Chapter 10

The carriage slowly came to a stop on the quiet path, the faint sound of wheels crunching over fallen leaves clearly audible. Pei Yun was the first to lift the curtain, and a cool breeze carrying the dampness of grass and trees rushed into the carriage. He leaned back, grabbed Xi Xiao's elbow without a word, and almost dragged her out.

Xi Xiao stumbled a step before regaining her balance. Pei Yun brushed aside her wind-blown hair, then smiled and glanced at the man. Suddenly, he uttered a string of fluent yet obscure and strange syllables, in pure Southern Xinjiang ancient language: "Your master knows who she is. You should know how to settle her."

The man shuddered violently. He looked up abruptly, the lingering arrogance in his eyes instantly replaced by shock and disbelief. He quickly lowered his eyes, no longer daring to look at Pei Yun, his body subconsciously hunching slightly, his posture becoming extremely respectful.

When he turned to Xi Xiao again, his voice was noticeably cautious: "This young lady," he said in a low voice, then stepped aside slightly to make way for her, "please follow me."

Xi Xiao's jaw tightened, and the moment the man finished speaking, she resolutely took a step forward and followed him without looking back. Her wide sleeves fluttered in the cool breeze, and she walked without the slightest hesitation.

Knowing she was trapped, all she could do was figure out how to get out.

Behind her, the man who had maintained a gentle demeanor finally cracked his skin. His soft smile froze at the corners of his mouth, and a deep, almost twisted incomprehension and resentment surged in his eyes. His hands, clasped behind his back, clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"His Majesty has actually come in person?"

A clear, melodious voice, tinged with a lazy, playful tone, sounded from behind him. Pei Yun abruptly suppressed all outward emotions, instantly regaining his unfathomable calm, and slowly turned around.

A boy of about sixteen or seventeen years old was lazily leaning against an old tree. His skin was the honey color typical of people from southern Xinjiang, but his facial features were as delicate as those of people from the Central Plains, creating a strange blend that drew attention.

A few strands of slightly curled black hair fell beside his cheeks, the ends of which were adorned with tiny silver bells and colorful bird feather pendants, swaying gently with his movements and making a barely audible rustling sound.

The boy didn't bow, but instead tilted his head with interest, his gaze passing over Pei Yun's shoulder and landing in the direction where Xi Xiao had disappeared. As if he had discovered something extremely interesting, a mischievous yet innocent smile curved his lips: "That person just now..."

He withdrew his gaze, his clear black and white eyes staring directly at Pei Yun, flashing with undisguised insight and mockery. "His Majesty used her to pry open the gates of her homeland, intending to make her bear the pain of killing her mother, and then fabricated the 'crime' of a rebellion in the southern border, making her suffer undeserved evil..."

The young man paused, his smile deepening, carrying an almost cruel bluntness, "Now that His Majesty has discovered her other identity, does he intend to exploit her or her birth mother?"

He took a small step forward, the ruby ​​tassel under his forehead ornament swaying gently. His voice was lowered, but every word was like a poisoned needle: "So, Your Majesty's next step is to also grasp this useless 'chess piece' in your palm and take it for your own use?" He emphasized the words "take it for your own use" with particular ambiguity, his eyes filled with naked provocation.

The coolness of the forest seemed to permeate Pei Yun's entire body, yet the gentle smile on his face remained as unmoved as the most exquisite human skin mask. He slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on the young man, his tone still calm, yet every word concealed a sharp edge: "Young Master is getting older, and he talks more and more."

The curve of his lips remained unchanged, but his eyes were as deep as an icy pool. "Wasn't it the young master who handed me that bloodstained blade?" He leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking onto the boy's instantly pale face as if it were a physical object, and his voice was even lower: "Personally driving your foster mother, who has been so kind to you, into an abyss of no return must have been a bitter experience, right?"

The final rhetorical question, though seemingly light, carries immense weight, directly addressing the deepest sorrow the boy least wanted to mention.

The boy's carefree, wicked smile froze instantly. He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, but ultimately couldn't utter a single word. Almost disheveled, he turned and strode quickly toward the path where Xi Xiao had disappeared, without looking back.

Only Pei Yun remained in place. The gentle mask on his face finally crumbled, turning into a bottomless chill.

*

After traversing the dense, almost sunless forest path, Xi Xiao had expected a breathtaking view unfolding before her, revealing a magnificent royal court no less impressive than the Yuan Chu Imperial Palace. However, the scene that greeted her eyes surprised her slightly.

The so-called residence of the royal family of the Southern Frontier was surprisingly cramped. Its small size was probably even smaller than that of a slightly respectable marquis's mansion in Yuan Chu. As far as the eye could see, there were only low and compact houses, densely packed together.

Besides these inhabited houses, there was a strange empty house on the south side. The doors and windows of the empty house were tightly closed, the walls were thick, and a nauseating, sweet and rotten smell seeped out from the cracks and permeated the air, interspersed with extremely faint, creepy crawling sounds.

Further away, there seemed to be a row of even lower and simpler houses hidden in the shadows. From a distance, Xi Xiao could only make out a blurry outline.

The woman from the southern border who was leading the way had been secretly observing Xi Xiao. Seeing her gaze wandering, she lowered her voice and said with a hint of inquiry, "You are truly very lucky. You were personally delivered by the young master's trusted confidant, so you don't have to work for the Queen." Her gaze was intense, as if she wanted to burn a hole in Xi Xiao's face, trying to find out what was so special about her.

A slight alarm bell rang in Xi Xiao's heart, but she timely revealed a perfectly timed look of bewilderment and asked softly, "Oh? What do you mean by that?"

Upon hearing this, the woman's eyes flashed with undisguised astonishment, as if she were looking at an alien. But when her gaze shifted downwards and she caught sight of the ancient crescent-shaped silver ornament hanging from Xi Xiao's waist, her surprise quickly turned into understanding: "No wonder you don't know about these old stories of the royal court. So you're a girl from the Moon Village tribe."

Xi Xiao's mind raced, but her face remained impassive. She simply nodded slightly in agreement with the other party, revealing a faint yet polite smile, which was considered an admission of her identity.

Seeing that she nodded, the woman started talking, telling her story in a low voice as they walked.

In this southern border region, there has always been an unwritten rule: when men and women reach a certain age, they must be sent to the royal court as servants. Wealthy families naturally do not want their children to become slaves, and can pay some money to avoid this job; while poor families sometimes see this as a way out, hoping that their children can make a future in the royal court. Whether to advance or retreat depends entirely on each family's wishes.

"But all of this..." The woman's voice lowered even further, carrying a barely perceptible fear, "Shortly after the late king's death, everything changed. The queen issued an edict, erasing the old rules: men could still choose according to their families' wishes, but women... had to enter the palace! At first, everyone thought that it would only be a few years of hard labor, and they would be released from the palace when they reached a certain age. Who knew that once they entered the palace gates, it was like sinking into a bottomless abyss! The queen decreed that women in the palace could never return home. In the first few years, they could still communicate with each other, but later, not even a single word could be sent. What's even more terrifying is... people started dying one after another in the palace, all young and beautiful palace maids, disappearing without a trace, their bodies never remaining. Their families didn't even receive news of their deaths. It was so bizarre that every woman forcibly conscripted into the palace later on was dragged into this cannibalistic place, crying all the way?"

Xi Xiao was shocked, a chill running down her spine. So the source of the heart-wrenching cries in the bustling city was right here! This seemingly calm and cramped palace concealed such horrifying bloodshed and despair.

The two exchanged a few more words in hushed tones. Xi Xiao learned that the woman's name was Cen Ya, and she was the niece of a head maidservant serving Lady Su in the palace. She was currently working for Lady Su. Xi Xiao, on the other hand, was assigned to Lady Lan's side.

As they parted, Cen Ya glanced around warily, then quickly whispered in Xi Xiao's ear, her voice barely audible: "Remember this: it's rumored in the palace... that those sisters who died were severely punished and executed by the Queen because they overestimated themselves and harbored thoughts of seducing the young master! Keep this in mind, but don't let it slip in front of others and bring trouble upon yourself!"

Xi Xiao nodded solemnly, watching Cen Ya's hurried departure, her mind clear. That Madam Su... was probably trying to curry favor with that young master. She lowered her head in thought; it seemed that the young master's relationship with his mother wasn't very good.

After parting ways with Cen Ya, Xi Xiao waited for orders in the outer courtyard of Madam Lan's residence. The courtyard was small, with several clumps of shade-tolerant southern Xinjiang plants. Following etiquette, she stood respectfully by the veranda with her hands at her sides.

Time flowed slowly in the silence. An hour slipped by unnoticed, the sun had long since set in the west, and the courtyard was deserted, with only her own breathing clearly audible. The doors and windows of the main house were tightly shut, letting in no light or sound, like an empty, lonely tomb.

Doubts began to creep into Xi Xiao's heart like vines. No one came out to summon her, nor did she see any other servants.

She composed herself, finally unable to wait any longer. She slowly moved to the tightly closed carved wooden door, took a deep breath, and gently tapped the door twice with her fingers.

"This servant is Xi Xiao," she paused slightly before giving her real name. She had already made up her mind: if what Cen Ya said was true, even people outside might not recognize the people of Quan Yue Village. So how could these women, who were confined within the palace walls for their entire lives, know the real name of a country girl from thousands of miles away?

She composed herself and continued, "I have come to pay my respects to Madam and await your instructions."

After the words were spoken, the room remained deathly silent, suffocatingly so. However, just as this silence was about to engulf everything...

"Crack—!"

A sharp, piercing sound of porcelain shattering suddenly erupted from inside the door! Immediately following was a muffled "thud!" that seemed to make the door frame tremble almost imperceptibly!

Xi Xiao's heart sank suddenly, a strong impulse driving her to push open the door and see what was going on. But in the next instant, the icy coldness of reason extinguished this impulse. She stood frozen in place; the palace was a forbidden area, with strict rules, and to trespass into her master's inner chamber without summons was tantamount to courting death!

After what seemed like an extremely long time, the heavy wooden door finally creaked open from the inside, opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.

An old woman dressed in a dark brown coarse cloth jacket slipped out from the side and quickly closed the door behind her. She was thin and frail, with deep wrinkles on her face and cloudy eyes. She coldly looked Xi Xiao up and down.

“Go,” the old nanny’s voice was dry and hoarse, carrying an undeniable sternness, but strangely, beneath that sternness, there was little real deterrence, more like a kind of…familiarity, “Sweep the outer courtyard clean. Unless necessary…do not approach the main house by even half a step.”

Xi Xiao immediately lowered her head and obediently replied, "Yes, this servant obeys."

The old woman said no more and turned to disappear back into the shadows inside the door. Just as the door was about to close, Xi Xiao caught a glimpse of an indigo skirt flashing past in the crack of the door.