Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression rendered obscure and uncertain by the fireworks that rose and fell. He walked closer to Yuanxi with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze revealing a probing look.
The surroundings seemed to suddenly fall quiet. Yuanxi felt her entire heart rise to her throat, her palms covered in hot sweat. Just when she almost wanted to flee in panic, Zhao Yan finally exhaled lightly, his face resuming a calm smile as he said, “Why would cousin ask such a thing? What other purpose do you think I could have?”
Yuanxi rubbed her sweaty palms together and smiled uncomfortably, “This subject is merely an ignorant woman. I was troubled in heart just now and spoke nonsense. Please do not blame me, Your Majesty.”
After she finished speaking, she hurriedly walked past Zhao Yan, but heard him say behind her in a voice just loud enough for her to hear, “I never expected your mind to be quite perceptive. No wonder I heard that Chong Jiang has been extremely doting on his new wife since their marriage. That’s good – this is actually an unexpected delight.”
Yuanxi frowned, not understanding what he meant by “unexpected delight,” but she had already gotten the answer she wanted to know. Fortunately, she hadn’t angered this monarch, so before he changed his mind, it would be better to leave early.
She lifted her skirt and walked quickly back. Along the way, the sounds of delicate music were endless, and Yuanxi walked for a long time accompanied by the distant sounds of revelry and firecrackers before finally slowing her pace and heaving a heavy sigh.
For the past few days, she had harbored a suspicion in her heart: Had His Majesty truly kept her and the princess here only for the Empress Dowager’s illness? So just now, with a gambling attitude, she wanted to test the current emperor’s true intentions. Although His Majesty hadn’t responded directly, she had already seen the answer in his expression. Indeed, the imprisonment of herself and the princess was not simple. But what exactly did they want? Did they want to use them to threaten A’Du?
The sound of crackling firecrackers came from afar, stirring her heart into chaotic unrest. After hesitating for a long time, she finally secretly made a decision: At this point, she must find a way to save herself. If she continued to sit and wait for death like this, she might implicate A’Du in even greater crisis.
When she returned to Fuye Pavilion, the princess had already finished eating and was sitting with a cup of tea, sipping it slowly. Seeing her finally return to the room, she glanced at her sideways with sarcasm in her voice, “This palace sits on pins and needles every day, wishing I could sprout wings and fly back to the marquis’s residence, yet your mood seems quite good – you even know to find a good place to watch fireworks.”
Yuanxi’s expression was indifferent, her heart feeling as if pressed down by a giant stone that made it impossible to breathe. At this moment, she was too lazy to defend herself and was about to go to her room to rest when she suddenly thought of something. Turning to the princess, she said, “Mother-in-law, do you want to go home?”
The princess found this question quite ridiculous and glanced at her sideways, “Don’t tell me you don’t want to go home anymore?”
Yuanxi slowly walked to her side, staring at her very seriously, “Then please give me all the valuable things you have on you. I will find a way to get us out.”
The princess’s hand holding the teacup trembled, not understanding what she was saying for a moment. But her gaze was so determined that it made one instinctively want to trust her completely.
The next day, Aunt Qingyao from Yikun Palace carried a food box to the entrance of Fuye Pavilion and smiled at the guards at the door, “This is specially bestowed by His Majesty, saying it’s to nourish the health of those two inside.” The guards opened the food box to test for poison, and after confirming there was no problem, they let her in.
Seeing no one around, Aunt Qingyao gently closed the door and walked directly to Yuanxi’s side. She put down the food box and took out several books from her bosom, stuffing them into Yuanxi’s hands while lowering her voice, “These are the books the madam wanted. Please keep them carefully and don’t implicate this servant.”
Yuanxi looked up and smiled at her, “Aunt, rest assured. Even if His Majesty discovers and asks about it, I will say I brought them with me and will never mention aunt’s name.”
This smile looked very trustworthy. Qingyao curved her lips, steadied her mind, and walked out quickly as if nothing had happened.
As soon as she left, the princess walked over, glanced at the book covers on the table, and snorted lightly, “My jewelry was exchanged for just these few broken books?”
Yuanxi was in a good mood and looked up with a smile, “Mother-in-law, don’t underestimate these books. If used properly, they can not only save the Empress Dowager but also save us.”
The princess pursed her lips but said no more, only instructing her to find a solution quickly before going out to call two palace maids to accompany her as she wandered leisurely in the garden.
Yuanxi closed her door and very seriously examined the books in her hands. If according to what the imperial physician said, the Empress Dowager would be poisoned upon contact with orchids, such a condition was extremely rare. But she happened to remember seeing a case in a collection of criminal investigations. In the book, there was a peasant woman who suddenly fainted in her own courtyard, her whole body covered in red rashes. Many doctors were consulted but to no avail, and she suddenly died after lying ill for several days. During the autopsy, the coroner treated it as death from a strange disease, but the county magistrate who handled the case didn’t believe there was no cause. He visited the woman’s natal family and learned that she couldn’t touch ginger flowers since childhood – contact would cause rashes and even fainting. But her husband deliberately mixed ginger flower powder into her tea, causing her to fall unconscious, then secretly stuffed ginger flowers into her pillow, causing her poisoning to deepen daily until she finally died.
She continuously searched through those books for this case, reading with great absorption. It wasn’t until after lunch that a palace maid outside suddenly reported, “Madam, there’s a Scholar Luo outside requesting an audience, saying he’s brought a message from your father.”
Yuanxi was greatly startled and quickly closed the book, her mind suddenly filled with doubts: Why would Young Master come? And why would he bring a message from father?
She hurriedly hid the books under her pillow, then felt that meeting Young Master in the inner chamber might displease the princess and create unnecessary gossip, so she called out loudly, “Tell him to wait. I’ll be right out.”
She stood up, tidied her appearance slightly, then opened the door and walked out. She saw Luo Yuan standing with his hands clasped behind his back in the snow-covered courtyard, bending down to look at a winter plum blooming proudly in the snow by the wall corner. Hearing the sound behind him, he quickly turned and bowed with a smile, “Madam Xiao, it’s been a long time.”
Looking at Luo Yuan’s familiar gentle smile, Yuanxi suddenly felt her eyes growing warm. In the past, whenever she encountered difficulties, the first person she thought of asking for help was Young Master. In her heart, Young Master was the most capable person in the world. No matter what happened, as long as he was there, there would always be a solution. Now, even though she was in danger, she had long learned not to depend on anyone. Seeing Young Master again at this moment, she suddenly realized that life’s circumstances were unpredictable – what heaven gives you, it will surely take away something else.
Seeing her standing there in a daze, Luo Yuan called out strangely, “Madam Xiao?”
Only then did Yuanxi come to her senses and hurriedly said, “Just now you mentioned that Scholar Luo brought a message from my father. What message is it?”
Luo Yuan said, “Chancellor Xia heard about madam’s situation and has been very concerned in his heart. But it’s inconvenient for him to visit personally, so he asked me to be a messenger and ask on his behalf: Is Xier well in the palace? I happened to have an audience with His Majesty today, so I reported this to His Majesty as well. His Majesty is very understanding and willing to let me in to convey Chancellor Xia’s intentions.”
Yuanxi was somewhat excited. Father had asked Young Master to bring a message – did he not blame her anymore? Did he still care about her? But when she calmed down, she felt there was something strange about what Young Master had said. Father would never express his emotions so directly in front of outsiders, not even to his most beloved eldest daughter. Moreover, for just a casual greeting, why would Luo Yuan need to go through such trouble to enter the palace to deliver it?
She bit her lip, unsure for a moment how to respond. Looking up, she found Luo Yuan still waiting for her reply, but his eyes flickered with another meaning. Yuanxi’s heart skipped a beat and she quickly stared at his lips. Sure enough, she saw him part his lips lightly without making a sound, and his lip movements clearly said, “Come over.”
Yuanxi immediately understood and hurriedly said, “I do have something to tell father, but it’s not appropriate to say it publicly.” She then walked to within an arm’s distance of Luo Yuan and very quickly whispered, “Has something happened?” Then she immediately stepped back and stared at his lips intently. But Luo Yuan only shook his head very slightly while saying, “I understand completely and will certainly deliver it for madam.” After speaking, he turned and left so naturally, as if he had really only come to deliver a message.
Yuanxi stood there in a daze, trying hard to hide her astonished expression. She really couldn’t understand what Luo Yuan’s purpose was for this visit, and why he would deliver a message for father. Had he already joined father’s side? Numerous doubts lingered in her mind. To avoid the palace servants in the courtyard from noticing anything unusual, she had to act as if nothing had happened and walk back to her room. After thinking quietly for a long time without understanding, she had to give up and continue taking out the books to read.
Luo Yuan walked out of Yikun Palace and got into a green official sedan. After leaving Qianqing Gate, he turned onto the main street and finally entered a theater in the Eastern Ward. Luo Yuan got out of the sedan and lifted his robes to go upstairs to a private box. In the box, tea fragrance wafted, and a person in dark purple dragon robes was intently watching the performance of “Dingjun Mountain” on stage.
Luo Yuan closed the door and sat respectfully beside that person, calling out, “Lord Chancellor.”
Xia Mingyuan turned his head and asked, “Did you see her?”
Luo Yuan nodded, “As you instructed, I requested His Majesty’s permission, and he indeed allowed me to see the young lady.”
Xia Mingyuan’s gaze was somewhat complex as he asked again, “Then what did she say to you?”
Luo Yuan respectfully took out a piece of paper from his bosom, “We met in the courtyard with many palace servants around, so it wasn’t convenient to say much. But when she walked close to me, she secretly slipped me this paper and whispered that I must give it to Xiao Du.”
Xia Mingyuan’s expression changed and he quickly took the paper. On it was indeed Yuanxi’s handwriting, hastily written with just a few characters: “Submit, don’t worry.”