Chapter 388

Shunan Palace—

Huang Yanyu held a brush, scribbling and sketching in the account book, her eyes revealing a hint of impatience.

“What are you standing around for?”

Shu Xiang slapped her lightly: “These are all the gifts the various palaces have sent to Her Ladyship over the years. Be careful with your entries; Her Ladyship will need to send return gifts. Don’t make any mistakes.”

Huang Yanyu’s brow twitched: “You mean… all these things were sent by the ladies of the inner palace?”

“Yes!”

Shu Xiang chuckled: “Don’t act like you’ve never seen anything before. Our lady is the Empress’s close friend. Kunning Palace alone has sent quite a few gifts! Don’t slack off, hurry up and record them.”

“I understand.”

Huang Yanyu categorized and meticulously recorded each item in the new account book.

When Consort Liang was promoted, Kunning Palace sent two exquisite lingzhi mushrooms.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Consort Liang had cried too much during the day, overwhelmed with both joy and sorrow. She had caught a chill while sitting on the wall, and by evening, she was coughing incessantly.

As the eldest princess was getting married today, the Emperor, fearing that Consort Liang might be heartbroken over her daughter’s departure, came to Shunan Palace to keep her company.

“What’s wrong with Consort Liang?”

The Emperor heard her violent coughing as soon as he entered. Shu Xiang was patting her back and immediately knelt upon seeing the Emperor.

Consort Liang tried to rise and offer her respects, but the Emperor pressed her shoulder: “No need for formalities. Weren’t you fine this morning? Why are you coughing so badly now?”

Consort Liang felt as if her lungs were about to cough out. Shu Xiang quickly explained: “Your Majesty, Her Ladyship didn’t sleep at all last night. She was worried about the eldest princess’s wedding and kept getting up to check the dowry, afraid something might be missing. She went barefoot several times and probably caught a chill then.”

Before dawn today, she went to the eldest princess’s chamber to watch the matron of honor comb her hair, cleanse her face, apply makeup, and offer blessings…

She had been too tense.

Now that the eldest princess had left the palace, she suddenly relaxed, and the cold took hold.

“Your Majesty, Consort Liang…”

Huang Yanyu appeared in a fresh, light green palace dress, with a delicate touch of makeup, exuding a charming and playful air: “The kitchen maid heard that Her Ladyship has caught a cold. She asked me to fetch the lingzhi mushrooms gifted by the Empress from the storeroom to make chicken soup. It’s said to relieve coughs, calm the breath, and soothe the spirit.”

Her voice was sweet and soft, full of youthful vitality.

In the past, the Emperor might have found such a charming maid attractive and might have favored her, giving her a title the next day.

But not now.

He had Jiang Xinyue.

The Emperor’s handsome face showed a scrutinizing expression. Consort Liang glanced at the Emperor, then at Huang Yanyu, and gave Shu Xiang a meaningful look.

Shu Xiang stepped forward to take the soup: “You’re no longer needed here. You may leave.”

Huang Yanyu, still unwilling to give up, cast a shy and pleading glance at the Emperor, but her efforts were wasted—the Emperor didn’t even look at her.

Consort Liang was also feeling a bit hungry and began sipping the soup slowly, testing the waters: “Your Majesty, were you perhaps… moved by that maid just now?”

The Emperor felt a pang of frustration. Was this a test? It felt more like a direct challenge!

He simply thought the maid was too flamboyant, dressed almost as elaborately as Consort Liang herself, which was against the rules.

“I found her somewhat familiar. Wasn’t she the one you asked the Empress for during the selection?”

If he didn’t clarify, this gossipmonger might spread exaggerated rumors to Jiang Xinyue.

“Your Majesty remembers her?” Consort Liang looked at her in surprise: “Yes, she’s the Empress’s distant cousin. I found her quite clever and asked for her to serve as a palace maid.”

The Emperor…

He remembered this maid because she claimed to be Jiang Xinyue’s cousin!

Why did Consort Liang act as if he was about to betray Jiang Xinyue?

Was she… out of her mind?

“Clever? I don’t see it.”

The Emperor’s disgust was evident: “She’s too flashy. I don’t like her. If she’s from the Jiang family, send her out of the palace as soon as possible. If you’re short on maids, ask the Empress for a few more.”

Jiang Xinyue was only eighteen or nineteen, at the peak of her beauty. Where did these women get the confidence to think he would abandon Jiang Xinyue for them?

In terms of beauty, temperament, talent, character, or even the ways they tried to please him, how could they possibly compare to Jiang Xinyue?

Why would he give up the best for those who were inferior?

If they wanted to win his favor, they’d at least need to surpass Jiang Xinyue in looks. Trying to compete without even matching her was sheer arrogance.

Hearing this, Consort Liang finally relaxed a little and continued sipping her soup.

The Emperor felt as if he had been hit on the head to think that Consort Liang would be too heartbroken over her daughter’s marriage to eat.

She was enjoying her meal thoroughly, not even thinking to share with him or ask if he had eaten dinner.

Consort Liang had changed; she wasn’t like this before.

Or had he been away from the inner palace for so long that he misremembered? Had Consort Liang always been this indifferent to him?

“Ah!”

“Yanyu!”

“Yanyu?”

A terrified scream came from outside. Wang Dequan hurried in: “Your Majesty, Consort Liang, a maid has been poisoned and is vomiting…”

“Sss…”

Consort Liang clutched her chest as a sharp pain surged through her abdomen, causing her to gasp: “Pfft—”

A mouthful of black blood spewed from her lips. Her eyes widened as she vomited another large amount of blood.

“Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship, what’s wrong?”

Shu Xiang screamed in panic, rushing to support Consort Liang, who had collapsed by the bed.

Consort Liang’s face contorted in agony: “It… it hurts… my stomach hurts!”

At that moment, Huang Yanyu was helped in, black blood still dripping from her lips: “Your Ladyship… Your Ladyship… the lingzhi… the lingzhi is poisoned… don’t… don’t eat it… ugh…”

But it was too late. The delicious lingzhi chicken soup had already been consumed entirely by Consort Liang.

“Consort Liang has been poisoned?”

“I heard it was from the lingzhi sent by the Empress.”

“Tsk tsk… who would have thought? The Empress seemed so close to Consort Liang, but secretly she wanted her dead.”

“Was it jealousy because the Emperor visited Shunan Palace today? After all, the Emperor has been exclusively devoted to the Empress for so long. Suddenly visiting Consort Liang must have been too much for her to bear.”

So she tried to poison Consort Liang?

That’s taking things too far.

When Jiang Xinyue arrived at Shunan Palace, Consort Liang had already fallen unconscious. Huang Yanyu, having ingested less poison, was still conscious but had been given an emetic and was vomiting violently, leaving her extremely weak.

“How is Consort Liang?”

Shu Xiang knelt to the side, wiping her tears: “Your Majesty, the imperial physician said Her Ladyship ingested too much poison… she might… she might… sob…”