Chapter 30
It was the height of summer, and even the cicadas' chirping carried a lazy, languid air.
Only when Li Xiaoran came would Qi Nian'an's eyes reveal that genuine and vibrant joy.
Large ice chests stood at the four corners of the inner hall of Zhengyang Palace, their cool air dispelling the summer heat. Qi
Nian'an lay sprawled on the chaise longue covered with bamboo mats, wearing only a light, lake-green silk nightgown. Her black hair was casually tied up with a jade hairpin, and she was exaggeratedly holding a large palm-leaf fan, fanning herself vigorously at her neck.
"It's so hot! It's so hot! This crappy place doesn't even have air conditioning!" she complained softly, her modern soul restless.
Sitting opposite her, Li Xiaoran maintained the dignified demeanor befitting a concubine, except that she had already taken off her palace robes and was wearing a simple, elegant moon-white dress.
She was slightly furrowing her delicate brows, carefully fiddling with a deck of playing cards that Qi Nian'an had personally drawn.
The two women came to terms with it; men are all fleeting, and as long as they, their two best friends, are happy and healthy, that's all that matters!
"A pair of threes!" Qi Nian'an slammed two cards onto the small table with a "bang," his movements carrying a hint of the boldness he displayed while playing cards in the house before he transmigrated. He then casually picked up the chilled, tempting grape wine next to him and gulped down a large mouthful.
Li Xiaoran was so shocked by Qi Nian'an's sudden "three against three" that her fingertips trembled. She raised her gentle eyebrows and looked at Qi Nian'an's completely unrestrained appearance, her eyes filled with undisguised laughter and indulgence.
She picked up the white porcelain teapot and gracefully refilled Qi Nian'an's cup, her voice as gentle as a summer night breeze: "Drink slowly, it's potent. Now that the trade routes over there are open, we won't be short of this stuff anymore."
She paused, a hint of teasing in her voice that only they understood, "It's still more pleasant to drink than some people's gifts that require guessing the emperor's intentions."
Qi Nian'an scoffed and waved her hand dismissively, "Don't mention that unlucky stuff!" She leaned closer to Li Xiaoran, instantly switching to palace intrigue mode, and mimicked Consort Ning's affected tone in a high-pitched voice: "'Sister Chenfei, this wine is such a bright color, unlike me, who can only drink light tea and wine to calm my mind...'"
She imitated it perfectly, and finally shuddered herself, "Ugh—I can't take it anymore! So many classic 'white lotus' quotes, one after another!"
Li Xiaoran shook her head, amused by her, and said, "And that Consort Yi, she's so proper every day, as if she wants to have virtuousness and gentleness engraved on her forehead, yet she still tries to sow discord among this person and that person. I feel exhausted just watching her."
"It's just a clay Buddha statue, waiting for others to make mistakes so she can show her divine power!" Qi Nian'an laughed, shrugged, and continued looking at the cards.
After a few rounds of drinks, Qi Nian'an got a playful streak and insisted on playing cards, with the loser having a turtle drawn on their face.
After several rounds, Qi Nian'an had painted several turtles of different shapes on Li Xiaoran's beautiful and refined face with a black ink brush.
"Haha ...
Li Xiaoran, her face covered in turtle-like grime, looked resentfully at the excessively lively and mysterious person in front of her, and teased her with the air of an elderly elder: "Niece-in-law, where did you learn all these mischievous tricks!"
He complained, but his eyes were full of warmth.
Only in moments like these can they briefly shed their identities and be their unrestrained selves again.
Once the palace key is in place and all is quiet, the two will change into simple dark-colored clothes that have been prepared beforehand.
Although Li Xiaoran appeared quiet, Qi Nian'an possessed considerable martial arts skills. He wrapped his arm around Li Xiaoran's waist and, like a nimble bird in the night, silently evaded the patrolling guards. With a few light leaps and bounds, he slipped into the highest corner tower of the palace.
Sitting on the cool glazed tiles, the night wind whistled, dispelling the summer heat and ruffling their loose hair.
Looking down, the massive and imposing palace city slept in the night, like a lurking beast.
Looking up, one sees the same vast and boundless starry river that has remained unchanged before and after the journey.
"Sometimes it really feels like a dream," Qi Nian'an said softly, hugging her knees.
"Mm," Li Xiaoran responded, her voice sounding somewhat ethereal in the night breeze, "but at least, I'm not alone."
Here, there is no treacherous Consort Chen, nor the young widowed Consort Ling, only two souls finding solace in each other, stealing a moment of peace and tranquility.
“Sometimes I really want to just leave,” Li Xiaoran said, taking a swig of wine and gazing at the distant lights, a rare touch of melancholy in her voice. “The sky is high enough for birds to fly freely.”
Qi Nian'an didn't speak, but just quietly looked at the starry sky.
Walk?
Now is not the time.
But for her, this brief escape, this carefree time spent relaxing and having fun with her best friend, was the last pure place she preserved for herself amidst the bloody and cruel palace intrigue.
Here, she can shed all pretenses.
With a hint of mockery, we face the bloodshed and trials ahead.
Now, I understand more clearly than ever before what I need for the future and what I should fight for.
Consort Ning and her enemies lurking in the shadows probably haven't realized that they are no longer facing a concubine who needs the emperor's favor to survive, but a true adversary with an iron will.
The lingering heat of midsummer had not yet dissipated when a sudden storm, carrying the chill of winter, swept straight towards the Imperial Palace.
The news was reported by Yixing, who came in with a pale face and was crying.
At that moment, Qi Nian'an and Li Xiaoran were sitting opposite each other, studying a game of Gomoku that had just been set up, with half a cup of chilled plum drink left unfinished beside them.
"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!" Yi Xing's voice was choked with sobs as she knelt down with a thud. "The Laundry Department... that palace maid named Xiao Ju in the Laundry Department, she... she reported you to Granny Hu of the Censorate! She said that when she worked in our palace, she saw you... you were drawing and writing on a border map late at night, marking the locations of checkpoints!"
"Clang—" The white jade chess piece in Li Xiaoran's hand slipped and fell onto the chessboard, making a crisp sound. It rolled a few times and landed on the ground.
She suddenly looked up at Qi Nian'an, her gentle face instantly drained of color, her eyes filled with utter shock and anger.
"They...they actually dared to..." Her voice trembled with anger.
Qi Nian'an paused almost imperceptibly in the hand holding the teacup.
A chilling cold, like a tiny venomous snake, suddenly shot up from her tailbone, instantly seizing her heart and making it hard for her to breathe.
Border map?
Mark the level?
The viciousness of this accusation far surpasses that of the previous sachet incident.
This is a direct accusation of treason, a capital offense that could condemn her to eternal damnation and implicate her entire family!
The chill came quickly and went quickly.
Almost instinctively, she forced herself to take a deep breath. The cool air entered her lungs, stimulating her nerves and quickly restoring her brain, which had been blank due to the momentary fear.
She didn't even put down her teacup immediately, but instead slowly sipped the slightly warm plum drink. The sweet and sour taste with a hint of astringency spread across her tongue, strangely calming her down.
We must not act rashly.
She told herself, "I absolutely mustn't panic."
Consort Ning, or the Ningguo Duke's Mansion behind her, finally couldn't hold back any longer and used this trump card.
Bribing former palace servants who had been expelled from the palace, making accusations that were so sensitive and potentially fatal, and choosing a time when her favor with the emperor was waning and she had fallen out of favor with Shao Sizhi...
What a brilliant plan!
In an instant, it was as if a sophisticated instrument in my mind began to operate at high speed, filtering all relevant information.
Xiaoju... I don't remember her. She seems to have been a palace maid who was caught stealing a long, long time ago.
At the time, I thought it was a minor matter and would handle it impartially. I never expected it would sow the seeds of future trouble. (Laughing so hard, I forgot to plant the foreshadowing. I'll revise it a bit when I finish the story, haha.)
Yes, he was driven out by his master, harbored resentment, and was then bribed with a large sum of money to stand up and expose his former master.
The map…she had indeed seen the map.
It's not a border military map, but a trade route map, which does indeed mark the locations of some important checkpoints and markets.
She was very enthusiastic at the time, and even made some notes and annotations in simplified Chinese characters on the side regarding the efficiency of passage and the possibility of expansion of several checkpoints!
But that was done so that I could enjoy the food in the future!
She remembered that the map was later... she kept it in a sandalwood painting tube in her study!
Cold sweat instantly soaked through the light shirt on her back.
If the other party even knows this detail and can accurately describe the marking, it means that their infiltration of the Chen Palace is far deeper than she imagined!
This is definitely not something a disgraced palace maid could have fabricated out of thin air!
Qi Nian'an slowly put down the teacup, the porcelain making a soft but steady tapping sound as it touched the table.
She raised her eyes and looked at Yi Xing, who was terrified, and Li Xiaoran, whose face was full of anxiety. Instead of panic, a cold calm slowly appeared on her face, and her eyes were as sharp as a drawn blade.
“Don’t be afraid,” she said, her voice not loud, but with an undeniable calmness. “What’s the panic? I act with integrity and uprightness.”
She turned to Li Xiaoran, gave her a reassuring look, and then gave her instructions in a clear and organized manner.
"Now, immediately have our people keep a close eye on the Censorate and see if the news is reported directly to His Majesty or goes through Consort Yi first."
"Second, find out who Xiaoju has been in contact with recently and what kind of money she has received that she shouldn't have received."
“Third,” she paused, glancing toward the study in the inner hall, “Yi Xing, go there yourself and fetch the top shelf of the bookshelf in the study. Bring everything inside back with you intact.”
She had to immediately confirm whether the map still existed and whether the annotations on it had been misinterpreted.
At the same time, she needed to come up with a complete explanation before Shao Sizhi flew into a rage, and... prepare evidence to launch a counterattack.
bring it on.
Qi Nian'an sneered inwardly.
None of you should live!
She must not only weather this storm safely, but also make those who stirred it pay a heavy price.
That thrilling feeling, a mixture of fear and excitement, made her blood feel like it was boiling slightly.
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