Behind the screen of the inner chamber, the sound of water splashed softly. Zhao Xuanzhen listened with an agitated mind. Fortunately, it was not long before the concubine daughter finally finished cleaning up and came rustling out.
“Heir, I am returning to the Cuiwei Pavilion.”
Without even opening his eyes, Zhao Xuanzhen gave a grunt of assent. Then, he heard the sound of the door opening and closing once more.
Outside the study, the maidservant arranged by Su Huajin, Xing’er, was waiting there. When she saw Su Wantang, a flash of disdain and loathing flickered in the depths of her eyes. Dropping the corners of her eyes, she came forward: “Second Young Lady, a servant will escort you back.”
Su Wantang gave a grunt of assent and took a step forward, but as if she were too weak to stand the wind, she stumbled, only stabilizing herself by grabbing Xing’er’s arm.
Pressing imperceptibly against a certain acupoint on Xing’er’s arm, Su Wantang barely managed to stand firm, revealing a somewhat bashful appearance: “My legs turned soft for a moment.”
Xing’er instantly realized that this concubine-born Second Young Lady had been heavily favored and roughly handled by the Heir…
Thinking that if it weren’t for the fact that her own lady’s body was uncomfortable after her miscarriage and she could not serve the Heir, how could it be this low-born concubine daughter’s turn? Filled with utter disgust and disdain, Xing’er practically dragged her forward with an expressionless face, while a faint resentment grew in her heart.
Even if her lady wanted to find someone to serve the Heir temporarily, she could have very well chosen from the people around her. In any case, they were fiercely loyal to her lady and would obey her arrangements no matter what in the future.
Xing’er bit her lip. Thinking of the handsome and martial Heir, she detested this self-cheapening concubine-born Second Young Lady all the more.
“The hour is no longer early. Second Young Lady should walk a bit faster.”
However, they had not walked very far before Xing’er suddenly felt a sharp, twisting pain in her lower abdomen. She originally wanted to endure it, but after walking a few steps forward, she felt she could no longer hold it.
“The Cuiwei Pavilion is just ahead. If Second Young Lady takes a few fast steps, you will arrive. A servant has an abdominal pain and will take her leave first.”
Barely able to finish her sentence, Xing’er clutched her stomach and ran far away in a flash.
With her long hair cascading down and wrapped in her cloak, Su Wantang gave a soft, weak grunt of assent. Watching the maid’s figure disappear from sight, she blinked her eyes, turned her footsteps, and walked toward the other side of the long corridor.
She was truly sorry. Being newly arrived, she did not know the way back to the Cuiwei Pavilion either, so she just searched and searched like this… and accidentally strolled through the entire Prince Residence!
Knowing that there were secret guards in the Prince Residence, Su Wantang did not skimp or sneak around. Instead, wrapped in her cloak, she walked around openly and randomly, craning her neck to look…
In the dark shadows, secret guards spotted her. They passed the message silently and then learned that she was the Heir’s Consort’s concubine-born younger sister… She looked as if she had lost her way, walking blindly around the courtyard and peeking whenever she came across a courtyard gate. She appeared exceedingly clumsy and had nearly blundered into the Dowager Consort’s Chunxi Yard.
Two secret guards followed her in the shadows. Watching her run around like a headless fly, she happened to miss the night-patrolling servants and failed to run into anyone, actually wandering through more than half of the Prince Residence’s inner court… Just as they were hesitating whether to show themselves and escort her back, they suddenly spotted someone approaching ahead.
The secret guards did not dare to show themselves rashly and immediately shrank back.
In the next instant, a low shout rang out: “Who goes there?”
Su Wantang was about to plunge into a side gate with her head down when she was blocked back by someone. Struck with a sudden fright, she stumbled sideways to avoid them, but in her panic, she stepped on her cloak and fell to the ground. Raising her head with a face full of panic and helplessness, she said: “I—I am the Heir’s Consort’s concubine-born younger sister. I—I came out to admire the moon and accidentally lost my way.”
The tall and straight gentleman looked down from his height, glancing at Su Wantang who was collapsed on the ground. He raised his hand to signal the attendant who had just shouted at her to step back.
As the lantern illuminating the side of his face moved back, Su Wantang blinked her eyes, finally seeing the gentleman before her clearly.
He wore a wide-sleeved long robe with silver patterns on a white background. He was elegant, pure, and of lofty character, looking like a disgraced immortal bathed in moonlight. However, that high-and-mighty, disdainful gaze characteristic of one who had occupied a high position for a long time added a few hints of cold, unapproachable majesty to him. He looked at her without any expression.
Under the moonlight, the young girl was wrapped from head to toe in a lotus-root-colored cloak. A few strands of long hair hung down from her chest. Her face was devoid of makeup yet exquisitely beautiful and dripping with charm. Flashing her eyes as she tilted her head up, her distinct black-and-white eyes seemed innocent and panicked, yet when she looked up at him from below, her gaze seemed to possess hooks that spoke of unspoken words…
Xie Yan spoke in a calm voice: “Xunhe, escort Miss Su back.”
As the voice rang out, another follower appeared as if out of thin air, extending a hand toward Su Wantang: “Please. May I ask where Miss resides?”
“Cui—Cuiwei Pavilion.”
Wrapped in her cloak, Su Wantang stood up tremblingly. Gathering the edges of her cloak, she thanked him in a panicked and embarrassed manner: “Many thanks to this young master.”
But before her words could fade, she saw the white-robed gentleman already leading his attendant toward the other side.
Su Wantang was led along the corridor by the follower before her… At this moment, her ears twitched slightly.
The two behind her had already walked far away, yet Su Wantang still heard their conversation.
Wenjian asked with some uncertainty: “Master, was there something amiss with that woman just now?”
He vaguely knew that when the Heir’s Consort returned to the Marquis Residence to visit her parents this time, she seemed to have brought a concubine-born younger sister along for companionship. With that fleeting glimpse under the moonlight just now, he had secretly thought that this concubine-born young lady of the Marquis Residence actually possessed such an appearance… displaying every ounce of beauty and charm.
His master had actually instructed Xunhe to escort the person back instead of calling the servants of the Prince Residence, which was somewhat unusual.
In the next instant, he heard his master’s indifferent tone: “Exceedingly alluring, close to a demon; an omen of a femme fatale.”
Su Wantang: …
Many thanks to the Grand Tutor for the compliment!
Wenjian thought about the appearance of that Second Young Lady Su just now. She did indeed seem beautiful to the point of being nearly demonic. However, as for what an omen of a femme fatale meant, he did not understand either…
A moment later, Xunhe returned and reported in a low voice: “Master, a servant has checked. It is that Second Young Lady Su’s first day entering the residence, and the maidservant leading the way suddenly had a stomachache, leaving her halfway.”
Wenjian understood instantly: “So that’s why she lost her way.”
Xunhe cast a glance at him, gave a grunt of assent, and then added: “The place where the maidservant left is not far from the Cuiwei Pavilion.”
But he also knew that for some people, a close distance did not mean they wouldn’t lose their way. He did not dare to make rash judgments and only told his master the facts he had uncovered.
Xie Yan gave a grunt of assent, still maintaining an expressionless face.
It was their first meeting, and he had never heard of any concubine daughter of the Marquis Residence before… Just now, he had merely felt inexplicably uncomfortable upon his first glance at that woman, so he paid a fraction more attention, nothing more.
Master and servants entered another courtyard, and Xunhe continued with the previous matter.
“After Helian Rong was bewitched by the enchantress of the Red Lotus Sect and lost the military secrets, the surrounded members of the Red Lotus Sect have already broken through the encirclement and vanished without a trace. He took his troops and searched frantically for a long time but failed to find any tracks. Upon his return to the capital this time, he will certainly suffer blame. The Heir was the one who recommended him, so he might be implicated as well…”
Xie Yan’s expression was flat: “Helian Rong underestimated the enemy too much. For the Red Lotus Sect to possess such a reputation among the common people, how could they merely be a pack of brainless fools?”
Wenjian found it somewhat strange: “Helian Rong is also born of noble blood. What kind of female charms has he not seen in the capital? To think he would actually fall for a honey trap…”
Xunhe cast a glance at him: “I heard the leader of the Red Lotus Sect has a younger sister. Her martial arts are high, and she is ruthless and perverse, yet her countenance is peerlessly beautiful. Could it be her?”
Wenjian shrugged: Who knows…
The next morning, when Zhao Xuanzhen walked into the small flower hall, he saw his Heir’s Consort, Su Huajin, sitting at the table having breakfast, with Su Wantang standing beside her serving her like a maidservant.
Thinking of the matter he had heard about just now, Zhao Xuanzhen asked Su Wantang: “Did you run around blindly last night?”
Su Huajin frowned and looked up: “What happened?”
Su Wantang’s face turned red instantly. Biting her lip, she said in a small voice: “Xing’er… Xing’er ran off halfway, and I lost my way, not knowing where I had walked… Fortunately, I ran into a kind young master who let his attendant escort me back to the Cuiwei Pavilion.”
“Kind young master?”
Su Huajin’s brow furrowed tightly: “This is the inner court of the Prince Residence. What kind of kind young master did you run into…”
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly remembered something. She snapped her gaze toward Zhao Xuanzhen, her expression somewhat startled and suspicious: “Is it… Cousin?”
That exceptionally gifted Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, the person in power of the Xie clan, Xie Yan?
Zhao Xuanzhen gave a grunt of assent, then looked at the anxious and uneasy Su Wantang: “When there is time, have the servants take you around to recognize the paths. Do not wander blindly into places you shouldn’t go.”
Su Wantang pursed her lips and gave a low response, looking very pitiful.
Beside them, when Su Huajin saw her husband’s expressionless attitude toward Su Wantang, her mood improved a great deal instantly.
Originally, when she heard Xing’er come back last night and say that the Heir had actually favored Su Wantang to the point that she was unable to walk, Su Huajin had nearly been unable to restrain herself from skinning that wretched creature alive.
Looking at it now, it must have been this little cheap trick intentionally putting on an act. What do you mean unable to walk… Zhao Xuanzhen possessed a cold nature; even on the couch, he was as cold as if he were performing routine business.
Seeing Zhao Xuanzhen’s indifference toward Su Wantang at this moment, Su Huajin swallowed that breath back into her stomach.
She smiled and said to Su Wantang: “The Heir is right. You should also move around more, and not always display an appearance of a petty, low-born family that cannot be presented on stage.”
Lowering her head, Su Wantang submissively agreed.
Su Huajin then said: “The day after tomorrow, the Grand Princess Mingyang is hosting a lotus-viewing banquet at the Juyun Water Pavilion. At that time, you shall accompany me there.”
Su Wantang immediately put on an appearance of pleasant surprise and gratitude: “Many thanks, Sister.”
Su Huajin slowly scooped a spoonful of soup, failing to see the dense amusement in the depths of Su Wantang’s eyes…