Alan grew more frightened the longer she thought, trembling as she begged for mercy, “Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
Xiao Changning paid no attention to her words. Her gaze swept past the two of them and landed directly on the candied hawthorn snowballs nearby.
She swallowed, “What are you doing?”
Alan spoke first, “Your Highness, this is my older brother. He is off duty today and came specifically to see me.”
Ying Qi bowed his head with clasped hands, “May the Guifei be at peace.”
“Oh.”
She glanced at Ying Qi. She recognized him—he was the Anwei who had been following her, one of Murong Yao’s people.
Xiao Changning pointed to the snowballs beside her, “I want some too.”
Both of them almost simultaneously raised their eyes to look at Xiao Changning.
The Guifei wasn’t sleeping in the middle of the night, just because she wanted some snacks?
Though she didn’t quite understand, Alan still handed over the treats in her hand.
Xiao Changning happily took two or three of each. The sweet and sour snowballs instantly won her over, much like taking a big bite of dessert when starving.
“Delicious.”
Her gaze shifted between Alan and Ying Qi, “Wait for me a moment.”
With that, she went into her sleeping palace, took out a silver ingot, and stuffed it into Alan’s hand.
She looked at Alan seriously and said, “Next time, bring an extra portion for me.”
Alan waved her hands, “Your Highness, this isn’t—”
“No refusing!” Xiao Changning looked at her, “Consider it an advance payment.”
Knowing her temperament, Alan simply accepted it.
The north wind blew, and Xiao Changning tightened her cloak, “You two siblings rarely get to see each other. Alan, you don’t need to keep watch tonight. Go rest.”
“Yes.”
After speaking, Xiao Changning returned to her sleeping palace, and the siblings also went back to their quarters to rest.
The next day, the sky was clear and cloudless. Chen Zhaoyi and two close concubines dragged Xiao Changning out to stroll in the gardens, saying that the Imperial Garden had been transplanted with a whole garden of red plum blossoms, each in bud, and they wanted to see the novelty.
Originally, Xiao Changning didn’t want to go out, but she couldn’t resist the crowd. Besides, she also wanted to see what tricks this hypocritical person was up to.
The weather was growing colder, and a thin layer of ice had formed on the surface of the imperial lake. A large stone thrown lightly could still smash a big hole in it.
Guifei Xiao, Chen Zhaoyi, Lou Meiren, and Shen Chongyi walked along the small path from the east to the side of the imperial lake.
Lou Meiren and Shen Chongyi supported each other, their legs as if filled with lead, slowly walking behind, several people away.
Chen Zhaoyi, arm in arm with Xiao Changning, charged ahead.
Xiao Changning glanced at her hand, her brows furrowed, her eyes revealing disdain.
This person’s face changed day by day, more fickle than the evening primrose.
The group walked onto the arched bridge over the imperial lake.
Chen Zhaoyi exclaimed in surprise, “Your Highness, it’s almost winter, and there are still koi fish?”
Under the thin ice, three or five red koi fish were swimming swiftly. As she spoke, she pulled Xiao Changning a step closer to the edge.
Xiao Changning immediately sensed danger. Scheming among the imperial consorts was common in the Nanxiao palace. As a member of the royal family, though she didn’t participate, she had seen plenty.
She clenched her hand. Trying to make me fall into the water?
I won’t suffer this grievance.
Her dark eyes shifted back and forth. If she pushes me later, I’ll trip you right down!
Let you take an icy bath.
Just as Xiao Changning was happily lost in thought, Chen Zhaoyi “suddenly” slipped and tumbled straight into the lake.
“Ah! Help!”
With a loud “splash,” the lake’s surface broke open.
Chen Zhaoyi flailed about, the icy-cold water splashing around her. Even the droplets landing on her body sent shivers down her spine.
Most crucially, as Chen Zhaoyi fell into the water, she grabbed hold of Xiao Changning.
From this angle, it seemed she would have a hard time explaining herself even if she were in the right.
The accompanying palace maids and attendants rushed forward, their shouts and cries for help instantly turning the tranquil, serene Imperial Garden into chaos.
Suddenly, Lou Meiren and Shen Chongyi knelt down in unison.
The previously noisy crowd fell silent in an instant.
Seizing the opportunity, Alan tugged at Xiao Changning’s sleeve, whispering, “Your Highness, Bixia is here.”
“Huh?”
Xiao Changning turned to look and, sure enough, Murong Yao, his face dark with anger, was striding over in a hurry.
Why is he here?
So, Chen Zhaoyi jumped into the water herself because she saw Murong Yao coming, and she pulled me in to make it look like I pushed her?
Xiao Changning remained calm, leisurely kneeling to greet him.
By now, Chen Zhaoyi had been rescued from the water, coughing and patting her chest. “Cough, cough, cough…”
Murong Yao’s face was dark, his voice harsh. “What happened?”
Before Chen Zhaoyi could “plead her case” or “complain,” Xiao Changning spoke up first. “Bixia!”
“I admit my fault.”
Chen Zhaoyi stared at her in astonishment. What kind of tactic was this?
Xiao Changning continued, “Today, I should not have strolled in the garden with Chen Zhaoyi.”
“I had a feeling early on that today was unlucky and we shouldn’t go out, but Chen Zhaoyi wouldn’t listen. Now look, she’s fallen into the water.”
“It’s all my fault for not stopping her.”
Chen Zhaoyi pointed at Xiao Changning, who was secretly gloating and pulling a face at her. “No, no, that’s not what happened.”
“I was walking just fine. It was Guifei, she pushed me into the water.”
“The two sisters behind us must have seen it.”
After saying this, Chen Zhaoyi looked tearfully at Murong Yao.
She had once been his favorite. Ever since she discovered that Murong Yao liked her eyes, she had used this trick repeatedly, and it had always worked.
“Bixia, we were both focused on admiring the red plum blossoms and chatting, so we didn’t see very clearly.”
Seeing that her two friends hadn’t followed the plan they had agreed upon beforehand, Chen Zhaoyi’s face fell instantly.
How dare they disobey her in secret.
Realizing her friends were unreliable, Chen Zhaoyi had to take matters into her own hands. “Bixia, I felt my foot slip just now, as if I stepped on something like a pearl.”
“It must have been… it must have been someone trying to harm me, Bixia…”
Xiao Changning turned her head. “Nonsense! Who would want to harm you? You were the one who insisted on dragging me out.”
“This fall into the water is entirely your own fault.”
Just as Chen Zhaoyi was about to argue further, Murong Yao, feeling a headache coming on, sharply interrupted, “All of you, be quiet!”
Xiao Changning glanced sideways at Chen Zhaoyi. “He’s talking to you.”
The group trembled in fear, afraid of angering the emperor.
Murong Yao walked over to Chen Zhaoyi. “It seems you haven’t taken my warning to heart at all.”
Chen Zhaoyi whispered, “I… I remember.”
“But, I didn’t do anything. It was Guifei who…”
Before she could finish, Murong Yao cut her off. “Since you like water so much, you can stay in it.”
“When the first ray of sunlight touches the imperial lake tomorrow, you may come out.”
Chen Zhaoyi, her eyes red with fear, pleaded, “Bixia, the imperial lake water is freezing. I will freeze to death overnight~”
“You brought this upon yourself!”
Murong Yao crouched down, gripping Chen Zhaoyi’s neck tightly. “Rest assured, I will give you a grand burial.”
Xiao Changning shouted, “Wait!”