Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 42: The Lychee Banquet

   Concubine Jia was utterly shocked.

   Of course she could deny it outright, but upon careful reflection, since Noble Consort Hui had asked such a question, it was clear she had already uncovered something. If Noble Consort Hui could take a life even without reason, how much more so when she had one?

Concubine Jia immediately threw herself at her feet. “Your Highness, everything this concubine has done has been for Your Ladyship’s sake!”

“For me?” Noble Consort Hui sneered coldly. “Using my dog to frame and slander me, and then claiming it’s for my benefit? I’m afraid it’s not for me at all, but for your Fourth Prince—so that Noble Lady Yu won’t give birth to another prince and ruin your plans!”

Complete denial would seem far too fake. Concubine Jia gritted her teeth. “Yes, this concubine admits it: I do not wish for Noble Lady Yu to bear another prince. But everything this concubine has done has also been in consideration of Your Ladyship. You have already formed a deadly enmity with Yonghe Palace. If we do not completely cut off Noble Lady Yu’s path forward, the consequences will be endless!”

Noble Consort Hui pondered for a moment. “Tell me exactly what you did to Noble Lady Yu.”

“Yes…” Concubine Jia hurriedly laid bare all her previous schemes. Upon hearing that Noble Lady Yu had already been taking the fake Zhenzhu powder for half a month, Noble Consort Hui showed a trace of surprise. “Is this woman really so foolish that she hasn’t noticed the slightest thing?”

“That woman was stupid to begin with, and she only has Fangcao as her one confidante. Once Fangcao turns against her, she’s finished.” Concubine Jia smiled. “Yesterday Fangcao came to report that the last batch of shell powder has run out and asked for a new supply to be sent over.”

“Give it to her!” Noble Consort Hui laughed heartily. “Give her as much as she wants—stuff it all into Noble Lady Yu’s belly!”

Seeing her so delighted, Concubine Jia breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Of course Noble Consort Hui could simply revel in the momentary satisfaction and send crates and barrels of shell powder flooding into Yonghe Palace. But Concubine Jia was different from her: compared to quick pleasure, she preferred certainty.

“If we believe every word Fangcao says without question, we will become the second Noble Lady Yu.” Concubine Jia shed the servile, fawning demeanor she wore in front of Noble Consort Hui and calmly instructed her trusted confidante beside her. “Go outside and make inquiries—especially around the Imperial Medical Bureau. Find out what new news there is from Yonghe Palace lately.”

Her confidante soon returned with information.

“Noble Lady Yu has recently been suffering from severe abdominal pain. The people at the Imperial Medical Bureau couldn’t find anything abnormal and prescribed more stabilizing medicines, telling her to take several extra Zhenzhu pills every day.” The confidante asked tentatively, “Your Highness, shall this servant go prepare a new batch of shell powder right away?”

“Go… wait!” When the person had already taken a few steps, Concubine Jia suddenly called out from behind.

“Your Highness, is there anything else you wish to instruct?” The confidante hurriedly turned back.

“Go tell Fangcao…” Concubine Jia pondered for a moment. “The shell powder requires careful preparation—it will take two days. Tell her we’ll meet during the Lychee Banquet to hand it over.”

The confidante looked puzzled. “But there is still shell powder left…”

Concubine Jia cut her off. “Do exactly as I say!”

Though filled with confusion, since it was her master’s order, the confidante swallowed all her questions, curtsied, and left.

“I hope I’m just overthinking it. Noble Lady Yu doesn’t seem like someone capable of coming up with such a scheme,” Concubine Jia murmured to herself as she watched the departing figure. “But just in case…”

Today, as usual, Wei Yingluo came to Yonghe Palace to deliver the Zhenzhu powder.

Fangcao had been waiting for her for a long time. The moment she saw her arrive, she rushed forward anxiously. “Yingluo, Concubine Jia just sent someone to find me. She wants me to go to her place during the Lychee Banquet to collect the shell powder.”

“She certainly has sharp ears.” Wei Yingluo smiled. “The Empress only just decided to hold the Lychee Banquet, and she already knows about it…”

It was clear that Concubine Jia was no simple person—she had quietly extended her claws all the way into Changchun Palace.

“You did very well. Keep it up.” Wei Yingluo patted Fangcao on the shoulder. “As long as you help me catch her red-handed this time, it will count as atoning for your past deeds.”

Fangcao hesitated. “You have to keep your word.”

The two of them settled their plan. Now, all that remained was to quietly wait for the Lychee Banquet.

The banquet was held half a month later. The main attraction was the three lychee trees that the Emperor had bestowed upon the Empress. Not a single lychee had been picked; they remained on the branches, to be plucked one by one right when the banquet began and served to the guests in the freshest, most vibrant state possible.

As Wei Yingluo passed by the banquet venue, she stole a quick glance inside. Among the guests were Consort Xian, Consort Chun, Noble Consort Hui, Concubine Jia, as well as two particularly outstanding selected consorts she had seen during the earlier selection, and finally… the Emperor himself. Wei Yingluo hurriedly lowered her head and quickened her steps to leave.

She arrived at the prearranged dark alley and stood quietly for a moment in the shadow of the wall. Not far away, two figures gradually approached.

One was Fangcao; the other was a trusted confidante of Concubine Jia.

The other woman was extremely cautious, clearly wary of eavesdroppers. She didn’t exchange many words with Fangcao. Pretending it was a casual brush-past, she slipped an embroidered brocade pouch into Fangcao’s arms and immediately prepared to walk away.

How could Wei Yingluo let her escape? She swiftly leaped out from behind the wall, seized the woman’s arm, and said sharply:

“How dare you substitute Noble Lady’s pearl powder! This is an attempt to murder the imperial heir!”

She had hoped to catch the woman off guard with her sudden accusation—perhaps, with luck, startle some confession out of her.

To her surprise, the woman turned back with perfect calm and said:

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her composure immediately aroused Wei Yingluo’s suspicion. After a long pause, she suddenly unfolded the embroidered brocade pouch right in front of the woman. Beside her, Fangcao let out a startled cry:

“How is it just sweetgrass?”

Inside the pouch there was not a single grain of pearl powder—only a string of dried sweetgrass.

“What else could it be besides sweetgrass?” The confidante across from them gave a half-smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “This is a blessing pouch personally embroidered by Concubine Jia for the future little prince. It’s certainly not pearl powder or shell powder.”

“Concubine Jia is truly sharp— she was prepared long in advance… Oh no!” Since Concubine Jia had already noticed something amiss, why would she still specially send someone to keep the appointment? Unless… Wei Yingluo’s expression changed drastically. “We’ve fallen into a trap!”

Leaving the two women behind, she turned and ran toward the storehouse where tonight’s centerpiece—the lychee trees—was being kept.

Before she even entered the door, she heard sobbing coming from inside.

“It wasn’t me!” As soon as she stepped in, the little palace maid responsible for guarding the lychee trees turned deathly pale and desperately tried to explain to her. “I don’t know who did it! I only stepped away for a short while. When I came back, I found the lychee trees had been… had been scalded to death with boiling water!”

Wei Yingluo pushed her aside and strode to the lychee trees.

From the roots upward, the trees had been thoroughly soaked and ruined. Every lychee on the branches had fallen to the ground.

“What do we do?” The little palace maid wailed. “The Emperor will have my head…”

It wouldn’t just be her head. When tribute items were destroyed, a whole group of people would likely lose theirs—and even Wei Yingluo couldn’t be certain she herself would escape unscathed.

“Stop crying!” Wei Yingluo’s face was grim. She crouched down, picked up several fallen lychees from the ground, and examined them carefully for a moment. Then she turned to the sobbing little palace maid behind her:

“Do you want to die, or do you want to live?”

“I—I naturally want to live…” the little palace maid choked out.

“Open your hands.” Wei Yingluo placed the lychees she was holding into the girl’s palms. “Using these as the standard, pick out the ones from the ground that still look presentable. Send them to the Imperial Tea and Meal Department at once. Tell them the Empress is hosting a lychee banquet and they must figure out a way immediately! When the time comes, you will report to Her Majesty that the lychees from two of the trees were used to prepare dishes, and the remaining tree will be freshly picked on the spot!”

“Fresh—freshly picked?” The little palace maid was stunned. “But… won’t that be exposed right away?”

“That’s not your concern. You only need to do exactly what I’ve told you!” Wei Yingluo said coldly. “Hurry up and go!”

“Yes—yes!” Seeing that Wei Yingluo was willing to shoulder half the blame, the little palace maid had no reason to refuse. She immediately knelt on the ground and began frantically gathering and sorting the fallen lychees. From the corner of her eye, she saw Wei Yingluo hurry out of the storehouse.

Since the Empress had declared early on that she would personally pick the lychees to present to the Emperor, she could not easily go back on her word. At least one tree had to be brought to the banquet.

What would happen if, in the end, not even a single tree made it there?

“The Empress will surely lose all face,” Wei Yingluo thought to herself. “Noble Consort Hui and Concubine Jia will certainly seize the opportunity to accuse the palace servants of mishandling their duties, urging His Majesty to punish the group responsible for the lychee banquet—and that group… happens to include the Empress’s most capable and trusted confidants, as well as the very people she has been grooming for greater responsibility.”

Because the lychee banquet involved tribute goods and the Emperor himself, the Empress had personally assigned her most trusted and promising palace maids to handle it—including Wei Yingluo.

If anything went wrong at the lychee banquet, this entire group would inevitably be punished—and would have no choice but to accept the punishment.

In that case, not only would the Empress suffer a humiliating loss of dignity, she would also be severely wounded at the core. She might lose several of her most loyal heart-and-soul attendants in one fell swoop…

“How can I allow such a thing to happen to her?” Wei Yingluo gritted her teeth inwardly. “I must find a way. I must find a way… Someone! Go find her.”

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