Chapter 111: Eunuch Chen

Chapter 111: Eunuch Chen

It was a trap!

Noble Consort Mi had not anticipated this scheme would be directed at her. Her fine eyebrows knitted immediately, her chest burning with rage.

Just as she was about to erupt, Yu Ling, standing beside her, discreetly restrained her hand and sneered, "Talent Lady Yu's pain over losing her child is equally mourned by Noble Consort Mi. However, for Talent Lady Yu to insist that Noble Consort Mi instructed the Imperial Household Department to deliver poisoned rouge is utterly ridiculous!"

Yu Ling was Noble Consort Mi's most trusted maid, always providing strategic advice with a composed demeanor. Talent Lady Yu's accusations were full of inconsistencies, and Yu Ling needed to expose them one by one to make His Majesty see the truth.

Her mistress now held great authority and enjoyed His Majesty's favor—how many coveted her position?

Especially Talent Lady Yu. Though Noble Consort Mi had always looked down on her, she had never considered harming her child. Yet now, Talent Lady Yu dared to make false accusations—how detestable!

Yu Ling glared at Talent Lady Yu and retorted indignantly, "If Noble Consort Mi were truly behind this, wouldn’t it be far too blatant? The method is blatantly obvious!"

"His Majesty trusts Noble Consort Mi to oversee the imperial harem. Why would she resort to such clumsy tricks to harm your unborn child? This servant recalls that Talent Lady Yu once presumed upon His Majesty’s favor to provoke Noble Consort Mi, who, in her anger, gave you a few cane strikes as minor discipline. Could it be that Talent Lady Yu, harboring resentment, has been waiting for this moment to strike and frame Noble Consort Mi?"

Seeing Yu Ling’s sharp rebuttal, Talent Lady Yu on the bed wept even harder—not with loud sobs, but with silent tears that evoked great pity. "Your Majesty, Noble Consort Mi is virtuous and esteemed, favored by Your Majesty. This concubine has always shown respect and never dared to disobey. When this tragedy first occurred, this concubine could hardly believe Noble Consort Mi was responsible. But this concubine cannot comprehend—if not her, who else would have such power?"

"As the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest. Precisely because it seems too blatant, no one would suspect Noble Consort Mi. If not her, would this concubine harm her own child?"

Talent Lady Yu timidly tugged at the hem of His Majesty’s robe, looking up with tearful eyes. "Your Majesty… this concubine endured three months of hardship carrying this child, only for it to perish from poison. How can this concubine accept this? How can this concubine let go of her own flesh and blood? This concubine begs Your Majesty to grant justice."

She glanced at Noble Consort Mi and Yu Ling beside her, biting back the hatred in her heart.

Back then, she had merely enjoyed His Majesty’s favor for two extra days before Noble Consort Mi nearly had her beaten to death in the Jade Pavilion. If not for Noble Lady Xiang’s intervention, she would have long since perished in this summer retreat, a wandering spirit.

Yet in Yu Ling’s words, it was dismissed as mere 'minor discipline'—how laughable!

By now, Su Jiaojiao understood Talent Lady Yu’s intentions.

When the tributary cosmetics had arrived, Su Jiaojiao, Noble Consort Mi, and Concubine Lian received the majority, while the Empress was given a portion, and the rest was distributed among a few favored concubines.

At the time, Talent Lady Yu had just regained favor and should have received a share. However, Noble Consort Mi despised her, and when Talent Lady Yu bypassed Noble Consort Mi to request a change of residence from His Majesty, she further enraged Noble Consort Mi. As a result, Noble Consort Mi ordered the Imperial Household Department to withhold the new tribute from Talent Lady Yu, permitting only older inventory.

The eunuch delivering the items had even complained bitterly about the difficulty of the task.

Judging by the timeline, only that batch of rouge matched the description.

Though Noble Consort Mi loathed Talent Lady Yu, she had no reason to harm her child—especially not while she alone held power in the harem.

Today’s events were peculiar, with many unanswered questions. Su Jiaojiao still couldn’t piece it all together.

Noble Consort Mi had explicitly ordered that Talent Lady Yu receive only ordinary rouge, yet the box Imperial Physician Liu presented earlier was unmistakably the distinctive satin case reserved for new tribute cosmetics.

The eunuch who had handled this matter was Eunuch Chen from the Imperial Household Department—an astute and ingratiating eunuch who showed utmost deference to both Su Jiaojiao and Noble Consort Mi. Even within the department, he was a highly respected figure, unlikely and too cowardly to act deceitfully.

What other mishap had occurred that she was unaware of?

Su Jiaojiao’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she lowered her lashes, concealing her thoughts.

Delicately covering her nose with a handkerchief, she said softly, "This concubine shares Talent Lady Yu’s sorrow over her loss. As mothers, our children are our greatest treasures—a sentiment Noble Consort Mi, having been pregnant herself, surely understands. However, while Talent Lady Yu grieves, she must also mind her words. The pain of losing a child merits His Majesty’s consolation, but falsely accusing Noble Consort Mi is a grave offense. This concubine specifically sent Yu Ying with Imperial Physician Liu to check on Talent Lady Yu at noon today out of kindness, and both went together. Yet Talent Lady Yu hesitated—out of prudence, or guilt? His Majesty’s discerning eyes will judge fairly."

"Earlier, Imperial Physician Liu mentioned that while the abortifacient in the rouge was not highly concentrated, prolonged use would severely harm the fetus—especially the mercury, which would result in a stillborn child with gruesome deformities. Yet this concubine recalls that Imperial Physician Liu has been overseeing Talent Lady Yu’s pregnancy from the start. If he failed to detect toxins over two months, only discovering them upon examining the rouge, isn’t that far too coincidental?"

She lifted her gaze to His Majesty, her voice gentle. "Is Imperial Physician Liu’s skill so lacking, or did he deliberately conceal the true state of Talent Lady Yu’s pregnancy? That remains unclear. Moreover, wasn’t Talent Lady Yu’s pregnancy always reported as stable? How could the child thrive while the mother was slowly poisoned? There are too many inconsistencies. This concubine implores Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."

Hearing this, Talent Lady Yu shut her eyes in anguish, tears streaming silently. "Noble Consort Zhen’s words imply this concubine is slandering Noble Consort Mi. This concubine is insignificant, without family backing—naturally, no one believes her. In this palace, this concubine’s only reliance was Your Majesty and her unborn child. Now even the child is gone… The eunuch who delivered the rouge was Eunuch Chen from the Imperial Household Department. Your Majesty need only summon him for questioning. Why accuse this concubine of false accusations so hastily?"

The tent was sweltering, with a crowd gathered around Lady Yu’s bed, who had just miscarried. Yet not a single person spoke up for her, nor did anyone genuinely care about her condition.

Weakened by her miscarriage and weeping pitifully, the whole scene made the others appear aggressive and unreasonable.

Lady Yu was clever, knowing exactly how to win the Emperor's sympathy. Her demeanor was pitiful, and every word she spoke struck at the core of the matter—either evoking the Emperor's pity or redirecting suspicion back to Noble Consort Mi, while avoiding direct responses to their accusations. Instead, she seized only what favored her to divert the Emperor's attention.

It had never been noticed before that Lady Yu was so quick-witted. No wonder she had dared to betray Noble Consort Mi in the past.

A suspicion nagged at Su Jiaojiao as she glanced at Lady Yu, curious to uncover what unknown events had transpired with Eunuch Chen.

It seemed Lady Yu had deliberately left glaring holes in her initial statements, allowing them to refute her point by point, all to highlight her own defenseless fragility and their aggressive hostility. This forced them to speak more and err more, ultimately trapping Noble Consort Mi in an inescapable accusation.

Not only did she secure the Emperor's concern and achieve her goal, but she also made him see Su Jiaojiao and Noble Consort Mi as scheming, heartless women, while she alone was the gentle victim in desperate need of his pity.

Lady Yu had no noble background, merely common-born, who had entered the palace barely over a year ago. Even if she was naturally gifted, she couldn’t possibly possess this level of cunning on her own.

Every step she took bore the marks of meticulous calculation—not improvised, but rehearsed to perfection.

Otherwise, how could she have wept so artfully before the Emperor, just after learning of her miscarriage and being rebutted by Yu Ling?

Noble Lady Xiang had once mentioned that she deliberately recommended Lady Yu to the Empress, hoping to dispel the Empress’s suspicions. It seemed Lady Yu had also been trained by the Empress.

The Empress was meticulous in her plotting, and it was likely under her exacting guidance that Lady Yu had learned so quickly.

Su Jiaojiao subtly glanced at the Emperor, whose expression was dark, his mood oppressive to the extreme. His face was unreadable, revealing nothing of his thoughts.

He looked at Lady Yu, then at Noble Consort Mi, deliberately avoiding Su Jiaojiao. After a brief silence, his voice was frost-laced: "Bring all the palace servants from the Inner Servants Bureau who delivered cosmetics to Lady Yu. Interrogate them thoroughly. This concerns the imperial heir and Noble Consort Mi’s reputation. I will not judge based on one-sided testimony."

The palace servants attending the Emperor immediately went to summon them. Cai Shan, seeing someone emerge from the room, hurriedly inquired further.

After learning the situation in a few words, Cai Shan paused briefly before snapping his horsetail whisk and calmly adding, "Since this is His Majesty’s order, hurry. Ensure the interrogation is thorough—leave no detail unexamined."

"Yes, thank you for your guidance, Grand Eunuch."

Eunuch Chen had entered the palace early and, though not the highest-ranking in the Inner Servants Bureau, still held some standing. He had accompanied the Emperor to the summer retreat, making it quicker to fetch him now than if they were still in the palace.

Before long, Eunuch Chen was dragged to Qilixiang by the Emperor’s guards. Spotting Cai Shan, he immediately wailed, "Grand Eunuch, save this lowly servant!"

Cai Shan smiled as usual. "Just speak the truth. His Majesty will not wrong you."

"Move!" The guards shoved him inside, bringing along several servants Eunuch Chen often commanded in the Inner Servants Bureau.

The lead guard bowed and reported, "Your Majesty, Eunuch Chen from the Inner Servants Bureau and his subordinates have been brought in. They have confirmed that two months ago, they were the ones who delivered the rouge to Lady Yu."

Shen Huai gave a faint hum, then glanced at him coldly. "Were these boxes of rouge personally delivered by you to Lady Yu?"

A palace maid stepped forward with a tray, bending slightly so Eunuch Chen could see its contents.

Eunuch Chen crumpled in fear. After a quick glance at the tray, he dropped to his knees, kowtowing frantically. "Your Majesty, please be just! This lowly servant personally delivered the newly-tributed rouge and cosmetics to each consort and noble lady, never delayed or made mistakes. Even with ten thousand lives, I wouldn’t dare tamper with Lady Yu’s rouge! I beg Your Majesty to spare this worthless life!"

Propped up by Ting Qing, Lady Yu sat up weakly, tears streaming down her pale face as she sobbed, "Those who commit crimes never admit their wrongdoing. Eunuch Chen, I’ve never wronged you—why would you poison me? If someone ordered you, speak the truth now. Otherwise, with my miscarriage today, no punishment would suffice."

Eunuch Chen shrank back, casting a sidelong, panicked glance at Noble Consort Mi before lowering his head. "This servant only followed orders—I know nothing!"

His fleeting look at Noble Consort Mi did not escape Shen Huai’s notice. His voice turned sharp. "Orders? What orders involve lacing cosmetics with poison?"

"If you refuse to speak the truth, you’ll face the full penalty."

Shen Huai's expression was icy, his brows tightly knit: "The imperial summer villa may not be as well-equipped as the palace, but we certainly lack no complete set of punitive tools."

Ting Qing supported Talent Lady Yu and said sharply, "If Eunuch Chen refuses to speak, then the full range of instruments will surely take their turn on you!"

Eunuchs like Chen were the most opportunistic, always prioritizing their lives and interests. At the mere mention of punishment, he immediately panicked, opening his mouth wide and wailing, "Your Majesty, spare me! This humble servant is merely a menial in the palace, only meant to serve you and the ladies of the court well. How would I dare harm the royal lineage? Distributing tributes has always been an unenviable duty. If Your Majesty had specified a few, it would have been easier, but leaving it to this servant to decide was a great hardship. Two months ago, when Talent Lady Yu was favored by Your Majesty, yet—"

He glanced at Noble Consort Mi again and quickly lowered his head, saying, "Yet Noble Consort Mi disliked Talent Lady Yu the most and ordered this servant not to give her any of the newly tributed rouge, only allowing the previous year's supply..."

Rivalry among the consorts was commonplace, hardly surprising. Yet, it was also an unspoken truth that they all pretended to be understanding, gentle, and obedient before the Emperor.

For the sake of self-preservation, this treacherous wretch dared to lay such matters bare!

Noble Consort Mi, already furious, grew even angrier upon hearing this and raised her hand to strike Eunuch Chen hard across the face.

Fortunately, Yu Ling desperately held her back, turning to glare at Eunuch Chen and gritting her teeth as she said, "Eunuch Chen, your life may be precious, but you must choose your words carefully! Noble Consort Mi has always managed the inner palace with balance, strict yet fair. The rouge was simply in short supply, forcing Her Highness to have to make accommodations for Talent Lady Yu. How dare you twist it into Her Highness deliberately targeting her!"

Eunuch Chen, who valued his life and wealth above all else, wasted no time and immediately kowtowed twice in Noble Consort Mi's direction: "This servant speaks only the truth, not daring to err in the slightest."

He then looked up at the Emperor and added, "This servant has not lied, and what Yu Ling said is also true. At the time, Her Highness did instruct me to give Talent Lady Yu the old stock. But the rouge on the tray now is indeed from the new tribute—because later, a maid from Her Highness's side came to relay that Her Highness ultimately did not wish to wrong Talent Lady Yu. So she allocated a portion from her personal stores and ordered this servant to deliver them as gifts."

Upon hearing this, Yu Ling's eyes widened in shock.

She'd been deceived!

She had only spoken favorably to prevent Eunuch Chen from slandering Noble Consort Mi before the Emperor, not wanting His Majesty to think Her Highness was petty and intolerant. Who could have imagined this brazen eunuch would twist her words and drag out an incident she had never even heard of?

When had Her Highness ever ordered her own rouge to be given to Talent Lady Yu?!

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the Emperor turned to Noble Consort Mi, his expression darkened like storm clouds: "Which maid relayed this message?"