump, but without injuring any vital organs.
Before long, the servants of the Cao family, who had been searching inside the Xiefang Pavilion, finally found Cao San lying unconscious on the ground in the back alley after searching for a long time. They hurriedly woke him up.
Cao San opened his eyes groggily, feeling a pain and wetness on the back of his head. When he touched it, he found blood on his fingertips and immediately became incoherent.
"Blood...blood, why am I bleeding so much?"
The servant helped him up and asked anxiously, "You weren't hit by a car, were you? Do you remember what happened?"
Cao San shook his head blankly, feeling a complete blank in his mind. He couldn't even remember what he had done or why he was here.
Back at the Duke's mansion, the Duke of Jingguo intended to personally inquire about the investigation results, but Cao San knew nothing, only saying that he had been hit by a car on the street and lost his memory. Furthermore, other servants reported that nothing unusual was found at Xiefang Pavilion, so the matter had to be temporarily dropped.
A crowd gathered around Cao Zhang's bedside. The Duke of Jingguo glanced at his grandson, who was barely breathing, and his doubts and unease grew heavier. He felt that things were not so simple.
After pondering for a moment, he turned to his confidant and instructed him to relay the details of Cao Zhang's poisoning to the Empress's palace.
The Empress was casually poking at the incense ash in the incense burner with a chopstick when her nanny, Sun, with her face covered, whispered a report to her.
When the Duke of Jingguo suspected that Yuhe might be involved, the Empress immediately sneered: "That Yuhe is such a despicable person, what ability does she have to set such a trap for Cao Zhang? Father is really getting senile!"
Granny Sun chimed in, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. How could Yuhe possibly have such methods and audacity? Last time, she was just incredibly lucky, which is why Your Majesty suffered a loss in front of His Majesty..."
The Empress still felt a burning hatred when the matter was brought up.
Although he wanted to deal with Yuhe immediately, he was worried that he would make another mistake and get himself into trouble, so he could only helplessly rub his forehead.
"After this incident, Cao Zhang is already an outcast in the clan. Even if the poison cannot be found, we must insist that he was murdered by someone else. Otherwise, the Cao family cannot afford to lose face by having a grandson who went mad and lost control of his bladder in a brothel."
"Let Father put on a good show and thoroughly investigate the inner workings of the mansion."
"Make it clear to the outside world that Cao Zhang was assassinated and that's why he behaved so badly in public. That way, at least we can save some face."
Seeing this, Granny Sun stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, since what happened to your maternal family has already happened, there's no point in thinking about it anymore. However, if you want to teach Yuhe a lesson, this old servant has a plan that may solve Your Highness's biggest worry and prevent her from competing with Princess Yuyao for favor."
The Empress's eyes lit up instantly: "Oh? If you really have such a brilliant plan, tell me quickly!"
Granny Sun leaned closer, her voice extremely low: "Your Majesty's original intention was to make Yuhe no longer a threat, not necessarily to take her life. If the imperial heir is truly murdered, His Majesty will definitely investigate thoroughly, and if the matter is not handled cleanly, it will implicate you."
"But what if... what's ruined is her reputation? How can a princess with flawed character and damaged innocence stand in the palace in the future? What right does she have to compete for the emperor's favor?"
"What does Your Majesty think of this plan?"
The Empress's eyes suddenly lit up, and she couldn't help but show reliance in her gaze as she looked at Granny Sun.
Through all these years of ups and downs, it was still Granny Sun who understood her best. Otherwise, she wouldn't still have Granny Sun, whose face was still ulcerated, serving by her side.
However, since Yuhe is a princess and has lived outside the palace for a long time, it is not easy to ruin her reputation without leaving a trace.
The Empress thought about it day and night, and she actually found a solution.
She picked up her pen and wrote a heartfelt letter of repentance, "casually" mentioning at the end:
"...Your Majesty, I have been reflecting on my mistakes in seclusion and deeply regret that I may have been negligent in my care of Yuhe and failed to fulfill my duties as a mother. I am filled with remorse and unease. It is the anniversary of Empress Dowager Zhaohui's passing, and I humbly request Your Majesty to allow Yuhe to perform the sacrificial rites on my behalf. The child is quiet and the imperial mausoleum is serene, which is perfect for her to cultivate her character. If this can make up for my mistakes and fulfill the princess's filial piety, I can also find some peace of mind while I am in confinement."
The Duke of Jingguo thoroughly investigated the entire mansion, from top to bottom.
Nothing was found.
Cao San, the attendant who accompanied Cao Zhang on his trip, somehow lost his memory and forgot everything that had happened recently. If the imperial physician hadn't examined him and diagnosed him with a brain hemorrhage, people would have thought he was faking it.
Now, Cao Zhang is emaciated and in a daze all day long. He lies on his back on the bed with only a breath of turbid air. Everyone in the mansion knows that the second young master is about to die, and they are silently preparing the white silk.
Although he was heartbroken, the Duke of Jingguo had to admit that the Empress's considerations were thorough. This matter could only be treated as poisoning. Only in this way could they protect their Duke's mansion and prevent their political enemies from making a big fuss about it in court.
The most important thing right now is to preserve the family's reputation, not to save a useless grandson.
This decision to sacrifice a pawn to save the king, though seemingly ruthless, was the only option to safeguard the family's interests.
...
Since returning from the palace that day, Jiang Fushi has been recuperating quietly in the princess's residence, rarely venturing out.
Most of the time, she spent her time in her courtyard reading medical books and tending to her medicinal herb garden. She seemed to be living a peaceful life, but in reality, she was drying and processing various medicinal herbs, preparing for the future.
Unexpectedly, a few days later, an imperial edict shattered the tranquility of the princess's residence.
The eunuch Zhao Quan, who was delivering the imperial decree, unfolded a yellow silk cloth and proclaimed in a loud voice: "The imperial daughter, Yuhe, is intelligent and virtuous, and gentle and kind. Today, on the anniversary of the death of Empress Dowager Zhaohui, I am deeply grieved. I hereby order you to personally go to the imperial mausoleum on my behalf, fast for seven days, and sincerely pray for blessings to comfort the spirit of the deceased and to demonstrate filial piety and good governance. You shall depart in three days. This is my decree."
Jiang Fushi became increasingly alarmed as she listened.
In previous years, the Empress would personally preside over such ceremonies or appoint favored concubines to accompany princes and princesses. How could it be her turn, this neglected "country princess"?
It seems that this incident was just another vicious scheme meticulously planned by the Empress.
She bowed her head to accept the imperial decree and express her gratitude. After all the palace servants had left, she sat alone in the hall for a long time.
A wave of helplessness washed over her, almost suffocating her.
When will this relentless scheming finally end?
Qingdai and Zisu worked diligently, and as soon as the imperial decree was issued, they began to make arrangements for the trip.
As the servants tidied up, they couldn't help but chat. Someone said, "By the way, a few years ago during the autumn sacrifice at the imperial mausoleum, one of Consort Li's head maids went out to do errands for a nobleman and accidentally fell into that river. Her body was never found. We must remind Your Highness to stay far away from that river."
Jiang Fushi's ears twitched slightly, and she quickly asked, "What river? Where is it?"
"I heard it from the old people in the palace. There is a mountain stream next to the royal temple. A palace maid fell in and her body has never been found."
Jiang Fushi felt a surge of heat flow through her chest, making her fingertips tremble slightly.
That night, she lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
A golden opportunity.
What if she also 'accidentally' falls into the water and disappears without a trace?
I tossed and turned, pondering all night.
The next morning.
Jiang Fushi then sent someone to the Grand Commandant's residence to invite Lou Bingling over for a chat, ostensibly to ask for her embroidery patterns.
That afternoon, Lou Bingling arrived at the appointment on time. As soon as she arrived at the flower hall, before she could even sit down, Jiang Fushi pulled her into the inner room and dismissed all the palace servants who were serving her.
"Your Highness?" Lou Bingling asked in confusion. Seeing the princess's solemn expression and flushed cheeks, she asked anxiously, "Has something happened?"
Jiang Fushi took a deep breath, stared into Lou Bingling's eyes, and told her about the imperial tomb in three days.
Lou Bingling was initially confused, but after she figured out the key points, a chill slowly crept into her heart.
Jiang Fushi gripped her cold hand tightly and lowered her voice: "I want to... take this opportunity to escape the palace."
Lou Bingling was horrified, her lips trembling, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Your Highness, are you...are you insane?" Forgetting all etiquette, she spoke bluntly, her voice trembling slightly with fear.
Jiang Fushi supported her swaying arm, her gaze earnest and serious: "Bingling, you have all seen my situation over the years. The Empress has been pressing me step by step, tormenting me year after year. If I don't leave soon, I'm afraid I will die quietly in this deep palace sooner or later."
"Now that I've finally gotten this opportunity, I really, really want to fly out of this imperial city."
Lou Bingling almost fainted.
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