A boring tale 9 - Cloak

Imperial Consort Lan also left for her palace after finishing the conversation with the Empress Dowager. As she slips into her hot bath prepared by her servants, she sighed as she finally relaxed.

That concubine who died, she couldn't help but not feel sympathetic. She was just cannon fodder who got herself killed in someone else's scheme. Imperial Consort Lan knows that the real mastermind behind this entire farce is Imperial Consort Su. It seems like the little foreign princess can no longer ignore her like she used to.

Being the favored princess before marriage and the most favored consort after marriage, she must have had everything go her way since she was born. Too bad this time her opponent is Imperial Consort Lan who does not give a damn.

"Such petty little tricks," Imperial Consort Lan mumbled as she continued to soak herself in the scent bath water.

"If you knew, why did you play along?" A dissatisfied voice said behind her and Imperial Consort Lan smiled.

"That is because I have the time," Imperial Consort Lan turned her head and faced the stone-faced Xue standing behind her.

They had been together since childhood and they are extremely close. Imperial Consort Lan knows that Xue is an extremely loyal person and he has dedicated his life and honor to serve her. As a trained martial artist, he is unlike other men and is immune to women. To him, women are no different from men. This is why Imperial Consort Lan does not care whether Xue is behind her when she is bathing. Even if she stands in front of him naked and he would not blink an eye.

"Even so, you fell into the water." Xue had his arms folded as he recalled the scene with a frown. If not for Imperial Consort Lan previous orders, he would have jumped in and saved her.

"It's alright, I might have fallen but nothing much happened to me. On the other hand, Imperial Consort Su lost a lackey and earned the displeasure of the Empress Dowager." Imperial Consort Lan shrugged. It was not a total loss for her.

"You should not deal with such pests personally, it will just dirty your hands," Xue muttered ad Imperial Consort Lan threw him a playful look.

"You are just jealous that you can't kill them while I can toy with them. Being kept in the palace for so long, it gets boring. If they want to play with me, let's see if they have the capability." Imperial Consort Lan smirked as she stood up from her bath.

Xue silently went to help her dress up as he contemplated something. After thinking for a long time, he decided to ask.

"The cloak, how did you do it?" Xue finally voiced out his question.

"Simple," Imperial Consort Lan replied.

When the Emperor first gave her the cloak, she had thrown it in a corner because the gaudy color didn't suit her taste. Suddenly it reappeared and was handed to her by that maidservant. That particular maidservant was never around when she was still a noble lady and only started to stick to her like glue after the promotion.

That fact alone coupled with the attitude she has towards her mistress made Imperial Consort Lan suspicious. Although she tried to act like a submissive maidservant, Imperial Consort Lan could see the sneering in her eyes whenever the maidservant looked at her as if she wasn't worthy.

So when the maidservant handed her the cloak and insisted that she wear it today, she was already on high alert. After wearing the cloak, she touched the inside of the cloak as she walked to the garden and found out that there was something scattered all over the inside of her cloak.

Brushing her hands nimbly across the inside of her cloak, she bought her fingers to her nose and looked at it before sniffing it. Imperial Consort Lan's mind immediately registered the smell and she narrowed her eyes dangerously.

How vicious and yet ingenious.

The powder is slightly red but if one were not observant, they would not notice the powder. When it is dry, there is no effect but once the powder gets in contact with any form of liquid, it will slowly corrode anything that it is on. This means that if Imperial Consort Lan wears the cloak and falls into the water, the entire cloak will burn her entire body and she would be in so much pain that she will not be able to get out of the water. Slowly, she will sink into the bottom of that lake filled with water lilies and become nutrients for them. Should anyone fish up her body, it would have become so bloated and hideous that no one will notice the corrosion. Even if they do, so what? The person is dead, what more can anyone do to her?

There wasn't so much powder on the cloak, just a thin layer spread out evenly on the inside of the clothing. Enough to burn her hair and her entire back with at least a second to third-degree burn. Even if she gets away with death by drowning, she would not survive the infections that would surely follow after.

However, Imperial Consort Lan is not a normal noble lady from a noble household. Imperial Consort Su had belittled her. This poison, although incredibly rare in the kingdom, can be found in Imperial Consort Su's country where they manufacture the ingredients to this powder. Imperial Consort Lan suspects that this is the poison Imperial Consort Su's family, the Imperial Family in that country uses.

However, who is Imperial Consort Lan's maternal family?

They are merchants, they are the biggest tea leaves producer and seller, the richest in the entire kingdom. Which product have they never seen before? Which precious treasure, poison, drug have they not seen before?

Imperial Consort Lan, who has been kept protected in her room, who had read finished all the books in their personal library, had begun to play around in the storage room where her family kept those treasures and it was there that she broadened her horizons on the rare treasures and medicine around the world.

Such a child play doesn't even require her to do much. Although the powder seems scary and powerful, Imperial Consort Su forgot about one important matter. That powder would lose its effects the moment it comes into contact with pollen of certain flowers. On the way to the pavilion, Imperial Consort Lan had identified which flowers would work against the powder and stood near them as if admiring them. By the time she reached the pavilion where Imperial Consort Su was, she was already drenched in pollen and the powder has already been deemed useless.

But then again, just because she managed to outwit Imperial Consort Su, that doesn't mean she would not repay them their "kindness". When the eunuch saved Imperial Consort Su, she truly had the reason to cry because when they were in the water, Imperial Consort Lan had pretended to struggle and drag her deeper until they almost reached the bottom. Imperial Consort Lan then kicked the mud as though she was panicking and the mud got onto Imperial Consort Su's shoes and clothes.

Mud is just mud but it also bought along with the insects that lived in the mud. They crawled onto Imperial Consort Su's body and latched themselves inside her clothes. Even when she was rescued, Imperial Consort Lan could see that those bugs were still on her.

"She must have been freaked out enough to ignore the Empress Dowager," Imperial Consort Lan smirked as she finished explaining to Xue who just stood there with a dumbfounded face.

"What?" Xue shook his head and muttered to himself never to offend his mistress as he finished helping her dress up.

Imperial Consort Lan then turned around to face Xue. "So what brings you here again?"

"That maidservant is a spy from Imperial Consort Su. She has been in contact with her for a while after your promotion," Xue halted his words before he continued. "Are you sure you do not want me to settle this for you, Mistress?" Xue asked in a strained voice. That princess from a small country dared to plot against his mistress and she wanted to burn her with poison powder! How can he, mistress's only bodyguard, take it lying down?

"There is no need. Like I said I am bored. Unless you don't trust my abilities?" Imperial Consort Lan's eyes glinted in slight anger and Xue immediately kneeled.

"This humble servant does not think of that. This servant just feels that they do not know their place and are being too arrogant," Xue hurriedly explained.

"Yes, indeed they do not know their place. I had only wanted to live my life out peacefully but they gave me no choice. Xue, leave some entertainment for me at least. Other than that, you can do whatever you want." Xue raised his head at his mistress's words, eyes shining with delight.

"Mistress meant to say-" Imperial Consort Lan nodded at his question and shooed him away.

After getting what he wanted, he gave a quick salute, a smirk and he vanished. After enduring for so long, he can finally take revenge for his mistress. Finally, he has free rein.