A cold light flashed in Emperor Jingming’s eyes: “What do you mean?”
Nursemaid Duo spoke calmly: “There’s an insect called the mother-child heart-linking gu. It comes in pairs, a large mother gu and a small child gu. The mother gu is in one person’s body, the child gu in another’s. When the person carrying the mother gu is tortured, Your Majesty, can you guess what happens to the other person?”
Emperor Jingming didn’t want to follow Nursemaid Duo’s line of thought, but concern for the Empress Dowager forced him to compromise: “What happens?”
Nursemaid Duo smiled: “The person with the child gu experiences pain several times more intense. This servant’s life is worthless, but I kindly remind Your Majesty that if you execute me by a thousand cuts, the Empress Dowager’s body may not be able to withstand it…”
“Outrageous! You used gu on the Empress Dowager?” Emperor Jingming’s face turned ashen with anger, wishing he could flay Nursemaid Duo alive.
Knowing Emperor Jingming was constrained, Nursemaid Duo grew more composed: “That’s right. The mother gu is in my body now, and the child gu is in the Empress Dowager’s body.”
“You—” Emperor Jingming pointed at Nursemaid Duo, rarely feeling so angry and helpless.
It was truly an unbearable situation!
The Empress spoke: “Nursemaid Duo, you’ve served in Cining Palace since entering the court. The Empress Dowager has treated you well for years. Why are you so vicious as to harm an elderly woman nearing seventy?”
Nursemaid Duo replied coolly: “I had no choice. I needed to leave myself an escape route, even if it meant betraying the Empress Dowager.”
Emperor Jingming stared at Nursemaid Duo, his face suddenly darkening: “You think you can fool me? Pan Hai, seize this wicked woman!”
Nursemaid Duo laughed: “If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, why not try it?”
She pulled out a gold hairpin and forcefully slashed her hand.
“Stop her!” Emperor Jingming shouted urgently.
Pan Hai snatched away the hairpin, but Nursemaid Duo’s hand was already bleeding profusely.
The Fourteenth Princess turned away, her face pale.
Emperor Jingming stared at Nursemaid Duo’s bleeding hand and ordered an attendant: “Go to Cining Palace and check on the Empress Dowager’s condition.”
The attendant left, and the room fell into a tense silence.
Just as Emperor Jingming’s patience was reaching its limit, the attendant hurriedly returned.
“How is she?” Emperor Jingming asked impatiently.
The attendant, Pan Hai’s clever young apprentice, looked frightened: “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager had already retired, but suddenly her hand started hurting. The imperial physician has been summoned…”
“Which hand is the Empress Dowager feeling pain in?” Emperor Jingming asked, glancing at Nursemaid Duo’s bleeding left hand.
“The left hand,” the attendant replied.
Emperor Jingming’s eyes flickered with turbulent emotions.
Nursemaid Duo spoke: “If Your Majesty thinks it’s a coincidence, we can try again.”
She looked around for something sharp.
Emperor Jingming dared not risk the Empress Dowager’s health and demanded harshly: “What exactly do you want?”
He never imagined that when the person causing trouble in the palace surfaced, not only would he fail to learn their motives, but he would end up at their mercy.
It was an utterly frustrating situation.
Nursemaid Duo smoothed her wrinkled clothes and said calmly: “Let me leave the palace.”
“Impossible!” Emperor Jingming blurted out.
Nursemaid Duo smiled: “I forgot to tell Your Majesty, the gu in my body isn’t just the mother-child heart-linking gu. There are many others with various uses. Do you think having me bound means I’m at your mercy? You’re mistaken. If I wish, I can instantly activate a gu to devour my internal organs…”
“Enough!” Emperor Jingming didn’t want to hear more.
He wouldn’t bat an eye if this person were executed by a thousand cuts, but he absolutely couldn’t accept any harm coming to the Empress Dowager.
“I want to leave the palace now,” Nursemaid Duo said firmly. “If Your Majesty doesn’t agree, I’ll let the Empress Dowager experience the feeling of her heart being carved up. She’s elderly, I’m not sure if she can withstand it—”
“Leaving the palace now is impossible.” A gentle voice interrupted before Emperor Jingming could respond.
Nursemaid Duo looked at the Empress who had suddenly spoken.
The Empress’s expression was calm, her tone measured: “Nursemaid Duo, you’ve been in the palace for over a decade and should know very well that once the palace gates are locked, even His Majesty can’t order them opened without good reason. You’re now threatening His Majesty to open the gates and send you out. Have you considered the consequences for Wumiao?”
At the mention of Wumiao, Nursemaid Duo’s expression turned serious.
The Empress continued: “We don’t know your purpose for infiltrating the palace and causing trouble. Whether it’s for Wumiao or personal gain, this isn’t something that can be made public. If we disregard ancestral rules to send you out now, do you want the whole world to know a Wumiao person has been doing evil in the Great Zhou palace? At that point, whether Great Zhou and Wumiao wanted it or not, conflict between them would be inevitable. Nursemaid Duo, think about it. Can you bear such consequences?”
Wumiao, situated between Great Zhou and South Lan, had always maintained neutrality, never openly conflicting with either side and thus had enjoyed years of peace and development.
“I understand Nursemaid Duo’s eagerness to complete her mission. How about this: we’ll let you leave as soon as the palace gates open tomorrow morning. What do you think?”
Nursemaid Duo looked at Emperor Jingming.
Seeing some wavering in Nursemaid Duo’s expression, Emperor Jingming quickly said: “The Empress’s words are my words.”
Buying even a moment was valuable. The Empress’s performance this time was much better than when Fuqing’s eyes were cured.
After a moment of silence, Nursemaid Duo said: “Very well. As soon as the palace gates open at dawn, I must leave!”
Emperor Jingming let out a small sigh of relief. He ordered people to watch Nursemaid Duo closely, urged the Fourteenth Princess to rest, and went aside with the Empress.
Looking out the window, Emperor Jingming’s face was grave: “There are still a few hours until dawn. We must find a solution in that time.”
Once Nursemaid Duo left the palace, even if they had people secretly following her, they couldn’t do anything because she held the Empress Dowager’s life in her hands.
This feeling of being at someone else’s mercy was unbearable, especially knowing it would continue as long as the Empress Dowager lived. Emperor Jingming couldn’t accept it at all.
The Empress pondered for a moment, then looked into Emperor Jingming’s eyes: “Your Majesty, do you remember how the Yan Prince Consort cured Fuqing’s eyes?”
“How could I forget?” Emperor Jingming’s mind stirred.
“At that time, the Yan Prince Consort said there were insects in Fuqing’s eyes, and once removed, her eyes healed naturally. I wonder if she could remove the insect from the Empress Dowager’s body?”
Emperor Jingming’s eyes lit up as he looked at the Empress.
“Should we… ask Old Seven’s wife to try?” After a moment’s hesitation, Emperor Jingming made his decision.
At this point, they had to try everything. If Old Seven’s wife had a solution, that would be best. If not, they would have to endure this humiliation.
Compared to the Empress Dowager’s well-being, any humiliation could be endured.
The Empress was right that the palace gates, once locked, couldn’t be easily opened. But in emergencies, rules could be bent. With Emperor Jingming’s orders, Pan Hai quietly left the palace, heading straight for the Yan Prince’s mansion.