Pei Qianhao loosened his hands. “It’s nothing. Wear your shirt properly. Return to your room after you have delivered the medicine.”
He then turned to leave, leaving the door wide open.
Peering out, Su Xi-er saw that all the palace maids in the vicinity had already been dismissed. Gazing at his retreating figure, she mused over what he had said just now. “Wear it when I tell you to do so. This Chinese bodice is even…” What came after that?
Don’t tell me that he hadn’t secretly hidden it, but specially searched for it?
Su Xi-er knitted her eyebrows as she recalled the Lucky Knot Yun Ruofeng gave her. He specially searched for it and there is only this one pair in the whole world. But what happened afterwards?
Hehe. In this lifetime, I can’t repeat the same mistakes.
Her fists were tightly clenched as she remained frozen on the wooden stool. Only after 15 minutes had passed did she realise that her clothes were still dishevelled.
Using both her hands, she rapidly straightened them out and couldn’t help but curse in her heart. What a splendid Prince Hao. You dared to pull my clothes off. You even left the room door open when you left!
With her clothes tidied up, she poured the medicinal extract in the gallipot into a few large bowls.
Just as she had finished pouring all of it out, a palace maid came. “Su Xi-er, Old Maidservant Li instructed you to look for Eunuch Zhang at the Imperial Household Department in order to get two new well buckets for the Laundry Service Bureau. I will deliver the medicine instead.”
The palace maid placed the few large bowls containing the medicinal extract onto a wooden tray before taking it away.
Su Xi-er contemplated for a moment before heading towards the Imperial Household Department.
Eunuch Zhang had long prepared for her arrival. The imperial bodyguards at the door only asked for her name before letting her in.
The room was the place where she had met Eunuch Zhang for the first time. While he had tried to evaluate her in the past, the gaze that Eunuch Zhang trained on her was one of surprise and confoundment.
“Su Xi-er, there are no outsiders here. Tell me the truth; were you the one who caused the incident in the Laundry Service Bureau?”
Su Xi-er slowly answered, “So you’ve already deduced it, Eunuch Zhang. Indeed, I was the one who did it. However, regardless of the means, Ruo Yuan has returned to the Palace Side Quarters.”
“Are you sure that you have managed to retreat unscathed? The Imperial Physician Institute has already found that the grass came from the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters during their investigation.”
Su Xi-er smiled. “I have already been taken back to be questioned by Imperial Physician Zhao; yet, am I not standing here safe and sound? As for whether I can retreat unscathed, aren’t you the clearest about that, Eunuch Zhang?”
Eunuch Zhang’s expression became solemn but it returned to normal in a moment. “To have come up with such a method, I don’t know if I should say that you are audacious or courageous. Nevertheless, I mean what I say. Feel free to instruct me should you need my help in the future.”
With the help of the Head Eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, she would be able to receive news in the palace faster in the future.
“You have already heard about the Empress Dowager going to the Beauty Palace, right?” Eunuch Zhang suddenly mentioned the Empress Dowager.
Su Xi-er nodded in affirmation.
“The Empress Dowager was obstructed by her father, Lord Pei, on the way. The only reason that this matter didn’t blow up is because Lord Pei suppressed the news. And yet, Prince Hao didn’t pay any attention to it. Right now, there is almost nobody who knows that the Empress Dowager is not in the Compassionate Peace Palace, but the Pei Residence.” Eunuch Zhang sighed.
“On the day of the incident in the Laundry Service Bureau, I had gone to the Compassionate Peace Palace and found the Empress Dowager completely incensed with Prince Hao. The conflict between these two siblings is too huge; either one party will concede or…””
Eunuch Zhang stopped to look at Su Xi-er carefully.
“You can get close to Prince Hao, but not too close. You have to grasp a suitable distance. Although you are young, you have been in the imperial palace even longer than the Empress Dowager. Su Xi-er, you will definitely be destined for great success. In the future, His Majesty…”
Su Xi-er raised her head and looked at Eunuch Zhang. “I have seen His Majesty before. His temperament is pure.”
Eunuch Zhang was surprised. “You have actually seen His Majesty before? He is always in the Dragon Heaven Palace, and is strictly disciplined by Prince Hao.”
“I saw him by chance. Eunuch Zhang, I’ll be going to get the well buckets.”
Eunuch Zhang waved his hand. “In the wooden cabin in the backyard.”
Su Xi-er nodded and turned to leave.
As Eunuch Zhang gazed at her departing figure, he was pensive. To be able to come up with and execute such a plan to transfer Ruo Yuan back to the Palace Side Quarters, exactly how much courage and resolution does such a woman have?
This kind of boldness and assertiveness shouldn’t be appearing on a young lady who is only in her teens.
~~~
Su Xi-er took two new well buckets from the Imperial Household Department and walked towards the Laundry Service Bureau. All of a sudden, there was a movement in the woods beside the palace path and the sound of a cat crying followed shortly.
Cat crying? Su Xi-er shifted her gaze and spotted a pair of large cat eyes hidden in the undergrowth.
The cat’s eyes were particularly nimble, finding Su Xi-er just as she found them.
An ominous glint appeared in its eyes upon sighting her. It bounced out and scratched the ground with its claws, its tail sticking straight up.
This is…the cat raised by the Empress Dowager, Flower!
It was still very vicious the second time around.
The fat cat was tensed as it crouched down; then proceeding to pounce towards Su Xi-er with its mouth open.
Su Xi-er dodged with a practised motion, her left arm raised due to the rapid movement. It was due to this habit that the bucket in her hand ended up flying towards Flower.
Flower’s big and fat face impacted the hard well bucket, only going stiff for a moment before the cat shrieked miserably and laid prone on the ground motionlessly.
It had lost its strength from the fall, so it used its large eyes to glare at Su Xi-er ferociously.
Su Xi-er crouched down and touched its head. “They all say that cats have nine lives. You only fell once, so you won’t even lose a life. Lie here and rest properly for a while. Miss He will come to look for you.”
She then stood up and walked towards the Laundry Service Bureau.
Flower stretched its body straight and fiercely mewed at her departing figure.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Flower got a little better. It had just twisted its fat body when He Ying arrived to pick it up.
“Well done, you wildly ran all over the place again. It was the Palace Side Quarters last time. Now you want to go to the Laundry Service Bureau right? If you make trouble again, I’ll throw you away.” He Ying admonished as she poked Flower’s head.
Flower’s eyes turned and it dropped its head listlessly.
He Ying felt that it was strange. It was still perfectly fine this morning. Why did it become like this?
Imperial Physician Zhao had just happened to be passing by at this moment. He Ying immediately walked forward while carrying Flower.
“Imperial Physician Zhao, help me take a look. What’s wrong with Flower?”
Imperial Physician Zhao’s had a strange expression. I diagnose people, not cats. However, this cat is raised by the Empress Dowager. It’s not good for me to refuse.
Hence, he examined Flower briefly. “Cats also have a temper. It’s probably because you pamper it too much. It’s not a big deal. Just let it be.”
He Ying lowered her head to look at Flower and kept feeling that something was amiss. However, Imperial Physician Zhao was an old imperial physician in the palace; it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to chastise him.
She nodded. “In that case, I’m relieved. Take care, Imperial Physician Zhao.”
She then left while carrying Flower.
Flower’s eyes turned continuously as they took a small path back to the Compassionate Peace Palace. Unfortunately, the quickest path also led past the Laundry Service Bureau.
He Ying chose the closet palace path. When she reached the Laundry Service Bureau area, Flower suddenly jumped up.
“Flower, what’s the matter?”
Flower leapt down from her and ran towards the Laundry Service Bureau.
He Ying followed, but she didn’t expect that she would meet Su Xi-er.
