Chapter 105 Spending the Night Together in the Cold Palace
For several days in a row, Shui Xian had a major conflict with Bao Xiaohuai because her food was stolen.
That day, not long after lunchtime, Narcissus returned empty-handed from the courtyard gate once again, her face filled with barely suppressed anger.
Shuixian went straight to the room occupied by Bao Xiaohuai and knocked on the door.
Bao Xiaohuai slowly opened the door and saw Narcissus standing outside. A smug smile appeared on his face.
"Oh, so you've finally seen the light? You're finally willing to show your respect to your older sister?"
She leaned against the door frame, her gaze greedily sweeping over the fairly thick cotton coat that Shui Xian was wearing.
"However, things are different now. Before, I only wanted valuable things, but now... I want them all!"
She stepped aside slightly, revealing the food laid out on the broken table inside the room.
It was just a few pieces of unleavened steamed buns, a few bowls of vegetable soup with almost no oil, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.
But to a starving person, it is an unparalleled delicacy.
Narcissus's throat bobbed involuntarily.
She protested, "That contains my and Xiaoli's allowances! Why are you taking it all!"
As she spoke, she was about to rush inside to snatch it.
Bao Xiaohuai was startled and subconsciously became wary of the skilled eunuch beside Shuixian.
But when she looked around, she realized that Narcissus had come alone, and Koriko was not with her!
She immediately gained courage and gave a signal. The two tall palace maids behind her stepped forward to protect the table.
Narcissus tried a few times, but couldn't break through at all.
She could only stomp her foot in frustration and turn back to her dilapidated palace.
Bao Xiaohuai watched her disheveled figure and laughed even more heartily.
She gestured to a quick-witted palace maid beside her: "Go over there and listen to what's going on."
The palace maid quietly followed, listened for a while by the broken window, and soon returned with a smug look on her face.
"Master, I heard that! Narcissus went back and started arguing with that little eunuch! It seems she was complaining that the little eunuch was useless and couldn't protect the food."
"That little eunuch seemed to be holding his breath too, and he retorted a few words, saying that he wanted to leave!"
Upon hearing this, Bao Xiaohuai clapped her hands with delight: "Good! Excellent! That's exactly right! With the master and servant at odds, let's see how arrogant she can be now!"
She instructed the clever palace maid:
"You need to find a way to send a message outside, saying that we did a great job, that the bitch is starving and has almost lost her last support."
A smug glint flashed in Bao Xiaohuai's eyes. "Reassure Consort Li, but don't forget the money you promised us. Money is needed everywhere in this Cold Palace to keep things in order!"
"yes."
The palace maid responded, and that very night, under the cover of darkness, she met with Consort Li's people at the side gate of the Cold Palace.
Unbeknownst to her, a slender figure was silently lurking beneath the eaves above her head.
It was indeed Riko.
He coldly watched as Bao Xiaohuai's palace maid met with the newly appointed trusted maid beside Consort Li, and saw Consort Li's trusted maid hand over a bag of loose silver.
After the palace maid returned with the silver, Xiao Lizi landed lightly and silently returned to the Narcissus Palace.
"My lord, it's confirmed." Xiao Lizi reported in a low voice, "Bao Xiaohuai was indeed instigated by Consort Li."
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Shui Xian's eyes. There were some pastries from the imperial kitchen on her table, and even some left over. She certainly didn't look like she was hungry.
Xiao Lizi was extremely skilled, unlike ordinary eunuchs. The high walls of the Cold Palace seemed to be non-existent to him, and he would sneak out every night to take some food from the Imperial Kitchen.
These past few days, the two of them haven't gone hungry at all; on the contrary, they've been eating much better than Bao Xiaohuai and his group.
She staged an argument with Xiaolizi to lower Bao Xiaohuai's guard and then expose the person behind her.
"It really was her."
Narcissus narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking to herself:
Bao Xiaohuai's maids were no match for Xiao Lizi's skills. The only explanation for her ability to communicate with Consort Li outside the palace was that there must be Consort Li's people among the guards protecting the Cold Palace.
A plan gradually took shape in her mind.
Another day has passed.
Bao Xiaohuai snatched all the food again, and triumphantly carried it back to his room to hide it.
Then he and a few followers sat at the door, hands tucked in, waiting to see Narcissus make a fool of himself.
Sure enough, not long after, Narcissus walked unsteadily to the door, looked at the empty food box, and despair appeared on her face.
She walked quickly to Bao Xiaohuai, her voice trembling as if from hunger.
"Bao Xiaohuai! You've gone too far! What exactly do you want?!"
Bao Xiaohuai said with a forced smile, "What do you want? Didn't I tell you before? Give me everything you brought in."
"Or... you could kneel down and kowtow three times to me, calling me 'good sister.' If I'm in a good mood, I might just give you a bowl of soup?"
"you!"
Shui Xian turned pale with anger and started arguing fiercely with Bao Xiaohuai in the courtyard. Their voices attracted the attention of people from other courtyards.
Just as everyone's attention was drawn to the argument in the courtyard, Xiao Lizi quietly slipped into Bao Xiaohuai's room.
With his sharp eyes, he quickly located the food that Bao Xiaohuai had hidden.
Xiao Lizi gathered all the food together and piled it in front of a barely noticeable mouse hole in the corner of the room.
He also moved a cabinet to hide the food in front of it, making it less likely to be discovered.
Having done all this, he left quietly, just as he had come.
In the courtyard, Narcissus seemed tired of arguing, or perhaps she was afraid of Bao Xiaohuai's large group. With a wronged look on her face, she left Bao Xiaohuai's side and returned to her own place, slamming the palace door shut.
Bao Xiaohuai laughed triumphantly, feeling that he had firmly ridden on Shuixian's head and was running wild.
She led her entourage back to the house, intending to have a meal.
However, as soon as she entered the room, she sensed something was wrong...
The place where we hid the food is empty!
"Where's my food?!"
Bao Xiaohuai was both shocked and furious. His first reaction was that Shuixian was behind it all!
"It must be that bitch! She let that little eunuch sneak in while we were arguing! Search her room!"
Enraged, she led her people and forced their way into Narcissus's house, frantically searching everywhere, turning chests and beds upside down.
Narcissus watched coldly as they ransacked the place like mad dogs, throwing her few belongings everywhere, until they found nothing, before she spoke indifferently.
"What... you steal my food all day long, and then you suspect me when you can't find your own? Ha, I'll give you back your words: you've clearly done too many bad things and are being punished by heaven!"
Bao Xiaohuai couldn't find any evidence and was speechless after being choked by Shui Xian's words. Unable to refute them, he could only mutter curses as he retreated.
Back in her room, Bao Xiaohuai was both heartbroken and furious, utterly baffled as to how the food had vanished.
Just as she was getting irritated, she suddenly heard a soft chewing sound coming from the corner!
She followed the sound and, half-believing, half-doubting, lifted the half-covered broken cabinet!
In the dimly lit corner, swarms of rats and several stray cats that had somehow appeared were frantically scrambling and gnawing at a pile of food scraps!
Not only that, these beasts also dragged out the few changes of clothes she had left in her trunk and tore them to shreds!
"Ah! My things... Get out! You damned beasts! Get out!"
Bao Xiaohuai let out a shrill scream and instinctively wanted to go forward and drive it away.
However.
Startled, several large, fat rats not only didn't run away, but instead, with red eyes, squeaked and pounced towards her feet!
The stray cat was also frightened and ran around the house aimlessly!
Bao Xiaohuai was so frightened that he stumbled backward, slipped, and fell to the ground.
The house was filled with smoke and stench from these rampaging beasts.
Inside the Narcissus Palace in the distance, Xiao Lizi handed the steamed buns and vegetable soup she had just brought back to Narcissus.
Narcissus ate slowly, listening to the chaotic noises coming from next door, her expression indifferent.
No matter how miserable it is, it's just what you brought on yourself.
That night, Narcissus rested in the house, which had been tidied up for several days and was now somewhat clean.
A few days ago, Xiao Lizi brought over some repair tools from outside and quietly fixed the window.
This winter night seems a bit easier to endure than the previous ones.
After eating and drinking her fill, Narcissus covered herself with several thick blankets and drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, she seemed to smell a familiar ambergris scent.
The aroma quietly permeated the cold air, dispelling some of the musty smell.
Narcissus's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
By the faint moonlight filtering in from the window, she saw a tall figure standing quietly in front of her bed.
Wearing a dark-colored, patterned everyday robe and a jade crown to tie his hair, who else could it be but Emperor Zhaoheng?
Seeing that Narcissus was slowly waking up, Emperor Zhaoheng slowly reached out his hand, his fingertips with slight calluses gently stroking her thin cheek.
The man's voice was extremely low and hoarse: "Xian'er...you've suffered so much."
Xiao Lizi quietly stood guard outside the dilapidated palace, knowing that the Emperor would come.
Although he couldn't openly help these days, he secretly reported every grievance that Shui Xian suffered to Feng Shunxiang.
Narcissus propped herself up and sat up, then nestled into his warm, broad embrace, shaking her head.
Her tone was calm yet firm: "I am not suffering. I would gladly do anything to help Your Majesty eliminate hidden dangers."
She frowned slightly, looking worriedly out the window, "But His Majesty is of noble birth, how could he risk coming here? What if he were discovered..."
"It's alright."
Emperor Zhaoheng interrupted her, pulling her even closer into his arms and wrapping her cold body in his cloak.
“Feng Shunxiang is guarding outside, and Xiao Lizi is also aware of it. I have made meticulous arrangements, and I only want to... see you with my own eyes.”
His embrace was warm and reassuring.
Narcissus nestled against him, gently closed her eyes, and murmured, "Your Majesty's presence makes me so happy...."
Emperor Zhaoheng lowered his head and kissed her cold forehead, then the corner of her eye, the tip of her nose... and finally, gently covered her slightly trembling lips.
Narcissus felt the man's tender kiss, tilting her head back to receive his gentleness.
After a long while, noticing that he was about to get up, Shui Xian gently tugged at his sleeve. The grievance hidden in her eyes made Emperor Zhaoheng feel heartbroken.
She murmured, "Your Majesty... don't go."
Emperor Zhaoheng tightened his embrace in a hoarse voice, "I won't leave."
He wrapped her in a cloak; the items used by emperors were no ordinary things, and a single cloak could keep out all the cold.
Shui Xian, however, seemed to find the cloak not warm enough, so she pulled Emperor Zhaoheng inside as well.
It's late at night.
Moonlight streamed quietly through the broken window, illuminating the intertwined figures beside the bed.
A dark cloak draped over the two of them, concealing their unspoken intimacy, yet occasionally rising and falling, creating a close warmth in the chilly night...
......
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