"His Majesty gave us the honor of caring for Jiang gui ren, and we failed so soon," cried Yao gonggong, "I deserve to die!"

He wailed in misery, and his compatriots followed suit, slapping their faces and pounding their chests. Jiang gui ren's maids congregated at Xiang gui ren's feet, wailing in miserable unison. Partly because of their guilt and partly because of pain in their hands, which were covered in brilliant red rashes.

Their mistress was sequestered in the bedroom, asleep as the doctors from the Imperial Hospital worked on her throughout the night. Hours ago, The Emperor's eunuchs returned Jiang gui ren to her rooms. Xiang gui ren wouldn't have known a thing about it if she hadn't heard the other woman moaning and bellowing in pain. The moment that dawn broke, Xiang gui ren rushed over.

Xiang gui ren clicked her tongue, "Aish. It's not your fault the slaves here are slackers. They should've known better than to use buckets that held poison ivy for the milk in jiejie's bath. Dry your tears, Yao gonggong and get up. Listen to the Imperial doctors and take care of those hands or you'll be of no use to your mistress,"

Old as they were, Jiayi and Molan had to help them to their feet.

"Xiang gui ren is too kind," said a squat woman called Huan momo.

Jiayi watched as the elder servants trickle into Jiang gui ren's bedroom, buzzing with anticipation. Now that other servants were gone, she could tell her mistress about the gift she gave Jiang gui ren.

Yesterday evening, Yao gonggong and Cui momo had asked if Xiang gui ren could spare one or two servants to haul a few buckets of goat milk for Jiang gui ren's bathwater. Jiayi volunteered, a seed of a plan taking root in her brain. The hard labor camp and the barn weren't far apart. On the road between the two were stubborn patches of poison ivy. Digging out the climbing vines with your bare hands was a common punishment in the hard labor camp. The blistering, burning rash would last weeks if you weren't allowed to go to the Imperial Hospital for treatment.

Jiayi ripped bunches of leaves with a cloth-covered hand and tied them into a cheesecloth pouch. When all the buckets had been brought to Jiang gui ren's room, she again volunteered to empty the buckets into the tub while the momos warmed the water for the bath. Jiayi dunked the cheesecloth of poison ivy into each bucket before pouring them out. Afraid it wouldn't do much, she let the pouch soak in the tub until Cui momo returned with the hot water, which again she offered to empty. When all was said and done, Jiayi fished out the floating pouch and brought all the buckets and the evidence back to the farm and disposed of the evidence.

It was a foolish thing to do, but Jaiyi couldn't help herself. His Majesty had obviously learned the truth about Jiang gui ren and what she'd done, and the only thing he did to punish her was take away her maids. Jiayi knew her life was cheap, but what of Xiang gui ren? Of First and Second Princess? Of The Empress? How could he let Jiang gui ren get away with it?

Even if Jiayi risked her life, it was worth it. It was worth it to grasp vengeance–something a maid like her never had the right to touch. The thought of how happy Xiang gui ren would be comforted her rabbiting heart as she did the deed.

Unfortunately, Xiang gui ren looked far from happy. The sight of Jiang gui ren had caused her to almost faint. She staggered into the receiving room, with Jiayi and Molan as the only things keeping her upright. She called out the servants and asked them shakily what had happened to their mistress.

Now, Xiang gui ren was slumped over in a chair; her head cradled in her hand.

"My goodness," she muttered, "My goodness..."

"Mistress, are you alright?" Jiayi asked, her tongue numb and heavy in her mouth.

"How can I be alright?" Xiang gui ren replied, "Didn't you see her?"

"I think her outsides match her insides now. You shouldn't waste your time feeling sorry for her, mistress," said Molan.

Jiayi agreed. A poisonous woman like Jiang gui ren suited a body swollen with sickness and riddled with itching blemishes.

"I'm feeling sorry for myself," snapped Xiang gui ren, "Do you know how this looks?"

Jiayi froze and licked her lips, "How what looks?"

"Jiang gui ren suddenly comes down with this strange affliction after I was framed for such a large crime? Not only does it look like I've taken revenge, but it looks like I've done so in the face of His Majesty! If she becomes dead or worse, it would only take one smart mouth to make me the culprit,"

Molan gasped, "Do you think Jiang gui ren did this to herself?"

Xiang gui ren angrily flapped her fan, "Of course not. She would never let His Majesty see her in such a state even if it meant spiting me. No, this was just bad luck,"

Jiayi's stomach roiled with worry. She hadn't thought about that. All she wanted to was get justice for herself after being wronged. She didn't know it would go so far.

"Don't worry, mistress," said Jiayi, her voice quiet, "It'll be alright,"

"Cui momo," Xiang gui ren called.

The maid presented herself.

"Look after Jiang gui ren well. If there are any changes, inform Her Highness at once,"

Cui momo nodded, "I'll run and fetch His Majesty himself if need be!"

Xiang gui ren gave a strained smile, "Very good,"

The day was bright and sunny. If Jiayi's mood was slightly dampened by Xiang gui ren's worries, then it darkened entirely by the sight of Susu entering the courtyard. The maid's clothes were filthy, while her face was crusted with rust colored splotches of old blood. Her greasy hair was tied in a messy braid and by the way she limped across the courtyard, her time in The Office of Careful Punishment was obviously not easy.

Everyone had heard that all of Jiang gui ren's former servants were granted death, so how could her partner in crime be back already?

Xiang gui ren didn't look happy at the sight of the treacherous maid either.

"Is that Susu?" Asked Molan, "I thought His Majesty burned her coffin already. Should we be calling a shaman?"

"This lowly servant wishes Xiang gui ren peace," said Susu, lowering her battered body to the ground.

"Back already?" Asked Xiang gui ren.

Susu nodded, "His Majesty said that without me Jiang gui ren may not recover from the shock of her sickness so he allowed me to return,"

Xiang gui ren smiled, "Poor thing. You came all the way here for nothing. Cui momo and Huan momo are taking good care of jiejie. There's no need for you. Bolin can take you back to The Office of Careful Punishment,"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Susu gaped up at Xiang gui ren before clinging to the concubine's skirts.

"Xiang gui ren, have mercy on me please!" she said as Bolin tried to tear her hands away, "It was Haoyu and the others who plotted against you! My mistress and I were ignorant of it all!"

"Ping'er," Xiang gui ren said, "What do you think?"

It almost made Jiayi laugh at the way Susu's face fell. Cleary, Susu hadn't forgotten the way she had treated Ping'er many months before.

"Mistress, His Majesty did his very best to rid your palace of this sort of vermin," said Ping'er, "Why invite one back to stay?"

Laughing, Xiang gui ren wrenched her skirts away from Susu, "I didn't know you could be so mean, Little Cutie. No matter. If His Majesty is fond of rats, how could I dare question him?"

✺

Jiayi couldn't sleep.

Actually, that wasn't true.

Jiayi wouldn't sleep. When her eyes finally closed, and she began to drift away, there was no blissful silence, no comforting darkness. There were only terrible fantasies of what Su gonggong would do when he got his hands on her for good.

As a maid, sleepless nights were second nature to her but Jiayi hadn't slept soundly for weeks. Pie'er had mentioned that her skin had transformed into a sickly yellowish gray. There was a constant buzzing in the back of Jiayi's head, and her feet and hands tended to go numb. She would doze off if she sat down too long or stood still in one place. Shadows constantly crept at the corners of her eyes. Even the princesses had noticed, claiming she was slow and her lines shaky.

Xiang gui ren became more irritable the longer Jiang gui ren was bed bound. The rash had cleared somewhat, but The Emperor had banned her from serving in bed for three months so she could recover fully. More rumors began to swirl concerning Jiang gui ren's fate and Xiang gui ren's hand in it all. Her mistress had gone to bed miffed that Jiayi misplaced her favorite trinket. If Jiayi ruined her sleep because of her night terrors, Xiang gui ren might punish her for the first time. When Jiayi felt the heavy hand of sleep dragging her down, while she was curled up at the foot of Xiang gui ren's bed, she stumbled to her feet.

A walk would help. It usually did. The closer Jiayi was to exhaustion, the quieter her sleep would be. If she took longer than usual, it would be fine. Molan was curled up on the floor next to Xiang gui ren's bed. Jiayi grabbed a lantern and stepped outside.

At this time of night, The Forbidden City was silent. There was no moonlight or wind to rustle the bushes and trees. Only stillness and peace. It made Jiayi jealous. She wanted nothing more than to grab the night and drown it in. She didn't know how much longer she could continue like this.

So when a hand darted out of the shadows and grabbed her, Jiayi blamed the fatigue for how she reacted.

Static crackling in her ears, Jiayi wrenched herself away and sliced her fist through the air, gritting her teeth when the pain of hitting the meat of a human head raced up her arm. A man groaned and stumbled to the ground.

It was Su gonggong, of course it was Su gonggong. It was the first time she had hit him. He wasn't so tough. He was just a man. Hit any man in the right place enough times, and there's no longer a man, just a corpse.

The static in her head grew louder.

Jiayi would just kill him. Nobody would miss him. Nobody would look for him. It wouldn't be hard. Neither of them was where they were supposed to be. She would need to bring her fist down again.

And again.

And again.

Things would be okay then.

Everything would be okay.

"Have you lost your mind?"

That.

That wasn't Su gonggong.

Jiayi hurried to pick up the lantern that had fallen to the ground and shone it over the body sprawled before her.

It was Prince Han!

"You–I–um," a million thoughts raced through her head, but the only thing that came out, at last, was, "Where's Sang'er?"

Prince Han stared up at her in disbelief.

"You attack me, and the first thing out of your mouth is about my eunuch? Once again, have you lost your mind?"

"Please forgive me, my lord," Jiayi said, falling to her knees, "I was startled and behaved poorly,"

Prince Han said nothing. He picked up his lantern that fell to the wayside and stood up before spitting a mouthful of blood at his feet.

"It's nearly dawn. What are you doing out here?"

"A walk,"

"A walk? A palace maid came for a walk in the dead of night just a stone's throw away from the military barracks to go on a walk?" Prince Han let out a mean laugh, "Do you take me for a fool?"

It took some time, but Jiayi eventually shook the cobwebs out of her head and realized what Prince Han was accusing her of—an affair.

Her.

An affair?

Sometimes The Emperor sounded grave like this, but Xiang gui ren laughed and laughed. Maybe Prince Han was joking.

"Are you joking?"

When the words slipped out, Jiayi wanted to snatch them back.

"I just...I would never do something like that. I've–I haven't been able to sleep since my arrest, so I sometimes take walks. I'd never been to the barracks, so I didn't know to avoid it. Please forgive me,"

Prince pursed his lips before shaking his head, "Fine. Rise. Go back to Xiang gui ren,"

"Thank you, my lord,"

Jiayi stood and backed around Prince Han, intending to obey his orders. She stopped, a thought popping into her head. Jiayi had thanked De gui fei for coming to her aide during her interrogation; it would only be fair to do the same to Prince Han.

"My lord!"

Prince Han turned to her.

"Thank you for speaking on my behalf in front of Her Highness and His Majesty,"

"I didn't do it for you,"

"Oh," said Jiayi, "Then I thank you on Xiang gui ren's behalf,"

"Her Highness is the example for women around the world," said Prince Han, "How would it look if rumors ran rampant that she couldn't govern His Majesty's concubines and let such lewd conduct run wild? What would it look like if the concubine His Majesty dragged from a brothel caused such a scandal right under his nose? Wei guniang, you can consider this a favor if you'd like. But understand that it is the first and last I will do for you,"

✺

"Your Majesty, you've been working all day; take a break, only for a moment,"

Shen huang gui fei gently pried the calligraphy brush from his hands. The Emperor sat down heavily in his chair, mouth pinched with pain. He rubbed at his temple for a moment. Shen huang gui fei quickly continued the massage with both hands.

The last few weeks for Shen huang gui fei had been ever so peaceful. With Jiang gui ren bed bound and The Empress busy preparing for The Empress Dowager's birthday, barely anyone could rival her for The Emperor's attention. Xiang gui ren was there, of course, but since rumors began to run about her poisoning her housemate, His Majesty flipped her tag less and less. He usually called for her on days like this to hear the soothing sounds of her zither, but today he only asked for Shen huang gui fei.

"Is something troubling you, Your Majesty?"

"Duchess Zian came to greet The Empress today. She told me that Yigue passed away," he said.

So that was the cause of The Emperor's melancholy. The death of his nephew, born to his favorite older brother.

"Wasn't Yigue only 16?" Asked Shen huang gui fei.

The Emperor nodded, "16 and unmarried. Duke Zian is nearly 60 and his only son is gone. I've told him again and again that a man of his status should take more concubines and let his house flourish but he refuses to listen. The Duchess and his concubines are passed middle aged now. There's no chance he'll have another son now,"

"Your Majesty, please calm down. You'll make yourself sick worrying for him,"

"I want to worry for him. Duke Zian's treated is the only one who never treated me like I was an enemy in fight for The Late Emperor's favor. When I became crown prince, he supported me fully. He deserves to have good life and afterlife but that's impossible to do without a son,"

There.

There was Shen huang gui fei's chance. The one thing Shen huang gui fei lacked was backing. Her clan was small and her father a middling court official and none of her many brothers managed to gain any footholds in places that mattered. The only reason her mother managed to become a wet nurse in the palace was through her friendship with The Late Empress' sister.

While her brothers had little talent, Shen huang gui fei did have plenty of unmarried sisters at home. A marriage into Duke Zian's household was a powerful match that could spell a promotion for her father or maybe something more.

"What if you just gift him a few young women?" Asked Shen huang gui fei.

"There's no point," said The Emperor, "He'd just refuse,"

"The Duke may refuse, but would The Duchess? She must know how her household has failed by not being able to nurture more than one son for The Duke. She wouldn't dare refuse the honor of accepting women of Your Majesty's choice for The Duke's sake,"

The Emperor hummed in consideration, "I would need two good girls. There's no point in upending things to wind up with no children. I'll chat with The Empress. She has an eye for these things. She chose a gêgê from the Fuca clan for my 17th brother, and the girl birthed four children for him,"

Shen huang gui fei transitioned to massaging The Emperor's shoulders, "We don't have to trouble Her Highness with something like this right now, Your Majesty. She's so busy caring for the back palace and The Empress Dowager. Let me assist you in her stead,"

The Emperor ran a hand across his mustache, "Will it be your considerations or yours and Royal Mother?"

"Your Majesty is my number one priority," said Shen huang gui fei, "If The Empress Dowager is displeased by my choices, I will gladly take the brunt of her anger as long as your worries are eased,"

It was the truth. Even if The Empress Dowager disagreed, Shen huang gui fei wasn't going to miss this chance. One day The Empress Dowager will be laid to rest beside The Late Emperor and Shen huang gui fei would only have herself to depend on. If she could make her family more valuable to The Emperor and more connected in court, even The Empress would have to kneel to her.

"Fine then," said The Emperor, "Choose wisely,"

"I always do, Your Majesty,"