Chapter 96 Just a Pawn 15
Those who had come with Xuanwei withdrew, but Xia Lu did not. It wasn't that this young girl was particularly loyal to her master, but rather that she simply lacked the tacit understanding of her master's intentions found in those around Xuanwei. If Xia Lu were truly so perceptive, she wouldn't have remained a third-class palace maid for so many years.
Xuanwei wasn't going to get angry over this. He simply took the medicine bowl from the trembling tray that Xia Lu was carrying and casually ordered, "You go out too."
Faced with Xuanwei so closely, Xia Lu was so terrified that her expression was almost blank.
Relying entirely on the etiquette she had honed in the palace over the years, she instinctively apologized and then floated away. Only when she reached the palace gate did she seem to remember something, and with all her courage, she looked up and glanced inside, only to meet Ren Yi's reassuring gaze.
Xia Lu paused for a moment, then quickly lowered her head and left completely.
The guards at the entrance were all Xuanwei's protectors. Xia Lu was terrified of them. On the day the palace fell, countless people died. Xia Lu had hidden in a secluded place and was fortunate enough to escape the calamity, but she still heard screams that never stopped all night. She hadn't seen who did it, but perhaps everyone here was the murderer.
Xia Luping retreated while holding her breath.
The guards were all worried about the situation in the palace, and no one paid attention to a little palace maid who had actually "escaped".
Even after the shadow of Yunjia Palace had completely disappeared from sight, Xia Lu's heart was still pounding. All she wanted to do was run as far away as possible, but for some reason, she remembered the comforting look in the Seventh Prince's eyes.
That doesn't seem like something the Seventh Prince would do.
Xia Lu suspected that she had glanced too quickly and misread the image. Her Highness meant to order her to stay, but she dared not... She was truly terrified. She was afraid of dying, she was so afraid of dying!
After she was found in her hiding place that day, she thought she was going to die.
However, the palace of the new dynasty also needed servants. After the initial chaos, the palace quickly regrouped its staff and registered the information of those who had originally served the emperor.
Xia Lu heard some news and learned that the Seventh Prince had been imprisoned. She dared not mention the name of Yun Jia Palace, but only mentioned the name of a palace that was usually neglected. No one paid attention to a lowly palace maid like her who did rough work. This time the registration was very chaotic and the check was not strict, so she actually managed to get away with it.
The imperial city has changed its masters, but they still do almost the same jobs.
Amidst her anxiety, Xia Lu surprisingly felt a sense of peace.
She thought life would continue like this, but not long after, the palace suddenly began looking for former members of Yunjia Palace.
Xia Lu was of low rank and could not find out much information. There were only rumors that the new emperor, out of consideration for past friendships, visited the criminal Mu Yuanji in prison. However, Mu Yuanji was ungrateful and offended the new emperor, even injuring his health.
When the news came, everyone said that the people of Yunjia Palace would be implicated. After Xia Lu was identified, she didn't even have time to resent the person who identified her. She didn't even see who that person was. Her mind was buzzing and she was extremely panicked.
She thought she had finally escaped that night, only to be told she was going to die again.
However, they were not immediately executed by beating; instead, they were taken to meet the new emperor, who was rumored to be a blue-faced, fanged, cannibalistic emperor.
Xia Lu vaguely remembered being questioned by the other party, but she was too scared at the time, and that memory is now blank; she can't remember what she answered at all.
She only remembered that many people who had been summoned to Yunjia Palace had died, including Yingqiu, a former head maid who had been very popular with the Seventh Prince.
To be fair, Xia Lu didn't like Ying Qiu. Unlike the fair and strict Shuang Diao, who rewarded merit and punished demerit, Ying Qiu loved to cause trouble for the palace maids. She also had an exceptionally clever tongue, always managing to please her mistress and receive rewards without doing any work. However, no matter how much Xia Lu disliked her, she had to admit that Ying Qiu was indeed favored by her mistress and got along well in every palace. Even after the palace fell, she fared the best.
But on that day, this usually arrogant palace maid was dragged out, with trails of blood stretching from inside the palace outwards. Her head slumped to one side, and she was already dead.
Xia Lu heard that the person who died was "betraying the Lord".
But she was also confused. In this situation, who exactly was their "master"?
Xia Lu couldn't understand it; all she knew was that she saw a lot of blood.
...She was assigned to serve people.
She was in a daze and at first did not even recognize that it was Yunjia Palace, where she had stayed for so long, nor did she recognize that the person on the bed was her former master.
The former Seventh Prince was a top-tier figure in the palace. Even if he received a special reward from the Emperor, it would always end up in his hands. His clothes were always made of the finest materials from tributes from various regions, and the jade pendants at his waist were never the same. The jade crown on his head was also made of top-quality jade from tributes from other countries, with patterns carved by the most skilled craftsmen in the palace...
But the person on the bed was covered in filthy clothes, his hair disheveled, and his face stained with dirt and blood, making it impossible to discern his original features. No one would have guessed that this person, who looked worse than a beggar on the street, was actually the once most favored prince in the palace.
When Xia Lu got closer, she saw that the person's tangled hair was due to congealed blood clots, and even the dirt on their clothes was dark stains left by dried blood. The scabs had long since stuck the fabric to the wounds, and if they were to forcibly tear them off, they would probably have torn off the entire piece of skin. An unfamiliar imperial physician was sweating profusely as he treated the wounds, and the others were immediately asked to assist him.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but after all the wounds were bandaged, the blood clots in her hair were cleaned, and the dirt on her face was wiped away, Xia Lu finally recognized that this pale-faced person with only a slight rise and fall of his chest was actually her former master!
Xia Lu still remembers the shock she felt at that time.
You should know that in the past, even the slightest bump or scrape on His Highness's skin, let alone blood, would cause a sensation in Yunjia Palace. Now, however, he has been injured so badly.
...
Those scenes surged through her mind, but Xia Lu's feet wouldn't budge no matter what she did.
She thought of how His Highness was on the bed, barely breathing and seemingly on the verge of death, and then of the comforting look he gave her before he left. She couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and she didn't know what to feel.
She finally gritted her teeth, turned back, and headed back to Yunjia Palace.
Within this palace city, she had nowhere else to go.
Although she returned to Yunjia Palace, Xia Lu did not dare to approach the group of fierce-looking soldiers who looked like they were not to be trifled with. She found a very inconspicuous corner to hide in, but unfortunately, two lazy soldiers were walking towards her.
Xia Lu was so startled that she held her breath and carefully hid further inside. Fortunately, the two people were not there to search. They only glanced at her and relaxed after seeing that no one was around. The sound of their conversation could be faintly heard by Xia Lu.
Xia Lu didn't want to listen. She hadn't learned anything else in the palace, but she understood that "it's best not to listen to things you shouldn't know." However, they were too close at the moment, and even though Xia Lu covered her ears, she could still hear the sounds clearly.
"What on earth is His Majesty thinking? Not only did he get the person out of prison, but he also arranged accommodations and hired people to take care of him... and when he heard the person had woken up, he even came to see him in person?"
The person who asked this question was genuinely puzzled. Even they knew that with the new dynasty newly established, there were countless things to deal with. They, as the imperial guards, had witnessed the new emperor being so busy these past few days that he barely had time to sleep.
You're so busy, yet you still have time to deal with those trivial matters?
That's right now. As soon as they heard he was awake, they rushed over. He wouldn't run away if they left him there, and besides, with his injuries, he couldn't run very far.
Another, thinner, shorter man seemed to know more. "Didn't I say that His Majesty had a relationship with this Seventh Prince when he was in the capital of Mu Dynasty?"
"Friendship?" The tall figure seemed quite dismissive. "He's just a prince from a previous dynasty, the descendant of a criminal. His Majesty's leniency in sparing his life is already a great act of mercy. As for this? In my opinion..."
Before the big guy could finish speaking, his companion quickly stopped him: "Watch your mouth, don't drag me into this... You really think it's just a normal 'friendship'?!"
"Could it be that?" The speaker still didn't think the relationship between the new emperor and the former dynasty's prince was particularly close.
Even if they used to get along well, after so many years apart, their feelings have long since faded. Besides, if they were really close, they wouldn't have gone to jail for it.
Seeing that he still didn't understand, the skinny man couldn't help but look at him with a "Is he stupid?" look. The person being looked at couldn't stand it, and the two exchanged a few blows in a short while. The big man, with his larger size advantage, successfully suppressed his opponent and twisted his arm, demanding, "Will you talk or not?"
The skinny man howled softly, "Keep your voice down, do you really want people to see us hiding here in peace and quiet?"
Although they had fought, neither of them took it to heart. The skinny guy looked around again to make sure there was no one around before carefully pointing to his neck.
Seeing that the big, dumb guy still didn't understand anything, he couldn't help but grin and grimac again: How could anyone be so stupid?
To avoid getting another beating, the skinny guy finally held back his "caring for a fool" look, lowered his voice, and explained to him in detail: "Didn't you see? That guy here... it's not a knife wound or a gunshot wound, it's a 'teeth mark'!"
The big guy seemed to have thought of something, but his expression was mostly confused.
The skinny guy couldn't help but click his tongue.
How can someone be so dense?
He had no choice but to go a step further and remind them, "Some of the brothers who were on duty in the previous court said that these past few days after court sessions, everyone down below has been talking about which young vixen is so hot."
Big guy: ? ! !
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
