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All the concubines stared at her, aghast… Hadn't she already reported sick? How did you forget so quickly?
Someone was about to mention it when Jian Xue immediately continued Meng Fuyao's question as she looked and remarked, ”That's right, I felt as if someone was missing, turns out it was Consort of Virtue that didn't turn up, perhaps she had… forgotten?”
Meng Fuyao glanced at her and responded with an offhanded ”Oh.” Then, she continued drinking her tea and casually placed the cup back down.
The rest of the concubines then attempted to rise slowly and excuse themselves, but Jian Xue remained standing around at the back. Meng Fuyao was sitting down, slowly sipping her tea without looking at her. When the crowd dispersed, Jian Xue suddenly turned around and launched herself before Meng Fuyao's knees.
Meng Fuyao lowered her eyes and stared at her.
After a while, she smiled.
The new Empress had sure been busy.
Liu Pin and Yang Chongrong had both been dealt with; Liu Pin had yet to come out of Chongxing Palace, and Yang Chongrong was mentally unstable.
The Noble Concubine had been promoted.
Everyone had to do work at the Chongxing Palace every alternate day.
The Noble Consort was bestowed numerous gifts and treasures.
This move naturally came to the Regent King's attention, and when Xuanyuan Cheng heard about it, he thought, 'What a vicious girl.'
The visor beside him remarked, ”The harem will resort to any means to gain the Emperor's affection.”
Xuanyuan Cheng thought for a moment and felt that this was the case, yet he couldn't tell what the new Empress was trying to do. On the one hand, she looked like she was cleaning up the six palaces, yet she let off the most arrogant Consort of Virtue. On the other hand, she looked like she was using her power to gain affection, yet she promoted the Noble Concubine. Xuanyuan Cheng was not a greenhorn in the game of politics, and he was also rather well versed in a woman's mind.
The visor laughed and said, ”Your Highness, you don't have to worry. After all, Empress Yuwen is your distant relative, and she knows how to behave. Moreover, she is alone here, what can she do?”
Xuanyuan Cheng chuckled. Whatever everything in the imperial court belonged to him anyway. With more than ten years of foundation, how could a mere girl hope to move?
Moreover, if there was anything unsatisfactory about Yuwen Zi… he could still prepare to take her life.
When Meng Fuyao was busy taking care of the harem, Little Seven knocked upon the gates of the outer palace.
A little eunuch yawned as he opened the door and chastised, ”Why are you disturbing people this early…” However, when he saw Little Seven, he paused slightly, and a hint of suspicion flashed past his eyes.
Little Seven was wearing a cloak, making the little eunuch even more suspicious as he sized up Little Seven's outfit, his gaze landing on Zhan Beiye's black fox fur cape upon his shoulders. Then he glanced at the laborer's clothing under the luxurious cloak and shook the cloak slightly as he asked, smiling, ”Oh, are you here to do odd jobs? It's not easy to work here, it's difficult trying to get into the palace.”
Little Seven raised his head and noticed the eunuch eyeing the fur cloak greedily. He thought for a moment, then silently took off the cloak and stuffed it into the little eunuch's hands.
The eunuch happily received it and, reaching out to pinch Little Seven, he praised, ”Little Brother, you're really obedient. I'm sure you'll progress far in the future.” Little Seven slapped his hand away, but he wasn't angry as he said daintily, ”I'll go report your arrival.”
After a while, he returned and said, ”Eunuch Li is looking for you.” Then he called out, ”Wang Daozi, wake up, there's work to do.”
Little Seven silently followed him into the courtyard. When Eunuch Li saw him, he pulled his arm delightedly and said, ”Come, sign your name here.”
Little Seven pulled his hand back and replied sheepishly, ”I don't know how to write words.” Then, he casually drew a circle and said, ”I always draw circles.”
When he was a general, he used circles to sign off any document.
Eunuch Li didn't seem to mind as he kept the document and told Little Seven to take a bath. After his bath, he handed him a loose robe, and Little Seven had just put it on when Wang Daozi came in carrying a bunch of objects. He glanced at Little Seven and said, ”Come with me.”
Little Seven noticed him carrying a bunch of objects, such as white cloths, a wooden axe, and several bottles and boxes. Thinking that he was on the way to work, he followed him into a hut. The hut was empty, and even the windows were tightly sealed with paper. In the middle, there was a bed and some loose rope.
Wang Daozi handed him a bowl of soup and said, ”Drink this first.”
The soup was black and slightly smelly, so Little Seven was naturally suspicious about it. He carried a silver needle in his sleeve, which he refused to sell no matter how broke he was. He took it out and carefully tested the soup.
Wang Daozi guffawed loudly. ”Ha! There are still people who use silver needles to test the numbing soup!”
No poison. Little Seven was also beginning to feel thirsty and finished the soup in one gulp.
However, the soup was hot and tasted rather strange, as if it was disgusting yet not disgusting, and Little Seven's body began to feel light as he suddenly felt his head become heavy, and his eyelids started to droop.
His hand slackened, and the spoon fell to the ground as Wang Daozi caught it skillfully. He faintly heard the door open, and several people enter. Wang Daozi took out a gleaming, curved knife and place it over a flame as he instructed, ”Take off his clothes and put him on the bed…”
He didn't know anything that happened after that.
The outer palace gates creaked open slightly.
A little eunuch snuck out suspiciously holding an object wrapped in cloth, a bit of lustrous fur poking out of the seams.
He stroked the cloak happily, thinking that he had struck gold today. When he pawned it later for some silver, he could go gamble.
It was an early winter morning, and there were little passersby, and a thin layer of ice covered the ground. The little eunuch walked along the outer palace walls and carefully avoided the frozen areas. However, his boots had already been worn out, and the soles had become thin and slippery, thus as he walked, he still slipped and fell with a thud.