Chapter 336: Her Death Has Nothing to Do With You
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Su Ying asked faintly, “What?”
“I wanted to avenge General Wei’s entire family!”
However, how could a chef from an insignificant place like him do that?
“1 was glad that 1 followed my ancestors to travel around the world and learned an abundance of culinary skills. Once, by chance, 1 was brought into the palace and became a member of the Imperial kitchen.” At that point, he was so glad that at least he managed to enter the palace.
He spent three years climbing to the position of Imperial chef and finally became the head Imperial chef.
“Consort Wei really liked the snowflake cake I made back then. She said that only the snowflake cake 1 made was fragrant and soft. Every time Consort Wei ate it, she would send a portion to the Emperor.”
In the darkness, Hea Shouyi’s voice sounded a little obscure. “That day, Consort Wei ordered two servings of snowflake cake. She said that she would eat one serving and the other was meant for the Emperor. That day, after the snowflake cake was delivered, Consort Wei personally summoned me. The Empress said that my cooking was really good, but it was a pity. I thought Consort Wei knew that I had poisoned the snowflake cake meant for the Emperor.”
Only later did Hea Shouyi find out that when the Empress said it was a pity, she meant something else!
At the time of the incident, Hea Shouyi was still in the Imperial kitchen when he suddenly saw the Imperial Guards surrounding the Imperial kitchen. Only later did he find out that the Emperor had been poisoned.
Consort Wei admitted that she had poisoned the Emperor’s snowflake cake!
“Something is going to happen to Consort Wei! 1 begged the Imperial Guards and told them that 1 was the one who poisoned him. 1 was brought to the Emperor, but the Emperor didn’t believe me at all and repeatedly questioned me whether Consort Wei had asked me to do this!”
Later, Hea Shouyi was locked up in the prison at the Ministry of Justice. He thought that he was dead for sure, but not long after that, he heard the news of Consort Wei’s passing due to illness.
Hea Shouyi covered his face in anguish and wept. “It was Consort Wei. I know that Consort Wei must have saved my life…”
“You’re saying that you were the one who poisoned the cake, but Consort Wei took the blame for you? Then, who did you meet just now?”
Hea Shouyi’s eyes were filled with hatred. “He used to be an Imperial chef. He saw me poisoning the cake. The reason the Emperor knew that there was something wrong with the cake was that he reported it. 1 just didn’t expect him to leave the palace as well.” By right, he should have been promoted for saving the Emperor.
“When did he find you?”
“On the day of Miss Lin’s wedding. He recognized me when he was delivering food to Prince Qi’s Manor. He sent me a letter after that asking me to come out and meet him, or else he would tell His Highness about what happened back then.”
Consort Wei was Xiao Jin’s biological mother. Hea Shouyi didn’t know how much Xiao Jin knew about what happened back then.
“I’m not afraid that His Highness will find out about what happened back then. 1 just want to see what that fellow wants to do.” All these years, he had been thinking about the final words Consort Wei said to him.
He now suspected that Consort Wei might have known that he had poisoned the cake.
“Your Highness, 1 should have died more than ten years ago. If Your Highness wants my life, please let me find out the purpose of these people first. 1 suspect that they want to make a move on His Highness and Your Highness.”
Zhang Shuming had made the security of Prince Qi’s Manor impregnable, and it was very difficult for outsiders to slip in. Regardless of whether it was Su Ying or Xiao Jin, they only had a few people serving them in close quarters, making it even more difficult for any spies to get any information.
That was why they looked for Hea Shouyi.
“This is a grudge between you and Xiao Jin. You can tell him yourself.”
Hea Shouyi smiled bitterly. “Your Highness, don’t worry. 1 will explain it to His Highness. However, Your Highness and His Highness must be careful these days. I’m afraid that someone is going to make a move on Prince Qi’s Manor. I originally planned to tell Your Highness and His Highness after 1 found out their purpose so that you can take precautions. However, 1 was discovered by Your Highness tonight.”
Su Ying responded faintly. She had said before that she wouldn’t ask about what they had done in the past, and that it was enough for them to be loyal to her from now on. Strictly speaking, Hea Shouyi had not broken any rule. After all, who didn’t have a few unspeakable secrets in this world?
However, this matter involved Xiao Jin’s birth mother, so he had to explain it clearly to Xiao Jin.
When Su Ying returned to the manor, Xiao Jin had already returned.
“Why did you come back so late? When I went to Siyuan’s place, he said that you had already left.”
Su Ying glanced at Hea Shouyi behind her. “I encountered something on the way back. Uncle Hea has something to tell you. You guys can have a chat.”
Xiao Jin saw Su Ying’s stern expression, then glanced at Hea Shouyi, who had a guilty look on his face. He stood up and brought Hea Shouyi to the study.
After the door to the study was closed, Xiao Jin said faintly, “Uncle Hea, just say whatever you want to say.”
Hea Shouyi knelt in front of Xiao Jin and told him everything that had happened back then.
“Consort Wei died because of me. I don’t dare to ask for Your Highness’s forgiveness. I only ask Your Highness to give me a chance to redeem my sins.” After Hea Shouyi finished speaking, he touched the ground with his head.
All was silent in the study. 1 lea Shouyi could only hear his own rapid breathing.
“That day, you weren’t the only one who wanted to poison him.”
After an unknown period of time, Hea Shouyi heard Xiao Jin’s faint voice.
Hea Shouyi raised his head in shock and looked at Xiao Jin in disbelief. “What does Your Highness mean?”
Xiao Jin lowered his dark eyes. That year, he was almost five years old. He was at the age where he could remember things. He remembered that when the bad news of his grandfather’s death on the battlefield arrived, his Consort Mother fainted several times from crying. In just a few days, she lost a lot of weight.
The young Xiao Jin was very worried, sad, and scared. At that point, Emperor Kangze was staying by his mother’s side all the time. Xiao Jin thought that he really cared about his mother.
He was too young then. He was so young that he did not know what people meant when they said the human heart was sinister. After the entire Wei family was executed, his Consort Mother became completely uncommunicative. She was depressed and did not have the vitality of the past anymore.
When Emperor Kangze came to visit her again, he no longer hid his vicious gaze.
Xiao Jin remembered that the weather on that day was very clear. After his Consort Mother woke up, she uncharacteristically put on very exquisite makeup. That was the first time his Consort Mother had dressed herself up meticulously after the Wei family’s incident.
After breakfast, the maidservant brought two servings of snowflake cake over. His Consort Mother dismissed everyone. He watched as his Consort Mother took off the golden hairpin from her head and twisted it open, scattering some fine white powder on the cake.
After doing all this, his Consort Mother turned back to look at him and said many things to him, but the one thing he remembered the most clearly was…
“Jin’er, I really can’t bear to part with you, but there are some things that I really can’t forget.”
That day, he saw his Consort Mother’s departing back profile and ran after her in a panic. However, the sun outside stung his two eyes.
After that day, his Consort Mother never returned…
Xiao Jin came back to his senses and looked at Hea Shouyi in a daze. In fact, after returning to the capital, he had sent people to investigate Hea Shouyi’s identity and knew his background.
“Consort Mother’s death has nothing to do with you.” It was just a coincidence that the two of them wanted to take Emperor Kangze’s life on the same day because that day was the death anniversary of the Wei family..