tallest building

Chapter 309 Pretending to be Sick

Consort Hui ate lunch that day listlessly and hastily.

As Xia Mama helped her walk back, they ran into Sang Er.

Sang Er held a large bouquet of hibiscus flowers, her bright smile captivating all who saw her.

She greeted Consort Hui, who stopped and asked, "I heard you went to the palace yesterday? Is there any news from the palace?"

"This servant was only ordered to deliver things to Princess Duanmin and Mother Wen, and I haven't heard any news," Sang Er said with a sweet smile.

When Consort Hui heard her mention Wen Mingqian, she said, "You call her Mother, but did you grow up by her side since you were little?"

Sang Er, of course, wouldn't tell her the truth. She just shook her head and said, "I was a maid she bought after she returned to the capital. But for some reason, we hit it off immediately, and I couldn't help but call her Mother."

“That’s fate between you,” Consort Hui said. “Now that you’re here and she’s in the palace, you don’t see each other often. You must miss her, right?”

Consort Hui knew that the reason why the Princess spoke to her in such a cryptic manner today must be because Sang Er went to the palace yesterday and brought back Wen Mingqian's words.

"Of course I do want to. I was just saying, if only Consort Wen were still outside the palace like before." Sang Er's smile remained, but her eyes seemed to be looking at Consort Hui with a deeper meaning. "I really hope that a noble person can grant me this wish."

After Sang Er left, Consort Hui took two more steps forward before saying to Granny Xia, "Did you hear what that girl said just now?"

"Their ambitions are truly remarkable! Not content with serving Her Majesty the Empress, they even want to leave the palace to enjoy themselves," said Granny Xia coldly. "Her Majesty's concerns are indeed justified."

"It's true what they say, 'The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease,'" Consort Hui sighed. "Why are they so troublesome?"

"Your Highness, please don't worry. They've only just begun to show their true colors. As long as we can figure out a way to deal with them, they won't succeed," Granny Xia reassured Consort Hui. "You should go back and take a nap. I'll go to the kitchen and ask them to make you something to eat later. I noticed that you and the Princess didn't eat much during your meal earlier."

"How can I possibly have the appetite to eat?" Consort Hui said. "I'm already overwhelmed with worries!"

In the afternoon, Granny Xia came to the kitchen and saw Zhang Ma washing vegetables.

She stood at the door without going in, and Zhang Ma didn't turn around either, continuing with her own busy work.

Her sleeves were rolled up high, revealing her elbows.

Granny Xia glanced at it and frowned. There was a large scar on the back of Zhang Ma's right elbow, which looked to be many years old.

Logically speaking, this is nothing. Most people have some scars on their bodies, let alone Zhang Ma, who does a lot of work every day, so getting injured is common.

But Granny Xia remembered that Wei Fu had a birthmark on the back of his right elbow. She had seen it with her own eyes before, but she hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

Now that I suddenly think about it, I find the scar on Zhang Ma's body even stranger.

Just then, a rough-looking woman from the kitchen walked in through the back door. Granny Xia knew her name was Zhao Pokuang.

Zhao Pokuang didn't see Granny Xia at the front door. As soon as he entered, he said to Zhang Ma, "Zhang Mama, let's go boating on the river for the Dragon Boat Festival in a few days. It's so lively." "I'm not going. I get seasick," Zhang Ma replied casually. "The glutinous rice over there is almost soaked. Change the water again. We should start wrapping the zongzi."

“We’re on a big boat, not a small one that rocks so much,” Zhao Pokuang said enthusiastically. “You’re always so busy, you should relax a bit.”

“I can’t ride on any boat, big or small,” Zhang Ma said. “If you really insist on taking me, I’ll just stay on the shore and look at the scenery.”

Hearing Zhang Ma's words, Granny Xia became even more suspicious. A few days ago, she had asked Zhang Ma about her experiences when she was young.

Zhang Ma once told her that after she escaped from her adoptive mother's house, she boarded a tea merchant's ship.

She worked as a maid on the ship for several months before eventually being transported to another place.

If that's the case, she shouldn't get seasick in the first place. Otherwise, how could she have lived on a ship for months? Who would allow a seasick girl to serve them on a ship? Wouldn't that just cause them trouble?
If Zhang Ma didn't want to go sightseeing, she could have made other excuses, but she didn't completely refuse to go. She just said she got seasick and preferred to stay on shore and enjoy the scenery.

Just then, Zhang Ma turned around and saw Xia Mama. Xia Mama walked in very naturally and said, "Old sister is busy! I came over to see if there's anything that can help us eat something. Our lady felt dizzy at lunch and didn't eat properly, so she's a little hungry now."

"There are still two plates of pastries left. If you don't mind, you can heat them up in the steamer and take them to the Empress," said Zhang Ma, pointing to the pastries. "If I wait for you to make new ones, it will probably be an hour later."

"This is very good." Granny Xia said, picking up the plate of pastries. "It's not too cold yet, it's still warm! We can just make some hot tea when we get back."

She was in a hurry to go back and report to Consort Hui, so she didn't have time to heat up the pastries and just took the plate and left.

"What? Do you also find her suspicious now?" Consort Hui asked anxiously after hearing what Granny Xia said.

“Yes, Your Highness. It can’t be said that it’s entirely a coincidence, but this coincidence makes one feel uneasy. And why would she lie? When someone lies, they are trying to cover something up. If her identity is innocent, she has no reason to lie to me,” said Granny Xia.

"I've been feeling increasingly uneasy lately," Consort Hui said with a deep sigh. "If it's really as I suspect, then it's going to be terrible."

"What does Your Highness plan to do? We're on the mountain now, so it's inconvenient for us to do anything," said Granny Xia.

"I need to find a way to get back to the palace as soon as possible." Consort Hui had already made up her mind. "Better safe than sorry. In any case, I don't want Wen Mingqian to enter the Dong family."

"Your Highness is right. Regardless of whether she's human or ghost, we must cut off her escape route before we can rest easy. Now, how should you return to the palace?" Granny Xia asked, somewhat troubled. "Should we discuss this with the Eldest Princess?"

"We absolutely mustn't let her know, that child is so impulsive." Consort Hui quickly stopped her, "Don't you know her temper? A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan."

I'll pretend to be sick and send the message back to the palace. The Empress will most likely summon me back.

Remember, this is a secret between the two of us; we can't tell anyone else. We don't know if the Princess is in cahoots with them, or if she's also being kept in the dark. Just in case, we can't let her suspect anything.”

Consort Hui made up her mind and began to feign illness on that very day.

Meanwhile, Granny Xia spread the word that Consort Hui was seriously ill and it was probably not safe for her to stay on the mountain.

Two days later, someone was sent to the palace to ask the Empress for permission to allow Consort Hui to return to the palace as soon as possible to recuperate.