"What are you doing!" The head maid rushed over as soon as she saw what was happening. When she recognized the person, she was shocked. It was the Noble Consort De who had just recovered from her illness.
The Noble Consort De grabbed Ji Feiyu with one hand and held a dagger in the other. With a menacing look in her eyes, she shouted, "You slut! I'm going to kill you!"
The head maid quickly grabbed the Noble Consort De's hand from behind, trying to snatch the dagger away. Since the Noble Consort De was holding the dagger with her backhand and hadn't fully recovered yet, her body was still weak. With both hands, the head maid managed to wrest the dagger from her.
The head maid immediately threw the dagger far away and then shouted at the top of her voice, "Someone! There's an assassin!"
But in the meantime, the Noble Consort De rushed towards Ji Feiyu again and knocked her to the ground.
Ji Feiyu felt that ever since she took the muscle - weakening powder, she was like a useless person, completely devoid of fighting ability.
Fortunately, her mind was clear. She tried her best to grab the Noble Consort De's hands with her own to prevent being choked again. At the same time, she tried to distract her, "Where did you get the dagger?"
The Noble Consort De sneered, "You want to know? I won't tell you."
The head maid quickly came over to help. The three of them immediately got into a scuffle.
This time it was two against one. Without the help of the other women in the Cold Palace, even though Ji Feiyu was in a weak state, the two of them managed to subdue the Noble Consort De who hadn't fully recovered.
The Noble Consort De let out a series of ear - splitting screams, looking extremely painful as if her desires were never to be fulfilled.
"Why? Why is it always you! After I was sent to the Cold Palace, I kept thinking that His Majesty would still remember my kindness and come to visit me. But he never came once. I thought he was heartless and would turn a blind eye to those in the Cold Palace. But I never expected that he would arrange things for you in the Cold Palace. Hahaha, it's so ridiculous! No wonder Eunuch Zhang would protect you and grant your every request. Who would have thought it was that person's doing? Hahahahaha."
As she laughed, she began to cry, "Why? Why? Your Majesty, I love you so much. Why do you never see me? Why are you always looking at her!"
She cried for a while, looking up at the sky. Suddenly, she turned to look at Ji Feiyu, hatred welling up in her eyes again. "So I'm going to kill you. Only when you're dead will he see me!"
Ji Feiyu took a step back, intimidated by the madness in the Noble Consort De's eyes. But from her words, she knew that someone must have told her something, which had further stung her.
Ji Feiyu saw that the Noble Consort De's mental state was deteriorating day by day. She was really worried that the Noble Consort De wouldn't be able to hold on.
But Ji Feiyu was a bit helpless about what the Noble Consort De said. What did her good life in the Cold Palace have to do with that heartless man? He had clearly just sent someone to check if she had escaped. If he really had arranged things with Zhang Fugui, would Zhang Fugui have told her about the secret sentries?
Ji Feiyu said, "Both of us have misplaced our affections, which is why we're here. Why should we hurt each other? Why don't you tell me where you got this dagger, and I'll try to get you out?"
The dagger must have been brought to the Noble Consort De by someone. At the same time, that person must have made up a story related to Ji Feiyu to incite her, making the Noble Consort De lose her mind and come after her. If she could find out who this person was, she might be able to find some clues about her own frame - up.
The Noble Consort De looked at her and laughed, "You want to get information from me? I won't tell you. You'll never turn things around. Hahaha."
Seeing that she refused to talk, Ji Feiyu had no choice but to ask the head maid to let her go. "You can leave."
The Noble Consort De got up shakily and staggered away, laughing all the while. "It's retribution... retribution..."
The head maid stepped forward to check Ji Feiyu's wound. Ji Feiyu said, "Don't look. The dagger is poisoned."
Ji Feiyu looked around. During this farce and the shouts for help, no one had appeared. It must have been pre - arranged. Indeed, there was someone who wanted her dead.
Ji Feiyu said, "Wrap your handkerchief around your hand and pick up the dagger. We'll go to see Eunuch Zhang."
The head maid was so scared that she quickly nodded.
When they arrived at Zhang Fugui's place, Eunuch Zhang was surprised when he saw the wound on Ji Feiyu's hand. "What happened?"
The head maid said, "It was stabbed by the Noble Consort De. This is the murder weapon." She took out the handkerchief wrapped around the dagger.
Zhang Fugui pondered for a moment and then took the handkerchief and unwrapped it. Seeing the dagger glowing with a blue light, he couldn't help but say, "It's poisoned?"
Ji Feiyu nodded.
"They're really quick." Zhang Fugui murmured softly.
Ji Feiyu heard him and asked, "Do you know something, Eunuch Zhang? Could you please tell me?"
But Zhang Fugui avoided the topic. Looking at her in confusion, he asked, "Your Ladyship doesn't seem worried about being poisoned?"
Ji Feiyu said, "This poison will only make the wound fester. It's not fatal."
Zhang Fugui asked, "What if it keeps festering without treatment?"
Ji Feiyu replied, "Then this hand will be useless."
Hearing this, the head maid couldn't help but say anxiously, "Could you please find a royal doctor for our Lady, Eunuch Zhang?"
Zhang Fugui shook his head. "Those in the Cold Palace are not qualified to see a royal doctor. Even if I go to find one, when they hear it's someone from the Cold Palace, they won't come."
"Is there any other way to save our Lady?" The head maid was on the verge of tears.
Zhang Fugui said, "I can look for some medicinal herbs among the common people when I go out of the palace to do some shopping. But I don't know what kind of poison this is and what the antidote is."
Ji Feiyu said, "I recognize the poison and know the antidote."
The head maid was overjoyed. "Then there's hope?"
But Zhang Fugui said, "It's not that easy to go out of the palace to do shopping."
Ji Feiyu understood immediately and asked, "Eunuch Zhang, is there something you can't tell me?"
Zhang Fugui said, "By now, Your Ladyship should have guessed. But I still want to ask, what's Your Ladyship's real identity?"
Ji Feiyu knew that at this moment, the only bargaining chip she had to make Zhang Fugui weigh the pros and cons and stand on her side was her identity. So she closed her eyes, took a deep breath to steady herself, and said, "I am the current Emperor's first wife, Queen Ji."
A thunderbolt struck Zhang Fugui's heart. Many details suddenly connected in his mind. Finally, he understood what a power - struggle whirlpool he was in. He quickly came to his senses and knelt down, bowing. "This old servant is so stupid that he didn't know his benefactor was here. Please forgive this old servant, Your Ladyship."
Ji Feiyu slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were clear, but she asked, "What kindness?"
Zhang Fugui said, "My younger brother entered the palace not long ago. In these years, he has been taken good care of by Your Ladyship many times. This old servant is deeply grateful, but has never had the opportunity to repay Your Ladyship."
Ji Feiyu said, "These are all things I don't remember. It's not really a great kindness. You don't have to be like this. Get up."
Zhang Fugui stood up. Looking at Ji Feiyu's hand, he said, "Your Ladyship's wound should be treated as soon as possible. Tomorrow, someone will go out of the palace to do some shopping. If Your Ladyship knows what medicinal herbs are needed, you might as well write them down for this old servant."
Ji Feiyu asked, "Do you have paper and pen?"
"Of course." Zhang Fugui brought them over as soon as he heard the question.
Ji Feiyu really wrote down a prescription and handed it to Zhang Fugui. "Take this prescription to the Anle Pharmacy to get the medicine. There are several herbs that can only be found there."
Zhang Fugui took it respectfully. "Your Ladyship can rest assured. The antidote will be here at the Shen hour tomorrow."
The next day, several palace servants came to the Anle Pharmacy. One of them handed over a prescription. The shopkeeper took a look at it and quickly went to the drawer behind him to grab several packets of medicine. He wrapped them up and, with a smile, handed them to the palace servants along with the prescription.
After the palace servants left, he took out the prescription he had just replaced with a cold look in his eyes. He picked out a few characters from the prescription and wrote them on a small piece of paper. Then he rolled the small piece of paper into a thin strip and stuffed it into the small bamboo tube on the leg of the carrier pigeon in the inner room. He set the pigeon free.
A moment later, the pigeon flew to its destination. An extremely beautiful hand caught the carrier pigeon, took out the small piece of paper from its leg, and slowly unfolded it. It said four characters: "I am in the Cold Palace."