Chapter 24: Also in the Game "Do you like it too?"...
Pei Da placed a trapping net filled with eggshells in the lotus pond, saying that if the number of snakes was small, they could be caught in a few days.
He used to travel the mountains and was quite familiar with snakes. "This white-flowered snake, also known as the silver ring, is docile, but its bite is almost unnoticeable until the venom spreads, making it dangerous. One or two in a field is normal, but there shouldn't be so many in a lotus pond. Those in lotus ponds are usually non-venomous mud snakes."
The emperor ordered: "From now on, you will serve in the small kitchen of Chengluan Palace and obey Concubine Ying's orders."
Pei Da was both happy and worried: "Yes."
To be chosen by His Majesty, one's future is undoubtedly bright. The chief concubine's kitchen is small, so there's no need to go through layers of exploitation, and one can get more benefits. It's just that this Lady Ying's position is too low...
But on second thought, isn't it the master's greatness that she can have a small kitchen despite her status as a beauty?
*
At night, the gauze becomes soft and hazy, just like mist and dew.
In the tent, her hair was scattered with a green hairpin, and the thin nightgown she was wearing was as light as mist.
She nestled in the emperor's arms and asked, "When did my palace have a small kitchen? Isn't that presumptuous?"
"Are you sober?" Xiao Fang first lowered his head and glanced at the man.
She also wondered if she had not been generous enough to others in the past, so that she could not even enjoy such a small detail.
He rubbed her shoulders through her clothes and said leniently, "There won't be anyone else in Chengluan Palace. If you don't want to use the kitchenette, just let it sit there and gather dust."
"How can that be?" Qing Zan said, then leaned against his collar sullenly, "Your Majesty treats me so well... Who could possibly want to harm me? It seems there are many people who hate me."
Xiao Fang narrowed his eyes: "Maybe it's because I'm too good to you."
Qing Zan keenly sensed the meaning behind his words: "Your Majesty, please don't alienate me. I already have nothing. If Your Majesty still alienates me, then wouldn't I be too pitiful?"
"Let me prove to you that I can protect myself, okay?"
"Qingqing, do you want to catch ghosts yourself?" Xiao Fang moved down her thin back, the half-bottle of wine in his throat gradually burning inside him. "When did I ever say I wanted to distance myself from you?"
Qing Zan retorted, "You haven't come to Chengluan Palace to see me these past few days."
Just as he finished speaking, he was lifted up from below by someone, and he leaned forward and fell into his arms.
Beyond the soft and messy skirt, there was something strong pressing against her secretly.
Xiao Fang lay down holding the person.
He also flexibly reached into the hem of her clothes to steal the jade and fragrance.
He suddenly exerted force, but his voice was bewitching and deep: "Then tell me, do you like it too?"
Qing Zan could only respond vaguely and weakly: "I like it, I like it..."
Xiao Fang suddenly chuckled, a delightful laugh, his breath bathing the woman's delicate, trembling flesh, no less than a gentle bite. It was as if he wanted to shake off the last of her bones, allowing her to be completely swallowed up in his arms, a perfect fusion of theirs.
*
The next morning, it was time to pay respects at Fengzao Palace.
Qingzan felt like a clay figurine that had been flattened, rounded, and reshaped. She was so listless that she couldn't even stand up, so she let Doukou dress her.
"Master is too bold."
Qingzan knew Doukou was talking about the snake. The first silver ring was not found in the water, but under the wall outside the house.
Later, she had someone throw the snake into the water and tied a bag of eggshells under the boat. When the boat was sailing, the snake came to look for food and appeared beside the boat.
Doukou was still terrified: "If His Majesty finds out, I, the victim, will be the one plotting against His Majesty. Who can I turn to for justice?"
Qing Zan smiled. The emperor couldn't possibly look under the boat. As long as the people around her didn't say anything, how could he possibly find out? She even drank and pretended to be drunk, seemingly handing over all control to the emperor. Even the boat entering the lotus pond was not her order.
The purpose of muddying the waters was partly to let the emperor see with his own eyes that someone was trying to harm her, and partly to test Pingting and Doukou, both of whom were chosen by Xu Delu and had just arrived at her side. If their loyalty to the emperor was far greater than hers, she would have to be more careful when using them.
Even if the emperor knew about her little tricks this time, it would not be a big deal, but it would be hard to say what would happen in the future.
Fortunately, Doukou and Pingting are both trustworthy.
Doukou combed her hair into a soft and elegant bun. Qingzan looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly said, "Wear the one in Yang Fei's color."
Doukou immediately went to the cupboard to get it, but she couldn't help asking: "Doesn't the master always like cool and plain colors?"
This piece in the color of Concubine Yang has always been placed at the bottom. It has been idle since it was delivered, which shows that it is not loved by the owner.
Qingzan tilted her neck to look in the mirror: "I vaguely remember that the collar was higher."
The woman in the mirror has bright red lips and charming eyes, but the most eye-catching thing is the blush on her snow-white neck.
Now she still has many such marks all over her body, all caused by one person.
Doukou had been frightened out of her wits since last night, and she had only just now noticed the red mark. Her eyes widened in surprise. Your Majesty was too... She quickly said in a shy voice, "Then shall I use powder to cover it up for you, my Lord?"
Qing Zan: “Yeah.”
Arriving at Fengzao Palace on time, even before entering, I could hear a lot of laughter and gossip, like the chirping of a nest of spring birds. The Empress had calmed down recently, so everyone was much more relaxed when paying their respects.
But as soon as Qingzan entered the room, it was as if there was some kind of suction force, and everyone in the hall looked at her. Everyone stopped talking, but their minds became more active. So the silence at this moment was so eerie, as if they were gathering strength to plan something.
Qingzan walked fearlessly into the tiger's mouth and sat in the position that belonged to her.
Before the sheep had even settled down, its fangs were already bared. This was the first time Concubine Zhen had ever looked directly at this woman of humble origins. She smiled and said, "I heard that His Majesty gave the small kitchen in Chengluan Palace to Concubine Ying?"
Seeing Concubine Zhen taking the lead, Concubine Wu immediately followed suit: "I don't know who will be the next lady to move into the main hall. I'm afraid I'll be worried when that happens. If she's not someone you can get along with, and old grudges are brought up, Concubine Ying will have to apologize carefully."
Concubine Yang had originally been furious when she saw Qingzan and had lowered her head to drink her tea. But now, seeing Qingzan being criticized like this, she did not feel happy. Didn't she go through the same thing in the past? So she said to Concubine Wu, "Maybe it's Sister Wu."
Wupin didn't know why Yang had elevated her to such a high position. Naturally, she wanted to be the host. She was stunned for a moment and said uncomfortably, "Miss Yang is being sweet today."
Concubine Zhen couldn't help but burst out laughing, and with her radiant lips curved, she said, "Concubine Wu is quite aware that she's not easy to get along with, isn't she?"
Wupin was so embarrassed that her face turned pale and red: "Yang!"
A few more people came in one after another, and by the time the queen finally arrived, the place had become increasingly lively.
Qing Zan followed the others in paying respects to the Queen. The old master and servant met, and their eyes were filled with jealousy.
However, the queen's smiling face had grown rapidly during the days when she was apart from her.
The double humiliation of being confined and having his power taken away, the letters he sent home going unanswered, the traitorous servants riding on his face and showing off their power—everything was like an arrow shot at once. His temper, unchecked for twenty years, was instantly transformed. Lessons from experience are always so crude and simple.
The Queen sat on the phoenix throne and said, "Hanliang Palace is a place of great feng shui. I haven't seen you for a few days. Lady Ying has become even more beautiful."
When Qingzan's name was called, she suddenly stood up and looked at the Queen: "Your Majesty."
The Queen was not sure what she was up to, but she hated the way she had poisoned her beautifully dressed and graceful figure when she heard someone say, "I have something important to report."
Qingzan then talked about the snake incident in Chengluan Palace, but changed the time to after the emperor left this morning.
"My men were unable to catch those snakes. They must have been frightened and escaped."
This sentence is naturally deceptive.
Upon hearing this, Concubine Wu got goosebumps all over her body. She touched her arm and frowned timidly, "Where did you escape to? Lady Ying, please explain clearly."
When she was a child, she saw a snake in the house. It was just a small snake as thick as a finger, but it was enough to make her have nightmares all night and keep her awake.
At first, the queen was worried that Qingzan was setting a trap for her on purpose, just like the cup of tea that day. If she hadn't underestimated the enemy, how could she have given this little evil spirit the opportunity to splash water all over her?
But after hearing this, he couldn't help but feel worried and frightened: "What kind of snake is this? Why is there a snake in Chengluan Palace?"
Qing Zan observed them calmly and replied calmly, "Don't worry, Madam. It's a mud snake, not poisonous."
The Queen instantly breathed a sigh of relief, and Concubine Wu also recovered a little, beginning to gloat over the misfortune: "It's perfectly normal to have snakes in a lotus pond. It seems that not everyone can enjoy this blessing."
But at this moment, Lady Zhao, who had been unusually silent today, looked at Qing Zan with a pale face and said in a somewhat unstable voice, "Lady Ying, don't be afraid of being blamed by calling a poisonous snake non-venomous."
Qingzan drooped her eyelashes, put on a faint smile, and looked up at Lady Zhao: "I have asked someone to check it out, and it is indeed a mud snake."
The maid hurriedly tugged at Lady Zhao's sleeve, but was impatiently dodged. "Lady Ying, this is a matter of life and death. I've been afraid of snakes since I was a child, and I can't tell whether they're poisonous or not. I just know that snakes are terrifying. If someone gets bitten, you'll bear the consequences..."
"Alright, stop exaggerating. Concubine Ying said it was a harmless mud snake, and you haven't seen it yourself. Just have your subordinates keep a close eye on it. If anything does happen, I and Concubine Hui will take care of it."
The Queen hasn't been very kind to Concubine Zhao recently because of Concubine Hui's incident.
"Yes." Lady Zhao sat quietly with a sullen look on her face.
There was silence for a while. As the tea was over, the Queen suddenly sighed, "Time really flies."
Concubine Wu: "Yes, among the new sisters who came in not long ago, Concubine Yang was the most outstanding one. In the blink of an eye, there are three beauties in the palace at the same time."
Concubine Yang immediately retorted, "Even beauties are different. I don't dare to claim that we are on par with each other!"
Wu Concubine was delighted when she heard this: "I heard that last time, the beauty was nearly disfigured by a cat, and it was the beauty Ying who stepped forward to save you. So it seems like you two didn't become sisters on a blind date?"
"No matter how bad Concubine Yang is, she is still the daughter of an honest family. Is Concubine Wu humiliating Concubine Yang and me?" Concubine Zhao was only quiet for a short while, but then she joined the battle again, like a cloth bag of beans with a hole in it.
Concubine Hui had originally intended to be taciturn in front of the Empress, but she ultimately had to speak up and stop them: "Don't be rude. To be honest, Concubine Ying has an extra title than you, and her position is actually slightly higher."
Lady Zhao glanced at her cousin, curled her lips, and replied dryly, "Yes."
Until the end of the greetings and the moment she walked out of Fengzao Palace, Concubine Zhao felt as if a ball of cotton was stuck in her chest and she couldn't breathe smoothly.
The maidservant had no time to comfort her. As soon as they were alone, she hurriedly asked, "Master, didn't we agree to try not to let others know that you don't like Lady Ying? What if we are found out?"
Concubine Zhao immediately raised her hand and slapped the man: "Look at your little courage, and you dare to teach me a lesson. Didn't you hear what Concubine Wu said? It's normal to have many snakes in the pond. Besides, she chased the snakes away, so what are you afraid of?"
The maid covered her face with tears in her eyes: "What if she bites someone outside..."
Lady Zhao glanced around fearfully, but seeing no sign of the snake, she said, "It would be good if it bit someone. That would have been her fault for letting the snake out. Speaking of which, it would have been nice if I could have ridden in my cousin's sedan chair for the next few days."
The maidservant had served her for more than ten years, and although she felt wronged, she still had to consider her: "Didn't Lady Ying say that she drove away a non-venomous mud snake?"
Concubine Zhao had actually been a bit frightened the past two days. She wasn't very adept at doing these sinister things in secret.
I was afraid that the snake didn't bite Ying Meiren to death, but I was also afraid that the snake really bit someone to death.
But when Lady Ying said today that she had driven the snake away, it actually gave her a reassurance.
She looked at him with her nose and said, "Are you stupid? If she admits it was a poisonous snake, wouldn't that mean she really released it to harm people? But even if she insists it's not poisonous, if a poisonous snake really hurts someone, how can she escape responsibility? Everyone will know her intentions."
The maid hummed and hummed. Seeing Consort Yuan approaching from afar, she didn't dare to say anything. She covered her face and stepped back, muttering in a low voice, "Master, you are wise."
Just like Concubine Zhao, there was also the Queen who was having a hard time.
Even if she had learned to restrain her venom, the humor was still forced. Being a queen was truly unappealing.
Why could even a beauty make her so frustrated?
What she wanted was to hear the phoenix sing on the high hill and soar into the sky, not to swallow her anger in front of a beauty.
Not long after, a palace servant who had returned from outside spotted Fu Cui in the corridor. "Aunt Fu Cui, I've heard it through inquiries. It's true. It was a mud snake, the most common water snake."
Jinyu heard what was happening behind the door, and went into the palace before Fucui to report the news to the queen.
The Queen raised her eyebrows suspiciously: "Didn't I ask Fu Cui to investigate?"
Of course, Jin Yu would not say that she was trying to steal the credit: "This servant only wants to do more for the Empress."
The Queen felt a little relieved. "You have been very obedient recently. Go and find a way to get me an identical one."
*
On the summer palace road, the procession cast faint shadows. Concubine Zhen sat in the sedan chair, her figure delicate and languid. "Where are you going, sister? It's hot, so be careful. Don't get bit by the venomous snakes you released."
Although she was not the main lady, she had the privilege of riding in a sedan chair. Wherever she went, she was surrounded by people and carried by them. Of course, she was not afraid of the little snakes walking on the ground.
When Qingzan just walked out of Fengzao Palace, she felt like she had escaped from a dark siege. Now, when she met people on the palace road, she realized that she was just going around in circles.
Her face, as white as glaze, showed neither joy nor sorrow. She only lowered her eyes and said, "I'm just about to go to the Taiji Hall."
A sharp glint flashed in Concubine Zhen's eyes, and a strange pang of bitterness settled in her heart. She gently waved the small silk fan that had been lying idle on her lap, her hand as smooth as jade, her voice delicate and charming, "Sister, your appearance reminds me of Concubine Ming Zhaoyi. She seems independent and exceptional, but in fact, she's more greedy than anyone else. Isn't that right, huh?"
After she said this, she smiled slowly and waved to the sedan chair to go away.
On this mossy green brick corridor, the imperial concubine's ceremonial procession is particularly gorgeous, reminding people of the beautiful spring day that just passed.
The God of Spring doesn’t know that the master of fireworks is missing.
*
"The little devil was caught?"
In the Taiji Hall, layers of green bamboo curtains are hung in the main hall in summer, blocking out the scorching wind and sun, leaving only the deep green shade.
At each corner stood large tin buckets filled with freshly harvested ice. Near the buckets, palace servants wielded ceremonial fans taller than themselves, wafting a gentle breeze of cool air.
At this moment, everyone was silent and did not dare to look up.
The emperor sat down with his hands slightly stretched out, and Qingzan walked up to him obediently.
She did not directly tell the emperor what she had learned from her test today, but she expected that the emperor's spies would have reported the situation during the greeting to him truthfully.
After a while, Qing Zan simply said, "To use such a radical tactic as the venomous snake, one must not be a person who can hold his temper."
Xiao Fang teased deliberately, "Qingqing, you're being quite critical of others right now. Do you realize that your own tactics back then were also quite radical?"
"I am stupid."
The tip of Qingzan's thin eyebrows lowered, and her face looked more like Xiangxue leaning against the wind with dew on her face, and she always seemed a little unhappy.
After the emperor knew a little about her life experience, he was able to forgive her a little.
But seeing such a pitiful and sad appearance, the emperor began to feel conflicted.
I want to irrigate it and bring it back to life, but I also want to destroy it in my hands.
Qingzan is equally conflicted. She knows exactly what she wants to do, yet she feels lost amidst the dense swirl of rouge and powder. She wants to avenge her family, but it seems inevitable that she'll have to step on the corpses of thousands.
Hesitation is hypocritical, and decisiveness is vicious.
Qingzan struggled to shake off the last bit of hesitation and, with an increasingly delicate expression, she touched the dark pattern on the emperor's collar with her fingertips. "Radical, but still effective, right?"
Xiao Fang had already tasted the sweetness, and suddenly pushed her down on the table, forcing her to hold her waist up, lying there helplessly like a jade sculpture that was warm to the touch.
As the man's eyes trembled in panic, the emperor seemed to smile and sigh, stern and gentle: "It is indeed effective."
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