What physical differences could there be between a little boy and little girl? Li Yanrong put on Li Xiang’s childhood clothes. The two buns on her head were also undone by Li Xiang, who carelessly tied a single topknot. Yun Shou’s gold crown with red pompoms was loosely pinned on Li Yanrong’s head. When Yanrong’s personal little palace maid realized what these three young masters were actually trying to do, she was nearly scared to death, sitting on the floor receiving Yun Shou’s instruction.
“You’d better get up and dress me up to look like Yanrong, or you’ll be in trouble. If they don’t discover it, everything will be fine. But if they do discover it, hehe, I don’t need to say what will happen to you.”
The trembling palace maid struggled to fit Yanrong’s clothes onto Yun Shou’s chubby body. With great difficulty getting it on, he looked like a silkworm being squeezed. After combing his hair into buns and inserting a gold hairpin with bells on top, Yun Shou walked a couple steps, very satisfied. He waved at the already-prepared Li Xiang siblings, signaling they could leave. He himself then opened his throat and began wailing loudly—every time he left, Yanrong would cry loudly.
The two old palace maids guarding by the small tower saw Li Xiang laboriously carrying someone wrapped in a blanket on his back. Just as they were about to stop him, they heard crying from upstairs. A head with a tinkling gold hairpin seemed about to poke out but was pulled back by the personal palace maid. Only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. Smelling the fruit wine scent coming from the blanket, they smiled at each other. That troublesome young marquis was drunk—as long as the county princess didn’t leave the tower, all was well.
Li Xiang walked to where the trees were dense, set Yanrong down, and helped smooth her hair, saying softly, “We’re going to the rear palace now. Your mother must be there. I’ll secretly take you there. Don’t talk along the way. If we’re exposed, all three of us will be in trouble. When you see your mother, don’t cry and don’t shout loudly.”
Seeing Yanrong nod resolutely, he took the lead passing through the moon gate in the western wall, with Yanrong following closely behind…
Yuliang Hall was specifically for imprisoning palace people who had committed errors, and the Eastern Palace was also within its jurisdiction. Who could have imagined that the small Yuliang Hall in just over a year could simultaneously confine two crown princesses?
It was very quiet here—one could even say serene. Su Shi seemed never to change herself based on external environmental changes. Now, though her gorgeous gown and skirt had become hemp cloth garments, it still couldn’t change her tranquil character. Sitting among the dappled shadows of flowers and trees, she embroidered a blooming peony stitch by stitch. When her little Xiang’er married in the future, he should at least have a robe personally embroidered by his mother, right? Every day, fantasizing about little Xiang’er’s future was her happiest thing in this past year.
Next door, Hou Shi began shouting loudly again. She cursed everyone, from Heaven to the Emperor, then to her own incompetent husband, and even Yun Ye. She herself had tried to advise her twice, but Hou Shi only cursed more fiercely and even vented her anger on her.
Persuasion was useless, but the whips of those fierce-faced matron supervisors were quite effective. She had been quiet for two days, but now she was starting again. Su Shi was actually quite content—her little Xiang’er would run to see her whenever he had a chance, sometimes even bringing her delicacies from the Yun family that she had never eaten before. If this was Heaven’s arrangement, Su Shi did not consider it Heaven’s punishment.
Her personal palace maid drew up a bucket of water from the well, using a ladle to water the flowers. These flowers weren’t any famous varieties. Some were merely because their leaves looked nice that Su Shi had asked others for them and carefully cultivated them. In a year’s time, she had accumulated half a courtyard. Due to her tranquil nature, plus the fact that the Crown Prince would sometimes come to see her, the people of the Cold Palace didn’t dare oppress her too severely.
“Mother!” A familiar voice came. Su Shi looked up in delighted surprise to see her little Xiang’er appearing at her courtyard gate, covered in sweat. She set down her embroidery and hugged her child tightly.
“Mother, you won’t have to stay here much longer. I heard Hou Junji has been found guilty and is on his way to the capital. When Father Prince returns, he will definitely bring you back.”
Hearing her son’s childish words, Su Shi rested her chin on her son’s head and said, “You’re talking nonsense. Things in this world aren’t that simple. The Hou family’s error doesn’t mean your mother is right. Your father prince is the one suffering most—such a kind person forced to endure boundless torment. Xiang’er, don’t blame your father prince. He has no choice.”
“Mother, that doesn’t matter either. Today I learned a skill from Yun Shou. He pretended to be Yanrong, letting Yanrong pretend to be him. He also pretended to be drunk, and I carried Yanrong out on my back while he stayed upstairs learning to cry like Yanrong, deceiving everyone. Mother, please endure a bit longer. When I’m a bit older, I’ll be able to use this method to bring you out of the palace.”
Su Shi was greatly alarmed and quickly asked, “Where did Yanrong go? Could she be at her mother’s place?” Seeing her son nod, Su Shi hurriedly pushed open the door to go to Hou Shi’s courtyard. That woman was going mad now—if she hurt Yanrong, Xiang’er and Yun Shou’s offense would be great.
Just entering the courtyard, she saw Hou Shi had picked up Yanrong and was shaking her, asking, “Is your father prince coming to fetch mother? Is he? Is he? Speak! Is he?”
Su Shi quickly snatched the already too-frightened-to-cry Yanrong from her hands, constantly calling back the child’s soul. This child had been badly frightened, her two eyes staring blankly at her crazed mother without saying a word.
“Yanrong, good child, if you’re afraid then cry. It’s alright, Auntie is here. If you’re afraid, cry. Once you cry, everything will be fine.” No matter how Su Shi tried to comfort the child, the child just wouldn’t cry. After a long while, she finally squeezed out a sentence: “Brother Xiang told me I can’t cry when I see Mother.”
Su Shi was about to leave carrying Yanrong when Hou Shi, who had just been wandering everywhere in the courtyard, rushed over again, staring at Yanrong and saying, “Why aren’t you a boy? Why aren’t you a boy? Do you know how useless women are? If you were a boy, you could inherit everything from your father. If you were a boy, you’d definitely be a hundred times stronger than your worthless father.”
Su Shi used all her strength to slap Hou Shi across the face, making Hou Shi stumble. The crazed look in her eyes gradually regained clarity. She probably remembered what she had just done. A look of despair floated onto her face—this was the most complete kind of despair, as if the life force in her eyes was gradually receding. Her daughter was now her last hope.
Yanrong struggled down from Su Shi’s embrace and ran to Hou Shi’s side, tugging at her lapel and saying, “Mother, look, I’m wearing Brother Xiang’s clothes. I’m a boy now. Do you like it?”
Su Shi’s tears flowed like springs. Hou Shi collapsed limply to the ground, madly slapping her own face. Fear began floating onto Yanrong’s small face again.
“Hou Shi, what are you doing? You’ll frighten the child doing this!” Su Shi sternly stopped Hou Shi’s mad behavior.
Hou Shi raised her face smeared with blood from her nose, pleading with Yanrong: “Darling, don’t blame Mother. Mother didn’t mean to. Mother doesn’t know why she said that. Darling, don’t leave Mother!”
Yanrong peeled a lychee and stuffed it in Hou Shi’s mouth, saying, “Brother Shou gave this to me. When I was crying just now, this is what he did. It’s very delicious. After eating it, I stopped crying. Mother shouldn’t cry either.”
Hou Shi ate the lychee like a puppy, tears flowing continuously. She wiped her face haphazardly with her sleeve, making herself even more unseemly, but Yanrong giggled, thinking her mother was playing with her.
“Hou Shi, the child can’t stay long. She snuck out. Yun Shou is still in Yanrong’s tower impersonating her. Only after the hundred-day confinement can she come to see you. You must be well. Outside matters have nothing to do with us women. Being confined here is already the greatest punishment. The children are our last hope—don’t destroy even this hope.”
“Actually, among the women confined here, we sisters are the most fortunate because we both have children. Yanrong has been betrothed to the Yun family by the Empress. You know Yun Ye’s protective temperament—he will certainly protect Yanrong well. As long as she has his protection, Yanrong will surely live peacefully and happily this life. This is actually your greatest blessing.”
Speaking of rules, Hou Shi became frightened again. She hurriedly pushed Yanrong out, saying as they went, “Darling, it’s good that you’ve seen Mother. I won’t go mad anymore. In my heart I’ll only think of my darling. Go quickly. Yun Shou is an idiot—he’s so fat and ugly, how can he impersonate darling? Be clever, don’t let people catch you. Now, Mother can’t help you, and your grandfather can’t help you either.”
Su Shi pushed Hou Shi and said, “Why are you saying such things to the child? Not knowing is a blessing. Xiang’er, Xiang’er, quickly take your sister away. The supervisor will be coming soon.”
Only then did Li Xiang, who had been cowering in the corner, come over and drag the reluctant Yanrong, who kept looking back, away from Yuliang Hall.
Yun Shou waited in Yanrong’s tower for a long time without seeing the two of them return. Utterly bored, he lay on the soft bed counting rabbits on top of the canopy. Unexpectedly, while counting, he drowsily fell asleep.
When he heard a commotion and opened his eyes, he saw Yanrong’s little maid kneeling on the floor trembling. Li Xiang hung his head like a defeated rooster. Only Yanrong secretly made faces at Yun Shou. Zhangsun sat in a chair drinking tea. Seeing Yun Shou wake, she asked without good humor, “Whose daughter is this? Ugly as death. She doesn’t look anything like Yanrong. Tell me, how should I deal with you, this little troublemaker with eight holes in your heart?”
Yun Shou jumped off the bed in one bound, pulling on Zhangsun’s arm and pleading, “Grandmother Empress, Shou’er was too naughty. Your great person doesn’t remember the faults of small people—spare me this once.”
“Your father was just this shameless and persistent. Good, he’s passed this skill on to you, hasn’t he? Back then, Grandmother Empress didn’t teach your father well, causing him to run around like a monkey without a trace. Now you also plan to jump around, don’t you? I think you’re all asking for a beating.”
Having scolded Yun Shou, she turned to the dozen or so palace servants kneeling outside the door and said, “All useless! Led around in circles by three children—what use are you? Someone come, drag them out. Ten heavy strokes each as a warning to others. Let’s see if they can gain some wisdom.”
“Grandmother Empress is truly wise, with measured rewards and punishments. Shou’er admires you immensely!”
“Little monkey, as long as the rod doesn’t fall on your bottom, you think Grandmother Empress is incomparably wise, don’t you? Exactly like your father. Alright, stop trying to curry favor. Go play with Xiang’er and Yanrong in the garden!”
Watching the three children go to the garden, Zhangsun sighed and said, “What karmic debts are we all creating!”