Shadows Of Deceit

After leaving Noble Lady Hai's chambers, Imperial Noble Consort Xi's expression remained dark as she walked through the winding corridors of the palace. The flickering lanterns cast long shadows, making the air feel heavier than usual. She turned to her maid and whispered, "Summon Imperial Concubine Yu."

Moments later, Imperial Concubine Yu arrived at the secluded pavilion where Imperial Noble Consort Xi was waiting. "Your Highness called for this Concubine?"

"The Empress poisoned Noble Lady Hai to silence her," Xi said, her voice cold and unwavering. "She must have been terrified that Noble Lady Hai would reveal the truth about the First Prince's poisoning."

Imperial Concubine Yu, however, remained quiet for a long moment before shaking her head. "No, this Concubine doesn't think so. The Empress is ruthless, yes, but she isn't careless. If she wanted Noble Lady Hai dead, Noble Lady Hai wouldn't have woken up. If the Empress truly wanted to remove someone, she could have done so without suspicion. Why use arsenic, a poison so easily detected? And why now, when she knows the Emperor's eyes are on her?"

Imperial Noble Consort Xi's fingers tightened around the armrest. "Then what are you saying? That someone else poisoned Noble Lady Hai?" She frowned. "Then who else would want her dead?"

Imperial Concubine Yu leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Someone lurking in the shadows. Someone who isn't after just Noble Lady Hai but all of us."

A chill ran down Imperial Noble Consort Xi's spine, but she refused to show weakness. "If what you say is true, then why did the attack on Noble Lady Hai happen right after the poisoning of the First Prince? It's too much of a coincidence."

Imperial Concubine Yu exhaled slowly. "Because coincidences are the easiest way to manipulate the truth."

Imperial Noble Consort Xi scoffed. "This Palace doesn't deal in riddles, Imperial Concubine Yu. Speak plainly."

Imperial Concubine Yu's gaze sharpened. "What if someone wanted us to think the Empress was behind this? What if this is only the beginning of a larger scheme?"

Imperial Noble Consort Xi was silent, her mind working through the implications. The thought unsettled her, but she was unwilling to let go of her suspicions about the Empress. "No matter who is in the shadows, the Empress benefits from Noble Lady Hai's suffering. And this Palace won't let her get away with it."

Imperial Concubine Yu's expression was unreadable. "Then we must tread carefully. If we move too soon, we may be fighting the wrong enemy."

Imperial Noble Consort Xi clenched her fists. Whether the Empress was the mastermind or merely a pawn, Jiang Yunyao had suffered because of this game. And Imperial Noble Consort Xi had no intention of losing.

***

Inside the lavishly decorated Jing Yang Palace, the Empress sat stiffly, her delicate hands clenched over a silk handkerchief. Chun Er worriedly whispered to the Empress, "Your Highness, the Emperor… he is not convinced."

The Empress inhaled sharply, her painted nails digging into her palm. "How?" she murmured. "Everything was planned perfectly. The poison was meant to be found in Imperial Noble Consort Xi's Golden Jade Courtyard, yet it ended up in Noble Lady Hai's Willow Courtyard. How?"

Chun ER hesitated. "Could it be that Imperial Noble Consort Xi discovered the poison and deliberately placed it in Willow courtyard?"

The Empress shook her head. "No. If Imperial Noble Consort Xi had discovered it, she would have gone straight to the Emperor, using it as a weapon against this Palace. Instead, it was found with Noble Lady Hai… as if someone deliberately shifted suspicion away from Imperial Noble Consort Xi and toward this Palace."

Chun Er's eyes widened. "Your Highness, could it be… that someone is trying to frame you?"

The Empress exhaled slowly, her gaze darkening. "That possibility is growing stronger. But who? And why?"

Chun Er leaned in, whispering anxiously, "Your Highness, this is dangerous. If the Emperor continues his investigation, if he finds something—"

The Empress closed her eyes with a bitter smile on her lips. "Then this Palace will be finished."

Silence settled between them before the Empress finally opened her eyes, sharp and calculating. "We must stop him from investigating any further."

Chun Er swallowed. "How?"

The Empress's fingers lightly tapped the lacquered table. "A scapegoat. Someone whose guilt seems unquestionable, someone whose confession will make the Emperor believe the case is closed."

Chun Er nodded eagerly. "There are several concubines without power in the palace. We could—"

"No," the Empress cut her off. "The Emperor will not believe it if we sacrifice a concubine. He is already suspicious. No concubine would dare touch a Prince."

Chun Er hesitated. "Then…?"

The Empress paused, eyes narrowing. "We shall use Imperial Consort Shu's personal maid, Bing'er."

Chun Er's breath caught. "Imperial Consort Shu's personal maid, Bing'er? But she has served for years!"

"Exactly," the Empress said softly. "She has served in the palace for years. She is familiar with herbs and medicine. If we claim she poisoned the First Prince, it will not be questioned. And Imperial Consort Shu… she is soft-hearted. She will not suspect us immediately."

Chun Er hesitated before nodding. "Shall we arrange for her to confess before the Emperor?"

The Empress scoffed. "No. Do you think the Emperor is a fool? If we force her to confess, he will search for flaws in her story. Her voice dropped lower. "It is better if she never speaks at all."

Chun Er shivered at the Empress's chilling tone but bowed her head. "Your Servant understands, Your Highness. I will handle it."

***

The peace of the morning was shattered when a terrified scream rang through the palace. "Someone! Someone come quickly!"

Servants rushed toward the Qiong courtyard, where a lifeless body floated in one of the palace wells.

"Who is it?" a trembling eunuch asked.

One of the servants paled. " Bing'er , Her Highness Imperial Consort Shu's personal maid…"

Chaos spread like wildfire. Within moments, the news reached Imperial Consort Chun, who was overseeing the harem. Imperial Consort Chun narrowed her eyes as she listened. "She drowned in the well? Was it suicide or murder?"

One of the maids trembled as she spoke. "Her body was discovered at dawn, Your Highness… The imperial physicians believe it was suicide…and we found this… in her chamber."

She held out a slightly crumpled letter, hastily written with trembling strokes.

Imperial Consort Chun took it and read aloud:

"I, your most unworthy servant, have sinned greatly. I poisoned the First Prince so that my mistress, Imperial Consort Shu, would gain the Emperor's favor. I thought if the prince was weak, His Majesty would pity him and look upon my mistress with kindness. I framed Noble Lady Hai, thinking that since she was a newcomer, it would be easy to make her take the blame. But everything failed. The Emperor was not convinced, and his investigation continued. To silence the case, I poisoned Noble Lady Hai as well, hoping it would all be over. But she survived, and I knew I would not escape punishment. I cannot bear the guilt any longer. I take my own life to atone for my crimes. Concubine Shu is innocent—she knew nothing of this."

A heavy silence fell upon the crowd.

Chun Er, standing quietly in the back, smiled slightly. The Empress had planned well—this letter was the final nail in the coffin.

Imperial Consort Chun's eyes flickered with unreadable emotions. Then, she turned to a eunuch. "Summon the Emperor."

As Imperial Consort Chun stood in deep contemplation, the arrival of Imperial Consort Shu was announced. The moment Shu stepped into the room, her eyes swept over the body on the floor. A flicker of shock crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by an unreadable expression.

"What's going on?" she demanded, her voice trembling just enough to sound natural.

Imperial Consort Chun turned to face her, holding out the so-called confession letter. "It seems this maid—your personal maid—has admitted to poisoning the First Prince in an attempt to help you regain favor."

Imperial Consort Shu's face paled instantly. "What?" Her fingers trembled slightly as she took the letter and scanned its contents. With each word, her breathing became more unsteady, and when she finally looked up, her eyes were filled with disbelief.

"This is nonsense!" Imperial Consort Shu's voice cracked, a mix of anger and desperation. "This Palace knew nothing of this! Why would I harm my own son just to earn His Majesty's favor? This is absurd!"

Imperial Consort Chun's gaze remained cold. "Is it? Then why was this letter left behind in her chamber? If she acted on her own, why would she say she did it for you?"

Imperial Consort Shu shook her head furiously. "This Palace doesn't know! Someone must have forced her—someone must be framing this Palace!"

The tension in the room was suffocating. The gathered servants and guards exchanged uneasy glances.

Then, Imperial Consort Chun's personal maid, Xiyu hesitantly stepped forward and spoke in a trembling voice, "Your Highnesses… this Servant found something else."

From her sleeve, she pulled out a small pouch and carefully unwrapped it to reveal a gold hairpin—delicate, elegant, and shaped like a blooming primrose, with petals made of soft pink tourmaline and gold filigree detailing.

A deadly silence followed.

Imperial Consort Chun narrowed her eyes. "Imperial Consort Shu, how do you explain this? The year His Majesty ascended the throne, he gifted all the Royal Consorts. This hairpin, it was gifted to you by His Majesty that year."

Imperial Consort Shu staggered back. Her mind raced, but she could already see how the trap had been set.

First, a dead servant who could no longer speak. Then, a written confession conveniently clearing her name but planting the seed of doubt in the Emperor's mind. And now—a piece of physical evidence linking her to the crime.

She was being framed.

Imperial Consort Shu clenched her fists. Whoever had orchestrated this had done so with terrifying precision. And if she could not prove her innocence, the Emperor might never trust her again.

Her lips parted, but before she could speak, a voice suddenly cut through the heavy silence—

"Enough!"

Everyone turned as the Emperor himself strode into the chamber.