Chapter 7
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As her coughing subsided, Consort Xi continued, “Consort Tong invited me to watch a play together. She even claimed I was like a younger sister to her. Convey to your Third Prince that even if he doesn’t regard Old Seventh as his true brother, he should still show respect due to our sisterly bond.”
Consort Xi’s words hinted that the Third Prince’s mother held her in high regard, and therefore, the Third Prince should act with more consideration.
Xue Yao stayed silent, lost in thought.
Consort Xi furrowed her brows and questioned, “Why aren’t you responding?”
“Ah…” Xue Yao seemed to awaken from a daydream. He lifted his head to meet Consort Xi’s gaze. His face displayed an innocent and surprised expression, completely ignoring Consort Xi’s admonition. “When Your Highness entered the room, I detected a fragrance much like the scented pouch my mother used to carry. It smells delightful!”
Consort Xi stood there, utterly bewildered.
She had been in Great Qi for a few years, and never had she encountered such an audacious child.
Most of the palace servants and eunuchs entered the palace’s service when they were around ten years old. Despite their youth, they were trained to be polite and well-behaved, devoid of the innocence commonly found in children from the outside world.
Without waiting for Consort Xi to speak, the senior palace maid stepped forward to reprimand Xue Yao, “Audacious! Who asked about your mother’s scented pouch? This is the Qingqiong Hall. Consort Xi is asking you a question, why are you blabbering nonsense? Someone!”
The palace maid had intended to vent her mistress’ frustration on the person sent by the Third Prince. She was simply waiting for Xue Yao to make an error, providing a convenient excuse for punishment. Unexpectedly, this well-behaved child had suddenly shown such disrespect. What else was there to do but deliver a swift slap?
Two young eunuchs swiftly stepped forward, ready to use leather claws to punish Xue Yao.
However, Xue Yao, undaunted, gazed at Consort Xi with curiosity, his voice soft and childlike, “It really smells just like the scented pouch my mother used to have. The moment Your Highness entered, I noticed it. I like this fragrance a lot. My mother hasn’t used that pouch for some time!”
His face displayed an air of innocence and calmness, but inside, his heart was racing. He knew that this daring move was a matter of life and death. At eight years old, a few strikes from those leather claws could easily ruin his face. It might never heal properly.
He blamed himself for his impulsive actions.
Just moments ago, he had entertained many thoughts of giving up, but ultimately, he chose to take a risk to warn Consort Xi about the scented pouch’s poison.
It wasn’t just for Whitewashing Points, but also for the innocent little life and Consort Xi’s impending grief from losing her daughter.
While reading the novel, all these plot developments were merely the setup for the protagonist’s dark transformation. But now, he found himself living in the pages of the story, facing this young mother. He knew she was about to experience the pain of losing a daughter. Guided by his modern conscience, his subconscious led him to make this risky decision.
Regret offered no respite.
The senior palace maid, her face darkened, pointed at Xue Yao and ordered, “Give him two slaps first. If that doesn’t awaken him, give two more.”
Xue Yao’s face remained composed. He didn’t back away. With a joyful expression, he looked at Consort Xi. “What a coincidence, it really smells just like my mother’s scented pouch!”
He couldn’t hastily reveal the next part of his plan. He had to wait for Consort Xi to respond, or he might give away his intentions.
Consort Xi regained her composure, picked up a teacup, lowered her eyes, and took a sip to moisten her throat.
Xue Yao’s arm had already been seized by one eunuch, while another eunuch bent down to fasten the leather claw.
Xue Yao’s heart raced up to his throat, his vision beginning to darken. He couldn’t help but resent his impulsiveness.
He had originally planned to make use of the eight-year-old’s innocent appearance to subtly warn Consort Xi about the tainted scented pouch. According to the novel, this kind-hearted young woman wouldn’t likely permit the use of punishment on an eight-year-old like him. However, he hadn’t anticipated that Consort Xi’s palace maid would intervene and accuse him.
Facing the imminent beating, Xue Yao’s mind raced through a myriad of possibilities. He even contemplated revealing the truth outright, claiming that he had inadvertently overheard Consort Tong’s conspiracy.
As the Third Prince’s reader-in-waiting, he had frequented Consort Tong’s palace before and had unintentionally caught wind of a secret. It didn’t seem far-fetched.
With an icy expression, the eunuch raised the leather claw, ready to deliver a slap. Xue Yao couldn’t hold back any longer. With determination, he was about to shout—
“Stop.” Consort Xi, however, beat him to it. She placed the teacup back on the table and turned to look at the two eunuchs. “The child spoke thoughtlessly. You may withdraw.”
The eunuch who had been holding onto Xue Yao’s arm immediately released his grip.
Xue Yao, scared to the point of trembling legs, managed to stand still. He kept his eyes up, offering a seemingly innocent smile to Consort Xi.
In reality, his smile was nothing but a facade of a frightened boy.
It was seriously terrifying. If she didn’t want to punish him, couldn’t she had said so sooner?
When Consort Xi glanced at Xue Yao once more, her expression held a hint of resignation.
She had assumed this boy was as mature as the palace eunuchs, despite his tender age, but he turned out to be an ignorant child.
Since that was the case, no matter how much she vented her anger on him, he wouldn’t be able to relay it to the despicable Third Prince. Consort Xi had lost interest in any further interaction with Xue Yao.
Consort Xi thoughtfully removed the scented pouch from her waist and murmured in puzzlement, “Consort Tong said this fragrance was confiscated from Wokou pirates [Japanese] by her elder brother, and there’s no second one like it in the entire capital. How could it have the same scent as someone else’s scented pouch?”
Upon hearing this, Xue Yao’s mind rang with the victorious horn of triumph. He felt as if he already heard countless Whitewashing Points being awarded!
Consort Xi had taken the bait!
He quickly responded, “It’s truly the same. I especially like this fragrance, but unfortunately, my mother hasn’t used that scented pouch for a long time.”
Consort Xi raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Xue Yao. “You must be mistaken, you foolish boy. My scented pouch is one of a kind. There isn’t another one like it in the palace. If your mother had such a precious item, why wouldn’t she wear it all the time? Why has she stopped wearing it for so long?”
Overjoyed, Xue Yao pulled out his trump card. “My mother mentioned she’s pregnant with my little brother, so she can’t smell this fragrance temporarily. She has to wait until my little brother is born before she can wear it again!”
The innocent child’s voice was like a thunderclap on a sunny day. The eunuchs and palace maids in the reception hall held their breath for a moment, afraid to make a sound.
To those eunuchs familiar with the intrigues of the palace, Xue Yao’s words clearly implied that the scented pouch was harmful to pregnant women.
Consort Xi, not particularly perceptive, was the last to realize the hidden meaning in Xue Yao’s words. Soon after, she turned to her personal palace maid with a look of panic.
The palace maid didn’t speak a word but conveyed her thoughts through her eyes, glancing at Consort Xi and the others.
Consort Xi immediately ordered the attendants to withdraw.
In the reception hall, only Consort Xi and her personal maidservant remained, both of them watching Xue Yao with grave expressions.
Xue Yao maintained his innocent appearance. He scratched his head and asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
Consort Xi beckoned him closer. “Come here and carefully smell this scented pouch. Is it really the same as your mother’s?”
Xue Yao approached, took Consort Xi’s scented pouch, and sniffed it. His expression was full of confidence as he confirmed, “It’s the same scent! Slightly different, but it has that unique smell. I can tell!”
Fortunately, having inhabited the body of an eight-year-old child, any performance, even if exaggerated, appeared genuinely adorable.
Otherwise, Xue Yao’s exaggerated acting skills would probably only score a 3.1 on Douban, with 3 points attributed to his appearance.
Consort Xi’s face gradually darkened, evidently recollecting Consort Tong’s once sincere and attentive demeanor.
As a foreign-born dancer from humble origins, she was looked down upon even by the imperial concubines. She had finally found a close sister in Consort Tong, only to discover it was all a scheme!
Her personal palace maid whispered, “Your Highness, please don’t be angered. Similar scents are quite common, and it might just be this child’s memory playing tricks.”
Consort Xi handed the scented pouch to the palace maid and whispered, “Have the imperial physician examine it.”
Xue Yao knew the imperial physician wouldn’t find any traces of poison. This fragrance wasn’t the classic “abortion talisman incense” used in typical palace dramas. It was a secret formula, and the physician wouldn’t detect its toxicity.
“Your Highness, if you have doubts, I can bring my mother’s scented pouch tomorrow. You can verify it yourself,” Xue Yao proposed, even though his mother didn’t possess such a scented pouch.
Consort Xi smiled. “You’re quite clever. You’re right. This fragrance is unique. Bring your mother’s scented pouch for me to smell tomorrow. If it truly matches what you claim, I will express my gratitude.”
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