Consort of a Thousand Faces

After patrolling the imperial palace, the Imperial Physician Institute had only discovered the presence of the aforementioned grass in the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters. If they determined that the Compassionate Peace Palace had it, everyone would associate the incident in the Laundry Service Bureau with the Compassionate Peace Palace.

 

“Empress Dowager, the Xiang Grass relies on the wind to disperse its seeds, taking root wherever they land The patch of Xiang Grass in the Palace Side Quarters has already been fully removed. If the plant has appeared in the Compassionate Peace Palace, it also has to be removed as quickly as possible. We can’t be negligent in this matter. You have also seen how much Miss He was writhing. It is either because her body is itching or because she has a hidden disease.”

 

Pei Yaran mulled over it. If that’s the case, Su Xi-er would be totally unrelated to the incident!

 

At this moment, Imperial Physician Zhao glanced at Su Xi-er and respectfully informed, “Empress Dowager, this humble subject needs to inspect the parterre meticulously. There can’t be anyone approaching the surroundings of the parterre, nor can these untidy flower pots be moved as they also have to be examined.” 

 

With that, Su Xi-er wouldn’t be able to move the flower pots.

 

Pei Yaran wouldn’t let go of Su Xi-er easily. Even if He Ying had fallen on her own, it would be hard for Su Xi-er to absolve herself of blame.

 

Hence, she instructed, “Su Xi-er, go and take care of He Ying. If you make any error, be careful of your head!”

 

Su Xi-er responded respectfully. “This servant will go now.” She then walked towards the other side of the Compassionate Peace Palace. She remembered the direction the palace maids had taken He Ying earlier.

 

As for the Empress Dowager’s ‘be careful of your head,’ it couldn’t even be counted as a threat. The Empress Dowager is not the only want who wants my head in Beimin’s imperial palace.

 

There was a large room with its own door, completely separated from the other three rows of rooms in the courtyard where the palace maids lived.

 

The room door and the periphery decorations were a step up from the other rooms.

 

It looks like this room belongs to He Ying.

 

Su Xi-er walked over before slowly entering the room.

 

This room was divided into the inner chamber and the outer chamber. When she walked into the inner chamber, she saw He Ying lying on the bed.

 

He Ying was groaning unceasingly in extreme discomfort. Her face was already covered with medicinal powder, but it didn’t blend into her skin very quickly.

 

The entirely white medicinal powder that laid on He Ying’s face made her look rather frightening.

 

Hearing footsteps, He Ying made an intense effort to turn her head, her slightly opened eyes recognising Su Xi-er. Just the sight of Su Xi-er made her body tremble, and her body began to itch again.

 

She used what remained of her strength to spit out some words through her clenched teeth. “Su Xi-er… you harmed me like this...The Empress Dowager won’t...pardon you…”

 

Su Xi-er came to her bedside and looked at her. “Miss He, how come it was this servant who harmed you? Imperial Physician Zhao said that you may have a hidden disease that has only acted up now.”

 

“You...nonsense, I don’t have a hidden disease.” If the diagnosis confirms that I have a hidden disease, I wouldn’t be able to stay in the Compassionate Peace palace anymore! These kinds of words can’t be randomly spouted! 

 

Su Xi-er bent her waist and said softly, “How do you know that you don’t have one? Perhaps even you yourself don’t know about it. With your body writhing so much, if your condition isn’t due to a hidden disease, it would imply that you have been infected with something unclean in the parterre. Regardless of which it is, do you think the Empress Dowager will still keep you in the palace?”

 

Su Xi-er then took out a hairpin from He Ying’s hair and jabbed it towards her.

 

In an instant, He Ying was awake. Although the itch wasn’t as serious as before thanks to the medicinal powder, Su Xi-er had just poked her with a hairpin. Completely awake now, He Ying could feel the itchiness much more acutely.

 

Her legs rubbed against the bed quilt continuously and her lips were pursed tightly. As she looked at Su Xi-er with resentment, she couldn’t utter a single word.

 

“Miss He, the choice of which of the two scenarios you would like to go with now lies with you. If it is a hidden disease, the Empress Dowager might send you out of the palace with some silvers on account of you serving her for many years. Perhaps you can even find a good man and marry him. On the other hand, if you came into contact with something like the Xiang grass, the recent incident in the Laundry Service Bureau will be linked with the Compassionate Peace Palace.” Su Xi-er paused here.

 

He Ying opened her eyes abruptly and clenched her fists tightly.

 

She understood Su Xi-er’s words. I am currently forced to suffer in silence. I have absolutely no evidence to prove that Su Xi-er tripped me!

 

Yet, it’s an incontestable fact that my body feels itchy.