MCSCPM -Chapter 333 Giving Advice

“Gilded and magnificent?”
Those words amused Yin Qingyue inwardly. This auntie had clearly never been inside the imperial palace—otherwise she would know that the splendor of the palace far surpassed that of the Shangguan residence.

Yin Qingyue waited quietly to one side, looking for a chance to slip away so she could go find Shangguan Jiaoran. Yet even if she managed to leave, it would all be for nothing if she couldn’t actually find her.

Just then, two young maids carrying a basket of vegetables came into the back courtyard and set it down to wash them.

At first, Yin Qingyue paid them no attention. But then what the maids said caught her ear.

One of them said, “Have you noticed what’s been wrong with our young lady lately? Her temper’s been terrible. She’s always in the woods, lashing at the trees with her whip.”

“I know,” the other replied. “No one dares go into the back courtyard woods anymore. The young lady is furious—anyone who gets close is bound to suffer. Even Miss Yun’er doesn’t dare approach her now.”

“That’s right. Do you think it’s because of the imperial marriage decree?”

“How so?”

“Everyone knows Miss Shangguan likes Prince Jing. Even the Emperor once intended for her to become Prince Jing’s consort. Yet in such a short time, she was suddenly betrothed to Prince Yi instead.” The maid looked puzzled and regretful. Their young lady had practically been destined to be Prince Jing’s consort, yet now she was to become Prince Yi’s.

The other maid thought for a moment and said, “Who knows? The Emperor’s temper is unpredictable, and he’s the Son of Heaven. Whoever he wants to grant her to, he will. I heard that after Miss Shangguan went to the Court of Judicial Review, the Emperor decided she wasn’t suitable to be Prince Jing’s consort and instead granted her to Prince Yi.”

“Really? Just because she went to the Court of Judicial Review?”

“Maybe. That’s why she’s so angry—unable to marry Prince Jing and instead forced to marry Prince Yi. She’s been in the woods every day. I even heard her shouting that she wants to beat Prince Yi to death. I don’t know if that’s true.”

The moment those words left her mouth, the maid beside her quickly covered it and whispered, “Don’t say things like that. If the master or the young lady hears you, we’ll both be finished.”

The maid who had been silenced immediately lowered her head, pale with fright, and dared not say another word.

But everything they had said had already been heard by Yin Qingyue. So Shangguan Jiaoran was in the woods of the back courtyard. Now that she knew where to find her, all she needed was a way to slip away.

Just then, the steward of the Shangguan residence came over. He had encountered the auntie a few times before and was fairly familiar with her.

“Auntie Li, here to deliver firewood again?” the steward asked with a smile.

“Yes,” the auntie replied warmly. “The weather’s good today, so I brought a bit extra.”

The steward nodded and was about to move on when his gaze landed on Yin Qingyue. Though she deliberately kept her head lowered, her ugly appearance was hard to miss. He asked, “Auntie Li, isn’t it usually Hua’er who comes with you? Why is there a different girl today?”

The auntie glanced at Yin Qingyue and explained, “Hua’er’s been ill these past few days—I don’t know what came over her. I was worried it’d be inconvenient for her to come, so I brought a new girl instead. She’s a bit ugly, but she won’t cause trouble. You can rest easy.”

“Mm, she is a bit ugly,” the steward said with a laugh. “But if her heart’s good, that’s better than anything.” Then, seeing how tired the auntie looked, he added kindly, “By the way, you must be exhausted. Why don’t you rest in the kitchen for a bit and have some water? With the amount of firewood you brought today, it’ll take some time to unload.”

The auntie didn’t refuse. “That’s fine. The water at the Shangguan residence tastes the best.”

Yin Qingyue couldn’t help but smile secretly. This auntie really was amusing—if she were in the palace, she’d probably be a favorite among the masters.

But right now, Yin Qingyue needed to think of a way to leave.

“Auntie, my stomach doesn’t feel well. I need to go to the latrine,” Yin Qingyue suddenly said, clutching her abdomen and pretending to be in pain.

The steward was accommodating. “Go out from here and turn the corner—you’ll find it there. Just don’t wander around.”

“Alright,” Yin Qingyue replied, heading toward the latrine.

At last, she had found her chance. Unloading the firewood would take some time—she had to use this window to find Shangguan Jiaoran and return quickly.

Time was tight. Fortunately, the turning path also led toward the woods in the back courtyard. She immediately turned in that direction and swiftly hid among the trees.

Sure enough, just as the two maids had said, Shangguan Jiaoran was there, swinging her whip fiercely at the trees. Leaves kept falling as the trunk shuddered under the blows.

Shangguan Jiaoran was seething with anger. For days now, she had come here almost daily, imagining that the trees before her were Chu Yifeng. If that were the case, she wouldn’t show the slightest mercy—even beating him to death with a single whip would satisfy her.

Everyone knew she loved Prince Jing. Yet Prince Yi—who knew what tricks he had used—had claimed he liked her. And for some reason, the Emperor had granted the marriage. Was it simply to give her an excuse to be released from the Court of Judicial Review?

If so, it was a reason she absolutely could not accept.

“Chu Yifeng, you deserve to die! I will never marry you—never, even if I die!” Shangguan Jiaoran shouted as she lashed the trees.

The more Shangguan Jiaoran hated Prince Yi, the more advantageous it was for Yin Qingyue’s plan.

So, Yin Qingyue had no choice but to make use of her.

Standing quietly behind a large tree, in a spot Shangguan Jiaoran couldn’t see, Yin Qingyue deliberately said, “No matter how many trees you break, it’s useless. In the end, you’ll still have to marry Prince Yi.”

The sudden voice made Shangguan Jiaoran freeze. She thought she had misheard—but she was sure someone had spoken. She looked around, yet saw no one.

“Who’s there? Who’s speaking?” she cried, spinning in place and scanning her surroundings, but still finding no one.

“Don’t worry about who I am,” Yin Qingyue said. “Miss Shangguan, you don’t like Prince Yi, do you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be coming here every day to vent your anger on these trees.”

“Who exactly are you, hiding and pretending to be a ghost?” Shangguan Jiaoran was startled and furious. Anyone daring to provoke her now was courting death. She tried to find the speaker, but to no avail.

Watching her panic and search fruitlessly, Yin Qingyue continued, “Miss Shangguan, if you’re willing, I can help you—help you avoid marrying Prince Yi. What do you say?”

At that, Shangguan Jiaoran suddenly fell silent. She truly didn’t want to marry Prince Yi. She was furious and deeply unwilling. Yin Qingyue’s words were an undeniable temptation.

After a moment, she asked slowly, “I don’t even know who you are. Why should I trust you?”

“If you don’t want to marry Prince Yi, I’m the only one who can help you,” Yin Qingyue replied calmly. “Otherwise, you have no choice but to marry him. Think about it—you love Prince Jing. Are you really willing to accept this?”

“My affairs have nothing to do with you. Why would you help me?” Shangguan Jiaoran demanded.

“I simply pity you,” Yin Qingyue said gently. “You didn’t kill anyone, yet you were imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review. And now, the Emperor has granted you in marriage to Prince Yi. Anyone would feel sympathy for you. I just want to help—nothing more. But if you don’t believe me, then pretend I never spoke, and that I was never here.”

With that, Yin Qingyue deliberately turned as if to leave.

Sure enough, Shangguan Jiaoran fell for it. “Wait!” she called out hurriedly. “If you want to help me, then tell me—how will you do it?”

Yin Qingyue smiled inwardly. The fish had taken the bait—what was there to fear of Prince Yi escaping now?

She cleared her throat lightly and said, “Miss Shangguan, if you truly don’t want to marry him, there’s only one way—either Prince Yi dies, or he develops a hidden ailment.”

“Dies?” Shangguan Jiaoran exclaimed. “That’s impossible! Are you saying we should kill Prince Yi? If that happens, my entire Shangguan family will be ruined!”

She was visibly agitated. Killing Prince Yi would not only cost her life, but also implicate her entire family—her father included. She rejected the idea outright.

“If you’re unwilling to do that,” Yin Qingyue continued, “then the only option is to make Prince Yi suffer from a hidden ailment. As for how—that depends on you, Miss Shangguan.”

Shangguan Jiaoran pressed, “Prince Yi’s itching illness—isn’t that already a hidden ailment?”

Yin Qingyue smiled deliberately. “That itching illness won’t last long—it’ll soon be cured. The real ‘hidden ailment’ concerns your happiness after marriage. If a man can’t perform… how can the marriage be consummated?”

Shangguan Jiaoran looked confused. “Can’t perform? What do you mean?”

“I mean he wouldn’t be able to consummate the marriage,” Yin Qingyue said plainly. “Surely you understand now, Miss Shangguan?”

At that, Shangguan Jiaoran suddenly understood—it was as if a light had gone on. Her face flushed at once. “I… how would I know whether Prince Yi can or can’t? Are you saying I should risk myself to find out?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Yin Qingyue said, smiling softly. “There are certain medicines in this world. When combined, they can mislead even a physician into believing a man has that kind of ailment.”

“There are such medicines?” Shangguan Jiaoran asked, half in doubt.

“I can tell you their names,” Yin Qingyue replied, “but you must promise that you won’t tell anyone about what happened today.”

Though Shangguan Jiaoran hadn’t seen her face, Yin Qingyue had already planned for this. Making sure Shangguan Jiaoran stayed silent was part of her strategy—just in case something went wrong later, she would have a way to deflect blame.

After hesitating for a moment, Shangguan Jiaoran thought: as long as she didn’t have to marry Prince Yi—and didn’t have to kill him—this risk was worth taking.

So she said eagerly, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about today. Hurry and tell me—what are the herbs?”

Yin Qingyue had already decided on them. She said, “Remember carefully: lianfo, si’anxiang, aged cinnamon, fragrant hemp, baozhou seeds, and lotus seeds. Mix these herbs together and soak them in rainwater overnight. Once taken, they will have the desired effect.”