Lan Yue changed her clothes and could not help scratching her back. She was used to the soft fabric of palace maids’ clothes, so wearing the rougher clothes of an ordinary palace servant made her uncomfortable.
She walked out of the room with a bitter expression.
“Qunqing, I really can’t bear to see you. Every time I see you, I remember that I can’t even wear a hairpin anymore. It makes me so sad.”
Qunqing then removed her simple bun and let her slightly curly hair fall over her shoulders. She combed it smooth and tied it into a lily-shaped bun in front of the mirror. She decorated it with a pair of simple gold hairpins shaped like swimming fish.
She fastened her saffron-yellow embroidered top, tied her red-and-white striped skirt, attached a wooden fish-shaped charm, and draped a shawl over her shoulders.
Then she bent down and carefully smoothed her clothes until there were no wrinkles.
This was the new uniform of a palace maid in charge of clothing.
“Sister Qing, where do you usually make your New Year’s wishes?” A Meng came in to fetch water. When she saw Qunqing dressed up, she looked envious.
“I’m going to make a wish too. Maybe next year I can become a palace maid in charge of clothing. They say clothes make the person. I never expected Sister Qing to look so beautiful after dressing up.”
“You idiot, can’t you even compliment someone properly?” A-Jiang rolled her eyes. “What does it have to do with the clothes? Sister Qing is beautiful to begin with. You just never paid attention before.”
“Look at how fair her skin is! And look at the corners of her eyes. They curve upward so beautifully. That’s called ‘Auspicious Phoenix Spreading Its Tail.’ It’s a sign of great fortune…”
A-Jiang suddenly stopped speaking.
Qunqing’s faint smile had disappeared, and she turned away.
A-Jiang thought she must have said something wrong.
With her back to them, Qunqing covered her ears with both hands. Her ears had turned red from their praise.
But when she looked at herself in the mirror, her expression was calm and thoughtful.
No one in her family had ever praised her appearance.
Her features were nothing like her mother’s. Zhu Ying was a Miao woman with amber-colored eyes and curved eyebrows. Qunqing’s eyes, however, were very dark, and her expression was naturally cold. She looked like someone who had died with deep regrets.
When Physician Li performed the bone-setting and facial reconstruction on her, he could not change the shape of her eyes.
That was why her eyes were the feature that made her least similar to the real Qunqing.
A-Jiang had noticed it.
If she had noticed, others might notice it too.
Qunqing had heard that portraits of palace maids were kept in the palace register.
Because of this, she became even more worried about her palace records.
She did not even know where her records were kept.
As Qunqing approached the entrance of the Yeting Palace, a guard stopped her.
“Fish tally.”
Qunqing took out her fish-shaped tally and handed it to him.
Now that she was a palace maid in charge of clothing, she was entitled to carry a fish-shaped tally. Although hers was made of wood, it allowed her to move freely around the palace.
“Madam, you are assigned to Qingxuan Pavilion in the Eastern Palace. Why are you coming to the Yeting Palace?” the guard asked.
“I came to the Planting Bureau to get some flower seeds and branches. You know that our concubines have been growing flowers in the palace, right?”
Qunqing showed him the empty basket she was carrying.
Zheng Zhiyi’s flower-growing project was unusual, so the story had spread throughout the palace.
When the guard heard this, he returned the fish tally to her.
“So it was Liangdi’s order. I’m sorry for stopping you, Madam. Please go in.”
Qunqing noticed that there were many more Imperial Guards stationed outside the Yeting Palace.
“Why are there so many guards here now?” she asked.
“Oh, there are spies from Southern Chu hiding in the Inner Palace. A few days ago, they even caught someone pushing a vegetable cart out of the palace to deliver a message.”
“The Princess Consort of Yan ordered us to keep a close watch on this place and not let anyone from outside enter.”
The guard spoke in a friendly manner.
“The Inner Palace is a dirty and chaotic place. Next time, don’t come here yourself to run errands. You might get yourself into trouble.”
When Qunqing asked the workers at the Planting Bureau to pack some flower seeds for her, she kept thinking about what the guard had said.
She vaguely remembered the man who drove the vegetable cart.
He was someone else’s spy, only a low-level agent. He certainly did not know her true identity, so she should be safe for the time being.
However, the Princess Consort of Yan had suddenly increased the inspections of the Inner Palace.
This greatly troubled Qunqing.
Considering what had happened before, she could not tell whether Lu Huating was behind the investigation into the spies.
She had come to the Yeting Palace because Xu Sibu had told her that her palace register had never been sent to the Six Departments.
She wanted to ask Madam Zhang to help her find out whether the register was still there.
But now that Lu Huating seemed to be keeping such a close watch on the Yeting Palace, finding it would be much more difficult.
Unfortunately, the main gate of the courtyard where Madam Zhang lived was locked.
She was obviously not inside.
Qunqing was about to leave when she suddenly heard loud voices coming from behind the gate.
She found this strange.
After a quick look around, she climbed onto the low wall using several pottery jars.
“Dongzao!”
She immediately recognized the young eunuch in blue standing in the courtyard.
“Sister Qunqing, you’re back?”
Dongzao looked at Qunqing, who was clinging to the wall, in surprise.
“Were you looking for Madam Zhang? She’s not here. Consort Chen summoned her away.”
“Then what were you doing in her courtyard?”
As soon as he said this, the palace maids in the courtyard quickly stood to the side with their hands at their sides.
The dust from the earlier beating had not yet settled.
A young woman in red lay on the ground. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her mouth was gagged. Her clothes were covered in dust and sweat, making it impossible to see their original pattern.
“Madam Zhang ordered us to do this,” Dongzao said, pointing at the woman in red.
“This woman has been in the Imperial Palace for more than ten days. She does nothing but eat. Every night, she cries and curses and refuses to let anyone sleep. We’ve tried everything, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“We had no choice but to teach her a lesson. We didn’t really hurt her. We only scared her a little.”
As if reacting to his words, the woman on the ground suddenly began struggling like a fish caught on land.
“Sister Qunqing, don’t be fooled by her pitiful appearance. Who among us doesn’t feel sorry for her?”
“She’s sick, and everyone is cursing her.”
Dongzao angrily tapped the woman’s foot again.
“Did you think some powerful official would come and rescue you? You’re already a lowly person in the Yeting Palace. What are you still dreaming about? Hurry up, change your clothes, and go to work!”
Qunqing carefully analyzed his words.
“Whose concubine was she?”
“She was the concubine of a fifth-rank official,” Dongzao replied.
“Don’t touch her.”
Qunqing’s elbow was hurting, so she shifted her position and lay down on the wall.
“You all kicked her without holding back. If she dies, will you make Madam Zhang take responsibility?”
Madam Zhang had treated her well, so Qunqing felt she should help her avoid unnecessary trouble.
She looked at the woman lying on the ground.
The woman had delicate skin, and even though her clothes were torn and dirty, they could not hide her graceful figure.
More importantly, the style of her clothes was unusual.
They looked somewhat like the costume of a stage performer.
“She keeps disturbing everyone at night, so she obviously can’t sleep either. She has been doing this for more than ten days, so she must be at her limit.”
Qunqing thought for a moment.
“What is she trying to do?”
“Could she be afraid of something and deliberately making sure everyone keeps their attention on her?”
The woman who had been struggling wildly finally stopped.
Her cheek was pressed against the ground as she breathed heavily.
Dongzao looked confused.
“What could she possibly be afraid of? There aren’t any man-eating tigers in the Yeting Palace.”
Unexpectedly, the other palace maids all turned toward him.
“What would you know, you eunuch? She’s so beautiful. If she doesn’t make trouble, there are plenty of other things she has to worry about.”
“Exactly! You haven’t seen those palace officials who bully people, or those eunuchs who take advantage of others.”
“Even Supervisor Pei! He may not ‘favor’ you, but he certainly knows how to ‘favor’ us!”
Dongzao was pushed around by the women and could only keep apologizing.
“I was wrong, sisters! Then what do you think we should do with this Qing woman?”
The woman lying on the ground was clearly exceptionally beautiful.
But being sent into the Imperial Palace was like a lamb entering a den of wolves.
Qunqing knew that Madam Zhang had a way to protect her from Supervisor Pei, so she said,
“Let her stay in the same room as Madam Zhang for three months.”
Pei Jianzuo was wary of Madam Zhang and would not dare to touch anyone under her protection.
“Let her share a room with Madam Zhang?”
Dongzao was shocked.
“Madam Zhang would beat me to death! She was already cursing someone this morning and made Madam Zhang furious.”
“Just tell her that I said so.”
Qunqing turned to the woman.
“Hey, my lady. This is the safest place in the Yeting Palace. If you keep disturbing everyone’s sleep and get kicked out, you really will be waiting to die.”
Before Dongzao and the others could react, Qunqing lightly jumped down from the wall and dusted off her sleeves.
Even if Madam Zhang wanted to hit her, she couldn’t reach her.
On the way back, Qunqing met up with Lan Yue.
Lan Yue said, “That Xu Sibu is arrogant and looks down on people. She manages the palace registers and is always busy serving the noble ladies. She doesn’t respect us palace maids.”
“If you want to get on her good side, it will probably take some time.”
According to Qunqing’s plan, the two of them had split up.
Lan Yue had gone to find Xu Sibu to confirm whether Qunqing’s palace registration was still in the ShangGong Bureau.
“It’s fine. I didn’t find Madam Zhang today either,” Qunqing comforted her.
“Buddha’s birthday is still several months away. As long as we find her before then, that’s enough.”
“I was actually about to tell you something.”
Lan Yue looked at her.
“Where did you hear that on Buddha’s birthday, the Holy Empress would climb a mountain to worship Buddha and release a large number of palace maids?”
Qunqing stopped walking.
“I heard it from someone. Why? Is it wrong?”
Lan Yue hesitated.
“I’ve never heard anything about climbing a mountain.”
Wait.
This was different from what had happened in her previous life.
Qunqing became slightly flustered.
“Then how are the Holy Empress and the Emperor planning to celebrate Buddha’s birthday this year?”
Lan Yue said, “The envoy from the Kingdom of Liuli has been here for quite some time and seems very satisfied. He said that next month, the Buddha’s relics will be sent to Chang’an.”
“The Emperor has ordered that they be placed in the sutra pillar of Nanchan Temple. There should be some kind of ceremony.”
Qunqing was stunned.
She clearly remembered what had happened in her previous life.
At this time, the Crown Prince had proposed welcoming the Buddha’s relics into Chang’an.
But the plan had failed because the Prince of Yan opposed it.
The reason was simple.
The army had not been paid.
The Prince of Yan’s soldiers had gone three months without receiving their wages. They were like hungry wolves with bloodshot eyes.
How could they possibly agree to let the Crown Prince spend money on an extravagant ceremony?
The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan had argued fiercely.
In the end, Emperor Chenming and Empress Ma compromised.
They climbed to a high place in the temporary palace, faced south, and paid their respects to the Buddha from afar.
They also released a large number of palace women.
Only then was the matter finally settled.
Such a major event could not simply change unless the Prince of Yan had been born into a completely different family—or his personality had somehow changed completely.
“Will they still release palace servants?” Qunqing asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Didn’t the Prince of Yan’s residence firmly oppose welcoming the Buddha’s relics?”
Lan Yue shook her head.
“It’s strange. They opposed it before, but today the entire Prince of Yan’s residence is praising it.”
“But none of that matters now. I heard that Prince Yan is about to leave Chang’an and return to his fief.”
Qunqing stopped again.
What?
The Prince of Yan was leaving Chang’an?
As the sun began to set, Lin Yujia walked out of the magnificent Zichen Palace.
He was dressed in a dark green official robe and held a jade tablet in his hand.
He walked behind the bushes.
Qunqing immediately asked him,
“Was the Prince of Yan impeached because of the incident at the West Market?”
Lin Yujia was surprised.
“Your information network is quite impressive.”
“The Prince of Yan’s private soldiers caused trouble in the city and injured people. This has already angered the public.”
“Yesterday, the Censorate submitted memorials. Today, Minister Li, the two Vice Ministers, and Censor Chen also submitted memorials. All of them asked His Majesty to punish the Prince of Yan severely.”
“This has made it impossible for His Majesty to protect his son.”
“More importantly, Minister Li brought up the old incident involving the two wards.”
Lin Yujia tapped his jade tablet against his palm.
“Back then, the country had not yet been fully stabilized, so we did not pursue the Prince of Yan’s actions.”
“Now it is time to settle the old accounts.”
The incident involving the two wards happened when the Prince of Yan attacked Chang’an from the north with unstoppable force.
Because of a misunderstanding about opening the city gates to welcome his surrender, he could not rein in his horses when he entered the city.
His troops trampled through the people of the two wards, leaving the citizens frightened and scattered like birds.
That day, when the alarm sounded, diners and passersby grabbed brooms and sticks.
The entire situation became extremely tense.
The effects of that incident had never completely disappeared.
Now the princes and the common people were clashing again, adding another layer of gloom over Chang’an.
As long as the Prince of Yan remained in Chang’an, the people’s fear would not disappear.
And without winning the people’s trust, his position would only become more difficult.
Qunqing believed that Emperor Chenming understood this very well.
When he was conquering the country, he needed brave and capable generals.
But now that the country was established, what he wanted even more was peace and stability.
Whether Li Huan was truly guilty or not no longer mattered.
As long as the people’s anger remained, Emperor Chenming had to punish the Prince of Yan severely to calm the people.
“The military advisor of the Prince of Yan’s residence has been giving in at every turn and has even agreed to welcome the Buddha’s relics.”
“But it’s already too late to change the Emperor’s mind.”
“I’m afraid the Prince of Yan really will be sent to his fief in Qinghai, a remote and desolate place.”
“This third prince is probably going to become a useless pawn.”
Lin Yujia patted Qunqing’s shoulder from behind.
“But anything can still happen.”
“The Emperor is preparing to have someone ambush him on the road. As soon as Li Huan leaves, they will assassinate him.”
“Qingqing, your brother’s revenge has been achieved!”
Qunqing secretly pinched her own leg through her clothes.
The pain confirmed that this rebirth was not a dream.
Too fast.
Everything in this life was happening far too quickly.
Would everything really go this smoothly?
In her previous life, the Prince of Yan had been destroyed by the Crown Prince while he was still weak.
And after that?
The Crown Prince would ascend the throne.
The restoration of Southern Chu would no longer be a dream.
As for Crown Prince Zhao, he was completely useless.
They could not rely on him.
Qunqing quickly calmed herself.
“Lu Huating…”
“What did you say?”
“I said that Li Huan has a chief secretary beside him. He controls the city’s military tallies, and he will not hand them over easily.”
Qunqing spoke softly.
“I don’t think this matter is that simple. That man will not simply let the Prince of Yan leave.”
“He’s only a chief secretary. There’s nothing to worry about,” Lin Yujia said.
“You said last time that it would be convenient to get close to the Crown Prince through Consort Zheng’s palace. That was just a lucky coincidence.”
“What are you planning to do?” Qunqing asked cautiously.
Lin Yujia said,
“Before the Emperor issues the decree, he will definitely discuss it with the Crown Prince and have the decree drafted beforehand.”
“As long as we know how many days the decree gives Li Huan to leave for his fief—whether ten days or twenty—we can determine whether he will travel by land or by water.”
Qunqing understood.
Lin Yujia wanted her to obtain the imperial decree concerning the Prince of Yan’s departure.
That way, their people could prepare an ambush along his route in advance.
Qunqing stared at him with wide eyes.
“But I’m only a palace maid.”
“Not to mention that Consort Zheng has already fallen out of favor. I just offended the Crown Prince and nearly got expelled from the palace.”
“Do you really think a palace maid can do something like this?”
Perhaps Lin Yujia also realized how difficult the task was.
He took a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve.
The bottle felt cool against Qunqing’s palm.
“This is a colorless and odorless sleeping potion.”
“I heard that Li Xuan has a habit of drinking at night and doesn’t like having many people around him. He only keeps one eunuch by his side.”
“When Li Xuan spends the night at Consort Zheng’s palace, all you need to do is serve him wine.”
“Put the medicine into the wine and wait until he falls asleep.”
“Then distract the eunuch and secretly look through the memorials he has with him.”
Qunqing tried to pull her hand away.
But Lin Yujia held the medicine bottle tightly.
“The Prince of Yan and the State of Chu have a blood feud. This is a rare opportunity.”
“The Zen Master specifically instructed us not to let it pass.”
“Think carefully.”
“Will you take this bottle of medicine…”
“Or will you take the poisoned wine and kill yourself?”