"Preparing herbs? No problem, leave it to me!" Shen Li agreed briskly and turned to busy herself with her medicine jars.
I rubbed my temples, thinking that this deep, walled palace was even more terrifying than corporate office politics.
The Empress—that old witch—could she not go a single day without stirring up trouble?
Just as I was pondering how to strike back, Shen Li suddenly burst in like a startled rabbit, nearly knocking over my medicine bowl.
"Your Highness! It’s bad! I heard... I heard that the Empress is planning to move against you!" Shen Li gasped, her small face deathly pale.
My heart skipped a beat, but I feigned calmness on the surface. "Oh? And what new tricks has she come up with this time? Tell me."
"I heard from other palace maids that the Empress is planning to... to frame you for hoarding contraband, then have Eunuch Zhao lead a group to search the palace and slander you for plotting treason!"
Upon hearing this, I nearly laughed out loud.
This Empress—her train of thought was truly bizarre.
Has she watched too many palace dramas?
Is this really the best she can come up with, such a cliché, outdated ploy?
"Heh, how utterly amateurish," I couldn't help but remark.
"Your Highness, how can you still be in the mood to joke! This is a crime punishable by death!" Shen Li was so anxious she stamped her feet.
"Don't worry, I have my own plans," I waved my hand, signaling her to stay calm.
"When soldiers come, we use generals to block; when water comes, we use earth to cover. If she wants to play, I’ll play along until the very end."
I began to pace the room, my brain working at full speed.
Since the Empress wanted to play dirty, I would play her game to catch her in her own trap.
"Shen Li, go and..." I leaned into her ear and whispered a few instructions.
After listening, Shen Li's eyes lit up. "Your Highness, that move is brilliant! I'll get right on it!"
Just as we were in the middle of our preparations, a commotion erupted outside.
"By order of the Empress! Search Su Mingyue's bedchamber! No one is to interfere!"
I sneered inwardly. What was destined to arrive had finally arrived.
I took a deep breath and smoothed my appearance in the mirror, ensuring I looked sufficiently calm and composed.
"Let's go, Shen Li, let us greet our honored guests."
When I walked out of my bedchamber, Eunuch Zhao had already stormed in with a pack of wolfish, fierce-looking guards.
"Su Mingyue, do you know your crime?!" Eunuch Zhao shrilled, his face full of arrogance.
"Eunuch Zhao, I am not aware of any crime I have committed," I feigned ignorance.
"Hmph, still playing the tough nut when death is at your doorstep! By the Empress's decree, we are searching your quarters to see what shameful things you've been hiding!"
Eunuch Zhao waved a hand, and the guards swarmed forward, beginning to ransack every cabinet and box.
I stood my ground, watching it all with a cold eye.
Seeing the chaos they created, I found it almost amusing.
"Search thoroughly! Don't leave a single corner untouched!" Eunuch Zhao barked orders from the side, looking as if he wanted to tear my room apart.
Time ticked by, and my bedroom was left in a mess, as if hit by a category-eight gale.
Just when I thought they were going to leave empty-handed, a guard suddenly cried out, "Eunuch Zhao! We found it! We found it!"
Hearing this, Eunuch Zhao ran over. The guard was holding a black bundle that seemed to contain something.
Eunuch Zhao opened the bundle, his expression instantly changing.
"Su Mingyue! What do you have to say for yourself now?!" Eunuch Zhao pointed at me, his voice harsh and severe.
I took a closer look: the bundle contained prohibited weapons and letters filled with expressions of dissatisfaction toward the imperial court.
"This... this isn't mine!" I quickly tried to defend myself.
"Hmph, caught red-handed and you still want to argue? Men, seize Su Mingyue!" Eunuch Zhao didn't give me a chance to explain and ordered the arrest directly.
Several guards rushed forward, intending to pin me to the ground.
I struggled with all my might, shouting, "I am innocent! I've been framed!"
However, my voice was drowned out by the noise of the crowd, and no one listened to my explanation.
Just as I felt despair creeping in, a familiar voice suddenly rang out: "Stop!"
The crowd turned to look, and there was Lu Zhao, walking in slowly. He wore silver armor, his expression cold and his presence overwhelming.
"His Highness the Heir?!" Seeing Lu Zhao, Eunuch Zhao went pale with fright.
"Eunuch Zhao, you have quite the audacity, daring to seize people at will?" Lu Zhao walked up to me and questioned him in a chilling tone.
"Your Highness, this servant is merely acting under the Empress's decree..." Eunuch Zhao stammered.
"Acting under a decree? I think you're faking one!" Lu Zhao sneered. "Since when does the Empress have the authority to arrest anyone she pleases without a shred of evidence?"
"This servant wouldn't dare!" Eunuch Zhao quickly fell to his knees, knocking his head against the floor repeatedly.
"Xiao Jingming!" Lu Zhao turned to the commander of the guards behind him. "Check these items carefully and see if there is any truth to them."
Xiao Jingming took the order and immediately stepped forward to examine the so-called contraband.
He inspected the weapons and letters closely, then stood up and said to Lu Zhao, "Your Highness, there are no fingerprints belonging to Su Mingyue on these items, and their placement is highly suspicious."
Hearing this, the corners of Lu Zhao's mouth curled up slightly. "Eunuch Zhao, what else do you have to say?"
Eunuch Zhao was rendered speechless; he never expected that Lu Zhao would speak up for me.
"Your Highness, I..." Eunuch Zhao tried to argue, but Lu Zhao interrupted him sharply.
"Enough! I see clearly that you were instructed by someone to frame Su Mingyue!" Lu Zhao commanded sternly. "Men, take Eunuch Zhao away and interrogate him thoroughly!"
Several guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Eunuch Zhao away.
Lu Zhao turned to look at me, his eyes filled with a hint of concern. "Are you alright?"
I shook my head, my heart full of gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness the Heir, for saving my life today."
"Think nothing of it," Lu Zhao said faintly. "I simply cannot stand to see people falsely accused."
After such a commotion, my bedroom was in total disarray.
Seeing this, Lu Zhao ordered people to help me tidy up.
"It is late today; you should get some rest," Lu Zhao said, then turned and walked away.
I watched his departing figure, a strange emotion stirring in my heart.
After this crisis, I realized even more clearly that this deep palace was filled with plots and schemes.
To survive here, I had to become stronger.
However, Lu Zhao’s help today also made me feel a touch of warmth.
Perhaps, even in this cold, heartless palace, there was still a shred of genuine kindness.
Shen Li ran over and handed me a cup of hot tea. "Your Highness, are you alright? You scared me to death!"
I took the cup and drank a sip, my heart calming slightly.
"Shen Li, tell me... why would His Highness the Heir help me?" I couldn't help but ask.
Shen Li blinked and said with a smile, "I think His Highness the Heir must have... taken a liking to you, Your Highness!"
"Don't talk nonsense," I chided her, though I couldn't help but think of Lu Zhao's handsome face.
"Your Highness, I'm not making it up. His Highness the Heir doesn't help people easily, yet today he went against the Empress for you. Doesn't that say it all?"
I didn't answer, just drank my tea in silence.
I knew very well that Lu Zhao’s help might not have been just because he liked me.
He certainly had other motives.
After all, he was the Heir of Zhenguo, shouldering heavy responsibilities.
And I was merely a small, substitute concubine.
The gap between us was simply too vast.
"Oh, that's right, Your Highness." Shen Li suddenly remembered something. "I have already found some clues regarding the Substitute Concubine situation..."
Before Shen Li could finish, footsteps sounded outside.
"Your Highness, it's bad! Mammy Li is here!"
I was startled. Mammy Li was one of the Empress's people. What was she doing here?
I immediately stood up and said to Shen Li, "Quick, hide the things!"
Just then, Mammy Li entered my bedchamber.
"Younger Sister Su, the Empress is thinking of you, so she specifically sent me to check on you," Mammy Li said with a smile, though her eyes were filled with scrutiny.
I took a deep breath, trying to remain composed. "Thank you for the Empress's concern."
Mammy Li looked around my room, as if trying to find any traces or clues.
"Younger Sister Su, you were startled today, so the Empress asked me to bring you some tonics to calm your nerves." After saying this, Mammy Li shot a look at the maid behind her.
The maid immediately stepped forward holding a tray with a bowl of pitch-black medicinal soup.
"Younger Sister Su, this was prepared specifically for you by the Empress herself. You should drink it while it's hot," Mammy Li said, smiling.
I looked at the black soup, and a sense of unease welled up within me.
Was this soup really just a tonic to calm my nerves?
I took the soup and held it to my nose to sniff it; a pungent odor assaulted my senses.
"Mammy Li, this soup... what is it made of?" I frowned and asked.
"Younger Sister Su, this is decocted from various precious herbs; it is very good for your health," Mammy Li said with a smile.
"Is that so?" I sneered, having already reached my own conclusion.
There was definitely something wrong with this bowl of soup.
"Thank you for the Empress's kindness, but I am a bit tired today and would like to rest first," I said, placing the soup on the table.
"Younger Sister Su, this soup is only effective if drunk while hot. You really should drink it now," Mammy Li urged.
"No need, I am truly exhausted today," I said firmly.
Seeing my refusal, Mammy Li’s expression flickered, but she still smiled. "Very well, since you wish to rest, I shall not disturb you further."
With that, Mammy Li left my bedchamber with the maid.
Watching them go, I felt a surge of vigilance.
Empress, what exactly are you trying to do?
Could it be that you want to use this soup to cover up some truth?
I picked up the bowl and walked to the window, pouring it out without hesitation.
The soup hit the ground with a "hissing" sound and emitted a sharp, biting smell.
Looking at the corroded marks on the floor, I was even more certain that this soup was absolutely nothing good.
"Your Highness, you..." Shen Li said in surprise as she watched me pour out the medicine.
"Shen Li, why do you think the Empress sent this soup to me?" I asked.
Shen Li thought for a moment and said, "I think the Empress must be suspicious of you, so she wanted to use this soup to test you."
"Test me?" I frowned, lost in thought.
What could the Empress be suspicious of? Had she already discovered my true identity?
Just as I was racking my brains, Shen Li suddenly said, "Your Highness, I just remembered something."
"What is it?" I asked.
"I heard that the Empress has been searching for a special type of incense recently. It is said that this incense can induce hallucinations and even control one's mind."
"Control one's mind?!" I felt a jolt of alarm. "Are you saying the Empress wants to use this incense to control me?"
"I am only guessing, but if the Empress truly possesses this incense, she is very likely to use it on you," Shen Li said.
The more I thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
If the Empress could truly control my mind, I would be completely finished.
I had to find a way to stop her!
"Shen Li, go and find me some detoxifying herbs immediately, as many as you can!" I urged.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Shen Li took the order and ran off to gather the herbs.
I stood by the window, looking at the dark, gloomy clouds in the sky, my heart full of worry.
Empress, how much longer are you going to play these games?
I have reached my limit!
"Your Highness, I found the things..." Shen Li's voice stopped abruptly, as if she had seen something inconceivable.
I followed her gaze and saw Lu Zhao standing at the door of my bedchamber, holding a book, looking at me with a complex expression.
"His Highness the Heir, you..." I was surprised, wondering why he would suddenly appear here.
Lu Zhao didn't speak but walked slowly into my room.
He approached me, handed me the book in his hand, and asked in a low voice, "Where did you get this book?" Tsk, this old witch really is like a ghost that won't leave!
She didn't manage to take me down this time, so she must be brewing something bigger.
But she shouldn't be too smug just yet; I'm not a pushover either!
Hmph, just you wait and see!
And this Lu Zhao... being so kind today, could he have some hidden agenda?
Could it be... that he discovered I’m a transmigrator?
That's impossible; I’ve hidden it so well, how could he have discovered it?
Unless... he knows something?
Something about the Substitute Concubine?
No, I have to find an opportunity to probe him.
Just as I was calculating, Shen Li turned deathly pale, looking as if she had seen a ghost, while clutching a letter in her hand.
"Your Highness... this... this is..." She handed the letter to me, her small hand trembling like a sieve.
I took the letter suspiciously; a faint scent of ink mingled with... the smell of blood?
My heart sank.
On the envelope were several bright red characters: "Stop investigating, or you will lose your life."
I gasped. Is this... a threat? Who? Who is warning me?