CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19: COMING TO THE RESCUE

Although she had archived her visit, Yun Jiao did not go to the popular tourist spots like the Imperial Garden.

She walked towards the secluded areas, places less likely to encounter the Emperor by chance, where the court concubines wouldn’t usually wander around. Even if she met someone, it would likely be a like-minded, worldly indifferent Buddhist-style concubine like herself. Yun Jiao admired the lake scenery for a moment, then walked into Chunlin, where she vaguely heard some noise, and upon closer listening, a woman was speaking.

"I have long promoted you, yet you always disappoint me."

"Do you know? Every time the family sends a letter asking me to recommend you to the Emperor, I want to tear the letter to shreds, as if I never received it...but I can’t be so selfish; I have to consider the Ji Family."

The woman had an incredibly pleasant voice.

No matter how cold the words, there was inexplicably an additional three-tenths of tender affection when she spoke them.

"My Lady!"

Xue Ya lowered her voice, tugging on her master’s sleeve.

There is only one person in the palace who would refer to herself as "I" and has the surname Ji—

Lady Shufei of Yanxi Palace, the Emperor’s cousin, the legitimate daughter of the Ji Family, Consort Ji’s elder sister.

"Lady Shufei always cherishes her reputation and doesn’t easily punish others. I didn’t expect her to be so harsh on her half-sister... It’s rare for someone to set foot here, my Lady. It’s best to leave quickly."

Yun Jiao didn’t immediately recognize the voice of this harem bigshot, firstly because Lady Shufei had never deigned to glance at her, and secondly because Lady Shufei didn’t like talking during the morning greetings, often holding her fragrant cheeks in her hands while sipping tea, generally ignoring even the Empress. Now reminded by Xue Ya, she remembered and was torn over whether to secretly slip away—she didn’t like to start trouble, but she was quite interested in unfolding random incidents!

As she hesitated, another female voice sounded: "This concubine is willing to listen to elder sister’s teachings and obeys completely."

This affectedly cool voice, Yun Jiao recognized it.

After all, it was in Chuxiu Palace that she made a hundred taels of silver, thanks to this fortune-bringing child.

"Are you really willing to listen?" Lady Shufei asked.

"As long as elder sister is appeased, this concubine will certainly comply."

"Very well, not bad," Lady Shufei chuckled lightly, with a hint of pleased amusement: "Jump down here, and later when I save you, you’ll gain a good reputation as someone who sacrificed themselves to save their sister, and you can win the Emperor’s pity."

What the hell!

Yun Jiao originally just wanted to hear some sisterly gossip, but she didn’t expect to stumble upon a secret plot.

There was a moment of silence inside.

"Elder sister, it’s almost winter, I can’t swim..."

Consort Ji’s voice trembled slightly, no longer carrying the cool tone of Chuxiu Palace, only a note of pleading.

"It’s even better if you can’t swim; it would be more convincing. The Emperor’s eyes are sharp and cannot tolerate any falsity," Lady Shufei’s words brimmed with a light-hearted chuckle: "Alright, go quickly; I will remember to save you."

Witnessing the crime scene, Yun Jiao’s mind was in turmoil.

As a modern youth raised under the Five-Star Red Flag, everyone has the responsibility to prevent crime scenes.

But from a modern person’s perspective, Lady Shufei is the definite superior, the management, while she’s just a low-level worker. If she rushes in to interfere, it would be disrupting the leadership... Of course, all that reasoning just shows she’s a bit timid.

"No, sister, sister..."

When Consort Ji’s voice of pleading sounded, Yun Jiao’s head buzzed, and adrenaline temporarily took the high ground.

Xue Ya said Lady Shufei is very concerned about her reputation.

For Lady Shufei to dare do such a thing, she likely relies on the assumption that no one is here.

So she would be the witness.

"Wow, it’s so serene and beautiful here!!!!"

Yun Jiao shouted to make her presence known while striding quickly towards the source of the sound.

As a result, she hurried too much and tripped.

Not far away, a sturdy eunuch was grasping Consort Ji’s hand, about to push her into the lake. Just as he was about to succeed, the four of them saw a furry ball roll on the ground.

The furry ball squeaked, struggling to get up.

Seeing it was the recently fashionable Attendant Lady Xi, Lady Shufei’s beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

"This concubine, this concubine greets Lady Shufei."

Yun Jiao staggeredly stood up and bowed to Lady Shufei.

She gambled that Lady Shufei would restrain herself in the presence of outsiders.

If not, she would start over, using another means to save Consort Ji.

Even knowing she could reload time, Yun Jiao’s heart hovered, unable to settle, surrounded by silence, only the faint crunch of her steps on the dry leaves. Sometimes, the human heart is too inexplicable; she disliked watching superhero movies, had a condition that prohibited strenuous activity, and doctors forbade her from watching tearjerkers because extreme emotions were also strenuous for the heart. Yet those superheroes could fly to the skies and dive to the depths, and she was openly envious.

Clearly, she didn’t have a hero complex, but she couldn’t just stand by and watch a young girl who had done no wrong suffer harm. What’s more frightening is that today’s inaction would transform her into a truly cold-hearted monster—

Once, her heart needed a pacemaker to maintain a steady beat.

Now it was pounding vigorously because of bravery.

"Attendant Lady Xi, what a coincidence."

Clouds obscured the sun, casting a shadow over Lady Shufei’s beautiful face.

Time seemed suddenly to slow down significantly.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Lady Shufei held an embossed gold pocket watch, a Western gift from the Emperor. She glanced down at the time, and then spoke kindly to Yun Jiao: "The hour is late. Since Attendant Lady Xi is here, please accompany my sister and enjoy the scenery."

Yun Jiao did not know how many calculations Lady Shufei made at that moment. Her worldly experience was still limited; mostly, she had seen the white-clad angels who rescue the dying and heal the wounded. She spoke, "Farewell, Lady Shufei," watching that light purple figure leisurely leave before turning around, only to be shocked by Consort Ji’s face.

Consort Ji looked pale, her forehead and neck covered in sweat, as if she had just been pulled from the water.

"Um..."

Yun Jiao took a step back: "Don’t die in front of me, now that Lady Shufei has left, there’s no evidence."

Consort Ji: ...

She paused and said: "I’m fine, just a bit warm."

It’s nearly winter in autumn, yet she claimed to be hot.

Yun Jiao tugged her collar: "Uh-huh, you’re fired up with anger from your sister, liver weak and fire excessive, I get it."

Days later, Consort Ji still found it hard to face her. During this period, everyone compared Yun Jiao to her, a joke that the dignified Ji Family’s daughter, supported by Lady Shufei, was outdone by the unbacked Attendant Lady Xi; yet now Attendant Lady Xi had unhesitatingly come to her rescue.

Consort Ji asked: "Did you come specifically to save me?"

Yun Jiao denied it: "I was just passing by. I don’t know what happened with you guys; don’t let Lady Shufei come after me to silence me."

Consort Ji fell silent again.

She looked at Yun Jiao’s naïve and carefree face, deeply moved, barely holding back tears: "Lady Shufei speaks well of recommending me for the benefit of the Ji Family, but in truth, it’s because she’s been in the palace for years and hasn’t conceived, wanting to borrow my womb to bear a child, then take my own son away."

Yun Jiao: "Lady Shufei is quite confident."

Consort Ji: "The harem is perilous, and the Ji Family’s connections in the palace are all in her hands. She has confidence that I dare not defy."

Yun Jiao shook her head: "No, I mean how can she be sure you can conceive?"

...

Consort Ji looked towards Xue Ya behind Yun Jiao: "Does your master always talk like this?"