Chapter 023

Two days later, the team officially set out to return to the palace. The autumn was getting deeper and deeper. When Jiashan left the palace, he could still smell the fragrance of golden osmanthus occasionally, but now, on the way back, he only saw a lot of dead leaves.

She left the palace on August 19th. It has been less than a month, but the scenery on the road has changed a lot. I wonder what is happening in the palace.

Jiashan recalled the scene this morning when Aunt Ruyang reluctantly sent a few people to the gate of the temple before leaving, and he felt a little lonely.

The brief freedom was over. If I wanted to leave the palace again, I would probably have to wait until I got married.

Getting married, showing my father-in-law, cousin...these three words seem to be closely linked together.

Jiashan frowned, and her breathing became gradually heavier.

A breeze blew up the curtains, and through a corner of the rolled-up curtains, Jiashan just happened to see Zhan Yue, who was riding on a horse in a well-dressed manner.

He was still dressed in black, with a majestic figure, standing out among the Jinwu Guards like a crane. Jiashan's eyes seemed to be burned, she brushed aside the messy hair on her forehead, and then looked away.

The group returned to the palace after noon.

Emperor Zhanghe usually liked to discuss memorials with ministers in the Qianqing Palace in the afternoon, and at this moment, it was usually not over yet. Therefore, after returning from Jiashan, he did not go to see his father first, but first invited Zhao Youze to have lunch in Fengyang Pavilion.

During this time when Jiashan was away, Fengyang Pavilion was mostly managed by Madam Zheng. She was Jiashan's wet nurse and had been with the Empress for many years, so she was very good at managing things.

As for loyalty, Jiashan has nothing to worry about.

After finishing the meal, Zhao Youze felt sleepy. Thinking that he and Concubine Jing had not seen each other for a long time, Jiashan sent someone to send Zhao Youze back to Changle Palace for a nap.

As soon as Zhao Youze left, Nanny Zheng followed Jiashan closely, as if she had something to say.

Jiashan thought about what she had told Nanny Zheng before she left, and her expression became a little indifferent.

"Mammy, do you want to talk to me about Hanzhu?" Jiashan raised her lips and raised her eyelids.

Madam Zheng paused and said, "Yes."

Jiashan's eyebrows were slightly bent, and it was hard to tell whether she was smiling or angry. She looked at Madam Zheng and asked directly, "What did you find out?"

Madam Zheng was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Hanzhu's brother committed a crime while doing business in Jingchu two years ago. I went to inquire about it, and it turned out that he was originally sentenced to exile, but for some reason, he was only given thirty strokes of the cane and then released."

"In recent years, Hanzhu's family has been getting better and better. Her brother who was once in trouble even had some spare money and donated money to himself to become a scholar."

Nanny Zheng's tone was flat, but as Jiashan listened, a knowing yet sarcastic smile appeared on his face.

"No wonder." Jiashan lowered her head. She stood in the shadow of the sun and said calmly, "The family of Concubine Zhuang's mother has a strong foundation in Jingchu. I guess they got in touch with each other through this matter."

"Anything else?" Jiashan asked with narrowed eyes.

Madam Zheng said with indignation, "Also, when you were not in the palace, I found that Shuqi and Hanzhu from Chengqian Palace were secretly exchanging letters."

"This is Hanzhu's reply." Nanny Zheng held a piece of thin paper between her fingertips, and she wanted to hand it to Jiashan.

Jiashan glanced at the thanked crabapple flowers outside the window. She did not take it, but just said, "Mammy, please read it to me."

Madam Zheng nodded, her tone calm: "The princess and the fourth prince left the palace, probably because they were dissatisfied with the marriage. There are no other clues for the time being, please rest assured, Your Majesty."

This letter was written by Hanzhu in her own tone to Concubine Zhuang.

Jiashan and Hanzhu lived together for nearly twenty years in their last life. Even though Hanzhu didn't say it herself, Jiashan immediately thought of the tone of Hanzhu's voice when she said it.

Jiashan laughed softly. Her skin was whiter than snow, and the corners of her eyes became cooler as she laughed.

Jiashan said: "Okay."

"It turns out that I have kept a wolf by my side all these years." Jiashan raised the corners of her lips and said in a low voice.

Her eyes were empty and her gaze never fell on the letter. She turned away slowly.

Jiashan raised her eyebrows slightly. She spoke in a very soft voice, as if she was asking Madam Zheng, or as if she was talking to herself: "Am I treating Hanzhu badly?"

Over the years, not only Jiashan and Hanzhu, but also Madam Zheng and Hanzhu have developed feelings for each other. She sighed and said reluctantly, "How can it be bad?"

"That bitch is so heartless!" Madam Zheng was very excited. When she first received the letter, all the disappointment and anger she had towards Hanzhu also surged up at the same time. She trembled and said, "Everyone in the palace knows that the princess has always been tolerant of her and cherishes their old friendship!"

"But she is a wolf. How can you tame a wolf?" Nanny Zheng's tone was as hard as iron. She said, "Princess, don't take the blame for this slave's mistakes on yourself."

Jiashan's face was cold and hard. She nodded: "Mammy is right."

After her rebirth, she kept Hanzhu, just to get an answer. Why did Hanzhu betray her?

Now that the answers have come out, it is probably time to settle those accounts that have never been settled.

Jiashan's clenched knuckles loosened as if they were free of force. She pursed her lips and said, "I've been on the road all morning, and I haven't even showered since I came back."

"Mammy, help me change my clothes first," she lowered her head and said calmly, "After I finish bathing, we will call Hanzhu over."

Nanny Zheng agreed.

Jiashan quickly went to bathe and change clothes. She changed into a cinnabar cross-collared top and a milky white waisted eight-ripped skirt. She leaned on the imperial concubine couch, her black hair, not decorated with pearls and jade, hanging wetly behind her, looking fragrant and bright.

When Hanzhu came in, Nanny Zheng, Suyu, Dancui and several other female officials around Jiashan were all standing in the hall in an orderly manner.

Jiashan's cheeks were rosy, and she was casually sipping a cup of fragrant bud drink. The palace was filled with incense, which made people feel ecstatic.

Hearing that the princess summoned her as soon as she returned from Changchun Temple, Hanzhu naturally thought that the princess called her to assign her a new mission.

Hanzhu felt relieved, thinking that the princess had always been a nostalgic person, so she greeted her loudly.

Jiashan looked at the cup in her hand motionlessly. After Hanzhu knelt down, she didn't even bother to ask Hanzhu to get up. She just left her there.

Hanzhu's knees were pressed against the cold ground. After a long time, the princess still did not move. Hanzhu pursed her lips. She could not help but raise her head and look carefully at Jiashan.

At this glance, the two of them happened to look at each other directly.

Jiashan's eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her face without makeup showed dignity without anger, which was very different from her usual self. Hanzhu's heart suddenly skipped a beat, she bit her lip tightly, and quickly lowered her head.

"How have you been these days since I was away from the palace?" Jiashan finally spoke. Her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly as she asked word by word, "Have you recovered?"

Although the princess' words showed concern for her, Hanzhu could not hear any sympathy in Jiashan's tone. Hanzhu's heart sank slowly.

She replied cautiously: "It's fine."

"It's good once it's healed." Jiashan smiled and spun the Xianglei drink in her hand. "I have a question."

Hanzhu said: "Your Highness, if you say so, I will answer all your questions..."

"Tsk." Jiashan gently placed one hand on her red lips. Her eyebrows were bright and she said with a smile, "I want something from the heart."

"If I find out that you are just trying to fool me," Jiashan looked at Hanzhu without a smile on her face, and she said word by word, "I will cut open your heart and see whether it is red or black."

Hanzhu was so frightened by these words that she broke out in a cold sweat. She said in panic, "Yes."

Jiashan looked at Hanzhu calmly, staring into her eyes, and said in a gloomy tone: "When our mother passed away, you said those words to me. Did you think of them yourself, or did someone teach you?"

Hanzhu gritted her teeth and soon realized that the princess was talking about the candy she had given the princess. Over the past ten years, she had always retained a place in the princess' heart because of that small piece of candy.

That was her only support!

Hanzhu was covered in cold sweat and she knelt on the ground, not daring to say a word.

The house was silent.

Jiashan's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and the longer she remained silent, the colder the coldness in her eyes became.

Jiashan had no expression on his face, and his tone became increasingly harsh as he said, "Do I have to wait until I dig your heart out before I can get the truth out of you?"

"Speak." Jiashan squeezed out a word from between his lips and teeth.

Hanzhu closed her eyelids, a bitter smile appeared on the corners of her lips. At this point, how could she not understand that today was actually a three-court trial?

She aroused the princess' suspicion, no wonder Shuqi didn't reply to her letter for a long time. Perhaps the princess had evidence against her!

Hanzhu knocked her forehead on the cold ground and said stumblingly, "Yes...it was Madam Dou from Chengqian Palace who taught me."

Jiashan looked at her and asked, "What did Madam Dou teach you, huh?"

"She, she said that as long as I speak as she taught me, the princess will take me to Fengyang Pavilion." Hanzhu's tongue tip felt bitter and she didn't dare to look Jiashan in the eye.

She said, "Madame Dou...Madame Dou said that the princess is a kind-hearted person. After arriving at Fengyang Pavilion, with the goodwill of the empress in the past, the princess will naturally not treat me badly."

Jiashan's lips moved and she looked at the pearl for a long time.

After a brief moment of distraction, Jiashan raised her eyebrows and nodded calmly, "I always thought I had a thief who was always greedy, but it turned out that I was mistaken."

"You are actually a loyal servant." Jiashan slowly opened her mouth, took a sip of the fragrant bud drink, and said slowly, "You have endured humiliation and hard work in Fengyang Pavilion over the years."

Jiashan's tone was emotionless, without even a hint of sadness or disappointment. Hanzhu only heard a heavy dose of sarcasm in it.

The worst thought suddenly came to Hanzhu's mind. She kowtowed to Jiashan several times and cried out in a sad voice, "No!"

"No, Your Highness!" Hanzhu's face was as pale as gold paper.

"The princess treats me well, and I know it in my heart. I am sorry for you," Hanzhu shed several tears in just a few words. She cried like a pear blossom in the rain, crying out in a sad voice, "I know I am sorry for you. These years, I have never felt good. Thinking of how good the princess has been to me, I wish I could die immediately to repay you."

At this point, Hanzhu has already understood that Jiashan wants to draw a clear line between herself and her. Why would she care about whether she is Concubine Zhuang or not?

Hanzhu's face was filled with shame, her eyes were red from crying, she said: "I'm sorry, but, but - I am a lowly person with little influence, I don't know what I can do to help Your Highness..."

Jiashan lowered his head and looked at the newly painted nail polish on his fingernails. Under the sunlight, the vermilion colored nail polish was as red as blood.

She repeated Hanzhu's words calmly: "There is nothing you can do to help me."

She turned to look at Hanzhu and spoke loudly, which made Hanzhu's heart beat fast.

"I can understand that you don't want to betray your master." Jiashan stared at her intently, as if he hated Hanzhu very much.

Her face was tender and beautiful, but her eyes and voice were as cold as ice: "But over the years, you have had so many opportunities to express your loyalty to me, but you never showed any interest in speaking up."

Holding the pearl in his mouth, he was about to open his mouth.

"If you are really in trouble, you can choose not to help either of us. Ask me for grace to leave the palace, would I not allow you to do so?" Jiashan put down the Xianglei Drink in her hand, she looked down at Hanzhu, and seeing that Hanzhu still wanted to struggle desperately, she sneered, "That's what you said, there is nothing you can do to help me."

Hanzhu bit her lip, her breathing became heavier, and finally she dared not say another word.

Jiashan's mouth was covered with a smile as light as sunlight. She raised her lips and said, "Since you are willing to be this loyal servant, I should help you."

Jiashan stared at Hanzhu coldly, as if she was looking at a dead person. Her eyes were as dark as the night. "Drag Hanzhu away."

"Behead with a cane." Jiashan said slowly.

Hanzhu fell limply onto the floor tiles with a plop.

The guard who had been guarding the door came in and wanted to pull Hanzhu out.

"Your Highness!" Hanzhu kowtowed repeatedly with tears in her eyes after she came to her senses. Her eyes were filled with disbelief, and she trembled as she said, "Your Highness, I have been with you for nearly ten years. I have worked hard even though I have made no contributions. Can you really bear it?"

Seeing Jiashan was unmoved, Hanzhu hurriedly shouted, "I dare not, Princess, I really dare not!"

Hanzhu was held up by the arms by two guards and was slowly dragged out of the palace.

"Mammy, Suyu, Dancui! Can you please help me speak up...Mammy..." Hanzhu's fingers tightly grasped the threshold of the palace gate, her tears mixed with snot soon flowed all over the floor.

Nanny Zheng and others standing beside Jiashan just turned a blind eye, and even Dancui, who was usually talkative, did not prepare to say a word.

At this time, Jiashan suddenly raised her head and said, "Wait a minute."

The back of Hanzhu's hand was rubbed raw, and her forehead was red and swollen. When she heard Jiashan call for a stop, she thought there was hope, so she raised her head and looked in Jiashan's direction.

Jiashan changed her sitting position, patted her neck lazily, and said softly, "Drag her to the gate of Chengqian Palace, don't let her dirty the floor of my palace."

Hanzhu was stunned. She felt as if she had fallen into mist and her face turned pale in an instant.

Madam Zheng thought about it for a while, then she stepped forward and whispered to Jiashan earnestly, "Your Highness, please think twice. This is too much of an insult to Concubine Zhuang. If things get out of hand, I'm afraid there will be no way to resolve it."

"Hit her face." Jiashan took another sip of her fragrant bud drink. Her eyes were red as she told the guards, "Go."

The guard responded and dragged Hanzhu away.

Madam Zheng was vague in her response. She whispered, "Your Highness...you must consider this for the future."

Jiashan was silent for a while, then she nodded: "I know what's going on, Madam, please be at ease."

When she did this, she couldn't help but think of Yuankang's death and her complete trust in Hanzhu in her previous life.

It was no secret that the fifth uncle had invited Dr. Kong to treat Yuankang, and the palace knew about it. However, they had been cautious and guarded against the spies in the palace regarding Yuankang's sudden appearance of light.

It was because of this that Zhao Youze entered the palace without any precautions and fell into Concubine Zhuang's trap.

Jiashan had always thought that the news was leaked by Zhan Shaoying. Today, he found out that it was actually Hanzhu!

When Jiashan learned that Yuankang might be able to regain his sight, he was afraid of attracting attention, so he carefully took Hanzhu alone to the Ning Palace.

Can it contain pearls?

I guess she turned around and reported the matter to Concubine Zhuang.

My brother was killed by her!

All these years, I have been trusting the wrong people!

Jiashan closed her eyes and wiped away the crystal drop from the corner of her eyes.

"Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you." said a soft voice.

Hearing that it was Su Yu who was speaking, Jia Shan slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head and asked, "What?"

"I received a letter from home yesterday. My younger brother found a wife in the local area. Originally, I was worried that my mother would be old and there would be no one to take care of her, so I wanted to leave the palace next year. But now that my younger brother has married, my mother will have his younger brothers and sisters to take care of her," Su Yu smiled at Jia Shan and said, "I think I will serve the princess for a few more years."

Jiashan quietly looked at the fragrant bud drink in the cup. Her eyes moved and her tone became gentle: "You don't have to be like this. Take advantage of the next six months to help me give Dancui some advice. It's time to leave the palace. I will still give you this grace."

Su Yu shook her head and said stubbornly, "No. Nanny is old and Dan Cui is still young. The princess cannot be alone. I will accompany the princess."

Nanny Zheng, Su Yu and Han Zhu were all people she had asked for from her mother's palace. They had been with her the longest and had accompanied her through some difficult times.

Jiashan suddenly felt her eyes sore and even her nose was a little dry. She rubbed her nose and her attitude was no longer tough.

"Okay, I'll keep you for another two years," Jiashan said.

"In the past two years, I have not only given you advice on Dan Cui, but you have also been keeping an eye on me to see who can be used." Jia Shan smiled, "In two years, I will help you find a husband and make sure you marry off with honor."

Su Yu blushed slightly and kowtowed, "Yes."

Jiashan stood up from the couch and finished the fragrant bud drink in the cup. Her face finally showed a trace of fatigue: "I'm going to sleep for a while. If my father comes, tell him that I was tired from the long journey and may have caught a cold. I couldn't help but rest first. Tomorrow, I will pay my respects to him and apologize."

Madam Zheng nodded: "Yes."

"Princess, what should we do if Chengqian Palace sends someone to ask about Hanzhu?" Dancui interrupted.

Jiashan's voice softened, "Chengqian Palace won't ask. But Concubine Jing might send someone. If Concubine Jing's people come, they will say that some of my mother's former things were lost in our palace, and they found out that Hanzhu took them and sold them, so I sent someone to deal with her."

Dan Cui nodded in understanding: "Yes."

After explaining everything, Jiashan slowly walked to the inner room to rest.

She leaned back on the couch and slightly closed her eyes. The unicorn incense burner in the room emitted wisps of incense smoke, which was soothing and accompanied her to sleep.