Gold Medal Mediator [Quick Transmigration] 25p1

Chapter 25: The Empire This One Conquered For You (15)

A few days later, in the imperial palace of the capital.

Chun Tao stood inside a rockery in the imperial garden. With her in the grotto was another palace attendant, dressed in a bluish-green palace uniform. The attendant looked around before leaning in to whisper in her ear.

A moment later, a flicker of surprise appeared in Chun Tao’s eyes. She whispered, “Are you certain?”

The palace attendant smiled at her. “This is a secret of the Palace of Eternal Joy, Sister Chun Tao. If it weren’t for the fact that your mistress has always been on good terms with Maiden Qing Jia and Her Majesty the Empress, I would never tell you such a thing that could cost me my head.”

Chun Tao naturally returned an understanding smile. She took a dark green bracelet from her pocket and pressed it into the other’s hand, smiling, “Then I shall thank you on behalf of my mistress for this matter.”

The palace attendant in bluish-green thanked her profusely. Before leaving the rockery, she deliberately checked to see that no one was around, then vanished, leaving Chun Tao standing there for a long time before she took a small path and hurried back to the Palace of Gathering Elegance.

**

These past few days, Shen Qingyu had been preoccupied with the fact that Hua Baihe had inexplicably fled the palace. Yet, she dared not make any big moves, for fear of displeasing the Empress.

The words Huan Xi had said that day often surfaced in her mind, causing her to suddenly zone out while in the middle of a task. She would drift off without warning, until Chun Tao, beside her, called her back.

The handkerchief she had planned to embroider for Hua Baihe had made no progress. Later, Chun Tao, worried she would prick herself again while lost in thought, instructed others to watch over her and not to let her handle any needlework alone in the main hall.

At lunch this day, Shen Qingyu had lost her appetite for both food and drink. Looking at the table of colorful dishes, she waved a hand listlessly. “Clear it all away.”

The palace maid who had just set the table and was testing the food for her held her silver chopsticks, looking troubled. She pleaded in a low voice, “Your Highness, Sister Chun Tao has instructed us to persuade you to eat at least a little. The Imperial Kitchen, knowing your poor appetite recently, has specially prepared some cool and refreshing dishes. Why don’t you try this sour plum cold cake first?”

Shen Qingyu’s delicate, willow-like brows furrowed, as if she were hesitating whether to force herself to take a bite.

Just then, Chun Tao walked in from the entrance. Seeing that Shen Qingyu hadn’t even touched her chopsticks, she stamped her foot, her face a picture of anxiety.

“Your Highness! Why must you torment yourself for a mere servant from the Palace of Eternal Joy!”

“Chun Tao.” Shen Qingyu was displeased at her words about Hua Baihe. “I have never seen her as a servant, you know that. If you say that again, I will be angry.”

A look of indignation appeared on Chun Tao’s face. She strode over the threshold and said to Shen Qingyu, “Your Highness! I beg you, please stop thinking about her!”

Shen Qingyu didn’t speak, only asking about another matter, “The information I asked you to find out, how is it?”

Chun Tao’s breath caught. The look on her face immediately gave her away. Seeing that she wasn’t dejected, Shen Qingyu immediately looked at her. “You have news? Speak quickly!”

Chun Tao looked at the untouched meal on her table and said boldly to Shen Qingyu, “Unless Your Highness finishes your lunch properly, this servant will absolutely not speak.”

She had already anticipated that once Shen Qingyu knew the truth, she would have no mind to eat.

Now it was her mistress’s turn to be anxious. Shen Qingyu glared at her, both angry and amused, not expecting her to dare to bargain with her. “Speak!”

She urged.

But Chun Tao stiffened her neck and said, “Your Highness, if you eat at least half a bowl of rice, I will tell you. Otherwise, even if you beat this servant to death, I will never tell you this news.”

Shen Qingyu had always been good-tempered. As long as the people under her didn’t make a big mistake, she was always lenient. If it weren’t for a capable person like Chun Tao by her side, she might not have been able to manage them at all.

This tactic really worked on her. She feigned anger and scolded Chun Tao a few more times, but she couldn’t really pry her mouth open. She could only pick up her chopsticks resentfully, picking at her food as she spoke, “If it weren’t for the fact that I know you truly care about me, if it were anyone else, I would have had them dragged out and beaten long ago.”

Seeing that she was really starting to eat, a smile returned to Chun Tao’s face. She leaned in to serve her personally.

“Your Highness is good to this servant, and this servant remembers it carefully in her heart~ Your Highness wouldn’t bear to hit me.”

As she spoke, she served Shen Qingyu some tender fish meat, carefully removing the bones. The dishes served today were flavors she had begged and pleaded for at the Imperial Kitchen, asking the chefs to add more sourness to whet her appetite.

Persuaded by her and guessing that she must have good news today, Shen Qingyu unexpectedly ate more than half a bowl of rice and drank a small bowl of soup.

She took the teacup from another palace maid, lifted the lid to gently skim the surface of the tea, took a sip to rinse her mouth, and then looked at Chun Tao impatiently.

“Now you have to come clean, right?”

Chun Tao knew this couldn’t be hidden forever. She sighed, had the others clear the table, and then sent everyone out of the room. Only then did she kneel by Shen Qingyu’s side, lowered her head, and said:

“Your Highness, this servant’s earlier advice for you to stop thinking about Qing Jia was all for your own good… Now that His Majesty is not here, Her Majesty the Empress is the sole power in the palace. Even the Empress Dowager cannot compete with her. Why must you catch her eye?”

Shen Qingyu had actually had a vague suspicion in her heart these past few days, which had kept her tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep. Now, she was eagerly waiting for someone to tell her the truth and free her from this state. Hearing Chun Tao still trying to persuade her, she could no longer bear it.

“Just say it. What is going on?”

Chun Tao spoke with a complicated tone, “This servant is being audacious. Her Majesty the Empress’s feelings for Qing Jia… are the same as yours, Your Highness.”

She knew she shouldn’t have pierced this paper window, but now it was a matter of last resort. She could not watch her mistress confront the Empress at this time—unless, she waited for His Majesty to return.

Hearing her words, Shen Qingyu’s face turned three shades paler. Though she was still sitting in her chair, she instinctively reached out to support herself on the table, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Chun Tao.

Chun Tao continued, “Every word this servant says is true. The reason Maiden Qing Jia fled the palace was because Her Majesty the Empress had her under house arrest in the palace and would not let her out. She was terrified of this life and also worried that the matter would be exposed, so she begged Huan Xi to let her go.”

Every word of this was shocking to Shen Qingyu. She remembered that Qing Jia had been on good terms with her at first, but then she hadn’t seen her for a long time.

She had thought she was just too busy, and that it was natural that she wouldn’t run into her.

But it turned out…

Shen Qingyu tried to get up from her seat, muttering, “How could this be… impossible…”

But before she could stand, her foot twisted somehow, and she immediately fell back into her seat, scaring Chun Tao into quickly supporting her. “Your Highness!”

She then pleaded, “Since you have entered the palace, you should understand that His Majesty is your greatest support. Why must you waste your thoughts on others? If anyone finds out, this is a matter that could cost you your head!”

“This servant begs you, please wake up!”

**

In the Palace of Eternal Joy.

A young palace maid hurried towards the main hall, holding a tray with an imperial edict and a family letter sent by express horse from the border by the Emperor.

Jiang Yao had already arranged most of the matters for her departure from the palace. To be safe, she had even made a point of getting closer to the other ladies these past few days, intending for them to assist the Empress Dowager in managing the harem after she left.

As for Consort Jing, Shen Qingyu—

She can only blame herself for desiring someone she shouldn’t have, Jiang Yao thought.

With this thought, amidst the silent atmosphere maintained by the surrounding palace staff, she slowly opened the letter, wanting to see what Liu Ye had said.

Just then, two more people hurried over from outside. After bowing at the entrance, one of them, holding a small bamboo tube, quickly came to her ear and whispered, “Your Majesty, a message from the Young Lord Jiang from the army!”

Jiang Yao’s hand, opening the Emperor’s letter, paused. She first took the message from Jiang Zhenhai, and as she was guessing what he was going to complain about, she unfolded the note and read it carefully:

Qing Jia has detoxified. His Majesty is recovering.

Jiang Yao: “…!”

She recognized every character, but when combined, they left her somewhat bewildered.

A flicker of shock passed through Jiang Yao’s eyes, and then the emotions crumbled and settled like dust.

Countless questions arose in her mind.

She had thought Qing Jia couldn’t bear her treatment, or was afraid that this matter would be exposed and tarnish her reputation. But why did this person who had fled the palace go to Jian City?

Most importantly, she had even cured the Emperor’s poison!

Where did she find out that the Emperor was poisoned?

Many doubts swirled in Jiang Yao’s mind, making her realize—

—it was time for her to leave.

Especially the Emperor’s timely edict, which practically opened the door for her trip to the northwest and saved her the trouble of figuring out a way to leave the palace.

Jiang Yao didn’t realize that a cold curve had already formed on her lips. Just then, another palace attendant leaned in to her ear and whispered about the recent comings and goings between Huan Xi and the Palace of Gathering Elegance. After speaking, she stood by and awaited her instructions.

If Jiang Zhenhai’s family letter hadn’t arrived, Jiang Yao might have considered summoning Huan Xi and questioning her about Qing Jia’s whereabouts.

But now—

“Pay it no mind,” Jiang Yao said casually.

Her eyes were dark and heavy, like the calm before a storm.

**

Hua Baihe had no idea that she had been unknowingly set up for the third time by the young lord of the Jiang family. She was being treated as an honored guest in the prefectural residence every day. The servants who passed by didn’t dare to approach her, as if they were afraid she would shake some terrifying object from her person at any moment.

Seeing this, she shook her head and remarked to the System, “These people, they have no appreciation for a pure and beautiful heart.”

However, the fewer people who interacted with her, the smaller the risk of her cover being blown. Hua Baihe didn’t mind their fearful avoidance, except for one thing—

Liu Ye now revered her as a divine physician. Believing that since she could cure a strange poison that other military physicians could not, she must be passionate about studying such toxins, he had not forgotten to send people to collect some strange things for her from the front lines.

She often received cloth bundles from the returning soldiers, containing strange things. Sometimes it was a scorpion the size of an adult man’s fist, sometimes it was a poisonous plant she had never seen before, which scared her so much that she no longer took pleasure in opening packages.

“Oh my, what are all these things! They’re scaring this baby to death~” she said in a coquettish voice, patting her chest, her eyes under the silver mask blinking at the soldier who had just returned from a bloody battle, as if asking him to comfort her.

The burly soldier, who had been unfazed by carrying a large, two-headed dead snake, was stunned by her tone.

“My mask is about to fall off from the scare~” Hua Baihe said, raising a hand to tighten the knot of her mask, which she had accidentally tied too loosely when she went out today. But the soldier, under orders to come here, was so scared that he took three large steps back.

It was said that those who saw the divine physician take off her mask that day lost all interest in women for several days, and even had trouble eating their dinner that night.

This big brother had no desire to experience what kind of realm that was. He backed away, waving his hands at Hua Baihe, and stammered, pointing at himself:

“Divine Physician! Divine Physician Hong… I, I, I’m one of us—don’t take it off!”

Hua Baihe: “…” What did you just say, little brother?

Before she could speak a third time, the big man had already retreated to the courtyard gate. He tripped on the threshold and fell with a loud thud, but he didn’t cry out in pain. Instead, he immediately scrambled up and ran off into the distance, as if a monstrous beast were chasing him.

Her self-esteem wounded, Hua Baihe could only return to the courtyard dejectedly. Looking at the very dead two-headed snake, she asked the System:

“System-boo, how do I eat this?”

The border campaign was tough. After a portion of the granary in Jian City was plundered by the Di Rong, the remaining was recounted by the warehouse manager. Recently, the army had been saving on food and drink as much as possible. Although Hua Baihe was nominally the Emperor’s savior, even His Majesty was leading by example and eating hard, dry flatbreads, so she couldn’t ask for special treatment.

She could only uphold the characteristics of a foodie nation and not let any inch of the country… or the delicacies that appeared in it, go to waste.

The courtyard she lived in was very close to Jiang Zhenhai’s. The Emperor had even assigned her a small, separate kitchen, fully equipped with pots, pans, and pottery jars of various sizes, so as not to limit her research. Whenever a soldier had a minor injury and the military physicians were too busy, someone would also come and ask her to take a look.

Hua Baihe tremblingly wrapped the paper, afraid that the snake’s head still had some reactive nerves and would jump up to show off its symmetrical, sharp fangs. She slowly dragged the dead snake to the kitchen.

Because the snake was very long, the burly soldier had carried it over his shoulder. Now it was her turn, and she could only drag it, making a shh, shh sound on the ground.

When she finally reached the kitchen, Hua Baihe, forgetting her makeup, pushed her mask up from below and showed a mouthful of teeth to the only cook who had been assigned to her, thinking she was being sunny and friendly.

—But she had forgotten that she had secretly eaten some of the wild fruit sold in the city this afternoon. The fruit was purple, and its juice had a strong dyeing effect.

The cook was already scared to death by the snake’s head peeking out of the bag. When she suddenly saw her pull up her mask, grin at her, and reveal a row of deep purple teeth—

She let out a gasp, clutched her heart, and fainted on the spot.

Hua Baihe: “Hey, hey, wait—” Don’t faint!

The only cook had fainted. Who was going to make her grand snake meat feast tonight?

She looked blankly at the cook lying on the floor and sighed deeply, “This world has truly, deeply hurt me.”

To show such a look of seeing the evil old witch from Snow White to such a delicate young maiden like her was really hurtful.

The System had no desire to speak to the over-acting her.

Hua Baihe paced around the kitchen a couple of times. Her stomach began to sing a song of emptiness. Helpless, she had no choice but to do it herself. After all, it was a rare all-meat feast, and she really didn’t want to miss this opportunity.

She squatted in front of the snake corpse and called out pitifully in her heart, “Dad.”

System: “Who are you calling?”

Hua Baihe immediately seized the opportunity. “Whoever answers. System-dad, how do you think I should handle this snake?”

The System was shocked by her shameless flexibility. It was silent for a long time before finally giving her instructions, having Hua Baihe bury the snake’s head in the dirt outside, and then guiding her to start skinning it.

A strong, fishy smell filled the entire kitchen. Hua Baihe held her breath against the stench, grabbed the large tear in the snake’s neck, stepped on the remaining half of its body, and pulled hard—

With a rip!

A long strip of snakeskin was torn off.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a sound came from outside the courtyard. “This courtyard is the divine physician’s residence, Your Majesty. If there is no urgent matter, it is best not to come here. That divine physician has an unusual appearance and a strange temper. If you were to encounter her and something were to happen, we servants would have a hard time explaining it to His Majesty!”

Hua Baihe was covered in blood. Her clothes had not escaped being stained, and she was enveloped in the pungent, fishy smell. She only vaguely heard the words of dissuasion from outside.

From the fragments, she caught something like ‘divine physician,’ ‘explain,’ and so on.

But the most important two words were—

Your Majesty.

Hua Baihe was stunned for three seconds, then said to the System with a grin:

“Express delivery, d-door-to-door s-service~”

System: “…”

**