Afterwards, the two of them returned to their rooms respectively. Ruo Yuan swung her plump bottoms as she vanished into the moonlight. As Su Xi-er looked her current appearance, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.
When she realised her own mood, Su Xi-er’s gaze became distant. How long has it been since I have been in such a good mood. Being together with Ruo Yuan is like having Lü Liu at my side.
~~~
The next morning, Su Xi-er was woken up by the sounds of palace maids gossiping outside of her room.
“The woodhouse at the northwest corner was burning with a raging inferno last night. I wonder when it began burning.”
“Exactly! Even the house’s main beams were charred. There was no lightning yesterday, and the weather hasn’t been particularly dry either. With all that said, I wonder why the woodhouse suddenly caught fire for no reason?”
“Liu Ye-er died there, leaving too many grievances accumulated. Thus, it began burning!”
With how loud the maids were being, Su Xi-er was unable to continue sleeping no matter how much she wanted to. In the end, she simply got up and closed her eyes as she leaned against the side of the bed.
The house at the northwest corner is gone due to the conflagration. That wooden table is also gone. The only thing left that can corroborate the connection between Liu Ye-er and County Prince Xie is this woven silk fabric that I had taken.
She didn’t carry the woven silk fabric with her, but instead hid it in the cupboard.
Imperial Bodyguard Wu must have placed Liu Ye-er’s body in the woodhouse last night, disposing of both with one toss of a torch. From now on, Liu Ye-er has truly vanished.
Liu Ye-er had an inseparably close relationship with County Prince Xie, but was reduced to such an end. In that case, what would He Xiangyu’s outcome be like? And what will become of me?
She felt a slight headache coming as her as these thoughts ran through her head. Raising her left hand to massage her forehead, she was also able to see her left wrist. The pain and swelling have already faded away.
The effectiveness of the medicinal powder is even better than I imagined, almost completely healing my injury after just two applications.
At the moment, Su Xi-er didn’t know that although the medicinal powder Prince Hao gave her was similar to the Third Imperial Prince’s, there was an additional medicinal herb in it. This kind of herb was colourless and odourless. It could treat bruises rapidly, and out of the whole of Beimin Nation, Prince Hao was the only one who possessed it.
“Su Xi-er, are you already awake? Old Maidservant Liu asked you to go to her room.” Hong Li’s voice could be heard from outside the door.
“I happened to have just woken up. I’ll be coming now.” Su Xi-er immediately climbed up from her bed, donned an outer robe, straightened out her clothes, and combed her hair before walking out.
“Quickly go and freshen up; I have set aside breakfast,” Hong Li told her with a smile.
Su Xi-er nodded. She ran to the area where the palace maids freshened up and swiftly washed her face.
After eating her breakfast, she headed for Old Maidservant Liu’s room.
~~~
Upon opening the door, one would see Old Maidservant Liu drinking tea inside.
After she saw Su Xi-er, she smiled and waved her hand at her. “You slept very late last night, yet you were called here by me early this morning. Are you sleepy?”
Su Xi-er walked in and bowed respectfully as she paid her greetings, “This servant isn’t sleepy. Many thanks for being concerned, Old Maidservant.”
“Come over here and drink a cup of tea. This is spring tea offered by other nations this year. I only have one small jar, so I can’t bear to drink it.” Old Maidservant Liu’s face was wreathed in smiles, causing the wrinkles beside her eyes to become even more pronounced.
Su Xi-er knew that spring tea dripped with rain dew used the best tea leaves. Many tea harvesters plucked the spring tea, made them into tea leaves, and preserved them by sealing them up. However, even the county landlords weren’t able to drink this spring tea. An overwhelming majority had to be offered to the court, while the rest was purchased by the very affluent and noble households.
“Old Maidservant, you should keep this tea for yourself to enjoy slowly. This servant doesn’t understand tea; it’s a waste even if I drink it.”
The smile in Old Maidservant Liu’s eyes deepened, but her gaze landed on the fragrance sachet at Su Xi-er’s waist. “In the Palace Side Quarters, the palace maid who understands the rules the best is you. The fragrance sachet at your waist is very uniquely embroidered. Which master bestowed it to you?”
Old Maidservant Liu raised her eyebrow as her tone became a bit higher. “Oh? It’s the first time the Empress Dowager has bestowed something to a palace maid, not to mention a palace maid from the Palace Side Quarters. Miss He serves by her side, but even she doesn’t receive many rewards.”
“This servant also doesn’t know why the Empress Dowager wanted to bestow me this.” Su Xi-er purposely said. She had been aware of the Empress Dowager’s intentions from the moment she had received the fragrance sachet.
“Remove it. Let me have a look.” Old Maidservant Liu was still smiling, but how could she not understand the Empress Dowager’s personality? She managed to attain the position of Empress in merely a year, and is now the youngest Empress Dowager in history. How can this kind of person bestow a fragrance sachet to a palace maid in the Palace Side Quarters for no reason?
Su Xi-er removed the fragrance sachet and passed it to Old Maidservant Liu. The smell of safflower had been totally replaced by the fragrance of the medicinal powder that blended into the cloth, making it so that Old Maidservant Liu couldn’t discern anything.
Old Maidservant Liu placed the fragrance sachet near her nose and sniffed it carefully. Afterwards, she knitted her brow and opened the fragrance sachet to examine it, only finding a few ordinary medicinal herbs inside
“Old Maidservant Liu, this servant added a few medicinal herbs in the fragrance sachet. They’re the ones you previously gave this servant.”
“So that’s how it is.” Old Maidservant Liu tied the fragrance sachet firmly and returned it to Su Xi-er.
Actually, Old Maidservant Liu had recognised a different smell. It was the smell of medicinal powder, but now that she had looked in the sachet, she wasn’t certain.
Right at this moment, a palace maid’s voice came from outside. “Old Maidservant Liu, Miss He is coming over here.”
“She came really quickly. Su Xi-er, withdraw.” Old Maidservant Liu tidied her clothes slightly and stood up from the chair.
Su Xi-er tied the fragrance sachet at her waist and walked out of the room. With just one glance, she saw the approaching Miss He.
“This servant pays her respects to Miss He,” Su Xi-er greeted her respectfully by bending at the knees.
He Ying didn’t wave her hand for her to get up, but looked at her waist instead. “I’ll count you as tactful. You’re still carrying this fragrance sachet.”
She immediately reached out her hand and pulled Su Xi-er fiercely, leaning closely to her ear. He Ying’s tone carried a hint of ruthlessness as she spoke. “The trap you set harmed Old Maidservant Zhao. I didn’t expect that a seemingly weak woman knows how to scheme very well.”
Su Xi-er pretended to be ignorant. “Miss He, Old Maidservant Zhao was the Palace Side Quarters’ Old-Maidservant-In-Charge. Why would this servant harm her?”
“Hmph, pretending to be foolish.” He Ying flung Su Xi-er’s arm down ferociously. She no longer spared her a glance and directly entered Old Maidservant Liu’s room.
As Su Xi-er looked at the closed room door, a subtle glint flashed across her eyes. He Ying’s intentions by coming to the Palace Side Quarters as clear as day. She is doing the same thing as what she did with Old Maidservant Zhao again, using the Empress Dowager’s decree to instruct Old Maidservant Liu to kill me.
The Empress Dowager bears such a heavy grudge with me that she bestowed to me a fragrance sachet with safflower, all just for the sake of one man.
Although she is the esteemed Empress Dowager, she is still a woman in the prime of her youth, and has a strong yearning for love.
It’s just that Prince Hao has so many women. Is the Empress Dowager able to manage all of them? Why does she always target me? Su Xi-er knitted her eyebrows slightly. I’m currently not Prince Hao’s woman at all!
“Su Xi-er.” Hong Li suddenly appeared and pulled her. She asked softly, “Do you feel that Old Maidservant Liu is very strange?”
Su Xi-er didn’t reply. Only when the two of them had walked further away did she ask, “What do you mean by strange?”
Hong Li shook her head. “I am also unable to explain. I simply feel that she’s strange. You are accurate in your observation, so I came to ask you.”
At this point, Hong Li’s eyes shone. “Once, Old Maidservant Liu asked me when you and Prince Hao got acquainted!”
