Chapter 27
After the teacup incident, Consort Ning seemed to rely on Qi Nian'an even more.
She often came to Zhengyang Palace to pay her respects under the guise of apologizing and studying. She didn't stay for long, but each time she would happen to run into Shao Sizhi who came to see Qi Nian'an.
Everyone knows she bribed the palace maids who cleaned and swept the palace.
Qi Nian'an responded with a smile, but every time she wanted to dig a hole and bury everyone.
Consort Ning showed great interest in the maps and notes compiled by Qi Nian'an.
"Sister is truly learned, even knowing so much about the mountains and rivers of the border region." She exclaimed in amazement, holding a simple map hand-drawn by Qi Nian'an, and then casually remarked, "But these places sound so desolate and harsh. The capital is much better, prosperous and peaceful. His Majesty and Grandfather have worked so hard to maintain this peace."
"Ah, yes, yes, yes."
Qi Nian'an nodded and began to smile.
"Not only do you have to guard the frontier, but you also have to manage your family and send people to the palace. You manage everything from the border fortress to the emperor's bedchamber. It's hard work, so hard work."
"It's so hard work, and you still have to count money and do the accounting. I wouldn't even want this kind of good fortune if it were given to me."
Never mind, I really want to say some boastful things.
Li Xiaoran casually popped a fruit into her mouth, signaling her to shut up.
"Speaking of which, I once visited Jade Dragon Mountain Pool."
Seeing this, Shao Sizhi quickly changed the subject. He paused slightly, as if organizing his thoughts, to describe the breathtaking scenery: "That was when I was still a prince, accompanying the late emperor on an autumn hunt. Jade Dragon Mountain Pool is hidden among the mountains of the north. It is not a royal hunting ground, but a natural wonder. The mountain is steep, like a jade dragon coiled up, and at the top of the mountain is a pool of natural blue water, clear as a mirror, which never freezes. The locals call it 'Heavenly Pool'."
"I remember that when I reached the summit that day, it was just dawn. Thousands of golden rays pierced through the sea of clouds, scattering across the dark green mountains and the emerald-green pool. A light mist shrouded the surface of the pool, making it seem like a fairyland. Beside the pool grew a rare white flower, resembling a lily of the valley, crystal clear, with morning dew still clinging to its petals. When the sunlight shone on it, it sparkled like shattered diamonds. All around was extremely quiet, with only the whistling of the mountain wind through the pines and the occasional ethereal bird song."
Consort Ning immediately blinked her big eyes and looked at Shao Sizhi with admiration: "Your Majesty knows so much! I've never even heard of these things before. Your Majesty is amazing, you know everything."
These words were like fine needles, constantly probing and squeezing Qi Nian'an's bottom line.
She stood up abruptly.
She'd seen similar people before in the entertainment industry, and she usually ignored them. But this person was truly disgusting. She knew he harbored ill intentions and that he had ways to make her miserable no matter what.
But he couldn't go completely insane like he did at the beginning, because the other party hadn't done anything heinous; they had only done their duty.
Damn polygamy! Damn Shao Sizhi!
Qi Nian'an saw all of this, but remained completely unmoved.
She continued to do her own thing as usual, organizing maps and hanging out with Li Xiaoran. She mostly responded to Ning Guiren's various tricks with indifference or counterattacks that deflected her attacks with ease.
She was waiting for an opportunity that was significant enough to strike Ning Yuran and the forces behind her hard.
These small-scale activities are merely appetizers.
Silence and forbearance at this time will always be rewarded.
Ning Yuran's seemingly childish methods of vying for favor were like persistent mosquitoes in summer; though they didn't cause any serious harm, they genuinely disturbed Qi Nian'an's peace and quiet.
What truly made Qi Nian'an wary was another turbulent current quietly surging in the shadows—the rumors of spies resurfaced.
The emperor could tolerate her illiteracy and jealousy, and she wasn't a wicked concubine in the traditional sense. Even if Qi Nian'an cursed Shao Sizhi as an old man and a bastard every day, Shao Sizhi would still have a good temper and wouldn't bother with her.
But he would never tolerate spies in the harem.
Qi Nian'an leaned against Li Xiaoran, feeling extremely troubled.
Because she really was a spy.
This rumor did not erupt suddenly, but rather, like some kind of insidious epidemic, it initially whispered only in the darkest and dampest corners.
That day, I passed by the laundry department and saw an old palace maid pounding clothes. She clicked her tongue twice to her familiar companion and said, "Have you heard? That Consort Chen fell from such a high city wall back then and was completely unharmed! Isn't that amazing? I've lived most of my life and I've never seen such iron bones."
Another palace maid chimed in, "That's right! They say that those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortune, but this... is just too lucky. It's as if it was all preordained."
Before he could finish speaking, Shao Sizhi's expression was far from pleasant.
"You don't actually believe that, do you?"
Qi Nian'an turned around and looked at him.
"No."
The voice, however, was utterly indifferent.
"The other day, Consort Chen rewarded those folk drummers with a lot of money, saying she wanted to help them revise some... drum scores?"
"Oh, Your Majesty is truly kind-hearted. But tell me, what kind of people don't those traveling performers come into contact with? Your Majesty, aren't you afraid of such frequent interactions..."
Shh! Watch your mouth! You're asking for it!
A careless word has already been uttered, like a poisonous seed falling into fertile soil.
These rumors were initially just fragments, vague and unclear.
But soon, like vines that have found their place, they began to intertwine, becoming more detailed and vivid.
Some say that Consort Chen's dramatic fall from the city was a carefully planned ruse to gain the Emperor's pity and trust. Thick layers of straw and cotton had already been laid out below the city, and the supposedly thrilling scene was just a performance for the Emperor's benefit.
Some people confidently claimed that they saw shadowy figures busy at the foot of the city wall that night.
Her efforts to support folk drummers and preserve endangered arts have now become sharp swords, aimed directly at her.
Who knows if those drumbeats were some kind of coded message?
Aren't those traveling artists the best messengers?
Could her enthusiasm be a ploy to establish a secret communication line?
Even her unique "Li Bai" dance became a target of criticism.
That whirlwind-like movement was said to be an imitation of some kind of exotic sacrificial dance; that leaping-like movement, who can say it wasn't a gesture to send a signal to comrades in the distance!
Regardless of whether □□ and Clinton slept together or not, Consort Chen, who is so favored and famous throughout the land, still managed to sleep with the Prince of Yun on the border!
That resolute and determined expression was, to put it bluntly, the coldness and determination of a spy about to complete a mission.
Whether it's true or false, the owner of that object is sensational enough, dramatic enough, and mysterious enough.
That's enough; rumors don't care whether the underlying logic is sound.
Rumors, as if they had a life of their own, proliferated and mutated wildly within the palace walls.
They cleverly avoided public occasions, circulating only during leisure time, at mealtimes, and during night shift changes, whispered around the well, in the kitchen, and in the palace servants' quarters. Their origins were shrouded in mystery, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, yet they always managed to pinpoint Qi Nian'an's most sensitive spot—she was not from a prominent family, and her mother's family had long since declined, their background obscure. This undoubtedly provided fertile ground for various speculations.
The rumor was woven so perfectly, and the timing was so clever.
One is in the light, the other in the dark; they complement each other.
The objective was clear—to fundamentally undermine the emperor's trust, upon which Qi Nian'an depended for his survival.
As the emperor, Shao Sizhi naturally possessed his own intelligence network.
These rumors, spreading like sewage in a sewer, eventually reached his ears bit by bit.
At first, he might have just laughed it off, thinking it was nothing more than a silly trick played out of jealousy by the women in the harem.
But three men can make a tiger, and many voices can melt metal.
When hints, time and again, in different ways, are vaguely conveyed from seemingly unrelated channels, the seed of the emperor's paranoia inevitably begins to sprout.
Qi Nian'an vaguely sensed that, at certain moments, a new, scrutinizing gaze was suffocating her.
She felt suffocated.
My heart is breaking.
Later, she realized that she had hurt herself too soon.
In the afternoon, Shao Sizhi had a rare moment of leisure and took a short rest in the pavilion of Zhengyang Palace.
Qi Nian'an brought over a plate of newly made lotus flower pastries. Seeing that he had his eyes closed and was resting, she gently placed the pastries on the stone table.
Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, carrying a folded piece of paper from her sleeve, which fluttered to the ground.
Shao Sizhi opened his eyes upon hearing the sound, his gaze instinctively following the falling piece of paper.
Qi Nian'an's expression changed slightly, and she quickly bent down to pick it up, her movements revealing a hint of barely perceptible panic.
This subtle anomaly did not escape Shao Sizhi's notice.
The string in his heart, which had been quietly taut due to the rumors of the past few days, was plucked.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority.
Qi Nian'an paused, clutched the paper she had picked up, and forced a calm smile, saying, "It's nothing, just some random scribbles of sheet music."
She tried to steer the conversation toward the kitten she had recently seen.
However, Shao Sizhi was not easily swayed by her as usual.
He reached out his hand, looking at her calmly. Although he didn't say anything more, his gesture clearly indicated that he wanted to see her.
Qi Nian'an felt a sudden pang in her heart as she looked at the unfamiliar scrutiny in his eyes, as if she had been stabbed by a cold needle.
She remained silent for a moment, and finally, under his persistent gaze, she slowly handed over the slightly crumpled piece of paper.
Shao Sizhi unfolded the paper; it did indeed have some symbols resembling drumbeats drawn on it, but in the blank space beside it, several lines of small characters were written in a distorted and bizarre script that he couldn't understand at all.
The structure of the characters is completely different from any other writing system of the time, exuding an indescribable eeriness.
"What...what kind of script is this?" Shao Sizhi raised his head, his gaze sharp as he looked at Qi Nian'an, his tone dropping slightly in temperature. "I have never seen it before."
Qi Nian'an opened her mouth, the words "randomly drawn" swirling on her tongue, but she choked up when she met his deep eyes.
She could sense that this time, simple excuses would no longer be enough to convince him.
Should we tell him the truth? Explain that this is Korean she used when she was a trainee? And that she's Chinese, and just wanted to practice her foreign language skills since she wasn't good at English, so she sought out Li Xiaoran for guidance?
The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves became clearly audible.
The heart that had been enveloped in warmth slowly sank.
In the end... he still doubted her.
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