A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace

Chapter 280: Chapter 279: The Death of Lady Xi

She took the real poison from her bosom. With trembling hands, she sprinkled it into the cup. Then... she drained it in one gulp!

It was all over.

The Imperial Physician had said that only by abstaining from the Calming Incense could she possibly survive.

But she was too weak; she couldn’t quit.

She didn’t want to live like a dog.

It was too unbearable.

So, it was better to die.

As for Xia Jieyu, she had already instructed Molli to deliver a letter. The box of pastries sprinkled with powdered sugar was not poisoned. In front of Lianlian, she had also sprinkled powdered sugar.

Whether Xia Jieyu believed her or not, her conscience was clear.

Honored Lady Lan lay on the bed, dressed impeccably, a faint smile still on her lips. In less than half a Shi Chen, streams of black blood trickled from her orifices. Then... her beauty perished, her life extinguished.

「At Lady Xi’s residence.」

Lianlian rushed in, beaming, to report that the deed was done.

Lady Xi waited and waited, but the news she anticipated wasn’t of Xia Jieyu succumbing to the poison. Instead, what arrived was... Eunuch Wei Sheng from the Punishment Department.

”The Imperial Decree has arrived!”

”By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Lady Xi has sown chaos within the palace and plotted to harm imperial consorts. The evidence is irrefutable, and her venomous heart is intolerable to Heaven and Earth! She is hereby sentenced to death. Furthermore, Lianlian, Palace Maid to Honored Lady Lan, has bullied and plotted to harm imperial consorts. She is hereby sentenced to death by cudgeling! By Imperial Command!”

Wei Sheng retrieved the Imperial Decree. With a cold glance, he raised an eyebrow. ”Well, well! Lady Xi, Miss Lianlian, you’re both here!”

Honored Lady Lan’s Palace Maid, rushing over to Lady Xi’s to curry favor—this is like catching a thief red-handed!

”Guards, seize them!”

Lady Xi’s face filled with panic. ”You... you dare!”

”I am a Lady personally appointed by the Emperor!” Saying this, she took a step back, bracing herself!

Wei Sheng let out a cold chuckle. ”Lady Xi, are your ears failing you?”

”The Emperor has sentenced you to death. Did you not hear?” He then declared emphatically, ”No more words with them! Seize them!”

A group of robust eunuchs, obeying the command, swarmed forward and seized them both.

Lady Xi completely lost her composure, screaming, ”You... on what grounds are you arresting me? I haven’t harmed anyone! I haven’t!”

”You have no evidence!”

Wei Sheng couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. ”Take them away!”

Lady Xi struggled desperately, screaming at the top of her lungs.

She wouldn’t accept it! She wouldn’t!

”Why? It was clearly Honored Lady Lan who killed Xia Jieyu! Why are you arresting me? It was Honored Lady Lan!”

”You’ve arrested the wrong person! Let go!”

Her plans had been so meticulous.

Honored Lady Lan instructed her Palace Maid, Lianlian, to kill Xia Jieyu.

This scheme of killing by a borrowed knife—it was flawless!

”It’s her! It was Lianlian!”

”Yes, Lianlian administered the poison! Don’t arrest me; it was all her doing!”

Hearing this, Lianlian immediately retorted, ”Lady Xi, it was clearly you who ordered me! Why are you trying to blame me?”

”You promised me, your servant, that once you gained favor, you would make me your Senior Palace Maid!”

”You even gave me rewards—gold bracelets, a Jade Pendant, everything!”

Lady Xi exploded in fury. ”You’re lying!”

”I clearly gave you a jade hairpin, not a Jade Pendant!”

”You’re framing me! Eunuch Wei, this little wretch is framing me!”

Lady Xi had completely lost her reason. She and Lianlian, escorted by the junior eunuchs, were led away, arguing the entire time.

Upon reaching the entrance of the Punishment Department, Eunuch Wei sneered. ”Enough! There’s no need for an interrogation!”

Saying that, he glanced at Lianlian. ”Beat her to death directly!”

Lianlian’s legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees, her face deathly pale. ”Eunuch Wei, I’m innocent! It was Lady Xi who forced me!”

Wei Sheng sneered. ”It’s no use telling me. You can tell your story to Yama, the King of Hell. Proceed with the execution!”

It was a bloody affair, but such was the work of the Punishment Department. The tiger bench and cudgels were quickly readied. Lianlian was bound with ropes and thrown onto it. Then...

THWACK!

THWACK!

The heavy cudgels landed on flesh with sickening thuds. Lianlian’s mouth was gagged; she couldn’t even cry out. After twenty blows, she was more dead than alive.

Lady Xi fared no better. Her clothes were stripped off, replaced with prison attire, and she was thrown into a death row cell. With a CLANG of the lock, the eunuchs departed, leaving Lady Xi alone.

She lay on the ground, unable to regain her senses for a long time.

Everything, from start to finish, had transpired in less than one Shi Chen.

How had everything turned so completely upside down?

Xia Jieyu was supposed to die! How, in the end, was it her?

She looked at the iron chains on her wrists, the prison clothes on her body, and then at the cell around her. She rubbed her eyes fiercely and opened them again.

Despair washed over her.

It’s not a dream!

”Someone! Anyone!”

”Lady Xia, you venomous bitch!”

It took Lady Xi a long time to sort out the facts.

She had fallen into Xia Jieyu’s monstrous trap!

Perhaps Xia Jieyu had known her intentions from the start.

Perhaps she had set a trap long ago, just waiting for her to jump in!

Vixen!

She’s a vixen!

Lady Xi cursed for a while, but no one paid her any mind. Her throat grew raw, and she could curse no longer. She slumped in the prison cell, staring blankly at the small, palm-sized window above.

Could it be... that this was it?

Unreconciled! She was so utterly unreconciled!

「Outside, at Lijing Pavilion.」

When Lady Xi was taken away, Dong Cha’s face turned deathly pale.

Her master had been sentenced to death; how could she, a mere maidservant, possibly survive?

To save her own life, she hadn’t dared to expose Lady Xi.

Would Xia Jieyu spare her?

Would the Empress spare her?

And the Emperor?

She didn’t know!

After agonizing over it, Dong Cha felt there was no escape for her.

Then, she found a rope and hanged herself.

After her midday rest, Xia Ruqing was just about to go for a walk when Zi Su rushed in, flustered.

”Master, Dong Cha has hanged herself...”

Zi Yue shot her a glare. ”Hanging herself serves her right! Don’t make such a fuss; you’ll startle the Master!”

Zi Su continued, ”Master, Honored Lady Lan... has also taken poison and ended her life.”

This time, Xia Ruqing was truly startled. ”Taken poison?”

Zi Su nodded.

Xia Ruqing was stunned for a moment, a dull ache in her heart.

So foolish! She didn’t have to die!

Then she asked, ”What about Molli? I sent her to the Empress with all the evidence. How did the Emperor find out in the end?”

”A decree was even issued!”

Xiao Xizi said, ”This servant heard that when Her Majesty the Empress saw the evidence, her expression changed drastically. She immediately took her retinue to Zhaochen Palace!”

Xia Ruqing nodded, sighing in relief.

Since both the Emperor and the Empress are aware, I don’t need to trouble myself with what happens next!

Zi Yue quickly agreed. ”You are right, Master. You must take good care of yourself and not let these matters trouble your mind again!”

Xia Ruqing glanced at her, noncommittal. ”However, there is still something I must do!”

After saying this, she gave some instructions, then strolled for a while longer before returning.

「Zhaochen Palace.」

Zhao Junyao was still busy. Lady Xi’s trivial affair was merely an interlude. Compared to the significant matters of the court, it was nothing. So, Zhao Junyao hastily issued the decree and then returned to his other duties.