Yunmiao doesn't want to die
When Xiao Diting returned to the Dali Temple to be on duty, she was of noble status and had her own private cubicle to work in. She had been in a bad mood ever since she returned from Lord Pei's place.
She could easily uncover her schemes with a little trickery if the Imperial Guards wanted to, but Pei Wenjin kept quiet, not only because he had his own unspeakable difficulties, but also because...
Xiao Diting withdrew his melancholy gaze, secretly mocking himself for what kind of relationship he and Xiao Diting had at this moment. They were neither ruler nor subject, willing to entrust their lives to each other when facing life and death, but each harboring their own ulterior motives when it came to interests.
However, this cannot be entirely blamed on her. Anyone who is new to this run-down place cannot completely trust anyone, especially since it was clearly Pei Wenjin who took advantage of her first.
It's like a cat lying on its back, looking innocent and harmless, but if you try to touch its belly, you'll get scratched all over your hand.
She didn't have the time to wait it out with him, nor did she have time to catch her breath. The Emperor had suffered a humiliating defeat at her hands, and he would surely seek revenge one day... As for the Crown Prince, he was accompanying the Empress Dowager to a temple to pray for blessings when she returned to the capital, and he should be back soon.
After all, she left in a hurry and didn't ask Song Chenjing what the case was about, so she could only search for relevant clues on her own.
However, she was wrong. This was not a society governed by the rule of law. Imperial power was above all else. As long as that person did not want to, she could not find out anything.
Xiao Diting pondered for a long time, flipping through some documents related to the Northwest that she had ordered someone to find. She sat and looked at them for a long time, but she couldn't find any content that might be relevant to the topic. She couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. She should have stopped her and asked a few more questions.
"Not asking about secrets" is not a good habit here.
She was thinking about Song Chenjing when she belatedly realized something was wrong... Some of the files piled on her desk had been removed, indicating that someone had been there.
But it seems that Song Chenjing didn't hand over the handover documents as she requested.
Xiao Diting, unwilling to give up, searched around again and, after confirming that it was indeed not there, thoughtfully sat back down in her original seat. She knew that there was no need for her to look for Song Chenjing at this time; there were procedures for doing things, and it was probably that the higher-ups were holding him back and unwilling to let him go.
This matter didn't fall on her shoulders, and she didn't have enough reason to get involved in its core aspects. Furthermore, given Pei Wenjin's refusal to discuss it, she didn't have the opportunity for the time being.
Being too aggressive will only backfire; Xiao Diting has always been a patient hunter.
She had just argued with Pei Wenjin not long ago, and it was absolutely impossible for her to beg him. She recalled the image of him kneeling in the snow that day, and it felt jarring to her eyes.
When arguing with him, she was unusually good-tempered, but her words were still sharp: "Since Lord Pei sees things so clearly, why point it out?"
Pei Wenjin's study was quite out of character for him; he was calculating yet also calm and gentle at heart. Xiao Diting hadn't had a chance to think about it beforehand, and before entering the study, he had assumed it would be filled with books.
In fact, Pei Wenjin wasn't that fond of reading. His study was minimally furnished, with only one wall of bookshelves piled high with files, and half a map of the Northwest spread out on the desk, the ink still wet.
She walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a yellowed booklet, and hesitated to open it while touching the title page. Her intention did not seem to be to read the book: "This humble servant is just curious about where Your Highness intends to send the batch of grain that you have secretly stored."
When he turned around, all traces of illness had vanished from his eyes, replaced by a look of inquiry: "Is it for the refugees, or... is it somewhere else?"
Xiao Diting suddenly laughed. She walked to the map and pointed to the location of Juyan Mountain in the northwest with her fingertip: "Instead of worrying about whether I have ulterior motives, Lord Pei should worry about himself first."
She looked up at him, her tone playful and provocative, and said, "Does Lord Pei think that I'm going to move the grain back to my own residence and hoard it as part of my dowry?"
Pei Wenjin tightened his grip on the booklet, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Does Your Highness know that misappropriating military rations is a capital offense?"
"A capital offense?" Xiao Diting raised an eyebrow. "In the Huaizhou case, wasn't the Crown Prince embezzling a lot of grain? He can live well, so naturally I can live well too, yet it's become a capital offense?"
She abruptly changed the subject, her gaze sharpening: "Or is it that Lord Pei intends to use this charge against me on behalf of His Majesty?"
The air in the study seemed to freeze instantly. The silver charcoal in the fireplace crackled, but it couldn't dispel the chill between the two.
Pei Wenjin remained silent for a moment, then suddenly put the booklet back on the bookshelf: "This humble servant dares not."
As he lowered his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed: "I'm just reminding Your Highness to always leave yourself an out."
Looking at his expression, Xiao Diting suddenly lost interest. She turned and walked towards the door: "Thank you for the reminder, Lord Pei, but I won't trouble you with my affairs."
After saying that, she lifted the curtain and went out without looking back.
Pei Wenjin stared at the empty doorway, feeling a void in his chest. He knew that Xiao Diting would get involved in this matter sooner or later without anyone informing him.
Because her name is "Di Ting" (谛听), meaning "reasonable judge who clears the name of the innocent," Xiao Di Ting is a judge who understands the law and exonerates the wronged.
When Xiao Diting left the Pei residence, it was already dusk.
As the carriage arrived at the entrance of the Dali Temple, she had just alighted when she saw a maid in palace attire waiting at the foot of the steps. Upon seeing her, the maid bowed and said, "Your Highness, the Princess has been waiting for you at the residence for a long time, saying that she has important matters to discuss with you."
Xiao Diting felt a chill run down her spine. The Eldest Princess was the Empress Dowager's own daughter and had always been close to the Crown Prince. Her seeking her out now was probably not for anything good. She suppressed her doubts and nodded, saying, "I understand, I'll go right away."
The Princess's residence was not far from the Dali Temple, and the carriage arrived in no time. As soon as Xiao Diting stepped into the main hall, she saw the Princess sitting upright in the main seat, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. When she saw her, she merely raised her eyes slightly and said, "You've finally arrived. The Empress Dowager has returned from Putuo Temple today and wants you to go to Cining Palace to see her first thing tomorrow morning."
Xiao Diting's heart tightened. The Empress Dowager's trip out of the palace to pray for the Crown Prince's health was originally for the sake of the Crown Prince's well-being. Now that she was suddenly being summoned, she feared that her true intentions were not what they seemed.
She bowed and replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."
The eldest princess put down her prayer beads and glanced at her: "You just returned from Huaizhou. The Empress Dowager, mindful of your hard work, specially obtained a peace charm for you from the temple. When you go tomorrow, please be respectful."
Xiao Diting nodded in agreement, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then got up to take his leave.
As she left the Princess's residence, it began to snow again.
The evening breeze, carrying snowflakes, stung her face, chilling her to the bone and bringing her back to her senses. As the biggest beneficiary, the Empress Dowager was supposed to forbid women in the harem from interfering in politics, but she might not have been unaware of the rumors; this was a warning to her.
The next morning, Xiao Diting changed into an elegant palace dress and arrived at Cining Palace on time.
She was led forward by a female official named Yunmiao. Along the way, Yunmiao pretended to be concerned and asked about the Empress Dowager's daily life. Yunmiao was a woman of few words, but she always responded to everything.
She gathered a lot of information along the way.
"I'll leave you here. The Empress Dowager is waiting for you inside." Yun Miaoren bowed and left quickly after receiving permission.
Xiao Diting took a deep breath outside the palace gate, then pushed it open and went inside.
Incense smoke curled gently inside the hall. The Empress Dowager sat on a warm couch, her hair meticulously combed, her face etched with wrinkles yet still exuding elegance. Upon her arrival, the Empress Dowager gestured to a brocade stool beside her: "Sit down. Were you cold on your journey?"
Xiao Diting bowed and thanked her, then sat down on the brocade stool: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am not cold."
The Empress Dowager smiled, took a brocade box from the maid beside her, and handed it to her: "This is a peace amulet that I obtained for you at Putuo Temple. The jade is of good quality. You can take it."
Xiao Diting took the brocade box with both hands, opened it, and found a white jade safety buckle inside, with intricate scriptures engraved on it.
She rose and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand and asked about her recent situation in Huaizhou. Xiao Diting answered her questions respectfully.
After listening for a while, the Empress Dowager suddenly sighed: "You child, you have suffered a lot in Huaizhou. In the future, if you need anything in the capital, you can come to me."
Xiao Diting was puzzled. The Empress Dowager's attitude today was too gentle, and she did not seem to have the intention to warn her as she had expected. Could it be that she had some kind of scheme? She suppressed her doubts and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the Empress Dowager dismissed her. As Xiao Diting left Cining Palace, her heart was still pounding with anxiety. First, she found the Empress Dowager's gentle demeanor somewhat strange; second, she was uneasy at not being able to find the lady-in-waiting who had led her there.
She tried to reassure herself that these strange occurrences were just her overthinking, but as soon as she turned the corner of the corridor, she heard two maids whispering, their voices filled with fear.
"Have you heard? Aunt Yunmiao, who was sweeping in the Imperial Garden just now, suddenly stopped breathing!"
"What happened? I saw her just a short while ago and she was perfectly fine!"
"Who says otherwise! I heard she was sweeping the floor when suddenly her eyes widened, she couldn't speak, her face swelled up instantly, then blood started flowing from her mouth and nose, and she stopped breathing very soon!"
Xiao Diting paused, his heart sinking.
She thought of Chunlan's death.
Xiao Diting stood there, the cold wind carrying snowflakes that landed on her shoulders, making her feel cold all over.
The snow fell even harder. Xiao Diting felt the cold from the phone she had tucked into her sleeve. The white jade safety buckle hanging at her waist felt the chill seep into her palms through the silk, making her even more alert. She had seen the female official Yun Miao before, and she had died a gruesome death in the blink of an eye. The way she died was so bizarre that it could not possibly be an accident.
As she was pondering this, she saw several Imperial Guards in official uniforms hurrying over from the other end of the corridor, with swords at their waists. If she remembered correctly, Fei was not allowed to enter with a sword under special circumstances.
The man in the lead was none other than Song Pingzhang.
His expression was solemn. Upon seeing Xiao Diting, he quickly stopped and bowed, saying, "Your Highness."
"Are you here to deal with what's going on inside?" Xiao Diting asked bluntly, his gaze sweeping over the several Imperial Guards carrying stretchers behind him. The stretchers were covered with white cloth, and the dark red bloodstains seeping from the edges were particularly glaring in the snow.
Song Pingzhang nodded, his voice extremely low: "Your Highness, I received the report just now and immediately brought men over. However..."
He paused, his brows furrowing even more. "The cause of death is suspicious. My preliminary examination revealed no external injuries, nor did I detect any signs of poison."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Fu Lu, the chief eunuch of Cining Palace, rushed over, his face pale: "Lord Song, Your Highness, the Empress Dowager has heard the news and requests that you two go to the side hall immediately to report back. His Highness the Crown Prince is also waiting there."
Xiao Diting's heart sank; this matter had indeed alarmed the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince. She exchanged a glance with Song Pingzhang and followed the head eunuch to the side hall.
But Song Pingzhang stopped her with a serious expression and said earnestly, "Your Highness, this matter is rather special. You should go to your own palace and wait there first."
Xiao Diting was confused: "But..."
The moment she uttered those words, she quickly realized what she had said and broke out in a cold sweat.
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