Wei Shufen widened her eyes as the beautiful woman gracefully approached her, her movements sinuous like a venomous snake slithering in for the kill. Shufen shivered and instinctively took a step back, only to find herself pressed against the wooden wall with no retreat left. The overpowering fragrance from Consort Yin swiftly enveloped her.
"Your medicine case is clearly marked with the craftsman's name—there's no denying it," the middle-aged beauty remarked with a smile, eyeing Wei Shufen. "Your trusted attendant carried it all the way here. High Truth Master, may I ask what medicine is inside this case?"
With a swift flick of her sleeve, Consort Yin knocked the medicine case from Shufen's hands. The heavy lacquered box clattered to the floor, its lid flying open, scattering golden needles, moxa cones, flints, and medicine bottles across the ground.
The sudden loud noise and unexpected action startled Shufen, who let out a soft gasp, her legs weakening as she stumbled back against the wall.
Her face must have paled, for Consort Yin studied her with amusement. But the woman had little time to spare for her now. She turned back, bent down, and picked up a celadon medicine bottle from the floor.
The bottle closely resembled the one that had previously held the fake elixir. Consort Yin pulled out the wooden stopper and tipped it over, letting a cloud of brownish-yellow powder drift to the ground. Without a second thought, she emptied the bottle, stuffed in a pill from her own hand, and shook it before repeating her question to Chai Yingluo:
"High Truth Master, may I ask what medicine is inside this case?"
No doubt the pill she had inserted was some kind of poison—one easily detectable by imperial physicians. Chai Yingluo had been watching her actions calmly all along, but now she sighed.
"Consort Yin, you weren’t this foolish before."
"Oh?" Consort Yin raised an eyebrow.
The Taoist nun pointed at Wei Shufen.
"This is the beloved daughter of Imperial Secretary Wei Zheng. When we stand before the Son of Heaven and the Empress, whose testimony do you think they will trust—this young lady’s, or that of your lowly maids?"
Consort Yin faltered momentarily, glancing back at Wei Shufen. Shufen shrank into the corner, lowering her head and clenching her teeth in silence.
"A Fen, tell us, what did you just witness?"
Chai Yingluo’s voice was light and tinged with unconcealed triumph, and the answer should have been effortless—Shufen only needed to truthfully recount what had just happened. But she bit her lip and remained silent.
"A Fen?"
A note of doubt crept into the nun’s urging tone. Shufen stubbornly kept her head down, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze or speak.
The rustle of robes followed, and though Shufen couldn’t see what Chai Yingluo was doing, she heard Consort Yin suddenly bark an order: "Seize her!"
The palace maids surged forward, and several serving girls from behind the screen rushed in, pouncing on Chai Yingluo. The nun struggled, panting and roaring, "How dare you lay hands on me! How dare you—A Fen—you—how dare you—!"
"Taoist Abbess Chai attempted to assassinate the Supreme Emperor and has lost her mind!" Consort Yin declared sharply. "Drag her out and bind her! Gag her! Don’t let her spew nonsense!"
A scream rang out as a serving girl tore Chai Yingluo’s outer robe, her hairpiece and bun unraveling. The group of brawny middle-aged women refrained from openly beating the Supreme Emperor’s granddaughter, but under the assault of a dozen grasping hands, the nun was soon disheveled, bruised, and gagged with a cloth.Wei Shufen huddled in the corner, trembling as she watched her savior being humiliated before her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks in rivulets, her knees buckling under her weight until she collapsed to the floor. Chai Yingluo writhed and struggled, her furious shouts fragmented and incoherent, but Wei Shufen understood most were directed at her—accusations of betrayal and ingratitude... Yet she could do nothing, only curling into a ball with her arms wrapped around herself, weeping uncontrollably.
Through her tear-blurred vision, the distinct striped hem of a pleated skirt came into view.
Consort Yin knelt beside her, frowning yet speaking with gentle concern:
"Little Wei, what's the matter?"
What's the matter... Wei Shufen lifted her face, sniffling, and stared at the beautiful countenance before her. She opened her mouth several times but no sound emerged. Taking a deep breath, she tried to find her voice, only to choke on another sob.
Pressing her scarf to her mouth, she buried her face in her knees, feeling too ashamed to face the world. Consort Yin didn't press her, instead shifting to sit shoulder-to-shoulder and wrapping an arm around her, patting her back like a mother comforting a child.
After crying for a while, having vented most of her anguish, Wei Shufen still dared not raise her head. From the depths of her scarf, she whispered a plea:
"Consort Yin... I beg you... I... I don't want... to marry into Tibet..."
"Oh," Consort Yin murmured thoughtfully. "You've heard... Ah, nothing stays secret in this palace!"
"Please, my lady... help me..."
"It won't be easy. The Crown Prince's Palace has already decided." Consort Yin sighed, stroking Wei Shufen's nape affectionately. "No wonder you're upset. Such a young thing, sent so far away to that barbaric land—anyone would despair. If you were my daughter, I'd weep myself to death."
Wei Shufen clutched Consort Yin's sleeve, tears streaming as she begged: "Save me, my lady... I was wrong before, I misjudged... misjudged the High Truth Master... She... she... You're my only hope now, I'll do anything, please save me..."
Consort Yin tilted her head slightly, her expression meaningful:
"Misjudged the High Truth Master? Poor child, what did she do to you? Have you finally seen that little viper's true face?"
Wei Shufen nodded through her tears, struggling before forcing out a whisper:
"I... I saw her... with..."
"With?" Consort Yin pressed, lowering her voice.
"With... the Fourteenth Young Master... Prince Wu Yuan-gui... committing adultery..." (Author's note: This chapter includes images of Tang Dynasty artifacts marked with craftsmen's names. To view, visit the author's Weibo. Search ID "Tang Dynasty Guide Forest Deer" on Sina Weibo. Welcome to discuss!)
OpenNovel