Suspicions Arise Again

Proofreader/Editor: Nene Yashiro

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“Master Tang, please wait!” A young eunuch ran over from one side of the inner court, gasping for breath.

Tang Jiwei looked at him with confusion. Certain he hadn’t met this person before, he glanced around to see if there might be another “Master Tang” in the vicinity.

After the morning court, everyone had already dispersed. Tang Jiwei, now left holding a hot potato, had no colleagues eager to associate with him. He turned back to realize that the vast hall had only him remaining.

“Sir, what brings you here?” Tang Jiwei asked.

The young eunuch, unused to being addressed so politely, looked flustered and didn’t know how to respond. Instead, he discreetly handed Tang Jiwei a cobalt blue bottle.

“Master Tang, please keep this. It’s from Miss Tang!” The young eunuch glanced around and, seeing someone approaching, quickly knelt and cried out, “Master, forgive me! I did not mean to offend you. How blind I was not to see you here—punish me as you see fit. I offer my humble apologies!”

Tang Jiwei feigned annoyance and waved him off, saying, “Enough. I’m not so petty. Just be more careful where you’re going in the future, or you might not be so lucky next time!”

“Yes, yes, thank you, Master!” The young eunuch thanked him profusely, bowed, and backed away, leaving while still crouched.

From a far,  Chief Eunuch Li Sheng noticed and asked his apprentice, “Why is Xiao Mo here in the front hall? Is something going on?”

Chief Eunuch Li Sheng’s apprentice, Xia He, quickly replied, “Xiao Mo works for Noble Consort Shen now. Maybe she sent him to check if the Emperor has finished court.”

Chief Eunuch Li Sheng’s face grew stern. “How dare they disturb the Emperor’s peace! Inform everyone that palace staff are not to enter the front hall without reason. The Emperor has enough to deal with without these trivial matters!”

Xia He looked troubled. Their income came from relaying the Emperor’s activities to the consorts, who rewarded them handsomely. Cutting off this source of information would take a significant toll on many people’s earnings.

“Master, isn’t that a bit too harsh? After all, these are the consorts; we can’t just dismiss them. You know, ‘even a dog looks to its master,’ right?” ^[1] “Even a dog looks to its master” is a phrase from Mencius, emphasizing the importance of moral leadership.

Chief Eunuch Li Sheng shot him a sideways look and snapped, “Our duty is to serve the Emperor. Enough chatter. If the Emperor has complaints, I’ll take the blame. Now stop meddling.”

“Yes, Master. I’ll handle it immediately!” Xia He quickly bowed and put on a smile.

Chief Eunuch Li Sheng regarded Xia He as shrewd and had initially promoted him for his quick thinking, trusting he would make few mistakes. Now, however, he sensed a shift in Xia He’s loyalties and resolved to find someone more trustworthy to take his place.

Meanwhile, Tang Jiwei hurried out of the palace. He still didn’t know what was in the bottle Tang Xin had given him that required such secrecy, nor was he sure if he could trust the eunuch messenger. The coachman pulled up alongside him with the carriage.

Tang Jiwei stepped onto the carriage and, while it rocked back and forth, took out the small bottle. It looked like any other, just an ordinary container for pills. He poured out a few black pills and lifted the curtain.

“To the old alley. I want to see the old doctor,” he said.

“Yes, Master,” replied Liu Shu, the honest, straightforward coachman—a distant relative from his clan whom Tang Jiwei’s mother had personally appointed after his father’s influence.

The barefoot doctor was lounging in a recliner, sipping a little wine, looking completely at ease.

“I must trouble you again,” Tang Jiwei said as he entered.

The doctor opened his eyes and chuckled. “Since when did you become so formal? It’s quite unlike you.”

Tang shot him a glance and headed straight for the inner room. Left behind, the old man couldn’t make a fuss and simply scratched his nose, following him inside.

Tang placed the pills one by one on the desk and began grinding with the inkstone.

“You’re making it much harder than it has to be—let me do it!” The doctor frowned, unimpressed.

Tang had come here precisely for the doctor’s help, so he was happy to step aside. Unaware he was being manipulated, the doctor relished the opportunity to finally show his skill in front of Tang Jiwei.

Pleased, the doctor fetched a basin, added herbs, and tossed in all the pills.

The pills met the herbs, immediately sizzling and releasing gas, bubbling non-stop. The surface of the pills began to dissolve, gradually shrinking and blending into the water.

Tang Jiwei watched as the pills disappeared entirely, but there was no revelation of any secret. Naturally, he began to suspect that the concoction the barefoot doctor had prepared was flawed.

“What are you staring at me for? This method was something I personally taught that girl! Why are you glaring at me like that, you ungrateful fool!” the barefoot doctor retorted angrily.

Sure enough, by the time the last pill dissolved, a small piece of paper peeled off from inside. The barefoot doctor picked it up, showing it off in front of Tang Jiwei, and then smugly placed it on the desk.

Tang Jiwei noticed that as the barefoot doctor unfolded the paper, small holes appeared, like tiny punctures. The doctor was stumped—how could he read what was written on it?

However, Tang Jiwei picked up the brush resting on the inkstone and carefully began to trace over the marks. Tang Xin, while chatting with Madam Xiao, had learned that he once made a living by such a skill. Naturally, she connected the abilities of the barefoot doctor and Tang Jiwei, leading her to this secure method of delivering messages. Only someone meticulous and skilled would be able to replicate such tiny characters.

“Alright!” Tang Jiwei picked up the next layer of paper and began to read it carefully.

‘In front of the noble consort, do not worry about her well-being. There are doubts regarding the Jiang case that still need to be verified!’

The barefoot doctor squinted his small eyes, unable to read such tiny characters clearly, even when leaning closer. Curious, he asked, “Is there something important?”

Tang Jiwei ripped the note into pieces and dropped it into the ink. He said, “Jiang Tianyi is deceptive. This matter is not as simple as I thought. There might be unexpected changes!”

The barefoot doctor, unaware of Tang Jiwei’s intent to ally with the rebellious prince, could only offer some comfort. “Investigating cases is a delicate job, take your time.”

Tang Jiwei furrowed his brow. It was not Jiang Tianyi’s style to trust others easily. How could he naïvely believe that Jiang Tianyi truly wanted to bring him into his fold? What had initially seemed like a flawless plan was now tangled with thorny issues.

“Strike the snake at its seven-inch spot. If you have evidence on Jiang Tianyi, just threaten him with it, and it will be over!” the barefoot doctor said, grinning. (Strike the snake at its seven-inch spot- Attack the weak point))

“He’s not afraid of death. Who else can make him fear anything?” Tang Jiwei sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead.

The barefoot doctor joked, “Everyone has a weak spot. Perhaps Jiang Tianyi is a lecher and fears lacking women in prison. If you cut off his… heh-heh.”

Tang Jiwei snorted in irritation. “At your age, still so crude! You truly live up to your reputation, no wonder you’re stuck in an empty house!”

The barefoot doctor, irritated by the jab, was still composed in front of Tang Jiwei. He shot back, “Aren’t you alone as well? Don’t laugh at me. I wasn’t ugly when I was young—handsome, elegant, and talented. You never know, you might not be better off than me later!”

Tang Jiwei ignored his ramblings and continued to ponder strategies. Since Jiang Tianyi was untrustworthy, he might flee to the southwest, and people in the capital would silence him. Tang Jiwei couldn’t afford to gamble on that. But if he didn’t use Jiang Tianyi’s power, who else could he turn to for rescuing his parents? Han Zhen was scheming, and whether or not the Gu family was exiled was still an unsolved mystery.

Tang Jiwei sat motionless behind the desk, deeply troubled, his mind flooded with countless strategies that were immediately dismissed by various factors. Dealing with a wild wolf like Jiang Tianyi, one who had nothing to lose, was tricky.

Tang Xin had been assigned to serve Consort Shen, not in a close position but just doing menial tasks like serving tea. She had expected not to be assigned to the main palace, given her unclear family background. For Tang Jiwei to have her enter the palace as a poor commoner’s daughter was already a considerable effort.

The palace maids around the emperor were often sent by others who had bribed their way in. They were not from wealthy families, but they were often from well-off backgrounds. Their families hoped that if they caught the emperor’s eye, they would rise quickly in status. Enduring the humiliation of being a maid was a small price to pay for the chance of future glory.

Tang Mi, with her stunning looks and graceful demeanor, was assigned to the Empress Dowager’s palace. Although the Empress Dowager was cunning in her youth, she wasn’t particularly harsh toward the maids and eunuchs, often turning a blind eye to small mistakes.

Tang Mi, eager to win the emperor’s favor, wasn’t thrilled about being assigned to the Empress Dowager’s palace. Everyone knew that the Empress Dowager was the emperor’s stepmother, and the power struggles within the palace were perilous. After the death of the emperor’s birth mother, the Empress Dowager would likely become the Empress. It was impossible to avoid suspicion, with only the lack of evidence standing in the way.

But Tang Mi was also capable. Born into the Tang family, where her brother Tang De was skilled in gaining people’s favor, it was clear she was no helpless lamb.

“Mi sister, you’re so beautiful! I’ve never seen anyone as stunning as you. Now that I’m in the palace, I can finally see such beauty!” said Ming Cui’er, a fellow palace maid, complimenting her.

Tang Mi, used to being praised, no longer showed any arrogance and simply smiled. “Looks and figure are gifts from my parents. Maybe I was just lucky in my past life to gain your favor, nothing to be praised about.”

Ming Cui’er was simple and hadn’t yet learned the art of flattery, thinking that Tang Mi was truly modest. She found Tang Mi much better than those arrogant young ladies and immediately took a liking to her.

“Mi sister, I heard from Aunt Su Mei that the Empress Dowager and the emperor don’t have a close mother-son relationship. She probably won’t often come to the palace to pay her respects. I was hoping to see the emperor’s face, but now I feel quite disappointed,” Ming Cui’er said openly.

Tang Mi simply responded, “Oh? Is that so?”

With just those three words, Ming Cui’er began to open up, revealing her thoughts. Tang Mi, with a slight smile, appeared indifferent but was actually quietly taking note.

“Aunt Su Mei said that the emperor’s visits to the Empress Dowager’s palace are irregular. Sometimes he stays for meals, other times just a short visit. I think those palace maids with ulterior motives will be disappointed for a long time,” Ming Cui’er added, not hiding anything.

Tang Mi replied, “As long as the emperor comes, the palace sisters will have their chance. Those who dream of becoming consorts will get their wish. As long as we plan well, there’s always an opportunity.”

Tang Mi said this both to encourage Ming Cui’er and to reassure herself. Entering the palace wasn’t easy, and it would be a shame to leave at 25. She needed to make plans to gain the emperor’s favor. If she succeeded, her family would prosper, and her older brother might gain the emperor’s attention. It would make their deceit of her elder brother, who was tricked out of ten taels of silver, worthwhile.

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Okay, shameless author is being cute again~【blushing face】