"Bullying..."
Gaoshun
stared at her in disbelief.
That was only natural. For a maid to do such a thing to a high-ranking consort — it simply shouldn't happen. It was inconceivable.
"You seem to find it hard to believe."
If the other party didn't want to know,
Maomao
had no intention of telling them either.
She didn't like speaking on mere speculation.
However, in order to explain why the maid had touched the dishware, she needed to explain that as well.
Rather than resort to some clumsy deflection, she decided to give her honest opinion.
"May I hear it?"
"Very well. I should say upfront that this is purely my own speculation."
"That's fine."
"First,
let me begin with Lady Risu
and her peculiar position as consort."
Despite her young age, she had become the consort of the previous emperor, only to be forced into entering a nunnery almost immediately.
Many women are taught that a wife should devote herself
entirely to her husband.
The better-bred the woman, the more
pronounced
this was.
Even if it were a political arrangement, for Lady Risu to be married off to the son of her deceased husband would be seen as lacking in virtue, and...
Truly
outrageous, that was.
"Did you see Lady Risu's outfit for the garden party?"
"......"
"You couldn't read the room, could you?"
However, all of her attendants had been wearing attire in shades close to white.
"Normally, a lady-in-waiting would either recommend proper attire to her mistress, or wear something coordinating so as to match. But that—Lady Risu looked nothing short of a fool."
A lady-in-waiting exists to make her mistress shine. That is
Hongniang
's words to the other maids. And it was also clearly evident in what
Yinghua
had said during the garden party.
When you think about it in those terms, the quarrel among the ladies-in-waiting over Lady Risu's outfit takes on a different light.
(Lady Risu's incompetent ladies-in-waiting had been reprimanded by Consort Shuku's ladies-in-waiting.)
The young Lady Risu must have been talked into wearing that outfit by her maids, who flattered her by saying it suited her.
Without a shred of doubt.
In the inner palace, where everyone around you is an enemy, and the only ones you can trust are the ladies-in-waiting at your side.
"That's not all. They also switched out her meals to cause trouble for Lady Risu."
Gaoshun asked, pressing for confirmation.
"She did. She ended up surviving, though."
Pufferfish
poison has no effect unless enough time passes.
In other words, if the meals hadn't been switched, the food taster would have assumed it was safe and eaten it. There was plenty of time.
"What a despicable method."
(Let us leave the speculation at that.)
I pick up the vessel once more and point.
"This is likely the imprint of whoever mixed the poison. It looks like they held the rim to stabilize it while stirring the poison in."
You must not touch the rim of a dining vessel. That, too, was one of Hongniang's teachings — you must not soil with your fingers the place where the lips of a person of noble standing will touch.
"That concludes my analysis."
Gaoshun stroked his chin, studying the silver vessel.
"May I ask one question?"
"Go ahead."
I wrap the vessel and hand it to Gaoshun.
"Why did you try to shield that maid?"
Seeing Maomao's puzzled look, Gaoshun added that he was simply curious.
"A maid's life is worth far less compared to a consort's."
Especially if that maid's role is poison-taster.
Gaoshun seemed to grasp what she was implying, and lightly
nod
ded.
"
Jinshi
-sama, I will explain it properly."
"Thank you."
Once Gaoshun had taken his leave, Maomao sank into her chair with a thud.
"Right. I ought to thank him."
(After all, he went to the trouble of getting it swapped back.)
Even so, she found herself thinking she really should have just swallowed it in the first place.
○●○
"That concludes the matter."
Having heard Gaoshun's report, Jinshi pushed his hair back.
Piled on the desk were documents awaiting his seal.
"No matter when I hear it, you always have such a way with words."
"Is that so?"
The stalwart attendant replied flatly.
"No matter how you look at it, this has to be an inside job."
"That does seem to be the case based on the circumstances."
His head was starting to ache.
He wanted to give up thinking.
After all, since yesterday he hadn't had a moment to sleep.
He hadn't even been able to change his clothes.
He wanted to stomp
his feet in frustration.
"
Your true nature
is showing."
Gone was his usual smile; instead, he was sulking just as one might expect of someone his age.
Gaoshun could apparently see this all too clearly.
"Isn't it fine since no one's around?"
"I'm here."
"You're just a bonus."
"No good."
He tried cracking a joke, but it didn't work on this by-the-book man.
Having someone look after you since the day you were born was rather vexing.
"
"The hairpin—
you're still wearing it."
"Oh, I forgot."
"I had it hidden, so I didn't think anyone would notice."
When she pulled out the deeply inserted hairpin, the artisan's delicate openwork filigree was revealed.
The legendary creature, hard to classify as either deer or horse—
was the kirin.
she said.
"Do me a favor—keep it safe."
She tossed it to him without ceremony.
"Please take good care of it. It's something important, you know."
"I know, I know."
"No, you don't."
After the scolding was over, the attendant of sixteen years left the office.
Jinshi, his face still that of a child's, slumped over his desk.
There was still plenty of work left.
He had to free up some time soon.
"Might as well get to it."
He stretched broadly and picked up his brush.
To become a man of leisure, he had to finish his work first.
Well, as you can imagine.