Sui Axi bowed deeply: “Before this, I was indebted to the Princess. During my time at the Princess’s residence, I observed how the Princess acts with deep planning and wisdom, holding the world in her sleeve. If the Princess harbors concerns about my previous actions, I have nothing to say.”
“You had already intended to join me, yet still chose to treat the Sixth Prince, showing your loyalty and sense of honor,” Shen Xihe nodded, “But even though you stayed hidden in the medicine garden, someone still saw you. If there’s an investigation later…”
Shen Xihe finished speaking, looking at him with calm eyes.
Sui Axi untied his belt, causing Biyu to change expression: “How dare you!”
Ignoring Biyu, Sui Axi opened his clothes, exposing his chest where there was a burn – a recent wound: “People can look similar, but I have only one copper coin-sized black birthmark here. This was recorded when I entered the Imperial Medical Office. I have already destroyed it.
I know some methods for treating burns that can heal them without leaving scars, making the birthmark seemingly vanish into thin air.”
Shen Xihe smiled with satisfaction, then said: “I don’t lack for healers around me. You’ve met Doctor Qi, and I have a senior maid studying medical principles under Baituoweng who will return soon. Give me a reason to keep you.”
Sui Axi lifted his head confidently: “Princess, in the art of pulse-reading and prescribing medicine, I dare not compare myself to Doctor Qi; in the art of treating illnesses and saving lives, I also dare not compete with Baituoweng’s accomplished student. However, my unique acupuncture technique is something neither of them can surpass.”
After a pause, Sui Axi added: “I also have another unique skill.”
“Unique skill?” Shen Xihe was curious.
“The art of bone manipulation.”
Shen Xihe showed slight surprise: “The bone manipulation technique for changing appearances?”
“Yes.” Sui Axi answered firmly.
While Shen Xihe’s face remained neutral, her inner thoughts were far from calm.
She had long heard of a bone manipulation technique that could make two completely different people look identical, or permanently change someone’s appearance into another’s without using human skin masks.
Though the process of changing appearances was lengthy and painful, once completed, the person would appear completely normal with no damage to their underlying bone structure.
“From today onwards, you’ll follow me. Whatever you need, just ask Biyu,” Shen Xihe accepted Sui Axi, “I don’t expect you to solve many of my problems, but I won’t tolerate even the slightest betrayal.”
“This servant will serve the Princess with absolute loyalty until death.” Sui Axi kowtowed again.
As soon as people in the palace began investigating, the Crown Prince received news that Shen Xihe was looking into the incense used in various palaces. Xiao Huayong naturally offered secret assistance, so Shen Xihe quickly obtained a report on incense usage throughout the palaces.
The Three-Blend Incense wasn’t unique to one palace – it was found in three locations: Third Princess Anling’s palace, the Buddhist hall where the Empress Dowager worshipped, and the chambers of Concubine Liang, Prince Dai’s birth mother.
“Such incense balls have never appeared in the Empress Dowager’s palace,” Mo Yuan added.
Shen Xihe nodded. Such items were mostly favored by young women and ladies; someone of the Empress Dowager’s age wouldn’t fancy such things.
Princess Anling and Concubine Liang, only had some friction with Concubine Liang, which started at Noble Consort Rong’s chrysanthemum banquet, when Prince Dai’s wife confronted Liang Danpu, and Liang Danpu tried to create discord between her and Prince Dai’s wife. After Shen Xihe saw through this and punished her severely.
The Liang family hadn’t mentioned this matter since, and Concubine Liang seemed unbothered – at least when they met in the palace, she showed no dissatisfaction during formal greetings. Concubine Liang wasn’t just one of the nine consorts; she had also given birth to Prince Dai and was raising the twelfth prince, Xiao Changgen.
“This item doesn’t bear the palace manufacturing mark. It seems to have been made outside the palace,” Shen Xihe stared at a scratch mark on it, “Let’s test Liang Danpu.”
Liang Danpu would visit Xianguo Temple with Madam Liang for prayers every fifteenth of the month. Master Xuqing happened to owe her a favor, so she directly stated she needed to secretly meet with Lady Liang, promising no harm or ill intentions and asked for his help in arranging it.
After confirming Shen Xihe wouldn’t harm Liang Danpu, Xuqing did her this favor, allowing Shen Xihe to easily meet Liang Danpu alone. Before Liang Danpu could react, she became disoriented from inhaling large amounts of hallucinogenic incense.
“Does Lady Liang harbor resentment towards Princess Zhaoning?” Biyu asked softly.
Liang Danpu’s face immediately twisted with hatred: “Shen Xihe, I hate her!”
Liang Danpu certainly hated Shen Xihe, not just for publicly humiliating her, but more importantly because after the chrysanthemum banquet in Furong Garden, Prince Dai visited the palace and explicitly rejected Concubine Liang’s intention to take her as a secondary consort.
Though the Liang family wasn’t particularly prominent, she was still a legitimate daughter, with an aunt who ranked among the nine consorts and a cousin who was a prince. She would have had an excellent marriage, but her aunt had hinted at letting her enter Prince Dai’s household as a secondary consort.
Prince Dai and his wife had been married for five or six years without producing any children. If she could give birth to the firstborn son, wouldn’t she eventually control the prince’s household, regardless of being a secondary consort? She had her aunt’s support and the Liang family’s influence – her cousin couldn’t treat her poorly.
Convinced, she set her sights on entering Prince Dai’s household. But after the chrysanthemum banquet, Prince Dai refused, and she was severely punished by Shen Xihe. People outside spread the word that she was presumptuous and lacking in virtue. Forget about the good official’s sons from before – even the illegitimate sons of noble families were unwilling to marry her.
Those willing to marry her were all rat-faced opportunists. Her marriage prospects had been thoroughly ruined.
“Have you thought about revenge?” Biyu asked again.
“Yes,” Liang Danpu responded loudly, her face twisted with an eerie smile, “I must have my revenge!”
“How will you take revenge?” Biyu prompted.
Liang Danpu thought for a while, shaking her head: “I will certainly think of a way.”
Listening to this, Shen Xihe could tell from her malevolent expression that she must have spent considerable time plotting against her, but unable to get close enough, and with Rong Er’s cautionary example, she hadn’t acted or succeeded yet, hence her current resentment and frustration.
“Did you give the lotus-patterned incense ball to Concubine Liang?”
“Yes,” Liang Danpu nodded blankly, “It had my specially mixed Three-Blend Incense, to please my aunt.”
“Was there anything unique about the incense ball?”
Liang Danpu dazedly shook her head: “There was a scratch.”
Biyu glanced at Shen Xihe, then pressed further: “How did the scratch occur? Where is it?”
“The scratch was caused by a palace maid’s carelessness. Because it was my gift, my aunt specifically mentioned this to me. It’s on…” Liang Danpu’s vision began to darken, “On the lotus pod…”
Before she could finish, she fainted from the effects of the hallucinogenic incense.
Shen Xihe looked at the scratch on the lotus pod, her lips slowly curving upward, a cold light briefly flashing across her soft lips.
“Give her some calming incense,” Shen Xihe ordered before leaving the room. Two novice monks stood guard outside, and she said, “Lady Liang is feeling drowsy. She should wake up in about half an hour.”
No one knew of Shen Xihe’s visits to Xianguo Temple. The next day, she entered the palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, sat for a short while before leaving, and happened to encounter Concubine Liang, who often went out for walks, as she was exiting the palace.