Chapter 197: Caught Red-Handed, the Aftermath
The wind in the Imperial Garden suddenly grew colder, swirling the fallen leaves. Guard Zhou had already bound the hands of two terrified young eunuchs, their wrists reddened by the hemp ropes. With cloth balls stuffed in their mouths, they could only whimper and plead for mercy. Nanny Li collapsed on the ground, her hair disheveled, a pearl hairpin fallen into the grass. On her exposed wrist, she still wore the silver bracelet she often used for embroidery, but now it trembled like a dead leaf in the autumn wind.
"Sister Gao Guifei, are you satisfied with the show?" Xiaoyanzi used her scabbard to pick up the hemp rope on the ground. The knot was still stained with mud from the rockery. "We sisters are really flattered by your kindness in 'guiding me on sword techniques'." She deliberately emphasized the word "flattered", and there was a smile at the end of her voice, but her eyes were as cold as the gleam on a sword.
Concubine Gao abruptly stood up, her pomegranate-red skirt sweeping across the stone bench, spilling the unfinished tea and leaving dark stains on the bluestone. "What nonsense!" her voice trembled, but she forced herself to maintain her imperial consort's airs. "I was merely passing through. These wicked slaves were so audacious, they dared to commit violence in the Imperial Garden. What has this to do with me?"
"Oh? Passing by?" Yongqi approached from the rockery, the cuffs of his dark riding coat stained with grass debris. He bent down and picked up an apricot-yellow palace flower from the grass—it was the ornament on Nanny Li's head. "But how did this palace flower end up behind the rockery where we were hiding? Nanny Li, tell me, when did you go to 'view the flowers' behind the rockery?"
Nanny Li shuddered, burying her head even lower, her nails digging deep into the flesh of her palms. Little Mosquito, squatting beside her, suddenly chimed in with a strange voice, "Wow, these palace flowers are so exquisitely embroidered! There are even crabapple petals stuck in the stitches—just like the silk thread on the birthday screen last time!"
These words pierced Concubine Gao's heart like a needle. The color drained from her face instantly, and she stumbled back half a step, only to be supported by the maid beside her. Ziwei stepped forward, her voice soft but every word clear: "Concubine Gao, palace rules are above all. Murdering a royal relative is a serious crime. With all the evidence, witnesses and materials, if you continue to cover it up, I'm afraid you won't be able to justify it even to the Emperor."
The sound of eunuchs' footsteps could be heard in the distance. Eunuch Su, leading several men from the Imperial Household Department, hurried over. Seeing the scene, he hurriedly bowed to Xiaoyanzi and Yongqi. "I, your servant, have come by the Emperor's order to see what's going on in the Imperial Garden. The Emperor said that Princess Huanzhu is practicing swordplay today, and he's worried someone might disturb her." He caught a glimpse of the figure on the ground, then glanced at Concubine Gao, whose face was ashen. He instantly understood about half of what was going on, and his tone became even more respectful. "It seems I've arrived just in time. This wicked servant should be handed over to the Ministry of Punishment for a thorough interrogation."
Xiaoyanzi sheathed her sword, the red silk tassel on the sword sweeping across the ground, stirring up a few fallen leaves. "Eunuch Su, you've arrived at an opportune moment. I'd like to trouble you to take the person away." She turned to Concubine Gao, a faint smile curling her lips. "If you're alright, please return. The stones in the Imperial Garden don't recognize people. If they 'accidentally' roll down again and injure you, it would be terrible."
Concubine Gao clutched her handkerchief tightly, the corners pierced by her nails, but she couldn't utter a word. She watched Eunuch Su wave his hand to the guards to escort Nanny Li and the young eunuch away. She watched the warm jade on Xiaoyanzi's waist gleam in the sunlight as she turned. She watched Yongqi naturally walk over to Xiaoyanzi and brush the grass scraps off her shoulders—their intimate gesture was like a needle, pricking her heart. Finally, she glared at the mess on the ground, flicked her sleeves, and hurried away with her maid. The hem of her skirt swept through the flowers, startling a few sparrows as they flew away.
"Finally, they're gone." Ziwei breathed a sigh of relief, her palms wet with sweat. She walked over to Xiaoyanzi and gently pressed the hand holding the sword. "Your hand's red from holding it." Xiaoyanzi only then realized her palm was numb, and the pattern of the scabbard left a faint red mark on her skin. She grinned and handed the sword to the small table behind her. "This little pain is nothing. Back then, when I was fighting for steamed buns in the slum, I suffered injuries ten times more painful than this."
"Princess, you're talking about your heroic deeds again!" Little Mosquito came over, still holding the stuffed monkey. "Wow, boom! My calves were cramped when that rock rolled down just now. Luckily, Princess, you can fly faster than a swallow!" Little Stool chimed in, "That's right! Our Princess is the 'female Sun Wukong,' with her fiery eyes that can identify demons and travel 108,000 miles with a single somersault!"
Yongqi took out a small porcelain bottle from his arms, poured out two mint candies and stuffed them into Xiaoyanzi's mouth. The cool sweetness instantly dispelled the dryness in her mouth: "Stop joking, go back, be careful not to catch a cold." He straightened Xiaoyanzi's hairband that was messed up by the wind, and his fingertips accidentally touched her earlobe. They were both stunned for a moment, and their cheeks turned red at the same time.
On the way back to Shufangzhai, the autumn sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the stone pavement. Ziwei walked behind, watching Xiaoyanzi and Yongqi's shoulders occasionally bump against each other, watching Xiaoyanzi sneak candy wrappers into Yongqi's arms and ask him to throw them away, watching Yongqi's helpless yet indulgent smile, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curled up. Guards Zhou and Wu followed in the distance, their swords swaying with each step, their eyes scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
As soon as he entered the Shufangzhai courtyard, he saw Fu Erkang waiting under the crabapple tree, his moon-white robe fluttering gently in the autumn breeze. He saw Ziwei and hurried over to her, pulling a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and handing it to her: "I heard something happened in the Imperial Garden, and I'm worried." Ziwei took the handkerchief, her fingertips touching his hand, her face flushing, and she whispered: "I'm fine, thanks to Xiaoyanzi."
"Uncle Fu has arrived at the perfect time!" Xiaoyanzi turned and jumped into the yard, her skirt sweeping across the chrysanthemums in front of the steps. "Come and help us analyze this. Will Concubine Gao stop worrying after suffering this loss?" She sat cross-legged on the stone table, grabbed the almond cake on the table and stuffed it into her mouth, with crumbs falling all over her clothes.
Falcon walked over to the stone table and sat down, his brows slightly furrowed. "Madame Li is Concubine Gao's confidant. Now that she's caught red-handed, palace rules require her to be caned and exiled at the very least. Concubine Gao has lost her right-hand man and left-hand man, so she probably won't dare to act rashly in the short term, but..." He paused and looked at Xiaoyanzi, "I'm afraid she'll become desperate and seek help from other forces."
"Other forces?" Xiaoyanzi swallowed the cake in her mouth, "Are you talking about Concubine E and the others?" She remembered Concubine E's eyes that were always calculating. At the last palace banquet, Concubine E looked at her as if she was looking at a piece of goods.
Yongqi nodded. "E Min is colluding with Lord Chen in the court, and Concubine E has been trying to win over Concubine Gao in the harem. Now that Concubine Gao has suffered a setback, Concubine E might take the opportunity to show her goodwill. If the two of them join forces, it will be troublesome." He picked up a piece of cake and handed it to Xiaoyanzi. "From now on, when you go out, you must have at least two guards with you."
Ziwei gently held Xiaoyanzi's hand, her fingertips slightly cold: "Should we tell the Emperor?"
Xiaoyanzi shook her head and took a bite of the cake. "The Emperor has been busy dealing with the Yellow River floods lately, so don't bother him with such a small matter." She patted Ziwei's hand, her eyes shining like stars. "Besides, we're not to be trifled with. I haven't used those self-defense kits Xiaojian gave me yet, so this is a good time to test their power."
As they were talking, Mingyue came in with a bowl of freshly cooked Tremella fuciformis soup. Caixia followed behind, holding a lake blue cloak. "Princess, it's getting cold, put it on. Someone from the Queen's Palace just told you to come over after dinner. They said they've made some new snacks for you to try."
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up, and she jumped down from the stone table. "The Queen's dessert? Is it the sweet-scented osmanthus cake from last time?" She loved the sweet-scented osmanthus cake made in the Queen's palace the most. It was sweet but not greasy, and had a refreshing floral fragrance. Yongqi smiled as he put the cloak on her and tied the collar. "Hop slowly, be careful not to fall."
The setting sun tinted the eaves of Shufangzhai a warm golden color. The leaves of the crabapple tree rustled in the wind, as if whispering something. Little Swallow nibbled on an osmanthus cake, listened to Ziwei and Fu Erkang discuss a collection of poetry, watched Yongqi write and draw on the stone table, and listened to Xiaodengzi recount to Little Bug the story of Sun Wukong's battles with demons from Journey to the West. This warmth reminded her of her home in Jiangnan, of her mother sewing clothes under the lamp.
She secretly glanced at the sunset in the sky and thought to herself: No matter what tricks Concubine Gao and Concubine E played, as long as her family and friends were by her side, she was not afraid of anything. The road in the Forbidden City might be difficult to walk, but with these people by her side, even the darkest and most dangerous shoals could be turned into smooth roads.
The evening breeze, carrying the sweet scent of osmanthus, drifted into the courtyard, dispelling the tension in the Imperial Garden and quietly soothing the turmoil in everyone's heart. However, no one noticed as a dead leaf quietly fell from the locust tree outside the courtyard wall. In the startled shadows, a pair of eyes silently gazed at the warm light within the courtyard, unmoving for a long time.
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