Volume 1 Chapter 38
Chapter 38: Running into Eunuch An's Scandal
"Being able to eat is a good thing. There's no need. Ben gong suddenly no longer feels hungry having seen him full. In the future, look after Fluffy more attentively. One day, he might actually try to stew her." Yao Mowan's mood was extremely good as she got up and walked into the bedroom to rest.
Outside Changle Palace, Yao Suluan had walked around several times but still didn't find a trace of Yao Mowan.
"Niang niang, this servant has searched both side wings. There was no sight of them." Cai Ying came out from a side room and hastily returned to Yao Suluan's side to report.
"Are you sure they came to the main hall?" Yao Suluan looked towards Cai Ying dubiously.
"This servant only heard that they were coming to Changle Palace to look for treasure. Perhaps they've already returned?" Cai Ying guessed.
"Returned? Let's head to Guan Osprey Palace!" Yao Suluan's willow brows tightly creased. Just as she exited Changle Palace, she ran into chen fei who was walking directly towards this direction.
"Tsk tsk… Ever since Li fei became imperial gui fei, hasn't Li fei been relying on having His Majesty's favor a little too much and acting overly arrogant? It seems Li fei is minding His Majesty's words less and less. If ben gong didn't remember wrong, Changle Palace is forbidden ground. Without His Majesty's decree, no one is allowed to enter!" Huan Caier swayed her slender waist as she walked to Yao Suluan. Then, she slightly lifted her refined chin provocatively.
"Since chen fei knows that my master is the imperial gui fei, chen fei should be bowing in salute to my master." At the side, Cai Ying stepped forward and gave this reminder.
"Ben gong should bow to her in greeting? Ben gong has never even bowed in greeting to the Empress when meeting in private! Your Yao family is pretty capable ah. First producing an Empress, then an imperial gui fei, now even a fool was able to become gui fei. However, there is a saying: those who stand high, fall viciously! It's best if you keep a close eye on that imbecile younger sister of yours. For good or bad, she's still a gui fei and shouldn't keep boring into dog holes!" Huan Caier gave a cold humph and was just about to leave when Yao Suluan stopped her.
"You've seen Yao fei?" Yao Suluan's eyes were slightly cold as she asked with a serious expression.
"Zi Shuang, say, do you think ben gong should tell the imperial gui fei that the fool was in the shed behind Changle Palace? Ha!" Huan Caier smiled as she swept a glance towards Yao Suluan, then left holding onto Zi Shuang's arm.
Yao Suluan's expression darkened as she watched Huan Caier's arrogant back figure.
"Niang niang, this chen fei never pays you due respect and now she's acting even more unbridled! Back then, we should have just drowned her to death!" Cai Ying viciously cursed.
"Don't mind her for now! Head to the shed!" Yao Suluan didn't seem to have heard Cai Ying's complaint and quickly headed towards the shed. It did seem like Yao Moxin's style to hide important things in unexpected places.
Huan Caier, who had only taken a few steps away, watched as Yao Suluan headed towards the shed. Her lips hooked in a deep curve.
"Niang niang, the person we saw earlier was clearly Eunuch An. Why did you tell the imperial gui fei that it was that imbecile?" Zi Shuan, who was next to Huan Caier, asked in confusion.
"ThatAn Bingshan definitely was feeling itchy and was heading off to torment a palace maid again. Why else would he go to that sort of place? So, we might as well allow Yao Suluan to encounter An Bingshan while he carries out his dirty deeds and see how she deals with it." Huan Caier spoke with a resentful tone.
"Niang niang, aren't you worried that Yao Suluan will seek revenge after finding out that you tricked her?" Zi Shuan mentioned worriedly.
"As if ben gong would fear her! Humph!" Huan Caier glared in the direction Yao Suluan disappeared in before leaving.
In front of the shed, Yao Suluan heard faint sounds come from inside and concluded it was definitely sounds from Yao Mowan searching. Thus, she immediately pushed open the doors and rushed in. However, the sight that greeted her caused her to turn pale with fright.
All that she saw was An Bingshan clutching a palace maid's neck with both hands. The hair of that palace maid was chaotically messy and both her eyes were bulging out. Her entire body was covered with bloodstains and fresh blood spilled out from the corners of her mouth. The scene was unbearably cruel and the maid had probably already died by now.
"En… Eunuch An?" Yao Suluan wouldn't have predicted even in her dreams that she would encounter such a terrifying scene. She had heard that An Bingshan was addicted to toying with palace maids, but she never thought it was to the point it caused people's hairs to stand up on end. What caused her even more headache was the fact that she ended up encountering this scene personally.
"Ahem… this old servant kowtows in salute to imperial gui fei. Wonder why imperial gui fei troubled herself to come to this sort of place?" An Bingshan was also stunned for a moment. However, in the next second, he released the palace maid's neck as if nothing had happened and respectfully walked to Yao Suluan in order to give his greetings.
"Ben gong… ben gong was here to look for Yao fei. Wonder if Eunuch An had seen Yao fei on your way here?" Yao Suluan's head was filled with a buzzing noise. As the imperial gui fei, there was no need to be afraid of an eunuch. However, this An Bingshan was extremely well-trusted by His Majesty and was one of His Majesty's close advisors.
Once, an imperial concubine had insulted An Bingshan. She ended up being dragged out by His Majesty and flogged to death. Yao Suluan wasn't worried about her life as she was the Prime Minister's daughter. However, she still didn't want to have a falling out with An Bingshan. After all, 'it would be better to offend a nobleman than to offend a lowly person', and An Bingshan was the lowest of lowly persons.
"Imperial gui fei is teasing this servant. Yao fei has barely entered the palace, how could she possibly come to this sort of place? When this old servant arrived, there was only this nearly dead palace maid here. This old servant was considering whether or not to move her to the Imperial Hospital and had just reached out when niang niang, you had arrived."
An Bingshan made a show of being very earnest. However, a trace of chill appeared in his heart. From the looks of it, what that note said was true. Yao Suluan had really saved this palace maid in preparation for confronting him in front of His Majesty! Yao Suluan, you haven't even stabilize your position, yet you already want to fight with za jia. Za jia will remember this account for you. Sooner or later it will be repaid.
"Since Yao fei isn't here, then ben gong will be leaving!" Yao Suluan truly didn't want to stay in the shed for even a second longer. Not to mention, it was a shed with a dead person and An Bingshan who was even more repulsive than a corpse.
"Niang niang, you can't leave. Right now, you are the imperial gui fei, the highest ranking person in the Inner Palace. This palace maid's death is unclear, so I must trouble niang niang, you, to investigate it clearly. Since niang niang is here to take over, this old servant will withdraw now." After An Bingshan brushed his hands of this matter, he left without turning back. The dead could not testify, so he was sure that Yao Suluan wouldn't go look for more trouble.
After An Bingshan left, Cai Ying immediately walked to the palace maid. She reached out to check, then shook her head towards Yao Suluan.
"Damned Huan Caier! To actually plot this!" Yao Suluan snarled between gritted teeth as she looked at the dead palace maid. Cai Ying hastily walked over from the side.
"Niang niang, how should we deal with this palace maid?" Cai Ying looked towards her master worriedly.
"Find some trustworthy people and bury her! An Bingshan, that damned eunuch! To force ben gong to clean up after his mess!? Just because ben gong doesn't use ben gong's power, they think ben gong is easy to bully!?" Yao Suluan had to repress her anger in front of both Huan Caier and An Bingshan so now she was livid. She immediately flung open the door and left. Cai Ying turned back to glance at that terribly cut up palace maid, then hastily chased after Yao Suluan and left.
Yao Mowan slept for a long time with this nap. She only woke up at six in the evening. Ting Yue had already finished preparing the evening meal. At the side, Liu Xing reported the entire process of how Yao Suluan searched through Changle Palace, encountered Huan Caier, then stomped out from the shed.
"Ben gong was just thinking of what to say when Yao Suluan came over to question. However, from the looks of it now, Huan Caier has helped ben gong out greatly. Hand me Fluffy. You guys are probably tired as well. There's no need for you two to wait upon me, go rest." Yao Mowan's lips slightly hooked and in passing, she took Fluffy from Ting Yue's hand. This Fluffy also seemed rather as if it had a spirit nature. The moment it came into Yao Mowan's arms, it intimately rubbed itself against her a bit.
Liu Xing and Ting Yue had just left when Ye Junqing gracefully came in from outside.
"Wan er never knew that wang ye actually had a eavesdropping hobby. In reality, wang ye can just ask directly Mowan whatever you want to know. In regards to things Mowan feels like talking about, Mowan will definitely not hide anything and elaborate clearly." Yao Mowan gently stroked the cat without looking towards Ye Junqing.
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira, Proofread by Yours Truly
[Chiyomira’s Corner]
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