Yin Sila grabbed the Empress Dowager’s chin, forcing her to lift her head.
“How about a white silk ribbon?”
“I think a white silk ribbon suits you best.”
Yin Sila decided to bestow upon her a white silk ribbon, as a token of their years of connection.
The Empress Dowager smiled, “Do I still have the right to choose?”
She had known for a long time that the day Yin Sila’s scheme was exposed would be the day she died. Since she was prepared, she felt no fear.
The mere thought that Yin Sila’s plot had failed made her want to laugh.
All her meticulous planning throughout her life, only to end in futility.
This was the best retribution!
“Of course, or perhaps poison?”
Yin Sila took out a small pill from her怀. She squeezed her fingers, forcing open the Empress Dowager’s mouth and dropping the pill inside. The pill dissolved instantly, with a bitter taste, flowing down the Empress Dowager’s tongue and into her throat.
Yin Sila then released the Empress Dowager’s jaw, smiling sinisterly, “Oh, don’t worry, it’s not poison. I just found you too noisy, so I’ve rendered you mute.”
The Empress Dowager clutched her throat, trying to make a sound, but every syllable that left her mouth became a mere ‘ah ah.’
She stopped trying, straightened up, and looked at Yin Sila calmly.
Yin Sila, however, grew annoyed. She tugged at her wrist, dragging her out of the secret chamber.
The snake that had been coiled on the beam had silently coiled itself at the corner of the bed. It slightly raised its head, its vertical pupils reflecting the current scene.
The snake shadow pushed open the door and walked out.
Passing by the grass by the gravel path in the backyard of Jingren Palace, it crouched down slightly. The grass planted along the stone path was evergreen, still lush. Her hand brushed over the dense grass, and the grass seemed to sway with joy. Yet, faintly, the sound of ‘hissing’ could be heard.
As a ripple-like pattern flowed outwards from the direction of her hand, the snake shadow then stood up and walked gracefully towards the Empress Dowager’s sleeping chambers.
The Imperial Study.
A small green snake, as thick as a finger, dodged the sight of eunuchs, palace maids, and guards, and crawled onto the windowsill. Using its head, it laboriously pushed open a gap in the window and slithered inside.
Hearing the sound from the window’s base, Ji Jinmo and the other two turned to look.
“Snake Shadow’s snake?”
Nan Shiying raised an eyebrow. Ordinary snakes wouldn’t have such audacity to sneak into a place with many people.
Ji Jinmo remained noncommittal.
Ji Hong’s expression was calm; he clearly already knew of such a person’s existence in the palace.
With a “clack,” the little green snake fell from the window. It seemed stunned and lay on the ground for a second before swimming towards Ji Jinmo.
Nan Shiying grabbed the little green snake’s tail. The little green snake turned and bit. It missed her hand and bit the lid of the teacup in Nan Shiying’s hand. The little green snake immediately let out a pained hiss.
Ji Hong glanced at Nan Shiying and then subtly looked at Ji Jinmo.
While the little green snake was biting the cup lid, Nan Shiying gripped it by its seven inches, lifted the snake to her eyes, and took a look. Her expression changed slightly.
She saw the scene inside Jingren Palace reflected in the little green snake’s vertical pupils.
Two Empress Dowagers? And one of them had pulled down the bed curtain?
This was… one real, one fake?
“Your Majesty, Your Highness, quickly, Jingren Palace, the fake Empress Dowager is about to make a move on the real Empress Dowager.” Nan Shiying’s mind was racing, and she quickly figured out the entire situation.
She had originally thought that the Empress Dowager in Jingren Palace must have killed the real Empress Dowager before the former Emperor’s death, substituting her. But she hadn’t expected that the other party hadn’t killed the real Empress Dowager, but seemed to have hidden her in her sleeping chambers.
With a “clang,” the teacup in Ji Hong’s hand fell to the ground.
The real Empress Dowager?
So his mother was still alive?
Ji Hong was overwhelmed with emotion, unable to calm himself. As soon as he had discovered something was wrong with the Empress Dowager, Ji Hong had prepared for the worst. For so many years, he had believed his mother had long turned to dust, but today he learned that his mother was not dead.
However, thinking of Nan Shiying’s words, he became anxious again.
“Snake Shadow is here.”
After Ji Jinmo offered a word of comfort, he got up and walked to the bookshelf, opening the secret passage. The three of them followed the passage to the back palace and rushed towards Jingren Palace.
…
Jingren Palace.
The Empress Dowager looked at the familiar scene, her eyes welling up with tears.
This place held so many of her memories. Ever since she married the former Emperor, she had lived in Jingren Palace. The furnishings and layout here had not changed at all due to Yin Sila’s impersonation.
Just like yesterday.
But now, things were different, though the people were the same.
Yin Sila did not rush to make a move; she was considerate enough to leave her some time to reminisce. The incense burner in the room emitted a pleasant fragrance, but after a moment, the Empress Dowager’s eyelids grew heavy, making it difficult to open them.
She turned to look at Yin Sila. Her voice, rendered mute by poison, could not speak, but Yin Sila understood what she wanted to express. She smiled and said, “The incense in the burner is a sleeping aid. I just thought its effect wasn’t strong enough, so I improved it. What do you think, is the effect noticeable?”
The Empress Dowager cast one last look at her. Her heavily drooping eyelids covered most of her eyeballs, obscuring the sarcasm and pity in her eyes.
Before the Empress Dowager fell, Yin Sila caught her and dragged her under the beam. Then she pulled down the bed curtain, wrapped it around the beam, and tied a tight knot at both ends.
After finishing this, she moved a table over, first lifting the Empress Dowager onto the table, and then standing on the table herself, raising her body.
Just then, a venomous snake suddenly rushed from a pillar connected to the beam. Its fangs reflected a chilling light under the candlelight. Yin Sila had no choice but to drop the Empress Dowager and dodge sideways.
The venomous snake missed its target and fell to the ground with a “thud.” Flicking its tongue, it slithered towards Yin Sila again.
In an instant, “hissing” sounds filled the entire sleeping chamber. All sorts of venomous snakes from all directions surrounded Yin Sila.
Then, a figure appeared in the sleeping chamber.
“Ying’er?” Her second-ranked palace maid?
Yin Sila’s expression turned grim.
Snake Shadow nodded slightly, her charming eyes, outlined with green eyeliner, held a cold murderous intent.
“Empress Dowager, will you surrender?”
Yin Sila sneered, “Based on you?” The蠱 insects within her body began to tremble violently, emitting a clamorous sound that spread like sound waves towards the snakes. All the venomous snakes surging towards Yin Sila stopped, not advancing further.
“Sss sss~”
A rustling sound brushed past Snake Shadow’s ears. Then, all sorts of蛊 insects surged out from under the bed, from the flower vases, from the incense burner, from under the bookshelf, from all directions.
Snake Shadow’s pupils contracted. The venomous snake coiled around her wrist suddenly lunged behind her, biting the蛊 insect flying towards Snake Shadow.
The entire sleeping chamber instantly devolved into a world of venomous snakes and蛊 insects.