Chapter 114 Disturbing People’s Sleep in the Middle of the Night
Shen Chu sighed, sat on the couch, took a bite of the pastry on the plate.
Chunxi saw that Shen Chuwei was silent, and must have been bullied. "My lady, His Highness is busy every day and must have a bad temper. Let's not argue with him. I will prepare a delicious dinner for you."
Shen Chuwei's depressed mood was relieved when she heard about the delicious food. She crossed her legs, took a bite of the cake, and started to order dishes. "Shredded pork with spicy peppers, I haven't had it for a long time."
Chunxi agreed readily, "No problem, I will do it tonight."
"There are also pickled fish and vinegar pork ribs."
"I've made note of it."
Shen Chuwei continued eating the cake.
Chunxi couldn't help asking, "My lady, why did His Highness treat you so harshly? If His Highness doesn't listen to reason, I won't put salt in the food next time His Highness comes to eat."
"He said my handwriting was ugly and asked me to practice it." Shen Chuwei took a bite of the cake and continued, "I am a powerless concubine. Who do you think I should write for?"
Chunxi was a little confused, "My lady, is it because of this?"
Shen Chuwei took a sip of tea and asked, "What else?"
Chunxi consoled him, "Your Highness is doing this for your own good, otherwise why wouldn't he let other young ladies practice calligraphy?"
“Because they don’t need to practice.”
"...Okay!" Chunxi saw a beautiful brocade box and asked curiously, "My lady, what is this?"
Shen Chuwei explained: "The pen that His Highness gave me is said to be the only one of its kind and is worth a fortune."
Chunxi happily touched the brocade box, opened it carefully and took a look. Under the light, the pen body had a faint blue light, and it was obvious at a glance that it was not an ordinary item.
"Your Highness is so kind to me, giving me such an expensive pen. Even Concubine Chang Liang doesn't have one."
Shen Chuwei asked Chunxi curiously, "You said that Chang Liangdi is so favored and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Why doesn't Your Highness give this to Chang Liangdi?"
"I don't know what Your Highness is thinking, but I can see that Your Highness likes the young lady very much." Chunxi said happily.
Outside the door, the little rabbit came in and reported: "My lady, Chuntao is here, kneeling in the yard."
Chunxi said unhappily, "Why is she here again? I've never seen anyone so shameless. She knows the young lady is favored, so she comes up eagerly again."
Shen Chuwei said, "Go out and tell her that once you leave Xiyun Pavilion, there will be no chance to come back."
"I'll go and tell you right away." The little rabbit turned and went back to the yard.
Chun Tao knelt on the cold ground, her frail body trembling constantly. When she saw Little Rabbit coming out, she asked hurriedly, "Did Shen Liang Di agree that I can come back?"
The little rabbit said indifferently: "The young lady said that the maids and servants in Xiyun Pavilion will never come back once they leave this door, so you'd better get out."
Chun Tao cried bitterly, "I can't go back to Shen Liangyuan anymore. If Shen Liangdi doesn't accept me, I really have nowhere to go."
"That has nothing to do with you, young master. When you left Xiyun Pavilion, you should have thought that this day would come."
After the little rabbit finished speaking, he ordered, "Xiao Guizi, pull her out and don't let her disturb the young master."
Xiao Guizi put down the broom in her hand, grabbed Chuntao and walked out.
Chun Tao cried with tears in her eyes, "Please, I really have nowhere to go. Can you and Shen Liang Di ask for mercy?"
After Shen Chuwei finished her bath, she took out the pen given by Xiao Jinyan from the box by candlelight and examined it carefully. The pen felt warm to the touch and one could tell from its material that it was not an ordinary item.
Why give her such an expensive pen?
Is it just to remind her to practice her calligraphy well?
She held a pen in one hand and a book in the other, and sighed helplessly: "Isn't there a saying in ancient times that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent?"
Shen Chuwei put away the pen, stood up, lifted the quilt and crawled into the quilt. In the quilt was the hot spring that Chunxi had prepared early, which was very warm.
At this moment, bursts of women's crying were heard outside the window. The sound was sharp and miserable, making it impossible to sleep.
She called out, "Chunxi, who's crying outside?"
Chunxi opened the curtain and walked in, "Don't worry, my lady, I will go and ask right away."
After Chunxi finished speaking, he let down the curtain and walked out.
At night, the wind was cold and howling.
Chunxi opened the door wearing a thick cotton coat. The cold wind blew in. She shrank her neck and asked, "Xiao Anzi, what's going on outside?"
Xiao Anzi replied, "It was Chuntao, who was standing at the door and refused to leave, crying all the time."
"I told you I would come back after leaving Xiyun Pavilion, but you still refuse to leave. You are so shameless." Chunxi said angrily and turned back to go into the house.
"My lady, it's Chuntao who's crying outside and refuses to leave. It's so cold outside. If something happens, people will say that we in Xiyun Pavilion are cold-blooded and heartless." Chunxi became angrier the more he thought about it.
Shen Chuwei glanced out the window. It was foggy outside and she could only see the red lanterns and the swaying treetops.
I heard that it will snow in the next two days. If something happens, Xiyun Pavilion will definitely be involved.
She thought for a while and said, "Chunxi, let Chuntao stay here for one night. Go to the Imperial Household Department early tomorrow morning and ask Eunuch Quan to arrange a new place for her."
"I understand, my lady." Chunxi put down the curtain and walked out.
She reopened the door and ordered, "Xiao Anzi, let Chuntao stay in for one night, and take her to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to find a new job tomorrow morning."
"I got it. I'll go put her in right away." Xiao Anzi worked efficiently and settled Chuntao in the empty room in the side wing.
There was no sound of the woman crying, only the whistling of the cold wind.
Shen Chuwei fell asleep after a while.
The next morning, Chunxi opened the curtain and ran in, shaking Shen Chuwei who was still sleeping, "My lady, my lady, something bad has happened."
Shen Chuwei was sleeping soundly when she was woken up by someone. She rubbed her eyes and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Chunxi was horrified, "My lady, Chuntao is dead."
Shen Chu was stunned for a moment, then sat up suddenly and looked at Chunxi in disbelief, "You said Chuntao is dead?"
"Yes, young lady, this morning, Guixiang opened the door and saw Chuntao dead." Where had Chunxi seen a dead person? Even now, thinking of Chuntao's face still makes him have nightmares.
Shen Chuwei was afraid of something going wrong, so she asked Chuntao to help out for one night, but she didn't expect that something would still happen.
"Let the little rabbit tell His Highness and see how he handles it."
"I'll go now." Chunxi ran out and said to the little rabbit, "Go tell His Highness that something happened in Xiyun Pavilion."
"Okay." The little rabbit was nimble and ran out of Xiyun Pavilion in a short while.
Shen Chuwei started to get dressed and wash up.
I don’t know if it was because Chuntao cried outside the door last night, but Shen Liangyuan, Chang Liangdi, Xu Cefei and others rushed to Xiyun Pavilion early in the morning.
When I arrived I found out that it was Chuntao who was crying last night, and that Chuntao died early this morning.
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Chuntao and Xiaofuzi made a mistake, the chapter had been revised two years ago.