Chapter 67 Stealing Makeup to Ruin Her Looks

Chapter 67: Stealing Cosmetics, Destroying Her Own Looks

Only two days remained until the Plum Blossom Banquet.

Jiang Yaozhen stared at her reflection in the bronze mirror, her eyes fixed on the unhealed scar marring her once-beautiful face. Even with cosmetics, it was difficult to conceal.

How could Jiang Yaozhen, who had always defined herself by her beauty, possibly endure this?

“How can I appear before His Highness the Third Prince looking like this?” she fumed, angrily sweeping all the cosmetics off the table.

Chun Hua, standing nearby, cautiously suggested, “I’ve heard that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager gave the Eldest Miss the cosmetic powder sent as tribute from Beiling. They say it's a very fine powder with excellent coverage. Maybe… maybe I could go and ask the Eldest Miss for some?”

Though the women of Beiling weren’t particularly pretty, they were famous for their snow-white skin, thanks entirely to their cosmetics.

If I could get that Beiling powder, perhaps it would cover the scar on my face, allowing me to shine once more at the Plum Blossom Banquet in two days.

“Then why are you still standing there? Go!” Jiang Yaozhen, as if grasping a lifeline, urged her. “Go and ask my sister to give me that Beiling powder!”

“Yes, Second Miss.” Chun Hua accepted the order and hurried to Jiang Shuning’s Emerald Bamboo Courtyard.

However, Jiang Shuning flatly refused Chun Hua’s request.

Ling Wu was even more merciless, barring her way at the door: “The Second Miss sent assassins after the Eldest Miss, ended up hoist by her own petard and injured herself, and now she still has the gall to come asking for cosmetics? Just how thick-skinned are the people from your Qili Courtyard? Thick enough to build a city wall!”

Chun Hua flushed crimson with shame at these words: “Miss Lingwu, don’t you dare slander us! The authorities haven’t caught the assassins yet, what makes you say our Second Miss ordered it?”

“The assassin who could have told the truth, wasn’t he silenced by your Second Miss with a hairpin? What a perfect case of silencing a witness!” Having gained nothing but humiliation, Chun Hua could only slink back to Qili Courtyard.

Returning to the room, Ling Wu said to Jiang Shuning, “Eldest Miss, I’ve sent that Chun Hua packing. The Second Miss truly is shameless. She failed to have you killed, and still has the nerve to come asking for things!”

Jiang Shuning’s expression was calm: “Ling Wu, bring the box of Beiling powder bestowed by the Empress Dowager and place it in the most obvious place on the dressing table.”

“Yes.”

Ling Wu complied, placing the powder box on the dressing table.

Jiang Shuning stood up and instructed, “We’re going out. Leave the window open. Tell Xia Chan that if someone sneaks into my room, she shouldn’t make a peep. Just act like she didn’t see anything and let her leave.”

Ling Wu was puzzled: “Eldest Miss, what do you mean by this?”

A cold smile curled at the corner of Jiang Shuning’s lips: “Is my younger sister one to give up easily? She will surely stop at nothing to get this box of powder. Since that’s the case, how can I, as her elder sister, disappoint her?”

Ling Wu had a sudden realization: “The Eldest Miss intends to tamper with the powder? How about adding some chili powder? Guaranteed to make her face swell up like a pig’s head!”

“No need. There’s something in this powder worse than chili powder.”

In her previous life, Consort Jiang, the birth mother of the Sixth Prince, developed a rash on her face. To conceal it, she used the tribute cosmetics from Beiling.

Unexpectedly, the powder not only failed to cover the rash but caused her entire face to become horribly infected and pus-filled.

The Emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation. It was then discovered that all the cosmetics from Beiling contained a specific substance.

This substance could make the skin bright and smooth, but once it came into contact with broken skin, it would eat away at the wound, making it fester.

As the Beiling cosmetics were all tributes, ordinary people couldn’t get their hands on them. Had Consort Jiang not used them and had a bad reaction, no one would have known the powder was so dangerous.

When Jiang Shuning first received the Empress Dowager’s gift, she never intended to use this powder.

Well, if Jiang Yaozhen is so desperate to use it, she can have it.

She so enjoys ruining others’ appearances; let her get a taste of having her own face destroyed!

In Qili Courtyard, Jiang Yaozhen was venting her fury on her maid, Chun Hua.

“She refused to give it, and you couldn’t think of another way? Utterly stupid! What use are you? Perhaps I should have Mother sell you!”

Hearing the word “sell,” Chun Hua was terrified out of her wits. She quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowing desperately.

“Second Miss, spare me! Please don’t sell this servant! I am willing to do anything for the Second Miss!”

“Good. Then go to my sister’s room and steal that Beiling powder!” Jiang Yaozhen said coldly.

Though reluctant in her heart, facing Jiang Yaozhen’s icy expression, Chun Hua didn’t dare disobey and could only agree: “Yes, Second Miss.”

She sneaked to the Emerald Bamboo Courtyard and found Jiang Shuning’s room empty, with even the corridors eerily quiet.

Summoning her courage, she slipped in through the window. On the dressing table, in the most obvious place, she found the box of powder, then made her way back the same way.

Everything went surprisingly smoothly.

Jiang Yaozhen, having obtained the powder, eagerly applied it to her face.

Sure enough, with just a thin layer, that unsightly scar was instantly concealed completely. Her skin also appeared fair, translucent, and radiant, like fine jade.

“It truly is Beiling powder! Simply wonderful!” Jiang Yaozhen looked left and right in the mirror, utterly satisfied.

With this powder applied, she was sure to outshine everyone at the Plum Blossom Banquet and become the center of attention!

The next morning, Jiang Yaozhen felt some itching around the wound on her face.

Looking in the mirror, she was immediately horrified—the original wound was not only red and swollen but also surrounded by terrifying, pus-filled bumps, a ghastly sight.

“Chun Hua! Chun Hua!” Jiang Yaozhen was almost in tears. “Look at my face! How did it become like this?”

Seeing Jiang Yaozhen’s wretched state, Chun Hua was also startled: “Second Miss, did you eat something you shouldn’t have yesterday?”

“No! These past few days, I haven’t dared touch any meat, fearing the scar wouldn’t heal. How could…” Suddenly, Jiang Yaozhen thought of something and said through gritted teeth, “It’s that box of Beiling powder! My sister must have poisoned it!”

“This… I’ll go tell the Master immediately!” Chun Hua said indignantly.

“No!” Jiang Yaozhen grabbed Chun Hua’s arm. “We stole that powder from her room. If this gets to Father, she’ll surely turn the tables on us. She might even accuse us of theft!”

“Then… Second Miss, what do you plan to do?” Chun Hua asked anxiously.

Jiang Yaozhen stared at her ruined reflection in the mirror, her eyes sinister: “Jiang Shuning just wants to stop me from attending the Plum Blossom Banquet, doesn’t she? Well, I’ll go anyway! I’ll make her understand that I am the one who will be the center of admiration at the banquet!”

On the day of the Plum Blossom Banquet, Jiang Shuning boarded the carriage first with Ling Wu.

A moment later, Jiang Yaozhen, dressed in a red gown with a sheer red veil covering her face, boarded the carriage with Chun Hua.

Jiang Shuning looked at her with a faint, mocking smile: “Younger Sister’s attire today is truly unique and eye-catching.”

“Thank you for the praise, Elder Sister.” Jiang Yaozhen’s eyes sparkled. “At the upcoming Plum Blossom Banquet, I plan to perform a dance. Dressed so splendidly, I fear I might outshine you, Elder Sister. I hope you won’t mind?”

Hearing this, Ling Wu nearly rolled her eyes.

The Second Miss was far too conceited!

“Of course not.” Jiang Shuning’s smile remained gentle and graceful. She leaned in slightly, whispering close to Jiang Yaozhen’s ear, “My radiance is not something someone like you can easily overshadow. Younger Sister, I advise you to behave yourself. Otherwise, next time, it won’t be just a ruined face.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yaozhen’s expression changed drastically, a flash of ferocity in her eyes.

So it was Jiang Shuning! She was the one who poisoned that box of Beiling powder, trying to ruin her face!

Her usual gentle and dignified demeanor was all an act!

“Elder Sister, we’ll see!” Jiang Yaozhen looked at her coldly. “Today, let’s see who has the last laugh!”