The South Garden was vast, densely wooded, rarely visited, and somewhat distant from the Six Palaces.
The Emperor was licentious and cruel, indulging in sensual pleasures. His harem was so numerous that even the Eastern and Western Six Palaces could not accommodate them all. Consequently, the Imperial Household Department rearranged the residences of the consorts based on their level of favor.
Su Tiyue, who received no favor at all and had no desire to compete for it, did not even qualify to reside in the Six Palaces.
Later, her Brocade Palace was relocated to the South Garden, far from the Emperor.
To put it nicely, this was the Brocade Palace where Consort Shu resided. To put it bluntly, it was actually a few old, long-unoccupied rooms within the South Garden, no different from the Cold Palace.
Thus, Brocade Palace was not far from Nightfall Pavilion.
When Su Tiyue arrived at Nightfall Pavilion, Xiao Heye was not there.
The one who greeted her was Li Xun, a man skilled at reading people’s expressions.
Li Xun bowed and ushered her into Xiao Heye’s bedroom. “Your Highness, it’s cold outside. Please wait here for a moment. This servant will have someone inform the Chief Eunuch.”
Su Tiyue nodded, her tone gentle and polite. “Thank you, Eunuch Li.”
After Li Xun left, Su Tiyue sat uneasily by the octagonal table, took a small sip of light tea, and then calmly looked around.
The pavilion was exquisitely built, unlike other palaces that were resplendent and magnificent. From the inside out, it seemed entirely constructed of sandalwood, exuding an antique charm. The floor was also wooden, producing a “thump, thump, thump” sound when stepped on.
The room was spacious, divided into two sections. To the right of the entrance stood a large desk made of gray-veined marble.
Behind the desk, an entire wall was lined with bookshelves filled with many neatly arranged and elegant-looking books. It was clear that Xiao Heye was a man who valued cleanliness.
To the left of the room was an octagonal pearwood table, the very one Su Tiyue was sitting at.
Behind the table, a long screen separated the area, behind which were Xiao Heye’s washing alcove and his sleeping bed.
She sat for a long time, but Xiao Heye still did not return. Remembering that she had come to retrieve the silver hairpin, Su Tiyue mustered her courage and cautiously walked toward the area behind the screen.
If she remembered correctly, Xiao Heye had placed the hairpin on the wooden stand beside the bathtub the previous night.
However, after searching around, Su Tiyue did not see what she was looking for. She even checked his bed but still found nothing.
She turned and walked toward the large marble desk, searching again to no avail.
Had he hidden it?
Su Tiyue scratched her head and inadvertently glanced at the wooden cabinet beside the bookshelf. It seemed like a good place to hide something.
She crouched down and gently opened the first drawer of the cabinet, only to see a thick stack of letters. As she opened the second drawer, before she could clearly see what was inside…
A low, sinister voice came from behind her. “What are you looking for?”
The suddenness of the voice startled Su Tiyue. She turned around, her brow furrowed. “Why do you walk without making a sound?”
Xiao Heye leaned forward slightly, his hands resting on the desk, his eyes fixed intently on her. With an innocent expression, he said, “Perhaps Your Highness was too focused and didn’t notice someone entering?”
Seeing that it was Xiao Heye, she replied guiltily, “So it’s Chief Eunuch Xiao…”
“Your Highness, are you looking for something?” His demeanor seemed somewhat like feigned ignorance.
Su Tiyue closed the drawer and did not beat around the bush: “It seems I left something in Chief Eunuch Xiao’s room last night. I wonder if you have seen it? It’s that hairpin…”
Xiao Heye did not rush to answer her. He rested his palms on the long table, his slender index fingers tapping rhythmically on the marble surface, his dark eyes fixed on her.
After a long while, he straightened up and slowly replied with a single word: “Yes.”
Seeing his admission, Su Tiyue quickly stood up and said, “Chief Eunuch Xiao, that silver hairpin is very important to me. Could you please return it?”
Evidence of murder—how could it not be important?
Xiao Heye was well aware of this. “Your Highness, I am also quite fond of that hairpin. How about… gifting it to me?”
A faint smile played on Xiao Heye’s lips: “I have helped you with such a significant matter. Surely Your Highness would not begrudge me a single hairpin?”
Su Tiyue shook her head: “Chief Eunuch Xiao, aside from this hairpin, you may take anything I have.”
Su Tiyue understood the situation clearly. The silver hairpin was a crucial piece of evidence in the case involving Prince Rong. No matter how foolish she might be, she could not possibly hand over something so important to Xiao Heye.
As long as the item remained in Xiao Heye’s possession, she would not have a single peaceful night’s sleep.
The silver hairpin was her life, the key to the survival of her entire family.
Su Tiyue walked up to him, gently tugged at the hem of his robe, and said softly, “Chief Eunuch, you are so clever. Surely you know what that silver hairpin means to me…”
“What if I know? What if I don’t?” His voice carried a hint of impatience, and his refined face instantly clouded over.
He paused: “Regarding the matter we discussed last night, I wonder how Your Highness has considered it?”
“I… I haven’t made up my mind yet…” Su Tiyue stammered in response.
“Oh… then there’s no rush. I can wait. Perhaps, until Your Highness reaches a decision, the silver hairpin should remain in my care… What do you think?”
Xiao Heye was a man of deep scheming. Though he spoke eloquently, promising to help her and not force her to make a choice, his actions were nothing short of coercion to Su Tiyue.
Su Tiyue shook her head in refusal: “Chief Eunuch Xiao, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to force me with this silver hairpin?”
“It is not that I wish to force Your Highness, but rather that Your Highness does not trust me at all. Since I have chosen to help you, I would not use this silver hairpin against you.”
“Moreover, Your Highness might consider this carefully: if I truly intended to harm you, I have plenty of other methods and means at my disposal.”
Xiao Heye’s expression turned extremely unpleasant. He pulled the silver hairpin from his sleeve and casually tossed it onto the table.
The hairpin clattered as it slid a short distance across the marble surface before rolling to the edge.
Now, Xiao Heye was thoroughly angered.
His temperament was cold and inscrutable. He would help with the gravest of matters if he wished, but if things did not go his way, even the smallest of issues could provoke his ire.
Su Tiyue’s delicate brows furrowed tightly. She felt the temperature around her gradually drop. Despite the charcoal fire burning in the room, she still felt cold.
That chill seeped from the depths of her heart, spreading to every part of her body.
Su Tiyue silently gazed at him for a long time before speaking softly, “Chief Eunuch Xiao is right. I also heard about the Spring Wind Pavilion incident this morning. You truly kept your word, while I was narrow-minded, upsetting the Chief Seal Keeper over a mere hairpin…” Su Tiyue slightly turned her head to glance at the silver hairpin and said, “Since the Chief Seal Keeper likes it, I shall give it to you.”
After speaking, Su Tiyue lightly pressed her lips together and walked toward the door. Behind her, that voice spoke again, “Since Your Highness has heard about the Spring Wind Pavilion incident, this servant will add one more thing. Please set your mind at ease—this pot of dirty water will not be splashed onto Your Highness.”
She turned around, nodded at him, and said calmly, “Thank you.”
On her way back, Su Tiyue came to a realization. In truth, this matter had been predetermined from the very beginning. She was the passive party, and what Xiao Heye held in his hand was far more than just a hairpin.
Su Tiyue was passive and weak, while Xiao Heye? He was precisely the opposite.
In the end, it all boiled down to four words: she had no choice.
…
Regarding Prince Rong’s case, the Emperor gave Xiao Heye a three-day deadline. On the third day, he truly captured the culprit and solved the case.
This incident stirred up the entire city of Yong’an.
The one who assassinated Prince Rong was a courtesan from the Spring Wind Pavilion. It was said that Prince Rong had once promised to redeem her and take her as a concubine, but later he changed his mind and broke his promise, marrying another courtesan instead. Thus, the original woman, harboring resentment, got him drunk and seized the opportunity to kill Prince Rong.
It was said that when the Eastern Depot found the courtesan, she had already committed suicide out of guilt.
This explanation was reasonable, well-founded, and everyone believed it without a doubt.
For a moment, even Su Tiyue herself almost believed it to be true.