Chapter 127: Life After the Calamity

Chapter 127: Aftermath of Disaster

"How are you feeling?"

Although the poisoning had been sudden and severe, it was not life-threatening. Su Jiaojiao had promptly taken an antidote.

After Imperial Physician Liu prescribed medication and she rested for a few days, she had mostly recovered.

During this time, an autumn rain had fallen. Once the rain stopped, the weather turned even cooler.

The summer heat was gone. A few golden osmanthus trees transplanted outside Yaoxian Palace had not suffered much from the rain, their scent filling the air. Whenever the wind blew, it was like a fragrant rain.

During the day, the windows of Yaoxian Palace were often left open, cooling the air inside.

Su Jiaojiao had been taking medicine to detoxify these past few days. Although the Emperor visited daily, her discomfort left her in peace.

In truth, after the poisoning incident, Su Jiaojiao had realized that in the Emperor’s heart, she now ranked above even Consort Yu. Consort Yu’s punishment sent a clear message.

Thus, Su Jiaojiao hoped the Emperor would visit other consorts during this time.

In the short term, the court officials might not voice objections, but if this continued, the resentment among the consorts would grow, and criticism from the court would increase. This would not only harm Su Jiaojiao but also undermine Su Chang’s influence and reputation in the court.

Being the sole favorite might seem glorious, but her priority was securing her position. Since Su Jiaojiao still had no children or real power, and the Emperor already held her in such high regard, there was no need to keep him to herself and provoke discontent among the other consorts.

She’d urged him repeatedly, but the Emperor only gave vague assurances, without taking any action, which left her uneasy.

Yu Ying entered with a cup of osmanthus tea. As soon as she lifted the lid, the scent filled the room.

Su Jiaojiao set down the book in her hand and took the tea, glancing at Yu Ying.

Noticing Yu Ying’s slightly somber expression, Su Jiaojiao knew she had something to say. Unhurriedly, she stirred the tea absently, the porcelain producing a pleasant chime.

"Yu Ying may stay. The rest of you may leave."

The attending maids curtsied and left. Once they had gone, Yu Ying approached Su Jiaojiao and lowered her voice. "Your Highness, Xiao Songzi just reported that someone has been lurking around Yaoxian Palace these past few days, like a spy. But after observing several times, they’ve seen no further action. Should we wait for this person to reappear and have Xiao Songzi capture and interrogate them before handing them over to His Majesty?"

Su Jiaojiao pondered for a moment. "Do they know who this person is?"

Yu Ying nodded. "They’re not from any consort’s palace—just a young palace sweeper. He’s never served any master before."

The incident of Consort Yu poisoning her had just occurred. In the short term, the Empress would not act against her again.

Moreover, the Empress’s current priority was to regain power. Raising suspicions with the Emperor would do her no good.

Consort Yu was locked away under heavy guard, with messages unable to be sent out. It was unlikely to be her.

Su Jiaojiao enjoyed exclusive favor in the palace. Some admired her, others feared her, and of course, some hated her.

Ordinary people might dislike her, but not to the point of wanting her dead—at most, they sought favor for themselves. Even if Su Jiaojiao died, it didn’t guarantee the Emperor would favor them instead.

Whoever targeted Su Jiaojiao must have an absolute reason to want her dead.

Noble Consort Wang, Noble Lady Xiang, or Beauty Yu?

Considering them one by one—Noble Consort Wang might want her dead, but her son’s life was now her priority. The Second Prince was still young. Noble Lady Xiang had no compelling reason to act. Beauty Yu was aligned with the Empress and Noble Lady Xiang—that went without saying.

Beyond them, who else could it be?

Su Jiaojiao remained silent, turning over possibilities in her mind, momentarily at an impasse. Suddenly, Yu Ying glimpsed a figure passing by the window and tensed. "Could they be after Jia Xi?"

"Jia Xi?"

Her blocked thoughts suddenly cleared, as if a gap had been torn open. The point that had eluded Su Jiaojiao suddenly made sense.

Previously, those who acted against her had always targeted her directly. So when she learned someone was skulking around outside Guanju Palace, she naturally assumed it was still aimed at her.

But sending a young, inexperienced eunuch to deal with Su Jiaojiao—someone notorious for being hard to outmaneuver—was inherently unreasonable.

Unless he wasn’t after Su Jiaojiao at all.

Jia Xi—

Su Jiaojiao pondered briefly before asking, "How has Jia Xi been in Yaoxian Palace lately?"

Yu Ying lowered her voice and replied, "After the incident the other day, you rewarded her generously, praising her for her loyalty and motivating the others in Yaoxian Palace to stay sharp. The rewards were lavish, and everyone was envious. Jia Xi’s been strutting around these days, basking in her triumph."

"I know you did it to stabilize Jia Xi and observe her next moves, as well as to encourage loyalty among the palace servants in Yaoxian Palace. But having someone like her nearby sets me on edge."

She sighed and added, "No matter how careful we are, those who wish to scheme will always find new tricks. Defense alone won’t cut it."

Su Jiaojiao fell silent for a moment before speaking coolly, "I doubt she’ll last much longer."

Yu Ying’s head snapped up.

"What?"

Su Jiaojiao took a sip of tea, her voice like frost. "I originally thought that when the Empress had Jia Xi expose Consort Yu at this time, aside from wanting to eliminate both of us, she also intended for Jia Xi to gain my trust and plant a spy by my side."

"But it turns out that after accomplishing this, the Empress’s next move isn’t to wait for future gains—it’s to eliminate Jia Xi for good."

She scoffed. "In the Empress’s eyes, Jia Xi’s barely competent. Completing this one task was already the extent of her value. To tie up loose ends, it’s better to kill her and seal her lips forever."

Yu Ying glanced out the window, worried. "Your Highness, what should we do now? Jia Xi’s expendable, but if she dies in Yaoxian Palace, I fear someone might pin it on you—claiming you orchestrated it yourself to frame Consort Yu, or accusing you of being ruthless. What then?"

"The Empress wants her dead simply because she fears Jia Xi might slip up eventually and reveal everything, causing turmoil in the palace if the Emperor finds out. She wants to erase all traces," Su Jiaojiao said calmly. "Not only must Jia Xi not die, but we must personally save her."

The Empress’s grip on the palace runs deep, and as the nation’s mother, toppling her won’t happen overnight.

She may be cautious, but no matter how careful she is, she’ll slip up eventually.

Even the mightiest can fall to small cracks. Noble Lady Xiang is useful, Jia Xi is useful, and Noble Consort Wang is also useful.

"Make arrangements later. Have Jia Xi shadowed around the clock, including her meals, sleep, and even trips to the privy. No slip-ups."

Yu Ying asked, "To protect Jia Xi’s safety?"

Su Jiaojiao arched a delicate brow, her lips curling faintly. "That’s how we’ll earn her loyalty. We must let her fall into danger first before rescuing her. Only then will she feel indebted to me after surviving a brush with death."

"Yes, I understand."

The autumn night bit with cold, sharper than daylight’s chill.

Unlike their mistresses, who lived in luxurious palaces, even the best-treated maids couldn’t compare.

The servants’ quarters were cramped, so they didn’t feel the cold as much.

But especially at night, if one had to rise from sleep to visit the privy, it was a miserable ordeal.

In the pitch dark, fighting drowsiness while carrying a lantern outside, only to brave the biting cold.

Jia Xi would never have left her warm bed, put on her outer clothes, and lit a lantern to go to the outhouse unless it was absolutely urgent.

Though drowsy, she wasn’t in a bad mood.

A few days ago, she had bravely protected her mistress, and the lady had been promoted, handing out plenty of nice rewards. The maids in the lower quarters had been fawning over her, and the flattery had left her giddy with praise—naturally, she was in high spirits.

Moreover, the Empress had even sent her a bundle of valuables, which she had packed and sent home to help her family get by.

Honestly, the Empress had treated her well, giving her such a fine opportunity to prove herself. She hadn’t needed to harm anyone—just talking her way into such a windfall.

Eventually, when she left the palace at twenty-five, the money she’d saved wouldn’t just clear her family’s debts—it might even be enough to put up a big house.

Having stayed in Yaoxian Palace for a while, she often heard the other maids praising Consort Zhen, calling her a fair and decent mistress who treated her servants well, mixing kindness with firmness.

If her family hadn’t been so hard up, perhaps she would have been content to serve diligently in Yaoxian Palace. Alas, in her heart, making money came first.

Consort Zhen had angered the Empress—what was a lowly maid like her supposed to do? She was just looking out for herself.

Clutching the palace lantern, Jia Xi carefully pushed the door open and stepped outside.

The moment she left the lower quarters, a cold gust of wind rushed past, causing the lantern in her hand to sway violently before the flame was snuffed out.

It was pitch black outside, and with no other choice, she held it in, fished out a fire starter from her sleeve to relight the lantern, then hurried toward the outhouse.

No surprise, the strong night wind had long extinguished the lamp at the outhouse’s entrance. She rushed inside and, after a while, stepped out feeling relieved, lantern in hand.

She had barely taken two steps when Jia Xi, about to stretch and return to bed, spotted a huge dark shape suddenly appearing on the ground, lunging toward her.

Scared half to death, she turned and saw a black-clad figure charging at her. Before she could make a sound, a rough hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

"Shut up, or I’ll kill you right now!"

Someone sneaking around in the dead of night like this had to be a villain—here to take her life!

Whether she made noise or not, she was doomed!

But guards were patrolling outside—if she could just cry out, there might be a chance to survive.

Terrified, Jia Xi struggled desperately, but her mouth was muffled, leaving her only able to whimper.

The assailant’s arm was thick with muscle, even through the coarse fabric—likely a low-level eunuch.

Who wanted her dead? Was it someone from Consort Yu’s faction?

The black-clad figure yanked out a stinking rag from somewhere and stuffed it into Jia Xi’s mouth. She gagged at the stench but could only retch dryly.

Without wasting words, the eunuch immediately tightened his grip around her neck with deadly force, intent on strangling her.

The suffocation grew unbearable, her brain starved of oxygen, and she nearly blacked out.

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly called from the distance, "Who’s there?"

The one waiting outside was none other than Xiao Songzi.

Yu Ying had instructed him to intervene only when Jia Xi was on the brink of death—that was the most effective moment. He hadn’t dared forget, jumping in at just the right moment to save her.

Xiao Songzi, the chief eunuch of Yaoxian Palace, was young and strong, quick-witted, and subdued the attacker in no time without alerting the guards.

Jia Xi, snatched from the jaws of death, trembled with shock and fear, tears streaming down her face. After spitting out the rag, she coughed and retched uncontrollably.

Xiao Songzi glanced at her, too lazy to offer comforting words. Instead, he swiftly pulled out a rope to tie the man up, then yanked off the eunuch's face covering. Holding the lantern up to illuminate his features, he sneered, "Hah! I knew it was you."

Efficiently, he stuffed a wad of coarse cloth into the eunuch's mouth and barked, "Move it—we're going to Her Ladyship!"

Jia Xi, seeing that Xiao Songzi had saved her, assumed he had also gone out to use the privy and happened upon the attack, intervening just in time. Overwhelmed with gratitude and lingering fear, she burst into sobs, her voice shaking as she stammered, "Thank you, Eunuch Xiao Song, for saving me..."

To her surprise, Xiao Songzi merely gave her a cold glance and said, "Enough crying. Dry your face and come with me to see Her Ladyship."

Jia Xi froze for a moment before hurriedly wiping her eyes. "Of course, of course. But it's so late now—Her Ladyship’s surely asleep by now..."

"A killer loose in the palace isn’t something to ignore. Can we keep this from Her Ladyship? If something else happens, can you take responsibility?" Knowing Jia Xi was a spy, Xiao Songzi had no patience for her. He gave her a push, gripping the rope tightly as he marched ahead, barking, "Hurry up. Don’t waste time."

That much was true, and Jia Xi, still shaken from nearly being strangled, didn’t dwell on it. The sight of the bound eunuch filled her with dread.

She couldn’t understand why anyone would want her dead. She hadn’t done anything terrible—just... just obeyed the Empress and exposed Consort Yu’s plot to harm Consort Zhen!

Her heart pounded wildly, her back drenched in cold sweat. A cold gust made her shudder, making her break out in another layer of perspiration.

As it happened, Yu Ying was on night watch. When Xiao Songzi led the group to the bedchamber, she didn’t bat an eye, merely waving them inside to wait. She exchanged a glance with Xiao Songzi before entering to attend to Su Jiaojiao.

Su Jiaojiao had always been a light sleeper and had already stirred at the noise. By the time Yu Ying entered, she was sitting up in bed, her hair spilling loose like ink, her eyes still drowsy.

Massaging her brow, Su Jiaojiao asked, "They’ve been caught?"

"Yes. Xiao Songzi has tied them up and brought Jia Xi along as well," Yu Ying replied softly, draping an outer robe over Su Jiaojiao and smoothing her appearance.

Su Jiaojiao smiled gently. "Good work."

With Yu Ying supporting her, she walked to the main hall of the bedchamber. As soon as she took her seat, everyone inside knelt.

Su Jiaojiao gestured for Xiao Songzi to rise. He dipped his head and moved aside.

On either side of the hall knelt Jia Xi and the bound eunuch.

Seeing Xiao Songzi move aside, Jia Xi’s heart lurched with dread.

Su Jiaojiao cast a glance at the two before addressing the bound eunuch. "So. You’re the one who tried to kill someone in my palace?"

She signaled Xiao Songzi, who removed the gag and kicked him in the backside, growling, "Answer Her Ladyship truthfully! If you dare lie, she’ll report to His Majesty that you tried to kill someone in Yaoxian Palace. See if he doesn’t have your miserable head loped off!"

With the gag gone, the eunuch immediately kowtowed frantically, wailing, "Spare me, Your Ladyship! I’ll never dare again! I—I was forced! I didn’t mean it!"

Men’ll say anything to save their necks, and Su Jiaojiao wasn’t fooled. Accepting a cup of waking tea from Yu Ying, she took a sip before remarking coolly, "Oh? Forced, you say?"

"Who ordered you to kill my maid?"

The eunuch hesitated, stammering uncertainly.

Su Jiaojiao could read his thoughts at a glance but showed no impatience. "If you don’t wish to speak, that’s fine. I already know who’s behind this. In that case, Xiao Songzi, tie him up and lock him in the storeroom. We’ll report to His Majesty after court tomorrow."

"Who knows? A beating? The noose?"

Consort Zhen, the apple of the emperor’s eye, was beyond reproach. Attempting to murder her maid would be an unforgivable offense in his eyes. A nobody like him wouldn’t even rate a second look—a single word from the emperor would seal his fate.

Yu He, the Empress’s maid, had only promised him a hefty sum for killing a palace maid. She’d never mentioned the consequences.

If he had known there was a risk of losing his head, he wouldn't have done it!

The little eunuch was terrified and hurriedly pleaded, "Have mercy, Your Highness! I was just greedy for a moment, wanting to earn some silver."

His face twisted in misery, hesitating for a long while before finally saying, "It... it was Madam Yu He, the Empress's attendant, who came to me, saying the job was simple—just to eliminate an unimportant maid. I was foolish for a moment and did such a thing! Please, Your Highness, spare my life!"

"It's not impossible for me to let this go, as long as you write a written confession, sign it, and leave your thumbprint. Then I won’t bring this up again."

"Yu Ying, Xiao Songzi, take him to the side hall to sign the confession. I’ll remain here by myself."

Yu Ying and Xiao Songzi bowed and took the little eunuch to the side hall, leaving only Su Jiaojiao and Jia Xi in the main hall.

By now, Jia Xi’s eyes had gone wide, staring in disbelief at the direction the little eunuch had gone.

She murmured, "The Empress ordered my death..."

Su Jiaojiao twisted her lips into a mocking smile, deliberately set down her cup, and rose to stand before Jia Xi, who was still kneeling in the hall.

Looking down at her, she pinched Jia Xi’s chin and sneered coldly, "Jia Xi, how does it feel to cheat death?"