Chapter 50

The young palace maid widened her eyes in disbelief as she looked at Jiang Xueyi, her eyes full of desperation.

When she had committed the act, she had not only been confident that it would not harm her mistress, but she had also calculated that her mistress, being gentle in nature, would surely forgive her. She hadn't expected that this kind and lenient mistress would turn out to be so ruthless, ready to kill her with just a few words, without leaving any chance for survival.

If she had known this would happen, how would she have dared to do such a thing? Tearfully, she knelt and begged for forgiveness, "Mistress, save me! I didn't mean to harm you, I didn't want to...! Please, mistress, in light of the service I've given you, spare my life! Even if you make me do hard labor, I'll accept!"

Jiang Xueyi didn't spare her another glance, letting her body be dragged away until she gradually disappeared from hearing.

A gentle person most avoids indecision and procrastination. The Empress knew she was intelligent but hadn't expected her to also possess a decisive nature, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor, which earned her a slight sideways glance from the Empress.

But the Empress valued Jiang Xueyi precisely because she was smart and knew how to assess the situation and act accordingly, understanding what to do at every step.

In the palace, women most abhor being foolish and clumsy; they did not abhor being scheming.

The Empress could promote Jiang Xueyi and also suppress the clever concubines beneath her. Naturally, she wasn't afraid that Jiang Xueyi would betray her.

In a gentle voice, the Empress said, "There are many suspicious aspects to Consort Tao's incident, but with His Majesty sending people to investigate, your innocence will surely be cleared."

"Let this matter rest here for today. You must be tired. Go and rest."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Jiang Xueyi nodded and bowed before leaving Fengyi Palace. As she reached the door of Lingxi Palace, she saw Consort Yang and Zhao Baolin approaching from either side, their faces beaming with joy.

Consort Yang smiled with relief, "Fortunately, His and Her Majesty are wise. You've returned safely, not falling into the traps set by those vile women."

Zhao Baolin, who had moved in not long ago, cared about Jiang Xueyi even more than Consort Yang. She had been waiting anxiously at the door after leaving Fengyi Palace, afraid that Jiang Xueyi would be implicated in Consort Tao's incident.

Now that she saw her safe in Lingxi Palace, she knew everything was fine and breathed a sigh of relief, her tears turning into a smile, "As long as you're safe, I'm much relieved."

A warm feeling rose in Jiang Xueyi's heart as she smiled and said, "I've caused you both to worry. This matter is no longer my concern, and it shouldn't pose any problems."

Nichen smiled and said from the side, "Mistress has turned misfortune into fortune, being promoted to the rank of Imperial Concubine by His Majesty. Fortunately, His Majesty's compassion saved you from too much injustice from Consort Tao."

Consort Yang was a bit surprised and asked, "In just over a month, sister has been promoted to Imperial Concubine?"

Though she smiled, there was a hint of unnoticeable bitterness and sourness in her smile, "Congratulations, sister. You've truly surpassed me now."

Jiang Xueyi nodded lightly and said gently, "It's only by His Majesty's grace. You'll always be my sister."

Zhao Baolin, with tears of joy, was genuinely happy for her and quickly bowed, "I congratulate Imperial Concubine Jiang on your promotion."

The three exchanged a few pleasantries in the courtyard before heading back to their rooms. Jiang Xueyi entered the door of the Eastern Annex, just in time to see the palace servants who had been interrogated in Fengyi Palace standing neatly in the courtyard, heads bowed and not daring to breathe heavily. The surroundings were a mess.

Lin Wei had personally led the search of the palace. His Majesty had instructed them to be mindful of their conduct. The imperial guards had been restrained, not turning her chambers upside down or revealing any private matters that shouldn't be exposed.

But even with restraint, a search was still a search. The courtyard had been dug up, the flowers and plants knocked over, and various items scattered everywhere. The state of the interior didn't need to be mentioned.

Jiang Xueyi didn't like her residence being so openly invaded and destroyed, even though it was part of the palace and His and Her Majesty had every right to do so. But she still didn't like it.

And all of this was because there had been a traitor in the palace.

Duan Yinning and Yang Yi stood bowing on either side of the palace maids and eunuchs, awaiting her orders. Jiang Xueyi didn't rush to speak but stood quietly in front of them, looking at them.

They had all witnessed the maid being dragged out of Fengyi Palace and beaten on the palace path.

A moment ago, they had been working together, and now she was a lifeless corpse. Anyone who saw it would be horrified.

Usually, such a gentle and approachable mistress had not spared a shred of mercy when it came to betrayal. Even though she wasn't speaking now, her presence was oppressive, and no one dared to underestimate her.

Fushuang brought out a chair from the main hall and, with a cold expression, helped her mistress sit before saying, "Do you know why you're all standing here listening to this lecture?"

The servants below all lowered their eyelids and dared not speak, but after such an incident, they all understood in their hearts.

Jiang Xueyi said lightly, "You've all seen what happened in Fengyi Palace today, no need for me to say it."

"I believe I've treated you well, never speaking harshly and never being stingy with workload or monetary rewards. If I may say something not so pleasant, once you leave this door, you'll probably never find such a good position again."

"I just didn't expect that people's hearts could be so insatiable, receiving my kindness and benefits, yet betraying me for a hundred taels of silver."

The servants, filled with panic, knelt down one after another, afraid that any wrong move would get them expelled by their mistress.

Fushuang looked at them coldly and interjected at the right moment, "From the very beginning, harsh words were spoken. If you remain loyal, your mistress will treat you generously, but if any of you dare to harbor ill intentions, humph, the body of the traitor has already been taken to the mass grave!"

"If any of you feel that this place is too small for you, speak up now, and I'll find you another place to work, as if you'd never been here!"

Fushuang's cold and straightforward manner of speaking left no room for misunderstanding. Serving as a servant in the palace, everyone aimed to save some money to leave the palace when the time came. The position here with Concubine Jiang was considered one of the best in the palace, both respectable and lucrative. Who would be willing to leave?

Only those with insatiable greed would do something foolish for a hundred taels of silver, thinking their gentle mistress was easy to bully. Today, they had learned just how terrifying a gentle mistress could be when she turned against them.

"This servant/slave doesn't dare, we will follow your lead, mistress, with no ill intentions!"

The fact that someone had dared to betray her was due to a slow accumulation of neglect over time. Although the maid's death had been enough to intimidate the others, without proper reinforcement and control over their hearts, such incidents could happen again in the future.

Being promoted to Imperial Concubine meant new servants would be assigned. If she didn't manage the old ones properly at this time, it would be easy for trouble to arise.

Jiang Xueyi nodded and said calmly, "Since no one wants to leave, I assume you all wish to stand by my side."

"Since that's the case, remember this: my affairs are your affairs. If I am humiliated, you are implicated. If I am implicated, it concerns you as well."

"In return, as long as I see that you are loyal and sincerely serve me, I will naturally not mistreat you."

Nichen took out four heavy purses from a tray, and it was clear from their weight that they were substantial.

Jiang Xueyi gestured for her to distribute them, "The maid who caused the incident was a low-ranking one, showing that they couldn't get close to me. You, my personal attendants, have been sensible. There are rewards and punishments. These are your rewards."

"The palace maids enter the palace to serve, and when they reach a certain age, they can be released to find a good marriage, no longer needing to waste their time within the palace. If you remain by my side and loyally serve me, I will promote you. When you leave the palace, not only will I help you find a good match, but I will also give you a sum of silver for your livelihood before you depart. As for the eunuchs, all you seek is promotion and recognition, which I can also give you. The path you choose from here is entirely up to you."

Several of the close attendant maids were delighted with the rewards, their faces beaming with joy. Upon hearing that they could eventually leave the palace smoothly and have their marriages arranged by the Jiang family, along with receiving a pension, they were overjoyed, wishing to devote their hearts entirely to their mistress.

A balance of leniency and strictness, rewards and punishments, coupled with future expectations, was the best method to win people's loyalty.

These words were undoubtedly a powerful incentive, giving them more motivation to serve loyally, their eyes brightening, dispelling the earlier gloom.

Duan Yinning knelt quietly, observing her young mistress with a barely perceptible lip movement.

Indeed, her mistress was a good and intelligent superior, beautiful and clever, knowing how to exploit people's weaknesses.

Even she felt a surge of excitement hearing these words, let alone the younger maids.

However, no one knew that she was twenty-five this year and had given up the opportunity to marry and live a different life outside the palace, forever trapped within the deep confines of the imperial palace.

It was not false to say she felt disappointed. The maids still had endless possibilities, but she no longer did.

After the admonishment, Jiang Xueyi let the palace maids disperse to clean up Lingxi Palace, and they were busy until the evening, barely restoring it to its original state.

She took the osmanthus flowers she had picked out last night to the small kitchen to make osmanthus pastries, sitting on a small round stool by the door, stirring honey in a pear wood bowl. The full moon in the sky was exceptionally clear.

It was only in the dead of night that Jiang Xueyi's thoughts became particularly clear.

The matter of Consort Tao being poisoned into silence had no conclusion yet, and there was no speculation about the person behind it, which always left her uneasy.

When Consort Dan lost her child, the situation was chaotic, but there were traces to follow, giving her some understanding.

Today's matter, however, was like a layer of fog, impossible to see through clearly.

Whether it was the motive or the purpose, the method of execution or the result, everything was equally strange.

It was clearly done so meticulously at first, yet there were such obvious loopholes later.

Who wanted to kill using another's hand? And who was hiding in the shadows, watching?

Jiang Xueyi couldn't understand why, if someone wanted to kill using another's hand, they only silenced Consort Tao instead of killing her. If they wanted to harm her and Consort Tao without leaving a trace, how could they let Jingqi bribe her palace staff?

If she were to do this herself, for the sake of insurance, once she acted, she would ensure it was fatal, leaving no room for Consort Tao to survive. To control Jingqi, she would need to involve her entire family, holding her family's lifeline. When framing herself, she would also need to be cautious and find someone else to make contact, ensuring no contact between the two sides.

Why did the person behind this make Jingqi do the second task? Was it just to use her as a pawn?

Using only one pawn reduced a significant risk, but it contradicted the goal of killing two birds with one stone, and the result was obvious.

With numerous doubts weighing on her heart, Jiang Xueyi continuously analyzed, putting together all the unresolved points, and a faint sense emerged, but there was still something missing to break through.

The osmanthus pastries by her side were just out of the oven, and Jiang Xueyi personally placed them on a plate, packing them into a food box. She said to Nichen, who was waiting by the door, "Let's go to Taiji Hall."