Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 527 The Empress's Shock and Wrath

Steward Jiang was about fifty years old. His given name was "Kun". He was a relative of Marquis Jiang Wei of Zhenbei. He had a very long tenure in the Marquis's mansion and was respectfully addressed as "Uncle Jiang" by everyone.

A guard stepped forward with a stiff upper lip and respectfully reported, "Uncle Jiang, as you instructed, elite brothers have been stationed inside and outside the guest courtyard where Doctor Chu resides, guarding it in shifts around the clock. Last night, there was indeed no unusual activity. Furthermore, the doors and windows of Doctor Chu's room were all locked from the inside, with no signs of forced entry. It wasn't until early morning that Chen Mama from the manor went to deliver food to Doctor Chu as usual, but after repeatedly knocking on the door without an answer, she discovered... that the room was empty."

Jiang Kun's face grew increasingly gloomy. He snorted coldly, said no more, and turned to stride straight towards the guest courtyard.

Doctor Chu was a well-known shaman in the southwest, with whom she had a secret relationship since the Jiang family was stationed in the southwest, giving her a special status. Therefore, the guest house where she lived was decorated entirely according to her eccentric preferences, not only secluded but also exuding the charm of the southwest. As a result, this guest house was far from the main houses of the manor, located alone in a corner of the estate.

After walking for nearly a quarter of an hour, they finally saw the outline of the guest courtyard. When the guards on duty outside the courtyard saw Jiang Kun striding towards them with a gloomy expression, they immediately lowered their heads, held their breath, and stood solemnly on both sides, not daring to make the slightest sound.

The guest house consists of three interconnected rooms, with a small flower hall in the middle and heavy carved screens on both sides separating the study and bedroom.

As soon as the middle door was pushed open, a strong, nauseating smell, a mixture of medicine and fish, hit the door.

There were no signs of a struggle in the flower hall. The original furnishings in the study on the left had been cleared out, replaced by a floor littered with bottles and jars of various shapes and materials, seemingly chaotic yet possessing a certain hidden order. On the multi-tiered wooden shelves nearby, various dried or unprocessed medicinal herbs were densely packed, all painstakingly collected from various places over the past six months, many of which were unidentifiable.

The doors and windows were indeed intact, with no signs of forced entry. Jiang Kun's face was ashen. He waved his hand, and two burly female servants behind him immediately went into the bedroom behind the screen and searched it carefully. A moment later, the two returned and reported in a low voice, "Uncle Jiang, the bedding and pillows in the bedroom are all neatly arranged, cold and hard, with no signs of having slept in them. The wardrobe is also full of underwear and valuables, nothing is missing."

Jiang Kun was filled with doubts.

I just received a secret letter from the palace yesterday, ordering Doctor Chu to make preparations as soon as possible, and to bring him into the palace on a chosen day. How could he have vanished into thin air overnight?

With such a huge blunder, even if he is the Empress's nominal elder in the clan, he will probably not escape her wrath.

He paced restlessly back and forth in the cluttered study, when suddenly he stumbled and kicked over a ceramic jar piled in the corner. The jar tipped over, rolled once on the floor, and the ceramic lid fell off with a thud.

In an instant, a scorpion about the length of a thumb, entirely red, slowly crawled out of the jar, its tail hook menacingly pointed upwards, gleaming coldly.

Everyone was shocked by what they saw and retreated.

Perhaps startled by the noise, the red scorpion suddenly moved with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, it had climbed onto a guard's black boot and instantly disappeared into his trouser leg.

The guard was terrified and frantically tried to dodge, but it was too late. He only managed to let out a short, shrill scream before his whole body convulsed violently, his face quickly turning a horrifying bluish-black, and he collapsed stiffly to the ground.

Before long, Jiang Kun could see his once lively guard lying on the ground, lifeless.

Even though he was used to seeing all kinds of storms, he couldn't help but tremble at this moment, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

......

Inside the Renming Hall, a peaceful and harmonious scene still prevailed.

About half an hour later, just as Consort Chun was about to get up and take her leave, Chen Ling, the Empress's trusted eunuch, entered the hall.

Seeing this, Meng Shu quickly gave Consort Chun a subtle look, signaling her to sit down for the time being.

Chen Ling ignored the concubines on either side, bowed deeply in greeting, and walked straight to the Empress's throne, whispering a few words in her ear. The Empress's originally dignified and peaceful expression suddenly changed, and her fingertips subconsciously tightened their grip on the armrests.

"I am feeling a little tired. You may all leave."

Meng Shu rose and bowed with the other concubines to take her leave. Her lowered eyes were filled with thoughts. The news brought by Eunuch Chen must be extremely important. Could it be that... Madam Yun has already made a move?

As soon as they stepped out of the main hall of Renming Palace, Donggua and several other palace maids immediately went to greet their mistresses. Consort Chun had no interest in dealing with others and walked out side by side with Meng Shu.

After walking a dozen or so steps, Meng Shu slowed her pace and looked thoughtfully towards the rear hall. The pharmacy was just a wall away; beyond that, nothing could be seen.

Winter Melon whispered, "Your Majesty, that smell is completely gone today."

Meng Shu nodded slightly, her gaze still lingering on the depths of the palace. "Just now outside, did you see who Eunuch Chen met?"

Donggua shook her head. "This servant noticed that Eunuch Chen came back from outside. Judging from his expression and gait, he must have received some news and was in a hurry to report it."

Green Willow immediately said, "This servant and Ruizhu will go and investigate right away."

......

The Empress's face turned ashen, her fingertips digging deeply into her palms. "Doctor Chu has disappeared?!" Her voice was extremely low, yet it carried a hint of disbelief and anger.

"Yes, Steward Jiang didn't dare to delay for a moment. He sent a message as soon as he received the news. However, he said that Your Highness should rest assured for the time being. Although Doctor Chu's whereabouts are unknown, she and the Marquis have been old friends for many years and she knows the stakes well. She should not betray the Marquis's mansion. Besides... Doctor Chu has already voluntarily swallowed the mute medicine. Even if she falls into the hands of others, they will not be able to get any substantial information out of her through torture."

"The steward said that the manor has been exposed. Although the manor has nothing to do with the Marquis's mansion, he has sent people to move Doctor Chu's belongings out."

Upon hearing this, the Empress took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently as she barely managed to suppress her surging emotions.

She closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her expression was one of icy resolve: "Zhixue!"

“This servant is here.” Zhixue immediately stepped forward.

"Go to the warm pavilion immediately and thoroughly clean up all traces inside, restoring everything to its original state."

"Yes." Zhixue and Xingyu immediately curtsied and quickly left.

The Empress steadied herself and asked again, "Has Father sent any message back? I reckon he should be returning to the capital soon."

Chen Ling hurriedly replied, "The Marquis did indeed send a secret letter, saying that everything went smoothly. Taking advantage of this great disaster, the Ghost Woman has successfully collected what Doctor Chu needs..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Have a great weekend! Double update this weekend~ Goodnight.