Chapter 98: Almost Buried Alive

The air was thick with mist, carrying the faint fragrance of roses. A splash of water echoed as if someone had just stepped out of the bathtub, leaving a trail of damp footprints behind.

The palace maids knelt before her, offering the cotton cloth, which others then took to gently wipe the woman standing there.

On her flawless body were a few purple marks that didn't quite fit, hinting at an irresistible charm. Yet the maids kept their heads lowered, terrified to raise their eyes, fearing that a single glance might bring them ruin.

It was well known that the emperor of Da Shun never consummated his marriage with his wife, so despite three years of wedlock, he had never shared her bed. Nevertheless, the maids in Phoenix Luan Palace serving the empress knew well that her body bore these mysterious marks daily. Though they were all unmarried girls, some truths needed no explanation; they were understood.

The marks had faded somewhat. Jing Lanxi glanced down at them without comment, instead curving her lips into a smile.

Dong Ling assisted her in dressing, escorting her to the inner chamber. There, at the farthest door, he hesitated, lowered his head, and drew the curtain. Beneath the hazy gauze, a man sat upon the bed. Jing Lanxi walked steadily toward him.

"The Emperor indeed keeps his promise."

...

"Your Majesty! Don't sleep! You've only copied one line and a half in three days! If this goes on, when the confinement ends, you won't finish copying all these female virtues!"

"Rest a while!"

Shen Fuyu let out a yawn. She truly felt bored. What was the point of copying books? She wasn't a student anymore. If she didn't write, her parents would come to punish her. Now, she feared none of that!

Who could possibly stop her?

"Consort, please have some refreshments."

Bai Lian entered at the right moment, holding a plate of pastries.

"Get lost." Shen Fuyu did not lift her head. "With your ugly pimply face, what are you approaching me for? Do you want to make me ugly too?"

In just three days, Bai Lian's face had sprouted many pimples. At first, Shen Fuyu suspected some plague and nearly dug a grave to bury her alive. Only after the imperial doctor examined her and confirmed it was acne, likely from contact with something filthy, did she realize the cause.

Shen Fuyu clicked her tongue twice. "What a shame."

She had almost buried a person alive.

When a person suffocates to death in the earth, wouldn't they hate the one who buried them?

Then, when Bai Lian was gasping for air, she made her escape.

Yin Ling approached Bai Lian, snatched the snack, shot her a glare, and snorted, "Didn't you hear what your majesty said? Hurry down!"

Shen Fuyu's mood was simple, and the child had grown.

Alas, she was a fine seedling; she couldn't scold her.

These three days had been tough for Bai Lian and her green tea companion. Anyone with eyes could see that Shen Fuyu's ability to slip quietly into the inner hall was tied to these two fence-sitters. Flattering the wind is common, but lacking even basic loyalty—what master would tolerate such servants?

Thus, though they remained maids of Crescent Moon Palace, the other maids and eunuchs there paid them no mind. No wonder Bai Lian, face covered in pimples, came to curry favor with Shen Fuyu. After all, without mending the master-servant bond, she wouldn't be able to stay in Crescent Moon Palace!

The dream of soaring to become a phoenix had not yet begun, but Bai Lian did not wish to end it here!

"Your Majesty! You're sleeping again!"

Yin Ling's urging voice rang in her ears. Shen Fuyu grew impatient, crumpling the two copied lines and tossing them aside. "No more copying. Who can prevent me from leaving?"

She was unmatched at climbing walls!

No hesitation!

Under Yin Ling's furious roar, Shen Fuyu used her light kung fu to vault over the wall and out!

She strode out arrogantly. Shen Fuyu touched her chin, pondering where to stir trouble.

Since the confinement, the palace's atmosphere had shifted. Jing Lanxi's six palaces' great authority had been stripped and handed to the Shu Consort by the empress dowager. The Shu Consort had gone from ridicule to flattery in an instant, beaming with delight!

The harem was neither vast nor insignificant. Originally controlled by Jing Lanxi's allies, it was now likely that the Shu Consort would install her own people, leaving her scrambling. Shen Fuyu approached Tranquil Soft Palace unnoticed.

"These things still piled here? Send them where!"

"These accounts, consort, you've already reviewed them, why send more in!"

Tsk tsk, chaos!

From the corner, she agilely scaled the wall, leaped onto the palace roof, quietly lifted two tiles, and saw the Shu Consort inside in a rage!

"You worthless trash!" The Shu Consort gazed at the disordered accounts before her, anger boiling. "I ordered you to bring each department's accounts for verification, yet you three push and four refuse. After a casual glance, one doesn't match. How dare you touch palace items! Insolent!"

The matter came to light, and the department heads offered explanations in turn.

"Consort Shu, this isn't our fault. Layered distribution of duties means some mismatched accounts are inevitable. Take the kitchen, for instance: today's meat was spoiled, so the account doesn't balance. These meats can't go to the other palace mistresses."

"Yes, storing silks and satins has oversights; mildew in rainy weather is common. We dare not take the mistresses' goods!"

Each department had reasons, but the Shu Consort would not relent: "I don't care for your excuses. Now I hold the harem's great power. In my view, no filth is allowed. If you dare again, I won't spare you!"

They nodded, but the accounts were not to be taken; she would check them personally, one by one, until all were clear!

Helpless, the heads left the accounts and returned to figure out how to account for the mismatches.

Shen Fuyu watched from above, amused by the Shu Consort's flustered face over the accounts. Managing affairs was never simple, especially anciently when record-keeping was lax and full of loopholes. The Shu Consort sought harsh control, pinning blame on the heads to elevate her own. But it wasn't so easy. Jing Lanxi had infiltrated for three years; one morning or evening couldn't fix it!

Furthermore, in feudal Da Shun, accounting was imperfect, riddled with loopholes. Suppressing would only treat symptoms, breeding resentment over time. Better to allow some benefits to appease, let them taste sweetness, then strike timely, keeping the gray areas from causing major issues, as all turned a blind eye.

Seeing the Shu Consort overwhelmed, Shen Fuyu pondered briefly and retrieved a pill from her space.