Chapter 33 The man was changing clothes with his back to her...
Jiang Fushi thought so too.
The hunt ended at late afternoon, and the reward ceremony was to be held at the end of the day. Since she hadn't returned by then, her father would surely send people to search for her. They weren't too far from the hunting grounds; it was only a matter of time before they were found.
She shifted her position, leaning against a bluestone warmed by the campfire, with the dry grass Zhan Xiao had just found under her back. She rubbed her ankle, and the dull pain in her wound eased slightly.
While gazing absently at the flickering campfire, Zhan Xiao suddenly got up and walked out, his figure quickly disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Jiang Fushi didn't ask any questions. After sitting alone for a while, she suddenly felt a little hungry. Just as she was thinking that it would be nice to have some pastries right now, Zhan Xiao returned, carrying several smooth tree branches in his hand.
He sat in front of the campfire, slowly skewering fist-sized, reddish-yellow fruits onto the fruit and placing them on the fire. He rotated the fruit slowly as the fire grew, the flames licking the fruit skins and releasing a faint fruity aroma.
Jiang Fushi stared at it curiously, then looked at his profile: "What kind of fruit is this? I've never seen it before?"
"It's just wild fruit. It's normal that Your Highness, having lived in the deep palace for so long, wouldn't recognize it."
Watching him skillfully adjust the angle of the branches, he didn't seem like someone who only occasionally went into the mountains, but rather someone who had lived in the wild for many years. A cloud of doubt rose in Jiang Fushi's heart.
The man was agile and skillful. When he protected her in the forest, his reaction speed and the momentum of his sword strikes almost overlapped with the image of the black-clad man who saved her from the tiger's mouth at the imperial mausoleum in her memory.
Is it possible... that he is that person?
She carefully considered her words, omitting key details.
"Speaking of which, I was in danger at the imperial mausoleum some time ago, but fortunately a mysterious person came to my rescue and I was able to get out of trouble."
"Unfortunately, it was dark and I couldn't see the person's face clearly, but I remember that he was very skilled."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Fushi remained calm on the surface, but her gaze was fixed on Zhan Xiao's face, not missing a single change in his expression. She heard him say in a flat tone, "Your Highness is blessed with boundless good fortune."
Apart from that, Zhan Xiao's face remained completely expressionless, and his responses were impeccable, behaving like an outsider.
Could it really not be him? Jiang Fushi hesitated and withdrew her gaze.
Well, given his unpredictable nature, I won't get anything out of him by asking directly. It's not too late to try and probe him after we return to the capital.
A bunch of fruit appeared before her eyes, interrupting her thoughts; the peel was slightly wrinkled and emitted a sweet fragrance.
Jiang Fushi blinked blankly, then heard him say calmly, "It's ripe."
She took the fruit, blew on it to cool it down, and then took a bite. The sweet juice burst in her mouth, with a hint of smokiness, and it was surprisingly delicious. She praised, "It tastes good. Do you often spend the night in the mountains?"
The firelight flickered on Zhan Xiao's cold profile. He casually poked at the fire, making it burn brighter, and his voice remained flat: "Back when we were escorting goods, it was common to live a life of hardship and sleeping in the open."
Oh right, he used to be a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), so it's not surprising that he's familiar with these things.
After finishing the fruit, it was completely dark, and the temperature plummeted. Jiang Fushi huddled on a pile of dry grass by the campfire, wrapping her thin outer garment tighter around herself, yet she still felt the chill seep into her bones.
A dull pain shot through her ankle, and coupled with the fright and exhaustion from running all day, she finally couldn't hold on any longer. Her eyelids drooped, her body swayed, and her hands, which had been supporting her knees, fell limply. Her head tilted to the side, and she gently leaned against Zhan Xiao's arm beside her.
Zhan Xiao was startled.
Just as I was about to look away, I saw the princess's peaceful sleeping face appear particularly fragile in the firelight.
He paused, slowing his movements as he added firewood to the fire.
Just then, the sound of light hoofbeats approaching from afar came from the woods, mixed with faint shouts.
He glanced at the figure sleeping soundly with its head resting on his shoulder.
"Your Highness, the search party has arrived."
...
The person searching for them was the commander of the imperial guards, who was close to the emperor. He was followed by more than a dozen guards with swords, and everyone looked anxious. When they saw the campfire at the entrance of the cave, they all quickly surrounded it.
The commander immediately noticed Jiang Fushi's slightly swollen ankle, wrapped in an outer robe. He then glanced at Zhan Xiao standing to the side and frowned slightly. "Your Highness is injured! Quickly! Bring over the spare sedan chair!"
"Your Highness, we searched for you all over the hunting grounds but couldn't find you. Did something happen along the way?" he continued to ask.
Jiang Fushi slowly began to speak: "The horses were startled and fell off the cliff. Fortunately, Guard Zhan risked his life to protect them and found this cave to take refuge while waiting for rescue."
"Is that so? Fortunately, Your Highness escaped unharmed! His Majesty is still waiting for news in the main tent at the hunting grounds. I will escort you back to report immediately."
With Zhan Xiao's help, Jiang Fushi slowly sat in the sedan chair, and then, under the strict protection of the imperial guards, the group quickly returned to the camp.
Upon arriving at the main tent in the hunting grounds, Jiang Fushi first gave the emperor a general overview of the situation before returning to Lanyue Pavilion. Unexpectedly, she encountered an unexpected person on the way out of the main tent area.
The Third Prince, Jiang Jinyu.
Jiang Fushi frowned slightly, a surge of anger suddenly rising in her heart, which she forcibly suppressed, but still maintained a calm demeanor and signaled the sedan bearers to stop.
"Hearing that my elder sister encountered danger in the forest, I am deeply worried." The Third Prince stepped forward quickly, his face full of concern. "Your elder sister is of noble birth, and you must be more careful in the future."
Jiang Fushi watched him act quietly: "Third Prince, you are very thoughtful. I am well."
The Third Prince's smile remained unchanged: "It's good that my elder sister is alright, then I can rest assured."
After speaking, he gave her a meaningful look before turning and leaving.
The probing and smug look in the Third Prince's eyes ignited a fire in Jiang Fushi's heart.
His visit was not out of genuine concern, but rather a calculated move to test her, knowing she couldn't produce any concrete evidence, and to see if she dared to accuse him in front of her father.
After all, even if she told the truth to her father, the area around the forest had already been cleaned up, and no evidence could be found. In the end, it would only become an unsolved case, and he would turn the tables on her.
That's a brilliant tactic.
As expected of the Empress's legitimate son, the hypocrisy of mother and son is evident. They openly show concern while secretly threatening each other. Their hypocritical faces are disgusting.
Finally back at Lanyue Pavilion, they found a person slumped over the table in the inner hall. Perhaps hearing the noise, the person raised their head, their eyes bloodshot. It was Lou Bingling, who had been waiting for a long time.
"Your Highness!" She rushed forward, her voice choked with sobs, "You're finally back! You scared me to death!"
"It's nothing, just a horse being startled. It's a false alarm, don't worry," Jiang Fushi patted her hand reassuringly.
Just as she finished responding to this, the Eldest Princess sent someone to inquire. Jiang Fushi only said that her horse had been startled and she had twisted her ankle, and she needed to rest for a few days, asking the Princess not to worry.
After running around all night, my foot injury was swollen and painful, and my whole body felt sore and tired.
The imperial physician rushed over, applied ointment to reduce the swelling, and gave her some instructions on what to avoid eating. As soon as he left, she could no longer hold on and fell asleep immediately, without even having time to change her outer clothes.
The next day.
The imperial entourage returned to the capital, and Jiang Fushi also embarked on her journey home, concluding her four-day winter hunt.
She rested at the mansion for two days, and her foot injury was almost healed. With the help of the ointment she made herself, she was able to walk freely on the third day.
Before they knew it, it was Zhan Xiao's first day off since entering the manor.
Jiang Fushi's heart stirred slightly, feeling that this was the perfect opportunity to investigate his background.
After confirming that Zhan Xiao had left the manor, she changed into a less luxurious and conspicuous set of casual clothes, and had Liu Zi find an ordinary carriage to take Rongrong out.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of Anpingfang alley. At first glance, the place was full of life, with ordinary people living there and various shops along the street.
Liu Zi pointed to a small courtyard with blue bricks in the middle of the alley and said that was Zhan Xiao's home.
It was a very tidy but somewhat old house. The door was locked and it was quiet. It was uncertain whether the owner was home.
After thinking it over, she got out of the car and walked over as if she were just casually strolling around. Next door was a carpentry shop, and the shopkeeper was engrossed in polishing a wooden tenon.
"Shopkeeper, excuse me." Jiang Fushi stepped forward and spoke gently, "I'm from Su's Cloth Shop in the south of the city. My elder brother was recently helped by a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) surnamed Zhan while he was on a delivery mission, and we'd like to find him to express our gratitude in person. I was wondering if the family next door lives there? Is that the address of that镖师 Zhan?"
A Lei looked up and saw that the woman in front of him had a beautiful face, a gentle temperament, and a dazzling air of nobility. She was definitely not from an ordinary family. When he saw her asking about Zhan Xiao, his heart instantly stirred.
Could it be that some young lady has taken a liking to Ah Xiao and has deliberately found an excuse to come and see him?
Although Ah Xiao is a bit cold, he has a warm heart. He can't miss such a good match; he has to work hard to bring them together.
"Young lady, you've come to see Ah Xiao!" Ah Lei immediately put down his work and greeted him warmly with a smile.
"Let me tell you, you've come to the right person! Ah Xiao lives right next door to me, we're very close!"
A-Lei continued his rambling: "This spring, my family suddenly faced a crisis and desperately needed money. It was A-Xiao who lent me a large sum of money, which saved us from becoming homeless. Just recently, I saved up enough money to pay him back, but he pushed it back to me..."
Jiang Fushi listened silently, her expression unchanged, but a thought stirred within her.
The carpenter had a very high opinion of Zhan Xiao. This act of helping others and valuing righteousness over wealth seemed quite different from his usual silent and aloof image.
After leaving the carpenter, Jiang Fushi walked around Zhan Xiao's courtyard and found that his courtyard wall was not high, only slightly taller than a person. So she asked Liu Zi to bring a footstool and other miscellaneous items from the carriage to place in the corner of the wall.
Rongrong, worried, held onto her arm and whispered, "Your Highness, be careful!"
Jiang Fushi turned around and shushed her, signaling her to be quiet so as not to disturb others. Then she climbed up the footstool, leaned against the wall, and peered into the courtyard.
The courtyard was small, paved with bluestone slabs, with an old well in the corner, and buckets and wooden ladles beside it; the doors to the inner rooms were tightly closed, and there was no one moving around in the windows, making it seem lifeless.
Did Zhan Xiao not go home during his leave?
After a while, still hearing no movement from inside the courtyard, Jiang Fushi came down from the courtyard wall and went straight to the gate, asking Liu Zi to find a way to open it.
The door lock was an old-fashioned brass padlock. Liu Zi had learned some lock-picking skills in her younger days, so she opened it without much effort. Jiang Fushi went inside and then told Liu Zi and Rongrong to wait quietly outside the courtyard for her to come out.
As she stepped into the courtyard, she subconsciously slowed her breathing.
A wooden, mechanically carved moon lantern hung from the beam in the center of the hall. Although there was no candlelight, the unique craftsmanship allowed the lantern to emit a warm and delicate glow under the skylight shining through the window paper, completely captivating Jiang Fushi, who exclaimed softly in admiration, "Beautiful!"
We arrived at the main room, which was simply furnished with only a square table and four wooden chairs. On the table sat a rough porcelain teapot, and there wasn't even a decent tablecloth. Looking through the side door of the main room, we saw an inner room.
Standing in front of the door, Jiang Fushi hesitated for a moment before reaching out and pushing the door open.
The tall man was changing clothes with his back to her. He took off his undergarment, revealing a strong and broad back covered with crisscrossing scars of varying ages.
Jiang Fushi froze on the spot, her pupils shrinking slightly.
He... was actually at home!
And she's even changing clothes!
"You!" Jiang Fushi was both ashamed and shocked, and subconsciously took half a step back, almost bumping into the door frame.
The man's usual cold voice rang out: "Your Highness, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Fushi closed her eyes, her earlobes flushed red, and her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. "I..."
She paused, her mind blank, and when she looked up again, the man had already changed his clothes; his navy blue casual clothes accentuated his exceptional demeanor.
"Your Highness, what brings you to my private residence?"
Zhan Xiao's calm gaze remained unwavering, which, in Jiang Fushi's eyes, seemed to be watching how she would explain her "trespassing" excuse.
She thought he wasn't home! That's why she dared to come in so blatantly, little did she know...
Jiang Fushi was both embarrassed and embarrassed. In desperation, she remembered what A Lei had said and decided to turn the tables on him.
"I...I'm here to repay a debt on someone's behalf! I heard that you generously saved a carpenter's family from dire straits, yet refused to accept anything in return. I am grateful for your loyalty and righteousness, and have come to repay this debt of gratitude on his behalf."
Zhan Xiao looked at her silently for a moment.
"It's a trivial matter, Your Highness. As for the money, Ah Lei and I have our own plans. Your Highness, please return."
Jiang Fushi pursed her lips tightly, a mixture of shame and indignation at being seen through, and resentment at being coldly driven away, welling up in her heart.
She said no more, turned and walked away quickly.
Rongrong and Liu Zi, who had been waiting outside the door for a long time, heard the noise and were about to push the door open when they bumped into her rushing out.
Seeing their prince's face flushed and eyes filled with anger, and seeing Zhan Xiao standing in the room with a cold expression, the group of people, though unaware of the situation, knew something was wrong. They quickly led the carriage over and left Anping Ward.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" Rongrong asked worriedly.
Jiang Fushi's anger and shame had not yet subsided.
The neighbors on both sides had just confirmed that he was indeed a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), so it seemed that someone else had been secretly protecting her. But the feeling of being caught red-handed was terrible, and all she could think about was Zhan Xiao's disheveled appearance. Not wanting to openly express her embarrassment, she only instructed Rongrong that she would stay in the mansion to recuperate for the next few days and told Zhan Xiao not to come and guard her.
She doesn't want to see him right now.
As a result, everyone in the princess's residence witnessed a strange phenomenon: Zhan, the bodyguard who was usually inseparable from the princess, suddenly fell out of favor. The princess did not summon him for three whole days, nor did she allow him to accompany her.
Jiang Fushi, on the other hand, stayed in her own bedroom, cutting herself off from most of the outside world.
Until the morning of the fourth day.
She got up as usual, and after washing and dressing with Rongrong's help, she pushed open the door of her bedroom and prepared to go to the courtyard for some fresh air.
An exquisite wooden carving of a "mechanical moon lamp" hangs prominently under the porch, turning gently in the cold wind and emitting a subtle and pleasant sound.
Jiang Fushi stared in astonishment, almost thinking she was seeing things.
Zisu and Qingdai's eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Jiang Fushi was stunned and blurted out, "Where is Zhanxiao?"
"Your Highness, have you forgotten?" Rongrong whispered a reminder, "A few days ago you instructed that Guard Zhan did not need to come to serve you. He should be on duty in the West Courtyard right now. Would you like to call him over?"
The warm light of the moonlight lamp reflected in Jiang Fushi's eyes. She coughed lightly, feigning indifference, and said, "...Let him be on duty according to the original rules."
...
late at night.
A group of Miao people, disguised, arrived at Xihua Gate. After showing them jade plaques engraved with the palace seal, a eunuch led them through the many palace passages to Yaoguang Hall.
Yuyao was already waiting.
She had been plagued by nightmares for days, but things had gotten a little better in the last few days, and she had stopped having them. However, she was still very weak due to lack of sleep.
Wu Yin was led in by the eunuch and respectfully handed over a bottle: "Your Highness, the 'Silk Vine Gu' is complete. The person who is afflicted with the Gu will develop tiny cracks on their body surface for no apparent reason within seven days. At first, they will be like silk threads, but they will gradually enlarge and eventually die from excessive blood loss. It will appear as if they have died from weakness and will be extremely difficult to detect."
Upon hearing that this Gu was so insidious and secretive, Yu Yao's eyes lit up. She quickly had someone bring the small white jade bottle closer. When she opened it, she saw that at the bottom of the bottle were almost transparent worms as thin as hair.
Wu Yin continued, "This Gu worm has a unique characteristic: it dissolves in water and is colorless and odorless. Your Highness can mix it into tea or wine and have people drink it."
"Good." Yuyao put the bottle away with satisfaction. "Hongying, here's a reward."
Wu Yin excitedly accepted the reward money. Before leaving, he hesitated and looked at Yu Yao until Hong Ying gave him an impatient glare.
He then knelt down with a thud.
"Your Highness, I dare to speak frankly," he said in a trembling voice, "your face is pale, and your eyes are dark with an unnatural reddish tinge; it seems you have been poisoned!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Yao was startled: "What did you say?"
Wu Yin hurriedly explained, "We Miao people have been dealing with all kinds of poisons since childhood and are well-versed in medical principles. May I ask, Your Highness, have you been having trouble sleeping at night lately, having nightmares even when you do fall asleep, and experiencing mental confusion and occasional heart palpitations during the day?"
Yu Yao's expression changed drastically; these were precisely the symptoms she had been experiencing recently: "...So what if it is?"
“That’s it.” Wu Yin nodded affirmatively. “These symptoms are very similar to a kind of sleeping powder called ‘Nightmare Powder.’ Those who take it will have nightmares for days on end, and will only gradually get better after three days.”
Before this, Yuyao thought she had offended something unclean or had a heart ailment, never considering that she had been poisoned. She was immediately shocked and furious, and slammed her hand on the table: "Outrageous! Who dares to plot against me!"
"Your Highness," Wu Yin continued, "the craftsmanship of this sleeping potion is so exquisite that it could not have been made by an ordinary doctor. The method of using the medicine is so subtle that it is almost invisible. It must be the work of a master poisoner!"
Yu Yao was greatly alarmed.
Such a skilled person, yet none of the imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital noticed, and despite examining her pulse daily, they could not diagnose the poisoning. Clearly, the person who poisoned her possessed poison skills far surpassing those of the palace physicians.
Realizing this, Yuyao broke out in a cold sweat and immediately sent someone to inform the Empress.
...
After the start of winter, the first snow fell.
Jiang Fushi received an invitation from Yaoguang Palace to a snow-appreciation and tea-tasting party. The purpose was to renew their sisterly bond and to apologize to their father and mother for the turmoil during the winter hunt.
She didn't want to go, but Yu Yao had made a grand show of inviting numerous members of the royal family and noble ladies. If she refused, she would be seen as "narrow-minded" and "disregarding the dignity of the royal family," a point Yu Yao could easily exploit to attack her in public opinion.
That's all.
It was just a tea party, after all.
They've gone, so be it.
Jiang Fushi attended the banquet as scheduled, which was held in the warm pavilion of Yaoguang Palace. Lou Bingling was also invited and greeted Jiang Fushi warmly, sitting down at the same table with her.
Inside the warm pavilion, the stove burned brightly, creating a world apart from the harsh cold of the first snow outside. The palace servants silently served this year's newly harvested Snow-Topped Green Tea, its delicate aroma mingling with the perfumed scents of the young women inside.
Yuyao sat at the head of the table, and almost all the noble ladies were trying to please her. Their words and laughter were full of flattery. They spoke of her being frightened during the winter hunt and her recent illness with great empathy, and praised her for her extraordinary demeanor and for not forgetting sisterly affection even when she was ill.
Although both were princesses, Jiang Fushi was surrounded by a cold and lonely atmosphere, with only Lou Bingling conversing with her in hushed tones, making her seem out of place. Most of the noble ladies' gazes swept over her seat with a subtle distance and scrutiny, and no one dared to easily step forward to speak, for fear of offending Princess Yuyao at the head of the table.
Occasionally, a few high-ranking members of the imperial clan would nod slightly in Yuyao's direction after exchanging greetings, revealing a polite and restrained smile. This was already the maximum courtesy that could be shown in public.
Jiang Fushi didn't care about these subtle forms of exclusion; she simply lowered her eyes and quietly sipped her tea.
The tea was clear and bright, a fine imperial gift, but she did not drink it easily. She only took a small sip after others had drunk it first. Her gaze occasionally swept over Yu Yao at the head of the table and the palace servants who were serving tea. Her vigilance did not lessen in the slightest.
Yu Yao's elaborate scheme is likely not what it seems.
But after half a day, it seemed to be just a regular tea tasting event. Yuyao did not deliberately make things difficult for her at all, and only chatted and laughed with the noble ladies beside her, as if it were just a tea party to build relationships.
Just then, Lou Bingling accidentally spilled tea on her sleeve, soaking her dress. She got up to apologize to Yuyao and went with the palace maids to the side hall to change.
A palace maid with an unfamiliar face came over with a tea tray and placed a clear celadon cup in front of Jiang Fushi. The aroma of the tea was slightly different from what she had drunk before, and was more fragrant.
The palace maid lowered her head and said demurely, "Your Highness, please use this cup of 'Clouds and Mist Surrounding Golden Threads,' which is a top-quality tribute from Jiangnan this year."
Just as Jiang Fushi was about to make an excuse to decline, a rather loud commotion came from the other side. It turned out that someone had accidentally slipped and knocked over the fruit plate on the table, which attracted everyone's attention.
She stood up, looked in the direction of the sound, and frowned slightly.
In the brief lull of chaos, Lou Bingling, who had just changed her clothes and returned, found that Jiang Fushi was not at the table. Feeling parched, she saw a full cup of fragrant tea on the table and, without suspicion, picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.
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