Empress Dowager Xiaojing gave the matter deep thought before sitting down again. “Could you have been mistaken? Perhaps that wasn’t Madam Ling you saw earlier?”
“It’s impossible for me to have been mistaken! I heard the voices of Madam Ling and Lu Liangwei when they were conversing at the medicinal shop with my own ears, I am certain of it,” Liu Fu replied with full certainty.
Empress Dowager Xiaojing went silent. Quite some time pa.s.sed before her eyes narrowed as she gave an order. “Then find a way to make her die again.”
“Yes, Your Imperial Highness,” Liu Fu answered and left the room.
Empress Dowager Xiaojing glared at Matron Chen, then she slammed her hand onto the handle of the chair. She snarled with rage, “You almost made a mess of things!”
Matron Chen knelt in shock as she said in a trembling voice, “I did not do a good job of this. Please hand out my punishment, Your Imperial Highness.”
When Matron Chen was told that the Empress Dowager wanted Madam Zheng dead, she headed to White Cloud Temple and secretly bribed the woman taking care of Madam Zheng.
She had thought that since Madam Zheng was already bedridden, she should take a step further by getting that woman to poison Madam Zheng with slow-acting poison so that Madam Zheng would die a slow and natural death. She had not expected Lu Liangwei to suddenly visit White Cloud Temple, and had even gone so far as to bring Madam Zheng home. If Lu Liangwei had not poked her nose into this, Madam Zheng would have died in less than two days, and there would have been no issues.
She quietly regretted this. If she knew the trouble it would bring, she would have had Madam Zheng die earlier.
Empress Dowager Xiaojing knew what was on Matron Chen’s mind. It was sheer luck that the situation was not as bad as they had feared. She said with some indifference, “Never take matters in your own hands again. Get up.”
“Thank you, Your Imperial Highness!” Matron Chen was silently relieved.
Evening.
Zhao Qian had returned to the Palace with an empty carriage. He was a little afraid to see his master as he recalled what the Empress had told him just now.
The Empress had just informed him that she would not be returning tonight as she wanted to stay in the medicinal shop and accompany Madam Ling to bed.
Why was it a big deal for a mother and daughter to share a bed?
He did not really understand it.
Moreover, the Empress had only been married to his master for a few days, and had now left his master in the lurch, all alone in his empty room. He was genuinely curious as to what all this meant.
Could it be that his master did not perform well enough and could not satisfy the Empress?
Zhao Qian quietly thought about this as he jumped off the carriage. However, he did not enter immediately to report to his master.
Right then, Chu Yi approached him with a dark circle around his eye.
An idea flashed in Zhao Qian’s mind as he shuffled toward Chu Yi.
“Hey, my dear Master Chu Yi, what’s wrong with your eyes?”
Chu Yi shuddered when he heard this. He eyed Zhao Qian warily. “Butler Zhao, is there something wrong with your head?”
Did Zhao Qian just address him as ‘Master Chu Yi’?
Zhao Qian was not angry at this remark, but instead said with a wide smile on his face, “Just listen to yourself! I’m only trying to express my care for you, aren’t I? Your eyes aren’t like that because of Chu Qi punching you, are they?”
Chu Yi’s neck stiffened as he replied with some embarra.s.sment. “I just fell. What has this got to do with Chu Qi?”
Only someone like Chu Yi could end up with a black eye from ‘falling’.
Zhao Qian decided not to point out the truth, but instead went against his conscience and said, “That’s true. With skills such as yours, Chu Qi could never be your match no matter how good he is.”
Chu Yi lapped up his words, which immediately squashed out the embarra.s.sment he suffered from Chu Qi. He convinced himself that was the truth as he replied, “You’re right. I’m Chu Qi’s senior no matter what. I simply had to give in to him at least once.”
“Absolutely. Chu Qi is just a junior. As his seniors, we shouldn’t be venting our anger at a little junior,” Zhao Qian immediately agreed.
Chu Yi was starting to feel that Zhao Qian was being quite friendly today. He said, “All right, that’s enough. You can stop heaping praises on me. What do you need me to help you with?”
Zhao Qian choked. He had put on a pretense for such a long while, only to find out that Chu Yi had seen through him from the beginning.
He gave a small cough to lighten the awkward atmosphere. “Well, my tummy isn’t feeling well, but I can’t delay my work for Master.”
“Did Master ask you to do something?” Chu Yi asked.
“It’s nothing. Master just wanted me to pick up the Empress, but she had suddenly informed me that she wanted to sleep with the Grand d.u.c.h.ess tonight and won’t be returning to the Palace. I just need you to inform Master about this.”
With that, he patted Chu Yi’s shoulder. “Thank you for the trouble. Oh no, I can’t hold it in anymore, I have to make a run to the lavatory.”
Zhao Qian immediately disappeared after that.
Chu Yi watched wide-eyed as the old fox vanished without a trace.
That stupid eunuch, Zhao Qian, had never done anything without a reason. He was suddenly being extra nice to Chu Yi, which meant he was up to no good.
Chu Yi rubbed his chin while thinking about this.