The dragonboat races continued in full swing. Though the first place had been decided, others were still competing fiercely. Racing boats were meant to suppress evil spirits – people strongly believed in this, making it more than just a simple competition about rankings.
Xiao Huayong was feeling restless, but with another planned performance coming up shortly, he had to contain himself and refrain from seeking out Shen Xihe.
He caught Cui Jinbai’s eye in the crowd and nodded. Receiving Xiao Huayong’s signal, Cui Jinbai left his seat. Those who noticed Cui Jinbai, such as the Cui family members, watched as he approached Bu Shulin, who had just come ashore after winning first place.
He forcefully dragged Bu Shulin away by her collar from the group of young men and women surrounding her.
“Stone Head Cui, let go of me!” Bu Shulin felt utterly humiliated and grabbed Cui Jinbai’s arm in retaliation.
With a twist, Cui Jinbai spun with Bu Shulin’s force but didn’t release his grip. Instead, he pulled her into his embrace, restraining her resistance while mumbling in her ear: “His Highness has a task that needs doing. Cover for me.”
Bu Shulin, who had already locked Cui Jinbai’s shoulders and trapped his legs with hers, ready to flip him over with one push, immediately froze.
She completely missed Cui Jinbai’s victorious smile as he wrapped her up and dragged her away.
Bu Shulin gave up resisting. Theoretically, she now belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction, and though she wasn’t as loyal as Cui Jinbai, she still needed to contribute to His Highness’s cause to earn future rewards.
Seeing this scene, Cui Jinbai’s father’s face turned green. He was about to rise and chase after them, but Cui Jinbai’s great-uncle Cui Zheng stopped him: “Sit down.”
“Great Uncle, Zhihe is…”
“If you chase after them now, wouldn’t that confirm the rumors about them? Do you want to make things irreparable?” Cui Zheng questioned in a low voice.
Currently, no one can truly determine the truth of these matters. If the Cui family rushed to intervene, it would appear suspicious, effectively broadcasting that Bu Shulin and Cui Jinbai’s relationship was improper and had reached an intolerable point for the Cui family.
Cui Jinbai’s father could only take a deep breath and sit properly. Cui Jinbai had calculated that without concrete evidence, no matter how unsavory the rumors became, the Cui family wouldn’t intervene – that would be self-incriminating – which was why he acted so brazenly.
Moreover, the Cui clan had been most prosperous during the Wei-Jin period, when social customs were even more unrestrained than present. Even if it were true, as long as Cui Jinbai remained the future pillar of the Cui family and no other Cui descendant surpassed him, Cui Zheng would protect him to the end.
As for continuing the family line, the Cui clan was large and prosperous with many members. They could later find a talented heir to adopt under Cui Jinbai.
Cui Jinbai pulled Bu Shulin into an alley, pressing her face toward the wall while standing close behind her: “Was that fun earlier?”
“Very fun.” Bu Shulin tried to break free but worried about drawing attention. She glanced back askance, “Quick, what are His Highness’s orders?”
Cui Jinbai pressed forward, almost crushing himself against her: “Up ahead, in the small kitchen, find a way to put this in the powder balls.”
Bu Shulin poked her head out slightly, observing the palace servants coming and going ahead. This was a temporary structure for royal dining, surrounded by guards and patrols. Attempting anything here would be nearly impossible.
Her eyes darting around, Bu Shulin snatched the porcelain bottle from Cui Jinbai’s hand, opened it to smell – an indescribable medicinal scent – and shook it, finding it was liquid: “It has a scent. They’ll notice if we pass it up.”
“Use less. The scent will dissipate shortly,” Cui Jinbai said, staring at her earlobe, round and jade-like, looking quite adorable.
The powder balls were glutinous rice cakes, cut into small balls and placed on large lacquer trays for the nobles’ Dragon Boat Festival game – shooting powder balls.
Using specially made small bows and arrows to shoot the powder balls, those who hit them would eat them. The balls were delicate and small; when struck by arrows they would either topple or scatter, making them extremely difficult to hit. It was a game highly favored by young nobles.
Putting the drug in other items wouldn’t guarantee consumption, but in the powder balls, anyone who hits one would certainly eat it. Who ate it didn’t matter – they just needed someone of sufficient rank to consume it.
They couldn’t expose themselves, or any incidents would be traced back to them. Bu Shulin considered their options – with guards even on the roof, attempting to administer the drug without exposure while hitting the target precisely would be extremely difficult.
Just then, Bu Shulin saw a eunuch hurriedly heading toward the latrine, and an idea struck her: “There’s only one way, perhaps worth the risk.”
She followed him, having Cui Jinbai keep watch, hoping luck was on their side and they wouldn’t encounter others. Though there were guards here too, they were some distance away, leaving room for maneuver. When the young eunuch emerged, the waiting Bu Shulin knocked him unconscious with a swift chop.
She quickly changed into the eunuch’s clothes and hat, lowering her head and imitating a eunuch’s affected gait. She handed the stripped eunuch to Cui Jinbai: “Can you handle taking him away?”
Cui Jinbai looked at the eunuch in his undergarments, casting a dark glance at Bu Shulin: “Leave it to me.”
“When we carry the food boxes past the corridor’s turning point, have an identical food box ready, one with the drugged powder balls. Wait there in hiding for me,” Bu Shulin instructed.
There was a small rockery at the turning point where one person could hide.
She would be at the back, but to exchange the food boxes, she needed to distract the guards’ attention from the front.
“Leave it all to me.” What Bu Shulin could think of, Cui Jinbai naturally could too. His current worry was, “How will you escape?”
With her head lowered and body bent, she might pass as another young eunuch when receiving the food box, but once she carried it outside, with so many eyes watching, even though no one would specifically watch a minor eunuch, any casual glance from someone who knew her would expose everything – the risk was too high.
Bu Shulin flashed her bright white teeth at him: “The mountain folk have a clever plan.”
Time was short, so Cui Jinbai didn’t ask for details and immediately acted according to plan. To buy him time, Bu Shulin dawdled at the latrine a while longer, then washed her hands and perfumed the latrine before hurrying back to the small kitchen.
By then, the lead eunuch was already urging everyone on. The eunuchs lined up, one after another carrying food boxes. Bu Shulin stood at the back, watching the items being sent out, and cut in front of another eunuch to ensure she could get the powder balls.
She didn’t collide with anyone – such minor friction wasn’t worth noting. Then one by one, led by the head eunuch, they walked forward. Bu Shulin kept worrying whether Cui Jinbai had enough time.