Chapter 236: Rumors Begin, Shadows Emerge
The joy of the corner gate opening had not yet dissipated in the air, but the cold winter wind had already rolled up the fine snow foam, quietly bringing a discordant atmosphere.
In the training grounds of Prince Rong's mansion, Yongqi was practicing his newly developed swordsmanship with Xiaoyanzi. Xiaoyanzi was dressed in a sharp, lake-blue outfit, a red silk belt tied around her waist. The sword in her hands seemed alive, sometimes like a spirit snake emerging from its lair, sometimes like a fleeting shadow. With a light tap of her foot, she used her qinggong to float to the side of the wooden stake. With a twist of her wrist, the peach wood sword struck the top of the stake with a clatter, sending the accumulated snow cascading down.
"Excellent!" Yong Qi applauded from the side, his eyes full of admiration. "You've improved your 'Swallow Returns to the Nest' technique even more." He stepped forward and handed over a clean handkerchief. "Take a break. You've been practicing for so long that your forehead is sweating."
Xiaoyanzi took the handkerchief and wiped her forehead, with the corners of her mouth raised high: "When I've practiced well, I will go to find big brother to compete! Last time he said that my swordsmanship has regressed, this time I will make him look at me with new eyes." She tilted her head back and drank the water that Yongqi handed her, her Adam's apple rolling, and the lines of her neck looked particularly agile in the sunlight.
At this moment, Guard Zhou hurried in from outside. He paused at the edge of the training ground, as if hesitating. Yong Qi noticed his strange behavior and frowned slightly. "Guard Zhou, what's going on?"
Guard Zhou bowed and lowered his voice, "Your Highness, Princess, there are… there are some unpleasant rumors out there." He glanced at Xiaoyanzi, and when he saw her smile fade a little, he continued, "They say… that Princess Mingzhu is not a dragon child, and that… that Princess Huanzhu colluded with the Fang family to fabricate her life story…"
"Nonsense!" Xiaoyanzi clenched the peach wood sword tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white, and the red silk on the scabbard was deformed by her pulling. "Ziwei's life story is proved by the token, and the emperor himself recognized her. Are these people blind or deaf?" Her cheeks flushed with anger, and the light in her eyes was like ice. "Who is spreading rumors? I'm going to confront them!"
"Xiaoyanzi!" Yongqi grabbed her, the warmth of his palm trying to calm her anger. "Please be patient." He turned to Guard Zhou, his tone a little more serious. "Where did these rumors come from? Where are they circulating?"
"I just heard this from the eunuchs chatting at the palace gate," Guard Zhou said, sweat dripping from his forehead. "They said...they said it came from Concubine Gao's palace. They also said...they said that although Nanny Li was expelled, she left behind 'evidence' before she left..."
"Noble Concubine?" Xiaoyanzi gritted her teeth, a cold glint in her eyes. "She's been confined to Jingren Palace, but she's still restless. How dare she pull these little tricks behind my back!" She shook off Yongqi's hand, turned around and walked towards the corner gate. "I'm going to tell the Emperor right now!"
"Wait." Yongqi held her back again, his eyes calm. "This matter is suspicious. Concubine Gao is under house arrest, so the news may not spread so widely. There may be someone behind the scenes fanning the flames. If we rashly go to the Emperor without solid evidence, it will appear that we are impatient." He looked at Xiaoyanzi's shoulders, which were trembling slightly with anger, and softened his voice. "I believe the Emperor will make his own judgment. Let's wait and see, and investigate secretly."
Xiaoyanzi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling, and her clenched fists slowly loosened. She knew Yongqi had a point, but when she thought of Ziwei's gentle features, which would surely be clouded with sorrow if she heard these rumors, her heart ached like a needle. "But Ziwei..."
"I'll have someone keep an eye on Shufangzhai and prevent any rumors from reaching Princess Ziwei." Yongqi gently patted the back of her hand. "Don't worry, I'm here."
At this moment, the Shufangzhai was filled with the faint scent of ink. Ziwei sat by the window, carefully reading the collection of poems sent by Erkang. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice onto the pages, softly illuminating her profile. Her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyelids. Jinsuo walked in with a bowl of freshly stewed rock sugar pears and whispered, "Princess, have something to drink to moisten your throat."
Ziwei raised her head, took the white porcelain bowl, and smiled gently: "Thank you for your hard work, Jinsuo." She scooped a spoonful of snow pear and was about to put it into her mouth when she saw Mingyue running in in a panic, and she didn't even notice that the rag in her hand fell to the ground.
"Princess! It's bad!" Mingyue's voice was filled with tears. "Someone outside said...that you are not the emperor's biological daughter..."
With a clang, the white porcelain bowl in Ziwei's hands fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. The sweet soup splattered all over her moon-white skirt. The color drained from her face instantly, her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with disbelief. "You...what did you say?"
Jinsuo quickly stood in front of Ziwei and said sternly to Mingyue: "Mingyue, what nonsense are you talking about! Can you say such things casually?" Although she said this, she was also panicked in her heart, and her hands were tightly clenched on the corner of her clothes.
Mingyue was so anxious that she almost cried: "It's true! Xiaodeng went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pick up something and heard it with his own ears. He also said... he said it came from the noble concubine's palace..."
Ziwei felt a buzzing in her ears, her heart, so filled with happiness, instantly shattered by this sudden rumor. She recalled her mother's dying words, the hardships she'd endured on her journey to find her family, the loving look in the emperor's eyes when he accepted her... Could all of this be negated by a single rumor? Her fingertips were cold, curled slightly, her nails practically digging into her palms.
Just then, familiar footsteps were heard outside the door. Xiaoyanzi rushed in with red eyes. Seeing the broken porcelain pieces on the ground and Ziwei's pale face, her heart skipped a beat - it was still too late.
"Ziwei!" Xiaoyanzi ran to her side and held her cold hand. "Don't listen to their nonsense! It's all fake! It's Concubine Gao who's behind this!"
Ziwei raised her head, her eyes misty with tears, her voice soft and trembling with a barely perceptible tremor: "Xiaoyanzi...is what they said true? I...I really am..."
"Of course not!" Xiaoyanzi interrupted her, her tone firm. She took out the half jade pendant that Ziwei had shown her and put it into Ziwei's hand. "Look, this is the token of love between your mother and the Emperor. The Emperor has accepted it. What could be more real than this?" She stared into Ziwei's eyes and said word by word, "You are the Emperor's daughter and my sister. No one can change this!"
Ziwei held the cool jade pendant in her hand, watching the undisguised determination and anger in Xiaoyanzi's eyes. The shaky panic in her heart seemed to settle a little. She sniffed, but tears still rolled down, hitting the jade pendant and leaving a small wet mark.
Yongqi and Erkang then walked in. Seeing the scene in the room, their faces darkened. Erkang quickly walked over to Ziwei, took off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. His voice was filled with soothing power: "Ziwei, don't be afraid. I'm here. I will never let anyone hurt you."
Yongqi stood at the door, his eyes swept over the people in the room, and said in a deep voice: "This incident is by no means accidental. We must find out the source as soon as possible and clear Ziwei's name." He looked at Xiaoyanzi with a hint of tacit understanding in his eyes - this storm may have just begun.
The wind outside the window picked up, picking up the snow flakes on the ground and rustling them against the window paper like countless pairs of prying eyes. The warmth in Shufangzhai seemed to be tinged with a thin layer of chill by the sudden rumor.
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