A Quiet Conspiracy

The farce in the palace had finally begun.

Seeing that Jiang Yunyao was still unconscious, Imperial Noble Consort Xi let out a quiet sigh. Her worried gaze lingered on Jiang Yunyao's pale face for a moment before she turned to leave, afraid that her presence would disturb Jiang's rest. As she retreated to her own chambers, she left behind Yuheng and Shiyi.

A deep silence settled over the chamber.

Shiyi, gazing at Jiang Yunyao's frail appearance, felt a deep sadness well up in her heart. She was unable to contain her emotions and clenched her fists as she whispered furiously, "I really didn't expect that the Empress had such a vicious heart. She appears so kind and gracious on the surface, yet she would stoop so low!"

Yuheng, who had been standing by the bedside with an indifferent expression, replied coolly, "Oftentimes, appearances can be deceiving."

Shiyi turned her head to glance at her, feeling an unexplainable chill in her heart. How could Yuheng be so indifferent when their mistress was suffering like this? Didn't she feel any anger or sadness? Didn't she care at all?

Shiyi opened her mouth, about to say something, but before she could utter a word, Yuheng cut her off, her voice calm yet firm. "I told you to prepare some snacks. Did you do it?"

Caught off guard by the abrupt change in topic, Shiyi frowned. "Yes, I instructed the kitchen staff to prepare them. I think they are still working on it."

Yuheng's frown deepened. "They're still preparing it? Why are they so slow? Go personally and make sure everything is done properly."

Shiyi's brows furrowed in displeasure. She could not understand why Yuheng was sending her away at a time like this. The mistress was still unconscious, and no one knew when she would wake up. Who was even going to eat that food?

Her mind filled with frustration, she thought, Is Yuheng deliberately keeping me away from Mistress? Does she not care about Mistress's health at all?

Despite her inner resentment, Shiyi could not refuse. She forced herself to nod and, after casting one last worried glance at Jiang, she turned and left.

As soon as the sound of Shiyi's footsteps faded away, Jiang Yunyao, who had been lying still, suddenly opened her eyes.

The moment her gaze focused, the first thing she saw was Yuheng's sharp glare directed straight at her. The intensity of it startled her, but she quickly composed herself. Pretending to be unaffected, she put on an irritated expression and said with feigned anger, "Yuheng, you clearly knew that I was awake, yet you still kept Shiyi here, making me pretend for so long! Do you find it amusing?"

Yuheng sneered, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Mistress, you clearly knew that consuming arsenic was harmful to your body, yet you still did it, making me anxious for so long. Do you find it amusing?"

Jiang Yunyao's face stiffened, her fingers curling slightly under the covers. She coughed lightly, her eyes darting around guiltily before she muttered, "I… I had no other choice. If I did, would I have gone so far as to poison myself?"

Yuheng's voice was laced with frustration, "Mistress, This Servant wonders if you even understand what you did. Do you know how much I wanted to shake you awake and force you to vomit out that poison?"

Jiang Yunyao's lips curled slightly, her usual teasing demeanor returning for a brief moment. "If you had, wouldn't all my effort have gone to waste?"

Yuheng's expression darkened.

Yuheng: "And if you died? What effort would remain then?"

Jiang Yunyao sighed, her expression becoming solemn.

Jiang Yunyao: "From the moment I entered the palace, Imperial Noble Consort Xi has been taking care of me. Knowing that the Empress wanted to harm her, how could I sit still and do nothing? At that moment, I was really scared that Imperial Noble Consort Xi would be framed, and the only thing I could think of was to save her. So…"

Yuheng did not soften her stance. Her voice remained cold as she retorted, Yuheng sarcastically. "So you decided to throw your own life away?"

Jiang Yunyao sighed, lowering her gaze. "It wasn't just for Imperial Noble Consort Xi. If I did nothing, the Empress would have succeeded in framing her. Once she fell, I would have no support in the palace. In this palace, if you don't fight back, you die."

Yuheng scoffed.

Yuheng: "So your grand strategy was to poison yourself? Do you even know how dangerous arsenic is? If the maid had been a moment later in finding you, you wouldn't be speaking to me right now."

Jiang Yunyao smiled wryly and said, "I, your Mistress, am not a fool. I calculated the dosage. It was just enough to make me appear on the brink of death without actually dying. That way, the Emperor would have no choice but to look deeper into the poisoning case."

Yuheng's fingers tightened slightly, but her voice remained indifferent, "You're playing a dangerous game, Mistress. Do you think the Empress will just sit by and let you ruin her plans?"

Jiang Yunyao smirked faintly. "She doesn't have a choice. Now that the Emperor is wary of her, she won't dare make another move so soon."

Yuheng stared at Jiang for a long moment before exhaling sharply. "You're reckless."

Jiang Yunyao chuckled softly as she spoke, "Maybe. But I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Yuheng shook her head, finally relenting. "Barely alive."

Before she could speak any further, they heard the foot steps of Shiyi.

Jiang Yunyao barely had time to close her eyes before Shiyi returned with a tray of snacks. She quickly feigned unconsciousness again, lying still as Shiyi stepped inside.

Shiyi softly placed the tray down. "The kitchen finally finished preparing the snacks. This Servant brought them quickly."

Yuheng glanced at her before letting out a small sigh.

Yuheng: "Shiyi, since Mistress is still unconscious, she won't be eating anytime soon. You should go and prepare some fresh tea instead."

Shiyi hesitated, frowning slightly.

Shiyi: "But—"

Yuheng frowned "Do you want Mistress to wake up and have cold tea?"

Shiyi bit her lip, reluctant but unable to argue. With one last worried glance at Jiang, she nodded and turned to leave.

As soon as the door closed behind Shiyi, Jiang immediately opened her eyes, her expression filled with amusement.

Jiang Yunyao grinned at Yuheng, "That was close. I thought she was going to notice."

Yuheng smirked, picking up a small piece of pastry from the tray. "She might have if you had kept holding your breath like that. You were pretending to be unconscious for so long, you must be starving. Here, eat something."

She held the snack out to Jiang Yunyao, who eagerly took it. As soon as she bit into it, a contented sigh escaped her lips.

Jiang Yunyao: "Mmm... finally. I thought I was going to pass out for real."

Yuheng chuckled at her, shaking her head.

Yuheng: "You risked your life scheming against the Empress, but here you are, happily munching on pastries like a child."

Jiang Yunyao only grinned as she reached for another snack. "Survival makes food taste better."

Yuheng rolled her eyes but didn't stop her. She watched as Jiang ate with enthusiasm, feeling both relieved and happy that her mistress was safe.

She watched as Jiang ate with enthusiasm, a rare moment of peace between them in the midst of the storm brewing in the palace.

But they both knew this moment wouldn't last.