When she didn’t hold it steadily, the water in the wooden basin spilt and trickled down her cheeks, resulting in a pool of water stains beside her legs.
Shui Yinglian avoided speaking to Su Xi-er when she caught sight of her, choosing instead to shift her gaze away, still holding the wooden basin up.
Su Xi-er walked to her side, placing the empty wooden basin on the ground and snatching the one in Shui Yinglian’s hands away.
“What are you doing? If Prince Hao finds out, I will die.” Shui Yinglian’s voice was now quivering slightly. She didn’t wish to experience the scene in the room a second time.
Su Xi-er poured out the water in the wooden basin before passing it to Shui Yinglian. “If you’re going to spill it anyways, you may as well pour the water out first. In any case, do you finally understand how frightening Prince Hao is? Weren’t you very confident when you said you wanted to be bold in the boiler room?
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Shui Yinglian raised her head and watched Su Xi-er fixedly.
Su Xi-er knelt down while holding up the empty wooden basin on her head. “I’m just letting you know how frightening Prince Hao is. Did you think that just anyone can get close to him? Did you think that it is very easy to serve him?”
Shui Yinglian was pensive before she whispered, “I am unable to be as ‘bold’ as you spoke of. I thought I could in the beginning, but when I was really facing him alone, I…”
Bewilderment appeared in her eyes. “How do you serve Prince Hao? Aren’t you scared of being near him?”
Su Xi-er smiled. “When I first entered the Shui Residence, I saw His Excellency County Magistrate kneeling in front of Prince Hao, imploring him to let you off. Seeing how you had already provoked Prince Hao, I was under the impression that you weren’t afraid of him at all.”
Su Xi-er was purposely dancing around the subject to prompt Shui Yinglian to divulge some information.
“I was indeed not afraid of him at that time, although that was only because I didn’t truly know who he was. Even after Dad told me, I was still under the impression that there was still hope for me since he hadn’t punished me. When all is said and done, I have never truly interacted with him, so I never had the chance to understand how he’s like.”
“Women like you are plentiful in the Beauty Palace,” Su Xi-er slowly remarked.
Shui Yinglian instantly looked at her. “Is every single woman in the Beauty Palace more beautiful than you? Actually, if you really have the courage to be by Prince Hao’s side, being his servant girl is better than staying in the Beauty Palace.”
Su Xi-er replied, “There are manifold beauties, and each of them is unique and has their respective beautiful charm. Right now, we are fellow victims commiserating with one another.”
Her words made Shui Yinglian put down the vigilance in her heart. That’s right. We’re fellow victims commiserating with one another. Both of us will be kneeling here with a wooden basin until tomorrow.
“Let me ask you, among the flowers in the parterre in the Shui Residence’s rear garden, which ones are more special?”
The sudden question stunned Shui Yinglian. After musing over it for a while, she answered, “There are only ordinary flowers. There was a very special flower that my mother liked before she passed away. Now that she is gone however, nobody has tended to it, and I can only presume that it has long died.”
Su Xi-er hastily put down the wooden basin in her hands before doing the same with Shui Yinglian’s. She asked earnestly, “What special flower was it?”
“Yellow and star-shaped. Mother called this flower…Lingrui. Yes, that’s it..”
It is indeed Lingrui! If that’s the case, Shui Yinglian’s mother is a Nanzhao citizen who had transplanted Lingrui over.
Su Xi-er didn’t respond. I reckon that not all the Lingrui has died. Otherwise, how would I have caught a whiff of the fragrance? To think that there is someone in this world who can allow a Lingrui to live for so long after being transplanted. The ‘Weiyi’ Mother Empress mentioned, the ‘Weiyi’ she believed in so firmly, is actually so… ridiculous.
Mother Empress, we have both been ultimately let down by others who we believed in while in a time of passion. However, Mother Empress, you ended up better off than me. At least you couldn’t see Father Emperor’s betrayal since you had already passed away.
She couldn’t forget how her imperial father had taken in beautiful imperial consorts one after another after her mother empress passed away.
However, the children of those imperial consorts had all died in the chaos of war.
Shui Yinglian sighed. Finally, she seemed to have thought of something as she suddenly added, “When my mother was still alive, she told me about the Eldest Imperial Princess, Ning Rulan. She said that she had seen the Eldest Imperial Princess when she was young.”
Su Xi-er became solemn. If that’s the case, Shui Yinglian’s mother came from Nanzhao’s imperial palace?
“What is your mother’s name?”
Shui Yinglian picked up the wooden basin and held it above her head. “Lianxi. My mother’s name was in hopes that she would find someone who would cherish her for her entire life[*]. My Dad was the one who accomplished that.”
Lianxi? Su Xi-er’s slender eyebrows were scrunched up. I know who she is. She was a palace maid in Mother Empress’ palace. However, this palace maid vanished later on.
I thought that she had died, but it turns out that she had actually left the imperial palace and married to someone in Beimin. Mother Empress must have helped her succeed in this matter. Otherwise, a palace maid wouldn’t be able to leave the imperial palace.
“My mother said that Eldest Imperial Princess Ning Rulan’s skin was fair and smooth when she was young, and that it was obvious from a glance that she was going to be a beauty in the future. But my mother doesn’t know that this eldest imperial princess has already passed away.”
Su Xi-er didn’t expect that she would receive so many answers just by asking about the familiar flower fragrance. Shui Yinglian’s mother was originally a palace maid in Nanzhao. Everything seems to have been preordained.
“I will undoubtedly be punished by my dad when he sees me like this tomorrow. I can only hope that Prince Hao can quell his anger. I am young and not sensible. With how noble he is, how would I forge connections with him and climb up?” Shui Yinglian smiled foolishly. That idea I came up with is already enough to prove my ignorance.
“What is your name?” Shui Yinglian suddenly asked.
“Su Xi-er.”
“You have such a nice name! Now that I think about it, my previous jealousy of you over Prince Hao was ridiculous. We should dispel our enmity. Kneeling for a night will be considered giving myself a wake-up call.” Shui Yinglian revealed a smile, sincerely offering an olive branch after casting away her jealousy.
Su Xi-er smiled. Perhaps it was because she knew about Shui Yinglian’s mother, but she also became much more amicable.
“Su Xi-er, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You look very beautiful when you smile. You should smile more.”
From a distance away, Pei Qianhao happened to hear Shui Yinglian’s words as he approached the pair. His gaze involuntarily landed on Su Xi-er’s upturned lips as a result.
Indeed, she should smile more.
Shui Yinglian spotted Prince Hao after randomly glancing around the courtyard. She immediately lowered her head, trembling as she conscientiously carried the wooden basin.
“This prince punished the two of you, but I didn’t expect that I actually brought together a pair of good sisters.” It sounded like he was teasing, but his voice was ice cold.
Su Xi-er lowered her head and replied respectfully, “This servant doesn’t dare.”
When Pei Qianhao saw her upturned lips rapidly returning to normal, his face darkened. “Carry it earnestly. Without this prince’s orders, you’re not allowed to rise.”
“This servant obeys the order.”
Hearing her completely emotionless voice, Pei Qianhao was a little displeased. She doesn’t even know how to beg for forgiveness.
He silently watched Su Xi-er, while at the side, Shui Yinglian’s body trembled unceasingly.
(* Her name literally means something like ‘to cherish’.)
