Chapter 36 His fingers steadily enveloped her…
Jiang Fushi hid in the dark alley. Only after she caught her breath and her eyes adjusted to the dim light did she realize that the air was filled with the sour stench of cheap liquor and rotten food. From the depths of the alley came the incoherent murmurs and snores of drunkards. She turned around and looked in the dim light, and found that this seemed to be the back alley of a restaurant, where many disheveled men were slumped against the wall, trying to sober up.
Before long, a drunkard with a flushed face squinted and staggered toward her.
"Oh my, where did such a beautiful young lady come from? Come... come have a drink with me..." He hiccuped as he reached out his dirty hand to grab her sleeve.
This is so unlucky! Why did she have to choose such a place? Jiang Fushi thought to herself with annoyance. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she thought of going around the drunkard from the other side and getting away as quickly as possible.
Before she could take a step, the drunkard staggered and blocked her way.
Seeing that the other party's dirty hands were about to reach out again, Jiang Fushi dared not delay any longer. She turned around and ran deeper into the alley, hoping to get rid of this trouble as soon as possible.
On both sides of the alley were piles of abandoned wine barrels and crates. In her haste, she spotted a narrow gap between several stacked empty wine barrels. Without caring about appearances, she squeezed in, curled up in the innermost corner, held her breath, and thought she would wait until the drunkard left before going out.
The drunkard was incredibly persistent, stumbling and chasing after him, kicking the wine barrels by the roadside as he went, muttering, "Where...where did you run off to? Don't hide, little lady, I'm not going to eat you..."
Jiang Fushi huddled in the crevice of the wine barrel, her heart pounding wildly. She dared not even breathe too heavily. She heard footsteps getting closer and closer, and suddenly a rough hand touched the edge of the wine barrel where she was hiding.
"Ah!" She instinctively wanted to scream, but then quickly covered her mouth, forcing all the screams back down her throat, leaving only her eyes wide with fear.
The wrist that was about to lift the barrel was firmly gripped by another large hand with distinct knuckles and a black wrist guard. The next second, the drunkard's pig-like scream pierced the night sky, followed by the dull thud of a heavy object falling to the ground.
The empty wine barrel that had been blocking her view was gently moved aside, and the cool moonlight flowed in, illuminating the tall and slender figure of the person in front of her.
It is Zhan Xiao.
Jiang Fushi looked up abruptly, and the moment she saw Zhan Xiao, her tense nerves relaxed instantly. Her eyes involuntarily reddened, and her nose stung. The fear and grievances she had just felt surged up immediately, making it difficult for her to even finish her sentence. She choked out a word.
“Zhanxiao…”
She thought it was the drunkards who had found her.
“It’s alright.” He reached out his hand to her.
The man's palm was broad and dry, covered with thin calluses from years of wielding a sword; it felt rough yet unusually warm. The moment he grasped it, the firm strength inexplicably calmed Jiang Fushi's flustered heart.
His fingers steadily enveloped her trembling fingertips, and a reassuring power slowly flowed through their touching skin, as if silently telling her: with him by her side, there's nothing to fear.
He carefully helped her out of the gap in the wine barrel.
Once she had stopped, Zhan Xiao took a half step back, maintaining a respectful yet distant demeanor, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, please don't disappear without a trace like this again."
His words clearly indicated that he knew she had been deliberately testing him. Jiang Fushi felt a little embarrassed, sniffed, and then found a good excuse.
"If I don't test you, how will I know if you really have the ability to protect me in such a critical moment?"
Zhan Xiao stared at her silently. Jiang Fushi looked back defiantly, but in the swaying moonlight, she seemed to catch a glimpse of him sighing almost imperceptibly.
"Now," he said slowly, "has Your Highness figured it out?"
Jiang Fushi stubbornly replied, "Barely."
The two emerged from the alley one after the other and met up with Qingdai and the other two who were anxiously searching for her.
"Your Highness, where have you been? You scared me to death!" Qingdai rushed forward, her voice still trembling with tears. "Why are your clothes so dirty? Did something happen?"
Jiang Fushi concealed her guilt by tidying her slightly disheveled hair, and said casually, "It's nothing. There were a lot of people just now, and I was accidentally pushed to the side. I just got a little dusty."
After this experience, Jiang Fushi lost interest in continuing her sightseeing. The group of mistress and servants strolled along the dimly lit street, bought some exquisite snacks and trinkets, and then boarded their carriage to return to the princess's residence.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop at the gate of the mansion, a handsome man stood under the swaying glow of the lanterns.
Upon closer inspection, Jiang Fushi recognized him as a male favorite she had met once at the Princess's residence.
The man introduced himself as "Mu Yun" and said that he usually handled some private matters for the eldest princess. Jiang Fushi knew that there must be something important, so she quietly invited him into the inner hall.
Perhaps because he had been a gigolo for so long, Mu Yun's demeanor and movements exuded a natural, graceful, and charming air. As he spoke, his eyes sparkled, and he moved closer and closer to Mu Yun.
Jiang Fushi was listening intently to the news he brought when Zhan Xiao, who was standing to the side, suddenly stepped forward and stood between the two of them.
Mu Yun's body stiffened, and the gentle smile on her face faded instantly. Then, she raised an eyebrow, with a hint of reproach and provocation, and glanced at Zhan Xiao lightly. But when she met his cold and indifferent eyes, her heart skipped a beat. In the end, she didn't dare to go forward again and just covered her lips with a handkerchief in a embarrassed manner.
Jiang Fushi frowned and said, "You mean, Yuyao secretly recruited that group of Miao people for her own use?"
Mu Yun nodded and said, "That's right. The person is currently hidden in a villa in the western suburbs, guarded by Princess Yuyao's confidants."
"Oh, by the way," he said, as if suddenly remembering something, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, "If I may ask, is Princess Yuhe from Biangang?"
Jiang Fushi's eyes narrowed, alarm bells rang in her mind, but she remained calm on the surface: "Why do you ask this?"
Mu Yun said, "Our people have discovered that the Empress has dispatched a capable team to Biangang. It is not yet clear what they are investigating, but considering the direction and Your Highness's background, it is most likely that they are going to investigate your past when you were living among the common people."
Jiang Fushi was shocked upon hearing this. A chill ran down her spine, her limbs instantly turned icy cold, and she froze in her seat.
"Your Highness? Your Highness?" Mu Yun called out.
Jiang Fushi snapped out of her daze, glanced at him, and then beckoned Qingdai to prepare brush and ink.
"Please wait a moment, Young Master Muyun. I need to write a letter myself, and I hope you will deliver it to Her Highness the Princess in person."
Meanwhile, at Fengyi Palace.
Upon hearing the scout's report, the Empress slammed her teacup down on the table with a sharp thud.
"It really is that bitch!" Her phoenix eyes widened, her chest heaving violently with anger. "I really underestimated her! A master of both medicine and poison, a master of acupuncture... So Yao'er's inexplicable illness and Cao Zhang's incurable disease both originated from her!"
Hearing this, Yu Yao trembled with rage, her beautiful face contorted in anger. "What itching, what nightmares? It was all her doing!"
Only now did she connect all her past discomforts with Yuhe, and her hatred intensified.
"Mother," she said, grabbing the Empress's sleeve, her voice fierce, "I will lead men into the Princess's residence right now and tear her to pieces!"
Although she was furious, the Empress still retained a shred of reason. She held her daughter's hand and said in a deep voice, "That scoundrel is not what he used to be. The guards around him are unfathomably skilled in martial arts. Even Bian Chen, the commander of the Third Prince's personal guards, is no match for him. If you act rashly now, you will only alert him."
When she learned that Yuhe had found such a capable helper, she secretly sent many people to investigate this person's background.
They thought they could find out which organization he was a mole of, or what his shady past was, but after investigating, the man's resume was as clean as a blank sheet of paper. He only said that he came from a security escort agency and had honed his skills by traveling all over the country.
Yu Yao bit her lip, still unwilling to give up: "Are we just going to let her go like this? She poisoned me, causing my daughter endless suffering, and now she still has indelible scars on her body!"
"I will make Yuhe pay for this pain tenfold, making her wish she were dead!"
The Empress's eyes flashed with cold light as she waved her hand: "The matter at the imperial mausoleum last time was handled too hastily. Although the traces left at the scene have been cleaned up, His Majesty is meticulous and may have noticed something amiss. If we were to make a move against Yuhe now, and something went wrong again..."
"By the way," the Empress added sternly, "keep this a secret for now, don't inform the Duke of Jing's mansion, lest Father lose his composure due to resentment. Now is not the best time to make a move against Yuhe."
She turned to Yuyao, her tone grave: "You also need to restrain yourself these days. Not only must you not take action, but you must also pretend that you know nothing about this matter. If Yuhe finds out that we already know, she will be on guard, and it will be difficult for her to take action again."
Although Yuyao was unwilling, under the Empress's sharp gaze, she finally replied reluctantly, "Daughter understands."
Just as the Empress was racking her brains for a way out of the predicament, news came from the front court that the war was becoming increasingly urgent.
The Qiongle tribe launched a fierce offensive, and Beishuo Pass was in constant danger.
The Empress listened to urgent reports from the front lines in the Phoenix Palace, her knuckles lightly tapping the table.
Suddenly, a brilliant plan came to mind.
She immediately went to see the emperor and earnestly advised him: "Your Majesty, the war in the north is critical, and the soldiers are fighting bloody battles on the front lines. I wish to lead the concubines and women of the royal family to the royal temple for three days of fasting to pray for the country and for the early end of the war on the border so that the soldiers can return in triumph."
Praying for the nation's well-being was a common practice, and given the ongoing war, the emperor needed this to reassure the people, so he granted the request without further questioning. Thus, the royal women proceeded to the royal temple on the outskirts of the capital, as per custom.
The royal temple is located on Lingjue Mountain, thirty miles west of the capital. The temple is solemn and surrounded by pine and cypress trees, making it a quiet place for the imperial family to pray for blessings throughout the ages.
Jiang Fushi was assigned to live in the "Qingyin Pavilion" on the east side of the temple, which was separated from Yuyao's courtyard by only one wall.
The abbot of the temple clasped his hands together and respectfully said to her, "Your Highness, this royal blessing ceremony is for women only. The temple is a quiet place, so please ask the gentlemen to wait in the guest rooms outside the temple gate until the blessing ceremony is over before entering to accompany you."
Jiang Fushi then instructed Zhan Xiao to politely retreat to the outer courtyard to wait.
The entire inner courtyard of Lingjue Mountain Temple is currently inhabited only by royal women; there are indeed no men in sight.
On the first day of the prayer, she prayed with everyone else, and returned to Qingyin Pavilion to rest at night.
It was late at night. The temple bells had long since stopped ringing, and most of the courtyards were dark, except for the "Quiet Contemplation Courtyard" where the Empress resided, where candles were still lit.
The Empress was sitting on a soft couch drinking tea when Yuyao entered, her voice extremely low, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Mother, have the matters you asked Granny Sun to arrange been settled? Is it really easy to carry out the plan at Qingyin Pavilion where Yuhe lives?"
Just then, Granny Sun returned from the outer room, holding a simple map of the temple. She bowed and replied, "This old servant has prepared everything. The fire buckets around the Buddha Hall have been quietly replaced with empty ones, and Zhan Xiao has been sent away to stay in the guest house outside the mountain gate."
Upon hearing this, the Empress put down her cup and explained the plan to Yuyao in detail.
She planned to set fire to the Buddhist hall on the last night of the prayer ceremony, burning Yuhe alive. When the emperor inquired about it, she would say that Yuhe, moved by the hardships of the soldiers on the border, was willing to sacrifice herself for the country, offering her own life as a prayer for the war effort.
Moreover, all the monks in the temple witnessed the "self-immolation" and spoke with one voice. Even if His Majesty sent people to investigate thoroughly afterward, they would never be able to trace it back to the mother and daughter.
Yu Yao's eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on her lips as she pictured Yu He struggling painfully in the fire.
On the second day of the prayer ceremony, Jiang Fushi calmly participated in all the rituals as usual.
On the third day, she completed her evening lessons as usual and returned to Qingyin Pavilion to rest.
It was late at night.
The shadowy figure outside the window observed for a moment, noticing that the candlelight inside was dimming and someone seemed to be sleeping peacefully on the bed. He then gave his companion a wink, and under the cover of darkness, he silently slipped in, covered the person's mouth with a handkerchief soaked in sleeping pills, and dragged them out wrapped in a blanket.
It was cold in the mountains, the night was deep, and the wind howled through the pine forest. Soon, snowflakes began to fall, and the fine snowflakes quickly accumulated into a thin layer on the ground.
After throwing the person into the Buddhist hall, the dark figure quickly took out a tinderbox and lit the pile of dry pine branches that had been prepared.
The pine branches had been soaked in lamp oil beforehand, so they ignited when exposed to fire. The flames slowly lit up in the snowy night, and after a while, they spread to the wooden pillars of the Buddhist hall, and the flames gradually licked the roof beams.
Only when flames soared into the sky, illuminating half the night, did someone shout in alarm, "Fire! The Buddhist temple is on fire! Help! Put it out!"
Hearing the chaotic footsteps outside, the Empress in the Jingsi Courtyard leisurely sipped her tea, a faint smile playing on her lips. At that moment, Granny Sun stepped forward, her tone obsequious: "Yuhe is trapped in the Buddhist hall now. With such a huge fire and no fire extinguisher, she probably won't be so lucky as to escape."
The Empress sneered, "You little wretch, you threw your life away in the Buddhist hall and still got the empty title of 'praying for the country'? You're letting her off easy!"
Granny Sun said, "Her Majesty is kind and benevolent."
After waiting for a long time, until the cries and fire-fighting noises outside gradually subsided, the Empress slowly got up, straightened her robes, and went out. She pretended to stop a young nun who was running past in a panic and asked, "What happened? How could there be a fire? Is anyone else in the Buddhist hall?"
The young nun said with a mournful face, "There are...there are people...I heard they were burned beyond recognition..."
The Empress slowly walked to the Buddhist hall, only to find that it had been burned to the ground, with only ruins remaining. The charred wood was still emitting wisps of smoke, and the snow falling on the embers made a sizzling sound.
She cleared her throat, about to deliver her prepared lines: "Princess Yuhe sacrificed herself by immolating herself to save the country, using her own life to pray for the success of the border war," when she suddenly heard a chilling voice beside her:
"How could this Buddhist hall suddenly catch fire?"
The empress turned around abruptly, her blood freezing instantly.
The person who came was none other than Yuhe, who was supposed to be burned to death in the Buddhist hall!
At this moment, Yuhe stood right in front of him, dressed in casual clothes, her hair neatly styled, without a single spark touching her, completely unharmed.
The Queen stared in astonishment, her mouth agape, words stuck in her throat, her voice trembling: "You... how could you be here? Shouldn't you be... in the Buddhist hall?"
Jiang Fushi feigned innocence: "Mother, what are you saying? I am staying in Qingyin Pavilion, not spending the night in the Buddhist hall."
She stared at the Empress with her large, watery eyes: "Mother, are you perhaps frightened by the fire and feeling uneasy? Perhaps you could have the nuns at the temple brew a calming soup?"
Just then, a person was carried out of the Buddhist hall.
The person was charred black, with her hair singed and curly, and her face covered in ash. The monk stepped forward and checked her breath, finding that she was still breathing. After a moment of careful observation, he exclaimed in horror, "It's Princess Yuyao! It's Princess Yuyao!"
Upon hearing the words "Princess Yuyao," the Empress's mind went blank. She stumbled forward, grabbed the monk's sleeve, and cried out in a hoarse voice, "What did you say? That's Yao'er? Impossible! Impossible! How could she be inside!"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Please calm down!" The monk's arm ached from her grip, but he dared not break free. He could only urgently plead, "The princess is still breathing. We must get the imperial physician to treat her immediately, or it will be too late!"
The Empress looked incredulously at the person being carried on the door panel. Although the person's face was unrecognizable, she still recognized the half of the dragon jade pendant that had not been completely burned. It was the birthday gift that she had personally tied on Yuyao.
It really was her Yao'er!
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, please wake up!" Granny Sun rushed to the Empress's side, hugging her body and crying out. She frantically pinched her philtrum, and the surrounding palace maids also gathered around, trying to help the Empress up.
In the chaos, some people ran to send messages to summon the imperial physician, while others stayed by the side of the Empress and Yuyao. In the snow in front of the Buddhist hall, cries and hurried footsteps mingled together, creating a particularly jarring sound.
Jiang Fushi watched all this indifferently, her eyes showing no emotion, before turning around and returning to her own Qingyin Pavilion.
Pushing open the door, she saw Jiang Yu already sitting at the table, holding a cup of hot tea, and said with a faint smile, "Your 'switcheroo' was quite clean and efficient. The Empress schemed and plotted, but in the end, it was her own daughter who was burned. It can be considered retribution."
Jiang Fushi bowed to her: "Thank you for your help, Aunt. If it weren't for your cooperation with the people in the temple, Yuhe wouldn't have been able to successfully move Yuyao into the Buddhist hall."
Ever since she learned that Yuyao had arranged for spies to follow her, everything she did was an act.
He pretended to have fallen into the trap, pretended to be unguarded, and finally lured the snake out of its hole, waiting for the moment when they would make their move.
She guessed that the Empress would take action against her because the Empress had investigated her background and knew that she was responsible for all those inexplicable illnesses in the past. Given the Empress's personality, she could tolerate it for a while, but she couldn't tolerate it forever.
So, they decided to use a clever plan. First, they used the eldest princess's spies to observe subtle changes in the temple, such as the replacement of the fire-fighting water buckets. Then, before the empress could act, they preemptively sent someone to drug Yu Yao and move her to Qingyin Pavilion. So, it was naturally Yu Yao herself who was thrown into the fire.
Jiang Yu asked, "How is Yu Yao?"
"There is still one breath left."
Gently blowing away the tea foam, a cold glint flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes:
"That's enough. The Empress cherishes her daughters dearly; this matter will surely cause her great distress and make her wish she were dead."
"Moreover, this matter was planned and executed by the Empress herself. No matter how she wanted to frame us, she had nowhere to start and could only suffer the consequences herself."
"Your move can be described as using their own methods against them."
Jiang Fushi smiled helplessly: "It's just about protecting myself."
Jiang Yu added, "After this battle, the Empress's power will surely be severely damaged, but the Empress still has the Cao family behind her."
Jiang Fushi's eyes were calm, but her tone was resolute: "Things have come to this point, there is no room for maneuver. My only chance is to keep moving forward and uproot them completely."
...
That night, the Empress cried and made a scene, acting like a madwoman, alarming the entire temple. All the concubines who had stayed overnight were summoned to the Jing Si Courtyard to be comforted, and Jiang Fushi went along as well. However, she only stood there for a short while, completed the formalities, and then returned.
Back at Qingyin Pavilion, Jiang Fushi was tossing and turning, unable to sleep, disturbed by the faint crying coming from the other side. Just as she was sitting on the couch wrapped in her quilt, she saw a familiar figure silently appear in the courtyard.
She was surprised. The temple had strict rules and clearly forbade men from entering the inner courtyard. She frowned and asked in a low voice, "How did you get in?"
Zhan Xiao stood at the foot of the steps, unmelted snowflakes clinging to his shoulders: "The mountain temple has just suffered a calamity, and the guards are in disarray. I was worried and came to check on Your Highness's well-being."
He wore a dark cloak, which made his figure appear even more upright and imposing in the snowy night.
Jiang Fushi looked at him, feeling a strange sense of peace in her heart, and let out a long sigh.
"Nothing to worry about for now."
After speaking, recalling his appearance when the cold poison flared up, she couldn't help but ask softly, "Has the cold ailment in your body... flared up again recently?"
"It's alright, Your Highness, to be so concerned."
"That's good." With so many troubles lately, she really had no time to look through medical books. Jiang Fushi sighed softly, "Although there is no cure for the time being, I will definitely find a way to alleviate the symptoms for you."
Upon hearing this, Zhan Xiao reacted calmly, his deep, unfathomable eyes revealing no emotion. He said, "Your Highness need not trouble yourself with your subordinate."
A gust of cold wind blew snowflakes into the corridor, and Jiang Fushi unconsciously pulled her clothes tighter.
Zhan Xiao paused, stepping aside to block the gust of wind. He didn't look at her again, turning instead to the deep snowy night: "The wind is strong on this snowy night, Your Highness should rest early."
Jiang Fushi nodded slightly, glancing at the snowflakes falling on his shoulder: "Mm..."
Seeing that he was about to leave, she called out to him: "There is always a way out. Even if you are on the verge of death, I will definitely take you back from the clutches of the King of Hell."
The man with his back to her paused slightly, said nothing more, only bowed to her silently, then turned around, his dark figure quietly disappearing into the swirling snow.
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