Chapter 183 – The Concubine’s Counterattack: The Most Favored Empress – Fishing in Troubled Waters (13)
Luo Dai came and went in a hurry, only staying at the imperial garden for one day. After dark, he took Xiao Fangzi back to the palace.
It all felt like he came just to see Bai’s girlfriend. Bai Tang pouted, looking at the green and purple marks on his body with displeasure.
There were so many beautiful girls in the palace, all his concubines. If he wasn’t around, maybe Luo Dai would favor them instead.
It wasn’t that Bai Tang didn’t trust Luo Dai — but the palace was full of dangerous waters. There were all kinds of schemes, traps, and rivalries for favor.
Thinking about this, Bai Tang was momentarily stunned.
That sounded very familiar. He seemed to have heard it from someone before, but who was it? He just couldn’t remember.
Another day passed, and Bai Tang deliberately called over Xiao A. Even if Luo Dai wouldn’t talk about the palace situation, he had a powerful informant here and didn’t want to underestimate him.
As soon as Xiao A saw Bai Tang, it cried out loudly.
It had been licked — licked by a husky! Its pure and clean body had been sullied.
Qiu’er said, “Woof woof woof~~” Tang Tang, I tried this jade pendant. It doesn’t taste good.
Understanding Qiu’er’s feelings, Bai Tang was silent for three seconds, feeling a little sorry for Xiao A.
He took the jade pendant off the husky’s neck and washed it clean with water.
“Xiao A, tell me what’s going on in the palace now,” Bai Tang forced himself to change the subject.
When it came to matters of livelihood, Xiao A was very professional. He immediately investigated the palace and recounted everything that had happened over the past few days in detail.
Bai Tang knew that Prince Zhuang’s rebellion was a very serious matter. Luo Dai had come the day before to see him and, to ease his and the Empress Dowager’s worries, had downplayed the situation. But now, things had already escalated to this extent.
Half of the palace staff were actually supporters of Prince Zhuang. Especially with Ma Aoshan leading the troublemaking, the harem was in an uproar, filled with wails and chaos.
In the previous reign, the edicts issued by Luo Dai were also obstructed. There were even natural disasters, and rumors had already spread among the people saying that these were heavenly warnings to the royal family — the current emperor was failing to please the heavens.
But Bai Tang, with his godlike perspective, saw that all of this was Prince Zhuang’s doing.
Using explosives to blow up the mountains and redirect the rivers to flood the land — this so-called “natural disaster” was clearly a man-made calamity.
Most importantly, he saw Prince Zhuang’s conspiracy.
Prince Zhuang had long since left the imperial mausoleum and was hiding outside the capital, waiting just a few more days until everything was ready to raise the banner and force the emperor to abdicate.
Wouldn’t that put A Dai in grave danger?
Bai Tang couldn’t sit still. No, he had to return to the palace.
Returning openly was definitely impossible — the Empress Dowager would be the first to forbid it.
If he couldn’t leave openly, then he would leave secretly.
One fine, sunny morning, Bai Tang broke his usual habit of sleeping in and got up early. After paying respects to the Empress Dowager, he gathered the palace servants in the garden and started playing hide-and-seek again.
“Your Majesty, please don’t climb trees again this time. If the emperor finds out, he’ll surely skin us alive…” The servants had all been warned by Luo Dai to forbid the queen from doing anything dangerous.
Bai Tang agreed, pretending to go hide, but in fact, he found the small hole they had discovered before while playing hide-and-seek — a dog hole — and crawled through it.
Who would have thought the queen herself would crawl through a dog hole?
As the servants were just beginning to search, a troop suddenly surrounded the imperial garden.
They were men sent by Prince Zhuang, who first captured Luo Dai’s wife and mother to use as bargaining chips.
When the Empress Dowager found out, she hurried out of the garden. She took the lead but didn’t pay formal respects and didn’t use force either. Instead, she sneered, “Prince Zhuang has issued an order. I ask the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty to stay quietly in the garden. Otherwise, the blades and guns show no mercy, and if anything happens, no one can say what might occur.”
After saying this, they only surrounded the outside of the garden and did not forcibly enter to capture anyone. This actually gave Bai Tang the chance to escape.
“This, this…” The Empress Dowager was so angry her hands trembled.
Nanny Jin steadied her and said, “Your Majesty, please calm down. Have you forgotten what the emperor said? You and the Empress are most important.”
Right, Tang Tang must be terribly worried after such a huge incident.
The Empress Dowager hurried back but couldn’t find Bai Tang. The servants said the Empress was playing hide-and-seek with them and had already hidden, so she probably didn’t know what was happening outside yet.
Perhaps it was better that way. Luo Dai had entrusted the people to her; Bai Tang must not get hurt while under her care.
“Find Her Majesty and bring her to me. Tell her that I miss him and must not mention the siege outside. If anyone dares to speak nonsense to Her Majesty, I will rip out their tongue,” the Empress Dowager said fiercely, then turned and returned to the garden to wait for Bai Tang.
The servants quickened their search for Bai Tang but dared not be too loud, fearing the people outside might think someone was trying to break in.
Having long left the garden’s vicinity, Bai Tang naturally had no idea what was happening inside. He was holding a small dog and walking northeast.
But on foot alone, it would probably take more than a day and a night to get far enough. Xiao A suggested Bai Tang hire a horse-drawn carriage.
Following Xiao A’s instructions, Bai Tang arrived at the town closest to the garden. He took off his splendid outer robe and pawned it for silver, then bought a set of inconspicuous clothes. He also used coal ash to cover his face.
According to Xiao A, if Bai Tang appeared in his original appearance, and happened to encounter someone with bad intentions, it wouldn’t just be impossible to return to the palace — he might even be sold to one of the pleasure houses in the capital.
“That’s an exaggeration,” Bai Tang said, sitting in the carriage and communicating with Xiao A through his spiritual sense.
“The host simply doesn’t realize how handsome he is,” Xiao A replied.
The small town wasn’t too far from the capital, and with the hired carriage, it took just over half a day to arrive.
When Bai Tang reached the outskirts of the capital, he realized that Prince Zhuang’s main forces had already gathered outside the city. That meant the palace siege was imminent.
Bai Tang felt anger in his heart toward those who wanted to overthrow Luo Dai’s kingdom. While waiting in line to enter the city, he couldn’t help but glance at them several times.
“You! What are you looking at? Come here!” a soldier barked harshly, pointing at Bai Tang and ordering him forward.
“S-sir…” Bai Tang put on a frightened expression, lowering his head submissively.
“Enough nonsense. Look up and show me your face.”
The soldier suddenly shouted loudly, making Bai Tang shiver all over.
He trembled as he raised his head. The face before him was blackened with coal ash, and even the red mole between his brows — a mark of his noble status — was barely visible.
“What were you looking at just now?”
“N-nothing… I just thought you soldiers look very mighty. I’m from the countryside and haven’t seen the like before…”
Bai Tang’s words perfectly portrayed the naïveté of a country boy and flattered the rough, bandit-like soldiers, making them feel good inside. Bai Tang himself found them much more agreeable.
“Alright, kid, you know how to talk,” the soldier said, liking Bai Tang’s attitude. Seeing he looked unfamiliar, and coincidentally needing one more person for tomorrow’s operation, the soldier thought this young man was clever.
“Consider yourself lucky — you’re about to enjoy some perks.” Without further explanation, the soldier roughly pushed Bai Tang to the back.
Bai Tang was completely baffled as he was taken to the logistics area and handed a set of palace eunuch clothes. Only then did he realize he was indeed lucky — the enemy had chosen him and was sending him to the palace kitchen to tend the fire.
They called it “a little eunuch in the imperial kitchen,” but in reality, Prince Zhuang was infiltrating his men into the palace. Their mission was to poison the food prepared in the kitchen.
Bai Tang had been worried about how to get into the palace, but now this opportunity, like a gift delivered right to his doorstep, was something he had never seen before.
People who looked odd or disheveled wouldn’t be allowed in the palace; otherwise, it would be obvious they didn’t belong.
He was still concerned he might be required to bathe or something similar, which would easily expose his crude disguise.
Unexpectedly, luck kept coming his way. At this particular hour, the palace gate would open a small door for people to take out the trash, and they could use this chance to sneak inside.
Blending in with the crowd, many were just randomly grabbed to fill the numbers — like Bai Tang, whose face showed nervousness as he constantly looked around.
The palace! Only after burning incense for eight generations could one enter once. But most were simply scared. They were honest, simple farmers.
One day, a group of soldiers stormed their village to conscript men, and they were taken away without understanding why. Knowing the kidnappers were rebels, they were even more terrified. Poisoning the emperor would surely mean execution, right?
Some, however, were trained by Prince Zhuang and very familiar with palace rules. Calm and composed, if you didn’t know better, you’d think they’d been palace servants for years.
The group entered in batches and were separated after entering, gradually reducing in number.
Bai Tang was fortunate to be assigned to the imperial kitchen, tasked with tending the fire.
“Faster! When the nobles’ people come to collect their portions, if you’re late, don’t even think about getting your monthly pay,” an old eunuch snapped in a high, sharp, and unpleasant voice.
Under such close scrutiny, Bai Tang could only lower his head and shove firewood into the stove. Many other little eunuchs nearby kept silent, focusing solely on their work.
In the imperial kitchen, the royal chefs were in position—adding oil, placing the dishes—and the entire kitchen was filled with the aroma of delicious food.
As evening approached, each palace sent people to pick up the dishes they had ordered. Bai Tang’s stomach was already growling with hunger; he had only eaten one steamed bun and a bowl of porridge that morning. If only he had eaten more then.
The husky had been hiding inside Bai Tang’s clothes. Before entering the kitchen, Bai Tang stayed at the end of the line and quietly let the husky slip away when no one was paying attention.
Qiu’er knew the way around the palace and was to find Luo Dai, warning him to be careful.
What puzzled Bai Tang was: weren’t they supposed to poison the food? Why hadn’t they been given any poison?
While the steamed buns were being distributed, Bai Tang quietly pulled aside one of the men who had come along and asked, “Weren’t we here on a mission? But I haven’t seen any poison…”
Bai Tang didn’t say it outright, but the man understood what he meant.
He looked at Bai Tang’s face, blackened further by the fire, and said, “That’s what you don’t get—the firewood itself.”
It turned out Prince Zhuang’s men had already tampered with the water. Testing the water alone showed no problem, but using this special firewood to cook caused the water to release toxins—something even silver needles couldn’t detect.
Poisoning should be done by trusted insiders—so how could there be outsiders involved? Who knew if there were infiltrators mixed inside?
As long as Bai Tang and the others finished their fire-tending duties, their mission would be complete. Even if Luo Dai discovered the plot, he would simply order this group to be executed rather than risk his own trusted men. Truly a cunning strategy.
“How—how do you know that?” Bai Tang remembered this man was brought in after him.
The man said, “I used to make a living cutting wood in the mountains, so I know a bit about the properties of different trees.” He was only guessing—when he saw this type of branch used as firewood, he figured the other poison must be in the water.
He didn’t dare say more, fearing someone might overhear and then he wouldn’t make it home alive.
Author’s Note:
A late update—Merry Christmas to everyone! Mwah~