Concubine Jiang’s group drew closer and closer.

They happened to be in the queue nearest to the Heavenly Maiden. When they reached the front to receive sweet dew, the Heavenly Maiden was diagonally to their side.

Concubine Jiang looked up, murmuring: “This feeling of familiarity is so strong. I must have seen her somewhere…”

Xie Xian stood on tiptoe to receive a bowl of sweet dew but didn’t drink it. She sweetly asked: “Can I take the sweet dew home with me?”

“No.” The guard distributing sweet dew said sternly. “You must drink it on the spot to receive the Heavenly Maiden’s blessing and be cleansed of illness and disaster.”

The sweet dew actually only filled half the bowl. Xie Xian brought it to her mouth, then walked to the side and spat it onto her handkerchief. Earlier, her mother had told her it was best not to drink this sweet dew.

After spitting it out, she suddenly smelled a familiar fragrance.

She turned her head, following the scent, and discovered it was emanating from the Heavenly Maiden’s body.

As Concubine Jiang led her away to the side, she couldn’t help but speak: “Mother, the Heavenly Maiden’s scent—I think I smelled it when I was young…”

Concubine Jiang’s fingers paused.

She hurriedly asked: “When you were young? How young? Where did you smell it?”

Xie Xian tilted her head, thinking for a moment. “It seems like… at the Xie family home…”

She had been away from the Xie family for too long. Many things she could no longer remember clearly, but that scent stirred some memories of her time at the Xie family home…

“The Xie family!” Concubine Jiang’s eyes suddenly widened. “Is it her?”

Xu Ti’s face was full of disbelief. “Mother knows the Heavenly Maiden? She’s from the Xie family?”

Right now they were surrounded by people queuing to receive sweet dew. Concubine Jiang didn’t dare make a scene. She hurriedly pulled the two children away. After walking some distance, she looked back, her eyes still full of disbelief.

When they reached a place with no one around, only then did she speak: “It’s Concubine Tao.”

Xie Xian didn’t even remember who Concubine Tao was, let alone Xu Ti, who had no idea such a person existed at all.

“She was a courtesan given to Xie Jingyu by a high official. Madam took pity on her and elevated her to concubine status. Later she bore Xie Shikang for Xie Jingyu.” Concubine Jiang spoke slowly. “After that, the Xie family fell into trouble and declined. After Xie Jingyu died, he owed the court a massive debt of over one hundred thousand taels of silver, to be repaid by his sons. Half the debt fell on Xie Shikang’s shoulders… Sigh, Xie Shikang was weak from birth and owed the court so much silver. Concubine Tao couldn’t bear such a heavy burden, so she abandoned her child and ran away… The Xie family arranged for people to search for her but couldn’t find her. I never imagined…”

Concubine Jiang looked toward where the sweet dew was being distributed. “I truly never imagined she would become the Heavenly Maiden… A woman who abandoned her own flesh and blood—how could she possibly be a merciful Heavenly Maiden who cares for the people? It’s utterly absurd!”

“This is all fake!” Xie Xian spoke. “We must tell the Empress Dowager about this!”

Concubine Jiang withdrew her gaze. “The Empress Dowager is so intelligent, she naturally already knows.”

“Not necessarily.” Xu Ti said slowly. “The Empress Dowager probably only knows there’s something wrong with this Heavenly Maiden and the sweet dew, but doesn’t know the specific problems. We still need to inform the Empress Dowager of this information as quickly as possible.”

The three of them quickly walked to the capital’s gates, but the gates were tightly shut, not allowing anyone to enter or exit.

Concubine Jiang wanted to have the guards at the gate relay a message, but the guards wouldn’t even look at her and just shooed her away.

It was around dusk when the queue to receive sweet dew finally ended.

When the Heavenly Maiden descended from the high platform, her legs were stiff and she nearly fell to the ground. Maidservants on both sides hurriedly supported her and helped her into the largest tent at the very back.

As soon as she entered, the Heavenly Maiden removed the gauze covering her face. Her face was full of exhaustion, her eyes full of numbness.

If anyone from the Xie family were present, they would certainly recognize that this person was the former Concubine Tao.

Her original name was Tao Guizhi. In the pleasure quarters she had sold her talents but not her body. She was purchased by a high official and given to Xie Jingyu, thus becoming Concubine Tao of the Xie manor.

She thought the Xie family would be her lifelong home, but then… the Xie family collapsed just like that… Her son, born with congenital deficiencies, carried a massive debt of nearly one hundred thousand taels on his shoulders. She couldn’t bear it. She broke down and could only flee…

At that time, her household registration documents were still with the Xie family. Without proof of identity, she could only end up in the pleasure quarters.

In the pleasure quarters, she met a man and once again became a concubine. But the wife of that household was too vicious and made her kneel in the ice and snow. The child she had just conceived was lost as she knelt in the snow. She was left with chronic illnesses throughout her body and lost her ability to bear children. That family cast her out… She was sold from place to place, accumulating ailments throughout her body.

She thought it must be because she had abandoned her own son that heaven was punishing her this way.

So she escaped from her master’s household and fled back to the capital. She made inquiries everywhere and learned that the Xie family had returned to Jizhou.

She worked hard to earn some travel money. With great difficulty she made it to Jizhou. Just as she arrived at Xie Family Village, she encountered… Xie Shi’an.

Just as she thought of this, a maidservant’s voice sounded at the tent entrance: “Master Xie.”

Tao Guizhi immediately composed her expression.

Next, Xie Shi’an walked in. He appeared polite and cupped his hands: “Heavenly Maiden.”

Tao Guizhi pressed her lips together. “It’s just you and me here. No need for such formality.”

“Over the next few days, the Heavenly Maiden may have to work much harder.” Xie Shi’an raised his head. “However, these days won’t last too long.”

Tao Guizhi nodded. “I understand.”

Previously in Ningzhou, she only needed to bestow sweet dew for two shichen each day. On the journey to the capital, the task of bestowing sweet dew didn’t fall to her.

Now that they had arrived at the capital’s gates, in order to attract more common people, she had to stand on the high platform all day, maintaining the same posture and expression…

She paused before speaking: “When can I see Brother Kang?”

“Why the rush?” Xie Shi’an said indifferently. “You have nothing now. Even if you saw Brother Kang, what could you do? Wait until the great deed is accomplished and the new emperor confers upon you the title of noble lady. Then you’ll have silver to treat Brother Kang’s illness, and only then will he acknowledge you as his mother. Concubine Tao doesn’t understand such a simple principle?”

Tao Guizhi lowered her head. “Alright.”

Outside the city, every day as soon as the sun rose, the Heavenly Maiden began bestowing sweet dew. This was already the third day.

“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, more and more common people are gathering outside the city.”

“The capital’s gates have been closed for three days. The lives of the common people inside the city have been greatly affected. Many are causing disturbances. We can’t let this continue.”

“The capital’s thirty thousand garrison troops are just outside the city. Why not let the garrison take action? Otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable.”

“Although Prince Cheng has many people, they’re all unarmed commoners, including large numbers of elderly, weak, women, and children. They’re no match for the garrison at all!”

Yun Chu’s voice was calm. “Since you know the other side consists entirely of unarmed commoners, then taking action against the people would be equivalent to destroying our own foundation. The consequences would be even more severe.”

The ministers below wore worried expressions.

“Then—then what should we do?”

“Does the Empress Dowager have a good strategy?”

“If time drags on, it will be greatly disadvantageous to us.”

Yun Chu already had a plan in mind. However, she was wary of Chu Rui and therefore didn’t speak it outright.

The poison Prince Cheng used to control the common people was simple. The dozen or so imperial physicians at the Imperial Medical Bureau had already worked through the night to produce the antidote. What needed to be done now was to administer the antidote to the more than two hundred thousand civilians. This was no simple matter.

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Today I’ve updated four chapters. I wish everyone a Happy New Year, all the best, career success, smooth studies, family happiness, and good health!