Chapter 87
The morning light spread over the vermilion palace walls, dyeing the glazed tiles a transparent gold. The copper bells on the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, and the crackling sounds fell into the cracks of the blue bricks in the courtyard.
Sun Xing held the ginseng soup from the Prime Minister's Mansion and walked briskly through the corridor to visit the queen in Changle Palace.
The palace maids and eunuchs standing in the corridor stood with their heads bowed, only the morning light weaving tiny bright patterns on the hems of their clothes. The whole palace was so quiet that only the singing of birds could be heard. There was less speculation and whispers than usual.
When he reached the gate of Changle Palace, he happened to see Eunuch Zhang coming out with a medicine bowl. The rim of the porcelain bowl was stained with light brown medicinal juice, and the heat turned into a light mist in the morning light.
Sun Xing paused, his eyes sweeping across the distant palace maids sweeping the floor, seemingly chatting casually: "The Queen has just given birth to a prince, so the palace is much quieter than usual. But I'm afraid His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is rarely so peaceful, right?"
He recalled the scene a few days ago in the court where Li Yin was questioned by the court officials until sweat broke out on his forehead and his words were incoherent. A hint of contempt unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth. Now that the queen had a legitimate son and the position of crown prince was in jeopardy, Li Yin probably no longer had the energy to keep an eye on him.
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Zhang tightened his grip around the medicine bowl and lowered his voice, "Your Excellency, don't you know? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince isn't worried about the throne, but the eunuch he holds dearest dear disappeared a few days ago. That's what's really making him so uneasy!"
Sun Xing's steps suddenly stopped, his brows knitted together. The morning light fell on his face, making it look solemn. "The eunuch is missing? When did this happen? How come I didn't hear anything?"
"That was the day we were going to investigate Hong Jingxiu's daughter!" Eunuch Zhang looked around and lowered his voice even more. "That eunuch disappeared just like that. Their residence was searched thoroughly, and not even a change of clothes was left. No one in the palace saw him again after that.
Speaking of which, that eunuch was a bit of a peculiar person. He tried to escape when he first entered the palace, and even after being caught, he still remained restless. A while ago, a woman's dress was even found in his residence! Our Queen specially summoned him for questioning, but before she could even ask a few words, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince hurried over. In front of everyone, he slammed the table and said that it was not up to anyone else to deal with the people in the East Palace, and took him away on the spot.
The Queen was pregnant with the Dragonborn at the time, and she was so angry that she had abdominal pain that night and almost lost the baby!"
Sun Xing's eyes lit up slightly when he heard this, and the contempt on the corners of his mouth turned into an interested smile. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the pattern on his cuffs: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is so protective of an eunuch, and now the Queen has given birth to a prince. Things in this palace are becoming more and more interesting."
After visiting the queen, Sun Xing left the palace and returned home. When the carriage reached Zhuque Street, he saw a plain figure standing under a willow tree on the street.
The morning light filtered through the willow leaves, weaving mottled shadows on Li Yin's body. He lowered his head, staring at the shadows of the trees on the ground in a trance. He didn't even notice the sound of the wheels of the approaching carriage. His back, which had been straight in the past, now looked a little thin.
Sun Xing's heart moved. He ordered the driver to stop the carriage, lifted the curtain, and said with undisguised sarcasm in his tone: "Your Highness the Crown Prince is here in the wind. Are you feeling unwell?"
Li Yin slowly raised his eyes, with a bit of confusion in his eyes, as if he didn't hear his words clearly. The morning light fell on the dark circles under his eyes, making him look even more haggard.
Sun Xing patiently repeated his words, his tone of gloating even stronger: "Now that the Queen has given birth to a prince, Your Highness's position as heir is in jeopardy. And then, your beloved eunuch has disappeared. With this double blow, Your Highness must be feeling very bitter, right?"
Li Yin was startled at first, then snorted softly. He looked up at Sun Xing. The morning light fell right in his eyes, making his calm voice more penetrating. "This prince is indeed uneasy, but a few days ago, when I was tracking down the assassin who assassinated the Eastern Palace, I discovered something interesting."
Sun Xing's heart skipped a beat, his previous elation instantly vanishing. His fingertips clenched the carriage curtain, but he still pretended to be calm. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? I wonder what interesting story has made His Highness so worried?"
Li Yin took a half step forward, his eyes sharp as a torch, and spoke word by word, "I have found that Lord Sun has been quite well off recently. However, I don't know why a lot of your gold has ended up in the pockets of the assassin's family."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing all of Sun Xing's arrogance.
His expression suddenly changed. His face, which had been smiling just a moment ago, now only had a trace of guilt. He forced a laugh, his voice a little tense: "Your Highness, you are joking. I am just an ordinary official with a limited salary. How can I have extra gold to give to others? I... I don't understand what you are talking about."
"I don't understand?" Li Yin pressed on, the oppression in his tone like a shadow under the morning light, gradually enveloping Sun Xing. "I would like to ask, Lord Sun, what on earth did you do to send so much gold to the family of the assassin who assassinated the Eastern Palace? Could it be..."
Before Li Yin could finish, Sun Xing interrupted him. He pretended to be completely confused and hurriedly bowed: "If your Highness has nothing else to do, I will take my leave first. I have important matters to attend to at home."
After saying that, he suddenly retreated into the car, his voice a little panicked: "Hurry! Drive!" The driver didn't understand why, but still whipped the horse. The wheels kicked up dust and soon left Li Yin's figure behind him.
The carriage sped along, and Sun Xing sat inside with his palms already covered in cold sweat.
The morning light shone through the gaps in the carriage curtains, falling on his tense face, but it couldn't dispel the slightest chill. He knew that this matter couldn't be delayed, and he didn't dare return home directly. After much thought, he finally gritted his teeth and said to the driver, "Change the route and go to Minister Xu's residence!"
When Xu Jiang heard that Sun Xing was coming to visit, although he had some doubts in his heart, he immediately invited him into the study and sent his attendants away.
After Sun Xing revealed his conversation with Li Yin and how the gold had fallen into the hands of the assassin's family, Xu Jiang stood up in shock, his hands on the table, his knuckles white, his voice trembling. "Who would have thought that Li Yin could find the source of the gold and even trace it back to you! What should we do? If this matter is exposed, both of us will be doomed!"
Sun Xing's face was solemn. He walked to the window, looking at the flowers and trees in the courtyard illuminated by the morning light. He lowered his voice very low, "Now the gold is still in the hands of the assassin's family. Even if we make all kinds of excuses, others who see this will never believe that we have nothing to do with the assassination of the Eastern Palace!"
Xu Jiang looked at his tense profile, his eyes filled with hesitation, and said tentatively, "Now that things have come to this, why don't we inform the Prime Minister about this? He's very resourceful and might be able to come up with a solution."
"No!" Sun Xing turned around abruptly, his expression anxious, sweat even beading on his forehead. "We haven't yet determined how much evidence Li Yin has. If I tell the Prime Minister rashly, it will only worry him and might even disrupt his plans. Wait a little longer, let me think of a solution. Perhaps there's still hope."
Xu Jiang nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the morning light outside the window. The uneasiness in his heart spread quietly like a vine, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
——
The autumn night wind carries the cool fragrance of osmanthus and flows over the eaves of green tiles.
Luo Sanrong leaned against the old osmanthus tree in the courtyard, her white skirt lifted by the wind, her gaze fixed on the silver-plate-like moon in the sky. Clouds drifted lightly across the moon, casting shadows that flickered before her eyes, causing her to feel a little startled.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound of footsteps coming from the blue brick road, with the sound of cloth rubbing against each other.
Luo Sanrong turned her head and saw Ji Zeming wearing a moon-white robe. He seemed to be hiding something in his hands. He walked very lightly, afraid to disturb the quiet of the night. She turned her head back, her eyes fell back on the moon, and her voice was as clear as a stream: "Why are you here?"
Ji Zeming sat down on the stone steps beside her, and the hem of his clothes brushed against the grass, making a slight sound.
He pulled something from behind him. It was a telescope wrapped in dark brown leather, its bronze barrel gleaming warmly in the moonlight. "I want to show you something magical," he said gently, his fingertips brushing the barrel as he patiently explained. "This thing can see scenes thousands of miles away. It's perfect for viewing the moon. Give it a try."
Luo Sanrong took the telescope, her fingertips touching the cool copper surface, and she paused. She brought the tube close to her eyes and slowly adjusted the focus. The moon, once far away in the sky, suddenly drew closer, its craters clearly visible, as if she could reach out and touch the cool silver glow. She held her breath, her eyes filled with wonder, and whispered, "Is it really that magical?"
By the time she finished speaking, she was completely immersed in the scenery in the mirror.
After a long time, Ji Zeming did not hear her speak again. He turned his head and saw the moonlight falling on the strands of hair on her temples. Crystal tears were sliding down her pale cheeks, hitting the bluestone, leaving a small wet mark.
He sighed softly, his voice filled with understanding and heartache: "It seems that you are missing the person far away."
Luo Sanrong abruptly moved the telescope away, hastily wiping away tears with her fingertips. Her eyelashes were still wet with moisture, but she forced herself to remain calm. "No. It's just that the moon suddenly became as big as the bamboo basket in the corner of the yard. I stared at it for too long, and my eyes got sore that I started crying."
Ji Zeming looked at her trying to be calm, but didn't expose her. He just picked up another spare telescope, quietly brought it in front of her, and looked at the moon with her. In the night, the only sounds were the two people's steady breathing and the sound of the wind blowing the osmanthus leaves.
Late at night, Luo Sanrong returned home. As soon as she pushed open the wooden door, she saw a candlelight still burning in the east wing. She lifted the curtain and entered, only to find her mother, Xiulan, sitting by a wooden basin. Her aged hands were rubbing clothing in the cold water, soap suds clinging to her rough fingers. The candlelight stretched her shadow. "Mom, why are you taking on so much work again?" Luo Sanrong hurried over, reaching out to grab the clothing from her mother's hands, her tone tinged with resentment.
Xiulan refused to let go, her hands never stopping, the bitter aroma of soap nuts filling the air. "There's a lot of work going on right now, so I can earn some extra money and buy you some winter clothes." Her voice was a little hoarse, but her movements were still brisk.
After saying this, she suddenly stopped, her fingertips pausing in the water. She looked up at Luo Sanrong with a complicated expression, "I heard from you today that the news from the palace has been confirmed—the Crown Princess has chosen the daughter of the Shangshu Mansion, and the state wedding will be held within half a month."
With a "clang", the handkerchief that Luo Sanrong had placed on the table accidentally slipped and fell to the ground.
She froze in place, and there seemed to be a roar in her ears. The daze she had just felt when she was looking at the moon came back again. Her heart seemed to be tightly gripped by something, and even breathing became difficult.
She was silent for a long time, her voice so soft it seemed like it would be blown away by the wind at any moment. "Ah... Really? That's a good thing."
Xiulan looked at her face which suddenly turned pale, and the heartache in her eyes almost overflowed.
She knew her daughter's worries, but matters of royal marriage were never open to interference. A short pain was better than a long one. Saying more words of comfort would only make it harder for her to let go. She simply lowered her head and picked up the clothes again, scrubbing them much more slowly. The sound of water was especially clear in the silent room.
Luo Sanying stood for a moment and felt the coldness at his fingertips, and even his heart was trembling with cold.
She suppressed the sob in her throat and said in a deliberately cheerful voice, "Mom, I'll go see if there's anyone else who can help me in the kitchen. The dishes from dinner may not be washed yet."
After saying this, without waiting for Xiulan's response, she turned around and walked out of the room quickly. When she lifted the curtain, the hem of her dress swept across the threshold, bringing up a gust of wind that made the candlelight shake violently and almost go out.
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