Chapter 57: Bystander

Although the Empress Dowager urged Wen Qiao to leave with her words, she still instructed the palace maids beside her to quickly set a pair of bowls and chopsticks, asking Wen Qiao to sit by her side and share the meal. Wen Qiao sat down obediently, listening to the Empress Dowager's playful teasing.

"Your granddaughter simply thought of coming here to accompany the Imperial Grandmother for a meal first. To think the Imperial Grandmother would say such things to me, I am truly heartbroken. As for the Sixth Younger Sister, your granddaughter has already made arrangements with her to stroll around the streets together this afternoon after her studies end. Recently, your granddaughter has discovered a few rather good places for local snacks, and I was planning to take the Sixth Younger Sister there to taste them. However, those treats might be a bit too heavy for the Imperial Grandmother's digestion. Later on, I will check outside to see if there are any other suitable delicacies for the Imperial Grandmother, and bring them along the next time I enter the palace in a few days. That way, the Imperial Grandmother won't have to keep eating the dishes prepared by the Imperial Kitchen day after day, which surely grows quite tasteless after a long time."

Who would ever dare to boldly state right to her face that the food of the imperial palace was inferior to that of the outside world? Wen Qiao was truly the one and only exception.

Since she had put it this way, the Empress Dowager naturally had nothing more to say.

In any case, Wen Qiao had already promised Xiao Yunshu earlier that she would go to the Chengfu Palace to share a meal with her. As long as Wen Qiao went over at the appointed time, it would not matter much. The Empress Dowager merely thought that Xiao Yunshu and Wen Qiao were of a similar age after all, and sitting together on ordinary days would give them common topics to chat and converse about freely. Having a true confidante could be considered a rather good thing, so the Empress Dowager had no wish for Wen Qiao to stand Xiao Yunshu up.

Should Xiao Yunshu harbor any grievances against Wen Qiao in her heart later on, Wen Qiao would have no one left in the imperial palace to keep her company.

It was evident that the Empress Dowager truly and dearly cherished Wen Qiao, to the extent that even her own biological granddaughter might have to step aside slightly.

"You mischievous girl, you are always so skilled at speaking pleasant words to coax this old woman into happiness. Very well, very well. Since you have already made plans with the sixth girl, I shall say no more. Just make sure to return promptly before the palace gates close at dusk this evening. It is simple enough for you, as you can return directly to the Marquis's Mansion, but if the sixth girl fails to return, there is no guarantee the Emperor will not lecture her a few words tomorrow. That girl of all people despises listening to moral teachings the most. Every time the Emperor scolds her, she always comes over to my side with a bitter expression to pour out her grievances. Each time I see it, I find it both distressing and amusing."

Such a situation was entirely normal. After all, Xiao Yunshu was Xiao Zheng's most cherished daughter. As long as Xiao Yunshu could live happily, Wen Qiao would naturally feel joyful in her heart. Hearing the Empress Dowager speak thus, Wen Qiao only smiled faintly, exchanged a couple of casual jests with the Empress Dowager, and then they partook in the meal together.

The rules within the Empress Dowager's palace were not numerous, nor was there any strict rule forbidding speech during meals or sleep. She preferred to converse freely with her younger relatives at the dining table, which was also an excellent method for narrowing the emotional distance between them.

Wen Qiao naturally understood this principle, which was why she was always willing to accompany the Empress Dowager during meals and share a few words, picking out interesting anecdotes to recount to her.

As long as it could coax the Empress Dowager into a joyful mood, speaking a few extra words was hardly a burden, and Wen Qiao was more than willing to do so.

This meal was partaken by the grandmother and granddaughter in an atmosphere of perfect harmony.

Nanny Zhao sighed in her heart more than once, silently thinking that it was fortunate Wen Qiao had been found and brought back from the countryside. Otherwise, the Empress Dowager might never have smiled so happily again.

The matter of Wen Qiao being found back was indeed a twist of fate.

In this lifetime, because Wen Qiao had already been back at the Marquis's Mansion after her rebirth, her earlier retrieval by the household was driven by the fact that Xiao Zheng had been investigating clues downward all these years. Failing to uncover the cause of Chang Le's death, no matter what, he had to find Chang Le's biological daughter.

Even if she had been lost since birth, she possessed the bloodline of the imperial family after all, and by no means could she be allowed to drift among the common folk.

Therefore, year after year, Xiao Zheng increased his manpower, dispatching people far and wide to search for Wen Qiao.

However, the Great Jing Dynasty was vast and its population immense; searching for a young girl whose appearance was unknown among such multitudes was as difficult as finding a needle in the vast sea.

Fortunately, Wen Qiao still bore a striking resemblance to Chang Le, and traces of Chang Le's former spirit could still be glimpsed between her brows.

They said that daughters resembled their fathers, yet Wen Qiao's face did not bear too many traces of Wen Congqing. Instead, it brought a sense of comfort to Xiao Zheng when he looked at her.

Wen Congqing was not unattractive, but he was certainly unremarkable. In Xiao Zheng's view, Wen Congqing was unworthy of Chang Le in every conceivable way, save for his glib tongue which had deceived Chang Le into revolving around him entirely. If he could live his life over again and know that his younger sister would meet her end within the Marquis Yongning's Mansion, no matter what it took, he would never have allowed Chang Le to leave the palace.

Furthermore, had it not been for Chang Le back then, the person wearing the title of Marquis Yongning today would certainly not have been Wen Congqing. It was only out of consideration for Chang Le that Xiao Zheng had bestowed this peerage upon Wen Congqing in those years, never expecting that Chang Le's final days would be devoid of happiness.

Nevertheless, he was already getting some clues regarding that matter, which indeed related to his late secondary wife, though solid evidence was still lacking—the direction of the clues merely pointed toward her.

Xiao Zheng had endured through all these years, so it was impossible for him not to hold back his impatience for a moment longer. He thus settled his mind and continued his investigation with meticulous care.

Yet those were affairs belonging to Xiao Zheng; at present, Wen Qiao was accompanying the Empress Dowager and conversing with her in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility.

Not until she had coaxed the Empress Dowager to sleep did Wen Qiao rise and head toward the Chengfu Palace. She encountered no one else along the way, but upon arriving at the entrance of Chengfu Palace, she caught sight of Nanny Zhao pacing back and forth outside the gate. Feeling perplexed in her heart, she quickened her pace forward to inquire what urgent matter could possibly cause Nanny Zhao to be rushing about hither and thither at this late hour.

Nanny Zhao was advanced in years, her legs and feet were feeble, and furthermore, her vision was impaired. Even though she had lived within the deep palace for many years, the paths and layouts had undergone various alterations over time. To be able to grope her way all the way to Chengfu Palace, she must have traveled a considerable distance, and goodness only knew how she had managed to arrive.

Hearing Wen Qiao's voice, Nanny Zhao seemed to have finally found her mainstay. She eagerly grasped Wen Qiao's arm, but then, realizing she might have overstepped her bounds, she retreated two steps and knelt down to plead tearfully with Wen Qiao.

Seeing her advanced age, coupled with the genuine maternal devotion Nanny Zhao held for Xiao Jingheng, Wen Qiao could hardly bear to watch her kneel on the ground before her. She hurriedly reached out and supported Nanny Zhao back to her feet.

Only upon careful questioning did she discover that a new complication had arisen concerning Xiao Jingheng.

"Miss Wen, ever since you cleansed our Highness of the poison days ago, his condition has remained quite stable. Yet today, for reasons unknown, he cannot retain any food whatsoever, and this old servant has continuously heard him coughing. Though I suspect his cough brought up blood, my eyes are uncooperative and I cannot see clearly. Furthermore, the Highness always wraps the evidence inside a handkerchief and discards it immediately, leaving this old servant unable to find it. I am truly at my wit's end, which is why I wished to ask Miss Wen to go and check on our Highness. However, this old servant cannot gain entry into the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility, so I thought of coming to Chengfu Palace to implore the Sixth Princess. This old servant knows that the Sixth Princess and Miss Wen share a deep and close friendship; if the Sixth Princess steps forward, I imagine Miss Wen would be more inclined to believe my words. Thus, this old servant had no choice but to come here to Chengfu Palace."

As one word led to another, and Nanny Zhao spoke with such frantic urgency, Wen Qiao could no longer go to pay her respects to Noble Consort Cheng at Chengfu Palace. Instead, she instructed Daiqiao to go inside and knock on the door, first informing Xiao Yunshu of this development, before following Nanny Zhao toward the Imperial Princes' Quarters.

Based on her own calculations, however, this might be a side effect resulting from consuming the medicinal decoctions over the past several days.

Although it served as an antidote to Xiao Jingheng's physical condition, every medicine possessed three parts poison, and Wen Qiao's prescriptions were always formulated rather aggressively. Perhaps Xiao Jingheng's frail body was momentarily unable to withstand it, or perhaps it was simply an oversight on her part.

She had only focused on restoring Xiao Jingheng to health as swiftly as possible, failing to account for the severe malnutrition and profound depletion his body had suffered over the years. To administer such potent medicine all at once inevitably risked pushing his endurance past its limits.

Yet at the time, observing that Xiao Jingheng's state appeared relatively favorable, she had drafted the prescription accordingly, never anticipating that his constitution would prove so fragile under the treatment.

Wen Qiao hurried along with Nanny Zhao toward the Princes' Quarters, intending to examine Xiao Jingheng's condition first. As for Chengfu Palace, upon hearing the message relayed by Daiqiao on Wen Qiao's behalf, how could Xiao Yunshu possibly remain seated? She immediately rose, intending to head to the Princes' Quarters to find Wen Qiao.

An apartment was reserved for her within the Princes' Quarters as well, but because Xiao Zheng favored her, she had always resided here at Chengfu Palace by Noble Consort Cheng's side. Should she wish to move to the Princes' Quarters, however, she could relocate at any moment.

In truth, Xiao Yunshu's primary reason for rushing over was to prevent Wen Qiao and Xiao Jingheng from remaining alone together as a man and a woman in solitary quarters, which could potentially impair Wen Qiao's reputation if word spread. Even within the imperial palace, one could hardly avoid malicious individuals seeking to exploit such situations.

Added to this was the fact that a short while ago, Xiao Minghe had come to instruct her to help build a presence for him before Wen Qiao. Xiao Yunshu had actually kept this matter in mind long ago, but she had been excessively busy over the past two days, and the moment she laid eyes on Wen Qiao, the instruction naturally slipped to the back of her mind.

Now that she recalled it, she still needed to hurry over to the Princes' Quarters without delay.

Ever since Noble Consort Cheng spoke those words to her that day, she had deliberately kept her distance from the people of the Fengqi Palace. Even when she occasionally crossed paths with the Crown Prince along the pathways, she would lower her head and detour around him, no longer eagerly rushing forward to greet him as she used to. Naturally, she had not repeated any of the Crown Prince's remarks to Wen Qiao, let alone assist the Crown Prince in building a favorable impression before her.

Mainly, although she genuinely regarded Wen Qiao as a dear friend, affairs within the imperial palace were intricate—especially the struggle for the succession, which was a perilous undertaking where one's head was constantly at stake. How could she so easily allow Wen Qiao to become entangled in such perils? Secondly, regardless of opinions, Xiao Minghe was undeniably peerlessly handsome. Should Wen Qiao truly become captivated by his outward appearance, wouldn't Wen Qiao ultimately find herself standing in opposition to her when the succession battle unfolded? Even if such a possibility arose in the future, Xiao Yunshu wished to nip that budding sentiment in the bud with every ounce of effort she possessed.

Yet Wen Qiao was an independent individual, a person in her own right. As Wen Qiao's friend, she held the right to offer advice, but she possessed no authority to make decisions on Wen Qiao's behalf. Even if she desired to conceal this matter for a lifetime, she still did not wish for Wen Qiao to remain kept in the dark; upon reflection, Xiao Yunshu ultimately concluded that Wen Qiao deserved to know, possessing the absolute right to be informed.

Of all this, Wen Qiao remained completely unaware.

As Xiao Yunshu hurried anxiously toward the destination, she also intended to apprise Wen Qiao of these matters beforehand.

If the Third Imperial Brother's condition turned grave, perhaps the two of them would be unable to leave the palace for a shopping trip this afternoon after all.

However, Xiao Jingheng's physical well-being took precedence.

Xiao Yunshu had no leisure to dwell on whether or not they would go out for amusement, her mind occupied solely with reaching the Princes' Quarters promptly to inspect the specific situation.

Noble Consort Cheng raised no objections upon hearing this and directly granted her permission to go.

There was no conflict between Xiao Jingheng's side and their Chengfu Palace. Furthermore, Xiao Jingheng possessed a humble background, lacking any support base in either the court or the harem, and presumably lacked the capacity to contend for the imperial throne—simply because he lacked the capital to do so.

Since Wen Qiao was already at the Princes' Quarters, Xiao Yunshu was free to go if she wished.

Although she wished to shield Xiao Yunshu more securely, she had no intention of raising her daughter into a helpless cipher destined to live forever beneath her protective wings. Being able to go out, observe more, and witness firsthand matters like the poisoning of Xiao Jingheng would perhaps teach her that one must always be on guard against others.

As for Wen Qiao...

"Is that girl from the Marquis Yongning's Mansion growing rather close to the Princes' Quarters?"

Noble Consort Cheng twirled a string of red prayer beads around her wrist, speaking softly as if murmuring to herself.

"Not particularly, Your Ladyship. Miss Wen maintains a fair relationship with all the imperial princes and princesses, yet she never proactively seeks to cultivate ties with them; rather, it is they who take the initiative to approach Miss Wen and converse with her."

A palace maid replied in a low whisper, as though fearful of disturbing anyone.

Noble Consort Cheng nodded slightly, and the inner hall lapsed into profound silence. After a considerable while, Noble Consort Cheng finally stirred.

"This palace is fatigued."

---

By the time Xiao Yunshu arrived, Wen Qiao was in the midst of applying acupuncture to Xiao Jingheng. Standing off to the side with bright, glistening eyes, Xiao Yunshu watched as Wen Qiao's fingers deftly manipulated one silver needle after another with apparent casualness.

Those needles were exceedingly slender, so much so that her naked eyes could barely distinguish any difference among them, yet every single time, Wen Qiao accurately grasped a specific needle and inserted it neatly into Xiao Jingheng's back. The sight stirred a sense of itching curiosity within her, making her wish to learn medicine alongside Wen Qiao.

Yet because Wen Qiao was still occupied with her task, she could not step forward to interrupt.

She had initially intended to walk straight up to the bedside, but Daiqiao restrained her and whispered a few words in her ear, convincing her instead to observe quietly from the side.

Daiqiao even thoughtfully fetched a stool for her.

The maidservant attending Xiao Yunshu cast a look filled with resentment toward Daiqiao.

*You've stolen all my tasks to perform, leaving me with nothing to do. Are you planning to transfer over and serve the Sixth Princess next?*