Chapter 33 I Have Someone I Like
Grandpa Fu stared at Dao Yi in shock, his mouth agape.
Upon seeing Xiao Shenjing, Dao Yi was so frightened that he immediately knelt on one knee, "Your Majesty, no, Miss Yunxi and I really didn't do anything."
Xiao Shenjing glanced at him, gave a lukewarm laugh, and walked away.
Outside the door, Yunxi waited in vain for Dao Yi. Just as she was wondering whether to say something more provocative, she saw Xiao Shenjing sitting upright in his palanquin.
Yunxi frowned almost the instant she saw Xiao Shenjing.
She couldn't hide her disgust for the culprit who had brought her to this state.
She didn't want to see him, but she also didn't want to die.
So she pressed herself against the wall and lowered her head.
The young emperor sat upright on a rosewood palanquin carried by four men. A black silk umbrella covered the top of the palanquin, with pearl tassels hanging down from the edge of the umbrella. They trembled slightly as the palanquin moved, like shattered stars falling into the shadows.
The pearl tassels hanging from the carriage dazzled the eyes, yet one could still clearly see the bright yellow cloud and dragon patterns swirling on the hem of the robe, light as floating clouds. As the sunlight shone through, the dragon patterns seemed to float on his skin.
Palace attendants on either side carried peacock feather fans and ice chests, from which white steam rose. Melted snow dripped down the gilded beast heads, leaving fleeting wet streaks on the blue bricks.
At this moment, Yunxi was wearing a plain gray silk dress and had her hair styled in a low bun, without even a wooden hairpin in her hair.
Dressed in a drab gray color, and leaning against the wall with her head down, she looked no different from a lowly palace maid.
Ordinary and unremarkable, seemingly as low as dust, easily ordered around and trampled upon by anyone.
As the imperial carriage passed by, the shadow cast by the parasol briefly swept across Yunxi's back, but the bright yellow light from the corner of the emperor's robe pierced Yunxi's lowered gaze, like a golden blade cutting through the shadows and then withdrawing in an instant.
Xiao Shenjing didn't even glance at him; his gaze swept indifferently over the palace walls and eaves, as if the people by the roadside were just dusty bricks.
He could smell a wisp of ambergris in the wind as he passed by, mixed with the chill of the ice chest.
One sits high on a throne in the heavens, and the whole world submits to him; the other is a slave for eternity.
Above and below.
Yunxi completely ignored all gazes.
Standing far away under a horn lamp, he simply leaned against the wall with his head down.
He looked honest and unremarkable, but in his mind he cursed Xiao Shenjing to the core.
Until she caught a glimpse of Dao Yi walking out of the door out of the corner of her eye.
Her eyes lit up.
After glancing at Xiao Shenjing's back, she figured he wouldn't notice her anymore, so she immediately walked towards Dao Yi.
Fearing that the knife might escape, she almost ran away herself.
When Xiao Shenjing turned around, he saw her impatient expression.
There was a time when she looked exactly the same whenever she saw him.
They couldn't wait and ran over with eyes full of joy.
No matter who is around, no matter what lies ahead, she will go without hesitation.
"Dao Yi." Yun Xi stood directly in front of Dao Yi.
Seeing this living ancestor, Dao Yi was at his wit's end. "Miss Yunxi, why are you ruining your own reputation like this?"
"Stop talking nonsense." Yunxi interrupted his rambling, reaching out to pull him aside to talk.
As soon as her hand touched Dao Yi's sleeve, he jumped aside as if he had been electrocuted, asking, "Miss Yunxi, what exactly do you want to do?"
"Are you sure you want to say this here?" Yunxi was also impatient. Not only was it hot, but her wound was throbbing and aching as if someone was banging on a drum.
Dao Yi had no choice but to follow Yun Xi.
Outside the East Gate was a long corridor, and Xiao Shenjing and his party had only walked halfway through it.
As soon as Yunxi walked to the other end of the corridor with the knife in her hand, she reached for the wound medicine at her waist without thinking.
"Miss Yunxi, what are you doing!" Her actions startled Dao Yi, who immediately turned his back.
She dared not use the bottle of medicine that Aunt Jiang had given her, nor could she tell if there was anything wrong with it. However, she could send Dao Yi to inquire. If there was no problem, she would no longer need to be wary of people.
"What are you thinking? Please have someone check if there's anything wrong with this medicine." Yunxi rolled her eyes at him weakly and handed him the medicine bottle she had taken out. "Dao Yi, my wound needs hemostatic medicine. If possible, you'd better take me to see the imperial physician."
"Why don't you go to His Majesty?" Dao Yi asked, completely bewildered.
"Why would I look for him?" Yunxi was so weak that she could barely stand. She took a few steps back and leaned against a pillar, saying, "This was an injury inflicted by the Imperial Guards, so I'm definitely going to settle the score with you."
Faced with this unreasonable argument, Dao Yi felt powerless. Seeing that she was covered in sweat and dust, he couldn't help but advise, "Miss Yunxi, why don't you just apologize to His Majesty?"
"If I give in, will Xiao Shenjing really let me leave?" Yunxi asked.
Dao Yi didn't know that His Majesty had never said how he would settle her, but Dao Yi instinctively felt that he would definitely not let her go, otherwise there wouldn't have been one commotion after another.
He couldn't say that, but he advised, "Even if you can't leave the palace, as long as you talk to His Majesty properly and apologize, your career will surely rise rapidly."
Yunxi tilted her head and looked at Dao Yi, asking, "Does 'soaring to the top' mean becoming the highest-ranking female official in the palace, or does it mean becoming Xiao Shenjing's concubine?"
Seeing the mockery in Yunxi's eyes, Dao Yi was completely at a loss for words and could only continue to persuade, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, the supreme ruler of all people."
Yunxi never imagined becoming someone's concubine in her entire life.
Even if this person is the emperor.
"You're so long-winded," she interrupted him disdainfully. "Just tell me if we need to call the imperial physician or not?"
Dao Yi closed his eyes and said, "You really are a living ancestor."
Dao Yi knew that if he didn't do as she said, this troublesome woman was determined to do something earth-shattering again, potentially leading to a conflict with the Imperial Guards and even more unforeseen events.
Just thinking about it gives him a headache.
They could only take her to the east corridor of the Qianqing Palace, where there were imperial physicians on duty.
Dao gave a few instructions and then hurriedly left.
Considering her current situation, Yunxi took two more bottles of hemostatic powder and several doses of medicine before leaving, and even took a ceramic pot used for brewing medicine.
Xiao Shenjing returned to Qianqing Palace after about an hour.
At that time, Dao Yi was already guarding the door.
He glanced at Dao Yi indifferently and walked towards the West Warm Pavilion.
With a wave of his sword, he dismissed the palace maids and guards, and immediately followed. "Your Majesty, what Miss Yunxi said just now was only to get me to find an imperial physician for her."
Xiao Shenjing paused almost imperceptibly. "Looking for the imperial physician?"
“Yes.” Dao Yi nodded immediately. “She was injured yesterday when she fought with the Imperial Guards.”
He glanced at Xiao Shenjing as he spoke, but the other man's expression was indifferent and unreadable.
It's unclear whether he wants to continue listening or not.
So he tentatively added, "According to her description to the imperial physician, the wound on her arm was deep enough to expose the bone; it was an old injury that hadn't healed."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Shenjing's expression instantly turned cold.
Old wound.
Since she returned to Kyoto, several conflicts have occurred in just over ten days. Does she really think she's made of iron?
Such stubbornness and disobedience deserve to suffer some hardship.
I don't want to deal with her anymore.
Later that evening, Xiao Shenjing finally called Fu Shun in.
"Have a palace maid deliver the Snow Soul Ointment and the Red Dragon Rejuvenating Powder to her."
She didn't say the name, but Fu Shun naturally knew who she was referring to.
Yunxi became a maidservant, and her life was quite carefree and happy.
She's never been picky about food; even if the food is simple, she can eat a big bowl of it as long as it's hot.
Because the wound on my arm didn't break the bone and because it was treated with excellent wound medicine, it has started to scab over, and I can no longer feel any pain as long as I don't touch it.
She did the tasks assigned to her by the eunuchs only when she felt like it.
Most of the time, he would lie in the shady corner of the wall, sleeping with his legs crossed.
When it gets hot, I just find a shady room to relax.
Some eunuchs and palace maids couldn't stand it and secretly reported it to the head eunuch. As soon as he heard her name, the head eunuch shook his head and said, "Don't bother with her. Don't let her provoke me."
Anyone with even a little bit of influence in the palace has heard of the name Yunxi.
That's someone who dares to go against the reigning emperor.
Not only that, but he also has an inextricable entanglement with the Grand Commander.
Yunxi managed a nursery where she planted some fruits and vegetables. She was energetic and carried water to water the plants every morning, but she was too lazy to weed. As a result, the weeds in the field grew more and more.
It's lush and green at first glance, growing very well.
That day, Yunxi was lying in the corner eating a fresh cucumber when she heard a shrill voice cursing from the other side of the wall: "You wretched servant, you're lazy every day, watch out!"
"Look at these vegetables you've planted. If you don't grow them well, I'll bury you like manure."
Yunxi picked at her ear.
The neighbors were still cursing, and it seemed that cursing alone wasn't enough; they even heard the sound of slapping.
"If your eyeballs are useless, just gouge them out. You can't even see any useless stuff among so many worms."
The person who was beaten didn't even dare to cry out loud.
Since becoming a palace maid, Yunxi has known how difficult it is for palace maids without a background to survive. Being beaten and scolded is a minor matter. If a palace maid accidentally offends someone, she will be subjected to all kinds of punishments. They are not treated as human beings at all.
Knowing her current predicament, she decided not to meddle, but the slapping continued unabated, and if this continued, the person being slapped would likely suffer an ear injury.
If they lose their hearing at that time, survival will likely become even more difficult.
As the fourth slap landed, Yunxi took a big bite of the cucumber, stepped on the crack in the wall, and easily flipped over to the top of the wall.
"Hey." Just as the eunuch's hand was about to fall again, Yunxi suddenly spoke up.
Diao Yuanhua paused, and looking in the direction of the sound, he saw Yunxi sitting on the wall.
The palace maid who had been beaten knelt on the ground, half of her face swollen.
Yunxi swallowed the cucumber and asked, "You've already taught him a lesson, why are you going on and on?"
Diao Yuanhua's eyes widened. "You...you actually dared to climb over the walls of this palace, and you even dared to eat imperial food! Who are you?!"
Palace maids could only manage menial tasks like growing vegetables in the palace. Their status was as lowly as dust, and they were subject to the dual management of the Imperial Household Department and female officials. In other words, they were so lowly that even a passing dog could step on them.
“Gan Dong Wu Suo, Yun Xi.” After saying that, Yun Xi swung her legs and took another bite of cucumber.
"So you are Yunxi!" The head eunuch exclaimed in surprise, then looked her up and down.
"You know me?" Yunxi was still a little puzzled.
"As the head of the Imperial Bedchamber, I have no authority over you," Diao Yuanhua said sternly, and left with the two eunuchs behind him.
As soon as he left, Yunxi jumped off the wall.
Seeing that the palace maid's eyes were red and her cheeks were swollen from crying, Yunxi touched them and realized that she was so poor that she couldn't even afford a handkerchief. She sighed and said, "Does it hurt a little? Remember to apply some cool water when you get back, it will help reduce the swelling."
Zhu Ju nodded, sobbing, "Thank you, thank you, sister."
Seeing that she was much younger than herself, Yunxi couldn't help but affectionately pat her head.
The little girl didn't even dare to cry for long. She quickly stood up and began catching insects under the sun.
Seeing that her hands were trembling uncontrollably, Yunxi quickly chewed the cucumber and rolled up her sleeves to help.
Because the two vegetable plots were separated by only a wall, and Zhu Ju lived in the second plot of the fifth Gan Dong Institute, the two of them could go back together after finishing their work. Gradually, she became familiar with Zhu Ju.
Two days before the banquet, Xiao Shenjing finally had some free time.
Good news kept coming from eliminating the Nanjing regime, and it was only a matter of time before it was completely wiped out.
He also gathered evidence against the ministers in the imperial court who dared to collude with the smaller court right under his nose.
He stared at the secret report sent by Gu Wenqian.
A slight smile appeared on Xiao Shenjing's lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.
It was quiet, cold, and chilly.
After putting down the secret report, he got up and took a stroll in the Imperial Garden as the heat dissipated.
As Dao Er followed behind, he remembered what Dao Yi had told him the day before.
That day, when Yunxi was rescued from the Zhao prison by Xiao Shenjing, her clothes and cloth bag were taken away by palace servants to be burned because they were too dirty. However, Dao Yi, who was guarding outside the door, stopped her.
Dao Yidao still remembers how His Majesty looked when he was looking for that red dress after Miss Yunxi 'died'.
Therefore, people with the Life Palace should place it properly and not move it around.
He originally intended to return it to Yunxi once she recovered, but the relationship between Xiao Shenjing and Miss Yunxi became increasingly tense, and he eventually forgot about it.
I remembered it yesterday, so I casually asked Dao Er to ask Xiao Shenjing when he was in a good mood.
Since it hasn't been returned to Yunxi yet, Dao Yi secretly wants to take this opportunity to sound out what she's thinking.
After all, those of them who are subordinates have to do things according to their masters' preferences.
Seeing that Xiao Shenjing seemed to be in a good mood, Dao Er stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, should the clothes and cloth bag that Miss Yunxi left in the palace be burned?"
"You dare ask me about such a trivial matter?" Xiao Shenjing glanced at him.
Dao Er immediately stepped back and admitted his mistake.
He felt like he'd been tricked by his brother again, and he'd have to go back and ask him for the money for the bag of liquor.
When Xiao Shenjing returned to the Qianqing Palace.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said to Dao Er, "Go and get her clothes."
Yunxi already has a treasure bag, which she always likes to fill with all sorts of random things.
When the items were presented, Xiao Shenjing frowned.
The once vibrant green dress had turned black and stiff from the bloodstains. Xiao Shenjing ordered it to be taken away and burned, his gaze lingering on the treasure bag.
He took it and poured the contents of the bag onto the imperial desk.
A few taels of silver and two handkerchiefs.
One side is embroidered with lilacs, and the other side is embroidered with clusters of locust flowers.
Staring at the clusters of locust blossoms that resembled magnolias, Xiao Shenjing couldn't help but think of the bag that Yunxi used to always like to carry on her person.
At that time, she even sat in a restaurant on the street embroidering a purse.
As a result, it fell out of the second-floor window and was picked up by Zhu Chenjie. Because the embroidery was so bad, it caused a burst of laughter from everyone.
He said to her at that time, "Miss Fan, it's best not to do things that are not suitable for you, so as not to hurt your eyes."
She frowned and pursed her lips, asking him, "You dislike it too?"
At that time, he knew that everyone was laughing at her.
Instead of helping her resolve the issue, he chose to distance himself from her, telling her, "Since it is not mine, how can you say you dislike it?"
Even now, he can still recall her dejected yet stubborn expression as she tried to suppress her sadness.
Thinking of this, he subconsciously picked up the handkerchief embroidered with locust flowers.
His intention was to check if the embroidery was done by Yunxi, so he held it a little closer. However, he did not expect that his eyes would suddenly feel a stinging pain.
Xiao Shenjing paused for a moment, then subconsciously raised his hand to wipe the corner of his eye.
As I took it off, a tear fell onto my finger.
Xiao Shenjing, who suddenly understood what this was, had a very interesting expression.
"Yunxi, you really have some tricks up your sleeve!" Xiao Shenjing said, clutching his handkerchief.
No wonder her eyes turned red and she cried so easily when she impersonated Zi Shu; that's why she managed to fool him so easily.
Fu Shun, who was standing to one side, glanced at it from the side.
Upon seeing this, I was immediately startled.
All she could see was her master clutching Yunxi's handkerchief, his eyes red and tears welling up in his eyes.
As dusk approached, most of the palace maids from the five palaces in Ganxi returned. They had been working from morning till night, and this was the only time they could finally take a break.
Because there were many people living in the courtyard, it was unusually noisy and lively.
A palace maid, fanning herself, said, "Have you heard? Wang Yan has caught the master's eye and has been transferred to Chuxiu Palace today."
"I wonder when we'll finally get our chance to rise in the ranks," a palace maid sighed with envy.
These words expressed the sentiments of the more than twenty palace maids present.
If one could climb onto the dragon bed, one could gain power overnight.
Not to mention the current emperor's stunning good looks, which make one's heart tremble at the mere thought of them.
Moreover, they would receive a stipend, be served, wear nice clothes, and have their own courtyard to live in instead of being crammed into a large dormitory for thirty people. Even their families would enjoy a life of luxury.
Once inside the palace, any of the hundreds or thousands of palace maids would be lying if they didn't dream of rising to a higher social status.
Looking across the entire capital, how many noble ladies share the same thoughts as them?
However, in this palace, they are the lowest-ranking palace maids, doing menial and menial tasks. They are the group of people with the least hope, and some of them have never even been allowed to see the Emperor once since they entered the palace.
Having spent a long time in the palace, they knew that some things should be said and some things shouldn't be said, so they quickly ended the conversation and the group prepared to eat.
As a result, just as the group of two or three reached the door, they saw a tall, slender figure walking towards them, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs.
They were so shocked that the group of palace maids froze on the spot when they suddenly saw Xiao Shenjing, unable to react at all.
The eunuch beside Fu Shun rebuked, "How dare you! You don't even bow before His Majesty?"
A group of palace maids were so frightened that their knees buckled and they all knelt down.
"Where is Yunxi?" Xiao Shenjing glanced around but didn't see any familiar figures. He asked.
The palace maid kneeling at the front answered tremblingly, "She...she shouldn't have returned yet."
Xiao Shenjing glanced at the narrow courtyard and walked towards the inner garden without stopping.
Yunxi only cares about the vegetables she likes when farming, such as crisp and delicious cucumbers.
Every day, I fetch water to irrigate the plants, and when I have free time, I weed and catch insects.
She didn't have much to do today, but Zhu Ju had a lot to do.
After receiving the new seeds, we need to harvest the mature sweet potatoes and plant new vegetables, which requires tilling the soil.
Yunxi had an arm injury, so naturally she couldn't help her.
So I helped her clean the jicama.
Zhu Ju said apologetically, "Sister Yunxi, I can manage on my own. Why don't you go and rest?"
"It's alright, it'll be almost over. We'll eat together then," Yunxi said.
Zhu Ju dug a few strokes with her hoe, then turned around.
Yunxi wiped the light sweat from her forehead, just in time to see her, and smiled at her with raised eyebrows.
Zhu Ju only thought Yun Xi was really beautiful, with a pair of almond-shaped eyes that were very pretty. She hadn't read any books and didn't know how to describe it, but she felt as if the sunlight had fallen into her eyes, making people feel happy just by looking at them.
In the past few days, she had heard some things about Yunxi, but she hadn't dared to ask too many questions.
Perhaps feeling closer to each other now, she finally mustered up the courage to ask, "Sister Yunxi, do you really like Commander Dao?"
In open spaces, where there are no obstructions, sounds can easily travel far.
“?” Yunxi.
Outside the wall, Xiao Shenjing suddenly stopped.
The eunuchs and palace maids behind him immediately stood still, quietly bowing their heads.
Only Dao Er looked shocked.
What? Miss Yunxi likes her brother?
Yunxi was taken aback when Zhuju asked that question.
Seeing her blush and lower her head in embarrassment, her face, still bearing the marks of the slap, turned even redder, as if she wanted to bury herself in the ground, Yunxi quickly said, "Commander Dao is indeed majestic and handsome, very manly."
Xiao Shenjing.
After all, she had received favors from Dao Yi, and she couldn't possibly smear him behind his back; her conscience wouldn't allow it.
He continued to praise him, saying, "With his long arms and wasp waist, and his martial arts skills, he is extremely popular even in our martial arts world."
Her answer was frank, and Zhu Ju couldn't help but ask again, "So you really... you know him?"
Outside the wall.
Dao Er didn't dare to breathe loudly, and he cautiously glanced at Xiao Shenjing beside him.
Seeing that the other party's phoenix eyes were slightly lowered, revealing no emotion whatsoever.
Even though he usually doesn't care about trivial matters, how could his brother get involved in the entanglement between Miss Yunxi and His Majesty?
In other words, even if His Majesty doesn't like Miss Yunxi, she's not someone anyone else can mess with.
Dao Er became increasingly anxious, wishing he could reach out and plug Xiao Shenjing's ears.
No, no, that would be too outrageous. Perhaps he could make a sound to remind him.
Just as he was about to cough, Xiao Shenjing suddenly turned his head and stared at him.
This glance startled Dao Er.
It immediately wilted.
Inside the wall.
Yunxi wiped the clean sweet potato and tossed it aside, saying, "Of course I like it."
Dao Er couldn't bear to listen and closed his eyes as if burying his head in the sand.
Brother, good luck to you.
In contrast, a smile slowly crept onto Xiao Shenjing's lips.
“But not the kind of liking you’re talking about.” Yunxi chuckled, thinking of Xu Yuansi.
Seeing Zhu Ju tilt her head in confusion, she couldn't help but explain, "Because I have someone I like."
"Huh?" Zhu Ju hesitated, then asked in a low voice, "Is it His Majesty?"
"How could it be him!" Yunxi exclaimed suddenly.
Without a second thought, she said, her tone changing, "Whoever is unlucky enough to like him for eight lifetimes."
Zhu Ju was so frightened that she rushed over immediately, wishing she could cover her mouth. "Don't say it, don't say it, Sister Yunxi, I was ignorant, I asked the wrong question."
Zhu Ju had only recently entered the palace and was still very young.
Even though they didn't understand many of the rules, they knew that His Majesty was the supreme ruler, and how could people of such lowly status dare to mention him, let alone insult him?
"It's okay, it's okay, there's no one here." Yunxi comforted her when she saw that her face was pale with fright. "Let's not talk about him anymore, let's not talk about him anymore. Let me tell you, the person I like is very handsome."
"Really?" Zhu Ju's attention was immediately diverted.
“Of course.” Yun Xi raised her chin and said with some pride, “He has thick eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and is very tall. Moreover, he is a doctor with excellent medical skills and is much better looking than Xiao Shenjing.”
Outside the wall, a group of palace maids and eunuchs wished they could bury themselves in the ground.
What kind of outrageous words are these?
Do you really have a death wish if you dare to talk about the emperor behind his back?
They even dared to compare emperors with others.
In deathly silence.
Dao Er, trembling with fear, turned his head to look at Xiao Shenjing.
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