“Su Xi-er, are you going or not?” Wu Ling asked. It was as if he would immediately take her to meet Prince Hao as long as she nodded.
“Imperial Bodyguard Wu, are you sure you haven’t been beaten silly? What time is it now? Even if this servant didn’t need to, your prince does have to rest.”
“Prince Hao has yet to rest.” Since Prince Hao has instructed me to monitor Su Xi-er, why don’t I be bolder and simply take her there? It’s just that I don’t know what Prince Hao’s reaction would be. If I guess wrong, I’ll just have to suffer a flogging from the planks again.
“This servant can’t go. Continue monitoring then, Imperial Bodyguard Wu.” Su Xi-er then turned around and entered the room.
Wu Ling looked at the tightly shut door. If I forcefully bring Su Xi-er to Prince Hao, he would definitely be displeased.
Forget about it; I’ll just drop the matter.
Returning to his previous position against the wall, he stifled his yawns for the rest of the night.
Wu Ling only left when it was almost 5 am, hurrying over to the Prince Hao Residence.
~~~
On the expansive lawn in the backyard of the Prince Hao Residence, its namesake was practising archery.
Pei Qianhao raised his bow, his eyes narrowed as he set his sights on a target a hundred meters away. He released three arrows in one go, with all three hitting the bullseye
“Your Highness.” Wu Ling walked to him and bowed deferentially.
Pei Qianhao continued the process of knocking the arrow and firing before he finally spoke. “What’s the matter?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the three arrows had shot the centre of the target simultaneously.
“Su Xi-er has already discovered that this subordinate is monitoring her.”
Pei Qianhao placed the bow down as the expression in his eyes became unreadable. He only asked after a period of time had passed, “How long did it take for her to find out?”
“The first day I monitored her…”
Pei Qianhao looked at Wu Ling and chuckled. “You were discovered right on the first day. Is it because you are incapable, or because she’s too adept?”
“This subordinate…”
“Alright, since you have been found out, you don’t have to spy on her anymore. This prince had long expected this to happen.”
Wu Ling felt very embarrassed. Long expected? If that’s the case, it seems like Prince Hao instructed me to monitor her so that I can be discovered, thus indirectly reminding Su Xi-er to exercise more restraint.
“Nanzhao’s state banquet will be held in the middle of next month. This prince will set off tomorrow.”
Wu Ling was a little bewildered. When Nanzhao invited Prince Hao in the past, he had always rejected them. Why is he going this year?
Just as he was feeling puzzled, he heard Prince Hao’s deep and low voice.
“It’s the first year Yun Ruofeng is acting as regent while the emperor is like a puppet. It is currently a critical period for Nanzhao, how can this prince not go?” Pei Qianhao’s lips were upturned with a devilish look decorating his eyes.
“Your Highness, Yun Ruofeng ascended to this position by stepping over the deceased Eldest Imperial Princess; someone that you had even complimented in the past. To think that…” She died so quickly. It’s truly hard to escape the word ‘love’.
Pei Qianhao passed the bow in his hand to Wu Ling. “She was a brave and resourceful woman. Of course this prince would admire her. Since she has died, this prince will also admit that she was the first person I have praised.”
“Your Highness, if that was the case, why didn’t you marry that Eldest Imperial Princess earlier? She wouldn’t have died then.”
Wu Ling’s tone was filled with confusion. Since he already admires her, if he further deepens his feelings, wouldn’t that be the love between men and women? The plays performed on the stage are like this.
“This type of woman can only be admired. Closing the distance and forcing her to become someone’s wife would be unsuitable.” Pei Qianhao then turned around and walked towards the forecourt of the residence.
Wu Ling immediately followed. Unsuitable to be a wife? Then who’s suitable to be one? Don’t tell me that it’s Su Xi-er, the one previously scrubbing the chamber pots and now washing the clothes, who is suitable to be a wife?
“This subordinate didn’t!” Wu Ling immediately became solemn. My look of puzzlement just now had been too obvious.
“Take this prince’s blue long gown to the Laundry Service Bureau.”
Wu Ling immediately understood with that single sentence. He wants Su Xi-er to wash the clothes.
“This subordinate obeys your order.” Wu Ling’s figure than vanished.
Wu Ling took the mentioned pair of clothes and rapidly left the Prince Hao Residence.
All the imperial guards had their eyes wide open as they watched Wu Ling. What’s wrong with Commander Wu? He is moving so hastily, as if he is rushing to be reincarnated!
~~~
Su Xi-er had been cleaning her room when Wu Ling arrived. Opening the door, she found him standing outside.
“Clothes. Take it to wash. You must wash until it is spotless.”
Su Xi-er took the clothes. “One piece?”
“Yes. Could it be that you want to wash a basin of them? I’ll come over and collect it tonight.” Wu Ling then turned to leave.
Su Xi-er held the gown as she walked out of her room and went to look for Old Maidservant Li to get the golden basin.
Old Maidservant Li didn’t say a single word and simply waved her hand after passing her the golden basin, indicating for her to leave quickly. Old Maidservant Li was avoiding her like the plague, adopting the attitude of ‘I can’t afford to offend her, but I can certainly hide!’
Su Xi-er walked out of the room and headed to the well.
As some palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau looked at her, their gazes held a hint of envy instead of the pity that they had felt earlier. If she washed the valuable clothes properly, in the long run, the number of clothes she had to wash would be much smaller, preventing her hands from forming blisters.
“Su Xi-er, all the clothes you are washing belong to Prince Hao?” A palace maid couldn’t hold herself back from asking. She had previously seen Imperial Bodyguard Wu sending clothes over
It has been like this every time. Su Xi-er is Prince Hao’s personal laundry palace maid.
Su Xi-er could discern the overtone in her words and replied, “All the clothes I wash are valuable ones. I don’t specifically wash for anyone. It’s just that only Prince Hao’s clothes have been sent over these two days.”
The Laundry Service Bureau had previously damaged valuable clothes and the palace maids had just recovered from their itchiness. With the recent incidents in the Laundry Service Bureau, many of the masters in each palace didn’t want their clothes to touched by the palace maids there. They instead had their own head palace maids wash them.
Another palace maid pouted. “Apart from Prince Hao’s clothes, no other valuable clothes have been sent here these days. However, Prince Hao had never instructed an imperial guard to send clothes to the Laundry Service Bureau in the past.”
Su Xi-er was slightly taken aback for a moment. He had never let the palace maids from the Laundry Service Bureau wash his clothes in the past. In that case, he’s targeting me again. He deliberately transferred me to the Laundry Service Bureau and is deliberately sending his clothes over.
It looks like I won’t be able to break free from the halo Pei Qianhao has given me as long as I remain in Beimin’s imperial palace. It’s just that this halo carries some shadows that haunt me.
Su Xi-er filled the golden basin with water and placed the clothes inside. Approximately an hour later, she was done with washing and hanging them to dry on the golden bamboo poles.
She patted her waist and was about to go and eat her lunch when the piercing voice of a woman suddenly streamed into Su Xi-er’s ears.
“These is the Empress Dowager’s clothes and are extremely valuable. Wash them carefully!” He Ying then placed the clothes into the golden basin.
Su Xi-er raised her head to look at her. Having escaped the fate of having her eyes dug out, she has become even more imperious.
He Ying was worried about the fact that there were other palace maids in the surroundings and lowered her voice, “Su Xi-er, you are actually intelligent to have seduced Prince Hao. However, there’s a saying called ‘too smart for one’s own good’.”
“Many thanks for Miss He’s reminder. However, when has this servant seduced Prince Hao?” Su Xi-er said this very loudly, causing the other palace maids to look at He Ying.
Miss He serves the Empress Dowager, who hails from the scholarly Pei Family. However, the head palace maid the Empress Dowager has taught actually just said that Su Xi-er seduced Prince Hao out loud?
“You…” He Ying glared at Su Xi-er before looking at the palace maids surrounding them. “Why are you all still standing here?”
All the palace maids could understand what she was implying and immediately walked towards the dining hall.
In an instant, the courtyard was only left with Su Xi-er and He Ying.
