Thousand Threads Opera
"Understood?" Xiao Yiyu leaned back comfortably in his chair, with his younger sister sitting beside him. He rolled his eyes, too lazy to say another word to Xiao Diting, picked up his teacup, blew on it, and took a sip.
Xiao Diting was furious at his indifferent attitude. She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and cracked them open, refusing to even look at her brother. Instead, she stared at the Imperial Guards walking outside, extremely agitated.
"Your Majesty need not waste time with such idle talk; I have no interest in it."
“It seems the rumors are true.” Xiao Yiyu blurted out knowingly, which slightly caught her attention.
Xiao Di thought to himself, "You'd better really have something on your mind."
Since she agreed to wait for Xiao Yiyu in the inner palace, it wasn't good for her to be out in the wind. Although she was well taken care of inside, with tea and snacks provided, she still felt uncomfortable all over.
Seeing her like this, the Crown Prince, for some unknown reason, started chatting with her casually, making it seem to onlookers that the two had a good relationship.
Having run out of patience, Xiao Diting slammed his fist on the table and stood up, saying frankly, "Now that we are in the same room, we are being held back by others. Does Your Majesty have any backup plans?"
She was stating a fact, meaning she knew the Crown Prince still had room for maneuver.
The two had a terrible relationship; it was already a good thing that they didn't fight or argue. Xiao Diting's attitude wasn't great either, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yiyu didn't hold it against her this time.
"I understand why there was a sudden attack outside, but Pei Wenjin will be fine, don't worry."
How can you guarantee that?
“When you came to me, didn’t you understand this principle? I was involved in the Longcheng case, and I know the details better than anyone. If I say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.”
“But you,” Xiao Yiyu glanced at her mockingly, “I warned you long ago not to interfere recklessly. When will your headstrong nature ever stop…”
He couldn't finish his sentence. The icy sensation on his throat left him speechless. After the initial shock, he found it utterly ridiculous: "Xiao Mingzhao, are you crazy? The Imperial Guards are everywhere outside!"
Xiao Diting held the short knife hidden in his sleeve steadily against the Crown Prince's neck, his gaze icy: "Your Majesty is truly arrogant. You are not skilled in martial arts, yet you dare to share a room with me. You really trust me."
"you--"
Xiao Diting brought the knife an inch closer and asked in a deep voice, "Was that assassination attempt in the outskirts of the capital your doing?"
"What?"
“I went to the post station with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to search that time.” Xiao Diting frowned. “If you don’t remember, Your Majesty, I have plenty of ways to help you recall.”
"Don't go too far!"
Even though she was born into wealth and used to being mean and domineering, she couldn't help but soften her attitude a bit when she was isolated and helpless with a knife to her throat.
Xiao Di, noticing that his expression seemed genuine, asked suspiciously, "You really don't know?"
Xiao Yiyu's temper flared: "What you're saying reminds me of something. Didn't you already know about the grain draft? And then what were you doing, getting involved with those Imperial Guards?"
Did you kill Chunlan?
"who?"
Xiao Diting sheathed his knife, shook his head with a wry smile. It was easy for someone in a superior position to kill a servant; it would be a miracle if he kept a mere order to himself.
"If you weren't the one who intervened, then who was? His Majesty?"
Xiao Yiyu straightened his disheveled clothes from the previous standoff, looked at his younger sister who was deep in thought beside him, and sneered: "Who else could it be but your most respected second brother?"
He emphasized the word "admire" heavily, his tone almost overflowing with sarcasm.
"Second Brother?"
Now it was Xiao Diting's turn to be completely baffled. If that were the case, it could actually be explained. She possessed very few of the original owner's memories, most of which were related to the Crown Prince. In her dreams, he always had a gloomy face and looked down on the original owner, appearing aloof and unapproachable.
It's not fair to blame her for piling all the blame on the Crown Prince; the Emperor and the Crown Prince both have such a high profile, while her second brother has a very low profile.
At the last palace banquet, she was so preoccupied with seducing Yu Lanjiang that she didn't pay attention to anyone around her, only catching glimpses of them from afar. She'd been here for so long, and hadn't even spoken to him once.
This is so frustrating.
Xiao Diting plopped back down in her seat and continued playing with melon seeds out of sheer boredom. The misunderstanding was cleared up anyway, and she and her brother had nothing to talk about anyway.
It's also quite uncomfortable to force a conversation when there's nothing to say.
The only sound in the inner hall was the soft crackling of sunflower seeds. Xiao Diting piled the shells on the corner of the table and glanced at Xiao Yiyu out of the corner of his eye. Xiao Yiyu was slowly sipping his tea, his profile appearing even colder and harder in the candlelight.
The two remained silent, the air so still that the footsteps of the Imperial Guards patrolling outside could be heard. They even deliberately held their breath, as if a single word would ignite the hidden tension.
After an unknown amount of time, a familiar shrill voice came from outside the hall. Eunuch Shouxi bowed and entered, his face plastered with an annoying smile: "Your Highnesses, the chaos outside has subsided. His Majesty has summoned the Third Princess to speak with him privately."
Xiao Diting's heart skipped a beat, and the sunflower seed shells she was holding fell to the ground with a thud. She glanced at Xiao Yiyu, who merely raised his eyelids and waved his hand expressionlessly: "Go on, be careful."
"I don't need you to say anything more." She was disgusted by Xiao Yiyu's inexplicable concern and followed Shouxi out.
As she came out, she deliberately slowed her pace, her gaze sweeping over the corridors and courtyards of the East Palace.
The Imperial Guards remained stationed in their respective locations, but their expressions were peaceful, showing no signs of the chaos that followed the fighting. Even the thin layer of snow on the ground remained intact, with no trace of "internal strife."
Her doubts grew stronger, and she hesitated in her steps.
“Father-in-law,” she suddenly spoke, “where did Father summon me? This road doesn’t seem to lead to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.”
Sukiyaki didn't stop walking, still with that smiling face: "Your Highness, please rest assured, His Majesty has made arrangements."
He led her around a moon gate, and the scenery before them became increasingly remote. Dark green moss climbed the vermilion palace walls, and the palace lanterns under the eaves were covered with a layer of gray, the light dim and somewhat oppressive. Xiao Diting clenched her sleeve, her heart pounding with panic—this was definitely not the way to the emperor's bedroom or main hall.
"Father-in-law, where are you taking me?" She suddenly stopped in her tracks, her voice turning somber.
Sukiyaki then turned around, his smile fading slightly, and pointed ahead: "Your Highness, we've arrived."
Xiao Diting looked up and saw three gilded characters on the plaque in front of him: "Xiuchun Palace". Several expressionless female officials stood guard in front of the palace gate, and the atmosphere was so solemn that it was hard to breathe.
This place was remote and deserted. She had been in the palace for a long time, but she had only heard that it was the place where the second prince recuperated, and had never set foot there.
"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, frowning, her feet rooted to the spot.
Before Sukiyori could answer, two female officials stepped forward and grabbed her arms, one on each side.
They were incredibly strong. Xiao Diting struggled twice but couldn't break free. He was forcibly dragged inside.
"How dare you!" she hissed, but the female officials ignored her and dragged her straight into the main hall.
The hall was warm and cozy, filled with the elegant fragrance of sandalwood, a stark contrast to the bitter cold outside.
Xiao Diting looked up and saw a thick carpet in the hall. A man dressed in a moon-white brocade robe sat in a wheelchair, surrounded by several servants who were smiling at her.
The man was pale, but his lips had a faint blush. He had gentle and handsome features, but there was a lingering sickness in his eyes. He was none other than her second brother, Xiao Yunheng, who had a very low profile.
As soon as she entered, a female official stepped forward, grabbed her shoulder, and searched her body without saying a word. Even the short dagger hidden in her sleeve pocket was taken away and tossed onto a tray nearby with a crisp sound.
Xiao Diting was both angry and suspicious. He broke free from the female official's restraints and looked coldly at Xiao Yunheng: "Second brother, what is the meaning of this? Why did you bring me here when Father summoned me?"
Xiao Yunheng coughed twice, his voice gentle and soft, as if afraid of disturbing someone: "Don't be afraid, little sister. Those things outside are just a show. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
He gestured for the servants to leave, leaving only the two siblings in the hall: "Were you frightened just now? I heard that His Majesty had imprisoned you in the Eastern Palace, so I specially sent someone to bring you here, fearing that you might be anxious and quarrel with your elder brother, the Crown Prince."
"It's just some low-class stuff, please don't blame me, sister."
"A play?" Xiao Diting scoffed. "Second brother, tell me, what kind of play needs to use 'Pei Wenjin's rebellion' as a pretext?"
Xiao Yunheng's smile remained unchanged as he lightly tapped the armrest of his wheelchair with his fingertips: "My sister is indeed intelligent. Father has become increasingly suspicious of Pei Wenjin lately, and he has brought up the old case of Longcheng again. Most of the people who knew the inside story are dead... He is determined to deal with Pei Wenjin."
He changed the subject, his gaze falling on her face with a hint of inquiry, "Little sister, you want to save him, don't you?"
Xiao Diting's heart tightened, but he didn't respond. He just stared at him intently.
Seeing this, Xiao Yunheng smiled knowingly and gestured for her to come forward: "Come here, let your second brother take a look at you."
She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately took a step forward.
As soon as they stopped, Xiao Yunheng reached out and gently grasped her wrist. His fingertips were icy cold, yet the strength carried an undeniable gentleness: "I heard from people outside that you and Pei Wenjin are very close. You like him, don't you?"
Xiao Diting tried to pull his hand back, but the other man gripped it even tighter.
"So what if he is? Are you using him to threaten me?"
"Your personality has become so impatient." Xiao Yunheng chuckled, leaning closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "You are my beloved sister, how could I let you be sad? If Father wants to deal with Pei Wenjin, no one can stop him, but I can."
His voice was extremely low, carrying a strange, seductive quality. Xiao Diting felt uneasy all over and was about to retort when she saw Xiao Yunheng tilt his head slightly, gesturing for her to come closer.
She hesitated for a moment, but finally lowered her head.
“You’ve been very disobedient these days,” Xiao Yunheng’s voice was as light as a breeze, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. “You’ve been investigating old cases privately, defying the Emperor, and getting so close to the Embroidered Uniform Guard… I’ll help you one last time.”
He paused, his fingertips gently caressing her wrist, his tone suddenly turning cold: "If you can't fulfill the promises you made to me, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Xiao Yunheng reached out and gripped the back of her neck, meeting her gaze: "I'll kill you every time you try to escape. Don't forget the lesson from five years ago."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
