Chapter 193 A Smile Hides a Dagger
Qi Jia seemed to be enraged by her words. She quickly walked around the mess, rushed to Yunxiu, and raised her hand.
"Smack!"
A crisp, loud slap landed hard on Yunxiu's face!
The slap, crisp and jarring, contained the shame and anger of a failed plan and the resentment directed at the incompetence of a pawn.
"That blind lackey, so clumsy and incompetent, almost caused a huge disaster!"
Qi Jia scolded her sharply, without waiting for Yunxiu to react.
He then slapped her twice harder across the face.
"Slap—slap—"
Yunxiu turned her head to the side after being hit, her cheek quickly swelling up, but she dared not dodge, and could only cry out.
"This servant deserves to die! It's all because this servant was blind and accidentally fell. Please punish me, Master!"
With Zhu Xi's help, Wu Ya Shi managed to stand up.
Seeing Yunxiu's miserable appearance, her own experience as a palace maid stirred a pang of pity in her heart.
Looking at the mess all over the place, it really does seem like an accident?
She suppressed her wildly beating heart and said in a hoarse voice.
"Sister, let it go... It seems like it was an accident. She probably didn't mean it. Fortunately... fortunately, we're all alright..."
Qi Jia turned her head, her face showing a mixture of shame, fear, and relief.
She grabbed Wuya's hand.
"Good sister, you are so kind-hearted. This scoundrel almost killed you, and you still thought of pleading for her. I feel so ashamed and pained. How can I face you in the future!"
Uya was in a state of utter confusion and only wanted to leave the place that had almost cost her her life.
She withdrew her hand, her tone distant.
"Sister, it's a mess here. You should tidy up first. I'm frightened, so I'll go back and rest."
She stopped looking at Qi Jia and said to Zhu Xi.
"Zhu Xi, help me back."
"Yes, sir!"
Zhu Xi pursed her lips, supported the still somewhat weak Wu Ya Shi, and quickly left the East Annex Hall.
Amidst the chaos, Qi Jia watched them leave.
The worried and guilty expression on his face vanished instantly, leaving only a gloomy look.
After a long while, when all footsteps outside had completely disappeared, she said coldly.
"Get up."
Yunxiu covered her face and stood up timidly.
"I hit you to show her."
Qi Jia's voice was hoarse with exhaustion.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you, but we have to finish the play."
Yunxiu was certain that her master wasn't angry with her, and whispered.
"My lord, it's my fault for being useless..."
Qi Jia waved her hand weakly, staring blankly at the collapsed multi-treasure pavilion.
"It's not your fault... it's just that Zhu Xi has too sharp eyes and reacts too quickly..."
Her tone was filled with unbelievable hatred.
"How could she have been so lucky to turn around at that crucial moment? And so decisively pull Uya away!"
Yunxiu covered her face and whispered.
"My lord, what should we do now? Will Consort Wuya and the others... become suspicious?"
Qi Jia took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with cold light.
"It's inevitable that they'll be suspicious, but without concrete evidence, they can only be suspicious. It seems we'll have to be more careful and keep an eye on them from now on."
She sighed, her voice filled with deep resentment.
"It's just a pity... This incident has alerted the enemy, and it will be extremely difficult to find another opportunity to get rid of Wuya. As for Princess Tongjia... we won't be able to explain it to her either."
Upon hearing this, Yunxiu could only stand silently to the side, unsure of how to comfort her.
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On the other side, Wuya was supported by Zhuxi and walked unsteadily back to the west side hall.
Throughout the journey, she was absent-minded, her mind replaying the thrilling scene from earlier.
That accident happened too suddenly, too coincidentally!
That palace maid, Yunxiu, would never fall down, whether early or late.
But she fell down not long after she sat down?
She put aside her thoughts, raised her eyes, and looked at Zhu Xi beside her, whose face was filled with worry and lingering fear.
"If it weren't for you, Zhu Xi... I'm afraid I would already be..."
She couldn't continue speaking; the chair smashed to pieces by Duobaoge lingered in her mind like a nightmare.
"Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune and will surely turn misfortune into good fortune."
Zhu Xi tightened his grip on Wu Ya's somewhat cold hand, his tone carrying an unprecedented solemnity.
"But my lord, what happened today was by no means an accident!"
Uya suddenly stopped and looked at her.
"What...what did you say?"
Her voice was hoarse. She was already seven or eight parts convinced, but she still couldn't believe that her neighbor, with whom she had no grudge, could be so vicious.
Zhu Xi's eyes were serious, his tone was resolute, and he spoke in a low voice, enunciating each word clearly.
“Your Majesty, I saw it clearly! When Consort Qi Jia was talking to you, her eyes were strange. She kept glancing behind you, and her posture was also odd. Her toes were pointing towards the door, clearly as if she was about to run away at any moment.”
“I only turned around when I noticed something was wrong, and I saw that Yunxiu deliberately pretended to fall and bumped into the multi-treasure pavilion with her shoulder. She did it on purpose, and Consort Qi Jia must have known about it. Think about it, when that thing fell down, didn't Consort Qi Jia jump away and stay far away immediately? If she didn't know, how could she have reacted so quickly?”
"And then there were those slaps she gave Yunxiu later. They looked fierce, but they were actually a ruse, done to impress you, Master, so that this matter would be pinned on an accident!"
As Wuya listened to Zhuxi's clear and detailed account, the last bit of hope and pity in her heart completely vanished.
A chill ran through me!
Zhu Xi would never lie to her about this!
Yes, where do so many coincidences come from?
Qi Jia's timely evasion, her seemingly serious but actually desperate performance to distance herself from the situation.
That ruthless act of quickly taking the blame for a trusted palace maid and even slapping her...
How could this be an accident?
This was clearly a premeditated murder!
She recalled Qi Jia's tiresomely enthusiastic visits over the past two days, and her constant talk of sisterly affection.
That flattery about how the younger sister will definitely become the head of the palace in the future…
It turns out it was all an act from beginning to end!
The purpose was to lower her guard, lure her to the East Annex Hall, and then kill her!
She was still careless. It turns out that when it comes to scheming against someone, one can smile sweetly while secretly hiding a sharp knife.
All those sweet words and flattery were just a pretext to send you on your way!
"Qijia clan!"
Uya squeezed out these three words.
For the first time, resentment and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"I've noted this down."
Wuya took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging anger and hatred, and looked at Zhuxi, her voice filled with relief.
"Thank goodness for you."
Zhu Xi steadily supported her.
"Protecting my master is my duty."
Uya nodded.
This life-or-death ordeal wasn't entirely without its rewards; it allowed her to see clearly whether her neighbor was a human or a ghost.
He also gained a truly sharp and absolutely loyal dagger, and a loyal servant to whom he could entrust his life.
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Inside the dining hall of Kunning Palace.
Jiang Nan picked up a small white porcelain bowl and sipped the ham and bamboo shoot soup inside with an elegant and composed demeanor.
Zhao Deyi thought that his master had used up almost all of his food, so he tiptoed forward a few steps, bowed, and reported in a low voice.
"Your Majesty, news has come from Yonghe Palace that an accident occurred in the East Annex Hall this afternoon. A rosewood display cabinet somehow collapsed."
Jiang Nan didn't even lift her eyelids, continuing to drink her soup, her voice flat and emotionless.
"Oh? No one's dead?"
"Your Majesty, no one has been killed."
Zhao Deyi lowered his voice even further.
"However... Consort Wuya happened to be a guest at Consort Qijia's residence in the East Annex at the time, and I heard that... she was so startled that she almost fell on her head."
Jiang Nan paused slightly in her hand holding the spoon, then finally raised her eyes, a faint hint of interest flashing in them.
"Wuya was here? And she was frightened?"
She put down the soup bowl, picked up the warm, damp cloth beside her to wipe the corner of her mouth, her tone carrying a knowing, playful air.
"If she was scared, it means she was almost crushed to death."
Zhao Deyi quickly bowed.
"Your Majesty is wise; it seems... that is the case."
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