A cornered beast will fight on.
She's just a lowly servant girl; naturally, I can deal with her as I please.
The princess is a jinx...she's been haunted by ghosts and monsters.
Oh dear, this is really bad luck.
Sun Mama's nonchalant face seemed to still be right in front of her, but after Xiao Diting shouted loudly, Sun Mama lied to her face, and she immediately felt as if she had been pricked by a needle.
Through her talent, she saw beneath those human skins their corrupt hearts.
She pushed aside the monsters in human skin and felt a chill run down her spine.
Each heartfelt word stirred up a chaotic mess in her mind. She drifted through these "human-shaped ghosts" in a daze, enduring the discomfort as the palace maids led her to change clothes and bathe.
When she came to her senses, she was soaking in the bathtub, her hair wet and clinging to her forehead, her eyes red-rimmed, as if she had just been crying.
She had only been there a short time, and was either being hunted down or busy investigating cases, so she didn't have much involvement with the people of this world. Logically speaking, she shouldn't feel sad because of the death of a palace maid.
But her heart was really aching. A bitter feeling was building up inside her, and the overwhelming emotion that was driving her crazy kept surging, as if it wanted to devour her alive.
"……sorry."
A blurry silhouette was reflected on the water's surface. Xiao Diting lowered her head and huddled in the bucket. Not long ago, she had witnessed Chunlan's death and knew that it was a show of force given to her by the person behind the scenes.
The implication is simply that although I can't kill you, I have plenty of ways to embarrass you.
Thinking of this, Xiao Diting's injured finger, which was resting on the outside of the bathtub, involuntarily curled up.
So far, it seems there have been three assassination attempts in places she can see: one at Xuanlan Courtyard, one at an abandoned post station, and one by an insider from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Now is not the time to panic. She must remain calm. As a former modern undercover agent, her ability to see the big picture from small details and analyze the direction of the situation has always been an experience she is proud of.
After all, the environment she lived in before was probably not very peaceful. Without the strength to protect herself, she would probably have died long ago. How could she have gone undercover for six years before being exposed?
Xiao Diting pursed his lips, stirred the bathtub with his undamaged hand, creating ripples, and continued to review the situation without stopping.
Judging from the scale and timing of the killings, it involved at least two groups of people.
The assassination attempt at Xuanlan Courtyard was less about the princess's life and more about the fact that the assassins there used her and then discarded her as a pawn.
As for the abandoned post station, its sheer size clearly indicated that the person intended to kill her. That person was ruthless, completely disregarding the princess's life, and still had enough money to support an assassin of that caliber.
Xiao Diting thought of someone—the emperor brother in her dream who was aggressive towards the original princess and always cast disapproving glances at her.
Crown Prince Xiao Yiyu.
This man acted eccentrically, never taking the princess seriously, whether in public or in private. He regarded Xiao Diting more as an eyesore, hiding his claws and teeth, waiting for his prey to struggle to death in his encirclement before casting a disgusted glance at it.
It's pretty much certain that this extremely perverse behavior was the work of her cheap older brother.
Knowing that the Third Princess was accompanied by the Imperial Guards, it wouldn't have been easy to kill her, yet she still recklessly sent all her secret guards out, truly showing no regard for anyone.
The death of the palace maid Chunlan was deliberately staged for her, a constant reminder—
You are a jinx; whoever stands with you will fall into eternal damnation.
That prince is truly ruthless, disregarding blood ties and family bonds.
Xiao Diting soaked in the bathtub, lost in thought. The water temperature gradually cooled down, but she didn't care and remained motionless.
She needs to sort all this out as soon as possible. Today the Crown Prince can interfere with the servants in her palace at will, and tomorrow he can directly tell the Emperor that she is unlucky and deserves to be executed.
The trip to Huaizhou could not be delayed any longer. Those people were determined to fight her to the death, and she would never sit idly by and let them slaughter her.
However, Xiao Diting found something strange. On the night after the assassination attempt at Xuanlan Courtyard, the mysterious palace maid said, "They sent someone to warn Your Highness not to cause any trouble. This time, you took a risk and almost exposed your superiors."
In a major corruption case, as a member of the powerful elite, she must have chosen sides.
The Third Princess's stance aroused suspicion from those above, who wanted to remove her from the conspiracy. Judging from the palace maid's evasive attitude last time, it was pretty much clear that the original princess knew nothing about the other side; she was like a pawn that could be discarded at any time.
What will those people tell her?
Does that mean you only need to go to Xuanlan Courtyard and act out a scene to attract the attention of the Imperial Guards, so that we can do something sneaky behind the scenes?
Yes, but not entirely.
The original princess's fate should be to be directly placed under surveillance by the Imperial Guards as a suspect, becoming a true scapegoat, turning the charade into reality.
This move is extremely risky. It can not only get Xiao Diting out of the game quickly, but also clear the player's name completely, without exposing any of their secrets.
But the other side was wrong in that, despite all their calculations, they didn't anticipate that the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or rather the Emperor, simply didn't take her little tricks seriously.
They all grabbed a handful of candy like they were coaxing a cat, treating her like a bullied, useless snack, and told her to go as far away as possible.
This matter is chilling to think about, but what's strange about it is that the Third Princess, who has the blessing of "Di Ting", could not possibly be an ignorant girl. Therefore, she must know the deeper meaning behind the mission.
As for her audacious act of conspiring with the Imperial Guard behind the emperor's back, the old emperor felt that she couldn't cause much trouble and was happy to see it happen, so he let her go.
Otherwise, Xiao Diting wouldn't have been brought back to the palace peacefully; instead, he would have had to go directly to the emperor to apologize.
Speaking of cooperating with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xiao Diting had a headache. She was eager to learn more, and she couldn't refuse any conditions Pei Wenjin offered.
Following this line of thought, Xiao Diting came up with a very unexpected and feasible path. Although she didn't want to admit it, after this period of contact, she had to face this possibility.
The reason why the Third Princess had the confidence to step into the abyss might be because—
The current commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lord Pei Wenjin.
If things continue along this line of thought, then everything will fall into place. Xiao Diting did not feel relieved because he had obtained new clues; on the contrary, he was filled with melancholy.
Pei Wenjin and Xiao Diting had a relationship that went beyond mere acquaintance. They had a close personal connection, but were not intimate. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain Pei Wenjin's ambiguous concern for her during this short period of time.
Pei Wenjin's kindness to his colleagues and comrades is one thing, but maintaining a subtle connection with her is another.
First, Ji Chuan and others blocked the door and searched the area, while he himself waited in ambush along the only escape route for the prey, aiming to ambush it.
He wasn't surprised when he first saw Xiao Diting, because he knew that the original owner of this body was not a peaceful person.
That's why Pei Wenjin was able to defend her in front of the emperor and allow her to join the Embroidered Uniform Guard for self-protection without asking her reasons.
For a certain price, Pei Wenjin could do anything. This was because the Commander's influence was far-reaching and his reputation was well-deserved.
Pei Wenjin was a pillar of support, and whether Xiao Diting liked it or not, the only neutral person or the only one who was purely biased towards her seemed to be Pei Wenjin.
Soaking in bathwater for too long will make you sick.
Xiao Diting emerged from the water, wrapped herself in a bath towel, and the palace maid, who was guarding behind the screen, came forward out of concern when she saw that the princess had not made a move for a long time, and bumped into her.
"This servant deserves to die a thousand deaths, please forgive me, Your Highness." The palace maid, seeing that she had offended the Third Princess, and having heard from her when she was transferred here that the princess was capricious and unforgiving, repeatedly apologized.
Xiao Diting glanced down at her, water droplets dripping from her hair. Her expression was unfriendly, and she deliberately took a step back: "What's the panic... Hiss, you look unfamiliar to me. You're not from my palace, are you?"
The new-faced palace maid trembled like a leaf, but still answered respectfully as instructed: "Your Highness, it was because someone had been dishonest before, and it would be too unlucky for them to remain in your courtyard... I was transferred from another courtyard to serve Your Highness."
"Whose yard has so many extra people?"
The palace maid kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness, this is the Embroidered Spring Palace. The Second Prince heard that Your Highness was being pursued by the Embroidered Uniform Guards while investigating a case outside the city, so he specially ordered me to come and take care of Your Highness, so that you can have peace of mind."
The fact that the Second Prince was aware of the matter meant that the Emperor had also received Pei Wenjin's report.
It seems they get information very quickly.
Xiao Diting's gaze darkened. Her memories were incomplete; the only blood relatives who appeared in her dream were the Crown Prince and the old emperor. She knew nothing about the other people.
There was really no other way. Everyone who transmigrates is constantly being hunted down, and she simply doesn't have time to learn anything else.
The palace maid's words served as a reminder to her that the Third Princess was the Emperor's youngest child. Besides her older brother, who had a particularly high profile, she also had a Second Prince who was usually elusive and rarely seen.
This person has such a low profile; the palace maids they brought in are probably informants. I just don't know if he was involved in the previous pursuit.
Unsure of the Second Prince's stance, Xiao Diting, though distressed, could not continue to lash out, as her attitude towards the palace maids could become a pretext for them to cause her trouble.
At this critical juncture, Xiao Diting cannot afford to cause trouble for himself.
So she gave a faint smile, her tone softening considerably: "I am deeply grateful for your kindness. I will certainly thank you in person when I have the chance."
Xiao Diting walked past the kneeling palace maids and headed towards the inner hall.
"Get up and help me change my clothes."
The palace maid hurriedly got up and caught up with Xiao Diting's departing figure.
"May I have your name?"
"Your Highness, my name is Chunyan."
“Spring Swallow?” Xiao Diting murmured the name to himself with amusement. “〈1〉The flowers fall helplessly, but the swallows return as if we’ve met before—it’s a good name.”
Her inner chambers were always quiet and cold. As her name suggested, Chunyan, seeing that her expression had softened, became more talkative while helping her change her clothes.
"His Highness's health has been deteriorating over the years. Fortunately, the ginseng you sent this spring has greatly improved his complexion after he has been taking it for a period of time."
Chunlan picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe Xiao Diting's still dripping hair, and felt sorry for her disheveled hair: "Your beautiful hair, was it ruined by that assassin?"
Xiao Diting did not correct her misunderstanding, and said indifferently: "At that time, all you care about is saving your life. Gold and silver are just external things. As long as you are alive, what do things like hair matter as much as your life?"
"Your Highness truly lives up to the royal family's reputation..." Chunyan took a wooden comb and used it to untangle her knotted hair.
Xiao Diting chuckled and said nothing more, only looking down at the face he hadn't yet recognized in the bronze mirror on the dressing table, feeling extremely bitter.
These days of being besieged on all sides, she had no idea when they would end. If she had a choice, she would have preferred to die on the eve of jumping into the sea.
While tidying Xiao Diting's hair, Chunyan chattered incessantly with her. She tacitly allowed the little palace maid to talk, and Chunyan could tell you about everything, from the jealousy and gossip among the concubines in other courtyards to the scandals of the eunuchs and female officials.
Xiao Diting had access to a great deal of information, and from the gossip she shared, he gradually pieced together the relationships between the people in the deep palace.
As she listened, she became so sleepy that she could barely lift her eyelids, and her head tilted to the side.
Chunyan stopped talking abruptly and gently nudged Xiao Diting, who was in a light sleep.
"...Your Highness, Third Prince?"
Xiao Diting suddenly woke up, looked around blankly, and quickly calmed down after seeing his surroundings clearly.
"What is it?" She had just woken up, and her tone was inevitably stiff and awkward. Although she tried to restrain herself, she still startled Chunyan.
Beside Chunyan, there was someone Xiao Diting didn't want to see for the time being, someone he had met not long ago—Granny Sun.
Granny Sun fawned over him, her smile so wide it was almost blinding. This was a stark contrast to her previous polite demeanor towards Xiao Diting; she was practically fawning over him.
"This old servant should not disturb Your Highness's rest, but His Majesty, having finished his morning court session, heard that Your Highness had been assassinated and specially sent someone to invite Your Highness to come before him for a talk."
Xiao Diting's eyes lit up: "Father, is that really what you said?"
She was like a little daughter who had suffered a lot of injustices outside, and when she heard that someone was going to stand up for her, she was overjoyed and excited.
Xiao Di jumped up from her chair and called to the people around her, "What are you all standing there for? Help me with my makeup!"
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