Chapter 469 - Proper Palace Intrigue (8) (2/2)

Yet the most favoured was still her, the newcomer.

Shu Fei closed her eyes as she pondered on ways to deal with Lu Ruo in her head.

“Yun Zhao Yi.”

This exclamation caused Shu Fei’s eyes to shoot open.

Shi Sheng stood on the winding bridge, sword in her hand. The light reflected from the pond fell onto its surface, causing it to gleam coldly.

“Yun Zhao Yi, what do you think you’re doing?” ‘She actually dares to walk around the palace with a sword!’

Shi Sheng approached Shu Fei’s procession with her sword. These eunuchs and maids had no combat ability, so they all retreated.

As a result of this movement, the people holding up the sedan were jostled around. Shu Fei only managed to stay on by holding onto the sides.

“Zhuang Qiong, what do you think you’re doing?! You dare to wield a weapon in the palace… Guards! Guards!” Shu Fei was scared into paling by the aggressive Shi Sheng.

Shi Sheng kicked aside the maids that were getting in the way and stabbed the bottom of the sedan, much to the terror of the Shu Fei.

“Ah!”

The imperial guards arrived just in time to watch her fall into the pond, sedan and all.

Shi Sheng stood in the middle of the corridor, watching Shu Fei struggle in the water.

“Didn’t you say I pushed you into the water? I’ll satisfy this wish of yours. Happy?”

‘Do you think I’m(bbb) that easy to bully?’

The imperial guards’ first priority was to rescue Shu Fei, but with Shi Sheng standing between them and their target, they didn’t dare to go directly over there. So they could only take the long way around.

By the time they’d rescued her, the main culprit had long since disappeared.

Rumour had it that Shu Fei came down with a severe illness upon returning to her palace. Yuwen Xun was infuriated—he lowered Shi Sheng’s rank even further from Zhao Yi to Jie Yu.

She had definitely set a world record for number of ranks demoted in one day.

……

“Your Majesty, apart from a change in personality, there’s nothing off about Yun Jie Yu.”

Yuwen Xun looked at the shadow guard kneeling before him. “And there have been no changes in her habits?”

“There has been no change to her dietary and clothing preferences, but her habits have changed slightly. Yun Jie Yu doesn’t really move a lot lately—from the sounds of it, she spends much of the time asleep.”

The shadow guard paused before finally gathering up the courage to ask, “Your Majesty suspects that Yun Jie Yu has been…substituted?”

“She’s been acting very out of the ordinary lately.” The Zhuang Qiong from before was arrogant, but at least she knew her boundaries. Now though…

“Forgive this one’s boldness.”

“Speak.”

The shadow guard took a moment to compose his words. “The palace is heavily guarded, so it would not be easy to swap someone out. And if Yun Jie Yu had truly been replaced by another, regardless of their intent, certainly they would’ve imitated the former Yun Jie Yu? After all, to act as she does now would raise suspicion towards herself. Women are fickle; it’s not like there isn’t a precedent for a sudden change in temperament.”

“Under what circumstances would people undergo this sudden change?” Yuwen Xun furrowed his brows. ‘That woman even dares to point a sword at me!

‘A change in temperament? More like she’s gone completely crazy!’

“Usually it’s because something pushed them over the edge…”

‘Pushed over the edge?’

Yuwen Xun thought for a while. It seemed like her personality had first started to change around the time when he was giving her the cold shoulder.

‘Could it be that our argument agitated her?’

Yuwen Xun murmured to himself for a moment before speaking, “Regardless, I want her to be kept under watch.”

‘No matter if she was pushed over the edge or switched out, there’s only one ending awaiting her.’

“Understood.”

[1] This is a bit different from the footnote I left a while ago, but in my defence, I had no idea which harem system the author was using (I doubt she knows either).

[2] Yes, this is an innuendo I believe.