Chapter 61: Chapter 60: Stolen Fate!
"Mother Consort, the methods Zhaozhao mentioned are definitely effective. There’s no need to rush; take your time and you’ll surely restore your former appearance." Xie Jiuxiao said lightly, pouring a cup of tea for Yu Nianzhao, who sat beside him.
He looked at Yu Nianzhao with gentle eyes and said, "I heard you went to exorcise evil spirits for Consort Chen just now? It must have been hard work."
Yu Nianzhao took a sip of tea and said with a bright smile, "It’s not hard work at all; making silver is never hard work!"
"Earning money again?" The Dowager Consort’s ears perked up.
"Both Consort Chen and Consort Rou bought Beauty Talismans. I feel it won’t be long before the entire inner palace is swept up in Zhaozhao’s Beauty Talismans, as they are truly effective!" The Empress smiled gently.
"Indeed, they’re quite effective!" The Dowager Consort agreed, eyeing Yu Nianzhao eagerly as she asked, "Do you have more of these Beauty Talismans? I want to buy some more."
"The last five talismans were sold to Consort Rou. I’ll draw more when I’m back at Prince Su Mansion!"
"Alright, make a reservation for ten Beauty Talismans for me, just to be safe," The Dowager Consort thought it better to reserve more to avoid a shortage.
"Mother Consort, each Beauty Talisman costs a thousand taels of silver, first come, first served." The Empress smiled softly, acting as Yu Nianzhao’s living advertisement, reminding her of the price.
"Hiss..." The Dowager Consort drew a sharp breath, "So expensive?"
The Dowager Consort gave Yu Nianzhao a couple of looks, slightly proud as she said, "You’ll be Princess Consort Su in the future, and I’ll be your Mother Consort, can’t you offer a family discount?"
Before Yu Nianzhao could speak, Xie Jiuxiao spoke indifferently, "Even for close kin, accounts must be settled clearly. If Mother Consort finds it too expensive, she can simply choose not to buy it."
The Dowager Consort cursed him twice, "You little rascal, not even married yet and already siding with outsiders? I’m your Mother Consort, can’t you help me a bit instead of making sarcastic remarks."
Xie Jiuxiao looked up at her, calmly saying, "Zhaozhao will be my wife, how is that siding with outsiders? Besides, since Mother Consort sets an example for the harem, it’s only natural not to disrupt market prices; you should pay even more."
The Dowager Consort laughed in anger, "Fine, you’re scratching your own itch with me! Ms Sun, go fetch ten thousand taels of silver for Princess Consort Su to take back to the mansion."
Though she was angry, she still handed over the silver.
Yu Nianzhao blinked her beautiful eyes and said, "How can you call it scratching an itch? Everyone has a love for beauty, and my Beauty Talismans are fair and honest, much better than those counterfeits sold outside."
"That’s quite true." The Empress chuckled, "I set the price for Zhaozhao, it’s definitely worth it!"
The Dowager Consort glared, "Even the Empress set the price? You’re ripping off your own family!"
The Empress laughed and said, "How could that be? In the end, the silver goes to Zhaozhao, it all stays in the family."
The Dowager Consort was momentarily speechless, "...."
"Um... may I also buy some Beauty Talismans? My purse is a bit light, so I’ll just buy two."
The frail beauty spoke weakly, covering her mouth with a gentle cough after just one sentence.
"This is Lady Ling’s daughter, Ling Xiangyun from my mother’s clan. She has always been frail and often follows me in chanting scriptures and worship. She’s humble and gentle, a very proper lady, and we get along very well. Every time I go to pray on the mountain, she accompanies me."
The Dowager Consort’s eyes reflected boundless affection for Ling Xiangyun. She paused, glanced at Yu Nianzhao, and deliberately said, "If you hadn’t appeared out of nowhere, the Princess Consort I’d be most pleased with would be Xiangyun. With her graceful and proper nature, she’d more than adequately take care of Ziyin as Princess Consort Su."
Ling Xiangyun looked embarrassed, "Aunt..."
Xie Jiuxiao’s expression was cold, "Mother Consort, don’t damage my cousin’s reputation as she is not yet married."
The Dowager Consort pouted, "I’m just speaking the truth; that was my original thought."
Yu Nianzhao picked up a pastry and nibbled on it like a little hamster, blinking as she openly said, "That won’t do. If she marries Xie Jiuxiao, she’d be gone in half a day. Originally, she could live a few more years decently, but being poisoned by you like this, she’d surely resent you to death."
"Pfft..." The Dowager Consort spat out the tea she had just sipped, her face turning red as she glared angrily, "What nonsense are you speaking? How could I want to harm her?"
"Wanting her to marry Xie Jiuxiao is like wanting her to—"
"You, you, you..." The Dowager Consort felt a pain in her chest, and Ms Sun hurried over to help soothe her.
Xie Jiuxiao nodded, "Yes, Mother Consort. She’s our cousin after all; don’t harm her, just let go of this idea."
The Dowager Consort, "..."
She just wanted to poke at Yu Nianzhao verbally, but unexpectedly ended up hurting herself instead.
"However..."
Yu Nianzhao suddenly stared at Ling Xiangyun, her intense gaze making Ling Xiangyun feel shy. She bashfully asked, "Why is Sister-in-law looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"
Her temperament was somewhat similar to Song Caiwei, both being gentle and soft.
"Yes, there is something!"
Yu Nianzhao furrowed her brows tightly and asked seriously, "Cousin Xiangyun, have you been frail and sickly since childhood?"
Ling Xiangyun was surprised, lightly biting her red lips and pulling her fur cloak tightly, she nodded and said, "Yes, when I was little, I fell into a pond during winter and almost drowned. The water was extremely cold, and it took a long time for me to be found and rescued. The piercing cold settled into my bones, and since then, my health has been poor, and I’m very afraid of the cold, especially in winter. I never leave the hand-warmer, or I think I’d freeze to death."
"What did the doctor say?"
"They said cold entered my body, causing internal coldness and weakness. I need to take medicine for long-term conditioning."
"Is that so? I don’t think it’s that simple." Yu Nianzhao withdrew her gaze and shook her head, "Does your condition improve when you enter the Buddha hall?"
Ling Xiangyun was extremely surprised. Clenching her fists, she couldn’t stop trembling as she said, "Yes, that’s right. That’s why I always follow Aunt to the Five Balance Mountain to pray. When I’m meditating in the Buddha hall, the cold in my body isn’t as evident. But how did Sister-in-law know?"
Xie Jiuxiao furrowed his brow, "Zhaozhao, are you saying that Cousin’s condition is not due to illness but due to an encounter with evil spirits?"
The Dowager Consort was shocked, "Really? But Xiangyun is with me in the Buddha hall every time, and nothing unusual has happened. Wouldn’t evil spirits be afraid of the Buddha hall?"
Yu Nianzhao said calmly, "That’s because it’s not as simple as evil spirits; Cousin Xiangyun’s health has been stolen, and her fortune snatched!"