Even in this desolate palace, filled with abnormal people, there's still territorial disputes. Is this human nature? Furong wasn't thinking about that right now. Instead, she carefully observed these people. She noticed that a few with strange expressions but clear eyes weren't entirely insane. A sudden realization dawned on her. Those who had spent years in the palace and were eventually chosen by Fenyan to be her personal attendants—no, it could be said that those who were personal attendants to their masters in every palace—were not stupid. Furong couldn't be considered exceptionally intelligent, but she was definitely not dumb.
He quickly replied, "No, the one inside is new, the Emperor's favorite concubine, Consort Pink."
"A favored concubine?" Suddenly someone in the crowd screamed. Furong squinted and said, "That extremely favored concubine is now pregnant with the Emperor's child. Although she was scolded by the Emperor this time, it wasn't really his fault. She'll probably be released in a few days. She's different from you. I advise you to leave quickly, or the Emperor will definitely arrest you and behead you all!"
These people are crazy and foolish, but they are inexplicably concerned about certain words, such as the emperor beheading, which can still arouse their instinctive fear. This cold palace is not only for those who made mistakes during the reign of Emperor Mingxian, but also for the older generation. However, most of them have died after so long, but there are still a few old women who are no different from being dead.
"My child, my child, you...you killed him!" Suddenly, a scream rang out from the crowd. She kept patting her stomach, acting like a madwoman, her eyes even turning red. She stared at one of the people and screamed violently, her face contorted with rage as she lunged forward. Standing in front of her was a woman dressed in black, who seemed a little more normal than the screamer, but at this moment she cried out, "Your Majesty, I am innocent! I did not harm anyone!"
"Bang!" The screaming man kicked out, aiming directly for the man's buttocks. The man in black was kicked and fell to the ground, then suddenly jumped up: "You slut, you slut! You're the one who spread lies before the Emperor! You damned slut! You deserve to die the most! You shameless bitch who only knows how to bend over and please men, I'll kill you!"
"You bitch, you dare to harm my child, I'll kill you!"
The two started fighting haphazardly, slapping and kicking each other in a chaotic and disorderly manner. The people around them also joined in the fight as if they had gone mad, shouting and babbling incoherently. Furong, who had retreated to the side, saw the two fighters take advantage of the chaos to crash into Fenyan's room. Seeing this opportunity, Furong stabbed a hole in the door of the woodshed.
Fenyan had regained consciousness by then. The two men rushed into the house like madmen and shouted angrily when they saw Fenyan, "You bitch, you killed my child! I'll make you pay with your life!"
"Hahaha, you think you're worthy of the Emperor's child? If my child can't be kept, you'll have to miscarry too!"
"Bang bang bang!"
"Stop! You bastards!"
But then the two madwomen raised their feet and stomped and kicked Fenyan's stomach hard. Fenyan screamed in pain, her whole body convulsed in pain, and her face was contorted with a look of ferocity and madness!
☆、243、The Death of Fenyan, the Disguised Identity Revealed!
Fenyan's Achilles tendon was severed, and her martial arts skills were basically ruined. However, she had practiced martial arts before, so she hadn't forgotten some moves. Dealing with the two crazy women was not difficult for her. Fenyan's stomach was in excruciating pain from the kicks. Her belly was already large, and when she was kicked, it felt like a ball was kicking her belly from side to side. The pain was excruciating.
After being soaked in the water, Fen Yan seemed to be acting strangely. Suddenly, her eyes sharpened, and she reached out to grab the black-clad madwoman's head, slamming it against the other crazed head with all her might.
"Bang!" A violent impact echoed through the small but noisy woodshed. The two madwomen were stunned for a moment, then clutched their heads and screamed.
Fen Yan was panting heavily, clutching her stomach and groaning in pain. Her face was contorted in a grimace. Fu Rong, watching from the outside, was startled. These two madwomen were so useless, allowing Fen Yan to slip through their defenses. Should she intervene now? Seeing Fen Yan's pale face, yet seemingly unaffected by her clutching stomach, Fu Rong pondered her next move. Just then, the two madwomen who had bumped their heads stood up, clutching their heads, but with a sinister grin on their faces. Fu Rong smiled coldly; she had already inquired about these two women after arriving in the Cold Palace.
Indeed, there was territorial contention within the Cold Palace, and naturally, there were leaders among them. These two were the two leaders. Both of them were concubines who had committed offenses during the reign of Emperor Mingxian. One of them, in particular, had incurred the emperor's displeasure due to her fiery temper. After arriving in the Cold Palace, it was precisely because of her fiery temper that she carved out her own territory. The two were mortal enemies, constantly leading their men into battle. Even in this unregulated Cold Palace, where the palace servants were often lawless, they dared not be too arrogant in front of these two. When these two truly lost their temper, they were ruthless and unforgiving. Whether you think they were insane or not, they were no longer considered normal people.
What effect would such a crazy woman like Fen Yan have if she resisted in her desperation? Fu Rong narrowed her eyes and continued to watch.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Fenyan felt her stomach pain intensifying and cried out in pain as she clutched her stomach. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise beside her. Looking up, she saw the two madwomen with bizarre expressions, constantly emitting strange "hehehe" laughter that sent chills down her spine: "You slut, how dare you hit me!"
"You shameless woman, with such a seductive face, all you know how to do is seduce the Emperor. Let's see if you can still seduce him!"
The two madwomen were now standing side by side, scoffing at Fen Yan. Fen Yan felt a shiver run through her body. She had already suffered a severe injury to her Achilles tendon and was bleeding heavily, leaving her weak. She had fought back fiercely against the two women, and now she had little strength left. The two women's heads collided, causing her immediate pain, but nothing serious afterward. Her situation was extremely dangerous. Suddenly, she shouted, "Fu Rong, Fu Rong, where are you? Come in quickly!" Fen Yan hated Fu Rong for turning against her at the last minute, but now was not the time for hatred. She needed a helper, so she called for help without holding a grudge.
One of the two madwomen suddenly pulled off her belt, grabbed Fenyan's hands, and tied them up. Fenyan struggled violently, but the two madwomen ignored her struggles and viciously bound her. The madwoman in black, upon seeing Fenyan, suddenly laughed, "Yes, that's the face! It was this face that seduced the Emperor back then, causing the prince to wrongly accuse me and ultimately banish me to the Cold Palace. That bitch, she looked exactly like this back then! She caused me so much suffering! Hahaha, today I'll take my revenge! You bitch, you've finally fallen into my hands! You've finally met your match!"
The madwoman in black stared wide-eyed, her eyes red and sinister. Fen Yan's breath caught in her throat, and she immediately explained, "No, you've got the wrong person! I'm definitely not the vile woman you're talking about! I've only been in the palace for a short time. I wasn't even in the palace when you were all banished to the Cold Palace by the Emperor. I don't even know who you're talking about. It's definitely not me! That person is definitely not me! You've misunderstood!"
"Slap!" Another madwoman slapped Fen Yan's face away, and said with a sinister smile, "At this point, this bitch still wants to argue? She's asking for death!"
The madwoman in black chuckled, then with a flick of her wrist, a small razor blade was discreetly held between her fingers. Pinky's eyes widened instantly, for she saw the madness in the woman's eyes. The madwoman grabbed Pinky's face, grinning, and said, "Isn't it just this seductive face? You slut, you always said you were prettier than me, younger than me, and more fertile than me, giving birth to this Fifth Prince, hahaha! I'll teach you to be fertile! I'll teach you to seduce people with that vixen face! You even dared to say I was trying to get rid of you, all because you were afraid I'd steal your favor! You vicious, venomous woman, you've fallen into my hands today!"
Fenyan was startled and cried out, "No, I'm not Consort Sun, I'm not! Ah!" However, no matter how much Fenyan cried out, the two people were like demons and didn't listen to her at all. The madwoman in black even slid the blade down her face. With a "swoosh," Fenyan felt something warm sliding down her cheek. Fenyan screamed, as if only in this way could she ignite all the anger in her heart. She hated it, she hated it!
She inexplicably did that kind of thing with Baili Cheng. Looking back now, all she could think of was a fragrance. She was quite surprised when Baili Cheng came to see her because she hadn't sent him any message. Why would he come? That was very strange. But just as they realized they might be in a trap, the fragrance in the room suddenly intensified. Then she felt her whole body getting hot, and Baili Cheng had already hugged her tightly.
Fenyan doesn't remember what happened next very clearly. She only knows that she had a strong urge to be held by the person next to her. As for who it was, she wasn't clear about it at the time. She sadly thought that she had been set up, but at that time, under the influence of the drugs, she couldn't come to her senses. She just felt that being hugged made her feel very satisfied, both physically and mentally. If Fushun hadn't suddenly appeared at the bedside and startled them awake, they would still be stuck in that erotic dream. After all, at that time, under the control of the drugs, they had been engaged in this activity since they finished their morning greetings and bathing, and they showed no signs of waking up.
It's tragic that they eventually woke up, but this is the result they faced.
Since entering the palace, Fenyan had been extremely cautious, but she was actually very confident in herself. Leaving aside her cunning and martial arts skills, her own abilities far surpassed those of most of the palace staff. Moreover, she had powerful backers and knew many secret techniques, making her incredibly difficult to harm. Therefore, she still didn't understand why she had been drugged with aphrodisiacs and had consummated her relationship with Baili Cheng. Even the Emperor had been caught in the trap. Fenyan suddenly chuckled softly.
"Ouyang Yue, it's you! How could it be anyone else? She really can't think of anyone else who could have done this besides Ouyang Yue. The Empress Dowager and the Empress wouldn't harm their own grandson and son, and she even has an agreement with the Empress that they won't break off relations until that matter is accomplished. Although Consort Sun hates her, Consort Sun doesn't have the ability or cunning to do something like this without being discovered." Fen Yan had already realized something different. Consort Zhang and Baili Cai had left sachets on her twice before, which must have been more than just a miscarriage-inducing drug. But how did this herbal medicine end up on her without her noticing? Fen Yan racked her brains but couldn't figure it out. Therefore, she felt even more pathetic!
Fenyan couldn't help but shed tears, but these tears mingled with blood, wetting her entire face. Fenyan looked like a madwoman with her hair disheveled, her appearance terrifying.
The two madwomen had already left several bloody marks on Fenyan's face, each line cutting half of her face. In just a few moments, Fenyan's originally porcelain-white face was covered with long bloody marks. At a glance, there were at least seven or eight marks on both sides. The two women were getting more and more excited. The madwoman in black kept disfiguring Fenyan's face, while the other kicked and stomped on Fenyan's stomach.
Fenyan made a "woo-woo" sound, but she was already exhausted and in pain from the torture and had no strength to resist. She lay on the wooden bed like a dead person, letting the two do whatever they wanted to her.
After an unknown amount of time, the two madwomen looked at Fenyan with satisfied smiles. Fenyan felt something slowly flowing down her body. It was no longer pain, but also a deep sense of loss and fear. She knew that she had been tormented by these two madwomen to the point of miscarriage.
When Emperor Mingxian saw her with Baili Cheng, his anger was understandable. However, the child was undoubtedly his. At that time, she and Baili Cheng had no connection. Fenyan had previously thought that if Emperor Mingxian calmed down, and she had the Empress and her master mediate, there might still be room for maneuver. Since she had been framed, she could bring in Consort Zhang and Baili Cai for a confrontation. She always had a way to make Emperor Mingxian change his mind. But now, everything is gone. The child that could have been used as a bargaining chip to get Emperor Mingxian to forgive her is gone.
Fen Yan's face was contorted with rage, her eyes wide with fury as she roared, "You lunatics! You deserve to die!"
Fenyan, seemingly drawing strength from nowhere, suddenly stretched out her foot and kicked a madwoman in the stomach. The madwoman, not expecting Fenyan to have such strength, was kicked backward and fell to the ground. "Ah!" the madwoman screamed, reaching under her leg to find her hand covered in blood.
It turned out that the madwoman in black had thrown the razor blade in her hand earlier, and it fell to the ground where she sat down, cutting her leg. The madwoman was trembling with rage, and the madwoman in black was also stunned, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "You bitch, you dare to resist? Die!"
As she spoke, she swung her fists and began to punch Fenyan's chest and stomach with all her might. The madwoman with the injured leg also realized what was happening. Although her leg was scratched, it was much better than Fenyan's condition. Coupled with the hatred in her heart, she was extremely ruthless.
Before long, Fenyan was beaten to the point of near death. The two madwomen sneered, turned around and left. Soon after, the noise outside subsided and disappeared, and the crowd dispersed.
Fenyan lay on the bed, breathing slowly but heavily through her nose. Just then, she heard footsteps beside her and turned her head with some difficulty. She saw Furong slowly walking over. Fenyan's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and she said coldly, "You... betrayed me!"
Furong sneered: "From the moment I entered the palace, I never thought of leaving alive. Of course, it would be best if I could keep my life, but when I started following you, I knew I had no way out. It was either to live a glorious life or to die. Unfortunately, this time you went too far. I am doomed to die. My chances of surviving are not high. So I have to think about my family."
Fenyan scoffed, "You think this will save your family's lives?"
“At least the chances are higher. The Emperor isn’t as ruthless as you, and they don’t know anything. What’s the point of killing them?” Furong said calmly.
"I've been tricked! I've been framed!" Fenyan's tears flowed like a broken string. She was truly remorseful at this moment, and she was truly wronged.
Furong said dismissively, "So what if you're wronged? Many wrongful convictions happen in this palace every day. You won't be the first, nor will you be the last. Besides, you were once the one who created the wrongful conviction. It's really laughable that you're crying foul now. Actually, I admire you very much. You are a brave and resourceful person. I was so willing to follow you back then because I felt that I could achieve great things by your side. It's a pity that you also died in the vortex of this palace in the end, and you didn't have a good end either."
Fenyan fell silent. After hearing Furong's words, she calmed down: "You're right. I still have one unfulfilled wish. I want to see Princess Xuanyuan Yuechen."
Furong's eyebrows twitched: "Pink Consort, do you know your current situation? You still want to see Princess Chen? I'm not trying to criticize you, but you're currently in this cold palace. Princess Chen is like the sky to you. You don't deserve to have Princess Chen come to see you in person."
"You just need to pass on the message, and I think she will definitely come to see me and see me in this state." Fen Yan sneered, her face full of mockery.
Furong thought for a moment, then turned and walked out. Fenyan, however, suddenly said with cold eyes, "You were the one who brought those people here, weren't you?"
Furong turned her head and smiled: "Pink Consort has always been a smart person, but you overestimate me. Although I did intend to deal with you so that the Emperor would spare my family, I don't have the ability to bribe so many people on my first day in the Cold Palace. There are too many people in this palace who want you dead."
Fenyan remained silent with a cold face. She naturally understood what Furong meant. There were madmen, half-madmen, and normal people in this cold palace. However, even the normal people could hardly be considered normal anymore. Being with so many madmen, even the most normal person couldn't remain normal. But Fenyan could sense that the two madwomen earlier weren't truly insane. When they hit her, every move was aimed at a specific target. This wasn't something ordinary madmen or fools would do. They were clearly feigning madness. Anyone who could control or bribe these people must be someone with connections and influence throughout the palace.
Emperor Mingxian, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and Consort Sun were all possibilities. Fenyan closed her eyes. Her mission had failed, and in her master's eyes, she was now useless. Rescuing her was impossible. She knew her master's cold-bloodedness all too well…
Fu Rong did indeed go and deliver the message. When Ouyang Yue learned that Fen Yan wanted to see her, she was having a meal with Baili Chen. Ouyang Yue was not surprised by this outcome; on the contrary, she thought it was quite normal. She also happened to have something she wanted to say to Fen Yan.
Baili Chen narrowed his eyes: "I knew it was true. I'm still a little worried about my wife going."
“She’s a cripple now, so just send two maids who know martial arts to accompany her. Besides, I’ll go see her openly tomorrow. We can also have some guards outside to keep watch, so if anything happens, they can come in and handle it.” Actually, even if Fenyan didn’t actively seek out Ouyang Yue, she would still go. There are some things she needs to confirm.
Baili Chen thought for a moment and nodded, "I'm going to the morning court tomorrow too, let's go together." Baili Chen is basically a lazy bum these days, he can only go to the morning court whenever he wants, since no one cares about him anyway. The court officials don't think that even if Baili Chen has strong power, he will become emperor, and they are too lazy to even submit a memorial to impeach him.
Ouyang Yue nodded with a smile and looked at Baili Chen: "Doesn't Your Highness still have follow-up matters to deal with?"
Baili Chen coughed lightly: "It's not too late."
Ouyang Yue held Baili Chen's hand: "I know what I'm doing, but we should still be cautious." Baili Chen remained silent. In truth, they were the ones who burned down the Crown Prince's residence, but Tie Que was indeed a real person. Back when Tie Que was being pursued, Baili Chen had witnessed his exceptional skills, particularly his superb archery, and thus abandoned his attempt to recruit him. Otherwise, how could Tie Que, with his great abilities, have escaped the Crown Prince and the court's pursuit? Releasing him now also carried some risk for Baili Chen. Naturally, there was still much cleanup work to be done. They had discovered that someone was secretly investigating Tie Que, and if this lead were discovered, it would be detrimental to them. Therefore, the best course of action now was to send Tie Que to a safe place. Over the years, Baili Chen had invested considerable resources in training Tie Que. He didn't keep idle people around him; the elites he cultivated were far beyond what ordinary people could afford.
Baili Chen stroked Ouyang Yue's head and said, "You have to be careful. You're almost five months pregnant now. Although the baby's position is stable, you still can't let your guard down."
According to Ouyang Yue's estimation, her due date should be in early summer of next year. In the next five or six months, many things could happen, and there are many things to pay attention to. The incident of the gold hairpin sent by the palace still makes Ouyang Yue feel lingering fear whenever she thinks about it. The scheming is not just because you are a modern person who has traveled to the past. Ouyang Yue is a modern special agent who is also good at scheming. Otherwise, if it were a college student who had just graduated, she would probably have been killed in a few rounds. She probably would not have been able to get out of the General's Mansion unscathed, let alone the palace where she is even more adept at scheming. She can't relax for a moment.
"Don't worry, my husband, I will be very careful."
The next morning, Ouyang Yue arrived with Dongxue and two maids skilled in martial arts, escorted by a group of guards. The news that Fenyan wanted to see Ouyang Yue yesterday had spread throughout the palace through Furong's words. Fenyan had lost her child, but no one in the Cold Palace had suggested finding a doctor for her. Fenyan and Ouyang Yue had a good relationship in the past, so it was only natural for her to ask to see Ouyang Yue now that she had no other choice. Since Ouyang Yue was willing to see her, no one objected.
As Ouyang Yue entered the Cold Palace, she suddenly felt a gust of cold wind. Dongxue immediately and quickly pulled Ouyang Yue's cloak tighter. After taking a few more steps, she noticed several strangely dressed people standing around the Cold Palace. Their expressions ranged from blank to silly and sly. Ouyang Yue looked at them with a faint smile on her face. Furong had already come over to greet her and bowed, saying, "This servant greets Princess Chen. Consort Fen is already waiting for Princess Chen inside." Ouyang Yue glanced at her indifferently and then followed her inside.
Upon entering the woodshed where Fenyan lived, a pungent, bloody stench assaulted her nostrils. The combination of the two smells was truly unpleasant. Ouyang Yue immediately spotted Fenyan lying on the rotten wooden bed, her body covered in dried bloodstains. This blood must have flowed from Fenyan's body; because no one had tended to it, the blood had spread and dried, making it appear as if Fenyan was lying in a pool of blood. Fenyan's face was extremely pale. Hearing the sound, she opened her eyes with some difficulty. When she saw Ouyang Yue enter, a sinister smile appeared on her face. But in that instant, Fenyan began to gasp for breath, as if she couldn't catch her breath and was about to die.
Seeing this, Ouyang Yue glanced at Furong indifferently. Furong clearly didn't care about Fenyan's life or death at all, otherwise Fenyan's condition wouldn't be so bad. She calmly asked, "I heard you want to see this princess. What is it?"
With great difficulty, Fenyan propped herself up with her hands and leaned against the wall. Just these two movements left her breathless. Her once beautiful face was now a horrifying sight, covered in dried blood, making it almost unbearable to look at. It was hard to believe that this was the same beautiful Fenyan. But that was the reality. Ouyang Yue, on the other hand, looked at Fenyan calmly. Furong looked surprised. Even she herself was hesitant to look at Fenyan's face now, but this Princess Consort of Chen, who was pregnant, had such a strong tolerance for it. It was truly astonishing.
Fen Yan seemed to have anticipated Ouyang Yue's expression, and turned to look at Furong: "Should we make her leave?"
Without Fenyan saying anything, one of the maids who came with Dongxue stood in front of Furong, her eyes cold. Furong was startled and retreated on her own. When she looked up again, she found that the maid had also come out and was standing next to her. Even after Furong retreated to a safe position, the maid remained standing there and did not go back. She just stayed quietly outside and guarded, obviously not letting anyone hear Fenyan and Ouyang Yue's conversation.
Furong was curious, but she had to suppress it at this moment.
In the woodshed, Fenyan looked at Ouyang Yue with barely concealed hatred in her eyes: "It was you, wasn't it...you drugged me, weren't you? You're so cruel!"
Ouyang Yue sneered: "Ruthless? You're wrong! I'm actually a very kind person, and I'm very principled. I would never intentionally harm someone unless they offend me. If you're capable of doing that, you have to bear the consequences. Do I need to tell you that again, Princess Consort?"
Fen Yan sighed softly, "So you really think that the Crown Prince's framing of you is related to me? We're all in the same boat."
Ouyang Yue nodded: "You're right, we're in the same boat, but it's people like this who are terrifying. Even if you had given birth to a prince, the prince and I could have helped him. But you're greedy and don't trust your companions enough. You actually wanted to go after the Prince Chen's mansion and the princess's mansion. Your fate was inevitable."
Fen Yan looked up at Ouyang Yue and couldn't help but say, "We haven't known each other for long. How do you know for sure that I'm the one who forged your handwriting? I don't have that ability."
Ouyang Yue smiled meaningfully: "You're right. If we only knew each other at the palace, our contact time wasn't long enough, and I didn't leave behind enough letters with my handwriting, so you couldn't possibly have copied it with more than 90% similarity. But if we had met before, you would have already mastered my handwriting, though you hadn't noticed it. That's why you thought I didn't know, so even if this matter was exposed, I shouldn't have suspected you. Unfortunately, from the first time I saw you, I knew your true identity—whether it was Pink Butterfly or not!"
Fen Yan suddenly froze, staring at Ouyang Yue in utter horror. For a long time, her face remained frozen in surprise, her mouth agape, unable to utter a word. After a long while, Fen Yan lowered her eyes and said, "How did you find out? Was it just because of 'pink'? You actually used such a coincidence to lump us together? Don't you find that ridiculous?" Because "pink" wasn't Fen Yan's surname; it was just her given name when she entered the palace, a name people habitually used. There were many other people with similar names, such as Fen Die, Fen Hua, and Fen, and even if you stopped a few people on the street, you'd likely find two of them. Such a combination was completely illogical.
Ouyang Yue said calmly, "When we first met, I wasn't entirely sure. I was truly certain that you were Pink Butterfly not long ago in Liuhua Palace. Do you remember when I asked you about the incense in the censer?"
Fen Yan was slightly taken aback: "That's just ordinary incense, how could it arouse your suspicion?"
“You’re wrong,” Ouyang Yue said slowly. “When Rui Yuhuan brought you to the General’s Mansion, I had a vague feeling that you weren’t like a maid at all. Of course, this didn’t completely arouse my suspicion. I really started to suspect you after Rui Yuhuan made a mistake and was kicked out of the General’s Mansion by her father. Rui Yuhuan got the opportunity to be brought back into the mansion by the old lady through your connection, and that’s when I felt something was wrong. Moreover, from then on, you and Rui Yuhuan were very different. You may have acted the same in public, but some things were subtly changing. You were becoming less and less like a maid, and Rui Yuhuan gradually started to follow your lead in her actions. This is not the situation that a master and servant should have. And when I checked your information, there was nothing wrong with it. Either you are real, or you are hiding it too well. You are very thorough in your work, and no one can find out the truth. This is enough to prove that you are extraordinary. When Rui Yuhuan died tragically from the poison, you escaped, which further confirmed my guess.”
“But this has absolutely nothing to do with me and Pink Butterfly,” Pinky said softly.
Ouyang Yue laughed: "Even if it wasn't true before, aren't you now indirectly admitting my guess?" Fen Yan looked coldly at Ouyang Yue, but the latter still smiled and said, "And I wasn't wrong. I felt your strangeness the first time I saw you. I was really sure it was in that incense burner. As women, we all instinctively like a certain scent and want it to become our own unique fragrance. This is a kind of vanity and also a way to seduce men. Back then in the General's Mansion, you were just a maid. At that time, you were very cautious. You didn't dare to put too much on yourself, but this fragrance was very charming. Sometimes, just a little bit was very effective. I accidentally smelled it on you, and even on Rui Yuhuan. At the time, I just thought that Rui Yuhuan was wearing some kind of perfume or powder. I don't care much about these things, so I didn't pay attention."
"But Rui Yuhuan is dead, and I haven't smelled that fragrance since then. Yet I smelled the same fragrance on you, though it was extremely faint, almost undetectable when mixed with other spices. But a distant relative introduced by Consort Sun, and the daughter of a deceased border general—there couldn't possibly be any connection between you. That's one point. Secondly, you're very clever, excessively so. You even devised a scheme involving the real and fake Lüyan. You deliberately let the fake Lüyan accept Qi Qi because you had already found out Qi Qi's destination was the capital, and even had some dealings with the Princess's residence. So you deliberately lured the fake Lüyan there, staging this charade to bring me to you, and then subtly hinted..." "The real and fake Lüyan told you your grievances. Given your situation, anyone with a conscience would be moved and want to save you. At that time, others had two options: one was to succumb to Lüyan's pleas and risk their lives to rescue you from the palace. If that were the case, you would surely turn against them, falsely accusing one of them of lusting after your beauty and trying to abduct you. Although you were just a beauty at the time, you were Consort Sun's right-hand woman. Not only would Consort Sun not let you leave, but the Emperor also favored you greatly. If you were abducted then, the Emperor and the Sun family would both hold a grudge against the Prince Chen's residence and the Princess's residence. In even worse cases, you would go to the Emperor to complain. In short, the more miserable the Prince Chen's residence was, the better."
"Secondly, Baili Jing, as the second princess of the Great Zhou Dynasty, grew up in luxury and under the care of the Empress and the Crown Prince. Naturally, she is ruthless. However, she didn't have a way to summon so many venomous snakes to attack people. This is a secret technique that not just anyone can learn unless someone secretly teaches her. And there aren't many people who can play this flute. Back then, at the first beauty pageant on the Langya Continent, Zi Si used this method to summon venomous snakes and insects to attack. Of course, Baili Jing is far inferior to Zi Si. She could only summon some venomous snakes, and not many of them. If it were Zi Si or you, I would have no chance of escaping. Even if I didn't die, I would be seriously injured. At the time, the venomous snakes came fiercely, and I didn't think much of it. But after returning, the more I thought about it, the more something seemed wrong. At this point, I naturally didn't completely connect the two events."
"As I've had more and more contact with you, I've come to realize you're an extremely hypocritical person. While scheming is essential in the palace, I've rarely seen anyone more hypocritical than you. Furthermore, you put your favorite floral scent in the incense burner, which I suspect has calming and pregnancy-protecting properties. So, to ensure a smooth delivery of the prince, you added extra of that fragrance; its intensity immediately caught my attention. And that's not all. I don't know your initial purpose in entering the palace on your master's orders, but after entering and living this life of luxury, your thoughts have gradually changed. Don't you think that if you give birth to this child and he becomes emperor, you can not only complete any task your master demands, but you can also live a life that everyone envies. Or, at that point, you can completely disregard your master and live entirely according to your own will, fearing no one?"
"A person with even a slight desire is prone to revealing their true colors. Your change is one of the main reasons I suspect you. We are partners, and you have repeatedly tested the Prince to see if he intends to become emperor. You could say it was for self-preservation, but unfortunately, you have already revealed your ambition. Such an ambitious person is not trustworthy, because she is capable of anything for her ambition. You could ruthlessly frame Consort Sun, causing her to die tragically, and causing Consort Yun to miscarry. At the time, it wasn't necessarily just because Consort Sun had bullied you too much. What you wanted was the uniqueness of your pregnancy, and this favor couldn't be shared with anyone else, otherwise it would be useless. Such a person is cooperating with others while cooperating with me. Lin Yingying, the Empress, the Crown Prince—you've already met these people, haven't you?"
Fen Yan remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement. At this point, when Ouyang Yue had laid out all her secrets and guessed all her thoughts, it would be ridiculous to say anything in rebuttal.
"But we're just business partners. I don't blame you for targeting me, but from the moment you tried to kill me, we became enemies. I think you understand that!"
Fenyan looked up at Ouyang Yue and said, "I'm curious, how did you administer the drug? Why didn't I notice?"
Ouyang Yue looked calmly at Fen Yan: "That's a kind of flower and herb that grows in the Tianshan Mountains. Both the flower and the herb have medicinal effects, but they're very strange. The herb doesn't bloom initially, and when it does, the herb falls off. The flower and the herb never bloom at the same time. But when combined, they form a strong aphrodisiac called Hehuan San. Moreover, when the flower and the herb are combined, they produce a strong smell. Not only does it have the effects of a strong aphrodisiac, but it also causes hallucinations. Zhang Fei deliberately gave herself away, letting you discover the purse. It did contain a drug that easily causes miscarriage, but you're already six months pregnant, so the chances of the drug taking effect are greatly reduced. That was just a smokescreen. My main purpose was to put Hehuan San powder inside, so that it would end up on your clothes. This kind of Hehuan San is very difficult to remove; even a small amount is hard to remove. However, if the amount of Hehuan San is too small, it won't be effective. So I had Zhang Fei do it twice. You thought she was just desperate and wanted to cause you to miscarry, but you don't know that this was the main purpose."
Ouyang Yue squinted at Fenyan: "You can imitate my handwriting, so naturally I can imitate yours. I also put a lot of aphrodisiac in the message to the Crown Prince. When the aphrodisiac touched your body, the effect was amplified after you took a bath. When the two of you met, the drug had already started to take effect, so you naturally hit it off immediately."
Fen Yan burst into laughter, laughing for a long time without stopping. A sinister coldness flashed across her face: "Xuan Yuan Yue, you are indeed powerful. It's not unfair that I lost, but I'm not convinced. Why does there have to be a you in this world? Without you, I would be the most noble person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Even my master would look at me with disdain."