Quick Transmigration: Underdog Turns out to be Untouchable

Chapter 943: Chapter 854: Unwilling to Be a Slave 74

Raising her hand to beckon, Du Zhaoyi signaled Bi Ying to come forward. She proactively reached out to hold Bi Ying’s hands, gently rubbing Bi Ying’s palm and fingertips with her own fingers, feeling a rough texture.

A sudden ache pierced Du Zhaoyi’s heart. Bi Ying was her personal palace maid, brought from home into the palace, serving her since childhood, and they had grown up together. She had never suffered any hardships, her duties only involved handing her a cloth, serving tea, or combing her hair. Saying she never lifted a finger is no exaggeration; she was even more pampered than the daughters of some wealthy families.

But ever since she fell out of favor, those who served her became negligent, and to take good care of her, the inexperienced Bi Ying began to learn to work and take care of her own needs.

Her once delicate hands now grew calloused, yet without complaint. It could be said that Bi Ying was her most loyal confidante, the person she could trust the most.

Du Zhaoyi clutched Bi Ying’s hand tightly, her heart aching with each beat. She was unwilling, unwilling to accept her current situation, loath to lose Bi Ying, who had always been loyal and kind to her. But, but this was her last chance.

With a slightly stiff smile, Du Zhaoyi said to Bi Ying, ”Bi Ying, I remember, you have a guard lover waiting to marry you once you leave the palace.” Palace maids were considered the Emperor’s women, so any relationship between them and guards was a grave crime, punishable by death if discovered.

However, Bi Ying wasn’t afraid at all. She had no defenses against Du Zhaoyi, a blush rising on her cheeks, Bi Ying bashfully said, ”Empress, what are you talking about? He and I are not at that stage yet.”

Bi Ying didn’t think much of it, but Du Zhaoyi, after a brief silence, suddenly said, ”Bi Ying, I remember, Song Lin by the Emperor’s side once expressed his interest in you.” Immediately, Bi Ying’s face turned pale.

Du Zhaoyi hesitated to meet Bi Ying’s eyes, her gaze downcast, she continued, ”Bi Ying, I am unwilling. I ask you to help me this once. If you help me this time, I promise that you will live in comfort and luxury for the rest of your life, with endless glory.”

Seeing Bi Ying still not speaking, Du Zhaoyi became anxious, urgently saying, ”Bi Ying, please, I beg you to help me just this once. I’ve already made a plan, as long as it succeeds, I will become the Empress.

Bi Ying, think about it, if I become the Empress, you could marry any man you choose. Song Lin is only a eunuch; he can’t affect your marriage prospects.

You just need to respond to him a little, to let him help us, and when you marry, I will ensure you have a dowry that lets you live in wealth without worry, and I could even ask the Emperor to grant your marriage, ensuring your in-laws wouldn’t dare mistreat you.

Bi Ying, please help me. You only need to play along with Song Lin for a short while, and a life of riches and honor will be yours for the taking.”

Du Zhaoyi’s words made Bi Ying’s eyes flicker, but she still didn’t speak. Seeing that Bi Ying’s attitude had slightly softened, Du Zhaoyi quickly intensified her persuasion and promises. Finally, after some mental struggle, Bi Ying closed her eyes and reluctantly nodded.

The Spring Festival is a national event, praying for a year of favorable weather, abundant harvests, and peaceful lives for the people. Especially this year, as the Emperor plans to move against the Northwest Tribes, the Spring Festival also bears the meaning of praying for a successful campaign, as the Emperor has decided to mobilize troops after the festival.

The Spring Festival is traditionally hosted by the Emperor and Empress, with the Emperor leading the officials and the Empress leading the noblewomen, separately worshipping heaven and earth. The Emperor leads the officials to worship the heavens, praying for favorable weather, while the Empress leads the noblewomen to worship the earth, praying for abundant harvest.

After separately worshiping heaven and earth, the Emperor and Empress gather the officials and noblewomen together, jointly lighting the fire under the Qiankun Cauldron, cooking a five-grain porridge in it, and sharing this porridge with the officials and noblewomen, symbolizing a bountiful harvest.

Now without an Empress, either the Emperor immediately appoints a new Empress or the Empress Dowager must take her place.

Although the Emperor didn’t wish to give this honor to the Empress Dowager, he couldn’t appoint a new Empress and had to endure his disgust to ask the Empress Dowager to step in. Previously, the Empress Dowager had suffered consecutive setbacks, with all her accomplices becoming disabled under the Emperor’s watch.

Now, in the harem, the Empress Dowager’s influence has been greatly diminished, causing hindrance everywhere. Her attempts to poison the newly entered concubines, especially the pregnant Yang Pin, to kill her child and prevent other concubines from bearing children, failed, as it seems the Emperor’s vigilance against her has peaked. The Empress Dowager feared arousing the Emperor’s suspicion with further actions and had to retreat.

In fact, what the Empress Dowager most wanted was to poison the Emperor so he could no longer have children, sparing her the effort of poisoning so many concubines. But security around the Emperor was too tight, and the Empress Dowager found no opportunity. Whether before a concubine, an empress, or the Empress Dowager, the Emperor never consumed anything sent to him.

In a past life, Nangong Shuangshuang’s method of administering poison was very discreet. Knowing the Emperor’s habit of taking health soup, she concocted a special incense whose scent, when combined with the Emperor’s medicinal meals, silently rendered him incapable of bearing offspring.

The reason the Emperor never suspected Nangong Shuangshuang was that she partook in the medicinal meals and inhaled the incense with him, losing her ability to conceive as well. It was this fact that kept the Emperor from ever suspecting her.

This time, the responsibility of leading the Spring Festival is good news for the Empress Dowager, but for the Emperor, it would be merely a few days of enduring unpleasantness. However, for Lady Jing, it is not good news at all.

During the Spring Festival, even the slightest mistake becomes a serious offense. There is even precedent in this dynasty where an empress was deposed due to errors during the Spring Festival. The intricate complexity of the event makes it easy for someone in power with malicious intent to trap another into making grave mistakes, being nearly impossible to guard against.

The Empress Dowager and Lady Jing have longstanding enmity. The Empress Dowager would not miss such a prime opportunity to eliminate Lady Jing, leaving her unsettled and anxious inside her quarters.

Nangong Shuangshuang frowned, irritable as the Spring Festival was still nearly three months away. Due to the extensive requirements and numerous items needed for the Spring Festival, preparations needed to start at least two months in advance.

This meant Nangong Shuangshuang had less than three months to figure out a way to navigate this crisis, and for now, she couldn’t think of an optimal solution. Although she had some underhanded means at her disposal, Nangong Shuangshuang refused to resort to them, abiding by her own principles.