“Bad luck.” Di Qing thought his good mood was ruined by You Qingcheng, so he unveiled the bead curtain, turned around and left. Beads clicked crisply, which pricked You Qingcheng’s heart more. She did feel painful, but she could not let go of the resentment.

“Your Excellency…”

Shui’er took pity on her and thought why the master was hard on herself. Since the master had made up her mind, she should hold on. Time would heal the wound sooner or later. Apparently, the Majesty was not the right person for the master. As a bystander, Shui’er could see everything clearly.

Busy as Ning’s woman was, she had quick ears. Hardly had the Majesty left the palace when Ning’s woman left as well, because the Master of the Qingshou Palace was still waiting for her message. Afraid of being discovered, Ning’s woman walked the side door. It only took the time to drink half a cup of tea to arrive the Qingshou Palace. After all, Ning’s woman also knew to be conscientious, since she had taken other’s money.

“It is too late…” She threw a glance at the old woman, and her face looked calmer. She thought the old woman only got the benefits and did nothing good. It was a long time since Ou Jingyu saw the Majesty. If things went on like that, Ou Jingyu was afraid that the Majesty would forget her.

“The Majesty came to the Eastern Palace, but got fed up there…”

“Really?”

Ou JIngyu felt disgusted about Ning woman’s fawning look. Unless the old woman was still useful, Ou Jingwu would have killed her already.

“I heard it with my ears. How could it be false?”

“The Queen does have a backbone…” Ou Jingyu could not help respecting You Qingcheng. The women in the palace all looked forward to the Majesty’s coming, but inversely, You Qingcheng did not care about it at all. On the other hand, Ou Jingyu felt it a good chance for her to join the competition.

“Take the bracelet embracing intricate scrollwork.” A maidservant named Fan’er held the silver plate and came out of the inner hall. Ning’s woman carefully picked up the bracelet. It was the Highest Grade in the emeralds, which could make Ning’s woman rely on the rest of her life. Fan’er was jealous and thought why she did not have such a good luck. Ning’s woman was clever and knew the price of taking the bracelet.

“Your Excellency, I am at your disposal.” Ou Jingyu liked greedy people, because they could fight for what they wanted by hook or crook. Although Ning’s woman came from the countryside, she was rather wily.

“Tonight, I will see the Majesty.”

“Your Excellency, please rest assured. Within an hour, you will see the Majesty…” Ning’s woman decided to take the plunge for the bracelet. She tucked it well in the arms, and then left there. Fang’er felt unhappy because the Master had given the old woman many benefits, but for Fang’er herself, she got nothing. But Fang’er did not know that any benefit was exchanged

“Get some warm water and prepare the fragrant bath…Add some jasmine. The Majesty liked it most…”

The woman in the mirror smiled sweetly, and her skin was so tender as if it could squeeze out the water. Her slender fingers picked up the eyebrows. Although she looked like You Qingcheng, her eyebrows added more beauty to her and made her look more enchanting. Ou Jingyu was just a substitute, but she knew the Majesty more than the Master in the Eastern Palace. The Majesty liked the brighter and clearer woman more. In fact, like You Qingcheng, such sentimental women could not win the Majesty’s favor. Fan’er carried the hot water for her master, and the fragrance lingered around the room. Ou Jingyu took off the clothes and entered the tub. She leaned against the edge of the bucket carved with gold lines. Her inky hair scattered. Fan’er swirled the petals. Then, the fragrance filled the room. The door was quietly pushed open. Di Qing saw a person was bathing. It seems that Ning’s woman did not lie to him that the queen was waiting for him. Di Qing walked to the bath bucket. Fan’er heard the movement and got shocked. When seeing it was the Majesty, she knelt on the ground hurriedly. Di Qing added more hot water into the bathing bucket. Fan’er left the room discreetly. The old woman was so terrific that she could get the job done so quickly.

Under the fingers was a silky skin, revealing the fragrance of a woman. The fingers played strings with proper power each time. The woman slowly opened her watery eyes and went delirious at the sight of Di Qing. The old woman really had some methods. Ou Jingyu raised her slender fingers. Di Qing picked up the woman, and the woman in his arms smiled sweetly, her little hands hooking the neck, Di Qing felt his heart was hot and went to the bed. Sweet laughter filled the Qingshou Palace.

Getting the things in the palace was as easy as blowing off dust. Ning’s woman put the thing well and went back. But unexpectedly, because of her dim sight, she went to the wrong place and squeezed into the Western Palace. Xu Yin was startled by the breaking-in woman. The old man looked familiar. So he came up to have a look and confirmed that she was a servant from the Eastern Palace. Ning’s woman foraged a bed as if she had been cast an enticing spell. She did not know that it was Fan’er who gave her the knockout powder.

“Coming here.” A little maidservant pulled Ning’s woman, and the old woman struggled. Then, the valuable thing was exposed in her arms. The little maidservant had sharp eyes, and handed the thing to her master hurriedly. You Qingma had seen much of it, so she knew that the bracelet was not an ordinary thing. It turned out that the old woman was not common, as she could get such a high-quality thing. Was she a rich person? You Qingmo asked the maidservant to pour cold water on the old woman. Ning’s woman became clear by the cold water. She rolled her eyes, wondering where it was, how she got there, and who the woman was in the main seat. Ning’s woman felt completely confused. Xu Ying had been observing the old woman. Honesty was just an illusion. This woman must know a lot.

“This bracelet is really…good.” You Qingmo played with the bracelet. Ning’s woman was shocked, realizing that something terrible was about to happen, since the treasure was spotted.

“Your Excellency, you can have it if you like.” Having been living in the palace for a long time, Ning’s woman learned to be craftier, and she knew that as long as she was alive, she would have more chances in the future.

“You are so bold…It is awarded by the Majesty…” You Qingmo’s tone changed in a blink of eyes, which really terrified Ning’s woman. The old woman thought she received the bracelet from others, but why now did the bracelet belong to You Qingmo? Actually, You Qingmo said it on purpose, because she wanted to get something useful from the old woman. After all, the person who could afford to give such a precious bracelet was not a common one.

“Your Excellency, you’ve wronged me. I don’t have the gut to steal your things.” Ning’s woman failed to defend for herself, but she could not betray the Qingshou palace as well. So she just wanted to muddle through it.

“Slap her.” A maidservant gave a heavy slap on Ning’s woman’s face and made her two teeth drop. It seemed that Ning’s woman was unable to escape today.

“In this palace, it is easy to die, but it is difficult to live.”

Ning’s woman sank to the ground with scare.

“Your Excellency, please spare the old servant. The bracelet was given by the master of the Qingshou Palace.”

“Ou Jingyu?”

“Your Excellency, you know?” Ning’s woman was a bit surprised. It seemed that the women in the palace were all foxy. Ning’s woman decided to be careful in the future.

“The Majesty will come to the Qingshou Palace tonight. Do what you are supposed to do.” You Qingmo looked calm without any jealous expression. Ning’s woman understood that the women in the palace were all plotting for something, and this master might plot for power.

“Your Excellency, the Eastern Palace repels me. So I have to find a place to live, right?”

“So you betrayed your master?”

“The Queen was so cruel that she killed that man by the Bone-dissolving powder… So I have to find a way out.”

“What did the man look like?” Xu Yin’s heart fell to the bottom. Since his second younger brother had disappeared for a few months, Xu Yin rummaged the entire palace, but he did not expect that his brother had been dissolved. It was the evil woman who killed his brother.

“I didn’t see his true face clearly, but I heard that the man called ‘Younger Sister, Qingcheng’.” That’s right. It was my younger brother. Because in Xu Xi’s heart, no one was better than You Qingcheng. Even so, Xu Xi was killed by his beloved person ruthlessly and could not escape his fate.

“Stealing the things of the palace is a capital crime.” Ning’s woman was not stupid, as she abandoned ruthlessly her homer for the sake of coming to the capital. Don’t talk about loyalty to her. She cared about nothing but just benefits. The people in the palace took advantage of the old woman, but she would not allow herself to be trampled on.

“The real and the fake masters of the Eastern Palace are striving for the Majesty’s favor. What should we do?” You Qingmo showed great trust in Xu Yin and believed that this man would not harm her. Sometimes women were emotional and always imagined that a special man was waiting for her, but they did not know that others also had their own plots.

“Change the fake into the true one.” Xu Yin’s beloved brother had been killed, so he would take revenge for him. First, he planned to change the fake queen into the true one. Then, the real queen would be replaced and Xu Yin would decide the queen’s life or death. You Qingmo showed admiration to the man sincerely. The man always stayed with You Qingmo and helped her. Although they had different purposes, the man never hurt her. You Qingmo fell in a trance.

“Your Excellency, it is time to rest…”

Xu Yin disguised himself as Xu Xi, and then flew to the Eastern Palace. Tonight, it was quiet in the Eastern Palace. Xu Yin climbed over the palace gate, knocked several guards unconscious, and sneaked into the inner hall.

A fierce gale sprang up and ill wind slammed the door and windows. The palace door creaked open. Xu Xi stood there, and blood oozed from his seven apertures. Hearing the noise, You Qingmo opened her eyes. Next second, she screamed with scare and sat on the bed immediately. Xu Yin smiled coldly, thinking, “Did you feel scared when you killed my younger brother?” And then, Xu Yin played one fiercer trick. Suddenly, blood began oozing from all the seven openings of her head. You Qingcheng on the bed had not seen it before and clenched the bedding tightly. She shivered, as her face turned paler. Xu Yin would not let go of her, because Yon Qingcheng was so ruthless that she did not spare his brother’s corpse.

Xu Yin thought that although his brother was wrong to assault this woman, she should not destroy his brother’s corpse. The woman killed his brother mercilessly regardless of his brother’s deep affection to her.

“…Don’t you think I am afraid of you?”

You Qingcheng did not fear ghosts. It would be nothing frightening compared to the darkness in the palace. So she came up to grab Xu Yin. When her fingers touched the hem, creeping corpse worms dropped everywhere on the ground. You Qingcheng thought it was an illusion. But when the corpse worms drilled into her skin, she was really scared. Those corpse worms crawled in her pulse. You Qingcheng could even hear the worms sucking the blood. She tried to pulled out those disgusting worms. But she fainted immediately when seeing her fingers’ skeleton. Xu Xi laughed wildly. It was not worth mentioning compared to his brother’s life. Xu Xi stepped out of the room, thinking that it was all for today.

“Master, what’s wrong with you?”

“Shui’er, look at my face.”

You Qingcheng picked herself up from the ground. Last night, she seemed to have a nightmare where she was covered with corpse worms. Shui’er could not help taking several steps back at the clear sight of her master. You Qingmo’s face was utterly grey, as if she had just came out of the coffin. Afraid that the master would be sad, Shui’er hastened to do the makeup for her. You Qingcheng looked at her own face carefully, and she was not relieved until her face was as beautiful as before.

“Ask Supervisor Ning to come here.”

Shui’er took the order and left there. Ning Hai was also shocked when he entered the room. Since You Qingcheng was still good yesterday, why was she covered with corpse qi now?

“Your Excellency, what’s wrong?”

“I encountered something unclean last night. Go to find a Master to remove the evil.”

“Your Excellency, did you see a ghost?”

“Yes, it was a male ghost.”

“Is there a ghost in the palace?”

“I don’t believe in ghosts, but the person is covered with corpse qi…”

Ning’s woman did not believe in heresy, and comforted You Qingcheng that those mystifying things were all disguised by human, so that You Qingcheng could set her mind at ease.

“Your Excellency, the Majesty went to the Qingshou Palace last night.”

“Qingshou Palace?”

“The person of the Qingshou Palace also said the Majesty was living with the Queen in Qingshou Palace.”

“What did you say? Last night, the Majesty was in the Eastern Palace. When did the Majesty go to the Qingshou Palace?”

“Your Excellency, don’t you forget that she was the substitute whom Xian’er found for you?” Shui’er reminded You Qingcheng and thought that the substitute was such a disaster that she dared to replace the master.

“The substitute does make a scene. Perhaps no woman in the world is willing to be a substitute.”

“What can she do? She will always be my substitute.”

“Your Excellency, you should not look down upon her. After all, the women in the palace natually please the man. After last night, I’m afraid that everything will change.”

“Shui’er, I am so scared. I’ve lost my father. If I lose my husband’s love, what should I bother living for?” You Qingcheng was so grieved to realize that everything was used in this cold-blooded place. Love could not sprout in the imperial harem.

“Your Excellency, in the harem battle, there are only the common interests. We share the same intention—you want power while I want Di Qing to die.”