As Ding Yun began her period of abstaining from food, it wasn't long before people started noticing her unusual behavior. For instance, they no longer saw her eating snacks, and she instructed the small kitchen to prepare meals only for her daughters, not for herself.
She was even rarely seen drinking tea.
Such peculiar phenomena were hard to ignore.
After all, while no one might say much if she didn't eat for a day or two, after ten or eight days, people couldn't help but gossip and wonder.
This was especially true for those who served her closely.
Before long, rumors began to spread that the Immortal Jing Ci had truly achieved enlightenment and could now subsist without food.
These whispers soon reached the Empress Dowager's ears.
However, she had not paid them much attention.
Because when Ding Yun had told so many stories previously, some people had already privately speculated that she had achieved cultivation and could travel the myriad realms with her soul. The current rumor of abstaining from food was something Grand Empress Dowager Zhang simply dismissed.
That was until the Empress came to complain.
It happened to be the fifteenth of the month. As soon as Empress Sun had paid her respects, she immediately, without hesitation, produced a list and said,
"Mother, you cannot indulge the Immortal Jing Ci any further. She is becoming more outrageous by the day. The palace maids and eunuchs are now privately saying she has achieved cultivation and can subsist without food. Is this not spreading false rumors to mislead the populace?
If she had not deliberately put on a show of abstaining from food,
Why would the eunuchs and palace maids spread such rumors!"
"Furthermore, Mother, please do not be quick to defend the Immortal Jing Ci. If it were only this, I would not have bothered you. But the crucial point is that the Immortal Jing Ci clearly possesses a channel for obtaining resources that I cannot control.
After my repeated investigations and records, the ingredients sent to Chang'an Palace have indeed decreased significantly recently.
They are barely enough for the daily needs of the two princesses.
If we include Ding Yun, then either the two princesses go hungry daily, or she can truly subsist without food, or she has the ability to secretly obtain ingredients from outside the palace, evading my notice. Her being able to subsist without food is certainly impossible.
Therefore, she is either letting the princesses go hungry to enhance her reputation of abstaining from food, or she is obtaining ingredients from outside the palace!
The former is mistreatment of the imperial descendants, and the latter violates palace rules!
However, the two princesses do not appear to be going hungry.
This means she definitely has some special channel to obtain ingredients from outside the palace to fill her stomach.
I implore the Empress Dowager to thoroughly investigate and punish her severely, and do not shield her!"
The Empress Dowager no longer managed state affairs, and therefore did not believe rumors she had not witnessed firsthand. But Sun Empress held the imperial seal and thus controlled all expenses within the palace. After the rumors of Ding Yun's ability to abstain from food began to spread, she quickly investigated the ingredients sent to Chang'an Palace in the recent period.
She even sent people to surveil for quite some time.
Ultimately, although she did not find definitive proof of Ding Yun obtaining ingredients from outside the palace, given her disbelief that Ding Yun could truly abstain from food and the significant decrease in ingredients sent to Chang'an Palace, she naturally concluded that Ding Yun had a special channel for obtaining them from outside.
As soon as she had gathered sufficient evidence,
She quickly chose a day to come and lodge her complaint.
And she did so in the presence of other concubines.
Her intention was to escalate the matter, leaving the Empress Dowager no room to shield Ding Yun. If possible, she wished for Ding Yun to be beaten to death according to palace rules. At the very least, she hoped Ding Yun would be expelled from the palace, to avoid her constant presence that was an eyesore.
"This..."
Grand Empress Dowager Zhang's thoughts were similar to the Empress's. She also did not believe Ding Yun could truly abstain from food, and thus hesitated for a moment, contemplating how to help Ding Yun.
It was at this point that Ding Yun, following the established custom of the past year and more, came to tell stories to the Empress Dowager.
Having done so many times, there was no need for an announcement.
She walked in directly.
Upon seeing her, Sun Empress immediately became excited. Pointing at Ding Yun, she declared loudly,
"Guards, seize her at once!
Within the imperial palace, no one is allowed to profane..."
"Boldness! Who dares to act in this place of the Empress Dowager!"
Hearing this, Grand Empress Dowager Zhang immediately objected loudly. She had listened to Ding Yun's stories for a long time, and their bond had deepened considerably. Thus, she quickly decided that, regardless of the circumstances, she must protect her deposed daughter-in-law.
At most, she would reprimand her later.
Otherwise, she would have no more stories to listen to.
"Mother, what is your intention? Are you going to shield such a criminal? Someone who can evade my surveillance to secretly transport ingredients into the imperial palace, how can she not also transport poison, or even armored soldiers into the palace?
At that time, it would be an act of rebellion and regicide.
Moreover, she is spreading false rumors and misleading the populace, allowing her palace maids and eunuchs to spread word that she has achieved cultivation and can abstain from food. This is also a crime of deceiving the emperor. A crime of deceiving the emperor is punishable by death!
Mother, do not, for the sake of a few stories,
Destroy your lifelong reputation!"
To eliminate the deposed empress who had surpassed her own standing, or at least expel her from the palace, Sun Empress no longer cared about her reputation and spoke any nonsense. However, Grand Empress Dowager Zhang did not believe any of these accusations.
It was only at this moment that Ding Yun finally understood why Sun Empress had immediately ordered her to be seized upon seeing her, and why, after nearly a month of abstaining from food, no one had come to question her.
It turned out that no one believed she could abstain from food.
They even thought she was spreading false rumors to mislead people.
Understanding this, Ding Yun felt she could no longer conceal it. If no one believed her, how long would she have to abstain from food? Thus, before Grand Empress Dowager Zhang could refute on her behalf, Ding Yun raised her hand and pointed at the Empress,
"Silence!"
Immediately, Sun Empress, who had been speaking incessantly, became as mute as a statue. Her mouth opened, but no sound could escape. Oh, no, even a mute person could make some "aba aba" sounds. Sun Empress could not make any sound at all, as if she had been muted.
The next second, realizing she could not make a sound, Sun Empress, in terror, continued to open and close her mouth.
Only her mouth moved, unable to produce any sound.
"Empress Dowager, the Empress does not believe this humble Taoist can abstain from food. She likely has not witnessed it. Now, this humble Taoist's spell of silence will allow the Empress to experience it."
As soon as Ding Yun finished speaking, Sun Empress immediately stumbled backward in fear. She pointed at Ding Yun, opening and closing her mouth, and retreated further in terror.
Given this scene, anyone could tell.
She truly could not make a sound.
As for whether the two were acting in concert, how could that be possible? A deposed empress and a reigning empress likely wished death upon each other, how could they possibly cooperate intentionally? Therefore, this was undoubtedly real.
At this point, Grand Empress Dowager Zhang finally believed that Ding Yun had truly achieved cultivation. She quickly descended and inquired,
"Jing Ci, you have truly achieved cultivation.
Quickly tell me how you cultivated, and what abilities you possess now. Are you like Immortal He in 'Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea,' or similar to the female immortals and goddesses of legend like Mazu? Can you achieve immortality?"
As for the terrified Empress by her side,
Who cared?