Chapter 343: Moon Shadow Hidden Treachery, Working Together to Break the Situation
The candles in the east courtyard burned until the third watch, and the sandalwood in the bronze crane incense burner had burned down to its last inch. Only the faint scent of milk remained in the air—Mian Rui had just finished nursing and was now sleeping soundly, clutching Xiaoyanzi's fingers. She sat by the bed, her fingertips gently stroking her son's soft hair, her gaze piercing the window paper, resting on the dark shadows that loomed in the west courtyard.
The quiet stillness was broken by the sound of a door hinge turning. Xiaoyanzi turned her head sharply to see Yongqi walking in, lifting the door curtain. The cuffs of his dark-colored uniform were stained with dust, and his eyes were bloodshot. He walked quietly to the bedside, glanced at the sleeping child, and then took Xiaoyanzi's hand. "Are you asleep?"
"Waiting for you." Xiaoyanzi stood up and was supported by his waist. The warmth of his palm seeped through the thin pajamas, making her feel much more at ease. "How is the West Courtyard?"
Yongqi led her to the outer room. Xiao Zhuozi cleverly served her hot tea and then quietly retreated. "The Shuntian prefect found this in the ruins." He pulled an oil-paper package from his sleeve and opened it. It contained half a burnt silver hairpin with the word "Cui" engraved on the head. "Xiao Cui was found in the dry well at the back door of the palace. She's dead."
Xiaoyanzi paused holding the teacup, the heat blurring her eyes. "Was he silenced?"
"Most likely." Yongqi's fingertips stroked the broken hairpin. "Madame Li confessed, saying she had Xiao Cui apply pine oil to the reeds, but she insisted it was her own idea and had nothing to do with Zhihua." He sneered, "Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"
The wind outside suddenly picked up, making the window lattice whistle. Xiaoyanzi put down her teacup and said in a very low voice, "I saw a dark figure on the top of the west courtyard wall. He was wearing the uniform of a guard from the Emin Mansion, and a crescent jade pendant hung around his waist."
Yongqi's face darkened instantly, and he clenched his fingers fiercely: "Emin? What is he getting involved in?"
"Have you forgotten?" Xiaoyanzi raised her eyebrows and drew the word "Chen" on the table with her fingertips, "Zhihua's father, Chen Bangzhi, was a fellow Jinshi with Emin." The fragments of memory from the previous life suddenly became clear - in order to curry favor with the powerful, Emin had wanted to marry his daughter to the Chen family. Although the plan fell through later, the two families had always maintained contact.
Yongqi's brows knitted together. "Are you saying that E Min was behind this fire?"
"It might not be instigation." Xiaoyanzi stood up and walked to the window, peeking into the night sky. The moon was mostly obscured by dark clouds. "Perhaps they're using each other for their own benefit. Zhihua wants to get rid of me, and Emin..." She paused, remembering how Emin framed Fang Zhihang in her previous life. A cold glint flashed in her eyes. "He wants to use the Chen family to disrupt the palace, and even... to undermine your position."
Yongqi's breathing slowed, and he reached out to pull her back into his arms. "Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm here." His chin rested against the top of her head, and his voice was undeniably firm. "Tomorrow I will go to the palace to report to the Emperor and thoroughly investigate E Min and Chen Bangzhi."
"Wait." Xiaoyanzi looked up at him, the candlelight dancing in her eyes. "There is no evidence yet, and it would be bad to alert the enemy. How about..." She whispered a few words in his ear, a sly smile on the corner of her mouth.
Yongqi pinched her cheek after hearing this and said, "You're still full of tricks." His fingertips touched her slightly cold earlobe, and he couldn't help but remind her, "But you're pregnant now, so you're not allowed to take any risks yourself."
"I know, Your Highness." Xiaoyanzi smiled and pushed him. "Go and rest now. Look at the bruises under your eyes. It's as if you were punched."
Just as they blew out the candles, they heard the sound of insects coming from outside the courtyard, with a bit of panic: "Prince! Princess! Over in the west courtyard...the concubine has fainted!"
Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi exchanged a glance, and both saw the understanding in each other's eyes. Xiaoyanzi put on a coat and said, "I'll go and take a look, you..."
"I'll go with you." Yongqi picked up the cloak and tied it on her. "It's a good opportunity to see what tricks she plays next."
The lights in the west courtyard were brighter than those in the east. Zhihua lay on the bunk bed, her face as white as paper. Nanny Li was wiping the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. When she saw them come in, she plopped to her knees and said, "Your Highness! Princess! Our concubine must have been frightened and suddenly fainted..."
Xiaoyanzi walked to the bedside and looked down at Zhihua. Her eyelashes trembled violently, but her hands were tightly gripping the quilt, her knuckles turning white - how could someone who had fainted hold on so tightly?
"Madame Li," Xiaoyanzi suddenly spoke, her voice as brisk as a casual chat, "just now when the Shuntian prefect found Xiaocui in the well, she was clutching a piece of rag that looked like..." She deliberately dragged out the tone, "like something from the lilac cheongsam that Consort Consort often wore."
Zhihua's eyelashes froze suddenly, and her hands gripping the quilt tightened again.
Nanny Li's face turned pale and she kowtowed repeatedly: "Princess, please understand! That is definitely not our concubine's! Xiao Cui... Xiao Cui must be making false accusations!"
"Oh?" Xiaoyanzi raised an eyebrow and reached out to feel Hua's pulse. "Really? Then we need to ask the imperial physician to take a good look. Is Concubine really frightened and fainted..."
Just as her fingertips were about to touch Zhihua's wrist, she suddenly woke up with a moan, tears streaming down her face like beads from a broken string: "Your Highness... I feel so dizzy..."
Yongqi watched her acting with cold eyes, and suddenly said: "Now that you're awake, tell me. Why did Xiao Cui hold on to the corner of your clothes before she died?"
Zhihua's sobs choked, and her eyes evaded in panic: "I... I don't know... Maybe she picked it up while cleaning..."
"Really?" Xiaoyanzi pulled something out of her sleeve and waved it in front of her eyes. "What about this?"
It was a silver ring, plain in style, but with a tiny "Hua" character engraved on the ring face. Zhihua's pupils suddenly contracted, her lips trembling as she couldn't speak - this was the gift she had given to Xiaocui, so how could it be in Xiaoyanzi's hands?
"I found this under Xiao Cui's pillow." Xiaoyanzi slowly put the ring back into her sleeve. "I heard she saved up a lot of money, saying she wanted to use it to treat her mother's illness in the countryside. It's a pity that she's gone now, and the money is nowhere to be found."
Nanny Li suddenly screamed and rushed over to grab the ring, but was kicked to the ground by Yongqi's guards. "It was her! She forced me to do this!" Nanny Li cried like crazy. "It was the concubine who asked me to bribe Xiao Cui to set the fire, and she would give us a large sum of money after it was done! She said...she said that as long as we burned the box in the study, the prince would suspect the princess..."
"You're talking nonsense!" Zhihua sat up suddenly, her hair all messed up, and she no longer looked gentle. "It's you who's greedy! You're the one who framed me!"
"Would you like me to search your box now?" Xiaoyanzi looked at her with a half-smile. "See if that box of 'tea' shipped from Jiangnan is still hidden under the bed?"
Zhihua's face drained of color, and she collapsed back onto the bed, her eyes fixed on the lotus pattern on the ceiling. The box wasn't tea at all, but the account book E Min had entrusted her with, containing evidence of his embezzlement of grain transport funds. She'd planned to destroy the book by setting it on fire and then pin the blame on Xiaoyanzi, but she hadn't anticipated...
Yongqi winked at the guards: "Take Madam Li away and keep her under strict observation. Concubine..." He looked at the distraught figure on the bed, his voice as cold as ice, "From now on, you will be confined to the West Courtyard. Without my order, you are not allowed to take a single step out of your room."
As they walked out of the west courtyard, the night wind blew a chill on their faces. Xiaoyanzi shivered and was tightly wrapped in Yongqi's arms. "Are you cold?" He looked down at her, the frost in his eyes gradually melting. "Were you scared just now?"
"No." Xiaoyanzi shrank into his arms, her nose brushing against his collar. "But..." She looked up at him, the moonlight falling right into her eyes. "Do you want that box of account books..."
"Don't move yet." Yongqi held her hand, feeling the warmth of his fingertips. "Emin is cunning and treacherous. This box of account books might not be real. Once we find solid evidence, we'll catch them all." He lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Don't worry, with me here, no one can touch you or the child."
The candles in the east courtyard were still lit. Mianrui smacked her lips in her sleep, her small hands still tightly clutching the hem of her mother's clothes. The dark clouds outside the window dispersed a little, and moonlight filtered through the lattice, casting mottled shadows on the ground, reminiscent of those conspiracies hidden in the darkness. But as long as the two stood side by side, no matter how deep the night, they would eventually wait for dawn.
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