Chapter 972: Revenge

In no time, the master and servants gathered together.

Because Lan Xiang and Lan Rui were not around just now.

They didn’t know who had sent the meals.

Honored Lady Dou was also vague and refused to say.

In the end, the two palace maids stopped asking.

Thinking to themselves.

The master is already in such a position, she can’t threaten anyone, surely no one would harm them at this point?

They completely overlooked.

After so many years of painstaking ’efforts’.

Their master had long offended everyone in the Harem, and no one would kindly send anything over, that was a fact.

Honored Lady Dou sat on a broken chair, looking at Lan Xiang’s slightly swollen face, filled with guilt.

"It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have hit you! I apologize to you!"

Lan Xiang hurriedly stepped forward to pay her respects.

"This servant wouldn’t dare!"

"It was my fault for angering the master, if the master wants to punish or scold, it’s only right!"

Honored Lady Dou quickly stepped forward, pulling her affectionately.

"Alright, you both are my trusted aides! You’ve followed me for so many years"

"Now that I’m in this situation, you two still stand by me!"

"I..."

Her voice choked up, wiping her tears insincerely and waved it off.

"Alright, let’s not talk about these unhappy things!"

"From now on, we are a family, you are all my sisters!"

"Come, sit down and eat together!"

Lan Xiang and Lan Rui exchanged glances, communicating with their eyes.

’Has the master... changed?’

’I don’t know, she was like this when I came!’

’It’s hard to believe!’

’Yes!’

In fact.

If strictly speaking, that scene earlier was the pinnacle of Lady Dou’s intrigue and acting after so many years in the Harem.

If she had been even half as smart in the past, she wouldn’t have done so many foolish things.

Of course, it’s too late to say that now.

Lan Xiang was still hesitant.

"Master..."

"According to palace rules, masters and servants can’t eat at the same table!"

"We dare not!"

"Let this servant serve the master first!"

This rule was real, and Lady Dou knew it.

So she couldn’t force it.

After nervously sitting at the table, she looked around and, unwilling to give up, finally came up with an idea.

"You go get a few more plates, we can sit separately, can’t we?"

"This way we sisters can all eat together without breaking the rules!"

Lady Dou was quite pleased with herself.

This idea is not bad; it’s a good thing she thought of it.

Lan Xiang and Lan Rui initially refused.

But Lady Dou insisted, so they complied.

The dishes on the table were divided into three portions.

One for Lan Xiang, one for Lan Rui, and the rest was all for Lady Dou.

The dishes were all good, but as good as they were, there was still a difference in quality.

The palace maids’ dishes were certainly not as good as Lady Dou’s.

But at this point, no one cared about this.

Master and servants laughed and talked as they began to eat, the atmosphere harmonious.

So much so.

The idea of finding another way out for Lan Xiang and Lan Rui was just dropped.

If the master truly treats them as sisters.

They would willingly serve her long term.

After all the years of bond, who would be willing to give it up easily?

But they didn’t notice.

Lady Dou’s behavior was a bit strange.

Perhaps they sensed it but just didn’t realize it at the time.

In short, the meal was still a good one.

...

On the side of Consort Zheng Pin and Consort Yun Pin,

After leaving Zhaohua Pavilion, the two strolled in the Imperial Garden.

Consort Yun Pin laughed and sighed.

"Zhaohua Pavilion!"

"If you say this is a place with good feng shui, it isn’t necessarily!"

"But if you say it has bad feng shui, look at that one over there?"

"Back when she was around, everything was clean and orderly, everything was in place!"

"But look at it now, it’s become a spitting image of the Cold Palace!"

"There’s nothing left, and whatever is there, it’s all broken and dilapidated!"

Consort Zheng Pin just laughed.

"If you ask me, she’s got it good already!"

"No favor, no status, and that’s the result in the palace, isn’t it?"

Consort Yun Pin smiled and said nothing else.

After a while.

She suddenly remembered something.

"Oh right!"

"Consort Zheng Pin sister, what if not every dish has our added ingredient, and she gets lucky and avoids it?"

Consort Zheng Pin gave a deeply calculating smile.

"Impossible, don’t worry!"

"Why are you so sure?" Consort Yun Pin was somewhat puzzled.

Consort Zheng Pin said quietly.

"With her arrogant and self-important nature, even if she tests for poison using palace maids, she will only use some cheap vegetables!"

"The best dishes, she will definitely keep for herself! Consort Yun Pin sister, rest assured!"

Upon hearing this, Consort Yun Pin’s eyes brightened.

"That’s true!"

"Consort Zheng Pin sister has good strategy!"

Consort Zheng Pin waved a hand, smiling.

"It’s nothing much! We don’t need to do anything; we just wait for good news!"

Consort Yun Pin lazily plucked a flower with her lacquered fingertips, squeezing it hard, and fiercely said:

"It’s only some croton beans, not really good news!"

"This time, she really lucked out!"

Consort Zheng Pin curled her lips in a smile.

"What, you really wanted to poison her to death?"

"It would be a bit too obvious now, maybe in a few years, it might be about right!"

Consort Yun Pin took a deep breath.

"Oh well!"

"This time, we’ll let her off!"

...

The two wandered around the Imperial Garden for a while, the sun grew hotter.

So they dispersed their separate ways.

In the afternoon, when they woke from their naps,

the palace maids beside them reported in succession.

"Madam, is there any news?"

"Those two palace maids Lan Xiang and Lan Rui are fine, but Lady Dou is vomiting and having diarrhea. I heard in half a Shi Chen’s time she couldn’t get out of bed!"

Consort Yun Pin, upon hearing the news, felt completely satisfied.

"Nice!"

"The dosage was enough, reward them!"

"Thank you, Madam!" Cai Die exclaimed joyfully.

Consort Zheng Pin, upon hearing the news, simply squinted her eyes and sighed.

"After all, Consort Yun Pin is more ruthless!"

The palace maid beside her was puzzled.

"Why does Madam say this?"

Consort Zheng Pin smiled faintly.

"Even croton beans can cause vomiting and diarrhea, it goes to show how strong the dose was!"

"If I hadn’t stopped her, Lady Dou might have died at her hands this time!"

The palace maid shivered, not daring to speak again.

Consort Zheng Pin thought for a moment and instructed again.

"Go, keep an eye on any movements at Zhaohua Pavilion, report anything promptly!"

"Yes!"

...

At this moment in Zhaohua Pavilion, it was already in chaos.

Lan Xiang and Lan Rui stood by the bed, one holding a basin, the other holding a chamber pot.

The two painfully faced the various filth that the master spat and excreted.

The small room was filled with an unbearable stench.

Lady Dou, seizing the gap between bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, shouted to the heavens.

"I know they didn’t have good intentions!"

"It’s me who fell for their trap!"

"Urgh..."

Splash! Another basin of filth came out.

Actually, the commotion wasn’t just because of the large dose, it was also because she ate a lot.

Lan Xiang couldn’t understand, covering her nose and frowning as she asked.

"Master, who are you referring to?"

"Who else could it be?"

"Those two bitches! Those two bitches!" Lady Dou glared fiercely, shouting.