The corners of He Ying’s mouth rose for a moment before she recovered and spoke in a laid back tone. “These are the flower pots. Place the large ones in the corners of the parterre, and the smaller ones around the perimeter. After you’re done, wait for me to come back to inspect your work before you can return to the Laundry Service Bureau.”
Su Xi-er pretended to look astonished. “This servant thought that there would only be a few pots. I won’t be able to finish moving all of them in one night. As for those humongous ones, this servant’s strength is meagre and unable to move them.”
“You just have to think of a way on your own. I only look at the result.” Right afterwards, He Ying turned around and was about to leave.
“Miss He, what did you say about how to arrange the flower pots just now? This servant didn’t hear it clearly. Can you take this servant to the parterre and explain it again?”
He Ying stopped in her tracks. “Didn’t hear it clearly? So stupid. Come with me.” She remarked as she took Su Xi-er towards the parterre.
Right after they approached the parterre, she rapidly pointed a few locations. “Place four large pots at the four corners. Arrange the rest in a circle around the parterre. Do you understand?”
Su Xi-er nodded earnestly. Then, when He Ying wasn’t paying attention, she took advantage of the chance to kick the latter in the knee with a considerable amount of force. He Ying immediately gave a cry of pain before falling headfirst into the parterre.
Su Xi-er also cried out, but continued to move her hands rapidly as she untied the fragrance sachet at her waist, pouring all the itching powder onto He Ying’s body, especially her exposed skin.
Some of the flowers in the parterre had barbed thorns. For her part, He Ying had collided right into them, and was too concerned with the thorns that were currently digging into her face to realise that Su Xi-er had poured itching powder on her.
“Help! Someone, come quickly! Miss He has fallen into the parterre!” Su Xi-er hollered loudly. He Ying was in extreme pain as she struggled a few times in the parterre.
Su Xi-er pretended to be flustered and pulled He Ying’s legs. “This servant will pull you out of the parterre!”
If He Ying was carried out of the parterre, her injuries would be lighter. However, if she was dragged out while chafing the flowers and plants, those wounds, particularly the ones on her face, would would end up a bloody mess.
By the time He Ying was dragged out, several imperial guards had already rushed to the scene.
He Ying’s body laid on the ground, depleted of strength as her chest heaved for air. Her eyes hadn’t been poked but swollen from the fall, while the rest of her face was covered with flower thorns and leaking blood from the various wounds, causing her to look extremely hideous and ferocious. The pain was such that she couldn’t even muster enough strength to yowl about it.
The imperial guard looked at Su Xi-er. “What happened?”
Su Xi-er’s face was filled with anxiety. “This servant couldn’t pull Miss He back before she suddenly fell headfirst into the parterre.” At this point, she pretended to look as if she was about to cry.
An imperial bodyguard carried He Ying. “We must report to the Empress Dowager. Only with the Empress Dowager’s decree can we summon an imperial physician.”
The few imperial guards immediately moved forward and soon vanished from her sight.
Su Xi-er’s expression returned to normal, though her resplendent eyes were only highlighted by the moonlight
I won’t need to move these flower pots tonight. The Empress Dowager will order me to go over very soon.
Su Xi-er patted the fragrance sachet at her waist. The Empress Dowager’s gift is really useful.
As expected, a palace maid soon came to have her quickly report to the Compassionate Peace Palace in order to be questioned by the Empress Dowager.
~~~
Su Xi-er soon standing in the hall of the Compassionate Peace Palace again.
He Ying was lying on the ground, the bright red candlelight causing her face to appear even more frightening. Pei Yaran had already ordered someone to summon an imperial physician.
Before Su Xi-er bowed and paid her greetings, Pei Yaran demanded, “Answer this Empress Dowager truthfully. What’s with these injuries all over He Ying’s body?”
Pei Yaran furrowed her eyebrows. “A bunch of nonsense! I have lost track of how many times He Ying has gone to that parterre. Why did she only fall in when you were around?”
Su Xi-er revealed an innocent expression. “This servant’s words are true. As for how she fell, you should ask Miss He. This servant doesn’t know.”
“You…audacious! You dared to speak to Empress Dowager in such a manner. This Empress Dowager disregarded our former enmity and only punished you to arrange the flower pots. How would I have expected that you have hidden this trick up your sleeve?”
Su Xi-er pretended to be even more pitiful. After all, this body is only 15 years old. It’s very normal to reveal a fearful and pitiful expression when I encounter an incident.
“Empress Dowager, could Miss He have some kind of illness where she is unable to control herself due to the trembling once it breaks out?”
“He Ying is someone this Empress Dowager brought from the Pei Residence, and has followed this Empress Dowager since I was young. Do I need you to tell this Empress Dowager about whether she’s ill? After the imperial physicians come, everything will be understood as soon as the diagnosis is carried out. If you are the one who pushed her, this Empress Dowager will command people to throw you into the parterre!”
Pei Yaran was furious. She’s just a mere palace maid, yet she dared to behave atrociously and willfully in the Compassionate Peace Palace!
Pei Yaran immediately ceased speaking to Su Xi-er after her outburst, choosing to watch her with a steely glare instead.
The silence in the palace was only broken by Pei Yaran once the imperial physician arrived. “Imperial Physician Zhao, quickly go and take a look at how He Ying is doing. The flower thorns on her face must be immediately removed.”
When Imperial Physician Zhao saw that Su Xi-er was also around, the expression in his eyes changed slightly before they returned to normal. He opened the wooden trunk at his side, taking out a pair of small pliers and heating them over the fire before beginning to pull the thorns from He Ying’s face. Only after plucking a few out did he realise that the flower thorns were very long.
Imperial Physician Zhao went into full details. “Empress Dowager, the flower thorns are too long. Once all of them have been plucked out and medicine has been applied, it will take at least half a month before she can even fully recover. Even after that, there will be scars remaining unless she uses the imperial household’s exclusive medicinal powder.”
It was stipulated on official documents that the imperial household’s exclusive medicinal powder could only be used on those of the imperial family. Of course, Prince Hao and County Prince Xie were notable exceptions.
Although He Ying was the head palace maid serving by the Empress Dowager’s side, her status was still too low to be allowed to use the powder.
“Imperial Physician Zhao, take He Ying’s pulse and check whether she has epilepsy. How else would she fall headfirst into the parterre with no rhyme or reason?” Pei Yaran was speaking to Imperial Physician Zhao, but her eyes were glaring at Su Xi-er.
Imperial Physician Zhao understood all at once. The Empress Dowager suspects that Miss He was pushed into the parterre by Su Xi-er. If my diagnosis isn’t the same illness, the Empress Dowager will definitely punish Su Xi-er.
At this point, Imperial Physician Zhao reminded her, “Empress Dowager, treatment of epilepsy requires a stringent prescription of medicine to prevent breakouts. Miss He has been by your side for so long. Aren’t you able to sense anything at all?”
Pei Yaran was now gazing at Su Xi-er mockingly. “This Empress Dowager would have long discovered such an illness if it really existed. Why else would I bring her into the imperial palace? However, someone said that it may be due to epilepsy that He Ying’s body suddenly trembled and fell headfirst into the parterre.”
Su Xi-er immediately deferentially corrected, “This servant was only hypothesising. I didn’t say that Miss He definitely has epilepsy.”
Pei Yaran shifted her gaze and coldly commanded, “Imperial Physician Zhao, this Empress Dowager is waiting for your diagnosis. Speed up.”
Imperial Physician Zhao could only listen to her instructions and gripped He Ying’s wrist.
The moment he touched her however, He Ying’s body suddenly twitched. It was only another moment before she began to writhe in place, her lips soundlessly open as she struggled to speak.
At this point, a diagnosis isn’t even needed to tell that He Ying’s body is indeed trembling. In addition, the more she wriggles, the more deranged she becomes.
Astonishment was etched across Pei Yaran’s visage. Why is it like this?
Only Su Xi-er understood what was going on. I have sprinkled half of the bag of itching powder on He Ying’s body and it is finally starting to take effect.
