prison
The Crown Prince's guards surrounded the entire Jingwang Mansion like an icy iron hoop. The gates were locked, the corner gates were barred, and even the servants carrying goods were barred from entering. The once forbidding yet vibrant mansion had, overnight, become a splendid prison.
An invisible panic hung in the air. The servants hurried, their gazes evasive, their voices hushed, fearing a single careless word would bring calamity. The vague, sometimes dismissive glances directed at Xu Xianyue in the past now took on a new meaning, mingled with more complex emotions—curiosity, scrutiny, and even a hint of hidden anticipation, even unnoticed by themselves. After all, this "Miss Xu," stripped of her title of princess, was the only one who had stepped forward and temporarily stabilized the situation when the guards entered that night.
Xu Xianyue was completely oblivious to this, or rather, completely unconcerned. She remained in the west wing of Jinglan Courtyard, as if the unrest outside had nothing to do with her. It was just that the lights in her workshop were turned off a little later than usual.
The "Spirit-Calming Snow Lotus" was left in Xie Wuqi's chamber. Its effects were remarkable. Jingzhe hinted that, while the prince remained weak over the past two days, his bouts of restlessness and near-loss of control had significantly decreased. He was even able to briefly regain consciousness and handle urgent military matters brought to the palace by confidants. However, this was only temporary suppression. With the source of the "burning heart" poison still unresolved and the Crown Prince's sword still hanging over their heads, the palace's predicament showed no sign of relief.
That afternoon, Xu Xianyue was flipping through a book of miscellaneous notes from the previous dynasty, trying to find clues related to witchcraft in southern Xinjiang. Wan Cui came in hurriedly with a very unhappy look on her face.
"Miss," she lowered her voice, filled with resentment, "The mansion... the mansion has started to deduct our expenses!"
Xu Xianyue looked up from the book.
Wan Cui continued angrily, "Today's lunch from the kitchen only has one meat dish and one vegetable dish. They look like they're just leftovers from the main stove! The silver charcoal in the allotment has been reduced by half, saying they're running low on stock! Also, I just wanted to go to the sewing room to get some silk thread, but they were so inconsiderate, saying they'd have to wait a while for the promised allotment!" She grew increasingly angry as she spoke. "It must be those little villains. Seeing that the prince... and our difficult situation, they're just flattering us!"
Xu Xianyue's expression remained unchanged, as she simply closed the book in her hands. Flattering the powerful and bullying the weak is commonplace, especially at a critical juncture like this. The Crown Prince's pressure must have been exerted through certain channels on the officials within the palace. They were using this method to test the situation, and also to gradually squeeze the living space of the "disgraced" mistress.
"I understand." She said calmly, "Please serve lunch."
Seeing her so calm, Wan Cui felt that all the grievances and anger in her heart deflated like a punctured balloon, and she could only mumble "yes".
While eating, Xu Xianyue looked at the plate of dull-colored stir-fried vegetables and the bowl of minced meat with almost no oil on the table. He ate slowly and leisurely without any change in his expression, as if he was tasting some delicious delicacy.
After finishing her meal, she rinsed her mouth and said to Wan Cui, "Go and invite Housekeeper Yan."
Wan Cui was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up. She thought the girl was finally going to show off and assert her authority, so she quickly responded.
Not long after, Butler Yan arrived, his expression still respectful, but beneath that respectfulness, there was a hint of indescribable alienation and embarrassment.
"Miss Xu is looking for this old servant. What do you want?"
Xu Xianyue didn't look at him. Her gaze fell on the half-dead pomegranate tree outside the window. She spoke in a voice that didn't convey any emotion, "I understand the government is facing a tight budget."
Housekeeper Yan's heart tightened, and he bowed hurriedly, saying, "Young lady, please understand. It's really because of the outside... the supervision outside is very tight, and it's not easy to buy things. We need to tighten up everywhere..."
"Hmm." Xu Xianyue interrupted him, took out a small brocade bag from her sleeve and placed it on the table. "Here are twenty taels of silver. I saved them up in the past. Take it and take care of the things you need to do. Don't let the people working under you down feel wronged."
Butler Yan was completely stunned, staring in disbelief at the plain brocade pouch on the table. Then he looked up at Xu Xianyue's calm profile. He'd anticipated every possibility: questioning, reprimanding, even crying, but he hadn't expected this reaction. Paying out of his own pocket to cover the expenses?
"Miss...this...how can this be done..." Butler Yan was speechless for a moment.
"Nothing is impossible." Xu Xianyue finally turned her head, her gaze fixed on him with a clear gaze. "The palace is in trouble, and I am a member of it, so I should share the burden. However," she changed the subject slightly, her tone still calm, but with an unquestionable force, "the silk, dyes, and various jade fragments needed for my workshop must be delivered on time and in the right quantity, and the quality must be perfect. This matter concerns the prince's condition, and there can be no mistakes. Can the housekeeper do it?"
Her eyes were clear and calm, as if they could see through people's hearts. Butler Yan felt exposed beneath that gaze. It dawned on him that this Miss Xu wasn't worldly-wise or simply aloof. She didn't mind the harsh conditions of her own food, clothing, and daily expenses, but she fiercely guarded her workshop and those seemingly insignificant materials. Because she knew they were the only thing she could rely on in this prison, the only thing that might turn the tide.
She used twenty taels of silver to buy the guarantee of materials for her workshop, and also to buy his strict housekeeper, or the possible wavering force behind him, a favor that she had to accept, and a limit that she dared not push further for the time being.
Butler Yan's throat churned for a moment, and he finally bowed deeply, holding the brocade bag in both hands. His tone was much more sincere than before: "This old servant... understands. Don't worry, young lady, I will find a way to take care of what the workshop needs."
"Thank you, butler." Xu Xianyue nodded slightly and said no more.
Steward Yan took the heavy twenty taels of silver and withdrew with mixed feelings. These twenty taels felt hotter to his fingertips than a thousand taels of gold.
Wan Cui watched in amazement, and only after Butler Yan left did she murmur, "Miss... why did you still give him money? They clearly..."
"It's worth it to spend a little money to buy some peace and quiet." Xu Xianyue picked up the notebook again and said calmly, "What's more, some lines need to be let out longer to catch big fish."
She stopped explaining. Wan Cui seemed to understand, but she didn't complain anymore. She just felt that her daughter's confident look made her feel inexplicably at ease.
With the material supply issue temporarily resolved, Xu Xianyue devoted all her energy to developing the new velvet flower. Lin Qingyan's mention of "erosion of the soul" gave her a new direction. She began experimenting with incorporating more natural materials with calming and soothing properties into the velvet flower, such as finely ground cinnabar powder and amber shavings. She even tried to find scraps of the "soul-nourishing wood," rumored to nourish the soul. Although her results were minimal, she persevered.
Through repeated failures and adjustments, her fingertips' control over that unique rhythm grew ever more refined. No longer content with merely soothing, she began to attempt guidance, constructing a more complex "rhythmic field," attempting to gradually dissipate and dispel the sinister "corrosive" toxin from Xie Wuqi's damaged soul.
This process is slow and difficult, just like Jingwei filling the sea.
During this period, Jingzhe came once and brought several extremely rare jade samples that Xie Wuqi needed. He also vaguely mentioned that the prince was in stable condition and told her not to worry too much.
Xu Xianyue just nodded and accepted the jade without asking any more questions about Xie Wuqi's condition, nor did he mention any difficulties in the mansion.
Jingzhe looked at her quiet and focused profile, and the increasingly delicate velvet flowers on the workbench that emitted strange fluctuations. A trace of respect, so faint that he himself did not even notice it, flashed across his cold brows.
This heavily surrounded palace prison trapped her body, but it could not trap the vitality flowing through her fingertips, nor the uncompromising pride in her heart.
The night was deep, but the lights in Xu Xianyue's workshop were still on.
In her hands, a purple ganoderma velvet flower, with soul-nourishing wood scraps as its core, ice silk as its petals, and fine gold threads entwined to outline its veins, has begun to take shape. Purple ganoderma is said to have the power to strengthen the soul and calm the mind.
Her fingertips gently stroked the petals, and a gentle yet firm rhythm quietly spread out.
Outside the prison, the weather was dark and stormy.
Inside the prison, she is quietly weaving hope of breaking the impasse in her own way.
A glimmer of light flickered quietly in her cold eyes.
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