By the time Su Tiyue returned to Brocade Palace from Night’s End Pavilion, it was already dusk. The last sliver of sunlight had been completely swallowed by dark clouds.
Su Tiyue walked with her head down, the only sound around her the soft crunch of her footsteps in the snow. Suddenly, a cold gust of wind swept past, jolting her awake and slowly restoring some of her senses.
She had thrown her tantrum, vented her anger, but she still felt wronged.
No, it wasn’t just wronged—it was humiliated. Humiliation and helplessness, along with the burning resentment of being deliberately set up by that damned eunuch, Xiao Heye.
It seemed that sometimes, even after the snow clears and the sky brightens, it isn’t necessarily a good thing. Su Tiyue’s mood was utterly miserable.
Entering the desolate and lonely Brocade Palace, Su Tiyue walked from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard without seeing a single soul. Those maids must be hiding somewhere slacking off, she muttered to herself.
But before she could even step into her room, Su Tiyue was struck by a sudden pile of snow falling from the eaves of the corridor. The snow was thick, but fortunately, it wasn’t solid, so it didn’t hurt much when it hit her. However, the snow landed on her head, slid down her soft black hair, and seeped into her neck, chest, and back, chilling her to the bone.
Su Tiyue glared at the snow on the eaves and cursed loudly, “Enough already! Even you’re bullying me!”
Liu Wan and Qing Wu were cleaning inside the room when they heard the commotion and rushed out to greet her.
Seeing Su Tiyue covered in snow from head to toe, Liu Wan hurried over, using a handkerchief to brush off the remaining snow, and comforted her softly, “It’s alright, Your Highness. Let’s just change your clothes and warm up by the fire.”
After everything that had happened—from the Heart’s View Pavilion to Night’s End Pavilion—she was both angry and aggrieved. With Liu Wan’s gentle words of comfort, all the sorrow and bitterness she had suppressed in her heart suddenly surged forth.
Su Tiyue hugged Liu Wan, crying while pointing at the eaves and cursing, “Whoever wants to live in this broken place can have it! It’s worse than the dog kennels and stables back at my family’s estate. Believe me, I’ll have someone tear down this wretched roof!”
Liu Wan remained silent, turning to glance at Qing Wu, who stood opposite her, looking utterly bewildered…
The conditions in Brocade Palace were indeed poor, but hadn’t they all lived like this for over a year? Never before had they heard Her Highness complain like this. It seemed she must have suffered a great injustice today to be acting this way. Liu Wan frowned, looking at Su Tiyue’s tear-streaked face, and felt a pang of sadness herself.
Qing Wu scratched her head. She wasn’t as sensitive or perceptive as Liu Wan, but since the topic of the house had come up… she actually had something to say about it. “Your Highness, you’re absolutely right. This place really isn’t fit for people to live in. A few days ago, when it was snowing heavily, Xiao Anzi noticed that many tiles had fallen off the roof of the small storeroom on the east side of the courtyard. Luckily, no one was hurt, or it could have been a disaster.”
Su Tiyue sniffled, her voice hoarse with disbelief. “Is that true?”
“Absolutely true. Would you… like me to show you?”
Su Tiyue nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? What if something had really happened?”
Qing Wu replied, “I thought since that storeroom is on the east side and only stores miscellaneous items, hardly anyone goes there anyway. I figured we could just have Xiao Anzi fix it once the weather cleared up, so I didn’t mention it to you, Your Highness.”
Su Tiyue followed Qing Wu to take a look, and indeed, it was just as she had described.
Su Tiyue stood in front of the storeroom door, lost in thought for a moment, before her eyes, clear as autumn water, gradually brightened.
That night, a major incident occurred outside Yong’an City. Xue Yu, the prefect of Xuzhou, was caught red-handed by the Eastern Depot for embezzlement, bending the law, and plotting rebellion, and was executed on the spot. Along with him, all 398 members of the Xue household were killed, with none spared.
It is worth mentioning that among the dozen or so officials who had submitted memorials impeaching Xiao Heye that day, Xue Yu was also included.
That same night, another incident, neither too big nor too small, occurred in the palace. Due to the heavy snowfall in recent days, the roof of one of the buildings in Jinxiu Palace had collapsed.
Xiao Heye happened to be out of the palace that night and did not return to Yelan Pavilion until the following morning.
“Supervisor, that’s how things stand. Consort Shu sent someone to ask, what should be done?” Regarding the collapse of the building in Jinxiu Palace, Li Xun reported truthfully to Xiao Heye.
From behind the screen, Xiao Heye, having just changed into clean clothes, placed his hands, stained with dark red blood, into a basin and carefully washed them. He replied casually, “What did she say?”
Li Xun said, “Consort Shu said that Jinxiu Palace belongs to the Southern Courtyard, so this matter is up to you, Supervisor. She also said…”
Xiao Heye picked up a clean cloth and wiped his hands. “Said what?”
“She also said that the buildings in Jinxiu Palace are already old and dilapidated, having been neglected for years, and she fears that next time it might be her own bedroom that collapses…”
Xiao Heye emerged from behind the screen and said irritably, “No matter how old or dilapidated, these are still buildings in the imperial palace. How could they just collapse like that?”
Li Xun nodded in agreement. “You are right, Supervisor.”
This matter didn’t really fall under his jurisdiction anyway; assigning residences to the consorts was the responsibility of the Imperial Household Department.
Xiao Heye initially wanted to refuse outright, but after some thought, he decided to handle it himself.
“Are there any vacant, habitable buildings in the Southern Courtyard?” Xiao Heye asked Li Xun.
Li Xun said, “There are many vacant buildings, but… their conditions are similar to those of Jinxiu Palace.”
Xiao Heye took a few steps, sat down beside the marble long table, glanced at the inkstone split in two, rubbed his temples, and said coldly, “Go and tell her that among those uninhabited places, she can choose whichever she likes.”
“Yes.” Li Xun withdrew and went to Jinxiu Palace to deliver the reply.
…
“He really said that? That I can choose whichever I like?” Su Tiyue, dressed in a purple palace gown with a trailing skirt, looked ethereal and elegant. At that moment, she stood at the doorway of her room, hands on her hips, her eyes fixed intently on Li Xun, who had come to deliver the reply.
Li Xun said, “Yes, Your Highness. Whichever you like.”
Su Tiyue said, “Can I live with your Supervisor? In other words… can I live in Yelan Pavilion?”
Li Xun: “…”
Li Xun naturally dared not speak recklessly, but what he thought to himself was: If Her Highness lives in Yelan Pavilion, then should his master live in Jinxiu Palace instead?
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Su Tiyue changed her words: “Then can I live in Tingyu Tower?” Su Tiyue deliberately chose that place—Tingyu Tower was separated from Yelan Pavilion by only a single wall, as close as could be.
Li Xun hesitated for a moment. “Your Highness, the Supervisor often goes to Tingyu Tower to read and receive guests. That might not be appropriate.”
“Your Supervisor said himself that I can choose any uninhabited place. I ask you, is Tingyu Tower inhabited?”
Li Xun shook his head, not daring to utter a word.
Su Tiyue said with satisfaction, “Then it’s settled. Take care on your way, Eunuch Li.”
Su Tiyue snorted, turned around, and went back to her bedroom.
“But this…” Li Xun raised his hand, looking as if he wanted to speak but hesitated. Unfortunately, before he could finish, Qing Wu made a funny face at him and slammed the door shut.