Gold Medal Mediator [Quick Transmigration] 23p1

Chapter 23: The Empire This One Conquered For You (13)

That stuff was something Huan Xi had bought from other palace maids and eunuchs. Although she didn’t know what Huan Xi was going to do with it, with the Empress’s power in the harem growing by the day and her firm suppression of the Empress Dowager, everyone wanted to latch onto the great tree that was the Palace of Eternal Joy.

So, when selling it to Huan Xi, the person had practically given her a huge bag for free.

This had led to the current tragedy—

“I think you’re hoping for a double blessing, sending Jiang Yao down to wait for the Emperor first.” The System hadn’t had time to stop her earlier. Now, seeing the large clump of poorly soluble powder in the water, it suspected Hua Baihe might be trying to kill Jiang Yao.

Hua Baihe: “You’re overthinking it. How could I bear to personally destroy my own bright and happy future? After I travel a thousand miles to take care of the Emperor, I’ll come back and admit my mistake.”

The System was incredulous. “You’re still thinking of coming back?”

Hua Baihe was very innocent. “I haven’t even finished experiencing all the treasures the Empress specially searched for me. My mother told me since I was young, if you buy something, you have to use it. System-boo, how can you instill such a wasteful and extravagant mindset in me? Are you trying to corrupt me?”

System: “…”

It took several deep breaths and sneered, “A palace maid leaving the palace without permission is a capital offense.”

Hua Baihe: “…Oh!”

A hint of melancholy appeared on Hua Baihe’s face. She had Huan Xi pour out most of the contents of the pot and add some more wine to the rest. Finally, the undrinkable concoction was made to look normal.

Now, all she had to do was wait for Jiang Yao to come for lunch.

After all, the plan to sneak out in the middle of the night was already dead in the water. Now she could only aim for another time when she could move freely.

**

At noon.

Jiang Yao began to arrange her trip to the northwest. The Emperor’s illness was getting worse by the day, and it was uncertain how many days he had left, while this war had only just begun.

She couldn’t be sure if Jiang Zhenhai’s abilities would be enough to command respect, so she decided to go to the front lines herself under the pretext of attending to the sick.

As for matters in the rear, although she was reluctant, there was no doubt that Shen Qingyu was more useful than the other ladies.

As her orders were sent out one by one, Hua Baihe also received the world data synchronously from the System. When Jiang Yao returned to the side palace from the study, she found Hua Baihe sitting silently at the table, staring at the sumptuous meal.

After so many days together, she had grown accustomed to her awkward status between a servant and a bed-warmer. She no longer insisted on serving Jiang Yao during meals and had learned to sit quietly at the table and wait for her.

A hint of satisfaction appeared in Jiang Yao’s heart.

But when her gaze fell on Hua Baihe’s almost wooden face and saw the dullness in her eyes, she felt a little uncomfortable again.

Jiang Yao walked to the table, glanced at it, and seeing a pot of wine by Hua Baihe’s side, she asked Huan Xi, who was standing by:

“Why is there wine?”

Hua Baihe took the blame. “It was this servant’s idea.”

Recently, Jiang Yao had forbidden her from serving during meals and from kneeling to her at every turn, as if she wanted her to shed her servant identity. However, she would usually just eat with her head down, not actively taking any dishes, as if she were used to her servile nature and unwilling to cast it off.

Jiang Yao was quite surprised, as this was the first time she had made a request of her. But then she remembered the consequences of her failed escape last night. Seeing her pour wine into her own cup, she smiled.

“What, trying to drown your sorrows in wine?”

Hua Baihe said in a low voice, “Your Majesty is overthinking it. It is just that I heard there was mulberry wine in the palace and asked Huan Xi to bring some for me to try—this servant has already received a fortune that others can only envy. What sorrows could I have?”

Though she said this, her face showed not a trace of being ‘overwhelmed by favor.’

Jiang Yao was annoyed by her one-track mind, which couldn’t even feign sincerity when lying. But she had tormented her enough last night and didn’t want to lose her temper with Qing Jia again. She could only suppress her displeasure and sit down at the table.

There was only one cup in front of Hua Baihe, which was already filled with the purplish-red fruit wine.

She didn’t pick up her chopsticks but directly took the cup and downed it like a cow drinking water.

“Cough, ugh, cough cough cough…”

The cup was hastily slammed on the table. Hua Baihe had hardly touched alcohol since coming to this world. Drinking so quickly, it was almost inevitable that she would choke.

Perhaps because she hadn’t seen much sun recently and had been confined to the bed day after day, her skin was a weak, pale color, which made the large flush on her face all the more obvious.

She choked so hard she almost fell off her chair. When she finally stopped, her first reaction was to apologize to Jiang Yao beside her.

“For disturbing Your Majesty, this servant deserves to die.”

Jiang Yao pursed her lips. When she picked up the wine pot to pour a second cup, she snatched her cup away and commanded coldly, “No more drinking.”

Hua Baihe’s gaze couldn’t help but follow the cup in her hand. She said in a low voice, “It was just an accident that I choked. Since the second cup is already poured, this servant should not waste it.”

After all, servants were not like their masters, who had many good things to squander. All they could do was try to get more and better things from the rewards their masters gave them.

Jiang Yao’s beautiful brows furrowed unconsciously. Her hand, holding the cup, paused. Seeing her audaciously reach for it, she drank the cup of wine in one go before she could.

Then she placed the empty cup on the table and repeated:

“No more drinking. Eat your meal.”

Hua Baihe looked at her, silently counting in her heart:

“1… 2…”

Jiang Yao was calmly picking at the dishes with her silver chopsticks. Seeing her gaze fixed on her, she suddenly looked back, as if asking: What?

Hua Baihe blinked and quickly looked away, continuing to count in her heart:

“2.5…” Faint, faint now.

“2.8!” Still not fainting!

Hua Baihe was anxious on the inside, but the Jiang Yao in her peripheral vision was calmly finishing the cold dishes and was even reaching for a piece of braised pork, only to pause midway.

Hua Baihe’s eyes lit up, thinking the drug had taken effect, but then Jiang Yao shot her a sideways glance and curved her lips. “What are you hoping for?” You’ve even learned to peek at her.

With that, she placed the piece of meat she had just picked up into her bowl.

Hua Baihe blinked a few more times and asked sincerely, “Your Majesty, you drank a cup of wine. Are you not dizzy?”

Jiang Yao was about to ask her, ‘You’ve been with This One for so long. Which holiday in the Great Yong Dynasty doesn’t have wine? You’ve seen This One drink before,’ but when she realized this, her eating suddenly stopped.

Then, Jiang Yao’s gaze swept over the sumptuous dishes on the table, a hint of alarm in her eyes.

Then, she suddenly shot her gaze towards the wine pot by Hua Baihe’s hand, the surrounding atmosphere as heavy as a storm about to break.

“Qing Jia, you dare—”

Hua Baihe cursed the person who had sold Huan Xi the fake drug. They had better not let her catch them.

She was about to say something else to smooth things over when Huan Xi in the corner knelt down with a thud, trembling as she cried out:

“Your Majesty! This has nothing to do with Qing Jia! It was all my idea!”

Hua Baihe: “…” With friends like these…

She looked up at Jiang Yao in despair, thinking that by the time she could crawl out of bed next week, she didn’t know if Liu Ye could still hold on.

But the next second, the anger on Jiang Yao’s face seemed to freeze. She reached out to support herself on the table, but her vision went black, and she uncontrollably pitched forward.

Hua Baihe breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up, caught her, and helped her to the bed.

Huan Xi nervously got up from the floor. The audacious act of drugging her mistress had her so scared she couldn’t even speak properly. “Q-Q-Qing—”

Hua Baihe didn’t even turn her head. “Kiss what kiss? You want to kiss me goodbye?”

Huan Xi stammered out the second half of the word, “…Jia.”

“W-what are your plans now?” Huan Xi asked, wringing her hands anxiously.

Hua Baihe thought for a moment, then paced around the corner a few times. When Huan Xi saw her go to open a dark wooden chest, she quickly went to stop her. “Qing Jia, taking things made in the palace is a viol—”

Huan Xi’s words trailed off. She then looked at Hua Baihe with an indescribable expression…

And at the exquisitely crafted, yet ruggedly large piece of jade in her hand.

Where it was used, minors were not allowed to know.

Her expression seemed to say: I never knew you were this kind of Qing Jia.

The System was suddenly hit with a face full of mosaic. It was silent for a long time before speaking. “So, in the end, what you couldn’t bear to part with was her box of treasures.”

Hua Baihe was busy picking and choosing from the chest, with no time to deal with Huan Xi’s complicated expression, which seemed to say, ‘Although I don’t know why your needs are so great, I will still keep your secret.’ She said to the System with a grin:

“Of course. We won’t be seeing each other again. I have to leave myself a little souvenir.”

But in the end, because the jade she liked most was not convenient to carry, Hua Baihe reluctantly took only some small items of pure gold and silver. She then returned to the bed and took a ring from Jiang Yao’s finger. The gold and silver pattern on it was hollow, and inside was a small, hidden mark. Seeing the mark was like seeing the Empress.

Hua Baihe had originally wanted Huan Xi to leave with her, but Huan Xi clearly had a high degree of loyalty to the Empress as well:

“For what has happened today, I deserve to die a thousand deaths. Her Majesty has treated me well all these years, I know that in my heart. You don’t have to say any more. When she wakes up, whether she wants to kill me or punish me, I will accept it.”

Hua Baihe sighed. After thinking for a moment, she left Huan Xi with a sentence: “If she really wants to take your life, tell her I went to the front-line military camp.”

Anyway, by the time the Empress arrives, her mission will already be complete—

At that time, whatever the Empress wants to play, she’ll just have to cooperate. Ehehe!

Maybe they can even develop some new kind of secret room game.

Hua Baihe shivered with excitement just thinking about it.

**