Chapter 329 She's Free!
That night.
Yinzhu was afraid that Shuixian would be lonely, so she brought bedding and said she would keep watch for her.
Narcissus knew her feelings and did not refuse.
But she still said that she was no longer the Empress in the palace, and Yinzhu had no need to keep watch for her.
However, if they want to stay, they might as well sleep in the same bed.
Yinzhu had finally managed to change her form of address, and now she was being forced to sleep in the same bed as the Empress...
Narcissus smiled as she looked at Yinzhu's conflicted expression, seemingly understanding what Yinzhu was thinking.
Finally, Yinzhu nodded, her face flushed.
The two turned off the lights and lay down side by side.
Outside the window, bamboo shadows swayed, and moonlight poured down like water, casting a hazy glow through the window screen.
In the distance, the faint sounds of the inn's front-of-house staff tidying up could be heard, and further away, the faint clamor of the sleepless capital city could be heard.
Yinzhu chattered on and on, talking about Zhou Yan's honesty, her pregnancy symptoms, and her hopes for their future child.
Narcissus listened quietly, occasionally responding with a soft word.
As the night deepened, Yinzhu's voice gradually faded, her breathing became long and even, and she fell asleep.
Narcissus, however, felt no sleepiness whatsoever.
She opened her eyes, gazing at the blurry patterns on the tent ceiling, her thoughts drifting far away.
The pain of the past life, the struggles of this life, Emperor Zhaoheng's deep eyes, the children's soft cheeks... countless images flashed by like a revolving lantern.
Just as her thoughts were churning, in the gradually quieting night, she suddenly noticed a faint sound coming from outside the window.
From the direction of the bamboo forest outside the window, came a sound so faint it was almost unreal.
That wasn't the sound of the wind, nor the rustling of bamboo leaves, but... an extremely long, almost imperceptible sound of breathing.
If it weren't for Narcissus's alertness, she probably wouldn't have noticed at all.
Secret guard.
Narcissus gently closed her eyes.
Emperor Zhaoheng did indeed send someone.
On the surface, the royal guards were removed and replaced with innkeepers.
But the most elite group, the bodyguards responsible for close protection, probably never truly left.
He agreed to let go, but he still couldn't completely relax.
Narcissus understood his concern for protecting her, but she also inevitably felt that the freedom she had finally gained was being affected.
Narcissus's heart sank little by little.
She gently turned over, facing away from the window, and closed her eyes.
A decision had already formed in my mind.
Originally, she didn't want to leave the capital so soon...
......
The next morning, after getting up, Narcissus seemed to feel much better.
After having breakfast, she said to Yinzhu, "It's so stuffy staying indoors all day. I remember that the rouge and face powder from Fanghuazhai in the city are excellent, made with natural ingredients and have an elegant fragrance. I'd like to go and pick out a few."
Yinzhu, without suspecting anything, immediately said, "Then I'll go with my sister."
She readily agreed, "Zhou Yan is going to the dock to pick up a batch of goods today, so I'll have him take us there first."
Narcissus shook her head and smiled slightly: "No need for that."
"You're feeling unwell right now, so it's not good for you to walk around too much. Fanghuazhai isn't too far from here, I can just walk around by myself and enjoy the sights of the capital city to clear my head."
Yinzhu wanted to say more, but Shuixian had already gotten up, picked up an ordinary blue cloth bag that Zhou Yan had prepared yesterday, put some loose silver coins and copper coins inside, and changed into an even more inconspicuous lotus-colored coarse cloth dress. Her hair was still tied up with that sandalwood hairpin.
"Don't worry, I'll be right back."
She spoke in a relaxed tone.
Seeing that she was determined, and thinking that the Emperor must have arranged protection in the shadows, Yinzhu did not insist anymore, but repeatedly urged her: "Then sister, please be careful and come back soon."
Narcissus nodded, picked up her satchel, and walked out of the courtyard alone, through the back alley of the inn, and into the bustling crowd on the street in the early morning.
She did not go directly to the west of the city.
Instead, he walked along the busiest main street for a while, then stopped in front of a small stall selling needles and thread. He casually browsed through the items, but his eyes were keenly scanning his surroundings.
In the crowd, two men dressed in ordinary shorts and casual clothes, seemingly strolling around, followed her at a distance of about ten feet behind, their movements natural and almost blending into their surroundings.
Narcissus sneered inwardly, put down what she was holding, and turned into a side road.
Instead of choosing wide, easy-to-walk main roads, she specifically opted for narrow alleys and lanes with numerous branching paths.
These places were routes she was familiar with when she was a slave in the Yi family and when she did hard labor at the Red Night Pavilion in her previous life.
She walked at a leisurely pace, occasionally stopping at a breakfast stall to buy two steamed buns and eat them slowly and deliberately.
Sometimes they would pick through some worthless trinkets from a peddler's stall.
Sometimes we would wander into a thriving fabric shop and linger there for a while.
The tail behind it always followed closely, but due to the obstruction of the crowd and the complexity of the terrain, it was forced to constantly adjust its distance.
Where no one could see, a faint smile curved at the corner of Narcissus's lips.
We arrived at a three-way intersection, which connected the vegetable market, the fish market, and a very popular butcher shop. It was bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.
People carrying loads, pushing carts, carrying baskets, and hawking their wares mingled together, creating a cacophony of smells and sounds.
Narcissus seized the opportunity and paused briefly in front of a stall selling live chickens and ducks. As a cart loaded with vegetables passed by, temporarily blocking her view, she nimbly slipped to the side and squeezed into a narrow gap next to her, which was only wide enough for one person to pass through and was piled with miscellaneous items.
She quickly crossed over and emerged from the other end, into a relatively quiet backstreet.
She didn't stop, but made several turns, specifically choosing small paths with obstructions or blind spots.
Soon after, thanks to her absolute familiarity with the terrain, she successfully left the two well-trained guards temporarily behind in the maze-like alleyways of the city.
When Narcissus finally stopped, she was standing on a completely unfamiliar street.
This area appears to be a working-class neighborhood in the west of the city. The streets are narrow, the ground is compacted dirt, and there are occasional tire tracks.
On both sides were brick and tile houses standing close together, with clothes of all colors drying in the sun.
The peddler walked by shaking her rattle drum, and several children chased and played as they ran past her, kicking up some dust.
A woman carrying a wooden tub hurried out of the door, glanced at the unfamiliar face, and then walked away with her head down, seemingly unconcerned.
There were no palace servants surrounding them.
There was no shadowy figure following her to protect her.
Above us is the sky, and beneath our feet is the earth.
All around, in front, behind, and to the sides, is a vibrant and noisy, chaotic yet incredibly real panorama of human life.
The narcissus stood there quietly and took a deep breath.
The murky smell of dust and food rushed into my chest, bringing a strange sense of dizziness.
Immediately, a feeling of ease that almost made her tremble rose from the soles of her feet and swept over her entire body.
It was as if they had broken free of invisible shackles.
For the first time, she felt so clearly that the path beneath her feet, and where it led, was entirely determined by her own next step.
She's free!
This freedom was not granted by Emperor Zhaoheng.
It was the freedom she earned with her own hands!
She gripped her satchel tightly and hurried toward the street corner where horse-drawn carriages were for rent.
Meanwhile, at the Dengdi Inn.
Although Shuixian said it wasn't necessary, Yinzhu still made up the bed Shuixian had slept in the previous day, just like when she was a maid.
As she tidied the tatami mat, she noticed that an object was partially hidden by a thin quilt.
She thought that something had fallen from the narcissus plant, so she quickly lifted it up.
The next moment, a letter came into view.
Dear Yinzhu, please open this letter.
Judging from the handwriting, it is clearly Narcissus's handwriting.
Why write to her when she has only been gone for a short time?
Yinzhu looked puzzled, but she wiped her hands on the apron around her waist and carefully took the letter with Narcissus's handwriting.
Expand.
After reading a few words, her expression suddenly changed, and she quickly left the room, clutching the envelope.
"Zhou Yan! My sister is gone!"
——
Not long after, at the Imperial Palace, the Qianqing Palace.
The head of the secret guards knelt on one knee before the imperial desk, his forehead touching the ground: "This subordinate has failed in his duty and failed to keep up with Her Majesty the Empress. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
The Imperial Study was completely silent.
Feng Shunxiang, standing to the side, looked surprised. He never expected that the Empress would be able to shake off the secret guards sent by the Emperor.
Although his expression remained impassive, he was silently filled with emotion.
As expected of the Empress, she actually predicted that the Emperor had secretly arranged for guards to be by her side.
Emperor Zhaoheng sat behind his desk, holding a vermilion brush in his hand, the ink at the tip of which had long since dried.
After listening to the report, he showed no anger as expected, and his face was almost expressionless.
Only in the depths of those deep eyes churned extremely complex emotions.
He remained silent for a long time, so long that the leader of the secret guards' back was soaked with cold sweat.
Finally, Emperor Zhaoheng gently put down his pen.
"...Never mind."
His voice was slightly hoarse as he sighed softly, looking into the empty space outside the door, as if he could see that beautiful figure looking at him angrily.
"It was I... who broke my promise."
"I promised to let go, but I still can't help wanting to protect and control."
He waved his hand, as if trying to dispel the heavy, suffocating feeling in his heart: "Send men to find her, but..."
"Protect her from a distance. Unless it is a matter of life and death, do not show yourself or disturb her peace."
"Remember, it's 'protect,' not 'watch.'"
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly raised his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his deep gaze.
"If she notices again, you need not come back."
The head of the secret guards felt a chill run down his spine and kowtowed heavily: "Your subordinate understands! Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"
He stood up and quietly withdrew.
After the leader of the secret guards left, Feng Shunxiang poured tea for Emperor Zhaoheng and quickly withdrew.
Silence returned to the Imperial Study.
Emperor Zhaoheng slowly rose and walked to the window.
Outside the window, spring is in full bloom, and the palace willows are like smoke.
His gaze seemed to pierce through the palace walls, looking towards the direction outside the city.
After a long while, he murmured softly, almost to himself:
"Xian'er, I need to learn... how to love you."
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