CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 104: CALCULATIONS

As for how the pillar broke? Xia Ruqing didn’t want to explain anymore. And as for who had tampered with that perfectly good beam, Xia Ruqing didn’t even need to think about it.

Honored Lady Lan’s face turned pale, extremely worried. "It couldn’t have been someone close to you, could it?"

Xia Ruqing smiled and shook her head. "No!"

Qiu Tong and Qiu Ye handled rough tasks and always worked in the back courtyard. They had been thoroughly disciplined and were very obedient, usually not daring to come to the front unless necessary. Xiao Xizi and Zi Yue were her personal attendants, the kind that followed her everywhere.

She was in the open while her enemy was in the shadows; it wasn’t difficult to exploit Zhaohua Pavilion’s vulnerabilities. Ultimately, the Noble Consort had indeed gone to great lengths to try and kill her!

Xia Ruqing laughed softly to herself. To kill me? Unless one day this harem belongs to Noble Concubine Shih, otherwise... I’m not dead yet! So what if my status is low? There’s always a way out. As long as I want to live, I’ll find a way!

Honored Lady Lan and Honored Lady Xi both sighed. "Alas, no matter what, thankfully Lady Xia is unharmed!"

"Yes!" Xia Ruqing nodded. The three of them then changed the subject.

Honored Lady Xi noticed the plums drying in the courtyard and felt her mouth water! "Elder Sister Xia, what are you making?"

Xia Ruqing explained, adding that the preserved plums, once ready, would be deliciously sweet and sour.

Honored Lady Xi’s eyes immediately lit up. "Elder Sister Xia, when you’ve finished making them, could... could you give me some? I like sweet and sour things too!"

Xia Ruqing then laughed and said, "Okay."

Honored Lady Lan was timid and meek. She also wanted some but was too shy to ask, clutching her handkerchief and lowering her head, saying nothing.

Seeing this, Xia Ruqing added, "When it’s ready, you’ll all have some! I made plenty!"

Honored Lady Lan looked up apprehensively, then, after a stunned moment, thanked her with delighted surprise.

At that moment, the rabbit in Honored Lady Xi’s arms kept squirming, no longer as docile as when it first arrived. Honored Lady Xi checked the Shi Chen and said, "It’s almost noon, Eldest Sister Lan, we should leave! If we don’t, my rabbit will bite me."

Honored Lady Lan hastened to nod. "Indeed. If we return late, Consort Yun will start to worry!"

Hearing this, Xia Ruqing casually remarked, "Consort Yun really treats you both so well!"

Honored Lady Xi became cheerful. "Isn’t that the truth! I think Consort Yun is a genuinely good person."

Speaking of Consort Yun, Xia Ruqing suddenly remembered that in recent days, Consort Yun had been giving her strange looks. She felt that something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what exactly. Perhaps... I’m just being too sensitive, always on edge.

She then smiled and said, "Then you better hurry back, lest Consort Yun worry further!"

"Yes!" Honored Lady Xi agreed, and after bidding farewell, the three dispersed.

After the two left, it was already time for lunch. Xiao Xizi went to fetch the meal, while Zi Yue attended to her.

Xia Ruqing sat by the window alone, staring at the two rows of Xiangfei Bamboo, lost in thought.

"What is Master thinking about?" Zi Yue asked.

Xia Ruqing replied subconsciously, "Tell me, why has Consort Yun suddenly become such a saint? Even if her family had encountered trouble and her father had been demoted by the Emperor, there was no need for her to act this way. Being so kind to the two young Honored Ladies was completely out of character for her. It wasn’t normal!"

Anything out of the ordinary is suspicious. After careful consideration, Xia Ruqing instructed, "Keep a close watch on the affairs of Yaoyue Palace! If there’s anything unusual, let me know at once!"

Truthfully, Zi Yue, despite being by her side every day, couldn’t unearth any useful information. At best, all she gathered were the rumors circulating within the palace.

Xiao Xizi, on the other hand, was more reliable. He was quick-witted and clever, with a smooth and persuasive way of talking. When he went to the Imperial Kitchen to fetch meals, he thoroughly familiarized himself with everyone, high and low. Eunuchs enjoy being flattered too, don’t they? Usually, by chatting and gossiping with everyone, he quickly got a comprehensive understanding of palace affairs.

A maid of the Noble Consort broke a vase and was punished by kneeling until her knees were bruised. The Second Princess’s wetnurse nanny accidentally let the princess catch a cold and was fined a month’s silver by Consort Hui Pin. All kinds of matters, big and small—if you wanted to know, there was always a way to find out. After all, in a place like the Imperial Kitchen, servants from every master’s residence would visit three to five times a day. By making a few more trips, chatting a bit more, and listening a bit more, the information gathered could be substantial!

Seeing his liveliness and cleverness, Xia Ruqing entrusted him with this task. This way, the information reaching Qingya Residence wouldn’t be too outdated.

「Jiaofang Hall」

As the weather became hotter, the Empress grew increasingly irritable. With the Noble Consort’s belly growing day by day, how could she not be?

"Did you find out if the Noble Consort craves sour or spicy foods?" There’s a saying, ’sour cravings for a boy, spicy for a girl.’ The Noble Consort claims she’s carrying a son. The Empress didn’t believe it; she had to verify it herself!

Yu Lan’s expression darkened as she stepped forward and said, "I found out. The staff at the Imperial Kitchen say that the Noble Consort greatly craves sour foods!"

Hearing this answer, which once again confirmed her fears, the Empress’s expression turned visibly grim. "She’s so damned lucky!"

Yu Lan furrowed her brow. "Your Majesty, don’t you still have Honored Lady Hu?"

Sister Ji then stepped forward and said, "That’s right, Your Majesty. Although Honored Lady Hu is a dull blade, she is still a blade. With no one else available, she’ll have to do for now. As long as she can eliminate the target, that’s what matters!"

The Empress’s eyes lit up for a moment, her mind clearly working on something. After a long time, she finally nodded.

Honored Lady Hu’s recent days were not going well either. Life is suffering for all, and she too merely wanted to survive. The Empress wanted her to kill the child in the Noble Consort’s womb. But she knew that was a path leading to death. However, disobeying the Empress was also a path to death. Just like that, she had forcibly pushed herself into a dead end, yet managed to steal a few more days of relative comfort.

Looking at the lavish meal on the table, she understood. This is all from the Empress! These good days I’m enjoying... the Empress still has the power to grant them. After pondering for a moment, she made her decision. Since I must live, and since... there’s no hope of survival from the Noble Consort’s side, then this is the only path left!

As she spoke, she clutched a packet of powder tightly in her hand. Fuzi Powder. Just this one packet could make the Noble Consort miscarry! But... what method should I use? If anything went wrong, the Empress certainly wouldn’t protect me. I have to protect myself. Honored Lady Hu mused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

When it came time for the change of seasons, the sewing bureau was particularly busy. All the masters’ seasonal clothes needed to be made. The fabrics and styles were all different; if they were careless with even one and a master found fault, they would be in serious trouble.

As a sixth-rank Honored Lady, Xia Ruqing’s clothes arrived a bit later. It wasn’t until the sixteenth that the sewing bureau delivered all the clothes.

The person who came was a Palace Maid named Xiao Hui; she was mute. She had been healthy when she first entered the palace but later fell gravely ill. After recovering from the illness, she became mute. Fortunately, she had good sewing skills and was a hardworking and steady person. The Sisters in the sewing bureau pitied her and chose to keep her on. She occasionally ran errands and delivered clothes, but mostly, she helped out in the sewing bureau.