Chapter 178 Dusk Returns to the Palace, Shadows Follow
As the setting sun painted the streets a warm golden hue, the laughter and chatter in the guesthouse gradually died down. Xiaoyanzi, clutching a half-eaten string of candied haws, was half-supported and half-helped down the stairs by Yongqi. The hem of her turquoise skirt brushed against the wooden stairs, making a soft, clacking sound. "Slow down, the stairs are steep." Yongqi reached out to protect her waist, his fingertips touching the jade pendant at her waist. The warmth spread up along his fingertips, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Little Swallow turned around and made a face at him: "I'm very good at martial arts, so this little staircase is nothing?" Having said that, she slowed down her pace obediently. The candied haws in her mouth was still making a "crunching" sound. The sour taste of hawthorn mixed with the sweetness of rock sugar spread a refreshing flavor in the twilight.
Ziwei followed behind, Erkang carrying the brocade box containing the poetry collection for her. His fingers occasionally brushed against her sleeve, and both of them blushed softly, as if touched by a spring breeze. "Sister, look, the lanterns on the street are all lit." Xiaoyanzi pointed to the newly lit red lanterns on the street corner, as if she had discovered a new world. "Let's walk slower and take in the night view, okay?"
Yongqi naturally agreed, turning to Erkang and Ziwei and smiling, "It's still early to return to the palace, so let's take Xiaoyanzi for a walk." Ziwei nodded gently, her eyes sweeping over the hawkers and playful children on the street, and she said softly, "The nights in the capital are much more lively than in Jinan." Erkang interrupted, "From now on, I'll accompany you out for walks often, so we can see every corner of the capital."
As they were talking, Ertai came running up with a paper bag, the sweet aroma of sugar paintings wafting from it. "Miss Liu Hong, you forgot to take this phoenix sugar painting!" Liu Hong, walking behind Liu Qing, paused at the words, reaching out to take it without turning back. When her fingertips touched Ertai's hand, she flinched as if burned, and her ears turned red. Liu Qing, watching from the front, was so amused that she deliberately slowed down her pace to wait for them.
Xiaoyanzi leaned close to Yongqi's ear and whispered, "Look at Liu Hong. She says no, but she must be feeling sweet inside." Yongqi looked down at her. The golden light of the setting sun fell on her long eyelashes, like a layer of gold. He couldn't help laughing and said, "You are talking about others. You didn't even realize that there was sugar on the corner of your mouth when you were eating lotus seed soup just now." He raised his hand to wipe it off for her, but his hand shrank back in the air with a red face, and handed it to her with his handkerchief instead.
Xiaoyanzi took the handkerchief and wiped her mouth. She caught a glimpse of the familiar pomegranate-red figure hurriedly leaving the street corner, and her eyes instantly turned colder. She touched Yongqi's arm calmly and pointed towards the corner, "See? They're still following." Yongqi followed her gaze and frowned immediately, "I'll assign more guards to guard Shufangzhai when I get back. I won't let them pull any more tricks."
As they reached the palace gate, they happened to meet the 12th Prince, Yongji, accompanied by a young eunuch. He was dressed in a dark blue uniform, the cloud pattern on his collar gleaming softly in the twilight. Seeing Xiaoyanzi, he immediately stopped and saluted, "Good luck, Princess Huanzhu." Looking up, his eyes fell on the candied haws in Xiaoyanzi's hand, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
"No need to be so polite, Twelfth Prince." Xiaoyanzi smiled and handed over half a string of candied haws. "I just bought them. They're so sweet. Would you like to try some?" Yongqi was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved his hand. "Thank you, Princess, for your kindness. Mother said it's not appropriate to eat street snacks in the palace." Even so, the corners of his mouth curved up. "Princess, you seem very happy today?"
"Of course I'm happy," Xiaoyanzi shook the candied haws, "It's the happiest thing when friends get together." Yongqi added, "If Twelfth Prince is free, you can go to the guesthouse another day. The food there is very appetizing." Yongji's eyes lit up and he nodded lightly, "Okay, I'll tell my mother and go there another day." He looked at Xiaoyanzi with eyes full of closeness, as if he was born to feel that this lady was particularly kind.
Entering the palace, dusk had already deepened. Lanterns lining the palace path lit up one after another, their dim glow casting long shadows on the blue bricks. Ziwei and Erkang walked ahead, talking in low voices. The poetry collection in Erkang's hands fluttered gently in the evening breeze, occasionally letting out a few gentle words like "May you pick more."
Xiaoyanzi, dragging Yongqi along, fell behind, suddenly stopping. "Don't you think that since Nanny Li didn't get the upper hand today, she'll definitely come back again?" She looked up at him. The jasmine in her hair had long since wilted, but it still lingered with a hint of evening fragrance. "She won't give up until the truth is revealed about Shouping and Jiansui."
Yongqi grasped her wrist, feeling the warmth of his fingertips. "I've already asked Guard Wu to investigate the bribed eunuch. We'll have results soon. Don't worry, I'm here." His eyes were incredibly serious as he spoke, the starlight falling into them like the tenderness of the entire night sky. Xiaoyanzi's heart suddenly began to beat wildly, and she quickly turned away, pretending to look at the moon. "I know, the Fifth Prince is the most powerful."
When they returned to Shufangzhai, Mingyue and Caixia were waiting at the door with lanterns. Seeing them come back, they hurried over to greet them: "The princesses are finally back! The lotus seed soup is warming up in the kitchen." Xiaodengzi and Xiaowenzi also ran out of the house. Xiaodeng was holding the storybook "Journey to the West" in his hand, and Xiaowenzi was holding a freshly woven grasshopper. "Wow, boom, boom, the princesses are back just in time! I just made a toy!"
Little Swallow took the grasshopper, pinched its wings, and shook it. "What a clever little mosquito! It's even more energetic than the real grasshoppers in the Imperial Garden." Little Stool came up and said, "Princess, I was just talking about Sun Wukong borrowing the palm-leaf fan three times. Would you like to continue?" Ziwei smiled and nodded. "Sure, I can listen while I drink the lotus seed soup."
Everyone crowded into the house, and the lights in Shufangzhai instantly lit up, filling the room with warmth. Lotus seed soup was served on a small table, its sweet aroma filling the air. Little Bugs imitated the chirping of crickets, making everyone laugh. Little Swallow leaned back on the couch, listening to Little Stool's story about Sun Wukong's battle with the Bull Demon King, occasionally interjecting, "Did Princess Iron Fan forgive him in the end?" Yongqi sat beside her, peeling an orange for her. The fragrance of the orange segments mingled with the sweetness of the lotus seed soup, creating a warm aroma in the air.
Outside the palace walls, Nanny Li was kneeling in Concubine Gao's bedroom, her head bowed. "Your Majesty, we failed today. Princess Huanzhu is too clever. Even street thugs can't subdue her." Concubine Gao sat in front of her dressing table, looking at her gloomy face in the bronze mirror, her nails digging deep into the carvings on the dressing table. "You useless piece of shit! You can't even handle such a small matter!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down," Nanny Li kowtowed quickly. "I have another plan. The Empress Dowager's birthday is in a few days, and Princess Ziwei will present a birthday screen. I have bribed the maids in the embroidery room, and I will definitely make sure that screen goes terribly wrong!" A ruthless gleam flashed in her eyes. "Then not only Ziwei, but even Princess Huanzhu will be implicated!"
Concubine Gao looked at the flickering candlelight in the bronze mirror, a sneer appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Okay, if you fail again this time, you will come to see me with your head!" The wind outside the window blew the fallen leaves across the window lattice, making a rustling sound, as if someone was grinding his teeth in the dark, waiting for the next bite.
In Shufangzhai, the story of the little stool was reaching its climax: "Sun Wukong unsheathed his golden cudgel, swung it against the wind, and it grew to a length of ten feet. He roared at the Bull Demon King—" and the little bug immediately joined in with a cry of "Awoo," drawing laughter from the entire room. Xiaoyanzi clapped her hands with laughter. Yongqi, observing her radiant expression, quietly slipped a peeled tangerine into her hand, saying to himself: "No matter how stormy the weather, I will always protect you."
The candlelight cast the silhouettes of the crowd on the window paper, a warm and lively scene that formed a sharp contrast with the coldness of the palace in the distance. As the night deepened, the hustle and bustle of the palace gradually quieted. Only the laughter from Shufangzhai still drifted gently on the evening breeze, like a warm star, stubbornly shining in this deep palace.
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