Chapter 214 The Night is as Dark as Ink, Shadows Stalk
The palace clock ticked, signaling the hour of midnight. Thin clouds obscured most of the moonlight, leaving only a few rays of light that cast a cold, desolate glow on the glazed tiles of the imperial garden. The rustling of patrolling guards' armor drifted in the distance, gradually fading behind the palace walls. The night was so still that one could hear the wind rustling through the leaves of the locust trees.
Xiao Jian crouched against the thick branches of an old locust tree, his black nightgown blending seamlessly into the tree's shadow. He held his breath, his fingertips gently brushing aside the branches before him, his gaze fixed on the small courtyard not far away, inscribed with the words "Jingxin Garden"—that was Eunuch E's residence. The glazed tiles on the courtyard wall occasionally gleamed in the moonlight. The soft sword at his waist rose and fell slightly with his breathing, the pearls inlaid on the scabbard of Qing'er swathed in black cloth, fearing any glare would reveal his whereabouts.
"Brother should be here by now, right?" In the warm room of Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi clutched the brass whistle Yongqi had given her, her knuckles white from pinching. She squatted on the threshold, her chin resting on her knees, staring unblinking at the dark shadows at the end of the palace wall, her hairband swaying gently in the night breeze.
Ziwei sat on the stone steps beside her, holding a freshly sewn hand warmer. The charcoal fire had long since died, but she was still unconsciously stroking the embroidery along the edge—a lotus flower she had embroidered according to a pattern Xia Yuhe had left behind. The stitches were as meticulous as her current thoughts. "Don't worry, Young Master Xiao Jian is a skilled martial artist. He'll be fine." Her voice was soft, but there was a subtle tremor at the end.
Yongqi stood in the corridor, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his gaze sweeping across the corner gate at the end of the palace corridor. He wore a jade token bestowed by Emperor Qianlong at his waist. If anything were to happen, he could use it to mobilize all nearby guards. "Guard Zhou just sent a message from the corner gate. Everything is normal." He turned to look at Xiaoyanzi, and seeing her lips tightly pursed, he walked over, squatted, and gently patted her on the back. "Wait a little longer. Xiao Jian always acts cautiously."
The candlelight in the warm room crackled. Little Stool was standing on tiptoe, gazing out the window, his neck stretched out like a giraffe. "By now, shouldn't Eunuch E be meeting Madam Li? Little Bug's neck is practically broken from peering from the beams. He says not even a cat has wandered towards Jingren Palace."
"Guaiguai longdidong!" Little Mosquito squatted on the ground, using a branch to draw a route map on the blue bricks. "Maybe they're drinking good tea in the house! I heard from the waiter at the guesthouse that Eunuch E loves Biluochun the most. Nanny Li must have brought some good tea to please him!" He drew the location of the old locust tree and specially drew a crooked little man. "Young Master Xiao Jian is right here, like Sun Wukong squatting in the Flower and Fruit Mountain. He can definitely hear what they say!"
Just as he finished speaking, a very soft night owl cry suddenly came from the distance, short and sharp. Little Swallow stood up suddenly, almost knocking over the lantern beside her. "That's my brother's signal! Did he succeed?"
Yongqi immediately pressed her shoulders, signaling her not to move. "It's a sign of safety, don't worry." He listened carefully, and a moment later heard two more identical cries, evenly spaced. It was indeed their agreed-upon code for "all is well." His tense jawline softened slightly. "It's okay, he's retreating as planned."
Ziwei breathed a sigh of relief, and the hand warmer in her hand fell to the ground with a "thump". She quickly picked it up, and ran her fingertips over the hot body of the warmer. Finally, a smile appeared on her face: "That's great..."
Meanwhile, in Jingxin Garden, the light in Eunuch E's study was still on. Xiao Jian, clinging to the window eaves like a willow leaf, dipped his fingertips in peppermint oil and rubbed it under his nose to dispel the heat of the candlelight. Two figures swayed on the window paper: one, slightly plump, was Eunuch E; the other, hunched over, holding a teacup, was clearly Li Ma.
"...You must hide that letter well," Nanny Li said in a low, flattering voice. "Lord E said that when the situation gets serious, this 'evidence' should be handed over. I guarantee that Princess Mingzhu will be left with no chance of explanation!"
Eunuch E took a sip of tea and said in a muddy voice, "Don't worry, the place where I hid is untraceable even if you dig three feet deep. But your Royal Concubine, please don't back down and let me work in vain."
"Look at what you said!" Nanny Li laughed shrilly. "The Queen said that after the matter is accomplished, you will definitely benefit. The Fang family, relying on the favor of the princess, has become more and more arrogant in the capital. Lord E has long been dissatisfied with them..."
A cold glint flashed in Xiao Jian's eyes, and his fingertips lightly touched the soft sword at his waist. Taking advantage of the moment when the two men turned to refill their tea, he landed like a cat and silently circled around to the back wall of the study—where he had surveyed a loose brick that day. He placed his fingertips in the crack of the brick and gently pulled it. The brick fell away, revealing the secret compartment within.
As expected, the secret compartment held a rosewood box with a brass lock carved with simple cloud patterns. Xiao Jian fished a thin wire from his sleeve and quickly unlocked it. The box was covered in red silk and held several letters. The topmost letter was sealed with E Min's personal seal, the handwriting sloppily but sinisterly written. He quickly tucked the letter into his pocket and pulled out an identical fake letter—he had Xiao Zhuozi copy the handwriting, its contents innocuous, yet convincingly real.
"Who?" Eunuch E suddenly raised his voice, "There's a noise outside!"
Xiao Jian quickly laid the bricks and dodged behind a pillar. Eunuch E emerged from the study, holding a candlestick. The light from the lantern illuminated his perplexed face, his gaze darting back and forth over the courtyard wall. Nanny Li followed behind, clutching a silver hairpin, her face pale. "Could it be... a thief?"
Xiao Jian held his breath, retreating slowly through the shadows of the porch columns. His feet treaded soft grass, landing soundlessly. The sachet at his waist swayed gently with his movements, and the delicate scent of wormwood, mixed with the dampness of night dew, lingered at his nose. Reaching the base of the courtyard wall, he tapped his toes and soared into the air. As his shadow passed over the wall, he plucked a locust leaf—a sign to Little Swallow.
"No one's around. Maybe it's the wind." Eunuch E looked around for a long time but found nothing unusual. He went back to the house cursing, "I'm so old, my ears are useless."
Xiao Jian landed outside the wall and exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhuozi, who was waiting in the shadows. The two of them, one in front and one behind, swept towards the corner gate like two dark shadows. The night wind lifted their hems, bringing a faint rustle, and they quickly disappeared deep into the palace walls.
In the warm room of Shufangzhai, Xiaoyanzi was counting the seventh fallen leaf when she suddenly saw a dark figure leap down from the palace wall, its movements as swift as a nighthawk. She jumped to her feet and almost cried out, but Yongqi covered her mouth with his hand.
"It's Xiao Jian!" Yongqi whispered, pointing at the locust leaf in the figure's hand.
Xiaoyanzi pushed his hand away and ran towards the courtyard gate. Just as she reached the corridor, she ran into Xiao Jian. She grabbed his arm and looked him up and down: "Brother! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" When her fingertips touched his cold nightgown, she realized that her palms were full of sweat.
Xiao Jian shook his head, took out a rosewood box from his arms, and handed it to her with a smile in his eyes: "The evidence is here."
Ziwei and Yongqi quickly gathered around. The candlelight in the warm room shone on the wooden box, and the sheen of the red silk brightened everyone's eyes. Xiaoyanzi opened the box, picked up the letter on top, and traced E Min's personal seal with her fingertips. She gritted her teeth and said, "It's them! I'll show them tomorrow how I'll expose their true colors!"
"Don't worry." Xiao Jian held her hand, his voice hoarse from a night out. "Rest first tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll hand the evidence to the Emperor and let him make the decision."
Outside the window, the moonlight had somehow escaped the clouds, its clear glow filling the courtyard and stretching the shadows of the people around it. The flickering candlelight in the warm room dispelled the previous tension, and the air was filled with a warm sense of relief. Little Swallow looked at the letter in the wooden box, then at her family and friends. The anger she had felt at the rumors finally turned to a sense of peace and security. In this life, with them by her side, even the darkest night could still dawn.
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