Chapter 18: Immortality!
"You're planning to let Ye Junqing leave just like this? Wan er wants him to fall too!" Yao Mowan concealed the shrewdness in her eyes and looked towards Ye Hongyi with an unhappy pout.
"Our Wan er is always magnanimous and won't sink to a petty person's level, right?" Ye Hongyi chuckled as he helped Yao Mowan back to Guan Osprey Palace.
That night, when Yin Xue carried Ming Yu into Guan Osprey Palace, Yao Mowan was sitting in front of the dressing table, deep in thought.
"Master, I've brought her here." said Yin Xue respectfully as she undid Ming Yu's voice seal.
"Cough cough… Who are you? Why are you be in Consort Yao's room? As long as Ming Yu's here, Ming Yu won't allow you to harm Consort Yao!" The moment Yin Xue released Ming Yu, Ming Yu ran to Yao Mowan and stood in front of her protectively while glaring at Yin Xue.
"Didn't you hear her call this consort master?" said Yao Mowan softly. She then got up and walked gracefully to the table. With a lift of her hand, she signaled for Yin Xue to withdraw. Following that, she poured a cup of clear tea and pushed it towards Ming Yu.
"Consort Yao…" Ming Yu looked at Yao Mowan in alarm as her thoughts raced for a way to respond.
"No need to feign surprise. You probably saw everything from outside Ordinance Palace that day. It's not just Ordinance Palace, back then at Jade Lake, you didn't go back the Pure Flower Palace so you were there to see that Yao Yu jumped down himself. However, you didn't step out to speak for your master. Ming Yu ah, this consort is facing you without pretenses in order to have an open talk with you, so… sit down." Yao Mowan extended her hand and indicated for Ming Yu to sit down. During this entire time, the light in her eyes was as sharp as that of an eagle's.
Yao Mowan's words only made Ming Yu become even more nervous. After hesitating for a few moments, she walked to the table and slowly sat down.
"Anything in regards to Her Highness Consort Li, as long as it's something Ming Yu knows about, Ming Yu will definitely tell you everything without holding anything back." Ming Yu was sitting on the very edge of the seat and maintained a very respectful posture. Everyone in the Inner Palace knew that Consort Yao was a fool. Now that Yao Mowan had actually revealed to her otherwise, whether she would be able to walk out of this Guan Osprey Palace really would depend on luck.
"Rather than about Yao Suluan, this consort is more interested in An Bingshan's matters. Tell me about them." Yao Mowan gracefully lifted her tea cup and gently brushed away the loose tea leaves with the lid of the cup. Every single movement was elegant and precise. This wasn't something that a fool could do.
"This servant… this servant doesn't understand what Consort Yao means." Ming Yu was terrified. It had never occurred to her that Yao Mowan would ask about An Bingshan.
"It's fine, this consort will allow you time to think. After you finish thinking, you can answer this consort's question," said Yao Mowan leisurely. She lifted the tea cup and took a sip. The tea's strong clear aroma filled her senses.
Ming Yu was stunned to hear these words. She found that she couldn't see Yao Mowan's eyes clearly. Her eyes were like ancient wells with endless depths, like two black holes. Just glancing into them caused one to feel as if they were falling into an abyss. She had sensed Yao Mowan's shrewdness and ruthlessness at Ordinance Palace, but the current sensation was a hundred, no, a thousand times stronger!
In the end, Ming Yu finally chose to disclose everything because she didn't know how much Yao Mowan knew. She also didn't know if Yao Mowan was just probing her out or really trying to get something out of her. All she knew was that she had to survive. She would only be able to get revenge for Hong Mei if she survived!
"What does Consort Yao wish to know about An Bingshan?" Ming Yu started speaking with a resolute expression.
"He's tortured countless palace maids. His Majesty must be aware, so why is he tolerating it? As for you, you're one of An Bingshan's few trusted aids. How did you gain his trust? And why are you willing to work for him?" asked Yao Mowan. If it weren't for the fact that An Bingshan was getting close to finding out that Ye Junqing had been the one that attacked him, she wouldn't have messed with An Bingshan so early. After all, she wasn't completely confident in the outcome yet, so she didn't want to inadvertently give An Bingshan a warning.
"Does Consort Yao believe in immortality?" At this time, Ming Yu sinked down fully onto the chair. Yao Mowan didn't reply. She knew that the next words would definitely contain a scandal that would abhor and disgust anyone.
"An Bingshan obtained His Majesty's favor because he possesses a secret recipe for immortality medicine. An Bingshan had already started making the pills for His Majesty when this servant found out about this. There's no one that doesn't desire immortality. The aloof emperor that enjoys the reverence of millions is of course not an exception! According to what An Bingshan said, one of the ingredients for that medicine is the tender flesh below a woman's armpits. He had used this excuse to ravage countless palace maids! However, His Majesty has complete faith in An Bingshan's words. This is the reason why His Majesty has always tolerated An Bingshan!" As Ming Yu spoke, her eyes turned cold and beneath her sleeves, her hands clenched into fists.
Yao Mowan's expression turned serious as well. Ye Hongyi actually wanted to become immortal? He was truly naive! She didn't interrupt Ming Yu's words and just kept listening.
"This servant already knows that An Bingshan has this hobby and had been praying that it wouldn't happen, but bad luck still befell this servant. That night, this servant was knocked unconscious by an eunuch that served An Bingshan and carried to a room behind the Cold Palace… When this servant woke up, An Bingshan was towering above like a sinister demon. Just as An Bingshan was about to make a move, this servant's good friend, Hong Mei, suddenly rushed in and knocked An Bingshan unconscious to save this servant. If it was possible, this servant would've preferred for An Bingshan to just ruin me that day. Even if I died, it was alright. It'd be better than what happened later…" Ming Yu choked back tears. Those memories that she couldn't bring herself to recall were still as vivid as if they had happened just yesterday. Every time she recalled it, her heart would shatter into even more painful fragments.
"An Bingshan found Hong Mei, then killed her?" Yao Mowan's eyes were sharply cold even as anger filled her heart. Ever since she experience rebirth, she had always been telling herself to remain calm, but she seriously couldn't remain unperturbed right now.
"It's this servant that killed Hong Mei… An Bingshan is inhumane! Not only did he torment Hong Mei to the point she was at her last breath, he had the younger eunuchs continue tormenting her… This servant couldn't bear to watch Hong Mei suffer anymore, so… this servant killed Hong Mei and the two eunuchs that were about to torment her. This servant knew that the person who was behind all of this was An Bingshan, so this servant made a gamble… I… I personally handed the tender flesh beneath Hong Mei's armpits to An Bingshan… Since that moment, An Bingshan has treated this servant as a trusted aid. From that time until now, it's already been two years."
Tears silently streaked down Ming Yu's face and soaked her collar. These past two years, every night, Ming Yu would dream of the scene where she had offered Hong Mei's bloody flesh to An Bingshan with her own hands. That pain was worse than death.
"You want An Bingshan to die?" Yao Mowan suppressed her anger and looked towards Ming Yu solemnly.
"This servant has endured for this long. There were a lot of chances to kill An Bingshan, but this servant didn't do so because this servant didn't want An Bingshan to die so easily. He should live and be punished!" Ming Yu gritted her teeth even as tears streamed down her cheek. Her body trembled from the suppressed hatred.
"Did you help him in making pills for His Majesty?" Yao Mowan agreed with Ming Yu's way of thinking. Those that committed outrageous crimes couldn't be let off with just death.
"An Bingshan only assigns this servant to take small amounts from every consort's treasury. This is one of the ways he accumulates wealth. He has never allowed this servant to get involved with refining the pills. However, this servant has noticed that every day, at six in the morning, he would enter Central Dragon Palace. In addition, regardless of where His Majesty is resting that night, at six, he would also return to Central Dragon Palace, so this servant thinks that An Bingshan is definitely refining the pills in Central Dragon Palace!" said Ming Yu, her bright eyes staunch.
"This consort will make an exchange with you. The trade is that, this consort will make An Bingshan wish he was dead in exchange for three months of your complete loyalty. Well?" Yao Mowan's voice was solemn and clear, her eyes were as cold and still as the water in an ancient well. Perhaps she should consider changing that immortality recipe for Ye Hongyi?
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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira
