#14: The Plan

I crept in slowly, as they entered. But I suddenly had to hide because, Peng Ju was coming over. He didn't enter the room as the maids were saying the lady was bathing and didn't want to be disturbed.

I hid behind a large boulder beside my courtyard's pond, Peng Ju called over his guards

"Why didn't she die yet?", He asked a guard.

"We don't know Milord, she had been in the place all day long, and did drink the mixture, But to say, she is slowly getting weaker, it might only be a matter of time.", He said

"Well, Its for the better. The General has no knowledge about this right?", Peng Ju asked.

"Not at all, We have made sure about it.", the guard replied.

"But, If she dies now, won't she remain as the first wife of General? How would it be beneficial for us?", another guard asked.

"You are missing the point, when she suddenly passes away, the General will come to visit her, since he is so much foolish, he would certainly perform the rites himself. Of course, he would be suspicious that his wife who was so lively got so sick, he would certainly call a normal doctor, who would diagnose Jia Li as pregnant thanks to the drug.

That's when I come in, and take Jia Li's body away as the pitiful lover, of course this must be done in the public eye. All would surely comment on how illogical the Emperor's decision was that a pregnant woman died.", Peng Ju began saying.

"But, I still don't get how its beneficial, you would only get the sympathy of public..", One guy asked

"Jia Li's father wouldn't sit still knowing that his beloved daughter passed away in General's mansion. He would suspect Huang Lei's absence made maids neglect his daughter and there it is a riff between the recently merged families.

Next, is the Madam's death, I have sent a letter in the guise of the Madam Lei to her brother the Emperor, asking to meet up in the palace and to send his reply. Surely he replied, when we send her, and she first drinks the palace water or tea, she will die. The blame will go on the Emperor.", He told.

"But, Won't the General get to know we have captured the place, by his brother or his maids?", another guy asked.

"If only, his brother were alive, He was assassinated just a few minutes back, I even got the bloodied tuft of his hair and piece of clothing, the mercenaries also left clues of an anti-General group, Huang would surely believe it was due to him that his brother passed away.

The Madam, might be thinking her son went to visit her relatives for help, that was that b****** plan, But what did they know that we would already know their plan. When the General is busy in his problems, and sorrows, we shall kill all previous maids and replace them in guise of that the previous were fired by his brother.

If we make him impossible to find any clues, It will be done! He will lose his credibility, That's when My cousin, Jiang Gu comes, he is a captain for the South, he will be gaining popularity now, as a guide for the people and surely all people and scholars have agreed to remove the General of the Empire title from Huang and transfer it Brother Jiang, who is far more responsible and powerful.", Peng Ju said.

"You're a mastermind Milord!", All of them praised.

"Well, it all can happen only if this ****** dies, she is the first step for all keys to fall in place. I guess her face is so ugly, even the Death doesn't want to see her.

Don't forget to feed the Madam two of those poisons.", he said.

"Which two? only one right? the same which we fed Jia Li?", one guard asked.

"That one and the manipulation drug, the new one from the Han Empire?", another guard asked.

"Exactly, if we don't feed her by dawn, she may go and blurt out to the Emperor before she dies. Taking this drug, she will be in our control.

Remember, at the crack of dawn, Jia Li must die. If she is still breathing, feed her this, this poison gives instant death. Before she is proclaimed dead, send Madam to the palace and send a message to the General.", He said.

"Yes, Sir.", All said.

It was a lucky thing, he has a bad habit of sharing his plan to others because he wants praise, but brother-in law is dead? Assassinated? He was so kind. No way! This would totally break Huang Lei. The Madam too, I only have few hours before they will try to kill 'me'(Xin Xin) and Madam.

What to do? First let me go in, Xin Xin might have been worried.

I went, in and saw Xin Xin, she was looking at the window,

"Xin Xin, I am back!", I went and hugged her.

"Milady! Thank god! you're safe!", She cried.

I told her everything, from the plan to what I did, about everything, She listened carefully, and said,

"I will go and inform the Marquis, about what is happening, Surely he would be able to help.", she said.

"Wait a minute.", A voice came from the window and we both stood frozen. It was Guan.

"I have done what you asked of me and I have heard everything. It appears as though it is a dangerous plan. Surely, if things go as planned, it is only a matter of a time, that the Peng's overthrow the Emperor.", Guan said.

"Overthrow the Emperor? not just removing General but why?", I asked.

"The Peng's are the family of the Previous reign, The reign before the Emperor's grandfather, It was the Pengs who were atop the throne. But, The Emperor's grandfather, overthrew him in his youth and became the Emperor.

The Peng's were made as a scholar official, the main goal, is to get back the throne.", Guan said.

"Well, now that is risky. So what shall we do miss?", Xin Xin asked.

"I will say", I said thinking.

"But what is your purpose of making me send that message.", Guan asked.

"I sent, a message saying, I was facing domestic violence by the Madam, The emperor would obviously think either it was a fake or something is wrong. In case he would think of it as a fake, I tore a piece of the dress he bought me and signed my name, If he finds it suspicious directly, he would send a shadow guard.

As you said, they will be able to warn him of the Peng's secretly keeping us hostage.", I said.

"Then what?", she asked.

"I passed a message onto the General, a brief note of what happened and asked him to come over, but surely it would be too late. Considering we also have lost brother-in-law, we need to save ourselves and Madam for sure.

So, In an hour, the tomorrow, when they come to kill me, I have to act dead. I will take the sleeping Willow potion. They would likely not disturb me, Then, Xin Xin, go now and give the food to Madam. But, inform her not to eat. in some or the other way. She is surely smart. She can get it.

Later, ask her to be asleep and pretend to be in their control ,not too much but slightly just agreeing to them, You have to get in the same carriage and follow Madam to Palace and give her the Sleeping Willow potion as well, make sure, the Emperor gets to know of it.

Guan, you must leave immediately and inform my big brother and father of this, not my mother. Only father and brother, tell them to keep their troops ready and pretend they thought me dead. Ask them to regret so much that Peng Ju is satisfied.

The Last piece of the play, I will probably be waking up from the potion by the end of the day, when the General arrives, At that moment, Peng Ju obviously would cry his eyes out for sympathy bending over to try to hug me, to show the public he still loves me, more than the General.

Then, I shall pierce him, at his shoulder. He will be taken aback, that's when, the guards must come out from their hidden locations and capture the whole mansion, there shouldn't be a single maid left out.", I said.

"The Sleeping Willow potion is very much costly, and only the Emperor has the ability to procure it, How will you get it? ", Xin Xin asked.

"Easy, We can just ask the Emperor for some.", Guan added.

"No, We can't, The Emperor is going to be monitored, not only be Pengs but many others. If he takes a sleeping willow potion, we might have made him more troubled, and present, many don't know of its existence, but once Emperor takes it, surely it would be trouble.", I said.

"Then How to get it?", Xin Xin asked.

"Guan will get it for us." I said.

"Me? How? I don't even know where its sold.", He told.

"There is a brothel in the corner of the city, called the Red Lake, The Madam of the brothel will know what to do", I said.

"Ok! I will get two potions, Its enough?", he asked.

"Yes, Now go, Do everything I have told you. If we make a small mistake or get caught, The whole plan would be sped up before we know it.", I said.

"Yes, Milady.", Bothe of them said as they went out.

I stared back at the moon, thinking will this succeed?