However, she heard another piece of news the next day. He Ying’s eyeballs weren’t dug out, and the Empress Dowager was still furious over Flower’s death.
Su Xi-er had just finished her breakfast when she overhead the nearby palace maids discussing it fervently.
“Why did the Empress Dowager only fly into a rage now? Why weren’t there any movements last night?”
“How will Prince Hao deal with it, or will he not care at all? After all, Flower is dead, and Miss He is also involved.”
“But I heard that Miss He didn’t have her eyes dug out.”
Right at this moment, Old Maidservant Li appeared and bellowed, “Get to work, all of you. You have nothing to do after you eat right? Discussing matters of the imperial palace right after your bodies recovered, aren’t you all afraid of getting your eyes gouged out?”
The palace maids immediately dispersed and went to work.
Old Maidservant Li looked at Su Xi-er helplessly. Although I’m the old maidservant-in-charge, I can’t afford to offend this lowly palace maid. “Su Xi-er, go back to your room to rest. If the imperial guards send valuable clothes other, come out and wash them.” She then turned to leave.
The attitude Old Maidservant Li adopted towards this palace maid was one of avoidance.
Su Xi-er walked towards her own room, but suddenly stopped when she was about halfway there, feeling that something was amiss. She turned around abruptly, noticing the rustling of the foliage in the woods beside the Palace Side Quarters as she did so.
There’s no reason for the leaves to make such a sound without there being a breeze. Hence, she walked towards the woods.
When some palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau saw her, they felt that her actions were strange. Why is she going there for no reason?
However, their curiosity was quickly overcome by the need to finish their work. There are so many clothes. If we still don’t finish washing them, there will be punishment waiting for us.
Just as Su Xi-er neared the woods, the sound quietened down. Such an obvious discrepancy can only mean that someone is hidden in the undergrowth.
However, who is the one hiding? While I don’t know, I can certainly find out.
Hence, she pretended to be going for a stroll as she entered the woods. Waiting until she was out of earshot of everyone, she then yelled out, “Since you have come, you should just reveal your face. Otherwise, please go back. Spying on someone isn’t so easy.”
Yet, what answered her was silence.
Undeterred, Su Xi-er called out again, “It’s just the Laundry Service Bureau. What is there to monitor? No one dares to damage the clothes when washing.”
Wu Ling heard these words as he stayed hidden in his secret spot. Strange, how exactly did she discover me? My skills in camouflage are great enough that I have never been discovered.
“Come out. I already know where you are.”
Wu Ling felt that it was strange. Has she really discovered me? Fine then, I should just come out. He also felt a little awkward, as it was his first time spying on a palace maid.
Wu Ling walked out from his hiding spot and asked her, “You simply walked into the woods. Weren’t you afraid that I deliberately led you here to kill you?”
“If you really want to kill this servant, I wouldn’t be able to escape. I only came to find out who was hiding here. It turns out that it was you, Imperial Bodyguard Wu. Are you peeping on palace maids?”
Her question caused Wu Ling to lose face. Why would I peep on palace maids… Looking at it from a different perspective however, Prince Hao instructed me to monitor Su Xi-er. Isn’t that…
“Imperial Bodyguard Wu, could it be Prince Hao’s orders? This servant feels that you really don’t have it easy. Not long ago, you had to send a red Chinese bodice. Now you have to spy on a palace maid. It would be one thing if you were spying on a man, but spying on a woman might cause others to misunderstand.”
Did Prince Hao instruct me to monitor her because he understood this?
“It was indeed Prince Hao’s order for me to monitor you. As for the reason why, I don’t know. Su Xi-er, you better be more obedient these few days. If I find out that there’s anything even slightly amiss with you, I will report to Prince Hao.”
Su Xi-er smiled. “This servant is very well-behaved every day. It’s just that Prince Hao often makes things difficult for this servant. You can pass this on to Prince Hao.” She then turned around to leave.
She wasn’t afraid of being monitored. The matters in the Laundry Service Bureau were ultimately just as she had reported. Besides, Eunuch Zhang and Old Maidservant Li wouldn’t randomly summon me.
After walking out of the woods, Su Xi-er spotted Lian Qiao. Lian Qiao had been transferred back to the Palace Side Quarters yesterday, but she decided to come to the Laundry Service Bureau without permission today?
Lian Qiao saw Su Xi-er and immediately went forward. “I was instructed to scrub the chamber pots after I returned to the Palace Side Quarters yesterday. When I was scrubbing the chamber pots last night however, I saw…”
Su Xi-er looked at her. It can’t be that she saw Situ Li, right? Is he not aware of such a massive commotion in the palace? He’s even coming to the Palace Side Quarters??
Lian Qiao lowered her voice, “The Third Imperial Prince was fiddling with some plants over there. I recognised the plants as medicinal herbs.”
“Lian Qiao, how are you able to come to the Laundry Service Bureau without orders?”
“Old Maidservant Liu told me to come and collect her clothes that had been washed. Also, I have figured out how to create the itching powder you requested, and will be able to give it to you in a few days.” Lian Qiao then swiftly retreated and walked towards another direction.
Su Xi-er watched as Lian Qiao faded into the distance. What medicinal herbs is the Third Imperial Prince fiddling with? He hasn’t appeared at all these few days because he was studying medicinal herbs?
She went back to her room while carrying these questions.
After closing the door, Su Xi-er immediately went towards her cupboard, wanting to change out of the red Chinese bodice. She quickly opened the wardrobe and rapidly turned over her things to retrieve the grey Chinese bodice. Inadvertently, she discovered a white pearl flashing at beneath it.
This pearl looks a little familiar. Why did it appear in my cupboard?
Picking it up to examine it, Su Xi-er was instantly enlightened. Back when I was in the Palace Side Quarters, Pei Qianhao secretly broke into my room. As soon as the door opened, a pearl was aimed straight at my forehead.
This pearl that has mysteriously appeared in my cupboard is that pearl! Pei Qianhao rummaged through my wardrobe last night and placed it in there!
In an instant, his words flashed across her mind. “You are sometimes meticulous, but sometimes careless.”
He was referring to the pearl! I don’t even know when he had placed this in here! Furthermore, I never saw the pearl again after placing it on the table in the Palace Side Quarters. Now that I think about it, I am indeed a little careless.
I can’t accept this pearl, but based on his character, he will force it onto me just like the red Chinese bodice.
You can’t defy an order. Since you had received it as a reward, it would be considered a gargantuan honour. If you still refused, that would be not knowing what’s good for you.
Su Xi-er felt a headache at this point. She had originally planned on slowly ascending step by step, but an overbearing man had barged in halfway.
The corners of Su Xi-er’s mouth were raised to form a bitter smile. In the end, she changed out the red Chinese bodice, wrapped the pearl in it, and placed them into the cupboard.
She still couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Why did he bestow these two items to me?
After placing them in the cupboard, she picked up the remaining bottle of medicinal powder and sniffed it gently. The one he had taken away was given by Situ Li. The remaining one was given by him.
Is he indirectly telling me that I’m not allowed to have Situ Li’s things? He’s really domineering and powerful. That kind of character has really broadened my horizons.
