“I accidentally discovered something, and that matter… is about the princess!”
Xiao Zhixuan’s helpless and panicked expression was like lightning, instantly igniting the weak flame in Yuanxi’s heart, burning so intensely that her organs felt scorched. She swallowed down the discomfort in her stomach and gripped Xiao Zhixuan’s hand tightly, “What exactly happened? Don’t panic first, tell me slowly…”
At the same time, outside the window among the withered branches, a dried leaf suddenly flew spinning into the air. It turned out to be a dead-leaf butterfly that had been dormant for a long time, finally awakened by the spring breeze. It fluttered its wings and spiraled along before finally landing on an exquisitely carved window frame.
In the diamond-patterned bronze mirror facing the window frame was reflected a face that, though pale, could still be called beautiful. The princess reached out to touch a wrinkle that had appeared at the corner of her eye, her gaze gradually revealing resentment. Her dark pupils turned and then fixed directly on a certain spot on her forehead. She stared intently for a long time, then suddenly stood up and violently threw the bronze mirror to the ground.
Hearing the “clang” from inside the room, the maids and women servants outside thought something had happened to the princess and were about to rush in together to check, when they heard the princess scream from inside, “Let Nanny Yu come in, everyone else stay outside and guard properly!”
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Nanny Yu hurriedly rushed into the inner room, and the door slammed shut heavily behind her, leaving only the people outside with expressions of shock that had long become commonplace.
At this moment, equally shocked was Yuanxi, who had just finished listening to Xiao Zhixuan’s account. She frowned slightly and asked with some uncertainty, “You’re saying you discovered that many servants in the residence have inexplicably disappeared over the years?”
Xiao Zhixuan nodded, “I secretly checked the residence’s registers and found that many maids only had records of entering the residence, but there was no mention of when they left or why they left. It didn’t specify whether they were sold or returned to their hometowns. I even found the indenture contracts of several of them. That means they weren’t sold or redeemed, but they just disappeared from the residence.”
Yuanxi frowned, “They might have escaped privately. With so many servants in the residence, not everyone’s whereabouts would necessarily be recorded. And how do you conclude this is related to the princess?”
Xiao Zhixuan quickly shook her head, “But the timing of these people’s disappearances is extremely regular. I calculated carefully – each interval is about a year, and most of these people were maids from the princess’s courtyard.”
Yuanxi’s heart skipped a beat, but she still maintained a normal tone, “This could also be called coincidence. Perhaps the princess has a solitary temperament, so the maids around her leave more frequently.”
“But…” Seeing that Yuanxi didn’t believe her, Xiao Zhixuan became anxious and hurriedly interrupted, “The key point is that in the year of Xinyou, the residence experienced the largest personnel change. That year, almost everyone in the princess’s courtyard was replaced, except for Nanny Yu. All the maids, servant women, and managing nannies were completely replaced. But they weren’t all changed at once – it was done quietly in many separate instances with various excuses, so it didn’t attract much attention at the time.”
The year of Xinyou… Yuanxi silently calculated in her mind. That should be twenty-five years ago. She vaguely felt this number was familiar, but before she could think carefully, Xiao Zhixuan had already raised her voice anxiously, “Twenty-five years ago was the year big brother was born!”
Yuanxi was shocked by these words. Some speculations quickly emerged, and just as she was about to think carefully, she felt as if an abyss stretched before her eyes, and she didn’t dare take another step forward. Looking up, she met Xiao Zhixuan’s equally shocked and uncertain gaze. She suddenly came to her senses – this matter involved too much and absolutely could not be judged lightly, much less have a word of it spread. So she struggled to suppress the turmoil in her heart and said seriously, “Xuan’er, you must remember that what you’ve discovered are only surface phenomena. They don’t represent anything and can’t prove anything. So besides me, you must not reveal this to anyone, especially not to your big brother. Do you understand?”
Xiao Zhixuan’s expression changed several times before she suddenly stared directly at Yuanxi and said tremblingly, “Sister-in-law, it was Nanny Yu who killed Concubine Cai because the concubine knew their secret. You and I both know very well – how could Nanny Yu have such power? Who stands behind her? It’s the prin…”
Yuanxi’s body shook as she quickly stepped forward to cover Xiao Zhixuan’s mouth, then bent down to hold her head tightly in her arms, muffling her anguished sobs. She used a gentle yet firm voice close to Xiao Zhixuan’s ear, “Rest assured, I will help you. But before this matter is investigated clearly, no one can be allowed to notice anything. Do you understand?”
This voice seemed to have a calming power that made Xiao Zhixuan cry with relief buried in her embrace. Before coming, she had imagined countless possibilities. Her mother was just an insignificant concubine, and she was facing what might be a truth that no one could bear. Her sister-in-law had no reason to help her, yet she still inexplicably wanted to trust her. Perhaps she was just gambling – gambling that those gentle and clear eyes held deeply buried justice and persistence.
The beam of light coming through the window frame slowly moved. Yuanxi discussed with Xiao Zhixuan for a long time before seeing her out. She turned back into the room and suddenly felt extremely tired. She called Nanny Li in to add some charcoal to the room. Though it was clearly early spring, she felt cold from head to toe.
Opening her vanity case, she unconsciously ran her hand over box after box of hair oil. Yuanxi’s gaze was somewhat hollow, but her heart was in turmoil. That box of orchid hair oil that appeared out of nowhere was clearly someone’s deliberate attempt to frame her. She had speculated that someone wanted to use her hand to harm the Empress Dowager, or use the Empress Dowager’s hand against her. But how many people in the residence knew such palace secrets as the Empress Dowager’s inability to touch orchids?
She had once not dared face that suspicion in her heart because that person had no reason to harm her. But the conversation with Xiao Zhixuan just now made her connect many doubts, and many seemingly impossible things seemed to have explanations…
Yuanxi heavily closed the vanity case, unwilling to continue speculating. She bit her lip and began to calm herself down, organizing all the clues in her mind. After all, every question would have an answer. No matter how difficult the truth was to face, she must get to the bottom of it. For all the innocent souls who had died unjustly in this residence.
By dinner time, Xiao Du finally returned home. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Yuanxi sitting in the shadows, concentrating on a book in her hands.
He frowned. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but after just one day apart, the person before him seemed much more haggard. He walked behind her and quietly pulled the book from her hands. When Yuanxi turned around, she called out joyfully, “You’re back!”
Xiao Du pulled her up and examined her carefully, deliberately putting on a stern expression as he said with concern, “Why do you look so haggard?” He suddenly curved his lips and moved closer to her, “Could it be that you missed me too much?”
Yuanxi smiled and glared at him, but her heart couldn’t lighten up. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a coolness on her wrist. Looking down, she saw a jade bracelet of pure green had been placed on her hand.
The translucent and delicate jade, worn on her fair wrist, was like a tender lotus bloom about to drip with dew. Yuanxi looked at it with joy and raised her head to Xiao Du, “Why did you suddenly think to give me a bracelet?”
Xiao Du held her hand with satisfaction, “I saw it at a shop and thought my wife would definitely look beautiful wearing it, so I bought it immediately. Now seeing it, it indeed suits you perfectly.”
Yuanxi caressed the warm jade bracelet and lowered her head with a soft laugh. Only then did Xiao Du change out of his outer robe and add, “By the way, I just met Uncle Zhou. He said the residence needs to start purchasing this year’s ceremonial items. Counting the days, this year’s religious ceremony will begin soon.”
Yuanxi was startled and asked, “What religious ceremony?”
Xiao Du smiled, “You just married into the residence, so naturally you wouldn’t know. Because mother’s health has always been poor, and to pray for blessings for the marquis’s residence, every year after New Year, mother invites monks from Guangyuan Temple to perform a ceremony in the Buddhist hall. It’s really just burning some incense and performing rituals. If it requires using the accounting office, Uncle Zhou might come discuss it with you, so I’m giving you advance notice.”
Yuanxi nodded and kept this matter in mind. At this moment, she suddenly remembered what Xiao Zhixuan had said: “The missing maids in the residence disappeared at intervals of about a year.” And the residence happened to hold a ceremony every year. Could there be a connection… She quickly remembered Concubine Wang’s insistence on renovating the Buddhist hall, how the princess had strongly opposed it, and how there had even been rumors of hauntings. What exactly had Concubine Wang discovered then? Was the princess really hiding something?
“Xier?” Seeing her standing there in a daze, Xiao Du couldn’t help calling out.
Only then did Yuanxi come to her senses. Seeing Xiao Du’s concerned expression, her heart suddenly felt guilty, but after hesitating for a long time, she finally asked, “A’Du, do you still remember when you were little – besides Yunniang, which servants were you closest to?”