Chapter 198 Dinner Greetings, Undercurrents
As the setting sun dyed the eaves of Shufangzhai a honey-colored hue, the lanterns along the palace path began to light up one after another, their orange halo filtering through the silk, casting shimmering spots of light on the bluestone slabs. Xiaoyanzi had changed into a moon-white dress, her collar embroidered with a few branches of crabapple. Her hair was loosely tied into a bun, secured with a jade hairpin. As she walked, the beads on her hair jingled with her steps.
"Princess, please walk slowly. The ground is slippery." Caixia followed behind, her skirt lifted. In her hand, she held a brocade box. Inside was a handkerchief embroidered by Ziwei for the empress. The fine stitching embroidered the words "happiness, longevity, and health." Xiaoyanzi turned back to wait for her. She plucked a chrysanthemum from the wall and tucked it behind her ear, her eyes curved with a smile. "What are you afraid of? I can walk to Jingren Palace with my eyes closed. I can even count the bricks in the palace with my eyes closed."
"Princess, you're talking nonsense again." Mingyue chased her out of the house and put a plain cloak on her shoulders. "The Empress specially sent someone to say that tonight's dinner will have your favorite sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice and lotus root. You'd better walk slowly so that it can be heated up." Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up and she walked faster. The laces of her cloak fluttered behind her, forming two white shadows. "Then we must hurry! The glutinous rice and lotus root will not be sweet if it gets cold!"
The sycamore trees lining the palace path were covered in fallen leaves, rustling underfoot. Xiaoyanzi paused as she walked, listening intently. Besides the clatter of their footsteps and the distant eunuchs' chanting, there was also the gentle rustling of fabric, seemingly coming from the bamboo grove to the right. She quietly nudged Caixia with her elbow and nodded toward the bamboo forest. Caixia understood instantly, tightening her grip on the brocade box and subconsciously moving closer to Xiaoyanzi.
"Who's there?" Little Swallow called out, her voice so clear it startled a few sparrows from the bamboo forest. A moment later, only the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind answered, and no other sound remained. She raised an eyebrow, knowing for sure—it was most likely a spy from one of the palaces; there had been quite a few eyes on Shufangzhai lately.
"Maybe it's a wild cat," Caixia whispered, her palms sweating. Xiaoyanzi smiled and patted her hands, her fingertips lightly callused with swordplay. "Even if it's a 'wild cat,' we need to let it know that it's not easy to keep watch at the door of Shufangzhai." She pulled a small stone from her sleeve and flicked it with a flick of her finger. The stone flew off into the depths of the bamboo forest, followed by a soft cry of "Ouch!" and the sound of hurried footsteps as it faded away.
Caixia and Mingyue's eyes widened in shock, but Xiaoyanzi continued walking forward as if nothing had happened, humming a Jiangnan tune: "If you can't catch the fox, you'll get yourself into trouble. These people are just too idle."
When they arrived at Jingren Palace, the Empress was sitting by the window, flipping through an account book. She was wearing a stone-blue casual dress, with only a single gold and jade hairpin in her hair, appearing much more subdued than usual. Rong Mama was grinding ink nearby. Seeing Xiaoyanzi enter, she quickly stood up with a smile. "Princess Huanzhu is finally here. Your Majesty has been waiting for you for so long that the glutinous rice and lotus roots have cooled."
"Greetings to the Empress!" Xiaoyanzi bowed politely, the Autumn Ju behind her ear swaying. "The Empress asked me to come here. Is there something delicious to eat again?" Her straightforward nature made the Empress laugh. She beckoned her to come over. "You are the only one who is greedy. Come and sit down and try some of Rong Mama's new hawthorn cake."
Xiaoyanzi sat down next to the Queen, picked up a piece of hawthorn cake and stuffed it into her mouth. The sweet and sour taste spread on her tongue, and her eyes sparkled. "Delicious! Just the right amount of sour than the ones made in the imperial kitchen. Your Majesty, please try it too." As she spoke, she passed a piece to the Queen. The Queen smiled and took a small bite. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes softened a little. "You child, you are still so unruly, but you are so hard to dislike."
Rong Mama brought a bowl of warm almond tea and placed it in front of Xiaoyanzi. "Princess, you've been practicing swordsmanship hard lately. Have some almond tea to moisten your throat." She looked at Xiaoyanzi with a genuine smile in her eyes, no longer as serious as before. "Did Mingyue say the other day that you broke your sword tassels while practicing? I'll have the sewing room make you a few sturdy ones, sewn with cowhide thread."
"Thank you, Madam Rong!" Xiaoyanzi smiled, holding the tea bowl. "Madam Rong loves me the most. Unlike some people who just hope I'll fail miserably during sword practice." She curled her lips in a suggestive manner. The Empress was very astute and immediately understood most of what was going on. She put down the account book in her hand and gently patted the back of her hand. "There are many people in the palace, and it's inevitable that some people are blind. You and Princess Mingzhu are kind-hearted. In the future, you should be more careful in everything you do. If you are truly wronged, feel free to tell me."
Xiaoyanzi felt a warm sensation in her heart, and her nose felt a little sore. The Empress in her previous life always had a stern face, how could she be so gentle? She sniffed and handed over the handkerchief embroidered by Ziwei. "This was embroidered for you by Sister Ziwei. She said that the Empress has been staying up late to read the account books recently. The words 'happiness, longevity and health' on the handkerchief are her wishes for peace and safety."
The Queen unfolded the handkerchief, her fingertips tracing the fine stitching, her eyes brimming with warmth. "This child is thoughtful. Thank her for me, and have the Imperial Kitchen send her some newly arrived Longjing tea tomorrow." She paused, her voice lowered. "The other day, Nanny Li from Concubine Gao's palace was involved in some trouble at the Ministry of Punishment. Did you know about this?"
Xiaoyanzi nodded, biting the hawthorn cake and mumbling, "I heard that he confessed to the incident with Shouping and Dim Sum."
"There's more to it than that." The Queen's eyes darkened. "She also mentioned that Concubine Gao has been hanging out with Concubine E recently, and that Eunuch E from Concubine E's palace has been hanging around near Shufangzhai these past few days." Aunt Rong added, "Concubine E's father, Lord E Min, is close to Lord Chen in the court. Both father and daughter have ulterior motives."
Xiaoyanzi's heart skipped a beat, and she nearly dropped the hawthorn cake in her hand. She said something was amiss in the bamboo forest, and it turned out to be Eunuch E who was watching them! Concubine Gao had just suffered a loss, and now she was looking for Concubine E. When these two got together, it was bound to be bad news.
"Don't worry, my lady. I'll be careful." Xiaoyanzi straightened her back, a sharp look in her eyes. "If they dare to come again, I'll have Xiaodeng read them Journey to the West and tell them how the White Bone Demon and the Spider Demon were defeated by Sun Wukong and turned back to their original forms!"
The Queen was amused by her and tapped her forehead. "You always have your reasons. Remember, the palace is not like the martial arts world. You can't just fight head-on. You have to learn to protect yourself in a roundabout way." She took out a small silver whistle from the drawer and handed it to Xiaoyanzi. "This whistle was given to me when the twelfth prince was one month old. When you blow it, the palace guards can hear it. If you really encounter trouble, blow this."
Xiaoyanzi took the whistle. The silver body felt cool and was engraved with fine cloud patterns. She clenched the whistle tightly and nodded earnestly, "Thank you, Madam! I will keep it well!"
By the time they left Jingren Palace, dusk had deepened, and the lanterns lining the palace path were even brighter. Xiaoyanzi walked ahead, toying with her silver whistle. Caixia whispered behind her, "What the Empress said today might be a reminder to be wary of Consort E." Xiaoyanzi hummed a little, then caught a glimpse of a figure flashing by in the shadows of the palace wall to the right. Judging by their attire, they looked like eunuchs.
"Don't look back," she said, her voice audible only to the two of them, her steps uninterrupted. "Go to Shufangzhai. Guard Zhou and the others are waiting at the corner." As they turned the corner, they saw Guard Zhou and Guard Wu standing with their backs to them, their swords gleaming in the lantern light. Little Swallow breathed a sigh of relief and was about to greet them when Little Mosquito darted out from behind a tree, holding a newly purchased sugar painting.
"Wow, boom! Princess is finally back!" Little Mosquito handed over a candy painting of the majestic Monkey King. "Little Stool said you'd be able to get some delicious food if you went to the Empress's place, so he asked me to wait here to pick you up. I also bought your favorite candy painting!"
Xiaoyanzi took the sugar painting and took a bite of Sun Wukong's golden cudgel. The sweet maltose melted in her mouth. She looked up in the direction of Shufangzhai, where the lights were bright. She could faintly hear Ziwei and Fu Erkang talking, and Yongqi's shouts as he taught Xiaozhuo how to practice swordplay.
"Let's go home." She smiled and took Caixia's hand, the silver whistle in her sleeve gently tickling her palm. It didn't matter whether it was Concubine Gao or Concubine E, whether they were hiding in the bamboo forest or behind the palace walls, as long as the lights in Shufangzhai were still on, as long as these people were around, she was not afraid of anything.
Meanwhile, in Concubine E's palace, Eunuch E lowered his head and replied in a flattering tone, "Your Majesty, I have seen that the Queen specially summoned Princess Huanzhu to Jingren Palace today and gave her gifts. It seems that she is sincerely protecting those two princesses." Concubine E sat in front of the mirror, and a palace maid removed her hairpins for her. Her sneer was reflected in the gilded mirror: "So what if she protects me? An adopted daughter, a woman of unknown origin, is worthy of competing with me?" She took off her earrings and tossed them on the dressing table. "Go tell Concubine Gao that I am happy to help her. However, after this is done, the Fang family's fertile land in Jiangnan must belong to my father."
Eunuch E quickly agreed, bowed, and retreated. The wind outside the window blew fallen leaves against the window paper, making a rustling sound, like a beast grinding its teeth in the dark, staring at the warm light, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
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