Yesterday, it seemed as though fate willfully wanted to destroy the last refuge. One unsettling incident after another occurred in succession, but before dawn it suddenly became completely silent, as if it were merely a dream Mo Zi had imagined.
Looking at Qiu Shuang’s expression that said everything would be fine once she handed it over to her, she said, “If I had that much ability, I would have entered the palace last night. Why wait until now?” She now had to be cautious about going out, lest the Emperor grow even more furious and ultimately blame everything on Yuan Cheng.
Qiu Shuang furrowed her brows, her gaze seeming to examine whether Mo Zi was fooling her. “You couldn’t be thinking I’d still compete with you for a man, so you won’t help me? Then let me tell you—rest assured, I don’t want Yuan Cheng anymore. I’m not blind. I can see he has no interest in me. It’s just that my father insisted I must marry myself off this year, or else he’d pick a senior or junior brother to marry me. I was forced into desperation, which is why I came out with Master Hua. When I met Yuan Cheng, I thought he was refined and cultured, more comfortable and pleasing to the eye than those men I knew who only understood wielding swords and spears. Plus we knew each other’s backgrounds well—it seemed quite good. Later, although I could see he had feelings for you, I thought you had a good temperament, were clever and generous, so I didn’t mind being called sisters with you. I also thought that I’m no worse than you—there’s no reason Yuan Cheng should like you but not like me.”
“You speak so well of me.” Mo Zi smiled with pursed lips.
“That’s how it appeared. Very quickly I understood that not only is Yuan Cheng cold and indifferent by nature, but you also can’t tolerate even a grain of sand in your eye—you fundamentally don’t want to share serving one husband with others. Having seen this clearly, I had thoughts of withdrawing. But Master Hua joined forces with my parents to pressure me, insisting I shamelessly stay. Otherwise, leaving me in that small courtyard where even the steward and servants were distant—with my temperper, I would have exploded long ago. Have all the men in the world died out? Must I put my warm face against someone’s cold backside? I, Qiu Shuang, am neither ugly nor stupid. Those who want to marry me would have to form a line first. I won’t demean myself by inserting myself between you two, watching you be so perfectly close without gaps, eating vinegar for a lifetime.” Qiu Shuang curled her lip.
“I like your genuine nature.” Mo Zi clapped her hands lightly. “Your ladylike demeanor and manner struck me as strange before—how could a woman of the martial world act like a proper young lady from a great household?”
“Who told Yuan Cheng to be a scholar and an official? Of course I had to appear well-behaved and cater to his preferences.” Speaking of this, Qiu Shuang looked Mo Zi up and down. “How was I to know Yuan Cheng likes lively and active types? Tell me, if I had shown my true nature and he liked me too, could you agree to let me be equals with you?”
“I cannot agree.” Mo Zi was decisive. “If he liked you, I would leave—fulfill you two. As you said, the men in the world haven’t all died yet.”
“I’m beginning to admire you. Actually, if it weren’t for what my mother taught me, I also can’t stand having three wives and four concubines. Having the person you like being intimate with other women—your heart would definitely feel blocked. But if you’re not magnanimous, you’re called jealous, and the fault lies entirely with the woman. Ah, we’re really straying further and further from the topic.” Qiu Shuang’s expression grew grave. “First, I’m telling you that the Nanhua Sword Sect will have no further relationship with Yuan Jiao Niang from now on. Whether it’s you or Yuan Cheng, I hope you can believe us. Second, I’m reminding you that Yuan Jiao Niang’s behavior this time may still have someone secretly supporting her. The night before last, I heard her talking in her room. I thought she was talking to herself, so I didn’t pay attention. Thinking about it now, it seemed more like she was answering someone.”
Mo Zi made a sound of acknowledgment. “What did you hear?”
“I only heard two short phrases. One was—’I know.’ The other was, ‘Even if it doesn’t succeed, I won’t let them have it easy.'” Just as Qiu Shuang finished speaking, the study door burst open.
Ding Gou pointed at Qiu Shuang and asked Mo Zi, “She didn’t bully you, did she?”
Qiu Shuang’s beautiful eyes widened in glare. “Xun Ju?! How are you here?”
“Ding Gou, so you’re called Xun Ju. Beautiful jade becoming a straw dog—you really were ruthless enough.” Mo Zi smiled. “Don’t worry. Sister Qiu Shuang and I had a heart-to-heart talk. We’ve completely put aside our past grievances.”
“She’s a twenty-two-year-old old maid, and you still call her sister?” Ding Gou ignored Qiu Shuang’s astonishment. He was preparing to set out and had come to tell Mo Zi.
“Old maid?” Qiu Shuang bit her silver teeth and stomped her foot, drawing her sword. “I wondered who was called Ding Gou! You think by changing your name people won’t recognize you?”
Ding Gou sneered. “I didn’t change my name because of you. Besides, I’ve been walking around openly and aboveboard all over this mansion. Someone was eager to get married—with eyes only for her ideal husband, unable to see anything else.”
Seeing the two of them at odds with each other, the flames rising higher and higher, Mo Zi quickly grabbed her toolbox and ran out of the study to avoid becoming collateral damage.
Sure enough, just as she came out, she heard a clanging sound behind her. Turning to look, she discovered the door had a hole pierced through it by a sword.
A’Hao raised her sword, about to charge in.
“It’s fine. Those two are old acquaintances, both from the martial world. Haven’t seen each other in a long time—when greeting each other, emotions inevitably overflow.” Mo Zi hurriedly stopped her.
A’Hao was stunned. This explanation was too strange.
“The door—” A’Yue suddenly said, “flew off.”
Mo Zi called out loudly, “You two inside, be careful not to break anything valuable.” Doors and windows were minor matters.
“Who knows which ones are valuable?” Qiu Shuang’s exasperated voice came out.
“She can actually answer back—Ding Gou knows how to be gentle with the fairer sex after all.” Mo Zi held her toolbox, walking and talking. “Let’s change locations.”
“Where to?” A’Yue asked. “I need to tell Ming Nian so he doesn’t look for people in vain.”
“The lake pavilion.” There was water there, which could calm her heart.
Summer had arrived and the weather was slightly warm. Gauze curtains hung in the pavilion, dyed with various peony patterns, swaying gently in the morning breeze. Mo Zi had A’Hao stop at the bridge head. She herself opened the carved wooden railing facing east of the pavilion and nimbly climbed down.
When she came back up, a very familiar voice sounded by her ear.
“You’d better put on an outer garment.”
Mo Zi’s eyes were sharp and her hands quick. Seeing that person’s back at the same time, she grabbed the gauze curtain at one side, spun around several times, turning it into a large cloak that covered her soaked dress.
“Xiao Wei, you’re truly outrageous!” After confirming there was no longer a trace of anything that could inspire improper thoughts, she began scolding. “Is this your home, to just barge in casually? A’Hao!”
“If you’re calling your maid, I knocked her unconscious.” Xiao Wei still had his back to her, but his eyes were full of the graceful and exquisite image of a water lotus emerging in that instant moment—his spirit uncontrollably stirred. “Have you… put on an outer garment yet?”
“You knocked A’Hao unconscious—how can she get me an outer garment? But you can turn around now.” She sat sideways on the long bench by the pavilion railing.
Xiao Wei slowly turned around. Seeing her wear even silk curtains with such dignified elegance, he couldn’t help but stare. “Do you do this ordinarily—swim in the lake in the early morning?”
Mo Zi heard the discomfort in his tone and pretended not to understand, even smiling. “Summer has arrived—it’s hot. You sound as if you’ve never seen me in water before. The very first time was when I smuggled you to Nande, and the waves soaked me through as well.”
“How is that the same?” None of those times involved emerging from the water wearing gossamer silk.
Mo Zi was unconcerned. “All right, I imagine you didn’t come here just to stroll around casually. If you have something to say, say it. I still need to go change clothes. Although it’s hot, wearing this wet outfit is ultimately uncomfortable.”
“Just now Eunuch Liu announced the Crown Prince’s death. His Majesty is grief-stricken to the point of physical discomfort and cannot hold morning court today. The two Chief Ministers Li Ren and Wang He will lead the officials in deliberation.” Xiao Wei collected the amazement in his heart and spoke of serious matters.
“Since there’s a deliberation, don’t you need to participate?” Mo Zi jabbed.
“I stayed in the palace last night on imperial orders. I don’t need to attend court.” Speaking of this, Xiao Wei cast his gaze on the lake surface. “Although Yuan Mansion is much smaller than Prince Jing’s mansion, it’s picturesque. Yuan Cheng’s ability is truly great. When the Ministry of Works rebuilt the mansion for him, he was still only a sixth-rank Academician of the Imperial Academy, yet he could make people take such pains.”
“His greatest ability is turning the impossible into the possible.” Mo Zi suddenly understood Xiao Wei’s purpose in coming. “You were in the palace all night?”
“That’s right.” Turning the impossible into the possible? Xiao Wei sat down near Mo Zi’s toes.
Mo Zi didn’t pay attention. “Then do you know or don’t you know? Just say it directly—what’s with the mystery?”
“Aren’t you clever? Guess.” Xiao Wei rarely grasped the initiative. “If you guess correctly, I’ll tell you everything, absolutely no concealment.”
“Xiao Wei, I can guess, but you must first answer one question. You look down on Yuan Cheng so much—why did you specially come over to tell me?” Saying he “looked down on” him was still being polite.
“Those with different principles don’t work together—I still look down on him. It’s just that I thought if he really were the mastermind, even if the assassination failed, he would have planned an escape route. It’s impossible he would wait for people to come to his door and arrest him, so he should have been framed by someone.” He answered her question.
Mo Zi smiled confidently. “I’ve guessed it.” This person was in the palace all night—he must have news about Yuan Cheng.
Xiao Wei was both annoyed and amused. “I actually fell into your trap so easily.”
“A gentleman’s word, a whip to the swift horse. Xiao Wei, you clearly knew that even if I didn’t set a trap for your words, I could definitely guess it.” Sensing again his attitude toward her that was different from before, Mo Zi drew back her feet, maintaining distance. “Please tell me—how is Yuan Cheng?”
“He should be fine.” Seeing Mo Zi frown, Xiao Wei continued, “The definite news is that the two captured assassins were imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. As for Yuan Cheng being accused of being the mastermind, according to Wei Jia, His Majesty ordered him and Minister Li to temporarily suppress this news and wait for further confirmation. So that’s why I think he should be fine.”
Mo Zi breathed a great sigh of relief and patted her chest. “I knew His Majesty was wise and wouldn’t easily believe one person’s words.” It seemed there was no need to flee and pack up at all.
“But there’s one piece of bad news.” Xiao Wei’s expression was stern. “General Hua was relieved of his position as Commander of the Jinniu Guard by His Majesty and cannot leave the palace. I don’t know how he found out I was at the Eastern Palace, but he had someone pass me a letter and asked me to tell you.”
Having just breathed a sigh of relief, her heart was now suspended again. Mo Zi lowered her eyes and asked herself, “What exactly does His Majesty mean? On one hand he doesn’t believe Yuan Cheng is the mastermind of the assassination, but on the other hand he’s relieved Hua Yi of his position.”
Compared to Mo Zi’s superficial understanding of the Emperor, Xiao Wei’s explanation was much more seasoned. “To determine Yuan Cheng’s guilt requires investigation. But General Hua knew about things and didn’t report them, which probably greatly violated His Majesty’s original intentions, so he was punished. I said long ago that General Hua followed Yuan Cheng too closely and neglected his duties.”
“Is that so?” His Majesty saw that Hua Yi was helping Yuan Cheng, so he blamed him?
“Isn’t it so?” Xiao Wei countered. “If you’re thinking of entering the palace to plead injustice for Yuan Cheng, I advise you not to go for now. At a time like this, if you go, you’re reminding His Majesty that you’re together with them. When that happens, don’t expect to leave the palace either.”
Having finished saying this, Xiao Wei left. He had jumped over the wall to get in; now he jumped over the wall to leave again.