Chapter 282: Rose Thorn Shadow, Pretend to be Tender
The stone slammed against the rose wall in the west courtyard with a thud, startling two sparrows perched on the wall. Little Swallow retracted her slingshot, her knuckles white from the exertion, but a nonchalant smile played on her face. "This broken wall needs repairing."
The little mosquito shrank his neck and leaned close to Xiao Zhuozi's ear: "My goodness, the princess is so angry that she can burn through the iron pot in the guesthouse." Xiao Zhuozi quickly poked him, signaling him to stop talking nonsense - didn't you see that the prince's sleeves were shaking with anger when he just entered the study?
The crabapple petals from the East Courtyard fell to the ground, like a carpet of crushed rouge. Little Swallow kicked the petals as she walked, the bluestone slabs clacking under her feet. As she reached the Moon Gate, she ran into a maid from the West Courtyard approaching, carrying a food box.
The maid, wearing a light green bodice, bowed politely upon seeing Xiaoyanzi. "Hello, Princess. Our concubine prepared some candied pears to moisten your throats and those of the prince."
Xiaoyanzi's eyes fell on the food box. It was made of rosewood, with silver inlaid corners. It was much more exquisite than the ones used in the East Courtyard. She suddenly smiled, her voice crisp, "That's thoughtful of you, Concubine. But I don't like sweets lately. Please take it back."
The maid's face froze, and she stammered, "This... Concubine said that the prince was reading files until midnight last night, so he must be thirsty..."
"Oh?" Xiaoyanzi raised an eyebrow, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at her waist - it was a gift from Yongqi, and the warm jade was rubbed until it was shiny and smooth. "The prince was in the west courtyard last night? How come I didn't know?"
The maid's face turned pale and she lowered her head even lower: "No, no... I remembered it wrong..."
"Did you remember it wrong?" Xiaoyanzi took a step forward, the silver tassels on her body swaying slightly with her movements. "I think you haven't remembered your duties correctly. The rules of Prince Rong's Mansion and the affairs of the masters, do you think you can make up things?"
Her voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling tone that frightened the maid so much that the food box in her hand shook, and a few drops of soup splashed onto the bluestone slab, making it sticky.
"Princess, please spare my life! I will never dare to do it again!" The maid fell to her knees with a plop, her knees hitting the stone with a dull sound.
Just as Xiao Dengzi was about to step forward to smooth things over, he saw Yongqi coming out of the study. He must have heard the commotion outside, and his face wasn't looking good. He walked over to Xiaoyanzi and said in a deep voice, "She's just a maid. Why bother with her?"
"I don't mind." Xiaoyanzi turned to look at him, her eyes brightening surprisingly. "I just wanted to ask her where the prince was reading the files last night so I could bring him a pot of hot tea."
Yongqi's Adam's apple rolled, but he didn't respond. He knew what Xiaoyanzi was angry about. He had indeed gone to the West Courtyard last night—Zhihua had said she had a nightmare and was crying non-stop. He figured she was someone the Empress Dowager had sent in, so he had to keep a straight face, so he went to say a few perfunctory words. Who knew the maid would use this as a topic of conversation?
"Put your things down and leave!" Yongqi shouted at the maid.
The maidservant was as if pardoned. She put the food box on the ground and crawled to the west courtyard. She didn't care that the hem of her skirt was caught on a rose thorn and scratched a long cut.
The food box was open, and the sweet aroma of rock sugar and snow pears wafted out, a sweetness so sweet that it was sickening. Xiaoyanzi took a glance at it and suddenly felt nauseous. She turned and walked back to the inner room. "Xiao Dengzi, pour this out! Don't dirty the ground in the east courtyard."
"Yes." Little Dengzi quickly agreed, and just as he was about to pick up the lunch box, he was stopped by Yongqi.
"Keep it." Yongqi's voice was a little hoarse. "Send it to the kitchen to heat it up. Later I will..."
"No need for that." Xiaoyanzi's voice came from the inner room, with a hint of mockery, "If Your Majesty wants to eat some, why not go to the West Courtyard and eat some ready-made pears? The pears there are definitely sweeter than those in the East Courtyard."
The door creaked shut, blocking out the view from inside and outside. Yongqi stared at the closed door, his brows knitted into knots. Little Chongzi, holding the lark that had just flown back after being released, couldn't stand or sit, so he had no choice but to hang the cage on the pillar in the corridor. The bird, startled, chirped non-stop.
"Your Highness," Xiao Zhuozi said bravely, "The princess is just... just feeling very upset. Please don't take it to heart."
Yongqi said nothing, only pulling out a jade pendant from his sleeve. It was an accessory to the purse Xiaoyanzi had embroidered for him when they first married. Later, when the purse was worn, he took off the jade pendant and wore it close to his body. Warmed by his body heat, he stroked the lines on the jade pendant and suddenly sighed, "I know."
He knew Xiaoyanzi wasn't unreasonable, she was just scared. She'd wanted to live a peaceful life in this life, but she'd been dragged into these troubles.
Behind the rose wall in the west courtyard, Zhihua was peering out through the cracks in the branches. Her personal maid whispered, "Concubine, look at this..."
Zhihua withdrew her gaze and curled up the corner of her mouth into a faint smile: "Why are you in such a hurry? The real show has just begun." She turned and walked towards the inner room. The hem of her skirt swept across the thorny rose branches, leaving a few tiny blood beads, but she seemed not to notice and walked briskly.
The door to the east courtyard remained closed. Yongqi stood in the corridor for a long time, until the sun was setting, and then he asked Xiao Wanzi to go to the guest house and buy a beggar's chicken - that was Xiao Yanzi's favorite dish.
The beggar's chicken was wrapped in lotus leaves, and the aroma seeped through the leaves, making people's stomachs growl. Yongqi carried the lotus leaf package, walked to the door, and knocked gently: "Xiaoyanzi, come out and have something to eat."
There was no movement inside.
He knocked again, his voice softening. "It's your favorite beggar's chicken. I asked Liu Qing to add more chili."
The door finally creaked open a crack, and Xiaoyanzi's face peeked out from the crack, her eyes red as if she'd just cried. She glared at Yongqi, snatched the beggar's chicken from his hand, and slammed it onto the table. The lotus leaves fell apart, and the greasy chicken rolled out.
"What are you eating! I'm so angry!" she yelled, but tears fell uncontrollably and hit the shiny chicken.
Yongqi looked at her like this, feeling both distressed and amused. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms: "Alright, alright, I was wrong. I shouldn't have let you suffer."
Xiaoyanzi struggled twice but couldn't break free, so she simply lay in his arms and burst into tears: "You are wrong! You knew that I don't like that Chen Zhihua, and you still... you still..."
"I didn't." Yongqi patted her back gently, his voice so gentle that it could drip water. "You are the only one in my heart, and it always has been."
He took out the jade pendant from his bosom and put it into Xiaoyanzi's hand: "Look, I always carry this jade pendant with me. Just like my feelings for you, they have never changed."
Little Swallow clutched the warm jade pendant, her sobs gradually fading. She knew Yongqi hadn't lied, but the thorn in her heart wouldn't go away.
The lark in the corridor had begun chirping again, its clear, clear voice somewhat alleviating the melancholy in the courtyard. Little Mosquito secretly poked Little Dengzi, "Good boy, long, dong, Your Highness, this trick really works." Little Dengzi rolled his eyes at him, but couldn't help but chuckle.
The setting sun filtered through the branches of the crabapple tree, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Yongqi, holding Xiaoyanzi in his arms, looked at the beggar's chicken on the table and said softly, "If you don't eat it now, it will get cold."
Xiaoyanzi sniffed, broke free from his arms, grabbed a chicken leg and started chewing it, her tears and snot all over Yongqi. Yongqi smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe her face, secretly making up his mind - no matter what, he would never let her suffer such an injustice again.
But he didn't see that Xiaoyanzi was gnawing on a chicken leg, looking over his shoulder towards the west courtyard. The roses there were like burning flames in the twilight, with thorns and hidden poison.
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