Chapter 52: Step by Step into a Trap

Qianxin Palace.

Helian Qi looked impassively at the two memorials before him.

One was a battle report from the southwest, reporting the death of Duke Wei Yong and his sons in battle.

The other was a memorial from the Wei family, requesting that the court grant the title to Duke Wei Yong’s younger brother.

“Your Majesty, Lady Ying is here to pay her respects.” Wang Degui hurried in to report.

Helian Qi shifted his gaze from the memorials, his expression revealing no emotion, “Let her in.”

“This concubine greets Your Majesty, this is a new snack I made, called suxue puff. Please try it, Your Majesty!” Wei Yingya excitedly presented the pastry.

Helian Qi handed the battle report from the southwest on the table to Wang Degui, “Give it to Lady Ying.”

Wei Yingya’s eyes widened, what? Let me see the memorial?

Did I finally unlock the essential route of the transmigrated female protagonist, to participate in politics and offer advice?

In that instant, Wei Yingya quickly reviewed her high school history knowledge in her mind, but she wasn’t sure if her scattered historical knowledge could allow her to offer the Emperor any brilliant national policies like the female protagonists in novels.

Is it a bit too difficult for a college student to govern a country?

Wei Yingya opened the memorial with mixed emotions, seeing the words “military affairs,” she felt dizzy.

Ancient warfare? I’ve never fought a war.

Can I handle it by memorizing a few strategies?

Wei Yingya’s mind raced through the Empty City Strategy, Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats, and Feinting to the East to Attack the West, her eyes continued to read:

“…Duke Wei Chi died in battle…”

Huh, isn’t that my father?

Wei Yingya’s eyes widened as she continued to read, in this battle, Duke Wei Yong had lost, and he and his three sons all died in battle…

The original owner’s father and brothers were all gone…

Wei Yingya didn’t have any feelings for these family members she had never met, but considering that she was a daughter of the Wei family, she rolled her eyes and fainted, falling straight down.

“Your Majesty, Lady Ying fainted from excessive grief…” Wang Degui said sympathetically.

“Send her back, call the imperial physician.” Helian Qi waved his hand.

Wei Yingya was carried back.

Helian Qi approved the memorial requesting the grant of the title in red.

Wei Yingya had been so pleasing to him, he had given the Wei family a chance some time ago.

But Wei Chi hadn’t accepted the high branch offered by the Emperor…

He continued to waver between the Xue and Cen families, a fence-sitter, playing both sides.

In the end…

He got what he deserved.

As for Wei Yingya, she was talented and interesting, but she was as greedy and foolish as her father.

She wanted the Emperor’s favor, but she didn’t dare to offend the two Dukes.

It was a pity for her talent.

…

Wei Yingya lay in Haitang Residence until midnight before she dared to open her eyes.

The imperial physician had come to see her, he couldn’t find anything wrong with her, he could only say that she had fainted from excessive fear.

“Mistress, you’re finally awake… The Duke and the young masters…” Qiu Kui was guarding Wei Yingya’s bedside, crying with eyes like walnuts.

Wei Yingya couldn’t cry, she pretended to be dazed, her eyes dull, her expression absent, “Father… Brother…”

“Mistress, quickly drink the calming medicine, you can’t be too sad…” Qiu Kui quickly said.

Wei Yingya drank a bowl of medicine and fell into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, she heard Qiu Kui talking to a palace maid in a daze.

“The Mistress is so sad, but she can’t burn paper for the Duke and the young masters, to show her filial piety, she must feel very guilty… Sister Qiu Kui, my brother works in the Department of Internal Affairs…”

“，She can secretly bring some paper money for the Mistress…”

Qiu Kui was a little helpless for a moment, “If we’re found out, we’ll be finished…”

“No one will find out. We’ll burn it secretly at midnight, who will know…” the palace maid said.

Wei Yingya, who was already a little drowsy from the calming medicine, suddenly woke up.

Burning paper in the palace?

Isn’t this a common way to court death in palace intrigue dramas?

Even if it wasn’t her father, even if her real father had died, she wouldn’t burn paper in the palace. Could filial piety be expressed with a few pieces of paper?

True filial piety is not about risking your life for these meaningless things.

“What nonsense! Burning paper in the palace is cursing the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, it’s disrespectful!” Wei Yingya sat up from the bed, her eyes cold as she looked at the palace maid, “Who are you? Who told you to harm people with this idea?”

The palace maid was so scared that she knelt down with a thud, arguing, “This servant is a second-class palace maid in Haitang Residence, I’ve been serving you since the Beauty entered the palace, I’m loyal to you. I just didn’t want the Beauty to be sad, so I came up with this plan… It’s all because this servant is stupid, please spare this servant’s life.”

Qiu Kui also looked at Wei Yingya, “Mistress, she’s always been diligent, she must have good intentions…”

“Tie her up and send her to the Department of Punishment, interrogate her thoroughly.” Wei Yingya said decisively.

She didn’t believe that this palace maid would randomly bring up such a matter that could cost her head, just out of good intentions.

Someone must have instructed her to harm her!

Fortunately, she had watched two hundred episodes of palace intrigue dramas, her Tomato Reading time was 1131, she had seen a lot and was experienced.

Otherwise, with the original owner’s intelligence, and with the loss of her father and brothers, Wei Yingya estimated that she would have fallen for it…

“Spare this servant’s life, Mistress…” The palace maid cried out as she was dragged away.

Wei Yingya couldn’t sleep anymore, she looked at Qiu Kui and said, “Keep a close eye on Haitang Residence these days, don’t let anything like paper money appear. Don’t let anyone take advantage of my sadness and try to harm us…”

Qiu Kui saw her mistress being so decisive for the first time, she nodded in a daze, “This servant understands, I will definitely keep a close eye on it…”

…

A few days later, in Lingsxue Pavilion.

Ning Wanyin and Helian Qi were sitting by the window playing chess.

Since Duke Wei Yong died, Lady Ying had been heartbroken, and Helian Qi hadn’t seen her once.

He only needed the joy that Lady Ying brought him, he didn’t want to deal with her sadness.

This was the coldness and ruthlessness of an emperor.

Concubines were there to bring him joy, not trouble.

“Your Majesty, something has happened! Noble Consort Shu found forbidden items in Haitang Residence, she sent someone to ask for an imperial decree, asking Your Majesty to go there.” Wang Degui hurried in to report.

Helian Qi frowned and threw down the chess piece in his hand, “Prepare the imperial sedan chair, go to Haitang Residence.”

Ning Wanyin accompanied him, following along.

Today was the seventh day after the death of Wei Yingya’s father and brother.

The originally luxurious Haitang Residence was now plain and simple, surrounded by palace maids brought by Noble Consort Shu.

Wei Yingya was wearing a light-colored long dress, her face was haggard, she argued loudly, “I was framed! I didn’t curse the Emperor and the Empress Dowager!”

“The Emperor has arrived!” Wang Degui announced.

Noble Consort Shu bowed to Helian Qi, “This concubine greets Your Majesty, this concubine received a report from the palace maids in Haitang Residence, saying that Lady Ying was secretly practicing witchcraft, cursing Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager, so I sent people to search and found these items!”

Pearl presented a pair of witchcraft dolls.

The two dolls, one male and one female, had the Emperor and the Empress Dowager’s names written on them with cinnabar, and they were filled with silver needles, looking very frightening.

“Your Majesty, please investigate, someone is framing me! I didn’t…” Wei Yingya anxiously knelt down and pleaded with Helian Qi.

She was furious.

She had just avoided the paper money trap a few days ago, and now she had fallen into another trap.

This path in the palace was truly deadly step by step.