Chapter 7 paints a picture of a man in purple. ...
Seeing that something was wrong, Zisu moved closer nervously and asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
Jiang Fushi shook her head: "Last night, a masked man broke into the bathroom..."
"Huh?" Zisu's eyes widened in disbelief. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Your Highness, are you perhaps hallucinating from being too frightened? Should I go and fetch the imperial physician to check your pulse?"
Hallucination?
How could it be a hallucination!
Jiang Fushi said seriously, "It's true. Last night, a masked man really broke into the bathroom, and he probably killed those men in black as well."
Just then, Qingdai walked in. Hearing what she said, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "Your Highness, the Jingzhao Prefecture has examined the bodies and confirmed that these people died from fighting each other. The wounds match the weapons they used, and there was no third party present."
Zisu and Qingdai exchanged glances. Zisu cautiously replied, "Your Highness, you have been worrying and frightened several times recently. It is possible that your mental energy has been overworked and you have experienced some hallucinations. Please rest and recuperate. I will go and fetch the imperial physician right away."
Seeing that both of her trusted maids thought so, Jiang Fushi leaned against the headboard in a daze, slowly raised her hand, and took her pulse.
The pulse was steady, with a very subtle, stagnant feeling, as if it had been stimulated by acupuncture.
She wasn't hallucinating; she remembered very clearly that there was indeed a masked man in purple who fought with the man in black and then broke into her bathroom.
What exactly happened? Why did the Jingzhao Prefecture say it was a fight between two groups of thieves? Could it be that last night, she really did have a fit of hysteria?
That cold gaze, that sharp sword light... her memory was so clear, every moment was so real and unforgettable.
The people of the Jingzhao Prefecture couldn't find out, perhaps because that person's methods were too clever, and the forgery was so seamless that even the Jingzhao Prefecture was deceived.
Who exactly is he?
He controlled her, but didn't kill her. What exactly did he want to do?
A chill ran through Jiang Fushi, and she pulled the covers over her head, a profound sense of powerlessness washing over her.
I couldn't help but recall the series of "accidents" I had encountered since returning to the palace.
From the poisoning two years ago to the assassins breaking into her mansion now, every single time, they've pushed her to the brink of death.
She wanted to live a peaceful life, but this vast imperial city simply couldn't accommodate her.
No matter how low-key, cautious, or tolerant she is, there will always be people who want to take her life.
After carefully examining Jiang Fushi's pulse, the imperial physician confirmed that there was nothing wrong with her health, prescribed some calming medicine, and then took his leave.
Zisu hurriedly took the prescription to the small kitchen to brew the medicine, while Qingdai served Jiang Fushi to have dinner in the outer room.
On the table, the steamed sea bass was still steaming, and its aroma wafted into her nose. Jiang Fushi choked up, and instantly recalled the past.
In the dead of winter, she followed behind her adoptive father, sliding and playing on the snow-covered ice.
Her adoptive father carried simple fishing gear, chiseled a hole in the ice, squatted on the ice, and watched over the fishing rod as he fished for her.
The fish struggled fiercely in the icy water, and their flesh was exceptionally firm and sweet.
After returning home, her adoptive father would cook for her personally. In the small thatched hut, they would sit facing each other by the fire, each with a bowl of fish soup. The warmth mixed with the fresh aroma seemed to dispel some of the winter chill.
Her ability to identify hundreds of herbs and her mastery of both medicine and poison were all thanks to her adoptive father's personal instruction.
On the eve of her departure, her adoptive father stuffed the medical and toxicology books he treasured into her luggage, repeatedly instructing her: "The hearts of people in the palace are like the sea. Learn these not to harm others, but only to protect yourself. Remember, a tree without roots should not flaunt itself. Only by concealing your talents can you last long."
She kept her adoptive father's words in mind and dared not show her talents for so many years.
Despite her forbearance, she still couldn't escape open and covert attacks, and was repeatedly driven to the brink of despair.
Six whole years.
After returning to the palace, she never saw her adoptive father again.
At the beginning of the year, a letter arrived from an old neighbor, saying that her adoptive father had passed away the previous winter. The old man passed away peacefully, only repeatedly saying that he was worried about her.
Memories of the past flooded my mind like a tide, and two lines of clear tears silently slid down, dripping into the bowl.
Although she was a princess, she was powerless and helpless in the cutthroat palace. Yu Yao had the Empress as her support and her maternal clan's power was immense, while she was nothing more than a rootless duckweed, adrift in the storm.
Even if she manages to gain a foothold, her final fate will be nothing more than being betrothed to some unknown powerful figure, becoming a pawn in politics.
Qingdai, who was setting out the dishes, noticed the tear stains on Jiang Fushi's cheeks. She hurriedly put down her silver chopsticks and pulled out a handkerchief: "Your Highness, why are you crying? Is the fish not to your liking, or are you feeling unwell again?"
Wiping away her tears with her fingertips, Jiang Fushi shook her head slightly and put a piece of fish into her mouth.
Her tears mingled with the delicious broth, salty and full of the bitter taste in her heart.
I have had dinner.
Jiang Fushi ordered people to carefully inspect every corner of the bathhouse and also brought in two of the best guards to stand outside the bathhouse before she felt safe enough to step into the bath.
While combing her long hair, Qingdai comforted her, saying, "Your Highness, the front courtyard just reported that Grand Commandant Lou was furious upon hearing about this matter. He said that such a shocking thing had happened right under the nose of the capital. He has immediately dispatched his most capable personal guards to guard the mansion and has reported to His Majesty to investigate the matter thoroughly."
"Don't worry, the manor is very safe now. Those thieves who want to break into the princess's manor again will have to think twice before they do so."
Jiang Fushi leaned against the tub wall, bathing in the hot water. Wisps of steam rose before her eyes, outlining a picture of a man in purple.
He held a blood-dripping longsword, appearing like a ghost and exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
Jiang Fushi, soaking in the hot water, couldn't help but shiver.
After bathing and changing, Jiang Fushi returned to her bedchamber and waved away all the palace servants who were standing by.
Then, she quietly walked to an inconspicuous pear wood carved wardrobe in the bedroom and pressed her slender fingers on a lotus pattern on the side.
With a very slight click of a mechanism, the wardrobe silently slid open to the side, revealing a narrow, hidden door at the back that could only allow one person to pass through at a time.
Behind the door was a dry and clean little secret room.
This was a small pharmacy she had secretly set up, unknown to anyone in the entire princess's residence.
The medicinal herbs inside were all secretly obtained by her through various means. Sometimes, she would use the pretext of praying for blessings or making sachets to send Zisu or Qingdai to the city to buy large quantities of common spices and herbs in small quantities, and then cleverly mix in the few special medicinal herbs that she really needed.
Some of the herbs were obtained by asking Lou Bingling to help them. Under the pretext of developing balms, rouge, or preparing some commonly used medicines for the servants in the mansion, she would select some herbs with similar medicinal properties that could also be used for other purposes, write out prescriptions, and send them over. In this way, she gradually collected all the herbs in the room.
The bottles and jars displayed on the shelf are all exquisite pieces that Jiang Fushi has secretly made over the years.
She picked up the small porcelain bottle in front of her, which had five characters written on it: Seven-Step Chaotic God Pill.
Compared to the troublesome side effect of amnesia caused by the Mind-Bending Powder, the Seven-Step Chaotic Pill is less toxic. It only causes people to dance wildly and talk nonsense within seven steps. Its effects are extremely rapid, making it perfect for self-defense. This way, you won't fall for it in a daze like last time and be unable to find a cure for a while.
After thinking for a moment, Jiang Fushi poured out three small, reddish-brown pills from the bottle.
The powder was crushed in a white jade bowl with a jade pestle, and then divided into hollow silver hairpins.
This makes it easy to carry around and can be used unexpectedly. Otherwise, if there is any emergency, she wouldn't be able to get the other person to take the pill.
Phoenix Palace.
A black-clad shadow guard rushed into the hall, knelt down with a thud, and said anxiously to the Empress, "Your Majesty, the three Shadow Assassins we sent out have all died at the Princess's residence. The Jingzhao Prefecture has determined after examining the bodies that they broke into the Princess's residence to steal, but they killed each other because they couldn't divide the loot. The case is closed."
Upon hearing this, the Empress slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly, exclaiming in astonishment, "What did you say? How is this possible? Didn't you say that those people were brothers from the same mother, working together seamlessly and never making a mistake? How could they be fighting amongst themselves and killing each other?"
The shadow guard lowered his head, trembling, "This...this...this subordinate doesn't know either, but Your Majesty, rest assured, this subordinate has cleaned up the mess and will definitely not trace it back to Your Majesty!"
The Empress was so angry that her fingertips trembled and her chest heaved violently. The old nanny Sun rushed forward to pat her back and soothe her: "Your Majesty, please calm down. It is important to take care of your health!"
"Is this really how the Jingzhao Prefecture ruled the case? Death due to internal strife?" The Empress's eyes were full of doubt.
The theft itself is understandable; they probably wanted to disguise it as a regular burglary to kill Yuhe, thus preventing anyone from suspecting assassination. But how did they end up killing each other, and all of them dying?
"Yes, it's true." The shadow guard mustered his courage and said, "To confirm the truth, I even sneaked into the morgue of the Jingzhao Prefecture to take a look at the body, and it does indeed match the characteristics of wounds caused by mutual fighting."
Sun Mama said at the right moment, "Your Majesty is overthinking it. Yuhe is a sickly woman. You know her own limitations. Maybe those people are just after money. If this doesn't work, we'll find a more foolproof plan."
The Empress took a deep breath, suppressing her anger. Granny Sun quickly handed her a cup of warm ginseng tea to help her calm down.
After a moment of silence, the Empress said in an icy tone, "Fine, go and handle this matter cleanly, and keep your mouth shut."
The shadow guard nodded repeatedly upon receiving the order and quickly withdrew.
Granny Sun said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Yuhe can't cause any trouble. There will be plenty of opportunities to get rid of her. There's no need to rush."
The Empress gave a cold laugh: "That's true."
As they were talking, a palace maid whispered outside the hall that Hongying from Yaoguang Palace had arrived.
Hongying was Yuyao's personal maid. When the Empress summoned her, Hongying looked distressed and said, "Your Majesty, Princess Yuyao has developed a rash all over her body and is itchy all over. Please go and take a look!"
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