Chapter 11: The Spring Favor Carriage

Chapter 11: The Spring Favor Carriage

She had merely caused Talented Lady Jiang to endure a small amount of suffering.

The words stung, and Su Jiaojiao's brows furrowed slightly as she glanced thoughtfully toward the entrance of Cold Fragrance Hall.

Pausing briefly at the gate of Bamboo Mist Pavilion, Su Jiaojiao curved her lips into an enigmatic smile, softly saying, "I haven't visited Talented Lady Jiang since her punishment. As we reside in the same palace, it would be remiss of me not to check on her."

Yu Ying looked up at her and immediately stepped forward to support her hand, whispering, "Yes."

Su Jiaojiao leisurely walked toward Cold Fragrance Hall, where Ting Chun, Talented Lady Jiang's personal maid, was emerging from the room with a basin of bloody water, her face dark. Upon seeing Su Jiaojiao, Ting Chun's face instantly showed displeasure and disdain. She neither stopped nor bowed, passing straight by her side and spitting, "Ugh!"

Before Talented Lady Jiang's punishment, Ting Chun had never imagined that Su Jiaojiao, who had lived with them in Cloud Splendor Palace for three years and was always timid and fearful, would dare to climb the social ladder. First, she had begged Consort Mi to have Talented Lady Jiang receive thirty lashes, making life difficult for their servants. Now, it was rumored she had ridden in the Emperor's carriage to the Spring Banquet.

Though a maid, Ting Chun had always looked down on Su Jiaojiao.

It had been this way for three years, and even now that Su Jiaojiao had allied with Consort Mi, it remained the same. Useless people were always useless, merely possessing a passable face!

The palace was never short of beauties, yet she dared to harbor such delusions of grandeur—how presumptuous!

Hearing from the maids sent to gather news that there had been a mishap at the Spring Banquet, it served her right! What a relief!

Thinking this, Ting Chun poured the basin of bloody water at the base of a large tree, rolled up her sleeves, and looked at Su Jiaojiao standing in front of Cold Fragrance Hall, sneering, "Oh, what brings Selected Rank Su to Cold Fragrance Hall now? Pretending to be compassionate, my lady doesn't want to see you!"

She curled her lips in disdain, glanced at Su Jiaojiao, snorted, and walked away without looking back, heading to the Imperial Medical Bureau to fetch some painkillers for Talented Lady Jiang.

Su Jiaojiao stood quietly in front of Cold Fragrance Hall, her heart calm.

To put it bluntly, she didn't care what Ting Chun said.

A shallow, ignorant palace maid was unworthy of stirring any emotion in her.

The distinction between a master and a maid was as vast as heaven and earth—who would dare to be insolent? Ting Chun dared to speak to her this way only because she had been submissive for so long, always allowing herself to be bullied.

With such a long buildup, Ting Chun naturally assumed she would forever remain the pitiful Selected Rank Su, easily manipulated.

Turning at the door, Su Jiaojiao merely glanced down at Ting Chun, her slender, pale fingers lifting the hem of her slightly drooping skirt as she stepped inside.

As soon as she entered the hall, a strong smell of blood overwhelmed her from the direction of the bed, almost nauseating. Su Jiaojiao remained composed, merely covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief as she gracefully walked towards Talented Lady Jiang's bed.

Passing around the embroidered screen, Talented Lady Jiang was lying on the bed, clutching a pillow and wailing, "It hurts so much—it hurts so much! Useless servants!" The maid by the bed trembled as she peeled back a corner of the blood-soaked gauze, revealing a horrifying sight of mangled flesh.

Talented Lady Jiang gritted her teeth in pain, crying and shouting, "Wretched girl! Wretched girl! It hurts so much! Be gentle, or I'll chop off your hands!"

The young maid turned pale, her hands shaking even more violently. Accidentally tearing another corner of the gauze, she caused Talented Lady Jiang to gasp in pain, her wails growing louder and more piercing, "Wretched woman! All of you wretched women! It's all Su Jiaojiao's fault! None of you want me to be well!"

Su Jiaojiao listened for a while before adopting a meek demeanor and speaking up, trying to remind Talented Lady Jiang that the person she was cursing was right in front of her.

"Sister Jiang."

Her voice was soft but clear, standing out starkly in the room filled with hostility and the stench of blood.

Talented Lady Jiang, who had been facing inward and wailing, suddenly turned her head, noticing someone had entered the room.

Seeing it was Su Jiaojiao, she was immediately furious, wishing she could get out of bed and tear her face apart. Unfortunately, her lower body was a mangled mess, and she couldn't move, so she could only glare at her and roar, "How dare you come here! Get out!"

Su Jiaojiao pretended to be frightened, shrinking back slightly, her fingers clutching the handkerchief tighter, on the verge of tears, "Sister, I only wanted you to return Yu Ye and Man Xia to me. If you hadn't pushed me so hard, how could I have resorted to such measures?"

She hesitated for a moment, looking at the maid behind Talented Lady Jiang who was trembling in fear, and finally moved over slowly, taking the medicated cloth from the maid's hands, softly saying, "...I truly didn't expect Consort Mi to be so harsh, injuring your lower body like this..."

Before finishing, she deliberately paused, leaving a hint of suspense. As expected, Talented Lady Jiang, who was very concerned about her looks, visibly stiffened.

Having obtained the desired reaction, Su Jiaojiao then said in a trembling voice, "It left your lower body all mangled and unrecognizable..."

"I fear the young palace servant might not handle it gently and harm you further, so let me apply the medicine for you."

Though Su Jiaojiao's words were soft, seemingly seeking consent, in reality, she didn’t give Talented Lady Jiang any chance to refuse. Without waiting for an answer, she took the place of the palace servant who was applying the medicine, saying, "You all go and prepare the medicine and hot water for the Talented Lady. With the shortage of hands in Hanxiang Hall, I will stay here and attend to her."

Talented Lady Jiang, foolish and malicious, had been spouting venom day and night, tormenting the palace servants since her punishment. The palace servants, already at their limit, bowed their heads and retreated when Su Jiaojiao stepped in to help. With three palace servants leaving Hanxiang Hall, only Yu Ying and Su Jiaojiao remained, leaving the hall feeling much emptier.

Seeing that the people around her had been dismissed by Su Jiaojiao, Talented Lady Jiang's alarm bells went off. She screamed hysterically, "Get out—! You wretch! Get out—! I don't need your phony sympathy here! Someone! Someone—! Ting Chun! Ting Chun!"

Su Jiaojiao, looking sympathetic, sighed softly and said gently, "Sister, don't shout."

"If your voice goes hoarse, you won't be able to speak, will you?"

Talented Lady Jiang's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Su Jiaojiao, this venomous woman, was going to silence her by poisoning. Her screaming came to an abrupt halt.

With the noise finally ceasing, Su Jiaojiao's slightly furrowed brows relaxed. She extended a pale, delicate hand and quietly moved it to the injured area of Talented Lady Jiang.

"Rip!"

The sharp sound of fabric tearing was followed by immense pain. The bandage on Talented Lady Jiang's thigh was forcefully ripped off by Su Jiaojiao, along with a layer of coagulated flesh. The wound started bleeding heavily.

The pain peaked in an instant, and Talented Lady Jiang's face turned pale as she wailed and cursed, her voice rising higher and higher.

"Ah—! You wretch! You wretch!"

Su Jiaojiao coldly looked at the bloodied bandage in her hand and nonchalantly tossed it into the nearby brazier, while softly saying, "Sister, you've always been afraid of pain, so the medicine hasn't been changed. At this rate, how will the wound ever heal?"

"We need to change the medicine now, so bear with it a little longer."

After saying this, she gave Yu Ying a glance, who immediately understood and went to guard the hall entrance, finding excuses to dismiss anyone who approached.

About half an hour later.

Su Jiaojiao meticulously cleaned the bloodied wound for Talented Lady Jiang, applied the medicinal ointment, and re-bandaged it. Then, with a smirk, she returned to Junwu Hall.

Yu Ying, supporting Su Jiaojiao, looked back at Hanxiang Hall, where constant wailing could still be heard. She said uneasily, "My lady, could today's events leave any evidence? Talented Lady Jiang has been crying for almost an hour. I'm afraid passing palace servants might hear and start gossip..."

Su Jiaojiao, calm and composed, stepped over the threshold of Junwu Hall and indifferently said, "I merely used a little extra force, giving her a small taste of suffering. It's nothing. She's afraid of pain and has been refusing to let the palace servants change her medicine. If this goes on for another two or three days, the wound will surely fester. Even if it's reported and the imperial physician is called, they will only think I'm returning her evil with good, which will earn me a good reputation."

Seeing that Su Jiaojiao had it all figured out, Yu Ying felt reassured.

After returning to Junwu Hall, Yu Ying and Yu Ye quickly changed Su Jiaojiao's clothes, and the room was perfumed with incense, finally removing the bloody smell from Hanxiang Hall.

Outside, the sun was setting, and the bright midday light had turned a faint orange.

I wonder how Lady Ji is doing...

Sitting at the round table reading a book, Su Jiaojiao glanced at the sky and said indifferently, "I forgot the flower branch I picked this morning in the pear grove. Yu Ying, go and fetch it."

She looked up and met Yu Ying's eyes, who immediately understood and left Junwu Hall.

The closest to the pear grove was Luanming Palace.

And residing in Luanming Palace were Lady Ji, who had caused a stir at the Spring Banquet, and the rising star, Miao Yunu.

The main occupant of Luanming Palace, Noble Consort Wen, was gentle in nature and always treated the palace servants kindly. She had enjoyed some favor before the new concubines entered the palace. However, her mild temperament had always kept her out of the spotlight. Now, with two rising new concubines moving in and the incident at the Spring Banquet, she must be overwhelmed.

The Drunken Sparrow Pavilion within Luanming Palace.

Two palace maids held Lady Ji, who was writhing and crying out in pain, down as they extended her hand from behind the curtain for the imperial physician to feel her pulse. Shortly after, the physician, his expression grim, stepped back from the bedside to the entrance of the Drunken Sparrow Pavilion. He bowed to the Empress and Lady Wen, lowering his head as he spoke, "Your Majesty."

The Empress, seated in the main position, exchanged a glance with Lady Wen and spoke in a deep voice, "What's the matter with Lady Ji? Has she been poisoned?"

The physician nodded and replied, "Indeed, the lady has been poisoned. I have checked her pulse and thoroughly inspected the food and items she recently consumed or came into contact with. I can confirm that the lady has been poisoned by a compound toxin. It requires steamed peach blossoms as a catalyst for the effect to take place; otherwise, it remains an ineffective remedy. Very few people are aware of this remedy. I happened upon it by chance in my earlier years, which enabled me to make this deduction. Fortunately, although the poison is fast-acting and potent, it is not deadly. She only needs to take a few doses of the medicinal decoction."

At this, the Empress's expression softened slightly, and she nodded. "It's best that Lady Ji is unharmed," she said.

She then glanced slightly toward Yu He. "Assign someone from Fengyi Palace to stay in the Drunken Sparrow Pavilion and help care for Lady Ji," she said.

Lady Wen, who had been sitting nearby, looked anxious and said, "Your Majesty, I heard from the physician that very few people know of this remedy, and it involves highly intricate pharmacology. How would an ordinary person know something like this? I am the mistress of Luanming Palace, but I have no idea who could have poisoned Lady Ji right under my nose. If this matter isn't thoroughly investigated, I'm afraid I won't be able to rest easy."

The Empress frowned. "This person is truly malicious, to commit such a heinous act within the palace," she said.

"Come!" The Empress said coldly, addressing the group of palace servants kneeling before her. "Everyone Lady Ji came into contact with today, everything she ate, and every item she touched must be inspected, without exception! All the palace servants from the Drunken Sparrow Pavilion are to be taken for interrogation at the training department! From this day onward, no one is allowed to enter or leave Luanming Palace until the truth is revealed."

Seeing the Empress act decisively, Lady Wen felt somewhat reassured, but as she looked at the situation outside, she couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of fear.

However, this lockdown affected the entire Luanming Palace. Apart from the Drunken Sparrow Pavilion, her own main hall and the Liuchun Pavilion, where Miaoyu resided, were also likely to be affected.

The Empress rose with a stern expression, glanced at the silent palace servants and the wailing Lady Ji in the inner room, her face extremely cold.

With the new concubines having just entered the palace, such an incident had occurred. She had not only failed to gain favor but had also displeased the Emperor. She was determined to find out who was behind this!

The sun set in the west, and the brilliant sunset was swallowed by the night.

Candles were lit one after another within the palace.

Su Jiaojiao had just finished her dinner and was being served by Yu Ye to rinse her mouth and wash her hands. Yu Ying, who had gone out in the afternoon, was just entering the door of the Junwu Pavilion.

She looked around, closed the door, and then curtsied, relaying the information she had gathered: "When I arrived, the Luanming Palace was already sealed. Those inside couldn't leave, and those outside couldn't enter. The surroundings were heavily guarded. I happened to know a medical maid from the Imperial Medical Bureau and casually chatted with her. I only found out that the poison Lady Ji was given is extremely intricate, requiring steamed peach blossoms as a catalyst. I didn't dare to ask anything else."

Su Jiaojiao slowly sipped her tea and said, "Steamed peach blossoms?"

It was spring, and peach blossoms were often used in pastries. Most of the palace concubines consumed peach blossom pastries to some extent. The person who poisoned her was meticulous, making it hard to guard against.

High-ranking concubines would not stoop to targeting new concubines so quickly. So, among the newcomers, who could have such cunning?

Not long after nightfall, a cold wind suddenly rose outside, and soon a light rain began to fall.

Su Jiaojiao pushed open the window, gazing at the moon through the misty rain.

The spring night was full of sentiment, with a cold fragrance permeating the air. The evening breeze carried a cool, damp chill.

Faintly, the sound of bells could be heard approaching from the palace path. She leaned against the windowsill, her eyes carrying a subtle, delicate charm.

It was the Fengluan Spring Grace Carriage.