His Majesty And I ✔️

Mistress Love

Chapter 47

Imperial Concubine Wei
Wei Li Lian
Hougong

“You two are the only servants I would trust with my life.” Li Lian said to Dao and Ai. She had dismissed all her many other servants from her quarters and told them to stand outside until called back.

“Dao.” Li Lian looked at her dead in the eyes to see if she would lie to her.

“My Lady...” She looked down sadly. Now to think of it, for so many weeks, Dao was downcast more than you would find her smiling.

Ai and Dao sat across Li Lian in the welcoming room, knees folded and their hands laying on their knees, attentive to her. Ai was the clueless one on what was going on.

“You are the one who put the buckwheat in my room, didn’t you?”

“My Lady, why would Dao put the buckwheat in your room?” Ai freaked out. “I know Dao, she wouldn’t do that.”

“Be quiet, Ai.” Li Lian kept her eyes glued to Dao, who now had her hands twisting uncomfortably against the other. “Dao? I asked you a question.”

“My Lady… that is…”

“Get me a whipping stick, Ai.”

“My Lady!” Ai protested, dropping her body to the floor.

“Should I go and get it by myself now?” Li Lian asked. “I said go and get me a stick!” Li Lian pounded on the small table she was using to rest her arm on.

This shook Ai up that she hurriedly got up and fled to look for the stick.

“Now, Dao. Will you start speaking?”

Dao wiped a tear. “Why me? It’s not only me who has access to the bedroom. Ai is also allowed inside.”

“Ai would never. She doesn't know how to deal with such things. And that would be stabbing her own foot to do that as she is in charge of the medicine. It would be stupid of her because she would be the first suspect.”

“My Lady… I didn’t put it there on purpose.”

“If not on purpose, why did you have it there?”

“I w-w-was drinking it for myself.”

“Dao!” Li Lian yelled with a surge of anger. “You have overdone it this time.”

“My Lady, I didn’t think it would be found if it was with you. I sincerely didn’t think so. The reason why I did not keep it among my belongings is because servants have random search calls from the Senior Court Lady, unlike you. This is why I decided to have it in one of your medicine chest boxes. There are so many on the shelf, I didn’t think someone would find it, My Lady.”

Li Lian had medicine she drank in the morning and some in the evening for the relief of back pains. She didn’t expect that one of the spying maids of the Grand Dowager Empress would sneak into her room and inspect each of her boxes.

A week ago, the Grand Dowager sent a book called, The Departing of the Mistress from the Servant. In simpler words, it was the ending of their relationship. The Grand Dowager was giving Li Lian up and wouldn’t be relying on her or using her due to the whole buckwheat incident. The old woman probably saw Li Lian as a proud woman who purposely drank buckwheat to be rebellious against the emperor so that she would gain his attention. 

Ever since their fight, Li Lian was never summoned by His Majesty, which just proved to the Grand Dowager that Li Lian was old news. In the public events where women accompanied the emperor, Yuwen Hong did not treat Li Lian coldly. He treated her as the rest of the women. Him being angry would be better than him being unfeeling towards her.