CHAPTER 29: CHAPTER 29: IS SHE OUT OF HER MIND?

Half a day later, Xue Ya was released and returned.

She was pale, and as soon as she entered the room, she fell into Yun Jiao’s arms, tears streaming down.

"What happened?"

Yun Jiao patted her back, much like she previously comforted herself when she couldn’t stop vomiting.

After wiping her tears with a handkerchief, she finally recounted the events of the past half-day in a scattered manner. The Imprisonment Department was very efficient with high brutality. They first controlled the palace maids and eunuchs who had contact with Fang Meng, the messenger eunuch, herding them together, and whipped the corpses with leather whips until they were flesh and blood blurred. During the execution, the Imprisonment Department people watched closely, observing their reactions.

"How did you react?" Yun Jiao asked.

"Even though Fang Meng is already dead, I was still scared, so..." Xue Ya’s little face flushed: "I couldn’t stop myself from vomiting, but it wasn’t just me who vomited; almost every palace maid watching the execution vomited."

"Two of them had strange reactions and were singled out by Wang Yishou."

"Those two refused to confess, Wang Yishou was somewhat troubled, wanting to use severe punishment but worried that killing them would break the clue. Then another eunuch suggested applying severe punishment to one of them, to the point of death, letting the other watch... Never mind, master shouldn’t ask the details, it’s too horrifying!"

Gong Mei interjected: "They are the villains trying to harm our master, they deserve to die!"

Xue Ya said she wasn’t sympathetic to them; witnessing the execution was indeed terrifying.

"He harbored ill intentions toward me; I do not sympathize with him but nor am I pleased."

Yun Jiao held her face and thought for a while.

Once one enters the palace, one cannot be naive; would she cry for the murderers trying their best to kill her? That’s unreasonable. A lady’s tears are precious and only spent on those worthy: "The Master’s complexion seems calm, though."

Gong Mei held tea to serve Yun Jiao: "Indeed, it’s something to be feared. I’ve never seen a dead person; master just vomited for a while but didn’t lose her mind, already better than many."

Yun Jiao answered in her heart; she had seen it in her past life.

She lived long in a hospital where patients in the rooms were replaced bed after bed, some cured and discharged, others gravely ill and passed away. So this time when people died because of her, though she vomited at the moment, she recovered quickly: "Why doesn’t the master ask who was found out?"

"I feel like most likely they won’t discover the true mastermind."

"Once in the Imprisonment Department, no one can hide the truth," Gong Mei didn’t believe it, but she glimpsed at Xue Ya’s expression: "Could the master have predicted correctly?"

Xue Ya asked, "Master, do you know Attendant Lady Zhang?"

Yun Jiao tried hard to recall, remembering that she had conflicts in Chuxiu Palace, but later, due to separation into two palaces, as far apart as physical isolation, they rarely spoke during greetings.

Xue Ya said, the eunuch who survived to the end identified Attendant Lady Zhang; she was the one who foolishly bribed Fang Meng to lure the master to the pond intending to push her down since the master always dressed thickly, and once the fabric absorbed water it became heavy and hard to rescue.

Furry Ball Attendant Lady: ...

This outfit is for fashion that prevents stabbings, shootings, and molesters!

"At that time Wang Yishou’s face turned green; what good would it do Attendant Lady Zhang to bring you down? Somehow she heard if the master couldn’t attend Qiu Lie, it would be her turn... but when asked to spill who spread the rumor, she couldn’t say anything sensibly."

Falsely proclaiming an imperial edict is a capital crime for a eunuch, why would Attendant Lady Zhang spend silver taels to bribe a eunuch willing to risk it?

There are many doubts that even Xue Ya thought of, and the Imprisonment Department couldn’t possibly miss.

All this went beyond Attendant Lady Zhang’s capabilities.

There must be someone guiding everything from the shadows, but no matter how severe the punishment employed, she couldn’t expose a "truth" that she fundamentally didn’t know. She thought she had gathered reliable information during her wanderings in the harem, feeling exceedingly proud.

The Imprisonment Department can extract truth from a person.

But if you bring in an unwitting fool being manipulated, even if you open them up wide, you can only dig out a gut full of gas, just flatulence.

Gong Mei sighed: "Since that’s the case, the one truly trying to harm the master remains unknown. Tomorrow we have to prepare to set off to the hunting ground; I will go and inspect the luggage again to avoid any mistakes."

Looking again, the master had already lain down on the couch, sleeping peacefully.

It didn’t seem like she would have nightmares from shock.

...

Even with several deaths, it couldn’t affect the cheerful mood of Xianfu Palace.

"Lady is truly stunning today; none can steal your spotlight!"

Concubine Li got up extra early, meticulously dressed, enhancing her already radiant beauty by three-fold, fully worthy of the title "Li." As palace maids styled her hair, they lavished praises, causing her to show pride: "You’re sweet-talking."

Even though the palace maids in the main hall understood their master was only accompanying due to Attendant Lady Xi, they weren’t hindered from tacitly omitting this and showering her with admiration. Concubine Li paused while selecting jewelry and clothes, instructing the maids: "Why hasn’t Attendant Lady Xi come to greet me yet? Let me see what she’s wearing today."

Although different ranks wear different colors, Concubine Li didn’t want to clash styles or be outshone.

She also considered, although Attendant Lady Xi is foolish, she indeed possesses a beautiful face.

Especially her pair of doe eyes, translucent and clear as if she could see through into the water in her mind, exuding a naive air that belittles worldly matters. If carefully adorned, one might find it hard to believe she’s real.

After a while, the palace maid hurried back with concern; as she whispered in her ear, Concubine Li’s face changed dramatically:

"What, it’s already this hour, and she’s still asleep?!"

The palace maid nervously said: "When I went just now, Attendant Lady Xi said she’d come to greet when it was time, but she’s too tired to get up, wants to pretend to be sick and not attend, wishing Lady a joyful Qiu Lie..."

Concubine Li’s expression turned from white to green, then from green to red.

She jumped up: "How outrageous!"

When an enraged Concubine Li entered the west room, she ignored the greetings and obstructions from Xue Ya and Gong Mei and rushed into the bedroom.

The sight that greeted her was Attendant Lady Xi sleeping soundly, hugging a quilt.

No matter how she slept, it was without posture; she lay face down on the couch, didn’t even turn over, resembling a little turtle, inducing Concubine Li to shout delicately: "Attendant Lady Xi! Get up!"

Yun Jiao, stunned, remained entirely unresponsive.

Concubine Li, her anger rising from her heart, her courage alongside it, grabbed her exposed ear and twisted it awake.

"Hmm?"

Finally, Yun Jiao reacted; bewildered, she raised her head, her naturally-wondrous cheek imprinted deeply, from the quilt’s pattern, while the quilt itself had a darkened patch, evidently moistened by drool, testament to her sound sleep.

"You...you...you..."

Concubine Li was incredulous: "That imprint won’t fade for a while, what will you do if others see it? How will they laugh at you?"

Xue Ya brought a copper mirror for her to inspect.

After looking, Yun Jiao felt embarrassed: "Lady, how about you slap me and cover the imprint with a handprint?"

Saying this, she tilted her neck, presenting her face to Concubine Li.

Concubine Li glanced at Xue Ya: "Isn’t she sick?"