MCSCPM -Chapter 101 The Choice for Disaster Relief

On the other side, at Wanmo Palace.

“Consort De, something terrible has happened!” A palace maid cried out as she rushed in in a panic.

“What is it?” Wan Mo said lazily as she lifted her eyes, reclining on the consort’s couch. Her tone was indolent yet edged with sharpness. “So flustered and improper—hardly like someone from my palace. Haven’t I told you that no matter what happens, you must remain calm and not make such a fuss?”

The maid’s legs nearly gave out from fright. She knelt down respectfully before the woman seated high upon the couch and said, “This servant lacks composure. I am willing to accept punishment.”

“Enough, get up,” Wan Mo said, raising her arm slightly to signal the maid to rise. “Look at how frightened you are. I never said I would punish you. I’ll let it go this time.”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy,” the maid said quickly, getting up.

Just as the maid finally relaxed, Wan Mo sat up again and continued, “But let this be the last time. If it happens again, then it will depend on my mood. If I’m in a good mood, I’ll punish you by withholding a meal. If I’m in a bad mood, it’ll be eighty lashes. My palace does not keep people who never learn their lesson. Do you understand?”

The first half of her words were gentle and mild; the latter half suddenly turned extremely severe.

The maid’s heart tightened again, her face turning pale. She lowered her head and said hurriedly, “This servant remembers. I will never offend a second time.” Her whole body trembled, afraid that one wrong move would get her dragged out and beaten.

Wan Mo smiled faintly at the maid’s submissive appearance. The imperial palace was a place that devoured people without leaving bones behind. One could choose not to compete or fight, but one could never afford not to be ruthless. This was the way Wan Mo had learned to survive in the palace over the years—and one of the reasons she had managed to secure her footing.

Satisfied with the now well-behaved maid, Wan Mo said, “Alright, tell me. What matter was urgent enough to make you lose your composure like this?”

Only then did the maid remember why she had come. She hurriedly replied, “This servant just returned from Weiyang Palace. I heard from the maids there that disaster has struck the south, and His Highness the Crown Prince is currently considering plans for relief.”

Wan Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s the matter you were in such a hurry over? I didn’t know the maids in my palace cared so deeply about the welfare of the people. Seems I’ve been treating you all too well.” The last sentence clearly carried anger.

The young maid panicked and quickly explained, “No, no, Your Highness, please let me finish. I heard from the Eastern Palace maids that His Highness the Crown Prince has chosen the Third Prince as the candidate to head south for disaster relief. It will be announced at today’s morning court.”

“What?!” Wan Mo sprang up from the couch, completely losing her former elegance and composure. Her eyes widened abruptly, veins bulging, as she questioned the maid, “Is that true?”

The maid was so frightened she was on the verge of tears. With a trembling voice she said, “This servant… this servant would never dare deceive my mistress.”

“You insolent slave!” Wan Mo snapped. “Such an important matter, and you only tell me now. Slap yourself!”

The maid felt deeply wronged—after all, it had been Wan Mo who kept interrupting her—but she dared not argue. She immediately knelt down and began slapping herself.

“This servant deserves death, this servant deserves death,” she cried as she struck her face. Wan Mo paced back and forth irritably beside her. Before long, the maid’s cheeks were red and swollen. Annoyed by her sobbing, Wan Mo shouted, “Shut up!”

The maid instantly fell silent, though her hands did not dare to stop moving.

Watching made Wan Mo even more irritated. “Enough. Let it go this time. Now go wait in the outer court—they should be finishing court soon. When they do, bring the Third Prince here to see me.”

“Thank you for Your Highness’s mercy. This servant will go at once,” the maid said quickly. She bowed and withdrew, leaving the vast palace with only Consort De, Wan Mo, inside.

Wan Mo paced anxiously back and forth, then suddenly stopped. Intense hatred burst from her eyes as she muttered to herself, “Crown Prince… Crown Prince… since you are merciless, don’t blame me for being unjust. I cannot let you keep your life.”

With that thought, Wan Mo called out toward the shadows, “Come out.”

A black-clad figure instantly appeared within the palace.

“What are your orders, Master?” the figure asked. His voice was unlike that of a normal person—hoarse and dry, as if he had long lived in the shadows. Heard at night, it would send chills down one’s spine.

“I’ve raised you for so many years. It’s time you did something for me,” Wan Mo said darkly. Consumed by anger and hatred, her face was twisted, with none of the elegance of the noble consort remaining.

“I am always ready to serve my master,” the shadow replied, his raspy voice sounding like an old bellows wheezing.

“Enough with the pleasantries,” Wan Mo said coolly. “I have a task for you. This task must succeed—failure is not an option. If you fail, you need not return to see me. End your life yourself.”

“Yes. Please state the task,” the shadow answered calmly. “I am willing to stake my life on it. If I fail, I will bring my head to you.”

“I want you to find a way to make the current Crown Prince fall ill again,” Wan Mo said, her words brimming with murderous intent and hatred.

The shadow hesitated briefly, saying nothing. Wan Mo sneered. “Just now you were willing to risk your life for me, but the moment you hear it’s the Crown Prince, you lose your backbone? Seems I’ve raised a useless piece of trash all these years.”

Provoked, the shadow immediately said, “Master, rest assured. I will complete the task you have given me, even if it costs me my life.”

“Good. You may go. I’ll be waiting for your good news,” Wan Mo said, seeing that her goading had worked.

“Yes. This subordinate will bring good news to Master as soon as possible.” The black figure retreated and vanished, leaving the hall seemingly empty once more.

A trace of smugness flashed through Wan Mo’s eyes. Then she suddenly remembered something and called into the air, “If all else fails, kill him. If you are captured, deal with it yourself. Do not implicate me.”

After a long while, a faint “Understood” echoed through the air, and the shadow disappeared completely from Consort De’s palace.

Wan Mo sat back down on the consort’s couch as if nothing had happened, vicious thoughts churning in her mind. Nangong Xiao, you’re finished this time. I’ll make sure not even the gods can save you.

A glint of cruelty flashed in her eyes as she muttered, “Damn it, I almost forgot about that wretched girl Yin Qingyue. This time, she must not be allowed to save Nangong Xiao again. When my son returns, I must find a way to get rid of that troublesome little girl.”

As she was thinking this, the maid who had been slapped earlier returned, leading the Third Prince, Nangong Chen, into the hall. Upon seeing her son, Wan Mo’s gaze instantly softened. Nangong Chen, however, stormed in with a furious expression, forgetting even to offer greetings.

He sat down and slammed the teacup on the table, snarling, “That damn Nangong Xiao! This is clearly revenge. Sending me to that wretched place for disaster relief and not even giving me funds—does he expect me to pay out of my own pocket?”

Wan Mo looked at her son with heartache. “Why are you smashing things? Let me see—did you cut your fingers? You don’t know how to take care of yourself at all.”

She then turned to the maid and snapped, “What are you standing there for? Clean this up immediately! If the Third Prince gets hurt, I’ll skin you alive.”

The maid hurried over, carefully picking up the white porcelain shards scattered on the floor, afraid of offending either master by the slightest mistake. She quickly finished cleaning and threw everything away.

“Alright, you may leave,” Wan Mo said, seeing that the girl was sensible enough and not making things difficult for her further.

The maid bowed quickly. “Yes, Consort De. May the Third Prince be at peace. This servant takes her leave.” She fled at once, escaping the suffocating atmosphere.

Once no one else was around, Wan Mo complained softly, “That girl has no sense at all—no awareness whatsoever.” Then she turned to her son. “And you too. Why are you in such a hurry? You can’t even keep your temper in front of a maid.” Even her scolding was filled with affection.

“Mother, how can I stay calm?” Nangong Chen said grimly. “Nangong Xiao is determined to drive me out of the capital. By the time I return from that godforsaken place after dealing with the floods, he’ll have wiped out all the influence I’ve painstakingly built up over the past two years.”

“Isn’t your mother still here?” Wan Mo said smugly. “Do you think I’ll let everything go his way?”

“But Mother, I just can’t swallow this anger,” Nangong Chen said through clenched teeth.

“You can’t swallow it—do you think I can?” Wan Mo replied, a trace of sorrow in her voice. “You grew up by my side. When have I ever been separated from you like this?”

“Mother, now is not the time for sentiment,” Nangong Chen said impatiently, seeing her eyes fill with tears. “I can’t leave the capital. We need to think of a way.”

Wan Mo composed herself, glanced around, and lowered her voice. “Don’t worry. Mother has already dispatched a death guard I’ve raised for over ten years to induce Nangong Xiao’s illness again. If that doesn’t work, I’ll have him kill Nangong Xiao directly. I’ve coated the sword with deadly poison—just a scratch means certain death. You go south as a show, leave the city, then find a trustworthy subordinate of similar build to replace you. I’ll take care of the people in the convoy. You’ll secretly return to the capital and operate in the shadows.”

Hearing this, the gloom on Nangong Chen’s face finally eased. “Mother truly thinks everything through,” he said with a smile.

“If I don’t think for you, who will?” Wan Mo said with a sinister laugh. “I’ll be in the open, you in the dark. No matter how capable Nangong Xiao is, he won’t escape the palm of our hands.”

“Mother is right,” Nangong Chen agreed. The two, who moments ago had been clouded with worry, now looked immensely pleased.

“However, there is still one person we must deal with,” Wan Mo said gravely.

“Yin Qingyue?” Nangong Chen asked with certainty.

“Haha, worthy of being my son,” Wan Mo said with clenched teeth. “That woman’s medical skills are extraordinary. If she saves Nangong Xiao again, it will be difficult for us to act. What’s more, if she isn’t eliminated, she will become an obstacle to your future ambitions.”

“Mother, rest assured. Leave Yin Qingyue to me,” Nangong Chen said confidently.

“Good. Chen’er, I’ll rely on you,” Wan Mo replied. “If not for that damned little girl, I wouldn’t have had to deploy my trump card death guard. I’ll remember this grudge—she must not be spared.”

At this moment, Yin Qingyue had no idea that she had already become the target of deadly schemes.