When we returned to Jinxiu Palace from Yelan Pavilion, it was already dusk, and the last bit of sunlight was completely obscured by dark clouds.
Su Tiyue kept walking forward with her head down, the only sound being the crunching of her footsteps on the snow. Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept in, making her more alert and slowly bringing her back to her senses.
She had made a scene and vented her anger without caring about anything else, but she still felt wronged.
No, it wasn't just feeling wronged, it was humiliation. Humiliation and helplessness, plus resentment at being deliberately framed by that damned eunuch Xiao Heye.
It seems that sometimes clear skies after snow isn't a good thing; Su Tiyue's mood was absolutely terrible.
Upon entering the desolate and lonely Jinxiu Palace, Su Tiyue walked from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard without seeing a single person. "These maids must be slacking off somewhere," she muttered to herself.
Before she even entered the room, Su Tiyue was hit by snow that suddenly fell from the eaves of the corridor. The snow was thick, but fortunately it wasn't solid, so it didn't hurt too much when it hit her. However, the snow landed on her head, slid down her soft black hair, and into Su Tiyue's neck, then into her chest and back, making her shiver with cold.
Looking at the snow piled up on the eaves, Su Tiyue cursed, "Are you ever going to stop?! Even you're bullying me now!"
Liu Wan and Qing Wu were cleaning in the room when they heard the noise and rushed out to greet her.
Liu Wan noticed that her head and body were covered in snow, so she ran over, used her handkerchief to wipe away the remaining snow, and whispered to comfort her, "It's alright, Your Highness, we can just change our clothes and warm ourselves by the fire."
Having gone through so much, from Jingxin Pavilion to Yelan Pavilion, she was both angry and aggrieved. But when Liu Wan comforted her so gently, all the sadness and bitterness that had been suppressed in her heart surged out instantly.
Su Tiyue hugged Liu Wan, crying and pointing at the eaves, cursing, "Whoever wants to live in this lousy house can live there! It's not even as good as my dog shed and stable! Believe me or not, I'll have someone tear down your ignorant, broken roof!"
Liu Wan didn't say anything, but turned to look at Qing Wu, who was standing opposite her with a blank expression...
The conditions at Jinxiu Palace are indeed poor, but haven't they been getting by like this for the past year or so? I've never heard Her Highness complain like this before. I suppose Her Highness must have suffered a great injustice to be like this today? Liu Wan frowned, looking at Su Tiyue, whose nose was red from crying, and felt a little sad as well.
Qingwu scratched her head. She wasn't as sensitive as Liuwan, but since the topic of the house came up... she could actually point out some problems. "Your Highness, you know what, this house really isn't a place for humans to live. A few days ago, when it was snowing heavily, Xiao Anzi noticed that quite a few tiles had fallen off the small storeroom on the east side of the courtyard. Luckily, no one was hurt, or it would have been a disaster."
Su Tiyue sniffed, her face full of disbelief, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is it really true?"
"It's absolutely true. How about... I take you to see it?"
Su Tiyue nodded: "Why didn't you tell me about this before? What if something really happened?"
Qingwu said, "I thought that since that storeroom is on the east side and it only stores some miscellaneous items, few people usually go there. I figured that once the weather gets better, Xiao Anzi could fix it up and everything would be fine. So I didn't tell Your Highness about this."
Su Tiyue went with Qingwu to take a look, and it was indeed almost exactly as she had described.
Su Tiyue stood in front of the warehouse door for a while, then her eyes, as clear as autumn water, gradually brightened.
*
That night, a major event occurred outside Yong'an City. Xue Yu, the prefect of Xuzhou, was caught red-handed by the Eastern Depot for embezzlement and plotting a rebellion. He was executed on the spot. All 398 people in Xue's household perished.
It is worth mentioning that Xue Yu was among the dozen or so officials who submitted a memorial impeaching Xiao Heye that day.
That night, something minor also happened in the palace. Due to the recent heavy snowfall, the roof of a room in the Jinxiu Palace collapsed.
Xiao Heye happened to have left the palace that night and did not return to Yelan Pavilion until the next morning at Chenshi (7-9 AM).
"Master Supervisor, this is what happened. Consort Shu sent someone to inquire, what should we do?" Li Xun truthfully reported the collapse of the Jinxiu Palace to Xiao Heye.
Behind the screen, Xiao Heye had just changed into clean clothes. He put his hands, which were stained with dark red blood, into a basin and carefully washed them. He casually replied, "What did she say?"
Li Xun said, "Consort Shu said that Jinxiu Palace belongs to Nanyuan, and this matter should be decided by the Supervisor. The Consort also said..."
Xiao Heye took a clean handkerchief and wiped his hands: "What did you say?"
"Her Majesty also said that the buildings in Jinxiu Palace were already dilapidated and had been neglected for many years, and she was afraid that her bedroom would be the next one to collapse..."
Xiao Heye stepped out from behind the screen and said irritably, "No matter how old or worn it is, it's still a building in the palace. How could it just collapse like that?"
Li Xun nodded in agreement: "What the Grand Supervisor says is true."
This matter was not originally under his jurisdiction; allocating accommodations for the concubines was the responsibility of the Imperial Household Department.
Xiao Heye initially wanted to refuse outright, but after thinking about it, he decided to handle it himself.
"Are there any vacant houses in Nanyuan that people can live in?" Xiao Heye asked Li Xun.
Li Xun said, "There are many empty houses, but... they are similar to those in the Brocade Palace."
Xiao Heye took two steps, sat down beside the marble table, glanced at the inkstone that was cracked in two, rubbed his temples, and said coldly, "Go tell her that she can choose any of the uninhabited places."
"Yes." Li Xun withdrew and then went to the Brocade Palace to report back.
...
"Did he really say that? That I can choose whatever I want?" Su Tiyue, dressed in a purple palace gown with a flowing skirt, exuded an ethereal aura. She stood at the doorway, hands on her hips, her eyes fixed on Li Xun, who had come to answer her question.
Li Xun replied, "Your Majesty, yes, you may choose whatever you like."
Su Tiyue said, "Is it alright if I stay with your Grand Eunuch? In other words... is it alright if I stay at Yelan Pavilion?"
Li Xun: "..."
Li Xun naturally dared not speak recklessly, but what he was thinking was: If the Empress lives in Yelan Pavilion, then why should his master live in Jinxiu Palace?
Seeing that he didn't react, Su Tiyue changed her mind and said, "Then it's alright for me to stay at Tingyu Tower, isn't that fine?" The place Su Tiyue deliberately chose was so close to Tingyu Tower and Yelan Pavilion that they were separated by only one wall.
Li Xun hesitated for a moment: "Your Majesty, the Chief Supervisor often goes to Tingyu Tower to read books and receive guests. I'm afraid that's not a good place."
"Your chief eunuch himself said that I can choose any place that is uninhabited. I ask you, is anyone living in Tingyu Tower?"
Li Xun shook his head, not daring to utter a sound.
Su Tiyue said with satisfaction, "Then it's settled. Goodbye, Eunuch Li."
Su Tiyue snorted and turned to go back to her bedroom.
“But this…” Li Xun raised his hand, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated. Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking, Qingwu made a face at him and then slammed the door shut.
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