As she said that, a glint of realization flickered in the eyes of the two palace maids.
No wonder, no wonder she had gone out of her way to send them off—she had this in mind!
It's not surprising then.
The long-faced maid was about to say something more, when the shorter maid pinched her arm and said with a beaming smile, "Your Highness, please rest assured, heaven and earth are our witness, we will help you keep this secret!"
Mingshu's expression brightened and she quickly responded with a smile, "Then I must thank the two of you in advance."
As Mingshu had suggested, they locked up the small Buddhist hall.
Still somewhat hesitant, the long-faced maid expressed her concern, "Is it really okay for us to do this? I always feel a bit uneasy. If the Empress Dowager were to blame us afterwards..."
The shorter maid tilted her chin up, her eyes gleaming with pride, "Who told you that we're going to help her cover this up? Don't forget, we belong to the Empress Dowager!"
She stretched lazily, sighing in contentment, "Let's go, get a good sleep first. Tomorrow morning, we'll tell the Empress Dowager and catch her in the act! The Empress Dowager told her to fast, yet she's sneaking food in the small Buddhist hall at midnight. She will get what she deserves! In this way, we can rest and not go against the Empress Dowager's decree—a perfect solution!"
After mulling it over for a moment, the long-faced maid snorted lightly, "You sure have a plan!"
With that, she had no further objections.
Listening to the footsteps of the two fade away, Mingshu standing in the Buddhist hall slowly curled up the corners of her mouth.
In the dim, flickering candlelight, her features were like a work of art. She looked up at the compassionate face of the Buddha statue and whispered softly, "Buddha above, do not take offense. Today's actions were truly out of necessity. In the coming days, I will surely recast your golden body."
As she spoke, she glanced at the burning incense, timed it just right, and without changing her expression, she set a piece of golden streamer aflame. The fire licked the dry fabric and quickly shot up!
Mingshu tossed the streamer aside, and the wall's parched and cracked wallpaper also fell victim to the flames. The fire spread rapidly, sparing neither the ceiling beams nor the drapes, and in a moment, the dim Buddhist hall was transformed into a sea of fire.
Under the glow of the fire, Mingshu watched silently for a while before suddenly reaching out and knocking over the altar's offerings of incense burners, cakes, fruits, and more, creating a chaotic mess on the floor, deliberately making it look as if there had been a struggle.
It was said that the old witch, the Empress Dowager, was quite superstitious. She wanted her to pray for blessings, so she would let her see clearly that an evil person like her would not be saved by the Buddha!
She, pray for blessings? As if she deserved it!
From the beginning, Mingshu had no intention of swallowing this humiliation. She had her own ways of avoiding this disgrace, but that would be too mild for the other party.
If she was going to make a move, it had to be big!
Mingshu was so absorbed in her thoughts that a sudden "smack" sound brought her back to reality.
Looking towards the sound, she saw a plaque hanging above the Buddhist Hall crash down, and something rolled to her feet.
It was a dark wooden box.
＊
Si Chu ate his evening meal without tasting it and had it removed after a few bites, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward the door.
On his twenty-eighth casual glance at the door, Zhang Dequan finally mustered the courage to speak.
"Your Majesty, if you are so worried about the Noble Consort, why not go see for yourself in the small Buddhist hall?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a somber gaze upon him. Si Chu's dark eyes fixed on him as he said coldly, "Who told you that I am worried about her?"