Chapter 309

The harbor business was running very smoothly. For Yueqian, the current situation was quite ideal. The only concern she had was for her husband, who was on a mission at the moment.

However, she had too many enemies. Just as she was beginning to enjoy some peace like other furens, an invitation to a banquet from someone in the palace had already been sent to her.

“The Floral Viewing Banquet.”

This was the name of the event, organized annually by the Empress of the Bai Region. It was an event that invited many nobles and their heirs, held at the central city square, which had previously been used to welcome refugees. With the grandeur of this event, the military and the ceremonial department took great care to transform the previously gloomy place into something heavenly.

Given the extravagance, it was no surprise that a review of the spending budget would reveal areas of wasteful expenditure. But this was the way of the nobles. Every time there was a grand event or celebration, a portion of the budget would be embezzled or directed towards those who stood to benefit.

It was like buying pork from the most expensive shop just because they had connections. Therefore, they would hand over the entire purchase order to that shop, allowing them to profit from it.

Yueqian didn’t get involved much in these affairs. However, before the banquet, a personal court lady of the Empress appeared at the Mu manor.

“Court Lady Yu, may I ask what brings you to the Mu manor?” This Court Lady Yu was a personal attendant to the Empress. She arrived at the entrance with two other court ladies and two guards. If Yueqian refused to welcome them, it would certainly become a big issue.

Yet, welcoming them into the manor also made Yueqian quite uneasy. She sensed that something was amiss. With her husband away, people from the palace might use this opportunity to deal with her.

It should not be forgotten that although she had aligned with the Second Prince’s faction, her enemies were not limited to the Crown Prince’s supporters. Within the Second Prince’s faction, many had lost benefits because of her. There were numerous instances where she had not complied with their wishes. Thus, her enemies could very well include both the Second Prince’s faction and the Crown Prince’s.

Today, the arrival of the Empress’s court lady couldn’t immediately be concluded as an evil plan by the Empress.

“Furen Mu, I apologize for the intrusion. You must be aware that the Floral Viewing Banquet will be held in a few days. This event is of great importance to the Bai Region, as it gathers all the nobles. It can’t be treated lightly,” Court Lady Yu began.

Yueqian nodded while pouring tea for the other party, a gesture that showed significant respect. For a court lady, a position not much different from a servant, to be treated with such courtesy by Yueqian. If seen positively, it appeared that Yueqian wanted to befriend her, but if seen negatively, it could be interpreted that this Furen Mu was intimidated by her power. This made her initially subtle demeanor more apparent.

However, Yueqian never intended to make friends; as long as no one bullied her first, she never positioned herself as an enemy. Her actions were clear—she just wanted to put the other party at ease.

“Please continue, Court Lady Yu,” Yueqian said with a friendly smile. Court Lady Yu, initially expecting this task to be difficult, was surprised by Furen Mu’s pleasant demeanor, which contradicted rumors of her being clever and arrogant.

Court Lady Yu impolitely took a sip of her tea. Even though the hostess had not yet raised her teacup, the lower-ranking guest raised hers and drank it in front of her. Yueqian’s eyes briefly flashed before she quickly composed herself and maintained her smile.

“In that case, I’ll get straight to the point. The Empress has heard that you have special seasonings that make food delicious. She wishes to request that you provide these seasonings to support the Floral Viewing Banquet. If you are willing to help, the Empress will not forget this cooperation.”

Court Lady Yu didn’t mince words, seeing an opportunity in Furen Mu’s seemingly submissive and flattering demeanor, and directly conveyed the Empress’s request.

“Oh, is that so?” Yueqian feigned understanding.

“And will you be kind enough to help the Empress to ensure the success of this event?” The court lady handed her tea cup to Fan Yu, who was assisting Yueqian, signaling for a refill of the fragrant sweet tea.

Fan Yu frowned slightly but maintained her composure, expertly refilling the cup. She knew it was better to let her mistress handle the court lady’s rude behavior.

“Of course, I will help. This is such a grand event,” Yueqian feigned covering her mouth and laughed, acting as if she were very close with the other party.

This made Court Lady Yu laugh happily as well. She drank her tea in one gulp, feeling pleased. Soon after, she excused herself and left the Mu manor. Before leaving, she even had another cup of tea, like someone who hadn’t had a decent drink in ages. Unbeknownst to her, while she was feeling overconfident, Yueqian’s eyes had turned icy.

No one knew that Yueqian, who had pretended to drink the tea, hadn’t actually swallowed a single drop. Only Court Lady Yu had drunk it.

“Furen, this must be a trap. It’s very unusual for the Empress to suddenly ask for help with the banquet,” Fan Yu said to her mistress once Court Lady Yu had left.

Yueqian nodded in agreement.

“It’s not normal at all,” The mistress didn’t say much, merely confirming Fan Yu’s suspicion but not offering any further explanation.

At the Empress’s grand residence:

Court Lady Yu reported her efforts and negotiations with Furen Mu, embellishing her story to make the Empress believe she had worked very hard.

“Initially, Furen Mu was suspicious about why we were asking for her seasonings, but I managed to persuade her. In the end, Furen Mu knew it was a trap but had to jump in anyway.”Court Lady Yu laughed with satisfaction. The Empress, knowing her servant’s nature, understood that while Court Lady Yu might exaggerate, she still got the job done effectively.

“Reward her,” the Empress waved her hand. She ordered another court lady standing by brought out gold coins. The noblewoman tossed the coins in front of Court Lady Yu and added.

“Make sure this plan succeeds. If it goes well, I will reward you again.” After speaking, she waved Court Lady Yu away.

Once The other party had left the reception room, the Empress turned to another court lady standing quietly by her side, awaiting orders.

“Let her worry about the seasonings she sends. Use the opportunity to tamper with her tea instead. This woman isn’t a fool; she probably expects something to happen with the seasonings and has prepared a countermeasure. In the end, the seasonings won’t be the problem. It’s she herself who will face trouble.”

“Don’t let her be on guard. Make sure she drinks the aphrodisiac tea we’ve prepared. Arrange a room and invite the Second Prince to the guest house. Let her take advantage of her husband’s absence to have an affair with the Second Prince. This way, both that vile woman and the Second Prince will be ruined together!”

The Empress said and laughed with satisfaction, confident that her cunning plan would succeed. She believed Furen Mu wouldn’t expect a second layer of deception. Ultimately, no one would tamper with her seasonings, but she herself would be the target!

With the Wang not around to watch over her left and right, if anything happened, no one would come to her aid. And when her foolish husband returned, he would find that his wife had been unfaithful. Instead of helping her out of the pit, he would likely bury her further.

Court Lady Yu, having received her hefty reward, hurried away. The 27-year-old woman headed to a secluded spot: the bamboo grove behind the palace, a restricted area within the inner royal grounds. Usually, only the Empress Dowager came here to meditate and relax, along with some elderly court ladies from previous emperors.

These women had experienced many battles for power. Once the struggles ended, they could only live a peaceful life.

Court Lady Yu had discovered this place as a child. She used to be responsible for cleaning the small pavilion here. After being chosen as a personal court lady, she no longer had to run errands in this area. However, since childhood, she had her own special spot here.

The young woman arrived at a pavilion adorned with three carved lotus flowers. She looked around carefully, ensuring no one was nearby. Once certain, Court Lady Yu began digging feverishly.

It didn’t take long for a small chest to appear. Opening it, she found important documents and a large sum of money. Court Lady Yu was meticulous; she always kept evidence of any orders she received. This time was no different.

After receiving the reward money from the Empress, she wrapped it in a small piece of paper detailing its source and placed it in her treasure chest. She did this to have leverage; if anyone ever tried to kill her, she could threaten them with this evidence to avoid becoming a scapegoat.

Living in the palace was like this—death was always a possibility. Without caution, disaster was inevitable. However, this habit was not necessarily advantageous. Other court ladies spent their rewards on enjoying themselves, while Court Lady Yu saved her money for old age or the possibility of being dismissed. As a result, she lived more frugally than the other court ladies.

And now, her greed was about to be punished!

While she was burying the chest, Court Lady Yu’s vision became slightly blurry. At first, she thought it was just a bout of drowsiness, which might happen once or twice.

But as soon as she looked up, she let out a piercing scream that echoed throughout the bamboo forest, alarming the other court ladies who rushed to see what was happening.

“Get away! Get away, you demon! Don’t come near me, don’t hurt me!” Court Lady Yu’s frantic cries continued, her small arms flailing wildly as if she had lost her senses.

It seemed like someone was in front of her, yet the other court ladies saw nothing.

“What’s wrong with you? What’s happening?” One court lady asked hesitantly, both scared and concerned.

“No!! Get away. Aah!! I’m scared, please don’t kill me,” but Court Lady Yu seemed not to hear them, pointing at the empty air before her.

“Y-You’re scaring us. There’s no one in front of you,”

“How can there be no one! Are you all plotting against me? Are you planning to kill me together? Are you collaborating with the dead to attack me? Fine! I won’t die alone. If I must die, you all will die as ghosts with me!” With that, Court Lady Yu seemed to lose her sanity.

She was terrified of dying and saw ghosts everywhere. She recognized some of the faces as people who had died due to the schemes of concubines and nobles. Now, they were all in front of her.

However, Court Lady Yu’s hysteria didn’t end with fear. She felt a deep-seated rage and a misunderstanding that both the living and the dead were bullying her. Since she couldn’t do anything to the dead, she decided to take it out on the living!No one knew when Court Lady Yu had hidden a small knife in her chest, but she now pulled it out and began to wildly slash at the other court ladies in a frenzy!