Afraid as she was, however, Ruo Yuan didn’t quite understand Su Xi-er’s intentions, instead following directly after her.
The sound of the iron chains suddenly vanished before sounding out again not long after.
Su Xi-er stood up straight and continuously surveyed the surroundings. “Liu Ye-er, Old Maidservant Zhao is already dead. You can just come out.”
Ruo Yuan was standing behind her with her lips pursed and her whole body taut.
After a while, the sound of iron chains got increasingly louder. A woman clad in grey coarse clothes walked out from behind a large tree. She still had a dirty appearance, her unkempt hair completely covering her face.
She walked over step by step before finally stopping three metres away from Su Xi-er. “Old Maidservant Zhao is dead?” Her voice was very soft and.
Su Xi-er nodded. “Mhm, she was beaten by the plank until she died. Her corpse has already been carried out of the palace.”
The silence of the woods meant that only the sound of the wind in their ears could be heard.
The area was pervaded by a strange atmosphere.
All of a sudden, Liu Ye-er cackled. “She’s dead. Haha, serves her right! Who asked her to betray Paternal Aunt!”
Paternal aunt? Su Xi-er instantly caught hold of the keywords. Is Liu Ye-er’s paternal aunt the Pure Consort?
Liu Ye-er chortled foolishly before suddenly becoming sorrowful. “If she’s dead, how is she going to take me to see him? If I can’t see him, what is the point in me continuing to be alive? I have done so many things for him.”
The more Ruo Yuan listened, the baffled she was. What paternal aunt? What him? Who did Liu Ye-er carry out tasks for?
Just as she was perplexed, she heard Su Xi-er beside her speak.
“Dress yourself up and you’ll be able to see him.” Su Xi-er walked to Liu Ye-er’s side and reached out her right hand to push aside the hair covering her face.
Liu Ye-er had a pair of good-looking willow-leaf shaped eyebrows. Even if her face was filthy, her eyes were still emitting radiance.
“I can really see him?” Liu Ye-er eyes were filled with delight.
“You can, it’s just that…” Su Xi-er suddenly moved closer to her and lowered her voice, “You must tell me what you have done for him.”
Liu Ye-er’s gaze turned blank. She looked at the iron chains in a daze and muttered to herself, “I can’t. If I tell you, he will definitely not want me anymore.”
Su Xi-er’s voice became increasingly low. “It has been so long, but has he come to visit you? He probably stays in the Commandery Prince Residence every day and embraces beauties all day right? Tell me, and I will take you to the Commandery Prince Residence.”
The otherwise obvious lie was enough to give Liu Ye-er hope that, as long as she admitted her deeds, Su Xi-er would be able to bring her to the Commandery Prince Residence.
“Paternal Aunt is the Pure Consort. When I entered the palace and accompanied Paternal Aunt, it was right when she was favoured. Roughly one year after I entered the palace, I got acquainted with Commandery Prince Xie and we fell in love with one another. He also likes me very much. Although Paternal Aunt said that beauties can’t obtain love and would all die, I simply believed him.” As Liu Ye-er immersed herself in her memories, the corners of her mouth were also upturned.
She glanced at Su Xi-er before she continued in a low voice, “More than half a year passed again. He told me to secretly take a certain item. It was His Majesty’s…”
When she was at the most crucial point, Liu Ye-er’s expression suddenly changed. Her body started trembling as blood flowed from her head like a river. Soon, blood began to leak from the corners of her mouth as well.
“His Majesty’s…” However, no matter how Liu Ye-er tried to move her lips, she couldn’t utter a single word.
Ruo Yuan was frightened until she shrieked. Su Xi-er hadn’t expected that Liu Ye-er would suddenly die, and in such a grim manner at that.
She observed the shape of her mouth carefully. To Commandery Prince Xie, which of His Majesty’s item is very important? The imperial jade seal*?
That can’t be possible. The imperial jade seal is out of reach for anyone to steal, much less a single weak woman.
What on earth was the item then?
Just as she was mulling over it, a familiar man’s deep and low voice sounded. “You’re not scrubbing the chamber pots, but looking at a dead person so earnestly instead.”
Su Xi-er didn’t raise her head. She directly bowed and paid her greetings. “This servant pays her respects to Prince Hao.”
His voice was deep and low as usual. It was sometimes solemn, and sometimes a little teasing.
“You knew that it was this prince without raising your head. Your brain is not bad since you could identify this prince’s voice.” Prince Hao made fun of her despite the circumstances.
Ruo Yuan’s legs began to go limp until finally, she could no longer endure it and knelt down with a plop. “This servant…pays her respects to Prince Hao.”
When she spoke, her heart was palpitating wildly in fear, feeling as if it was going to jump out of her chest!
Anyone could remember Prince Hao’s voice just by hearing it once. That kind of aura was not something ordinary people could possess.
Prince Hao walked to Su Xi-er’s side. “You took a fat palace maid as a subordinate. She is strong so she can help you scrub the chamber pots.”
Right afterwards, he looked at the long dead Liu Ye-er.
“This kind of death resembles someone’s style a lot.” Prince Hao’s voice was very low, thus only Su Xi-er could hear as she was the nearest to him.
Su Xi-er didn’t respond. If I ask, he would find out that I want to investigate Liu Ye-er’s matters.
Liu Ye-er, He Xiangyu and Commandery Prince Xie are related. Even the original owner of this body, the real Su Xi-er, is related to Commandery Prince Xie.
“Wu Ling, dispose of the body. Do it cleanly.” Pei Qianhao commanded softly and Wu Ling came out of hiding.
“This subordinate obeys your command!” Wu Ling bowed and accepted the order before hefting Liu Ye-er’s body onto his shoulder and leaving the woods.
Su Xi-er didn’t understand. Why did Prince Hao appear at this moment? And why did he order
his subordinate to dispose of Liu Ye-er’s body? Could it be that Liu Ye-er was killed by him?
The expression in her eyes changed once her train of thought came to this conclusion.
Pei Qianhao raised his right hand and suddenly pinched her chin. “You think that Liu Ye-er was killed by this prince? This prince can casually punish a palace maid as I please. Are you scared?”
“This servant values my life the most. If Your Highness wants to kill this servant, this servant will naturally be scared.” she enunciated as she looked straight at him.
This appearance of hers is actually a little similar to the audacious woman in the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters. However, whether she is or not, remains to be seen. Capturing and punishing a person for a crime solely based on intuition and without hard evidence isn’t my style.
When Ruo Yuan heard what Prince Hao said, she thought that he was going to kill Su Xi-er. She was immediately thrown off before she tried to gather her courage.
She lay prostrated on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. “Prince Hao, it’s not easy for a palace maid in the Palace Side Quarters to survive. Please be magnanimous and let Su Xi-er off.”
She’s speaking up for me at this critical juncture. Warmth instantly flowed past Su Xi-er’s heart.
This appearance of Ruo Yuan is very much like Lü Liu.
Pei Qianhao released Su Xi-er’s chin. “Your subordinate is not bad, being able to speak for you as she has. This prince won’t kill you now, but that may not be the case in the future. It’ll depend on my mood.”
Suddenly, another clear and sonorous voice of a man sounded. “Did Prince Hao purposely draw me away just to tease the palace maids from the Palace Side Quarters?” His tone was still calm, but was now tinged with the dignity of an imperial prince.
Situ Li was the first to publicly say that Prince Hao took liberties with women.
Ruo Yuan’s body stiffened. The two great handsome men in Beimin, the two who everyone reveres, are standing right in front of me. This kind of feeling…is simply too frightening! In stark contrast, when she looked at Su Xi-er, the latter’s expression was completely unruffled. It was almost as if she was very used to this situation.
Ruo Yuan couldn’t help but find it surprising. Su Xi-er has indeed changed. She has become a very formidable woman! Her aura doesn’t lose to Prince Hao’s.
(* It signifies the emperor’s power.)
