The Treacherous Concubine’s Guide To Whitewashing

Chapter 10, Pt 1 - Kunning Palace

After resolving Shen Dong Liu’s trouble, there was also the trouble that was lying down in the back garden. Thinking about the East China Sea king’s slander, she knows he can’t continue to recuperate in Zichen Palace, but Gu Yi’s injuries have recovered more slowly than she had anticipated.

That day, Yuan Luo went to Gu Yi’s cottage.

The two apprentices in charge of waiting on him were anxiously crouching by the fire

Seeing Yuan Luo, they hurriedly knelt to pay their respects.

Yuan Luo asked: "How are his injuries these past few days?"

One of the apprentices replied: "The injuries have improved to some extent."

"How much longer will it take for them to heal?"

"This..." The apprentice hesitated, not daring to answer.

Yuan Luo assumed that his medical expertise was lacking and was unable to judge, but noticed that the apprentice’s complexion looked very strange.

"What’s going on?"

The apprentice summoned up courage and said: "The young general’s body is impeccable. If he were willing to take his medicine, he ought to see a lot of improvement within three to five days."

The meaning of which is that the boy is not willing to take his medicine. Yuan Luo couldn't believe it.

"Why aren’t you willing to take medicine?" Yuan Luo pushed the door into the room and asked, looking at the teenager lying on the bed.

She hadn’t seen him for a few days. His vitality had improved a lot, but his face was still deathly pale. Apparently, he was still suffering from internal injuries.

"Refusing to take medicine, are you wanting to die?" Yuan Luo continued to ask.

Gu Yi's face was calm and did not answer.

Yuan Luo’s gaze swept over the table and she discovered a bowl of medicine was place there. It was still full and hadn’t been disturbed, but the two medicine bottles beside it were empty.

Her attention was slightly diverted. The bottles of cinnabar medicine were created originally by the hospital. She had ordered Si Xi to get them from the storeroom and confer them to him. The medicine bottles were sealed, but the tisane was brewed right here over the fire.

"Are you afraid I had them poison the medicine?" Yuan Luo felt very ridiculous.

Gu Yi glanced up at her.

She had seen murderous eyes from him several times, but the contempt that was lurking there was nevertheless a first.

He can’t honestly think I want to kill him. Yuan Luo seriously considered this line of conjecture.

Lifting the medicine bowl off the table, she raised her hand and brought it to her lips. She smiled and said: "Be at ease. How about I take a mouthful first."

Gu Yi’s face suddenly changed and his eyes fixated on Yuan Luo, his expression enigmatic.

Yuan Luo didn't have time to analyze the meaning hidden in his expression as the tisane had already been delivered to her lips.

However, the bitter medicine hadn’t even touched her lips when suddenly a sharp sound broke the air and almost immediately the white porcelain bowl in her hand exploded. Yuan Luo was startled and she jumped back reflexively. The clothing near her hand was splashed with the thick black medicine.

Si Xi screamed in surprise: "Empress!"

Yuan Luo turned her head to look outside the door. Lian Yan Qiu had unexpectedly  He stood on the porch outside the door,

Lian Yan Qiu had unexpectedly arrived, though when that might have been she had no idea. He stood on the porch outside the door with a frown on his face as he looked into the cottage. His raised hand lowered, but not before she clearly saw it.

Yuan Luo looked down at the broken medicine bowl. In the middle of the debris was a small stone that was conspicuously out of place. She suddenly felt a chill and, lifting her head, was directly facing Gu Yi’s amazed, yet mocking expression.

Yuan Luo didn’t say anything, dropped her soiled sleeve, and turned to leave angrily. She didn’t even look at Lian Yan Qiu when she passed by him. She returned to the palace sleeping hall.

Lian Yan Qiu followed her back into the palace hall.

"Why?" Yuan Luo was full of resentment. Ultimately, she could only say that one word.

Lian Yan Qiu’s reaction from a moment ago, smashing the medicine bowl before she drank from it, could only mean one thing. The medicine really was poisonous. It’s not that Gu Yi was not suspicious, but that he hadn’t expected that the poison was not caused by her. Lian Yan Qiu had instead acted on his own initiative. This explained why Gu Yi’s expression was amazed and mocking.

Lian Yanqiu raised his head and said sternly: "Why does the Empress forgive this person?"

"The Gu family is loyal to the Emperor and previously this palace was too excessive. The Emperor has only ascended the throne for a very short time and his foundation is unstable." Of course, Yuan Luo naturally can’t say that the reason is because Gu Yi is the male lead. She can only use this overt reason instead.

Lian Yan Qiu could not accept this reason: "Even if the Empress regrets her actions in this matter already, we ought to immediately cut the weeds and eliminate the roots. There are many talents in the imperial courts who may side with the Emperor and Empress. Luckily, we can manage Gu Liang Yong's vacant position and his Gu family elite's left at the northern border, but if Gu Yi is left alive, how then do we win the support of these people?"

Yuan Luo felt fidgety. She clearly knew that what Lian Yan Qiu said was logical.

First, even though Gu Liang Yong died on the battlefield, he still left behind tens of thousands of elites. They were all troops and horses that were brought to the border by him. In the event that Gu Yi lived, these people were certain to follow him. If Gu Yi were put to death, her trusted aide would take over. Second, colluding with the Beirong and leaking military plans were criminal offenses which would implicate nine clans. Granted, she was an incomparable imperial concubine, but he was a time bomb waiting to explode. Currently, the criminal aspect was still a secret, but Gu Yi's very life might ignite and detonate those charges at any time.

"I have my own methods for this matter. You don't need to do anything superfluous." Yuan Luo decisively shouted. Seeing Lian Yan Qiu still wanted to oppose her, she simply raised her voice, "This palace is not fond of people without authority having troublesome opinions. Nor am I fond of someone doing something to defy me under the banner of those actions being good for me."

Lian Yan Qiu deeply looked at her, his glance utterly discomfited, but he bowed his head and said, "Your servant respects the Empress' intentions."

Lian Yan Qiu retreated. Yuan Luo was still resentful. She was very aware that Lian Yan Qiu's final obedience was really not agreement on his part. He simply didn't want to be in an extremely noisy deadlock with her.

That person was too dangerous. Only on account of their shared mutual interests did he followed her direction, but in the end he was not genuinely submissive.