Chapter 2: CH 1.2

The bridal chamber was empty; there was no one else around, and the door was tightly shut. 

Tao Ti went to the table to pour a cup of water, but the teapot was empty. She licked her lips and called out, “Is anyone there?”

No one answered her.

Tao Tie pursed her lips; she had just walked to the door when a conversation came in from outside.

“She should’ve said so earlier if she didn’t want this marriage. Who’s she trying to disgust by committing suicide in the bridal sedan? Now, not only has no good energy been brought in, but there’s a whole load of bad luck.”

“Sigh, our crown prince is just too kind-hearted, and even asked the imperial physician to detoxify her. If you ask me, it’s no loss if such a woman dies. She’s made such a scene immediately after entering the family—wouldn’t our Eastern Palace be made into a scene of chaos and drama because of her from now on!”

“That’s right, the crown prince is really unlucky, his big day has become such a joke, and he still has to force himself to entertain the others with that body of his now… Hey, do you think the crown prince will come over tonight?”

“I don’t think so. Who would be willing to consummate a marriage with such a woman? Besides, she deserves to be left alone for doing such a thing!”

Listening to the palace maids’ conversation left Tao Ti with mixed feelings. She couldn’t quite get angry; after all, what the original Tao Ti did was truly rather wretched. Yet, having to take over such an awful mess immediately after transmigrating here also made her feel aggrieved!　　

She sighed, then quickly put herself in the right state of mind, and called out hoarsely towards the door, “Can you pour me a cup of water? The teapot in the room is empty.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the voices outside came to a screeching halt.

She waited for a while; there was no response from outside, nor any further conversation.

Did they intend to leave her hanging like this? Or could it be that, even though she had been rescued, she was no longer considered the crown princess? Had she even been reduced to… a prisoner?

Just as Tao Ti was feeling unsure of the situation, there was finally some movement at the door.

Tao Ti instinctively took a few steps back to maintain a safe distance.

She saw the door being pushed open; a palace maid with triangle-shaped eyes in a blue dress came in carrying a pot of water. She set the teapot down on the table heavily. With a cold face and an even more unceremonious tone, she said, “Here, drink.”

This attitude……

Tao Ti’s brows knitted slightly, feeling indignant. Then, on thinking of the vast and hazy future before her, she endured it in the end.

She whispered a “thank you” and poured herself a cup of water. But as soon as she took a sip, her tongue was enveloped with a stale and sour taste.

This water was completely undrinkable; putting aside its icy coldness, it was also unclean.

Looking at the undisguised disgust in the palace maid’s eyes, Tao Ti pursed her lips and said in a low, measured tone, “Please get me a new pot of water.”

She added with emphasis, “Clean, drinkable water.” 　　

The court lady cast her an impatient, sidelong glance and muttered, “It’s good enough that there’s water to drink, yet you’re still being so picky. Didn’t you not want to be the crown princess, so why carry the airs of a crown princess now…”

Tao Tie’s expression stiffened. Just as she was about to say something, she heard another palace maid urge from outside, “Guirong, what are you dawdling about in there?”

The palace maid called Guirong responded shrilly, “Sigh, isn’t it because of our crown princess. The noble and honourable one thinks our Eastern Palace is not good enough for her, picking on this and that, and is now complaining that our Eastern Palace’s water is unclean… If you ask me, not even the consorts and concubines in the Imperial Palace are as pampered as she is.”

How could Tao Ti not pick up on such oblique accusations? If she endured even this, she could forget about being a taotie and just go and be a tortoise.

“You say I’m being picky about the Eastern Palace’s water? Alright…” Tao Ti’s face darkened as she poured another cup of water. She took a large step forward, bringing the teacup right before the palace maid. “If you think this water is fine, then, finish this!”

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Looking at the cup that was about to touch her lips, the palace maid’s expression changed. She reached out reflexively to block it, “What are you doing?”

“Why aren’t you drinking? Could it be that the Eastern Palace isn’t good enough for you either?” Tao Ti sneered; the corners of her red lips lifted slightly, making her charming face seem even more vibrant and beautiful. 

The palace maid’s cheeks turned red, then white; she wanted to retort, but was momentarily at a loss of what to say.

Sure enough, they were the sort who bullied the weak and feared the strong.

As Tao Ti thought this, she set the cup down on the table heavily. A pair of beautiful eyes stared straight at the palace maid calmly, “I am the crown princess of the Eastern Palace. Even if I’ve erred, it’s up to the Emperor, Empress and Crown Prince to deal with. Since when has it become time for a little palace maid like you to ridicule and lecture me?”

The door was open, and her voice was neither too loud nor too soft—just enough for the palace maids both inside and outside to inside to hear clearly.

Tao Ti didn’t know what the expression of the palace maid outside was like, but the arrogance of the palace maid before her had obviously wilted. She lowered her head, not daring to meet Tao Ti’s eyes anymore. Instead, she stammered, “Th-this servant has overstepped her bounds, and hopes for the crown princess’s forgiveness.” 

Even though she said that, her tone was still somewhat bitter. 

Tao Ti was also not expecting for those few words to be able to change the palace maids’ minds about her. She had no desire to lose her temper or use her status to oppress others—all she wanted in the first place was a cup of water.

She collected her expression and said mildly, “Go bring me a new pot of clean water, and I will not pursue this any further.” 

The palace maid quickly nodded and answered, “Yes, this servant will go right away.”

As she finished, she hurriedly picked up the teapot, turned, and left.

Tao Ti’s ears strained. After making sure that she had left the room, her fierce and imposing manner collapsed in an instant. She raised her small hand and patted her chest, whispering with emotion, “Whew, it’s not easy puttings on airs…”

Just now, she was acting in the manner of those vicious second female leads in TV dramas, her performance should be okay, right? 

As she was thinking this, she looked around the bridal chamber while pondering over a serious question——would her husband, the crown prince be coming here tonight? 

Even a man of clay would have some temper; no matter good-tempered the crown prince, who was rumoured to not have long to live, was, he would probably also be very angry because his bride had taken poison on their wedding day, right?

Sigh, if she were in the groom’s shoes, and her bride made such a scene, she would definitely ignore her forevermore. If they were in modern times, she would go directly to the Civil Affairs Bureau for a divorce certificate.

There was something called “marriage annulment” in ancient times too, but…  had there ever been a divorce between a crown prince and a crown princess in history? There were some conspiracy theories; in order to save face, will the imperial family just find an opportunity to make her forcibly “die from illness”?

Arsenic, white silk8, daggers, “promotion in rank”9, death by a thousand cuts, dismemberment by five horses… 

Tao Ti was still thinking about the various ancient methods of execution when a “creak” suddenly came from behind her.

In the dead of night, with red all around her, the sound, which was comparable to a horror film’s sound effects, sent her trembling with fright.

It should be the palace maid returning from fetching water? She comforted herself with this, but her hands were squeezing her red wedding dress nervously.

When she turned around and saw the person standing in the doorway, Tao Ti froze up as if someone had cast an immobilisation spell——

Mom, I’ve seen a god!!!　　

Footnotes:

8  white silk: “Gifted” to one to hang oneself.

9  “promotion in rank”: A kind of torture started in the Ming Dynasty where thin paper would be stuck layer by layer on the prisoner’s face, with the executioner spraying a mist of water between each piece of paper so it can adhere to his face. The executioner will say in a gloomy voice every time a layer is attached, “One piece grants you a promotion to the next grade, a higher rank and a raise”.  The prisoner is then interrogated; when the prisoner does not confess, the executioner will follow the same pattern, continue to put the paper on his face and spray water, making it difficult for the prisoner to breathe. This repeats until the prisoner confesses or dies. Generally speaking, when the 5–8 layers of mulberry paper are pasted, the prisoner will often suffocate to death.

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