The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 804 - 804 374 Abuse the Scum (second update)

Chapter 804: 374 Abuse the Scum (second update) Chapter 804: 374 Abuse the Scum (second update) Eunuch Wei didn’t feel reassured, so he pulled Gu Jiao’s wrist towards him, used his body to block the view of others, rolled up her sleeve, and inspected it carefully.

After confirming there were no wounds or bruises, Eunuch Wei finally let out a long sigh of relief.

He adjusted Gu Jiao’s sleeve for her. As a eunuch, he had little need for concerns about male-female boundaries, but still, in public, he didn’t want others to see Gu Jiao’s arm.

“Eunuch Wei, why have you come here?” Gu Jiao asked.

Eunuch Wei replied, “His Majesty sent this servant here. Earlier in the palace, His Majesty was in a foul mood and did not attend to Miss Gu. After calming down, he felt regretful and ordered the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a few of Miss Gu’s favorite pastries.”

He was speaking of the morning’s events.

The Emperor, having misunderstood that Noble Consort Jing had pushed Eunuch Wei, felt irate and troubled, then turned and entered his Study Room.

After being poisoned with the “black drug,” only the memories of that particular person would gradually retain only the negative aspects, but his memories of others remained unchanged. Gu Jiao was still the little divine doctor whom the Emperor favored.

Gu Jiao accepted the pastries, and Eunuch Wei returned to the palace to report back, also mentioning the attack on Gu Jiao: “…it was a few ruffians, Miss Gu was not injured.”

It was highly likely that such low-level thugs were simply the scoundrels of the Capital City and not the sinister hand of some significant figure sent to assassinate Gu Jiao.

After all, they were too unskilled to pose any real harm to Gu Jiao.

However, the Emperor somehow could not shake off an image that suddenly appeared in his mind.

A terrifying thought surged into his heart, startling him into a cold sweat.

Reason told him it was impossible, but the more he thought about it, the more that thought seemed to magnify in his heart.

In the end, he became obsessed with this suspicion, deeply convinced of its truth.

He slapped the memorials on his desk with a snap and went to the Nunnery with a stern face.

It was dusk by then, when all major palaces were beginning their meals. The Nunnery was also reaching dinner time, and wisps of smoke rose from the small Kitchen chimney, adding a touch of worldly life amid the pavilions and towers.

The setting sun should have made for a very warm scene.

But the Emperor’s heart was chilled.

“Your Majesty?” Hui An, the young nun sweeping the Courtyard, saw the Emperor and her eyes lit up. She put down her broom and approached to bow.

The Emperor did not even glance at her and went straight to Noble Consort Jing’s little Buddha Hall with a cold expression.

Noble Consort Jing was not in the Buddha Hall, but in the Meditation Room next door.

She was sitting on the polished wood floor with a small table before her, which held several pots and fresh ingredients.

She was busy grinding something in a small bowl in her embrace, a white bandage was wrapped around her left thumb, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, showing the effort she was putting into the task.

Mammy Cai was beside her, assisting her.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps approached, causing Mammy Cai, who had been peeling taro, to pause. She glanced at Noble Consort Jing beside her.

Noble Consort Jing, with her head lowered, grinding the taro paste, seemed not to notice the commotion outside.

Mammy Cai gently set down the knife and taro on the table, intending to see what was happening, but just as she was about to stand up, the Emperor entered the room.

He had left his shoes outside the door.

Mammy Cai bowed slightly: “Your Majesty.”

Noble Consort Jing finally seemed to realize someone had arrived; she raised her head calmly, her expression gentle yet with a hint of melancholy.

She simply looked at the Emperor and without saying a word, lowered her head to continue grinding the taro paste.

“You may leave,” the Emperor said coldly to Mammy Cai.

Mammy Cai turned her head, glanced at Noble Consort Jing, and seeing that she remained silent, bowed her head and responded, “Yes, this servant takes her leave.”

Mammy Cai stood up and left the room.

The Emperor knew she hadn’t gone far, probably listening just outside the door, but he did not care much about it anymore.

He knelt down in front of Noble Consort Jing, looking at the face he had once longed for day and night, and said sorrowfully, “Why did Mother Consort do this?”

Noble Consort Jing stopped grinding the taro paste, holding the bowl in one hand and the pestle in the other, her eyes full of confusion: “What have I done?”

The Emperor stared at Noble Consort Jing unblinkingly, his hands resting on his knees gradually clenching: “Mother Consort, there’s no need to feign madness or stupidity; nothing in this world remains a secret. You are well aware of what you have done.”

“I am well aware of what I have done? Your Majesty speaks as if there is a crime that needs to be pinned on me,” Noble Consort Jing said faintly, slightly annoyed, as she tossed the pestle into the bowl and placed the bowl indifferently on the table.