Chapter 183: The morning light shines through the sword shadow, and the secret words reach your ears
At daybreak, a faint pale paleness shone across the eastern sky. The glazed tiles of the Forbidden City shone with a warm sheen in the morning mist. The shadows of the crabapple trees in Shufangzhai swayed gently on the blue brick floor. Dewdrops trickled down the leaves, landing on the stone steps with a "tick-tick" sound, startling a few early-rising sparrows.
Xiaoyanzi had changed into a light-weight, lake-blue outfit, her long hair tied high in a ponytail. Holding the blue steel sword Yongqi had gifted her, she was practicing swordplay in the courtyard. Her figure was as lithe as a swallow skimming across the water, and the light of her sword traced silver arcs in the morning light, sometimes like a shooting star chasing the moon, sometimes like a gentle breeze rustling through willow trees. When her practice became intense, she tapped her toes and soared into the air, her light-powered technique radiating light. The red silk ribbon on her sword tassel traced a beautiful arc in the air, and her steady landing brought a gentle breeze that blew away the petals of the crabapple tree.
"Excellent swordsmanship!" Yongqi's voice rang out from the courtyard gate. He was clutching a food box, and Erkang followed behind him. Both wore dark blue uniforms. The morning light fell on their shoulders, warm as a veil. Xiaoyanzi sheathed her sword and turned back, her forehead beaded with sweat, her cheeks flushed. Seeing the food box in Yongqi's hand, her eyes lit up. "Did you bring the sweets from that shop in the south of the city?"
"I knew you were thinking about this." Yongqi walked over with a smile, took out a candy cake wrapped in oil paper from the food box, and handed her a clean handkerchief, "You've been practicing for a long time, wipe the sweat off your face quickly, and be careful not to catch a cold." His fingertips accidentally touched her forehead, and the warm touch made both of them stunned for a moment. Xiaoyanzi hurriedly took the handkerchief to wipe her face, and the tips of her ears turned red.
Ziwei sat at her embroidery frame by the window, threading a freshly embroidered purse. On the lavender satin, a pair of mandarin ducks nestled among lotus leaves, the stitches as fine as a web woven by spring rain. She looked up at the two people in the courtyard, her lips curved in a gentle arc, the silver thread in her hand gleaming faintly in the morning light. "Brother Yongqi, how thoughtful! Xiaoyanzi's sword practice is exhausting, and she deserves a sweet treat to replenish her energy."
Erkang walked to Ziwei, his eyes fell on the purse on the embroidery frame, and his voice was very soft: "This mandarin duck is embroidered very well, more lively than the one a few days ago." Ziwei gently put the purse into the bamboo basket, her cheeks slightly red: "It's not finished yet, wait until it's done..." She didn't say anything else, but her fingertips gently stroked the edge of the purse, and the tenderness in her eyes seemed to overflow.
The little mosquito ran out of the kitchen holding a copper basin. When he saw Yongqi and Erkang, he immediately shouted, "Wow, long, dong! Uncle Fu and the Fifth Prince came earlier than the little insects' morning calls today! Do you want to try the lotus seed porridge just cooked in the kitchen?" The little insect followed behind, holding a bamboo whistle in his hand, imitating the cuckoo's call, "Cuckoo - time for breakfast!" which made everyone laugh.
Just as the place was bustling with activity, Guard Zhou tiptoed in and whispered to Xiaoyanzi and Yongqi, "Princess, prince, there was some movement in Chuxiu Palace last night." He glanced around, seeing that they were all trusted confidants, and then continued, "My humble informant there reported that Nanny Li told Concubine Gao last night that she was looking for an opportunity to tamper with the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. She also mentioned the 'exotic fragrance of the Western Regions'..."
Xiaoyanzi's smile instantly faded, and she tightened her grip on the sword. "They haven't given up yet! The Empress Dowager's birthday banquet is still half a month away, and they're planning to make trouble during the banquet." She turned to look at Yongqi, her eyes filled with vigilance. "We have to find a way quickly. We can't let them hurt the Empress Dowager and the Emperor."
Yongqi's brows knitted together, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist. "A strange fragrance from the Western Regions? Could it be some kind of incense that can cause unconsciousness?" Erkang walked over to him and said in a deep voice, "It's very likely. There are so many people at the birthday banquet, and if they sneak in among the dancers or eunuchs and start something, it would be really hard to prevent them." Ziwei also stopped embroidering and looked at Xiaoyanzi worriedly. "Should we tell the Emperor?"
"Don't rush." Xiaoyanzi drummed her fingertips on the hilt of her sword, her eyes rolling. "The Emperor knows the situation, but we have to find out the source of this 'Western Region Strange Fragrance' ourselves. Guard Zhou, have your spies keep a close eye on Nanny Li and see who outside the palace she's been in contact with recently." She paused, looking at Yongqi. "Go to the Imperial Hospital and ask Imperial Physician Wang if he has any records of Western Region aphrodisiac fragrances. We need a solution."
Yongqi nodded in agreement and was about to turn when Xiao Luzi hurried over, holding an envelope. "Princess, brother, this is a letter from Master Xiao Jian, saying it's important." Xiao Yanzi opened the envelope. The letter was written on the familiar rough paper with Xiao Jian's strong handwriting. It only had one line: "We have received news from a Western Region medicinal herb merchant that someone has recently offered a high price for 'Drunken Immortal Powder'. Be vigilant."
"Drunken Immortal Powder?" Erkang raised his eyebrows. "I heard it's a potent drug from the Western Regions that can cause a person to temporarily lose consciousness and lose all memory afterwards." Xiaoyanzi crumpled the letter into a ball and held it in her hand, her lake blue sleeves straining from the force. "It seems their goal is to embarrass us at the birthday banquet, or even... to accuse us of being disrespectful to the Queen Mother."
The morning light gradually rose, filtering through the branches of the crabapple tree onto everyone's faces, a warm glow tinged with solemnity. Ziwei walked over to Xiaoyanzi and gently took her hand, her fingertips slightly cool but firm. "Don't be afraid, let's find a solution together." Yongqi also said, "I'll go to the Imperial Hospital right now. I'm sure we can find a solution." Erkang nodded. "I'll investigate Nanny Li's connections outside the palace. I won't let them succeed."
Xiaoyanzi looked at the people around her, and the worry in her heart gradually dissipated. The corners of her mouth raised a familiar smile again. "Okay! If an enemy comes, we will fight him with our soldiers. If a flood comes, we will block it with earth. We people in Shufangzhai are not so easy to bully!" She patted Yongqi's arm and said, "Hurry and come back soon. I'll ask the kitchen to make your favorite sweet and sour fish for lunch."
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Eunuch Su was whispering to Emperor Qianlong, "Your Majesty, Nanny Li from the Chuxiu Palace did meet with a herbal medicine merchant outside the palace last night. I've sent someone to follow her." Emperor Qianlong put down his red brush, his gaze fixed on the direction of Shufangzhai outside the window, a faint smile playing on his lips. "This girl is cleverer than I thought." He paused, his voice deeper. "Tell Guard Zhou to send more men to protect Shufangzhai. Also, invite that herbal medicine merchant to the Ministry of Justice and ask him to whom he intends to sell these 'goodies' from the Western Regions."
Eunuch Su withdrew, leaving Qianlong alone in the hall. He picked up the calligraphy and painting Xiaoyanzi had given him a few days ago. The words "Guo Tai Min An" (National Peace and Prosperity) were scribbled across the table, yet they exuded a vibrant energy. He gently stroked the paper, a flicker of warmth in his eyes—in this life, with her around, the storms in the palace would eventually subside more quickly.
The windows of Chuxiu Palace were still tightly closed. Nanny Li was holding a piece of paper and whispering to Concubine Gao, "Your Majesty, the herbal medicine merchant replied that the Zuixian Powder will be delivered within three days, and it is guaranteed to be safe." Concubine Gao sat in front of the mirror, looking at her beautiful but vicious face in the mirror, and dug her nails into the carvings on the dressing table, "Very good, on the day of the birthday banquet, I will make those two princesses completely disgraced!" The reflection in the mirror distorted in the morning light, like an indissoluble dark cloud, quietly spreading to the birthday banquet half a month later.
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