Not afraid of ten thousand
"I know you won't take the Empress's things with you. This is my savings, and I'm giving it all to you."
Yanxiu held it in her hand and gave a wry smile.
"It's not easy for you to save up wages in the weaving workshop. This must be all your savings over the years! You've worked so hard to accumulate this, there must be a use for it. How can I take it so easily?"
She boldly said, “Things in the palace have specific shapes and patterns, and taking them outside can easily reveal your identity. But this hairpin of mine is simple and clumsy, just the style commonly used by ordinary people. In an emergency, the hairpin head is sharp, so you can use it to protect yourself. ... If you encounter a difficult situation, you can also sell it for money to use as a means of survival.”
Recalling her first meeting with Yanxiu and her disdain for money, she couldn't help but add a word of caution: "If you leave Jianzhang and go elsewhere, this hairpin would be enough to buy a shop, hire a few servants, and acquire a good amount of goods. But in Jianzhang... it would only be enough for a month's living expenses." Not only is land expensive in the capital, but everything—clothing, food, housing, and transportation—is also costly. A shop cannot be bought without five hundred taels of silver.
Yanxiu's eyes once again revealed a deep and heartfelt gratitude. She carefully and solemnly tucked the gold hairpin, which was clearly mismatched with her but had been specially crafted for her, into her sleeve. After hesitating for a long while, she finally spoke, "I have no shortage of gold and jewels, but you are currently only the Director of the Weaving Department. Giving it to you would only harm you. I once saw a pair of fine writing brushes, each about a foot long, in my uncle's study. I sent someone to my mother's house to retrieve them a couple of days ago."
She looked at Zhao Lingying and said softly, "I will hide it on the top shelf of the bookshelf on the south side of the main hall of Qiwu Palace, in the fifth compartment. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, go there to retrieve them."
Yanxiu was a renowned calligrapher of the time, and he was particular about the use of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Zhao Lingying herself was also quite skilled in calligraphy. At this time of parting, Yanxiu did not promise her any gold, silver, jewels, high-ranking official positions, or generous salaries, but instead sent her two brushes from her family home. Although Zhao Lingying found it a bit strange, she simply accepted the gift with gratitude.
She never imagined that if Yanxiu were not around, she would still be able to freely come and go from Qiwu, taking whatever she wanted.
Rationally, she couldn't accept the fact that Yanxiu was leaving. Perhaps Yanxiu had known this all along, and thus, risking a leak, informed her early on, precisely to give her time to accept it. During this period, Yanxiu summoned her to Qiwu less and less frequently; if she needed anything, he usually summoned other needlework girls, his aim being to distance himself from her.
So that after Yanxiu leaves, the investigation won't trace it back to her.
In the eyes of the world, she was just an ordinary weaving lady who occasionally gained the empress's favor due to her outstanding needlework and calligraphy skills.
Since he was neither promoted nor ennobled, it was not a matter of great importance.
There's only one month left.
She intensified her planning and strategizing.
Yanxiu's actions would certainly not receive the support of the Shangguan family. She wasn't skilled at cultivating her own faction; her escape this time likely relied solely on Su Jinlan to conceal her identity. All the checkpoints and search parties within the palace recognized this head maid from the Shangguan family, who served the Empress. She judged that Yanxiu would inevitably impersonate a junior maidservant of Su Jinlan, who would then falsely claim to have orders from the Empress to her family, thus smoothly leading her out of the palace.
If the Shangguan family were to act with any authority, no one in the entire palace would dare to obstruct their investigation, all because the Grand Chancellor, Shangguan Jingan, had just won the Battle of Crossing the River, making him a hero who saved the Southern Dynasty from dire straits. Although the Empress had never been ostentatious, no one in the palace had ever dared to disrespect her.
But better safe than sorry. If she were to encounter some ignorant soldier who insisted on verifying her identity before letting her pass, Yanxiu would be in danger.
Fortunately, she was able to offer some help in this regard.
In the palace, besides Yanxiu, she also had a secret relationship.
Li Lanxiu, the newly promoted Left General of the Imperial Guard, once accidentally tore a long rip in her official robes with a weapon at the drill ground. At that time, Li Lanxiu was summoned to pay homage to the emperor and almost caused a major blunder by disrespecting the emperor. Fortunately, she happened to witness the incident and reminded him, managing to delay the process. She spent the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to mend the robes until they were barely visible. Afterward, she worked tirelessly for two days and two nights by lamplight to completely unravel the tear and re-weave it back to its original condition.
The reason she devoted herself so wholeheartedly at the time was because she vaguely felt a similar temperament to herself in this female general.
When she returned the official robes to Li Lanxiu early in the morning, Li Lanxiu smiled and said, "Thank you." He then bowed deeply and said, "If it weren't for Zhao Ling rushing to mend them and sending them here today, I would have had no clothes to change into, and I would still be guilty of being disrespectful when I went to the Emperor's court."
The Left General of the Imperial Guard held military power over the palace's elite Tiger Army, a position far higher than hers, a mere Weaving Chamber Master. She returned the greeting with trepidation, asking in bewilderment, "Why didn't the General change his clothes? Couldn't he have changed into something else?"
Li Lanxiu smiled and said, "I only have two sets of uniforms issued by the military camp, and nothing else. Soldiers should be prepared to die at any time, without any distractions, that's all."
For a regime to prosper, only two things are needed: civil officials must not be greedy for money, and military generals must not be afraid to die. But in fact, the reverse is also true.
Having entered the palace from Wumen, she had heard much about the ways of powerful families and warlords. Not to mention the Imperial Guard, even the Eastern Wu navy was rife with corruption, with countless officers embezzling and misappropriating military pay. Anyone with even a little power would do their utmost to line their own pockets.
Encountering Li Lanxiu, a high-ranking military commander who was as carefree as a bright moon and gentle breeze, was a refreshing surprise in the chaotic palace, a joy she had never expected.
She smiled and replied, "In our dynasty, there are only a handful of people of noble character like the General. It would be a pity if he died not from the blade but from the slander of petty people or from the constraints of rules and etiquette. Please allow me to make a few more sets of military uniforms for the General, in case of emergency."
Li Lanxiu was a smart man and immediately understood the meaning behind her words. He did not refuse and cupped his hands, saying, "Then thank you very much, Commander Zhao."
He looked at her intently and said, "There are many prominent figures in the palace. I wonder why Zhao Ling has paid special attention to me and shown me such favor?"
She guessed that the woman was deliberately trying to befriend and win her over, but she didn't understand why she chose her instead of others. She needed the woman to explain herself clearly.
Without hesitation, she met Li Lanxiu's gentle yet scrutinizing gaze and replied, "Because the general just said that soldiers should be prepared to die at any time, without any distractions. And Lingying heard something in those words that resonated with me."
Li Lanxiu remained expressionless and said calmly, "Oh, what is that?"
She boldly stated, "If the general's past was very happy, the general would not have said such a thing. Therefore, Lingying boldly deduces that the general's background is similar to that of a concubine; both fought alone and relied on themselves to get to where they are today."
Li Lanxiu was originally threading a needle to mend another torn piece of her underwear.
Upon hearing this, she suddenly stopped needlework. After a moment, she pushed the needle and thread aside and laughed, "Then I won't stand on ceremony. From now on, all this work will be yours, little sister. I wonder if Zhao Ling will mind?"
She obediently walked to the opposite side of Li Lanxiu, picked up the needle and thread, and said with a smile, "I would be happy to serve Sister Lanxiu."
That marked the official beginning of her alliance with the later Consort Chen, the renowned "Golden Goblet and Falling Moon" Li Lanxiu.
As the Right General of the Imperial Guard, Li Lanxiu was in charge of the triple defense of Jianzhang Palace, along with the Left General Xie Lang.
She wasn't familiar with Xie Lang at the time, but Li Lanxiu was someone she could ask for help.
She found Li Lanxiu and told him that on a certain day, the Empress of Qiwu Palace had an important family letter and would be sending her trusted maid out of the palace. She asked Li Lanxiu to do her a favor and instruct all the sentries in the palace not to stop anyone who was carrying a token from Qiwu Palace.
At that time, Li Lanxiu already knew that her sworn sister was getting close to Qiwu Palace, but she never said a word about it.
Even sworn sisters have the freedom to make their own friends, and besides, Empress Shangguan is not a bad person.
She only asked, "Lingying, do you know the contents of that letter?"
These words were a test of the depth of Yanxiu's relationship with Zhao Lingying, whether it was worth her helping with this favor, and also a test of the importance of this favor.
If even Zhao Lingying herself didn't know the contents of that letter, how could she be asked to let it pass through and ensure that it was safely sent out of the palace?
If it were just an ordinary letter, why would an empress, of such high status, need to specifically ask a minor official to let it pass?
Zhao Ling met her gaze and answered frankly, "In short, it's not a rebellion. If the Shangguan family wanted to rebel, the Grand Secretary could have already led his troops to quell the rebellion at Jianzhang Palace without disturbing the Empress. The most likely scenario is that after the Empress gave birth to her legitimate son, she plans to return to her maternal home temporarily, or even express her grievances. But this is not something we outsiders can or should know."
Her words were perfectly reasonable, flawless, and subtly aligned with the facts.
She added, "I just suddenly remembered and casually mentioned it. Sister Lanxiu, you don't need to take it too seriously. I think that even if you don't make a special effort, the Imperial Guards shouldn't make things difficult for the people from the Empress's Palace who want to leave the palace to return to the Shangguan family."
She deliberately changed her story to downplay the matter, but it was because she suddenly felt guilty.
Li Lanxiu's alert reaction made her realize that this matter was not so simple. If she couldn't even hide it from Li Lanxiu, she feared that saying a few more words would only alert him and arouse suspicion.
Li Lanxiu remained silent for a long time before saying, "Alright, let me know in advance. I will personally patrol the city that day and make sure that the people from the Empress's Palace leave safely without any obstruction."
Amid Zhao Lingying's astonishment, Li Lanxiu sighed and said, "Five years ago, when my father died on the battlefield as an ordinary soldier, it was Grand Chancellor Shangguan who specially granted me permission to inherit the military rank and promoted me to the Shenji Camp. After that, I relied on my own abilities to rise step by step into the Imperial Guard system and reach my current position. Since Grand Chancellor Shangguan's niece is in trouble, and it was also your request, Lingying, I cannot refuse."
She added, "She hasn't been happy in the palace all these years, so it's perfectly normal for her to want to go back to her parents' home for a while."
At this point, Li Lanxiu suddenly coughed lightly and said, "You should go back first. I will take care of what you have to say."
Yanxiu's departure from the palace was no small matter. Zhao Lingying had been paying close attention to Li Lanxiu's reaction, fearing that it would arouse her suspicion. Now that she had relaxed, she cupped her hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Lanxiu. I'll head back now."
When she left the inner room of Li Lanxiu's official residence and walked to the outer room, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and her clothes were soaked with cold sweat.
A composed and calm man stood at the doorway outside, wearing armor and carrying a sword, also in the uniform of the Imperial Guard. He was observing her intently and silently.
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