Chapter 115: Counterattack

Chapter 115: Counterattack

Changsun Zhaorong?

When Li Rong heard this surname, she remembered that her daughter had recently asked her to have Yan Ran investigate. She thought it was no wonder her lady would want to know more about her background.

Back at the Fan residence, Li Rong called her husband, Fan Minghui, to the backyard as usual and handed him the wax ball hidden in the buttered snail shell. As Fan Minghui unwrapped the wax ball, he casually asked, "Why did you change your clothes?"

Li Rong sighed, "Don't even mention it. I've never been so embarrassed in my life."

Hearing this, Fan Minghui naturally pressed for more details.

Li Rong recounted what happened in the palace. Fan Minghui recalled Changsun Zhaorong's background and shook his head, saying, "What a foolish person. She has offended everyone with her actions. In the future, she will surely suffer for it."

"How so?"

"She relies on the power of the Grand Princesses of Qin and Wei. The Grand Princesses are respected for their seniority and age, and the Emperor honors them greatly. However, she knows no bounds, repeatedly asking the Emperor to bestow favors upon her descendants, granting them titles and promotions. Not long ago, she even begged the Emperor to allow her son to participate in the government. The Emperor can still tolerate her now, suppressing the impeachment from the officials. But tolerance has its limits. When the Emperor reaches his limit, not only will Changsun Zhaorong suffer, but even the Grand Princess herself will have to keep a low profile."

Only then did Li Rong understand these matters of the court, feeling enlightened.

"No wonder Lady is not afraid of her."

Fan Minghui smiled, "Lady probably understands these things better than I do."

Outside the palace, Li Rong and Fan Minghui were discussing Changsun Gui, while inside, Fan Xueyao was also thinking about her.

She was hesitating whether to tell Chu Nan about this matter and ask him to stand up for her.

If she told Chu Nan, he would certainly investigate. But this incident was not significant; if the maid insisted it was an accident and was delayed due to other matters, it wouldn't implicate Changsun Gui. At most, the offending maid would be punished. Moreover, if Chu Nan knew about this, any action she took against Changsun Gui would be too conspicuous.

Even if she could gain Chu Nan's sympathy, it would also make Changsun Gui less favored by him, which she found insufficient.

So, she decided not to say anything. It would be more satisfying to handle it herself.

"Have Xu Guigui find Gui'er."

Fan Xueyao handed the oil paper package given to her by Li Rong to Huaping. When Huaping opened it, she found a variety of prepared nuts, which smelled very fragrant.

"There are too many nuts here. We won't use them all. They might go bad over time. Keep half for yourselves. For the rest, pick a little of each kind, wrap them separately, and give them to Gui'er. Have her add a small amount to Changsun Gui's tea when she serves it. Don't use too much, just a pinch like sesame or sunflower seeds."

Although Huaping didn't understand the purpose of these nuts, since they were told to eat some themselves, they must be safe.

She nodded in agreement and divided the nuts into several small paper packages. She then took twenty-five taels of silver from the cabinet, went to the kitchen, and found Xu Guigui, giving her the paper package and the silver.

"Five taels are for you, Sister Xu. Don't think it's too little; there will be more benefits for you in the future."

Xu Guigui, a minor lady-in-waiting, earned only two strings of cash per month, so this was more than two months' salary for her.

"These nuts smell delicious. I'm getting hungry," Xu Guigui said tentatively. Why spend so much money just to get Changsun Zhaorong to eat these nuts? Could they be poisonous?

Huaping smiled, "Then try a few. Just don't eat too much. These are for Changsun Zhaorong. If you like them, I have another pack."

Hearing this, Xu Guigui felt relieved. If they were poisonous, it would be serious. Whether someone died normally or was poisoned, even the clumsiest undertaker could tell the difference.

That evening, when the on-duty maids returned to their quarters, Xu Guigui brought a plate of pastries to talk with Gui'er. After a brief chat, she asked Gui'er to accompany her to fetch water and wash hands.

At the well pavilion, it was late and deserted. Xu Guigui took out twenty taels of silver from her sleeve and gave it to Gui'er, saying, "This silver is for you."

Gui'er's eyes lit up at the sight of the heavy, white silver, but while she dared to accept two taels, she hesitated to take twenty.

"Why so much?" Gui'er had told Xu Guigui some private matters about Changsun Zhaorong in recent days, and Xu Guigui occasionally gave her a hundred or two cash, with the most being a couple of taels. The twenty taels before her were far too much, making her hesitant to accept.

"I have a task for you. If you complete it, the twenty taels are yours."

Gui'er asked cautiously, "What task is worth twenty taels?"

Xu Guigui handed the paper package to Gui'er, who opened it and picked a walnut to taste. It was incredibly fragrant. "Changsun Zhaorong loves the tea you prepare. Take these nuts. Don't use them regularly. Only when I instruct you, add a little to her tea. Gui'er, I always think of your benefit first. Otherwise, anyone could do this. There are others who serve tea to Changsun Zhaorong."

Seeing that Xu Guigui ate some herself, Gui'er relaxed and took the silver and the paper package, saying, "Thank you, Aunt Xu, for thinking of me. I'll remember your kindness." She then took a two-tael piece from the pile of silver and offered it to Xu Guigui, who initially wanted to accept but declined.

"No need, I don't lack this much silver."

Hearing this, Gui'er envied Xu Guigui secretly. She wondered who Xu Guigui served, to be so generous that she dismissed two taels of silver. Indeed, if such a small task was rewarded with twenty taels, how much more would Xu Guigui receive?

Noticing her envy, Xu Guigui smiled, "As long as you are cautious and careful, and don't make mistakes, there will be more benefits for you in the future."

"Of course, I'll do my best."

There were no secrets in the palace. When the eunuchs and maids who escorted Li Rong returned to their quarters, the other palace attendants saw their disheveled state and couldn't help but inquire. Learning the details, the news slowly spread. The concubines who envied Fan Xueyao couldn't help but gloat, delighted that the usually spotless Fan Xueyao had suffered such a disgrace. They spread the story widely.

"How could such a thing happen? What bad luck."

"It must have been her fate. Otherwise, why would it happen on that path, and why would she encounter her specifically, while others didn't?"

"The slop must have been so foul-smelling. It must have been unbearable to have it on her."

"This doesn't seem like an accident. Could someone have done it deliberately?"

"Most likely. Who else would do such a thing? She has been so arrogant because of the Emperor's favor, breaking all the rules. It's only natural that she would be envied." She thought to herself, "If only I had seen it with my own eyes, I would laugh in my dreams."

Later, the news reached Chu Nan's ears. He asked Fan Xueyao why she hadn't told him about the incident. She softly replied, "Perhaps a maid was careless and afraid of punishment, so she ran away. It was just a coincidence. It would be too troublesome to investigate, and I didn't want to make a fuss over such a trivial matter."

Her face lowered, she wasn't without resentment, but she feared that involving Chu Nan would lead to criticism, labeling her as arrogant and spoiled, reflecting poorly on Chu Nan's judgment and fairness. She was merely enduring the injustice.

Chu Nan tenderly stroked her face and countered, "If someone made a mistake, they should be held accountable. If not, what rules would we have? For a concubine to enter the palace and face such embarrassment, if the offender is not punished, how can she maintain her dignity? She would be upset every time she enters the palace in the future."

Fan Xueyao's eyes welled up with tears, and she nodded gently.

Later, the person who had poured the slops was identified, and the cause was investigated, resulting in a three-year deduction of salary and twenty strokes of the cane. The palace maid, under the coercion and inducement of Changsun Gui, gritted her teeth and took all the blame, claiming it was due to her clumsiness.

However, Changsun Gui still faced reprimand for failing to discipline her attendants properly, ordered to reflect on her mistakes in the hall. This implied, firstly, house arrest, and secondly, no chance of being summoned to the emperor's bedchamber for some time.

Changsun Gui had anticipated rebuke but not the subsequent punishment. Now she had lost all her dignity; such a minor mistake by a palace maid had cost her so much face. It was now clear to everyone which of them, she or Fan Xueyao, was more favored by the emperor.

Would the other concubines still respect her?

Changsun Gui felt both angry and wronged, even beginning to regret pleading with her grandmother to agree to her entering the palace. If she hadn't entered, she could have married anyone outside and relied on her grandmother's influence to get whatever she wanted.

But that was another story.

A couple of days later, Gui'er received instructions from Xu Guigui. Before lunch, Changsun Gui wanted to drink tea. A servant girl came to the kitchen to call Gui'er, who then instructed other kitchen maids to prepare tea cakes while she went to the tea room. She took down a tin can from the shelf, opened it, and openly picked up a pinch of sesame seeds, mixing them with salted bamboo shoots and osmanthus to brew a cup of tea. The servant girl carried the tea and cakes to the rear hall.

In the afternoon, after waking from her nap, Changsun Gui felt something strange on her face, especially her lips, which were numb. She thought it was due to lying on her neck during the nap, causing poor blood circulation. Until the servant girl suddenly cried out in alarm.

"What is it? Why are you so startled?" Changsun Gui frowned unhappily, scratching her arm.

The servant girl widened her eyes, pointing at her face in shock, "Mistress, your... your face..."

"What's wrong with my face?" A woman's face was of utmost importance, and Changsun Gui immediately became nervous, rushing to the dressing table in two quick steps to look in the mirror.

"Ahh!" Her eyes wide open, Changsun Gui screamed, her voice breaking with fear.

Even though the bronze mirror was blurry, she could see that her originally fair face was now mottled with red and white patches, especially around her nose, cheeks, and lips, dividing her face into several sections, making her look like a monster.

Changsun Gui's hands trembled as she touched her face, and the moment her fingers made contact, the red patches began to itch: "What is this!!" She dared not touch her face again, pacing around aimlessly, her face filled with terror and panic.

Compared to Changsun Gui's panic, the servant girl, who did not feel the pain herself, quickly regained her composure after the initial shock. After carefully observing Changsun Gui's face, she said cautiously, "This seems to be peach blossom rash."

Changsun Gui, thinking she had been disfigured and overwhelmed by deep fear, gasped when she heard it might be peach blossom rash: "Really? Is it peach blossom rash?"

The servant girl wasn't quite sure; she only remembered other palace maids having peach blossom rash, which flared up every year. At the time, she found it disgusting and didn't dare look closely. Now, looking at Changsun Gui's face, she vaguely felt it didn't quite match the red rash on those maids' faces. But seeing Changsun Gui clutching at straws, she feared that if she said it wasn't, Changsun Gui might beat her.

Zhaorong, who was very concerned about her appearance and reputation, often mocked Fan Zhaoyi for relying on her beauty, but she herself placed great importance on her looks. If her face were ruined, how could they, the palace maids, escape?

So she nodded firmly, "It looks like peach blossom rash."

Changsun Gui immediately believed her. She endured the disgust and fear, holding the mirror to examine herself, and the more she looked, the more convinced she became that she had peach blossom rash, which could be treated with medicine.

Her fear and panic vanished instantly. Changsun Gui let out a long sigh of relief, throwing the mirror back onto the table, her face full of gratitude for being saved. After a few heavy breaths, she glared at the servant girl standing nervously beside her and snapped, "What are you all standing here for? Can't you see my face is like this? Go to the Imperial Medical Institute and get some medicine!"

As soon as she burst out, the servant girl hurriedly took her badge and rushed to the Imperial Medical Institute.

At the Imperial Medical Institute, the doctor, upon hearing that the medicine was for a concubine, asked what the ailment was.

The servant girl replied, "Our mistress has peach blossom rash and needs medicine for her face."

When diagnosing concubines, doctors always adhered to strict gender separation, examining through a curtain, taking pulses, listening to voices, and asking questions, but never looking directly. Since peach blossom rash appeared on the face and was quite common, not a serious issue, the doctor was not overly concerned. After asking a few questions, he wrote a prescription for peach blossom rash and sent the servant girl off to get the medicine.

The maid brought back the medicine, and Changsun Gui immediately ordered it to be boiled.

It was a fine sunny day, yet Changsun Gui hid in her room, holding a mirror and occasionally glancing at herself, then angrily tossing it onto the bed. After a while, she couldn't resist picking it up again. This went on repeatedly, making her increasingly irritable.

She found her appearance so unappealing that even she despised it. How could the Emperor find her attractive? She couldn't serve him in such a state. The thought of being seen like this by other concubines was even more humiliating. Those women already envied her noble birth and beauty; if they saw her now, they would surely mock her endlessly.

Thinking about being confined to her quarters for a while, Changsun Gui became even more agitated. However, she didn't know that even without this illness, she would soon be placed under house arrest due to the swill incident.

Seeing her in such a foul mood, the maids served her with utmost caution, not daring to make a sound. Despite their efforts, they were still frequently scolded by Changsun Gui, who would take out her frustration by pricking herself with hairpins.

The maids couldn't endure such torment. They dared not complain in front of her but often shed tears and cursed Changsun Gui in private.

Beatings of palace maids by concubines were common in the palace, and as long as they weren't too severe, no one paid much attention. But one of the maids was in a relationship with Zhang Qing'an, a disciple of Li Huairen. When assigning maids to concubines, Zhang Qing'an had placed this maid in the Soaring Phoenix Hall because of Changsun Gui's noble background and high rank.

Little did he know that after entering the palace as a concubine, Changsun Gui's status remained unchanged, and she received no special favor. Moreover, she had a quick temper and would vent her frustrations on the maids whenever she was unhappy.

Seeing his lover covered in pricks and crying with red eyes, Zhang Qing'an couldn't bear it. He vowed to avenge her. Coincidentally, Li Huairen needed a precious stone to adorn a treasure belt. Thus, he prepared a fine ruby and asked Li Huairen to intercede.

Li Huairen accepted the gift and, seizing the right moment, told Chu Nan that Lady Changsun often beat her maids, causing them great suffering and leading to complaints reaching his ears.

Hearing this, Chu Nan was very displeased. He had long noticed that Lady Changsun was harsh towards her maids, even frowning at them when he was present. One could only imagine how cruel she was in private.

He had distanced himself from her because of her arrogant and narrow-minded nature.

But he hadn't expected her to be so cruel that her maids couldn't bear it. What kind of treatment must they have endured?

Li Huairen added, "It seems that Lady Changsun has been suffering from a skin condition recently, staying in her room and feeling depressed, which is why she has been beating her maids more frequently."

He was clever, using the word 'frequently.' This frequency wasn't about diligent study or embroidery but frequent beatings. How could Chu Nan not be upset upon hearing this?

Considering the status of the two princesses, Chu Nan didn't want to embarrass Changsun Gui too much, but her behavior was becoming intolerable. He instructed Li Huairen to prepare some bitter tea to calm her and send it to Lady Changsun, reminding her to treat her maids kindly.

This tea was known for its extreme bitterness.

Changsun Gui, with her face swollen and red, came out to receive the gift. Li Huairen said, "His Majesty heard that Lady Changsun has been in a poor mood lately and specially ordered me to bring you this tea. He also mentioned that if the maids do not serve you well enough, please be more lenient. Things are different inside the palace compared to outside."

Changsun Gui's face turned even redder, and the heat made her itch even more. She lowered her head, feeling both ashamed and furious.

After a few more words of reprimand, Li Huairen stopped and left the tea behind.

Changsun Gui became even more indignant. How did the Emperor find out about what happened in her hall? Someone must have complained about her, leading to the Emperor's knowledge. She erupted in anger, sarcastically questioning who had betrayed her.

Who dared to step forward and admit it?

Seeing no one confess, she sneered.

Despite Chu Nan's recent warning, she didn't dare use the hairpins anymore but instead ordered the maids to stand in the courtyard as punishment.

The sun in May wasn't particularly strong, but standing under it for several hours could still cause dizziness and blurred vision.

A few days later, the punishment for the swill incident was handed down again. Changsun Gui felt utterly humiliated and stayed locked away in her chambers out of shame and anger. She was also deeply afraid that her consecutive mistakes would disgust the Emperor, so she became more restrained, making life a bit easier for the palace maids.

In the Spreading Fragrance Hall, Huaping vividly imitated Changsun Gui's words and actions, describing her appearance: "The palace maids all say they're terrified to go near her, fearing that the red rash will spread. It's truly disgusting. She shouldn't be scratching it, but Zhaoyi Changsun can't help herself; she scratches and picks at it. Now the rash has become very severe, turning a deep red."

Fan Xueyao listened with a smile, feeling greatly relieved.

Huaping, after speaking at length, took a sip of tea and, unable to contain her curiosity, asked Fan Xueyao, "Lady, what's so special about those nuts? We've eaten them too, but nothing happened to us. Why did only Zhaoyi Changsun get that rash?"

Fan Xueyao glanced at her. There was no one else in the hall except Huaping. Since Huaping was her confidante, she could tell her without worry. She smiled and explained, "It's not a red rash, but a type of hives. This is a food allergy. Some people are naturally allergic to certain foods, like alcohol or shrimp. The food itself isn't toxic and is harmless to most people, but if someone who is allergic eats it, they will get sick, develop hives, and their skin will itch. In severe cases, it can even be fatal. Before Changsun Gui entered the palace, there was a year when new peanuts were added to the Laba porridge. After eating it, she developed hives. She thought it was due to a conflict with other ingredients and even punished the kitchen manageress in her household. In fact, she is allergic to peanuts."

Huaping suddenly understood, but then wondered, "But I didn't see any peanuts in the nuts. How did you make her eat them?"

"Since that incident, Changsun Gui has been wary and hasn't eaten peanuts again. The nuts were soaked in peanut oil. It's just as effective as eating them directly," Fan Xueyao said with a slight smile.

She wasn't being cruel; Changsun Gui had deliberately mocked her mother, which really infuriated her. She was determined to teach Changsun Gui a lesson. Since Changsun Gui loved to stir up trouble and found fault with everyone, thinking no one was worthy of comparison to her, she should stay out of sight. If no one saw her, no one would feel uncomfortable. Let her stay in the Flying Fragrance Hall!

Because the medicine was ineffective, Changsun Gui initially only had some hives on her face, but after continuously applying ointments, the hives soon spread to her arms and body. Changsun Gui questioned the imperial physician, but he couldn't diagnose her without seeing her. He could only ask the palace maids what her rash looked like.

The palace maids, considering Changsun Gui's dignity, dared not describe her condition too bluntly, especially since her appearance was now unbearable. Unable to resist the itching, she scratched incessantly, causing the light pink rash to turn dark brown, covering large areas of her face, neck, and arms. The red spots were dotted with hard lumps.

The palace maids were too disgusted to speak, but they had to serve her. They all wondered if it was contagious and were afraid to be near her.

Based on the vague descriptions from the palace maids, the imperial physician suspected that Changsun Gui might have hives rather than a fungal infection. He began to explain about heat toxins affecting the blood and skin, confusing Changsun Gui, who impatiently interrupted him.

"You said it was a peach blossom rash before, and now it's hives? Do you know how much you've delayed my treatment? Tell me, can you treat it, and how exactly?"

The imperial physician hesitated, thinking, "Who said it was a peach blossom rash? Didn't you think it was a peach blossom rash and come for the medicine yourself?"

Suppressing his frustration, the imperial physician slowly replied, "As long as you don't use cosmetics, perfumes, or soaps, avoid hot water, eat a light diet, and stay out of the sun, you'll be fine after using some medicine." He then prescribed an external wash for Changsun Gui.

Remembering Changsun Gui's rudeness, the imperial physician thought, "Since she's just been punished by the Emperor and is reflecting on her mistakes, I'll prescribe a lighter dose, making her take longer to recover. After all, I can always say I didn't dare prescribe stronger medicine without seeing her condition firsthand."

After a few days of using the medicine, Changsun Gui's itching improved, but the marks from the hives would take a long time to fade.

Even so, Fan Xueyao still felt it wasn't enough. If Changsun Gui had only mocked her, she wouldn't be this angry, but mocking her mother to humiliate her was too much. So, for at least a year, Changsun Gui wouldn't be allowed to attend the Emperor's bed.

In the morning, Empress Xu got up, dressed, and came out for breakfast.

Noticing that the palace maid hadn't reported anything, Empress Xu suddenly said, "Hasn't Zhaoyi come today?"

The palace maid, taken aback, bowed and replied, "No, she hasn't." If she had come, they would have reported it immediately, without waiting for the Empress to ask.

Empress Xu coldly snorted, "I knew she couldn't keep up the act for long. She used to be so diligent. Now that she has given birth to the Crown Prince and secured her position, she rarely comes anymore."

The female official quickly interjected, "Perhaps she is copying scriptures for the Empress Dowager and needs to focus."

Empress Xu questioned, "Scriptures? What scriptures?"

She had no idea about this.