Chapter 104: If It's There, Catch It Yourself

"You are quite clever, aren't you? That wretched beast of yours ran off to Consort Shu's quarters, went mad, and knocked over a desk, completely ruining the account books submitted by the Six Bureaus!" How could the Empress Dowager not be furious? All expenditures in the inner palace must be recorded in detail, and they are to be audited by the Ministry of Revenue at the end of the year. When it comes to matters of money, there is no room for the slightest mistake!

Consort Hui was terrified. Seeing her beloved Shengxue beaten to within an inch of its life, she felt a pang of fear. Bowing her head, she stammered, "Empress Dowager, please calm your anger. It is all my fault for failing to discipline this beast! To think it would cause such a grave disaster!"

Seeing this, Consort Shu knelt on the ground, looking pitiful as she begged for mercy. "Empress Dowager, please calm your anger. This is all due to my own negligence. I have only just taken charge of the affairs of the six palaces and am not yet familiar with everything. It was a moment of carelessness that allowed Consort Hui's beloved dog to break in..."

She spoke with such a pathetic air, taking the blame upon herself while clutching her injured arm in feigned remorse.

Consort Hui, however, was a sharp woman. Ever since she had raised Shengxue, she had never seen it act out. At most, it would jump on people, but never with such force. Why, then, did it suddenly run to Consort Shu’s place and happen to destroy the account books?

"Enough, say no more." The Empress Dowager glanced at the dog on the floor and declared, "Bury this wretched beast, and from now on, no one in this palace is allowed to keep such animals!"

"Empress Dowager..." Consort Hui was unwilling to accept this. Losing a dog was one thing, but she felt deep down that she was being made a scapegoat. "Shengxue has always been docile. I have raised it for a long time and have never seen it act like this... Could there be some ulterior motive behind this?"

"Consort Hui, are you implying that someone used this dog to frame you?" The Empress Dowager asked, and without waiting for an answer, she slammed her hand on the table in a rage. "If this beast didn't cause this chaos, do you mean to say someone else had the malicious intent to ruin the ledgers? I once thought you were intelligent, but I never imagined you would say such things just to shirk responsibility!"

"Please calm your anger, Empress Dowager!" Realizing she had misspoken, Consort Hui immediately lowered her head. "It is all my fault. I raised this beast, and I am willing to accept punishment, but... I am not the only one in this palace who keeps a dog."

The trend of keeping dogs had originally been started by Shen Fuyu.

"Round them all up and put them down." At the mention of Shen Fuyu, the Empress Dowager’s expression darkened further. "Consort Hui, your indulgence of this beast has led to a grave error. You are demoted to the rank of Zhaoyi, your stipend will be docked for three months, and you are to return to your quarters to reflect on your mistakes."

Because of a dog, Consort Hui had become Zhaoyi Hui. She felt like spitting blood; she could not fathom how such a matter had ended up implicating her.

"Consort Shu, due to your negligence, your stipend will be docked for one month. If this happens again, you will no longer manage the inner palace." Having punished Zhaoyi Hui, she could not ignore Consort Shu, but since her fault was minor, a light deduction of one month's pay sufficed, and the matter of the account books was considered settled.

After dismissing them, Ruowei brewed a fresh pot of tea for the Empress Dowager. "Empress Dowager, please soothe your temper."

"They are merely a few account books; even if they were ruined, there are ways to fix them." The Empress Dowager stared at the tea leaves swirling in her cup, her gaze chilling. "But just as the Empress’s reach has deepened into the inner palace, and I had intended to promote Consort Shu to help me prune the Empress's influence, it is Zhaoyi Hui's dog that ruins everything."

"Tell me, is this merely a coincidence, or is there something more?" The Empress Dowager’s suspicions were piqued; she no longer had the appetite for tea. "This Zhaoyi Hui is far too impulsive. With her and Consort Shu now at odds, the Lin and Sun families in the outer court are also divided. The perfectly stable situation has been shattered, and now I can only watch as the Shen family rises while, in the shadows, there is still that restless Empress. My heart is uneasy."

"Does the Empress Dowager mean that the one in the Crescent Palace is behind this?"

"But who can find evidence?" the Empress Dowager sighed. "Without evidence, I cannot touch her!"

"Not only can I not touch her, but I fear this Zhaoyi Hui might be working for the Empress."

As Shengxue was dragged out by the palace servants and killed with a few blows, Consort Shu shook her head lightly in front of Zhaoyi Hui. "Sister Hui, one should not simply imitate whatever others do. There is a saying... a clumsy imitation only brings ridicule."

"As for keeping dogs, Consort Xian is far more favored by the Emperor than you, Sister Hui."

"How my Shengxue appeared in the Jingrou Palace is something only you, Consort Shu, know in your heart," Zhaoyi Hui said with a cold glare. "I must return to reflect on my mistakes, so I shall not chat further. Farewell."

Consort Shu clenched her fingers inside her sleeves and remained silent. Watching the servants work, she feigned composure. "The Empress Dowager has ordered that no dogs are to be kept in the palace from now on. You lot, finish cleaning up, and remember to check every single palace. Do not miss a single one."

"Yes."

A major incident had occurred in the palace, and it soon spread throughout the six palaces.

Shen Fuyu listened intently as Yinling recounted the gossip. Watching Yinling mimic the Empress Dowager’s tone and describe the unfortunate Zhaoyi Hui being forced to take the fall, she found herself unable to laugh.

Especially that line from the Empress Dowager about someone having "malicious intent."

That old hag was clearly stabbing at her! How infuriating!

Why wasn't she considered a person? She was standing right there!

"Oh no, Your Ladyship!"

Yinling, who was in the middle of her excited recounting, suddenly realized something and grew anxious. "The Empress Dowager said no dogs are allowed in the palace anymore. What about Qin Shihuang!"

Shen Fuyu looked at Yinling’s panicked expression, feeling speechless. "I am the owner of Qin Shihuang, am I not?"

Why are you so worried? Can a mere palace maid protect Qin Shihuang from the Empress Dowager? It would be a miracle if the Empress Dowager didn't beat you to death along with it.

Just as the panic was setting in, the Empress Dowager’s people arrived. Several eunuchs, acting under orders, entered and bowed to Shen Fuyu before saying, "Consort Xian, by the Empress Dowager’s order, no dogs are permitted in the palace. We know you once kept a yellow dog; please tell us where it is now so we may fulfill our duty."

"What are you going to do to Qin Shihuang?" Yinling asked anxiously. She fed and bathed Qin Shihuang every day and had grown fond of it. Qin Shihuang was so obedient and well-behaved; she couldn't bear the thought of it being killed!

"What are we going to do? Naturally, we will beat it to death and throw it out!" The eunuch did not bother to be polite to Yinling. "We know Your Ladyship has grown attached, but this is the Empress Dowager’s decree. Who dares to disobey?"

Shen Fuyu scratched her head. As luck would have it, Qin Shihuang had just returned from a walk. She pointed a finger. "It’s right there. Go catch it yourselves."

Qin Shihuang: Woof, woof, woof?!!

"Apologies for the disturbance, Your Ladyship." The eunuchs moved with practiced efficiency, grabbing ropes and nets and heading straight for Qin Shihuang.