A wave of heat accompanied by a stuffy odor and the smell of blood burst forth from the Inner Palace.
A Little Palace Maid was holding the curtains behind, and another, who looked like a Senior Palace Maid, rushed out with a prescription in hand, anxiously replying, "Yes, I will fetch the medicine right now."
The Senior Palace Maid was answering as she left the Inner Palace, and just as she stepped out, she suddenly saw the Noble Consort.
Startled, she seemed to jump with fright, then hastily bowed and said, "Qing Ping pays respects to the Noble Consort."
Behind the curtains, Chu Yuanzheng seemed to have just finished writing medical orders, walking towards the bed, while two Imperial Physicians examined the patient with grave expressions, and an old Nanny was attending to the person in the bed.
Near the curtains, there was a Palace Maid who had just turned around, the one who had spoken to the Senior Palace Maid who had just come out; it appeared to be her.
This Palace Maid, upon hearing the respectful greeting, suddenly turned her head to look at the Noble Consort, her reddened eyes instantly turning cold, her demeanor like that of facing a formidable enemy.
This Palace Maid was none other than Qing Ya.
Through the curtains and silhouettes, the Noble Consort looked intently as if seeing a lifeless body.
Her eyes flashed a chilling smile as she looked at the Palace Maid who had bowed to her, not bidding her to rise but instead asking with concern, "How is Younger Sister Liu?"
Qing Ping, anxious at heart, nonetheless found herself answering; she resisted the urge to look back, saying, "Replying to the Noble Consort, the master’s... the master’s blood has choked her heart..."
The Little Palace Maid holding the curtains looked towards Qing Ya, and, seeing no response, was unsure whether to let go or continue holding them, feeling very helpless.
Qing Ya, her gaze sharply fixed on the Noble Consort, was unaware that her nails were digging into her flesh. She hurried forward a few steps, intending to take over the conversation and urge Qing Ping to quickly fetch the medicine.
But at this moment, a voice came, "The Noble Consort asks without choosing her moments, anyone with eyes can see this Palace Maid is in a hurry to fetch medicine. If you want to know how Consort Liu is, why not ask someone else?"
Consort Xu De couldn’t stand it; she had no interest in participating in their feud, but she couldn’t bear this scene. Even though Consort Liu was no angel, if she died, the trouble would be great.
She directly said to Qing Ping, "Don’t worry, just go."
After speaking, she turned to a Palace Maid from Huaying Hall, "You are swift on your feet, take this Palace Maid with you."
The person was indeed her own bodyguard, skilled in martial arts.
"Yes," her bodyguard acknowledged and instantly headed towards Qing Ping, grabbing her before anyone could react, and whisking her away at high speed.
Qing Ya breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes passing over Consort Xu De, a hint of gratitude surfacing in her heart.
Her master—Consort Liu—was fine just earlier, but upon hearing that the Noble Consort was unafflicted, anger surged to her chest, and she spat blood profusely, her face as pale as gold leaf, her breath barely there, looking as if she might depart at any moment.
In a panic and seeing her master fading, Qing Ya rushed to take out the remaining Thousand-Year Ganoderma, crushing it and allowing her master to hold it in her mouth, barely keeping her alive.
At that time, she was too busy caring for her master to pay attention to anyone else, and Huafu Hall immediately descended into chaos.
It was Consort De who came later, scolded the others, suppressed the chaos in Huafu Hall, and managed everything in an orderly manner.
For this, she was indebted.
Regardless of how sweetly the Noble Consort spoke, she harbored malicious intentions.
Her presence here was like a weasel greeting a chicken for the New Year, plainly wishing for the master’s early demise.
Seeing the Noble Consort could only agitate her master further, possibly worsening her condition.
With these thoughts, she walked out of the Inner Palace, gesturing for the Little Palace Maid to let the heavy curtains fall. Stationed at the doorway, she first bowed gratefully to Consort De, saying, "Many thanks to Consort De."
After speaking, she also bowed to the Noble Consort, saying, "Whatever the Noble Consort wishes to know, feel free to ask me."
The Noble Consort sneered coldly at Consort De, seeming to have underestimated her goodness at this moment.
Not wanting to delay any longer, she turned back, her gaze falling on Qing Ya and fixed there for a while. Suddenly, she said, "So it’s you."
The remark was abrupt and except for Qing Ya, no one understood.
The Noble Consort looked meaningfully at Qing Ya and slowly said, "No need, I will go see for myself."
With that, she stepped towards the Inner Palace.
Qing Ya stood firm at the entrance, not yielding half a step, "The master is gravely ill, the Imperial Physician is currently treating her. The Noble Consort has a distinguished status, please stay your steps to avoid any disturbance."
The Noble Consort said with righteous indignation, "Consort Liu and I have been acquainted for many years. Now that I know she is unwell, how could I not visit to maintain our friendship?"
She then made a signal to the people of Huaqing Palace.
Before the people of Huaqing Palace could act, a burst of heavy breathing like a broken bellows came from inside the Inner Palace, each breath sounding heavier than the last.
Suddenly, there came a rushed shout from within: "Quickly help the Consort up!"
It was Chu Yuanzheng’s voice.
Immediately, a commotion ensued. There were people shouting "Consort Liu, hold on", others hitting backs with a dull sound, a chaos of noises, and even someone vomiting loudly with a "wah", strikingly clear amongst the clamor.
In just a few breaths’ time, the situation inside had changed.
Qing Ya was greatly alarmed and could no longer care to block the way, she turned and lifted the curtain, heading inside.
The Noble Consort, hearing the commotion inside, let the corner of her mouth uncontrollably curl up slightly.
In a few steps, she arrived at the entrance of the Inner Palace, stopped the people from Huaqing Palace, and personally lifted the heavy curtain that had been put back down, stepping into the Inner Palace and looking towards the bed. She saw a pair of resentful eyes staring straight at her.
A chill went straight to the Noble Consort’s heart, her whole body turning cold as she suddenly stepped back, her heart pounding uncontrollably, clearly frightened.
A Palace Maid from Huaqing Palace, quick-witted, hastened to support her.
In the Inner Palace, Chu Yuanzheng was taking Consort Liu’s pulse, the others nervously watching him. Qing Ya had reached the bedside, her eyes red as she stared at her mistress.
Consort Liu, supported by an old Nanny, sat in the middle of the bed with a large patch of vomited blood on her chest, her complexion pale and blood at the corner of her lips.
She weakly half-raised her head, looking straight at the people at the doorway, slowly manifesting a chilling, eerie smile:
"Sister is doing fine, how could I, her sister, bear to die?"
She uttered each word slowly, her breath weak and intermittent. Yet every word seemed to seethe with deep hatred, as if coming from a vengeful spirit out of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, sending shivers down one’s spine.
Cai Qin did not go to help the Noble Consort.
She stood outside, head bowed looking into the void, her expression indecipherable.
As soon as the Noble Consort entered the Inner Palace, she was frightened into retreating by that gaze. In the midst of her heart’s palpitations, she saw clearly the person on the bed, her dear sister—Liu Lingyi—looking neither human nor ghostly!
She was supposed to be frail and unlikely to live long yet had stubbornly survived for so many years. She was so close to death, why wouldn’t she just die?!
Seething with anger, she shook off the Palace Maid who was supporting her, stood up straight with her back erect, and looked fiercely at the person on the bed.
Their gazes locked tightly, separated by a thin veil between life and death, one filled with a deep, bone-chilling grudge, the other sharp and cutting, every look like an incision to the flesh.