Chapter 220

Chapter 220: Not On Purpose?

On the bed, Hui’er slowly opened her eyes. Her dazed gaze landed on Noble Lady Fu’s face as she whispered, “Consort Mother…”

Noble Lady Fu cried and laughed at once, clutching Hui’er’s hand as she answered, “Consort Mother is here! Consort Mother is here!”

Hui’er’s eyes brightened. She reached out and asked, “Qing Ning, Imperial Elder Sister?” but she cried out in pain the moment she moved.

Noble Lady Fu immediately looked to Sheng Zhi Wan in alarm.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s brows drew tight as she asked, “Hui’er, do you remember what happened earlier?”

The Empress’s heart sank.

Hui’er looked at Noble Lady Fu with grievance. “Consort Mother locked Hui’er in the room and wouldn’t let Hui’er go out to play.”

“And then?” Sheng Zhi Wan pressed.

Hui’er blinked. “Then Hui’er fell asleep.”

The Empress stared, stunned.

Noble Lady Fu could not believe it. “Hui’er, you don’t remember sneaking out?”

Hui’er pouted, tears already gathering. “How did Consort Mother know Hui’er wanted to sneak out? Hui’er wanted to go feed Dumb Fish, but Hui’er fell asleep. Hui’er doesn’t even know if Dumb Fish got any cakes.”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Maybe the knock made her forget that part.”

Noble Lady Fu asked anxiously, “Will there be any other effects?”

“For now, we don’t know,” Sheng Zhi Wan replied.

Nearby, the Empress examined Hui’er closely. Hui’er’s face showed no sign of acting, and the Empress finally relaxed a little. A four- or five-year-old child could not have such deep scheming, so maybe she truly had forgotten.

The Empress said, “Imperial Physician Xu, trouble yourself to check the Fourth Princess again.”

Sheng Zhi Wan stepped aside at once.

Imperial Physician Xu hesitated. After all, the medicine he had prescribed had nearly harmed the Fourth Princess.

The Empress frowned and snapped, “If I tell you to go, then go. See whether this memory loss is temporary or lasting, whether she might remember later, and whether it will affect the child.”

“Yes, yes,” Imperial Physician Xu replied, and only then stepped forward.

He examined Hui’er carefully and questioned her for a long time before wiping sweat from his brow. “The Fourth Princess truly has lost her memory. Whether it will be temporary or long-term is still unknown, but fortunately, she only lost that one part. Her understanding and everything else are fine.”

Noble Lady Fu finally let out a breath.

The Empress’s face still looked unpleasant. As long as the Fourth Princess might remember again, it was a hidden danger for Ming Jia.

Then the Empress considered it again. Children forgot easily, and even if Hui’er did remember, she might not recall who had put her on the rockery, especially since she had not died and was still bouncing around.

More importantly, this incident left Ming Jia with a handle now in the Empress’s hands. With that thought, the Empress’s gaze toward Hui’er turned strangely gentle.

The Empress sent her personal palace maid to Jing Ren Palace for many precious tonics and had them delivered. Noble Lady Fu was shocked and overjoyed, thanking Empress Your Grace again and again.

As for the earlier bowl of poisoned medicine, it was blamed on a young apothecary apprentice who had made a mistake and grabbed a similar-looking herb. That excuse brushed everything aside.

Or perhaps Noble Lady Fu did sense something was wrong, but she did not dare dig deeper. Noble Lady Fu was only a sixth-rank noble lady, with no family backing and no favor-what right did Noble Lady Fu have to investigate? Noble Lady Fu only wanted to stay alive.

Sheng Zhi Wan said nothing more. Only after the Empress and the others left did Sheng Zhi Wan order the dove cart brought to Hui’er’s bedside.

Hui’er was truly delighted.

Noble Lady Fu, having nearly lost her, wished she could keep her eyes on Hui’er every breath of the day. Yet Sheng Zhi Wan told Noble Lady Fu to bring over the copied pages of the ?Inner Instructions?.

Noble Lady Fu’s face went from green to white. Noble Lady Fu sent everyone out, then pulled out a few sheets with only a handful of pages copied.

Noble Lady Fu started, “Princess…”

Sheng Zhi Wan tapped the back of Hui’er’s neck. Hui’er, who had been smiling a moment ago, slowly went limp.

Noble Lady Fu froze.

Sheng Zhi Wan took out a silver needle and pierced the top of Hui’er’s head again, then removed it a moment later. Noble Lady Fu’s eyes widened.

As the needle came out, Hui’er, eyes still closed, murmured in her sleep, “Consort Mother! Consort Mother… Hui’er is so scared!”

Noble Lady Fu grasped Hui’er’s hand, her expression blank.

Sheng Zhi Wan drew a deep breath and asked, “What exactly happened today?”

After Noble Lady Fu finished explaining, Hui’er finally woke up.

The little girl’s eyes were full of tears, and fear still clung deep inside them.

Sheng Zhi Wan guided her gently. “Hui’er, tell Qing Ning, Imperial Elder Sister. How did you end up on the rockery, and what happened there?”

From Hui’er’s broken fragments, Sheng Zhi Wan pieced the story together. “Hui’er sneaked out to feed the fish and heard two people talking. One bad woman even spoke badly about Imperial Elder Sister. Hui’er didn’t recognize her, but Hui’er got angry and argued with her, and then that bad woman put Hui’er on the rockery, right?”

Hui’er wiped her tears and nodded hard. “Right! Hui’er was scared and wanted to climb down, but Hui’er fell.”

“It’s alright now, Hui’er,” Sheng Zhi Wan said as she gently pinched Hui’er’s cheek. “Next time you go out, you must bring the palace attendant who looks after Hui’er, alright?”

“Alright,” Hui’er replied.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice turned firm. “Also, if anyone asks, Hui’er must never say someone put Hui’er on the rockery, alright?”

Hui’er stared at her. “Why?”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Because that was just a nightmare. Hui’er was sleeping here the whole time and never sneaked out.”

Hui’er looked amazed, and the fear eased from her face. “So it was a nightmare?”

Sheng Zhi Wan chatted with Hui’er a little longer before leaving.

Noble Lady Fu hurried after her. “Princess Qing Ning, who was it? Who could be so vicious, trying to harm Hui’er over just a few words?”

Sheng Zhi Wan already had a faint guess in her heart. To confirm it was simple-she only needed to know who had entered the palace today.

Sheng Zhi Wan went to Ci Hui Palace and ate lunch with the Empress Dowager. Nanny Xiu soon brought back the news: Ming Jia Commandery Princess had gone with Duke Qi Mansion’s second miss, Qi Fei Rui, to pay respects to Empress Your Grace and Noble Consort Qi.

The one who put Hui’er on the rockery should have been Ming Jia Commandery Princess.

As for the one who tampered with the medicine-was it the Empress, or Noble Consort Qi?

Sheng Zhi Wan replayed the scene at Fu Xiu Palace. Noble Consort Qi had acted as she always did-worried, yet not overly keen.

But the Empress…

Sheng Zhi Wan asked, “Nanny Xiu, when the news of the Fourth Princess’s accident spread, where was Ming Jia Commandery Princess?”

Nanny Xiu answered, “She should have been in the Empress’s palace. She only went to Noble Consort Qi’s place after that.”

Sheng Zhi Wan nodded.

The Empress Dowager had only just woken and heard that Hui’er had been hurt. The Empress Dowager looked at Sheng Zhi Wan and said, “Do you think Ming Jia harmed Hui girl? Ming Jia is like this. Ming Jia might not have meant to hurt Hui girl. Ming Jia only wanted to teach Hui girl a lesson.”

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled. “Grandmother, don’t worry. I know.”

Sheng Zhi Wan pressed the chill in her eyes down deep.

Not on purpose?

Yet Hui’er truly had almost died because of Ming Jia. If Sheng Zhi Wan had arrived a little later, or if those people had found Hui’er a little later… Sheng Zhi Wan did not dare to think further.

Sheng Zhi Wan understood that Grandmother wanted the matter to end quietly and did not want Sheng Zhi Wan to clash with Prince Huai Manor. But Hui’er had been toyed with because of Sheng Zhi Wan. How could Sheng Zhi Wan pretend she knew nothing?

The Empress was willing to smooth this over for Ming Jia because the Empress wanted to pull Ming Jia close, and pull Prince Huai Manor close. But the Empress did not know that Prince Huai Manor had already been chosen by Ming Jia for Third Imperial Brother.

As for Eldest Imperial Brother, that crown prince who looked fierce but was also cowardly and useless, the Empress thought the Empress could use this matter to make Ming Jia marry him. That would never happen.

Unless…

Sheng Zhi Wan pressed her lips into a small smile, but her eyes were ice-cold.