Finally, she watched the last imperial guard attentively from her hiding spot.
“Who exactly is it? Come out!” The imperial guard hollered in Su Xi-er’s direction.
A smile appeared on Su Xi-er’s face. If I come out, you will become an eyewitness to be used against me.
She then smacked a tree trunk directly beside her, alerting the guard with a crisp sound and causing him to run in her direction. However, upon arrival, all he found was his two companions lying on the ground. This won’t do. I have to immediately go back and report to Commander Wu.
Just as he turned around to leave, he spotted a figure appearing behind. Before he could turn around to get a clear look however, a numbness spread from his neck and his eyes rolled back in his head as he fainted.
Three imperial guards were knocked down by Su Xi-er in a moment.
Finally, Su Xi-er patted her sleeves and walked towards the Laundry Service Bureau.
There were more people in the Laundry Service Bureau compared to yesterday. Two to three palace maids were chattering.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with Old Maidservant Li today. She has shut herself in, and even her meals are delivered to her room. Is she sick?”
“How would I know? All I’ve heard is that the imperial physician came early this morning to treat that maid from the Palace Side Quarters. Isn’t she just someone who carries out manual labour? Unless she has a relationship with someone higher up, how could she invite the imperial physician?”
“That’s probably the case, but if she really has such connections, why would she still be transferred to the Laundry Service Bureau? Besides, she is so fat and ugly. Who would take a fancy to her?”
Su Xi-er listened from her hiding spot, immediately following them when they began to walk towards the backyard after talking for a while.
“No one has washed themselves yet today, right? The water vat is still full.”
“With so many clothes we had to wash today, many people’s bodies stink and they have to wash themselves. I will go and boil the water later.” The palace maids entered the room in front of them and prepared to take the pots to boil water.
Su Xi-er came out from her hiding location, quickly sprinkling an appropriate amount of itching powder so that it would cause red spots and itching, but not enough to induce inflammation. This kind of stuff can’t be used in large quantities. She had already been aware of that a very long time ago.
Once everything was handled appropriately, she swiftly darted back to a covert area and watched the palace maids scoop the water in the tank out.
The deed has been done. I’ll just have to wait for tomorrow. Su Xi-er tied the grey cloth wrapped with the itching powder before placing it into the fragrance sachet at her waist and tracing her steps to leave
That night, many palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau washed themselves one after another. Although Old Maidservant Li didn’t have to seeing as how she didn’t work and thus not really dirty, she still washed herself to try to relax her frayed nerves.
Ruo Yuan was the only one who didn’t wash in the whole Laundry Service Bureau due to being bedridden from a fever caused by her beating from the cudgel.
~~~
The next day, right after Su Xi-er freshened up, she heard Hong Li making a big fuss right. In the past, Hong Li had at least had the discretion to be a bit quieter. Situations like this were rare.
Furthermore, after Hong Li’s red spots faded, she had caught a cold after washing in the middle of the night, causing her voice to sound a bit strange. Even though she rested for the whole of yesterday, she still hadn’t completely recovered, so her nose was still blocked when she talked.
“Su Xi-er, something bad has happened in the Laundry Service Bureau!”
Hong Li finally realised that she had forgotten herself. She patted her chest and made herself calm down.
A moment later, Hong Li replied softly, “This morning, when the palace maids from the Laundry Service woke up, they were all yelling that their bodies were itchy. It was the same for me yesterday, but I was fine right after I washed myself. What’s going on with the palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau? The situation is serious enough where even the imperial physicians have gone to the Laundry Service Bureau. The old-maidservant-in-charge is going to meet with big misfortune!”
Su Xi-er pretended to be astonished. “With no palace maids washing the clothes, there will be mayhem. The Imperial Household Department will probably transfer a batch of palace maids to enter the Laundry Service Bureau right?”
Hong Li nodded. Just as she was about to speak again, she was interrupted by her own coughing. “I shouldn’t get too close, otherwise I might spread my cold to you. Old Maidservant Liu allowed me to rest again today, so I’ll return to my room for now.” She then turned around to leave.
Su Xi-er then cleaned up the area at the wash basin and prepared to go to the dining hall.
Right after she turned around, she saw Lian Qiao looking at her pensively.
Su Xi-er didn’t pay attention to her and directly walked to the dining hall but was blocked by Lian Qiao.
Lian Qiao lowered her voice and asked with a face full of bewilderment, “Why did you attack the palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau? With such a huge commotion, it’ll be a capital offence if they catch you.”
“Do you have evidence to prove that it was me?”
Lian Qiao couldn’t think of anything to say, only able to stare at Su Xi-er in stunned silence. All of a sudden, she felt that this person was very scary.
“Lian Qiao, since you understand medicine, let me give you a test. Within seven days, produce a type of itching powder that won’t leave behind any red spots.” Su Xi-er turned to leave immediately after speaking.
Lian Qiao gazed at her retreating back. Does she mean to say that I can follow her if I pass the test?
A spark of determination flickered through her eyes. This is the outcome I want. Given how Old Maidservant Liu has subtly favoured Su Xi-er recently, it should be safe to say that the old maidservant has been convinced to join Su Xi-er’s side.
The news of the palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau feeling itchy and unable to wash the clothes had spread throughout the imperial palace. The scale of the matter was such that even Eunuch Zhang from the Imperial Household Department couldn’t suppress it from leaking.
This time, it isn’t just transferring one or two palace maids to the Laundry Service Bureau, but an enormous batch. As for how I should handle those itching palace maids, I have to ask the Empress Dowager for instructions.
Eunuch Zhang immediately went to the Compassionate Peace Palace. Upon reaching the palace gate, he saw Miss He.
“Miss He,” Eunuch Zhang called her respectfully.
He Ying stopped in her tracks. “Eunuch Zhang, you came at just the right time. The Empress Dowager had just conveyed an edict to summon you into the Compassionate Peace Palace. Go in quickly. I am going to look for Prince Hao now.”
As soon as Eunuch Zhang heard the words ‘Prince Hao,’ he knew that Prince Hao would be alerted. Hence, Eunuch Zhang immediately entered the Compassionate Peace Palace.
Sitting at the head seat, Pei Yaran looked at Eunuch Zhang with a grave expression, “Ever since this Empress Dowager entered the palace, something like this has never happened. You could even say that it hasn’t happened since the founding of Beimin. Eunuch Zhang, you have given this Empress Dowager an intractable problem.”
“Empress Dowager, please forgive me.”
Pei Yaran knitted her eyebrows. “Have the imperial physicians gone there yet? What about the Imperial Pharmaceutical Bureau?”
Eunuch Zhang was puzzled. “The Imperial Physician Institute and the Imperial Pharmaceutical Bureau had already sent people over. Could it be that it wasn’t your edict, Empress Dowager?”
“Seeing as how this Empress Dowager has just learned about the incident, how could it be my edict? This Empress Dowager summoned you here to ask about the specifics. I can only make a decision after discussing with Prince Hao. Tell me first, what exactly is going on?”
Eunuch Zhang felt awkward. If it wasn’t the Empress Dowager’s edict, whose was it?
Faced with the Empress Dowager’s questions, he could only bow and answer, “This old servant doesn’t know the specific reason. I will have to send people to investigate if there was a problem with the meals of the palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau.”
“Assign a batch of palace maids to enter the Laundry Service Bureau. Reduce the number of palace maids in each palace, and also transfer a batch from the Palace Side Quarters,” Pei Yaran ordered him slowly. Right after that, He Ying hastily entered as if something major had occurred.
