10: The message
The moon rose over the eastern mountains, and the stars scattered across the night sky.
In Huaiyu Courtyard, the bedroom was filled with deep, flickering candlelight that danced over the figure lying on the bed, eyes closed in shallow sleep.
Qiao Shilian clutched the brocade quilt tightly, as if drowning in a nightmare. She struggled with all her might to reach the shore but couldn’t grasp the edge, swept away by terrifying waves that swallowed her whole.
Her chest felt as if weighed down by a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe.
She dreamt of thousands condemning and slandering her, being abandoned by all, completely isolated. She also dreamt that her second chance at life was nothing but an illusion—that she was still a wandering spirit in the wilderness, alone and desolate.
At the shifting end of the nightmare, a faint sound reached her ears. Her eyes snapped open, her entire body drenched in cold sweat, feeling as weak and drained as if she had just been pulled from water.
Qiao Shilian gasped for air, taking a long time to regain her senses.
Slowly raising her hand, she reached toward the bright lantern light filling the room. The shadow cast by her hand fell over her eyes as she stared fixedly at the interplay of light and shadow between her fingers, repeatedly confirming whether she was human or ghost.
Fortunately, it was only a nightmare.
Qiao Shilian got up and called for Qiuying to heat water for a bath.
As she slipped on her shoes and stepped down from the bed, she suddenly noticed a dark blue dart embedded in the desk, with a small note tied to it. Recalling the faint sound she had heard during her nightmare, it seemed this was what had awakened her.
Qiao Shilian glanced around warily. Seeing no one, she carefully pulled out the dart with a silk handkerchief and unfolded the note to examine it. The handwriting was sharp as a blade, with a hidden elegance in the strokes: Three days later, the Jiunu Mountain Forest Hunt.
The signature bore only a single character: Su.
Qiao Shilian carefully stored the secret letter. Sitting by the desk, she tapped her fingertips, lost in thought.
The Jiunu Mountain Forest Hunt? In her past life, Qin Shuo had wanted to take her along, but because she had already made plans with Fang Yaoyao, she had declined the Crown Prince’s invitation.
On that day, however, Fang Yaoyao stood her up. Her maid claimed she had caught a cold and was afraid of passing it on, so she didn’t dare meet. Qiao Shilian didn’t see Fang Yaoyao for many days afterward and worried about her illness for a long time. Later, Fang Yaoyao apologized for the incident, but Qiao Shilian hadn’t taken it to heart.
Looking back, she had been so easily fooled—believing whatever others said without question, simply because she had trusted them wholeheartedly and never imagined being betrayed.
Qiao Shilian tightened her grip on the letter. If her guess was correct, Fang Yaoyao hadn’t been in the capital at that time at all. Instead, she had disguised herself and joined the forest hunt, waiting for an opportunity to approach the Crown Prince at Jiunu Mountain!
Now, as luck would have it, she had refused the Crown Prince’s invitation to the forest hunt a month ago because of Fang Yaoyao. If she wanted to add her name to the list of attendees before the departure, she needed to act quickly.
For something like this, Qiao Shilian knew that if she just asked, Qin Shuo would arrange it for her immediately.
But she truly didn’t want to have any further involvement with Qin Shuo. Moreover, since she had confirmed at the villa that there was an insider working with Fang Yaoyao, the assassin must have some connection to the Eastern Palace. If the assassin learned she was attending, they might become more cautious.
This was something she would have to figure out on her own.
Meanwhile, at the General’s Estate…
The lantern light flickered like a bean, casting faint shadows. Su Zhuoguang sat upright by the bed as the elderly maidservant, Lanze, applied medicine to his face. Holding the medicine bottle, she seemed hesitant to speak.
Su Zhuoguang noticed her hesitation. “You served my mother for many years and have been by my side since. If there’s something you want to say, speak freely.”
He was far more patient with Lanze than with others.
The year his mother passed away, he was only seven years old. Now, even her voice and face had faded from his memory. It was this maidservant before him who tirelessly recounted his mother’s appearance and deeds, helping him cling to the fragmented words and images in his memory.
“Young Master… you know that the Master has wanted to reconcile with you all these years. But a man of his stature often struggles to express himself, and his words and actions may not fully align with his true intentions…” Lanze spoke softly, but seeing his icy expression, she knew that tonight, father and son must have mentioned the late mistress again.
She sighed silently. The unbridgeable chasm between father and son was like an old thorn, sinking deeper with time.
Su Zhuoguang remained silent until a faint sound of crushed leaves came from outside the room.
“Young Master, Young Master, I’ve just delivered the letter to Miss Qiao! I guarantee no one else saw me!” Fenglai appeared to report, his tone brimming with a sense of pride, as if seeking praise.
But the room fell into a deathly silence. Su Zhuoguang did not respond, and even Lanze’s gaze was filled with disbelief.
“…I didn’t ask you to deliver it tonight,” Su Zhuoguang’s deep eyes fixed on Fenglai.
“Ah?” Fenglai looked up in confusion, his expression frozen.
“This… breaking into a young lady’s chamber in the middle of the night… how could that be allowed?” Lanze slightly parted her lips, her face full of shock.
Fenglai still hadn’t grasped the problem. Scratching his head, he spoke with conviction: “Things like delivering letters for secret meetings… they’re always done in the middle of the night, aren’t they? Ahem, Young Master, if we did it in broad daylight, it wouldn’t be appropriate either…”
Secret meeting?
Who gave him the nerve to think delivering a letter was arranging a secret rendezvous?
Su Zhuoguang’s expression turned stern. Unwilling to hear any more excuses, he said coldly, “The Commander of the Imperial Guards recently told me that his men have grown lax due to the peace in the imperial city. Starting tomorrow, you will challenge each of them one by one. Do not return to the estate until you’ve finished.”
Fenglai’s face changed instantly, and he wailed, “Young Master, I was wrong! If I leave, who will protect you?”
Su Zhuoguang shot him a glance that practically said: Do I need you to protect me?
Lanze shook her head, showing no sympathy for the wailing Fenglai.
But upon further thought, she found it strange. Fenglai had served the young master for many years. Even if the young master’s thoughts were harder to read than most, Fenglai shouldn’t have misinterpreted his intentions as something romantic without reason.
The idea of Su Zhuoguang sending a secret letter in the middle of the night to arrange a meeting with a young lady in her chambers seemed utterly absurd.
After Fenglai left dejectedly, Lanze asked Su Zhuoguang, “Young Master, do you have feelings for this young lady?”
Su Zhuoguang lowered his gaze, gently rubbing the hairpin hidden in his sleeve. “I’m just fulfilling a request.”
Lanze teased, “It seems this young lady has quite a reputation, to have moved you to intervene.”
Su Zhuoguang replied simply, “It was just convenient.”
After the lantern was extinguished, Su Zhuoguang lay on the bed, gazing at the moonlight filtering through the window, illuminated by faint, scattered light.
Lost in thought, the image of the dark, narrow carriage reappeared before his eyes, filled with a subtle fragrance. A delicate face drew near, and soft lips gently pressed against his. The moment they met, the cool warmth still lingered at the corner of his mouth.
It was only a light kiss, fleeting as the wind, yet when he recalled it, it felt searing, burning, scorching his throat and his very core.
This unfamiliar sensation lingered, refusing to fade.
He felt he must have fallen under her spell.
Truth be told, he didn’t quite understand what he was so angry about. At the time, seeing her restless after pulling on his lapel, he had tried to console her, hoping to help her overcome this hurdle. As a man of honor, would he really make a fuss over a young lady accidentally tugging at his clothes?
Who could have imagined she would be so bold—thinking he was guiding her to take liberties with him, and actually going through with it?
Su Zhuoguang felt helpless. What kind of person did she think he was?
Under the same moon, Qiao Shilian in the Prime Minister’s residence thought to herself: Su Zhuoguang may seem unapproachable, but he’s actually soft-hearted despite his tough exterior. Afraid she wouldn’t sleep well with the matter weighing on her, he sent the secret letter in the middle of the night.
After receiving the letter, she pondered for a long time. If she wanted to go to Jiunu Mountain, seeking her elder brother’s help the next day would be the most suitable course of action.
The next day, as the moon set and the river flowed, Qiao Shilian timed it perfectly, catching Qiao Shiqing just as he was about to leave for the morning court session.
“Elder Brother.”
Qiao Shiqing was adjusting his official robes when he turned to see her. “Lianlian? Up so early? Did you rest well? I heard from the servants that you returned very late last night.”
“The rain was heavy last night, and the road was slippery. The coachman drove slowly, so we were delayed. The carriage’s shafts were damaged, so I’ve already asked the steward to find a craftsman to repair it.”
She had returned late the night before, and in the darkness, no one had seen her alight from the Su family carriage. As for the coachman who had driven the damaged carriage back, she had already instructed him on what to say.
Regarding the assassin incident at the villa, she had no intention of telling anyone else.
Qiao Shiqing frowned. “If I had known something like this would happen, I would have waited for you to return together.”
He had left in a hurry because a subordinate reported an error in the official documents he had submitted, so he rushed back to check. He rarely discussed official matters with his sister, so he didn’t explain the reason.
Lost in thought, he suddenly felt Qiao Shilian gently tug at his sleeve. “Elder Brother, I want to go to the Jiunu Mountain Forest Hunt. Is there a way you can help me?”
Qiao Shiqing turned to see his sister’s pleading, coquettish expression and smiled warmly. Reaching out, he tapped the tip of her nose. “Although it’s a royal hunt and the Ministry of Rites has already finalized the list of attendees, your brother works in the Ministry of Rites. Adding one more female attendant won’t be a problem.”
“Thank you, Elder Brother!” Qiao Shilian’s face lit up with joy, warmth flooding her heart. Even counting the years she had spent as a ghost, after all this time, her elder brother remained as gentle as ever, always ready to grant her every wish.
“It’s just a small matter. Look how happy you are.”
Qiao Shiqing’s eyes were filled with affection. But as he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something.
“However, I recall that you declined His Highness the Crown Prince’s invitation to the Jiunu Mountain Forest Hunt, which is why your name wasn’t on the list. Why do you want to go now?”
“I’ve just become acquainted with the Zhou family’s third young lady at the villa banquet yesterday. She mentioned she’d like me to join her. Please keep this a secret for me, Elder Brother. Don’t tell His Highness,” Qiao Shilian pleaded earnestly.
“Why?” Qiao Shiqing found it odd.
He had noticed subtle changes in his sister’s attitude toward the Crown Prince and Fang Yaoyao since the previous day—less closeness than before. But since these changes didn’t affect him, he hadn’t probed further.
Qiao Shilian feigned embarrassment, lowering her head and fiddling with the hem of her clothes. “I declined His Highness just a month ago… If he finds out I changed my mind, he might be angry.”
To lure the assassin into showing their hand, she had to find a way to keep the Eastern Palace in the dark for now.
“Even if His Highness doesn’t review the list before departure, you’ll eventually be discovered at Jiunu Mountain. Why go through the trouble of hiding it?” Qiao Shiqing asked.
Qiao Shilian pressed her lips together, silently raising her face to give him a pitiful, pleading look.
Qiao Shiqing sighed helplessly. “Alright, alright. I’ll do as you ask. If His Highness gets angry later, I’ll take the blame for you.”
“Elder Brother is the best! When I return from Jiunu Mountain, I’ll make you a few more scented oils—the kind your sweetheart will definitely love!” When Qiao Shilian turned on the charm, no one in the Qiao family could resist.
She knew exactly how to win him over.
Qiao Shiqing shook his head inwardly. What could he do? She was his sister, after all—he had to spoil and indulge her.
But what struck Qiao Shiqing as even stranger was that after court adjourned that day, just as he stepped out of the main hall, Su Zhuoguang—someone he had never interacted with—stopped him.
“What can I do for you, Young General?” Qiao Shiqing asked, puzzled by the sudden approach of the young general, who rarely engaged with others.
“Your sister’s hairpin,” Su Zhuoguang said casually, producing the hairpin.
Qiao Shiqing froze on the spot. Before he could even process how his sister’s hairpin had ended up in Su Zhuoguang’s hands, he suddenly felt a chilling breeze behind him, a coldness rising from his spine, bone-deep and icy.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw the Crown Prince walking toward them, his gaze also fixed on the hairpin in Su Zhuoguang’s palm.
**