Feng Jiu’er turned back, looked at her, and asked, “Empress, what is it?”

The Empress closed her eyes and beckoned with her hand.

Feng Jiu’er went over, set down the case on her shoulder, and was about to kneel.

The Empress waved her hand lightly and said flatly, “Sit.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced at the seat in front of her and sat down.

“Empress, what is it you wanted to say?”

The Empress glanced at Feng Jiu’er, closed her eyes again, picked up the teapot, and poured a cup of tea.

“Drink it.”

Feng Jiu’er looked at the tea on the table, reached out, and picked up the cup.

“Empress, if you have something to say, please speak plainly.”

She held the cup, brought it close to her lips, and drank half a cup of the tea.

“I would certainly be able to sense any ordinary poison.”

Feng Jiu’er set the cup down and met the Empress’s gaze.

“So, Empress, if you wanted to test someone’s loyalty this way, it isn’t really a good method.”

The Empress looked at her and spoke slowly. “Then is little Feng one of Noble Consort Ya’s people?”

“Little Feng belongs to no one.” Feng Jiu’er replied.

“I see that the Empress carries a heavy weight of gloom in her heart. Is there some knot that can’t be untied?”

“Little Feng is not quite a healer, yet also is one. If the Empress is willing to hear this lowly one out, you should first resolve the gloom in your heart, or else…”

Feng Jiu’er stood up and bowed. “Empress, nothing is more important than your own health!”

“The Empress is mother to the realm and beloved by the people. This lowly one thinks the people would also wish for the Empress to be healthy and live a long life.”

“Heh heh…” The Empress waved her hand again. “This palace will not punish you for it. Sit down and speak.”

“Thank you for the Empress’s grace!” Feng Jiu’er bowed again and sat back down.

The Empress lifted a cup of tea, took a light sip, and set the cup down.

“Little Feng, do you think that in this deep palace, even if you lived to be a thousand years old, what use would it be?”

Feng Jiu’er looked at the Empress, unable to find words.

These past few days, she had known the Empress was unhappy, but since the two weren’t close, she had only done her duty.

The Empress shook her head lightly and continued. “This palace doesn’t know why either.”

“Thirty years. Thirty years in this compound, and there hasn’t been a single person this palace could speak to.”

“Yet it is you alone this palace has come to want to talk with.”

Feng Jiu’er raised her eyes and asked, “Did the Empress mean earlier that you wanted this lowly one to help with something… by keeping you company and talking?”

“That’s not it.” The Empress sighed softly and picked up the teacup again.

“This palace hopes you can find out whether it was truly Lady Xin who harmed this palace’s face.”

“Some time ago, Noble Consort Ya’s face was nearly ruined — this palace knows of it, and heard the circumstances were exactly the same as what happened to me a few days ago.”

“Noble Consort Ya was certain it was Lady Xin’s doing. This palace also wants to know — was it truly Lady Xin’s doing?”

Feng Jiu’er furrowed her brow slightly and said nothing.

Palace intrigue — she had seen no shortage of it, and she disliked watching it unfold; it was too complicated.

Feng Qiongcang had no children of his own, which was quite likely due to infertility.

There were only three imperial princes, and all of them were nominally born of the Empress — the harem here was, in that sense, not so complicated after all.

But the very term “harem” implied that nothing here could be simple; scheming and rivalry were inevitable.

Suddenly, someone came running in from outside.

The old matron knelt on the ground and said, “Empress, Lady Xin has arrived. Will you see her?”

Feng Jiu’er turned her head and, to her surprise, found the Empress looking straight at her.

Did she really trust her that much?

Feng Jiu’er didn’t think too much of it and nodded.

The Empress turned her gaze toward the one kneeling in the hall and said flatly, “Let her in.”

“Yes, Empress.” The old matron acknowledged the order and left.

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t expected that the Empress’s earlier question had truly been asking for her opinion.

Although she had no fondness for anyone associated with Feng Qiongcang, for some reason she suddenly felt sympathy for this powerful yet lonely Empress.

Perhaps it was because of that line — “What use is there in living to a thousand years?”

The old matron went out for a moment and returned, bringing in Lady Xin and her maid.

“Greetings to the Empress. May the Empress live ten thousand years,” Lady Xin said, kneeling in the hall.

The maid behind her also knelt. “This lowly one greets the Empress. May the Empress live ten thousand, ten thousand years.”

The Empress waved her hand and picked up the teapot. “Rise.”

“Thank you, Empress!” Lady Xin bowed and stood.

As she raised her eyes, her gaze fell on Feng Jiu’er, but quickly shifted away.

Lady Xin came up to the table and stopped. “Empress, this younger sister didn’t know you had a guest.”

“She’s not…” Lady Xin looked at Feng Jiu’er and frowned. “Empress, isn’t this woman one of Noble Consort Ya’s people?”

Feng Jiu’er stood up and bowed to Lady Xin. “Lady Xin, may fortune favor you!”

“This lowly one belongs to no one. I am merely a seller of rouge, and I came into the palace today specifically to deliver rouge to the Empress.”

Lady Xin raised an eyebrow, her gaze carrying a hint of disdain.

“Since you’re merely a rouge seller, how dare you sit on equal footing with the Empress? Take your payment and get out!”

“It was this palace who told little Feng to stay.” The Empress set down her cup and raised her eyes. “Lady Xin, what brings you here today?”

Lady Xin’s attention immediately returned to the Empress.

“Sister Empress, this younger sister heard you were unwell, unable to sleep day or night, and wanted to come see how you were doing. But I was told again and again that you didn’t wish to see visitors.”

“Sister, what exactly is wrong? Has a physician been summoned? What did the physician say?”

“It’s an illness of the heart,” the Empress replied flatly. “No medicine can cure it.”

Lady Xin frowned, stepped over to the Empress’s side, and knelt down.

“Sister Empress, please tell me exactly where you’re unwell. Perhaps this younger sister can share some of the burden?”

The Empress let out a breath and extended her hand.

“If Lady Xin has the time, would you take this palace to your garden to admire the flowers?”

Lady Xin stood up and took hold of the Empress’s hand.

“What difficulty could there be in that? As long as Sister Empress wishes it, this younger sister is free at any time.”

“Little Feng, come help this palace change into a new outfit first.” The Empress walked a few steps outward, then turned back to look at Feng Jiu’er.

“Yes, Empress.” Feng Jiu’er stood, went over, and took hold of the Empress’s other arm.

The Empress withdrew her arm from Lady Xin’s grasp, turned, and walked further inward.

The two of them entered the inner bedchamber, while Lady Xin, who wanted to follow, was blocked outside by the old matron.

“Lady Xin, please wait a moment!”

“The Empress prefers to be attended by Miss Feng. Having her there is enough.”

Lady Xin’s expression soured, but she did not dare force her way in.

Inside the bedchamber, the Empress sat before the mirror while Feng Jiu’er combed her hair.

“Little Feng, the day this palace went to Lady Xin’s garden and came back, my face started to itch.”

“In your judgment, did she poison me?”

Feng Jiu’er looked at the reflection in the mirror and blinked lightly. “Empress, why don’t we do this instead…”

She leaned in close to the Empress, her rosy lips moving quietly for a moment.

The Empress nodded slightly. “Very well, do as you said.”