life experience
"Has it been found?"
In the magnificent palace, Consort Ning casually glanced at everyone. Those kneeling on the ground dared not raise their heads or utter a word.
"It seems I've been raising a bunch of useless people."
"Your Highness, please calm your anger. Last night was... the anniversary of the late Crown Prince's death. The Empress Dowager issued an edict strictly forbidding palace servants from leaving the palace at will. We..."
"So, it's the Empress Dowager's fault?"
A playful glint flashed in Consort Ning's eyes. Suddenly, she changed the subject, and the palace servants below trembled and said in unison, "This servant was wrong."
"Very well, I will give you three more hours. If you still haven't found it within three hours, you will lose your heads."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a guard dragged in a woman who was crying and begging for mercy. Consort Ning narrowed her eyes, leaned back on the soft couch, and did not get up.
"Your Majesty, the thief has been found."
"Oh, really?"
“This person was acting suspiciously in the Imperial Garden last night, and this morning she was seen loitering around the side gate of Qianming Palace. We searched her and found that she did indeed have the Empress’s bracelet.”
"I didn't, I didn't do it. I just want to leave the palace. Your Majesty, please forgive me. I don't know anything."
"Knows nothing?" Consort Ning repeated playfully, then her eyes hardened: "Then you know everything."
He drew the sword from a nearby guard and stabbed the woman without hesitation. Instantly, blood appeared in the palace. At the same time, the maids and servants who had been kneeling lowered their eyes, having seen nothing.
"From now on, you don't need me to teach you what to say or do. This is what happens to thieves. I hope you will take this as a warning."
The girl who had been waving her hands just moments before was now lying motionless on the ground. Consort Ning waved her hand, and the guards dragged the girl away.
The maids bustled about, and in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the palace was free of any trace of blood.
Consort Ning sat in front of the prism, her eyes devoid of any expression.
The crowd watched from a distance, and no one dared to step forward.
Consort Ning entered the palace at the age of fifteen. It is said that she was originally meant to be a concubine of the Crown Prince, but she did not become a concubine. Instead, she was defiled by Prince Sui, who appeared out of nowhere. Prince Sui was stubborn and suspicious. Consort Ning did not have an easy time in the first few years after entering the palace.
When the late Empress was still alive, she was intolerant of any dissent. After giving Consort Ning a bowl of safflower, Consort Ning could no longer bear children. The Emperor was furious, the late Empress was punished and confined to her quarters, and Consort Ning completely lost favor.
Later, for some unknown reason, several years passed, and Consort Ning's appearance became even more radiant. Perhaps it was because the girl who had come of age had blossomed into womanhood, and the beauty she revealed was enough to win back the Emperor's favor.
He enjoyed the emperor's favor for more than ten years, but the late empress was deposed and confined to the cold palace three years ago, where she died without any medical treatment.
Only Xie Zheng was left behind.
Xie Zheng and Consort Ning did not have a good relationship. The woman just now was sent to the palace by Xie Zheng. It is not surprising that Consort Ning killed her.
No one could have imagined that stealing a jade bracelet would lead to being killed.
Jiang Mian returned to Ganming Palace, and the woman who had been with her the day before suddenly leaned closer and asked, "Where did you go?"
"Yun Qiao didn't come back all night last night, guess what happened to her?"
"What's wrong?" Jiang Mian asked absentmindedly.
"This morning, Consort Ning said that the thief had been caught, namely Yun Qiao. Now, Yun Qiao's body has been taken out."
"What?"
"Keep your voice down." The woman looked around and suddenly looked worried. "I understand now. We've come to the palace to die."
"Why do you say that?" Jiang Mian hadn't reacted yet. Yun Qiao, she seemed to remember her. Yesterday, right after Granny Kong left, a woman couldn't help but cry because she missed home. She never expected that it would end like this today.
"Think about it, His Majesty is in his prime. How could such a wonderful opportunity as entering the palace fall to us? Now His Majesty is probably not going to make it. I suspect that once His Majesty dies, you and I will both be buried with him."
The man speaking to her was named Wei Qiao, and he was looking at her with a sigh.
Jiang Mian suddenly became curious about how Xie Zheng had chosen them. She had initially thought that most of these ten people had entered the palace with ulterior motives, but with two people dying one after another, and this one looking so innocent, she couldn't help but wonder if she was the only one being treated specially.
"Ladies, have you forgotten the rules? It is forbidden to discuss noble people in the palace."
As soon as I looked up, Granny Kong's face came into view.
Wei Qiao immediately lowered his head, showing a very good attitude in admitting his mistake.
Jiang Mian followed her example and dared not say another word.
"Considering this is the first offense for both young ladies, this old servant will not hold it against you. I will only fine you half a month's salary. Miss Wei Qiao, please go and serve His Majesty breakfast. Miss Jiang Mian, please come with this old servant."
Wei Qiao nodded blankly. Unlike the others who were all fighting and killing, Granny Kong seemed very kind, like an elder in the family. But unexpectedly, she was ruthless when it came to punishing people.
Although half a month's wages wasn't much, she didn't have much income to begin with, and it really hurt to see that hard-earned money slip through her fingers. However, compared to those two, at least she saved her life.
Wei Qiao dared not object to this and quickly got up and headed towards His Majesty's palace.
Jiang Mian didn't know why this old woman had asked her to stay behind alone.
Fortunately, Granny Kong didn't keep her in suspense, but said, "The Empress Dowager wishes to see the young lady."
Empress Dowager?
Could it be that the Empress Dowager found out about what happened last night?
However, Jiang Mian couldn't figure out why the Empress Dowager wanted to see her, so she carefully followed Granny Kong into the Empress Dowager's palace.
Wanshou Palace wasn't far from here, and before long, Jiang Mian arrived at the Empress Dowager's Palace. Unlike the medicinal smell that filled Ganming Palace, this place was quiet to the point of being deserted.
Jiang Mian was unsure of herself, but Granny Kong said nothing. She led Jiang Mian to the palace and then helped a woman with gray hair and a Buddhist rosary to walk out from behind the curtain.
"This servant greets Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
Jiang Mian knelt down, burying her head deeply in the ground.
"Raise your head." These were the first words the Empress Dowager spoke to her. Jiang Mian raised her eyes and, this time, clearly saw the Empress Dowager's appearance.
I heard that the Empress Dowager likes to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures. She even built a temple in the palace to enshrine many eminent monks. Today, I see that the person in front of me is full of Buddhist nature, compassionate and kind, which makes people want to get closer to her from the bottom of their hearts.
"So alike, so very alike." The Empress Dowager looked at her face, her eyes revealing an emotion she did not understand.
"Your Majesty, everything is still uncertain. You can be happy once I have sent someone to investigate."
“What is there to check? This face is exactly the same as hers. Didn’t Xunyang have a daughter back then? If we calculate the time, her grandson is indeed this age.”
"And this jade pendant." The Empress Dowager suddenly became emotional and reached out to pull off the jade pendant from Jiang Mian's waist: "This is the one I personally gave to Xunyang back then."
The Empress Dowager held the jade pendant in her bosom, as if she were seeing her dear friend's youthful appearance. Many years had passed in the blink of an eye, and now she was standing before her like this.
"Get up, stop kneeling."
Jiang Mian got up, her mind filled with increasing doubt.
"This servant thanks the Empress Dowager."
"Child, you are the descendant of the Grand Princess who was lost among the common people. The Grand Princess Xunyang is your maternal grandmother." The Empress Dowager took Jiang Mian's hand, her eyes moist. After a long separation, she often recalled her youth, when her old friends were still around and she was in the prime of her life.
Unlike now, where people are either dead or injured.
She was left alone, suffering loneliness within the cold palace walls.
"My maternal grandmother?" Jiang Mian was even more confused.
“My maternal grandmother was from the Shen family of Jeju.”
"I know that Lady Shen has done a great service this time. Good child, listen to me, your mother is the daughter of the Grand Princess and a scholar..."
It took Jiang Mian a long time to recover from the shock in the Wanshou Palace.
She never imagined that her mother's birth would be so difficult, and that the princess's affair with the scholar—a scene she had only ever seen in storybooks—was now happening to her in real life.
She has no relation to the Shen family whatsoever; she is a descendant of the Grand Princess.
"Good child, you have suffered so much all these years." The Empress Dowager held her hand tightly, her eyes filled with tears. Jiang Mian was still in a state of great shock and did not know what to say upon hearing this.
She didn't suffer much.
The one who truly suffered was her mother.
She was born unexpectedly, wandered from place to place, and was eventually adopted by Old Madam Shen. Her mother died young and never got to see the truth. The Grand Princess entered the Buddhist order, and it is unknown whether she still remembers the only person in the mortal world with whom she still has a blood connection.
Everything is fate.
The Emperor's grace is boundless; yet, none of those involved in that love affair met a good end.
Jiang Mian didn't feel at all that such a status was an honor.
The capital city is currently turbulent and unpredictable. She has been drawn into it and learned about her own background. Behind all of this, there is a pair of hands pulling the strings.
After leaving Wanshou Palace, it was still Granny Kong who led the way for her.
"This servant has already sent someone to the Shen family to verify. Once your identity is clear, the Empress Dowager will certainly not wrong you."
"Thank you, Granny."
"The Empress Dowager also said that you no longer need to live in Ganming Palace. Starting today, you should move to Wanshou Palace, where it is quiet and no one will disturb you."
“…Okay.” Having received too much information at once, Jiang Mian really needed to catch her breath.
However, before she could fully recover, an uninvited guest arrived late at night.
Still in the Imperial Garden, Xie Zheng had his back to her. When Jiang Mian saw that familiar figure, everything became clear.
It was he who sent her to the palace.
It was also he who arranged for Granny Kong to teach her.
It was he who personally tied the jade pendant to her body.
Xie Zheng was the mastermind behind all of this.
Did he go to all that trouble to set up such a grand scheme just to defend against the enemy's attacks?
At this moment, Jiang Mian felt that his purpose was not so simple.
"It seems you've already guessed why I'm here tonight."
"Your Highness, please speak frankly."
Xie Zheng suddenly laughed, his approving gaze falling on Jiang Mian. After a moment, he said, "Father has at most one month left. I want you to obtain the Imperial Seal within this month."
Sure enough, this was his ultimate goal.
The imperial seal was like the emperor himself, and such a precious item could not be easily obtained by an ordinary palace maid. However, since she was now the granddaughter of Princess Xunyang and had the Empress Dowager's support, it became much easier for her.
So that's what he was planning.
What if I refuse?
"Do you think I wouldn't have thought of this? Since I dared to use you, I must have made all the necessary preparations. Have you been feeling dizzy these past few days, and fallen asleep without realizing it?"
"What did you do to me?" Jiang Mian asked nervously.
"I specially sought out this poison for you, the Jade Spring Poison. When it takes effect, you will feel as if thousands of ants are gnawing at your body, piercing your very soul. You will slowly lose your five senses, first your sense of taste, then your sense of perception, and finally, you will be blind and deaf. Slowly, one day, you will find that you can finally feel pain again. However, this time, you will face death."
"Xie Zheng, you're despicable!" Jiang Mian suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. When did he poison her?
She was completely unaware.
"Don't be nervous. The poison will take another month to take effect. If you obediently give me what I want, I will naturally give you the antidote. After all, it would be a real pity to die with such a beautiful face like that."
Jiang Mian felt disgusted by his touch and quickly backed away.
Xie Zheng was not annoyed at all. He had achieved half of his goal. As long as everything went smoothly, the supreme ruler of the world would be his sooner or later.
And if she behaves well, he will treat her well.
Jiang Mian didn't know how she got back. She knelt on the small soft couch and finally couldn't bear it anymore, bursting into tears.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
