Qin Shuying received the note from the unremarkable palace maid dressed in green, unfolded it to take a look, then handed it to Ziteng: “Ziteng, destroy it.”
Ziteng immediately tore the note to shreds and placed the pieces in a small bag she carried with her.
The green-clothed palace maid said: “Young Master asked this servant to inquire whether Miss has any words you’d like conveyed to him?”
Qin Shuying shook her head and said: “Nothing in particular. You need only tell him what I just mentioned, and he’ll understand everything.”
The green-clothed palace maid acknowledged with a sound, picked up the clothes Qin Shuying had changed out of, and withdrew.
After she left, several other palace maids dressed in identical clothing emerged from the rooms of the other ladies and young misses, and they all departed together.
It turned out they were palace maids serving in the temporary palace.
Ziteng whispered to Qin Shuying: “Miss, thank goodness for Young Master Liang, otherwise we would have almost let Liang Qiong succeed!”
Qin Shuying nodded.
This morning, when Liang Qiong and Luo Jinniang had been so affectionate toward her, she had sensed something was amiss.
Since she and Liang Zhe had a marriage engagement, Luo Meixiang must be extremely furious. These past days, she hadn’t sent anyone to the Qin manor to discuss wedding arrangements at all. How could Liang Qiong possibly like her?
So when they reached a place with no one around, Qin Shuying carefully examined everywhere that Liang Qiong and Luo Jinniang had touched, and indeed she discovered something strange—a grain-sized, inconspicuous pale yellow pill had somehow adhered to her sleeve.
Although Qin Shuying knew something about medicines, she didn’t recognize this one, so she told the green-clothed palace maid about it.
The green-clothed palace maid reported the matter to Liang Zhe, who made the pill into a spray solution and managed to get it into Qin Shuying’s hands before the noon garden gathering.
This led to the scene in the garden where bees swarmed in droves, stinging Liang Qiong until her head swelled like a pig’s.
In Luo Meixiang’s room.
Liang Qiong lay on the bed covered entirely in medicinal ointment, groaning continuously.
She wanted to cry, to shout, to curse, but her face was so swollen it looked like a pig’s head. Her mouth was stiff, her face compressed by the swelling, and she couldn’t open her mouth at all—there was simply no way to curse anyone.
Luo Meixiang looked at Luo Jinniang kneeling on the ground: “Jinniang, what exactly did you do? I told you to place the pill on Qin Shuying, so how did it end up on Qiong’er!”
Luo Jinniang had long since been frightened senseless—she had clearly placed it on Qin Shuying!
No matter how Luo Jinniang tried to explain, Luo Meixiang remained so angry that her devastatingly beautiful face became twisted with rage.
Noble Consort De sat to one side, with Princess Fuping standing beside her.
“Qiong’er, rest well. This palace has already had the best imperial physicians examine you, so set your mind at ease. In a couple of days, once this swelling subsides, there will be no lasting harm.”
Although Luo Meixiang was worried sick, since Noble Consort De had spoken thus, she couldn’t say anything more: “Thanks to Your Ladyship’s presence, otherwise we wouldn’t have known what to do. Your Ladyship, I thank you on Qiong’er’s behalf.”
Noble Consort De rose: “We’re all family here, why speak so formally? This palace will go check on Consort Kang—she was also stung by bees several times and is probably furious by now.”
“Please go ahead, Your Ladyship. Here in this temporary palace, everything in the inner palace depends on Your Ladyship’s arrangements. If Your Ladyship doesn’t go, who knows what she might say.”
“This palace isn’t afraid of what she might say. This palace wants to go see her supposedly world-stunning beauty. Tonight is when His Majesty will feast the guests, and she won’t be able to attend—how frustrated she must be.”
Luo Meixiang glanced at Liang Qiong lying on the bed—what a pity that there would be a grand banquet tonight. The Fifth Prince would surely attend, and how wonderful it would have been if Qiong’er could go too.
Luo Meixiang saw off Noble Consort De and the consistently silent Princess Fuping, feeling somewhat restless.
Qiong’er was already fifteen and would soon have her coming-of-age ceremony, yet Noble Consort De still hadn’t given her any definitive word—what could this mean?
She looked at Liang Qiong lying on the bed and comforted herself that once this Huerhan chieftain left, the matter between Qiong’er and His Highness the Fifth Prince would surely be settled.
She wondered whom His Majesty would betroth to Huerhan…
Luo Meixiang returned to the room and sat on the edge of the bed. She heard Liang Qiong mumbling indistinctly: “Qin… Shuying…”
After listening carefully for a while, Luo Meixiang finally understood, and her expression immediately darkened: “Qiong’er, it’s all Qin Shuying’s fault that you suffered this. I already know. Rest assured, I will definitely make her pay dearly for this!”
Only then did Liang Qiong quiet down.
Noble Consort De, Consort Kang, and Consort Lian all had independent palaces.
In Consort Kang’s palace, Consort Kang, with medicinal ointment applied to her face, was still seething with anger.
“Mother Consort, I saw it clearly—Liang Qiong deliberately ran toward you, and you were implicated because of her.”
Princess Fu’an muttered these words, and Consort Kang listened with a furrowed brow.
Suddenly they heard a palace maid announce that Noble Consort De had arrived. Consort Kang gave Princess Fu’an a meaningful look, and Princess Fu’an stood up. When Noble Consort De entered and saw that half of Consort Kang’s face was red and swollen, she exclaimed “Aiya!” and said: “Sister, how did you end up like this? What are we to do? How can you attend tonight’s banquet? This palace had promised His Majesty, but now I’m afraid this palace will have to break my word.”
Consort Kang suppressed her anger: “Elder Sister, it’s just a little swelling. If I don’t go, it would be too discourteous.”
Noble Consort De smiled charmingly: “That’s good then, otherwise this palace would have to explain to His Majesty that this palace failed to take proper care of you, sister. Speaking of which, sister is still so considerate.”
Consort Kang glanced at Princess Fuping and said to Noble Consort De: “Elder Sister, look at our Fuping—she’s grown increasingly gracious and dignified. That Huerhan tribal chieftain’s eldest prince—what’s his name again? Oh yes, Huo Luo—when he sees Fuping so beautiful and gracious, he’ll surely be amazed… Oh, Elder Sister, look at me chattering away and forgetting to invite you to sit. Come, here’s some freshly cut honeydew melon, tribute from Huerhan—it’s particularly sweet, please try some…”
Noble Consort De turned with a smile: “Seventh Miss Qin spoke well—Fu’an has a lively and generous temperament, much more endearing than this stuffy gourd Fuping.”
The two exchanged veiled barbs for quite some time, while Princess Fuping maintained her calm expression throughout. Even when mentioned, she showed no anger, embarrassment, or shyness.
Looking at Princess Fuping’s eternally unchanging face, Princess Fu’an felt even more annoyed than when looking at Qin Shuying.
Consort Kang, her face half-rigid, saw Noble Consort De off, then returned and swept a teacup from the table in one motion: “That vixen came to mock me!”
Princess Fu’an said: “Mother Consort, I heard that Liang Qiong is completely swollen up.”
“She probably intended to harm Qin Shuying originally, but in the end didn’t hurt her and got herself caught instead. Hmph, wanting to mock me—let her look at herself first!”
“Mother Consort, calm down. Qin Shuying has already helped us vent our anger!”
Consort Kang touched her own face, and her expression improved somewhat: “None of them are any good! With Liang Qiong in this state, Luo Meixiang will absolutely not let Qin Shuying off. We need only stand aside and watch.”
Princess Fu’an looked somewhat worried: “Mother Consort, do you think Father Emperor will marry me off to Huerhan?”
Consort Kang sneered: “This palace will never let that happen! Isn’t there still Fuping? She’s the perfect candidate—what else is there to consider!”