Chapter 213: Whispering in the Palace Walls, Warm Protection
The afternoon sun filtered through the carved window lattices, casting tiny specks of light on the blue brick floor of Shufangzhai. Calming sandalwood burned in the warm room. Ziwei sat at her embroidery frame by the window, holding an unfinished handkerchief, her stitches much slower than usual. She glanced out the window from time to time, her ears slightly reddened. Just now, Xiao Zhuozi returned with a report that Master Fu had intercepted the young eunuch spreading rumors on the palace road. While he wasn't angry, every word he said was protective of her. Even the passing palace maids whispered about Master Fu's genuine feelings for Mingzhu.
"What are you thinking about? The needle has pierced your finger." Xiaoyanzi came in with a bowl of almond curd. Seeing a drop of blood oozing from Ziwei's fingertip, she quickly put down the bowl, grabbed her hand, and blew on the wound. "I've told you so many times, there's no rush for embroidery, don't hurt yourself."
Ziwei's cheeks turned even redder. She gently pulled her hand back, pressed the handkerchief against the wound, and whispered, "I just thought of Erkang... He shouldn't have argued with others for me. It wouldn't sound good if it got out."
"What's wrong with that!" Xiaoyanzi picked up a piece of almond cheese and stuffed it into her mouth, saying with a beaming face, "It's only natural for him to protect his sweetheart! Besides, those who gossip should be scolded. They are talking nonsense all the time. I'll tear their mouths apart!" As she was about to roll up her sleeves, Ziwei quickly pulled her back.
"Don't be impulsive," Ziwei held her wrist, her fingertips touching the jade pendant tied with a red rope on her wrist, and said softly, "The emperor knows what's going on. Let's stay calm and don't cause any more trouble."
As they were talking, Mingyue came in, holding a lilac-colored cloak in her hands. She smiled and said, "Empress Lingfei sent it here. She said the winds have been strong these past few days, so she asked the two ladies to wear it when they go out. She also said... Her Majesty asked me to tell the ladies that palace gossip is like passing clouds, so there's no need to take it to heart."
Ziwei took the cloak, and her fingertips stroked the delicate lotus pattern on it, her eyes slightly warmed: "Empress Ling Fei is always so considerate."
However, Xiaoyanzi rolled her eyes, picked up her cloak and wrapped it around herself, deliberately imitating Concubine Ling's tone: "'Don't take it to heart', it's easy to say! When I find out who is behind this, I will make sure they have a taste of the power of 'Xiaoyanzi's Shadowless Kick'!" As she spoke, she actually made a kicking motion, and the hem of her skirt swept across the embroidery frame, causing a few strands of silk threads to float up.
"What exciting things are you talking about again?" Yongqi's voice came with the sound of footsteps. He was holding a scroll in his hand. Seeing Xiaoyanzi wrapped in a cloak and practicing martial arts, he couldn't help laughing. "Practicing martial arts with a cloak on, be careful not to trip."
"No way!" Xiaoyanzi protested, stiffening her neck, but tripped over the straps of her cloak and stumbled into Yongqi's arms. Yongqi reached out and held her steady, his palm resting on her waist. They both froze for a moment, their cheeks flushed.
Ziwei smiled secretly, picked up the embroidered handkerchief to cover half of her face, and caught a glimpse of Erkang walking down the corridor and looking into the warm room. She quickly lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the handkerchief with her fingertips.
"I just came from the Empress's palace," Yongqi said seriously after helping Xiaoyanzi steady herself. "The Empress heard about the gossip in the palace and asked Rong Mama to bring some tranquilizing soup. She also said..." He paused and glanced at Ziwei, "Mingzhu Gege's character is obvious to everyone in the palace. She will be the first to gossip about anyone."
Ziwei tightened her grip on the cloak, her voice as light as a feather: "Your Majesty...did you really say that?" In her past life, the queen always had a cold face. She never thought that she would be protected like this in this life.
"Absolutely true." Yongqi nodded, his eyes falling on Ziwei's slightly red eyes, and he slowed down his tone. "The Queen also said that when the weather gets better in a few days, she will let you and Xiaoyanzi go to her palace to learn flower arrangement. She said that the winter plum blossoms in the palace are in full bloom."
Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up. "Flower arranging? Great! I haven't learned anything from the Empress yet! This is a great opportunity to ask her who's the biggest gossipmonger in the palace!"
"You." Yongqi scratched her nose helplessly. "Your Majesty means well, don't think too much."
At this time, Xiao Jian came in from outside, his dark gown dusty. He walked over to Xiao Yanzi and whispered, "The rumors in the palace have spread to the Imperial Household Department. Chief Eunuch Chang Shou is so scared that he's hiding in his room, afraid of being punished by the Emperor." He paused, pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve, and handed it to Xiao Yanzi. "This is a list of the eunuchs that Nanny Li has had contact with recently. I had someone check it out. Take a look."
Xiaoyanzi took the note. The names on it were all distorted. She recognized two of them as the young eunuchs who had been talking with Nanny Li in the Imperial Garden a few days ago. Her brows immediately furrowed. "It's her! These people must have received bribes to dare to spread such nonsense!"
"Don't be so quick to get angry." Xiao Jian held her hand, his eyes calm. "There's a eunuch named Xiao Luzi on the list. He's the cleaning eunuch in Jingren Palace. I asked Xiao Zhuozi to keep an eye on him. Maybe he can hear something useful."
Ziwei leaned over to read the note, pointing at one of the names with her fingertips: "This little Zhuzi came to Shufangzhai to borrow needlework a few days ago. I saw his eyes evading at that time, and I thought it was a bit strange."
Erkang had walked in at some point, and upon hearing this, he said in a deep voice: "I'll go check this Xiao Zhuzi. He is the distant nephew of Lord Chen. Lord Chen has always been close to E Min. Maybe..." He didn't say anything else, but everyone understood what he meant - there might be more than just Concubine Gao behind this rumor.
The warm room was silent for a moment, the sandalwood smoke drifting slowly in the sunlight. Xiaoyanzi clutched the note tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Whoever they are, if they dare to bully my sister, I will never let them go!"
"Silly girl, don't get yourself angry." Yong Qi patted her back gently and turned his gaze to the window. "The emperor knows what's going on. We just need to gather the evidence and leave the rest to the emperor."
Just as he was speaking, Little Mosquito came tumbling in, clutching a newly bought sugar painting. He panted, "Wow, boom! It's all going crazy out there! They say... they say Eunuch E was whispering to some ministers in the Imperial Garden, saying Princess Mingzhu's jade pendant is fake, and they say... they say the Fang family made up this lie to curry favor with the rich and powerful!"
"Eunuch E?" Xiao Jian's eyes were stern. "E Min's men?"
Xiaoyanzi snatched the sugar painting from his hand, took a big bite, and said vaguely, "I said this rumor is wrong. It turns out that E Min is behind it! He's colluding with Concubine Gao and wants to take advantage of this opportunity to suppress the Fang family!" She became more and more angry as she spoke, and put the sugar painting on the table. "No, I have to go find the Emperor!"
"Stop!" Erkang quickly pulled her back. "How can you tell the emperor without evidence? Emin is an old minister. The emperor won't convict based on mere speculation."
Ziwei also stood up and took her other hand, saying softly: "Xiaoyanzi, calm down, we have found a clue, just wait a little longer, there will definitely be a result."
Xiaoyanzi looked at Ziwei's worried eyes, then at Yongqi and Xiaojian's solemn expressions. She took a deep breath and swallowed the words on her lips. She knew they were right. Impulsiveness would not solve the problem. The lessons of her previous life were still fresh in her mind. She could not be reckless in this life.
"Okay, I'll wait." She said sullenly, but suddenly her eyes lit up and she grabbed the book from Yongqi's hand. "Oh, right! Xiaodengzi said that Sun Wukong can transform into 72 different forms, and can turn into flies and mosquitoes to eavesdrop on monsters. We can do that too..."
"What do you want to do?" Yongqi looked at her warily.
Xiaoyanzi blinked, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I'm good at Qinggong. I'll go to Eunuch E's window at night and maybe hear their conspiracy!"
Yongqi was about to object, but was stopped by Xiao Jian. Xiao Jian saw the cleverness in his sister's eyes, and a rare smile appeared on his lips: "This idea is feasible, but you can't go while I go."
"elder brother!"
"My Qinggong is better than yours, and I have more experience in the martial arts world, so it won't be easy for me to be discovered." Xiao Jian interrupted her, his tone unquestionable, "You stay at Shufangzhai to meet me, I'll take Xiao Zhuozi with me, and we'll be back before dawn."
The sun gradually set, stretching the shadows of the palace walls. The maids and eunuchs hurried along the palace roads, tacitly avoiding the direction of Shufangzhai. In the warm room, the scent of sandalwood still lingered as several people gathered together, whispering about their plans for the night. Outside the window, the wintersweet blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, dropping a few petals onto the stone steps. Despite the chilly wind, the warmth of this shared effort gave this afternoon, deep within the palace walls, a sense of resilience to withstand the elements.
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