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Qingyin watched Kang Changzai and Zhenpin grow increasingly anxious in front of her. She observed their tense actions and words with great interest. Just as the two were about to reach their limit and leave, Qingyin smiled and said, "The weather is nice today, let's go for a walk."
The two exchanged a surprised glance before agreeing repeatedly.
It's springtime, and the warm breeze under the bright sunshine makes people feel sleepy. Although Qingyin's pregnancy is still in its early stages, her belly is much bigger than that of a typical pregnant woman. Granny Ma helped Qingyin walk outside.
So, at the perfect moment of sunshine, Qingyin was led by the two to the edge of a pond filled with blooming lotus flowers. Golden, yellow, and red fish swam freely in the water, occasionally releasing a series of dreamy bubbles from beneath the lotus leaves. The area Qingyin was near was one with fewer lotus flowers. Without the obstruction of lotus blossoms and leaves, large swathes of water, tinged with the green of algae and aquatic plants, shimmered with colorful light under the sunlight. That light shone on Qingyin, making her face even more dreamlike, hazy, otherworldly, and breathtakingly beautiful.
Consort Kang and Consort Zhen were also stunned, a sudden, indescribable panic rising in their hearts. They had caused Consort Xian's injury; could the Empress really protect them?
But with the arrow already on the bow and the Empress's men watching in the shadows, they had no choice but to act.
According to their plan, they would secretly sprinkle poison powder, which attracts cats, on Consort Xian. The Empress would then release the cat, and if it got scared, it would scratch her stomach, which would be ideal. Even if she didn't miscarry, it would be fine. As long as she was scratched, Consort An could then take action.
The two exchanged a glance, hardened their hearts, and took action.
Kang Changzai began to approach Qingyin. Today, in order to make her movements easier, she had specially changed into a robe with wide sleeves, which seemed a bit hot in this weather. Whether it was the heat or nervousness, sweat dripped down her fairly pretty face.
Consort Kang: "Your Majesty, why don't you feed these little fish? I brought some fish food with me. It's a clever idea and quite fun."
To divert attention, Consort Zhen smiled and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, look how fat this little fish is. Its belly is so round and bulging, and it's even trying to get me to feed it."
Qingyin smiled gently at the slightly nervous Consort Kang and the seemingly calm Consort Zhen, and deliberately turned her head away to give Consort Kang a chance.
Just as Consort Kang was looking for an opportunity to strike, her eyes lit up. With lightning speed, she sprinkled a handful of poison powder before handing over the fish food. With her other hand, she pretended to be interested in feeding the small fish, and the poison powder in her palm gradually dissolved into the water. This was what the Empress had told them. The poison powder dissolved in water, making it difficult for anyone to find evidence. They had tested it in private and it did indeed dissolve in water. After doing all this, Consort Kang glanced guiltily at Consort Xian, and then lowered her head to feed the other small fish.
Qingyin detected the poison powder the moment it appeared. She remained silent and had the system distribute it evenly to the two of them. She decided to enjoy this generous gift she had prepared herself, and her smile became even gentler.
"Where did this cat come from? It's quite pretty!" Yulan, with her sharp eyes, noticed it. She knew her mistress liked cats and had even kept one when she was young, so she hadn't chased it away yet. Besides, the cat was far away, and its snow-white, shiny fur, blue eyes, and long, slightly curled body made it truly beautiful.
Consort Zhen's eyes flickered, knowing that Her Majesty the Empress had already made her move. She smiled and said, "Your Majesty likes cats? This cat must be the Persian cat that was presented to the Emperor before. It's so good-looking, it's really beautiful. The servant who was in charge of the cat must not have been paying attention and it ran away on its own."
Consort Kang chimed in tacitly, "They're really beautiful, and they look quite docile. They don't seem afraid of people at all, and they're even lying there sleeping peacefully. They're so cute. It's a pity that I'm of low rank and can't speak up for the Emperor. I really wish I could keep one."
“
Qingyin smiled slightly as she watched the two of them trying to lure her closer to the white cat. "It is indeed adorable. Yulan, go and bring the cat over. I want to take a closer look."
A sense of vigilance arose in Mama Ma's heart. When she saw her mistress's knowing tapping on the pavilion pillar, she relaxed slightly. This was a gesture that the Empress had used to reassure her since childhood. When she was little, the Empress would sometimes secretly make her cooperate in order to avoid learning some of the Lady's handicrafts. Only then did she understand the meaning of this gesture. She followed Qingyin without moving, but she felt extremely suspicious and wary of Consort Kang and Consort Zhen, who had visited her several times. Although Consort Ling and Consort An were the same, they gave people a completely different feeling.
Seeing Consort Xian's smile inexplicably gave the two of them a bad feeling.
Yulan picked up the cat, but the white cat suddenly became agitated after getting close.
"Ah! Ahhh, my face!" A sharp scream from a woman startled Yulan, who quickly shielded Qingyin and stepped back.
Provoked, the white cat frantically scratched and clawed at the two women. The action happened in an instant, and before Yulan and the others could react, the cat had already frantically slashed several bloody gashes on the faces of Consort Kang and Consort Zhen.
Only after realizing what was happening did Qingyin's servants throw stones at the white cat, which then ran away in pain.
Qingyin pretended to be frightened and leaned against Granny Ma, but in her heart she called out to the system, "System, go check on the kitten and make it run to a deserted place. We can't let a kitten lose its life because of human trickery."
"Alright, Yinyin!" Seeing the chubby kitten's disheveled escape, the system tenderly chased it into a patch of thorns, secretly feeding it the antidote and a few cat treats. Only then did the kitten return to its usual docile and quiet state. It was very satisfied with the invisible feeding ball; so many delicious treats it had never tasted before, it smelled amazing! I love it, meow meow meow!
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