Chapter 133: Sly

The dawn light was dim, and the palace maids sweeping between the palace walls gathered in small clusters, whispering.

"Did you hear? Xu Da Ying was thrown into the Cold Palace yesterday!"

A junior palace maid lowered her voice, "Even Madam Xu suffered the disaster…"

"The Xu family now wields overwhelming power; who could possibly dare to actually strike at them?"

"Shh!" an older eunuch said nervously, glancing around, "They say it was someone from the Xi Tang Courtyard who was offended."

"An orphan girl, yet she has such means?"

Before the words finished, the tinkling of jade ornaments rang from afar.

The crowd turned, and saw Wan Tang approaching gracefully in a moon‑white palace robe, with Li Pin close behind.

The palace maids' faces turned ashen, and they all knelt at once, forehead pressed to the blue bricks, daring not even a breath.

Li Pin's red lips curled slightly, "Sister, your momentum is now soaring."

"Yet you cannot escape criticism."

She scanned the trembling palace maids, "Why not deal with these gossip‑mongering ones?"

Wan Tang's expression remained calm, her fingertip lightly brushing a newly blossomed peony by the road, "Who doesn't have someone speaking behind them? Never mind, everyone, go about your business."

The palace maids, as if granted a great pardon, bowed repeatedly and withdrew.

Li Pin affectionately looped her arm around Wan Tang's, "Sister, you truly have a kind heart."

Her eyes flashed with brilliance, "I also have to thank you, sister, for making it possible for me to have a child, and so this Imperial harem won't be too lonely."

"Sister, you're overpraising me," Wan Tang smiled faintly, "Opportunities are won by oneself."

"Without your assistance, Sister, how could I accomplish anything?" Li Pin whispered, "Whatever you command me to do in the future, I will devote myself fully."

"I am of one heart and mind with you, Sister."

Wan Tang lightly waved her hand to cut her off.

Such words, no matter when heard, always sound a bit too hypocritical.

Wan Tang changed the subject, "I am going to pay a visit to Lady of Grace Qi; sister, would you come along?"

Li Pin's smile froze, and she unnaturally brushed her temple, "I… I haven't prepared a gift yet; I'll go later."

She quickly straightened herself, "Sister, travel safely."

【It's not that she didn't prepare a gift; it's clearly jealousy, since Lady of Grace Qi's child is a Prince.】

【Li Pin is ultimately still a petty person, with such strong jealousy. Speaking of which, Xiao Chuan has already left the palace, and on leaving she met Lin Zehai. Lin Zehai has already learned that the Emperor assigned Xu Luoyan's child to Li Pin for upbringing, and is excited, saying he will serve Wan Tang like a beast of burden.】

【And that's not the most shocking; the most extreme thing is that Xiao Chuan actually intends to return to the Xu family.】

【Heavens! How could Xiao Chuan think like that? Returning to the Xu family at this time is essentially a death sentence.】

【Are you all blind? Isn't this what Wan Tang's note demanded? Didn't you see the content of the note clearly at the time?】

【Indeed, it was Wan Tang's request!】

Wan Tang's mouth curved upward, "Brother, keep going!"

"The great hatred of our mother must be avenged."

"And we must also live well."

"Live in a way that no one can ever reach."

In a moment of thought, we had arrived at Jingren Palace.

Now the Prince has safely arrived, and Lady of Grace Qi has also moved from Cining Palace back to her original dwelling.

But before we reached the doorway, a teacup came straight at us.

"Get out!"

"Wan Tang, you venomous woman, you have made me like this, and you still dare to come?"

"Get away, I don't want to see you!"

"Master, let's stop; Lady of Grace Qi seems unwilling to see you."

Li Ping'er said cautiously, fingers twisting the handkerchief, "These past few days you have been overly fatigued."

Xiao Shunzi also rushed forward, voice pressed extremely low, "Xie Taiyi repeatedly admonished, Master must not overexert yourself."

Wan Tang patted her protruding belly, a faint smile at the corner of her lips, "No problem."

That smile never reached her eyes before she stepped over the threshold.

Inside the western hall, Lady of Grace Qi half‑leaned on the lacquer‑painted, carved, raised bed, her complexion wax‑yellow, a faint sweat on her forehead.

In the baby carriage, the Prince slept soundly, his little face wrinkled, indistinguishable from a typical newborn.

Consort Shunpin, holding the Princess, sat nearby; when she saw Wan Tang enter, she hurriedly stood, the child in her arms startled, emitting a faint whimper.

"Sister has arrived." Consort Shunpin straightened, eyes flashing, "Mingzhu is likely hungry; I happen to be taking her back to eat some food."

Wan Tang's eyes lingered a moment on Consort Shunpin's slightly trembling fingers, her smile deepening, "Sister, won't you sit a bit longer?"

"No, no…" Consort Shunpin pressed the child tighter to her chest and hurried out.

Consort Shunpin only wished to live a quiet life, with her daughter to keep her company, and not to be involved in the turmoil.

At the doorway, she suddenly stopped.

If it weren't for Wan Tang, Mingzhu would not even have a title.

Consort Shunpin, as if having made a huge resolve, turned back, "At this moment, the Empress has gone out to see the Empress Dowager."

"Is this considered aligning?"

"Thanks, Sister, for informing." Wan Tang gave a slight nod.

She watched Consort Shunpin dash away, then turned to Lady of Grace Qi and, without hesitation, sat on the embroidered cushion beside the bed.

Lady of Grace Qi suddenly sat up straight, the brocade blanket sliding down, exposing her slender shoulders.

Her voice hoarse, eyes blood‑shot, "You are not welcome here!"

Wan Tang slowly and methodically adjusted the entwined‑branch lotus pattern on her cuff: "Of course it's to look after my sister."

Lady Qi raised her eyes, her gaze falling on the lingering bluish‑purple bruise on Wan Tang's neck.

The tension in her emotions unexpectedly loosened, and she sneered with a smile: "It seems some rumors are indeed true."

"Your fate is truly great, you can still survive?"

Wan Tang remained impassive, smiling lightly: "The one with the great fate must be my sister."

"After all, surviving such a perilous situation is truly difficult."

"Stop pretending!" Lady Qi suddenly sprang up, flipping the medicine bowl at the bedside.

The brown medicinal liquid splashed onto Wan Tang's skirt hem, "It's you! It's you who used scissors to hurt me."

She gritted her teeth hard, her tone full of hatred: "You tore that little opening, it's hideously ugly!"

"You're so vicious, clearly you want to completely cut off the Emperor's favor toward me!"

Her voice suddenly rose, then abruptly stopped, and she looked in terror toward the baby carriage.

Wan Tang did not stir a hair, not even a frown.

She signaled Li Ping'er to clean up the fragments, her voice terrifyingly calm: "Without me, do you think you could survive?"

"If you can't even protect your own life, what's the point of talking about favor?"

Lady Qi's complexion changed sharply, her fingers clenched the corner of the blanket tightly.

"Lady Qi, you have this roaring time, why not think it through," Wan Tang leaned forward, the golden Step Shake in her hair unmoving, "why did you have a difficult delivery?"

"The Imperial Physician kept saying that both I and the child were healthy, perfectly normal."

Lady Qi's eyes drifted, "Later… the Empress Dowager said that first births are always like this…"

"For a woman to give birth, it is already a walk to the Ghost Gate."

"Oh?" Wan Tang chuckled lightly, "So the Incense was also prepared by the Empress Dowager?"

Lady Qi, as if grasping a lifeline, immediately shrieked: "That's the birthing medicine! The Imperial Physician said you must use this, it gives more strength!"

"Do you know, Empress, how hard it is to find these medicines?"

"After I ordered the lights extinguished, you actually gained some strength." Wan Tang cut her off, taking a plain cloth from her sleeve, gently pressing the corner of her lips.

"Last night the situation was urgent, many things didn't have time for careful thought. Today I felt many doubts, so I went to take a look."

She paused, looked out the window meaningfully, "It has been swept spotless, even the window lattice gaps have been wiped."

"It seems I was still a step behind."

Lady Qi began to tremble, her lips lost their color.

Her eyeballs turned; she is stupid, but not completely unable to notice details.

She whispered softly: "No… it's impossible, it shouldn't be, perhaps it's just the volatilizing blood qi."

Wan Tang suddenly turned to Li Ping'er: "Where's the thing?"

Li Ping'er took a small parcel wrapped in seven layers of oil paper from her bosom, placed it far on the table, her face full of disgust.

As soon as the paper parcel was set down, it emitted a faint sweet cloying scent, clashing with the warm fragrance of the hall.

"W‑what is this?" Lady Qi's voice trembled, her outstretched hand froze in midair.

Wan Tang did not answer, only stared at her: "What do you think?"

Lady Qi jerked her hand back sharply, as if burned: "You won't fool me! I'm far smarter than you imagine!"

"Believe it or not, up to you."

Wan Tang rose slowly, "You only need to think clearly about one thing."

She leaned over Lady Qi's ear, speaking in a voice only the two could hear, "Shei most longs for your one body and two lives?"

Having said that, she straightened, admiring Lady Qi's instantly pale face, then turned and left.

When she reached the doorway, Wan Tang suddenly turned back, her gaze falling on the sleeping infant: "By the way, the Prince hasn't been named yet, right?"

"The Emperor said this morning that we should wait for the Empress to return before deciding." Wan Tang added.

Lady Qi, as if struck by lightning, collapsed limp on the bed.