AEOGA CH85

The Second Imperial Daughter, Helian Duo, had originally intended to use this opportunity to impeach Helian Yu. She never expected that the Empress Regnant would taste Huaman Pavilion’s food as a result, find it astonishing, and favor Helian Yu even more.

Stealing a chicken only to lose the rice, Helian Duo was so furious that she went back to her room and smashed several vases. Because opening a branch of Huaman Pavilion in Xifeng was a condition negotiated between Helian Yu and Changli, the entire credit belonged to Helian Yu. Over these past few days, the noble ministers had been praising Huaman Pavilion’s dishes to the skies, yet Helian Duo refused to set foot inside. She originally thought, How delicious could a few dishes really be? She suspected those people dared to criticize Xifeng’s imperial meals only because Helian Yu was secretly inciting them behind the scenes to raise her own reputation.

She hadn’t expected the food to truly be that delicious.

She admitted the dishes tasted incredible, but when she thought about how the Mother Emperor favored Helian Yu even more because of it—and that she herself had given it a push—Helian Duo felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

Among the four imperial daughters with a chance to compete for the position of Crown Princess, Helian Duo was the most arrogant, domineering, and short-tempered. Her sole qualification to compete for the succession was being the legitimate daughter born of the Empress, possessing an advantage in status.

When it came to intellect and tactics, however, she was completely crushed by the other three imperial daughters.

The First Imperial Daughter was hypocritical, enjoying high prestige among the populace. The Fourth Imperial Daughter was insidious and cruel, with the Prime Minister’s Manor standing behind her. The Seventh Imperial Daughter was skilled in warfare, with capability so formidable it was downright absurd. Looking at all the imperial daughters vying for the throne, Helian Duo was inadequate in both reputation and capability, leaving her Imperial Consort Father filled with despair over her shortcomings. With great difficulty, the Mother Emperor grew suspicious of the Wen family, causing Helian Xi to suffer a military defeat, which led the Empress Regnant to despise Helian Yu. Just as it looked like she would lose one enemy, Helian Yu managed to regain the Mother Emperor’s favor after a single diplomatic mission.

The Empress Regnant was getting on in years; she grew increasingly sluggish regarding state affairs and began indulging in pleasure. At this moment, Helian Yu’s ability to negotiate a deal with Changli and bring back fine food, cosmetics, and rouge for the Mother Emperor’s enjoyment hit right at her personal preferences. Watching her visage grow younger day by day under heavy makeup, the Empress Regnant was extremely satisfied.

This kind of skin-nourishing powder was formulated by Hua Yan, with medicine personally prescribed by Lu Xuechao; only then did it possess such miraculous concealing and skin-nourishing effects, available exclusively through Changli. Changli exported a good deal of cosmetics and rouge to Xifeng, but this special variety reserved for the Empress Regnant was extraordinarily precious and worth a fortune.

According to Helian Yu, the reason Changli was so generous and willing to set aside past grievances to engage in these transactions with Xifeng was that Helian Xi, who had married into Changli, was deeply favored by the Changli Emperor.

Who would have thought a son married off could serve such a purpose? Recently, the Empress Regnant sent numerous rewards to Virtuous Consort’s palace and granted Helian Yu additional power. Her cosmetics could not be interrupted, nor could her delicacies, and since Changli supplied these out of consideration for Helian Xi, she had to treat the father-daughter pair better. This was something none of the other imperial daughters could replace.

How could anyone else sit still through this?

The Empress Regnant was wary of military families, but Helian Yu was ultimately her own daughter, bearing the surname Helian rather than Wen.

Helian Duo feared that in a moment of senile confusion, the Mother Emperor might actually designate Helian Yu as Crown Princess.

She ordered her spies to investigate the Seventh Imperial Daughter’s manor once more, determined to catch hold of another leverage over her.

–

Seventh Imperial Daughter’s Manor, Study.

“He-lang, I have spent these past days mostly accompanying the Mother Emperor in the palace, so I have had little time to keep you company,” Helian Yu said with guilt.

The gentle, elegant young man said softly, “So long as my wife can regain Her Majesty’s favor and trust, what does it matter if I cannot see you every day?”

“He-lang is truly deep-feeling and righteous. When I become Crown Princess and ascend the throne in the future, I will never treat you poorly.”

He Zhishu expressed concern, “The First Imperial Daughter, Second Imperial Daughter, and Fourth Imperial Daughter are none of them easy to deal with. Are you certain of success, my wife? Rather than the title of Crown Princess, Zhishu only wishes for your safety.”

“Rest assured, He-lang, I have a method that can guarantee with absolute certainty that Mother Emperor will name me Crown Princess,” Helian Yu chuckled lightly, pulling two kinds of incense from a cabinet. “This item is called Soul-Beguiling Incense. If burned for half a year, it will silently seep into one’s mind and bewitch their spirit, yet on the surface, they will appear no different from an ordinary person. The imperial physicians will not be able to detect it, nor will the user feel anything amiss. Meanwhile, I shall burn this Soul-Attracting Incense daily, making Mother Emperor obey my every word and coaxing her into naming me Crown Princess. Once Mother Emperor issues the imperial decree, her mind will be completely lost, leaving no choice but for me to succeed the throne.”

He Zhishu gasped, “My wife, this is a capital offense…”

“Riches are sought in danger. If I do not act, she already wishes for my death, so why shouldn’t I act?” Helian Yu said cold-heartedly. “I cannot wait any longer; spending these days in the palace putting up a false front with that woman has made me sick to death. In three days, I shall present this Soul-Beguiling Incense to Mother Emperor. Its scent is exquisite and highly addictive, making one feel young and joyous upon smelling it. No matter how suspicious Mother Emperor is, she will not be able to refuse it.”

She locked both kinds of incense back in the cabinet, then pressed a hidden mechanism to reveal a secret compartment behind the study wall, placing the key safely inside.

Outside the study, a person dressed as a servant covered their mouth and silently slipped away.

…

“They’re gone,” Helian Yu curved her lips.

He Zhishu shook his head, “The spy kept by the Second Imperial Daughter’s manor is as foolish as her master.”

Plotting so loudly in the study was not because they were unconcerned about eavesdroppers; on the contrary, eavesdropping was precisely what they wanted.

It was common practice for imperial daughters to plant spies in one another’s manors. Helian Yu had purged a large number of them, but deliberately spared this one from the Second Imperial Daughter.

Because she truly appeared lacking in wit, unable to gather useful intelligence, she could instead be utilized to deliver false information.

The Soul-Beguiling Incense and Soul-Attracting Incense were complete fabrications. Hua Yan had merely altered a few minor ingredients to make the two scents slightly distinct, but their actual effect was identical—they were simply Soul-Shattering Incense.

Having heard such momentous news, Helian Duo would certainly be unable to sit still. What would she do?

Immediately run before the Mother Emperor to denounce her?

Before the user became terminally ill, Soul-Shattering Incense could not be detected at all. By the time any anomaly was noticed, it would already be beyond cure, leaving them only to pass away. Even if Helian Duo went to report it right now, and the Mother Emperor searched her manor to find these incenses, the imperial physicians would detect nothing wrong. Furthermore, Helian Duo had a history of making unfounded accusations—such as stretching the success of the Changli restaurant into Helian Yu colluding with Changli. Although that was factually true, it lacked any solid proof.

Relying solely on one person’s word was useless. The Empress Regnant had just received the skin-nourishing powder that preserved her youthful looks; these limited cosmetics still depended on Helian Yu and Helian Xi’s connections to obtain from Changli. She would never punish Helian Yu over an unsubstantiated matter, but would only penalize Helian Duo instead.

Besides… did Helian Duo truly lack ambition?

Her enemies were not limited to Helian Yu. The First Imperial Daughter Helian Chuan and Fourth Imperial Daughter Helian Chai—were either of them not formidable competitors? Helian Duo was no match for anyone and had run out of tricks. Now that a method to become Crown Princess had presented itself, would she not also seek “riches in danger”?

If that foolish head of hers truly believed Helian Yu’s lie and presented the “Soul-Beguiling Incense” to the Empress Regnant while applying the “Soul-Attracting Incense” to herself, it would result in nothing less than mutual destruction.

Borrowing a knife to kill, killing two birds with one stone.

When the time came, she could stage a frame-up to drag the First and Fourth Imperial Daughters into the mud as well. For an imperial house this grand, a complete downfall would take merely a matter of moments.

–

“Is that true?! Did she truly say that?!” Helian Duo stood up abruptly, slamming her hand on the desk.

The spy knelt on the ground, answering with absolute certainty, “This servant heard it clear as day. The Seventh Imperial Daughter indeed intends to harm Her Majesty, attempting to use Soul-Beguiling Incense and Soul-Attracting Incense to control Her Majesty and usurp the position of Crown Princess.”

“What a Helian Yu—plotting against Mother Emperor, how extraordinarily audacious! I’ve finally caught her leverage,” Helian Duo sneered. “Prepare the carriage. I shall enter the palace to inform Mother Emperor.”

The spy reminded her in a low voice, “Second Highness, we have no physical evidence. The Seventh Imperial Daughter said that incense cannot even be detected by imperial physicians. Presumably, that is why she feels completely fearless.”

“Imperial physicians cannot detect it?!” Helian Duo was initially furious. Having finally caught a fatal weakness, how could she bear to let it go? Yet as she spoke, her frustration gradually turned into thoughtful contemplation… “Imperial physicians cannot detect it…”

She suddenly burst out laughing.

“Did you see clearly where those incenses and the key were placed?”

The spy nodded.

“Very well,” Helian Duo commanded. “Go and steal them for me.”

The spy asked in panic, “Second Highness, are you planning to…”

“If she dares to do it, why shouldn’t I?” Helian Duo said coldly. “I am the daughter of the Empress; the position of Crown Princess should have been mine to begin with, yet Mother Emperor continuously refuses to name me. She is advanced in years and should have relinquished power long ago. Helian Yu is merely nineteen and already so impatient. I am nearly thirty, and I refuse to wait any longer.”

“Helian Yu took a trip to Changli and brought back a bunch of strange novelties. What a pity that this Soul-Beguiling Incense and Soul-Attracting Incense will end up serving as my dowry instead.”

Changli, Imperial Palace.

In the Imperial Study, Xie Chongjin and Lu Xuechao listened to the intelligence transmitted back from Xifeng by their spies.

Recently, there had been abundant news from Xifeng, indicating that Helian Yu had already begun to take action.

It was said that a precious treasure was lost in the Seventh Imperial Daughter’s manor; the Seventh Imperial Daughter expended great effort searching for it to no avail, flying into a rage over it and even severely reprimanding her principal husband, He Zhishu, who managed the inner household, ordering him to reflect on his actions behind closed doors.

The Second Imperial Daughter, Helian Duo, presented a precious incense to the Empress Regnant, winning her favor as well. The Seventh Imperial Daughter was dissatisfied with this, repeatedly mocking and sneering at the Second Imperial Daughter.

Helian Duo was in high spirits. After acquiring the incense, she had originally intended to find someone to test its effects on. However, firstly, the incense was limited; secondly, it required half a year to take effect. Testing it would take six months and consume the incense entirely, and she had no idea where Helian Yu had obtained it. Once used up, it would be gone, so she decided to put it to use directly.

Regardless of its actual effectiveness, simply presenting this incense earned her favorable looks from the Mother Emperor and stole Helian Yu’s spotlight, making it a complete win. What if Helian Yu knew she stole the incense? Would a person with a guilty conscience dare speak up? The incense itself was problem-ridden, so even when searching for the missing item, she only vaguely claimed to have lost a treasure, never daring to bring trouble upon herself.

At the same time, Helian Yu’s grand and anxious search, along with her harsh reprimand of He Zhishu—whom she usually doted on—made Helian Duo even more convinced that the incense indeed possessed miraculous effects. She was overjoyed at having successfully ruined Helian Yu’s plan, taking immense pleasure whenever she saw Helian Yu angry yet forced to swallow her grievance in silence.

Little did she know that after Helian Yu finished putting on an angry front with her on the surface, she went straight home to enjoy romantic moments with He Zhishu. A performance had to be executed completely; without putting in such effort, she might fool Helian Duo, but she could not fool the Empress standing behind her.

The Empress Regnant had lived most of her life, yet among those high-ranking consorts in her harem, not a single one held true affection for her. Knowing full well that her daughter intended to turn the Empress Regnant into a fool, the Empress merely stood by with cold detachment for the sake of her daughter’s future.

Xie Chongjin could only sigh that the imperial family of Xifeng was truly filled with calculation, cold and utterly devoid of warmth.

“Helian Yu using Helian Duo’s hand to kill the Empress Regnant is just as I expected,” Lu Xuechao said.

The Soul-Shattering Incense formulated by Hua Yan could leave a person completely unaware from start to finish, yet Lu Xuechao had required him to leave a flaw at the very end that could be detected.

Killing only the Empress Regnant was acceptable, but the cost-effectiveness was far too low. When committing an offense grave enough to wipe out nine generations, it was not worth doing unless all other threats and hidden dangers were swept away alongside it.

Lu Xuechao had not instructed Helian Yu on how to proceed; he had simply handed the Soul-Shattering Incense over to her and informed her of its true effects. As for how to use it, that depended entirely on Helian Yu herself.

Helian Yu was a mature power player who, in her past life, could sweep away all obstacles through her own efforts. It was only that in this life, seven years of progress needed to be compressed into a single year, so they were merely providing a push from behind.

In her past life, Helian Yu’s forces were weak and needed to eliminate targets one by one. She first scheme to let the most difficult foes—the First Imperial Daughter and Fourth Imperial Daughter—fight to the death, then moved against the most brainless Second Imperial Daughter, and finally launched a coup to imprison the Empress Regnant. At that time, if she had dealt with the easiest target, the Second Imperial Daughter, first and broken the balance between the four factions early, the First and Fourth Imperial Daughters would have joined hands to destroy her. Therefore, in her past life, the order of Helian Yu’s moves was entirely correct.

In this life, with Changli’s full backing, Helian Yu went straight for the heart, targeting the Empress Regnant directly while using the most foolish Second Imperial Daughter as a spearhead to eliminate her in the process. With both the Empress Regnant and the Second Imperial Daughter dead, the situation would fall into chaos, and Helian Yu would certainly drag the First and Fourth Imperial Daughters down with them. How could those two factions resist when facing Helian Yu, who already held real power and had Helian Xi’s support?

“However, I only anticipated she would make Helian Duo take action—borrowing a knife to kill, so that when the matter was exposed, only Helian Duo would be held accountable. I didn’t expect her to kill two birds with one stone, wanting Helian Duo’s life as well by fabricating the story of the Soul-Attracting Incense and exploiting Helian Duo’s greed for the throne to make her sever her own soul,” Lu Xuechao said with an admiring tone. “Two lives are just enough to frame both the First Imperial Daughter and Fourth Imperial Daughter.”

What a ruthless woman.

Give her a wisp of incense, and she could wipe out an entire family.