Chapter 677 - 455: Fight Poison with Poison

Chapter 677: Chapter 455: Fight Poison with Poison

Consort Shu knew that since Yun Zhao had handed the matter over to her, she wouldn’t interfere. Still, she felt she had to let Yun Zhao look it over.

Song Yunzhao obliged Consort Shu. As they briefly scanned the list, she said with a hint of a headache, "There are over a thousand Palace Attendants in Jincui Garden. Why are there so many?"

It’s just one garden, and the Emperor doesn’t even visit often—sometimes not even once a year. The number of Palace Attendants was truly staggering.

Consort Shu, however, said dismissively, "This is a Royal Garden. You can’t be short on anything it’s supposed to have. What if the Emperor suddenly takes a fancy to visit one day, and there aren’t enough people here to serve him? Who could bear that responsibility?"

So even if there were too many people, you had to keep them. It was all about maintaining appearances.

Song Yunzhao was speechless. The Royal Family’s prestige was indeed more important than anything else.

She pondered for a moment before saying to Consort Shu, "I’m looking at this list, and many of the palace maids are getting on in years. Why haven’t they been released to marry? If this keeps getting delayed, what kind of good families can they possibly marry into when they leave?"

’Isn’t this ruining their entire lives?’

Hearing this, Consort Shu glanced at the names on the first few pages Yun Zhao’s finger had brushed past and said without looking up, "Originally, matters in the garden were managed by the Six Departments. There has been a lot of turmoil there these past two years, and none of the stewards want to get their hands dirty, so no one has bothered with this."

Song Yunzhao frowned. ’What a bunch of parasites. When there are benefits to be had, they’re faster than anyone. When there’s actual work, they disappear even faster.’

"The people at the bottom shirk their duties, and those at the top turn a blind eye. It’s these palace maids who suffer. By the time they’re old enough to leave, they’ll only be able to marry widowers." Song Yunzhao sighed. ’They’re all young women in the bloom of their youth. Who wouldn’t want to marry their ideal man?’

Palace maids serve in the palace for a set number of years. When their time is up, they are released to marry. Masters might keep favored Palace Attendants for a few extra years, but those attendants have more prestige. With their master’s backing, their marriages are arranged well in advance, so there’s no hurry for them.

The most pitiful are the low-ranking Palace Attendants, who have no power or influence and can only endure hardship.

"I say we release these women first. We’ll do it in batches and slowly go fishing," Song Yunzhao said.

"Our Lady Ming is so kind-hearted. Let’s do it that way, then."

Hearing the teasing in Consort Shu’s voice, Yun Zhao knew she was being deliberately playful and retorted, "If it were your personal attendants, would you let their best years be wasted like this?"

Consort Shu thought about it. ’No, she really wouldn’t.’

The marriages for her personal maids had been arranged long ago. In another year, they would be released one by one to marry. She couldn’t let go of all her experienced staff at once, or her own household would fall into chaos. They had to be let go in turns, which also gave her time to train the younger palace maids.

"Fine, let’s do that," Consort Shu agreed readily. "Among these people, do you think any of them belong to Grand Tutor Qin?"

"It’s hard to say. Let’s post the names and have our people watch them," Song Yunzhao said.

Consort Shu nodded. "For now, this clumsy method is all we have. After all, we’re not in the main palace, and we’re short on manpower."

"That’s what I was thinking, too," Song Yunzhao said with a faint smile. "Besides, Qin Wan Yi has always been composed. Even if we catch one of her people, she might not even care."

"Then we’ll just keep digging. We’ll eventually expose all of them." A hint of viciousness entered Consort Shu’s eyes. ’If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have to work this hard.’

At this thought, Consort Shu looked at Yun Zhao and asked, "What do you think about asking An Xiaoyi to help?"

Song Yunzhao was taken aback. "Why the sudden thought of using An Xiaoyi?"

"I was just thinking that since An Shutong had a falling out with Qin Xiyue, she might know things we don’t," Consort Shu said leisurely.

A glint appeared in Song Yunzhao’s eyes. "That makes sense. If you can get her to come, then by all means, do so."

"How could she possibly refuse such a good opportunity? She used to be desperate for any chance to make an appearance," Consort Shu said bluntly. "The Empress Dowager will surely be pleased, and it’ll save me some effort."

Consort Shu and the Empress Dowager did not get along. Every time she went to pay her respects, the Empress Dowager would be sarcastic and passive-aggressive.

Nowadays, the Empress Dowager couldn’t do much about the three concubines, and the three concubines, bound by the pretense of filial piety, dared not show any open dissatisfaction toward her. In private, they couldn’t stand each other but were unable to take the other down, so they resorted to squabbling over minor matters.

Song Yunzhao had a notorious reputation, and whenever the Empress Dowager clashed with her, the Emperor would step in to back her up. Thus, the Empress Dowager had learned to be smarter and no longer confronted Yun Zhao directly.

As a result, Consort Shu and Princess Consort Wan became her primary targets.

Song Yunzhao quickly said, "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Consort Shu, to make a trip to Changsheng Courtyard."

Consort Shu nodded in satisfaction. "I’ll go right now. It’s best to handle this sooner rather than later."

"Consort Shu," Song Yunzhao cautioned, "An Xiaoyi must not find out about our dealings with Qin Wan Yi."

Consort Shu nodded. "I know. I’m not an idiot."

Song Yunzhao saw her off, and Consort Shu departed in a hurry.

Before long, Yun Zhao received word that An Shutong had indeed agreed to help. She could finally rest easy.

An Shutong had lived under the same roof as Qin Xiyue for so long. While she might not know everything about her, she certainly knew more than most.

’With someone who understands Qin Xiyue assisting Consort Shu, things should go much more smoothly.’

Song Yunzhao was holed up in Qingyao Palace to escape the summer heat. Never one to go out much, she now kept her doors shut and refused to take a single step outside, prompting even Feng Yi to laugh at her for being overly cautious.

’But how could she not be cautious?’

’She was cannon fodder. When faced with the female lead, she had to be as careful as possible.’

’With Consort Shu on the front lines, if she made a mistake, I could still help patch things up and support her.’

’But if *I* were the one to fall into a trap, I doubt even Consort Shu and Princess Consort Wan could pull me out.’

Song Yunzhao spent her days looking over ledgers and asking Feng Yunjin and the others about Baozhuang Building. The businesses with Ling Yunhe and Xie Jinshu were progressing smoothly. More and more shops were opening under her name, which had become synonymous with luxury goods in various regions.

Treasure Pearl Building, in contrast, was more down-to-earth. Its prices were affordable, and while it didn’t earn much, it brought her a great deal of renown.

Song Yunzhao’s reputation in the Capital City hadn’t completely recovered yet, but in places outside the capital, many commoners sang her praises.

’Song Yunzhao felt a sense of accomplishment. She wasn’t a good person in every sense of the word, but when she had the ability to spare, she was willing to do something for the common folk.’

After four or five days, a message came from Consort Shu. Just as they’d hoped, they had caught a lead. So as not to alert their target, they let the person leave the palace, and Consort Shu had already arranged for them to be watched in secret.

Song Yunzhao’s spirits lifted. ’This is indeed good news.’

Another day later, there was movement from Xu Ji. She sent a letter into Jincui Garden for Qin Wan Yi and was spotted by the people Consort Shu had on watch.

Consort Shu was too busy to come to Qingyao Palace herself, so she sent Hong Xiu instead.

Hong Xiu curtsied before speaking. "Your Ladyship, my lady was afraid of alerting the enemy, so it wasn’t convenient for her to come. She sent this servant to ask whether we should capture the person or let them go."