The cold wind swept past Shen Chao's cheeks, sharp as blades.
She trembled as she lowered her head. "Your Highness, please forgive me."
Xiao Yanli strode toward the duty room. Once inside, Fu Hai helped him remove his cloak, then pushed Shen Chao in and thoughtfully closed the door behind them.
Shen Chao's back pressed against the door. She felt like a lamb awaiting slaughter, yet Xiao Yanli delayed setting her execution date, leaving her in prolonged torment.
If Xiao Yanli had set her "death date," perhaps she would have breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to enjoy her final days.
"Come here," Xiao Yanli commanded in a low voice, his smooth fingertips tapping lightly on the tray.
Shen Chao walked over and picked up the crab scissors to dismantle the crabs.
She had never used such utensils before, having only seen noblewomen use them at banquets. Her movements were clumsy at first—the first crab she dismantled was a messy sight, but the second one went much better.
The snow-white crab meat and golden crab roe lay arranged on the plate, but Xiao Yanli showed no intention of picking up his chopsticks.
He simply watched silently as Shen Chao handled the three crabs.
While Shen Chao was busy, Xiao Yanli suddenly asked her, "If not as a bedchamber attendant, how about as a Liangdi?"
Shen Chao was startled by his words, and the scissors snapped shut, cutting through a crab claw.
The position of Crown Prince's Consort was the highest rank among concubines, second only to the Crown Princess. It granted the right to attend palace banquets and manage household affairs.
Typically, such positions were reserved for daughters of third or fourth-rank officials.
Although Shen Chao came from a noble family, her father held only an empty title without any real authority. This was a position her family dared not even dream of.
Shen Chao remained silent, not daring to answer, while Xiao Yanli watched her intently.
After all, Shen Chao was from a marquis's household and had served by the Empress's side for many years. The Empress had originally intended for her to endure hardships in the Eastern Palace, then promote her to Liangdi next year after the Crown Princess entered the household, as a display of her own magnanimity.
Xiao Yanli's offer was merely an "act of grace" given to her in advance.
Shen Chao took a deep breath. "Your Highness, even a caged bird will yearn for the sky after too long."
She had spent eight years in the palace and did not wish to waste the rest of her life there as well.
Xiao Yanli sneered coldly. "Do you think you can leave without my permission?"
"Your Highness is the Crown Prince of the nation, burdened with daily political affairs and pressed for time. All the people of the realm await you…" Before she could finish, Xiao Yanli's gaze, sharp as a cold blade, silenced her.
Xiao Yanli picked up his chopsticks, poked at the crab meat she had peeled, then set them down again, appetite gone.
"You wish to leave the palace?"
Shen Chao put down what she was holding and knelt before him.
"I beg Your Highness for mercy."
Xiao Yanli's fingers brushed over the sachet. After a moment, he said, "What will you offer in exchange for my mercy?"
At this point, Shen Chao understood his meaning.
"This servant is willing to serve Your Highness, only begging for Your Highness's mercy to grant this servant a chance at freedom."
Xiao Yanli's gaze deepened as he looked at her, his tone faintly mocking. "Do you know what you are saying?"
"This servant seeks neither status nor position, only begging Your Highness to grant this servant a chance to leave the palace!" Shen Chao bit her lip as she spoke.
For a woman to say such things to a man already filled her with shame!
Xiao Yanli's eyes slowly swept over her.
In his heart, he thought, Fool. Seeking neither status nor position means no one will know of her service to him.
If she refused to admit it herself, where could she go to plead her case?
Shen Chao kept her head lowered, waiting for his response, her heart clenched in anxiety.
Having spoken to this extent, surely Xiao Yanli would let her off now?
Only when a cold wind struck her did she shiver and look up, realizing Xiao Yanli had already left.
Shen Chao numbly supported herself on the table to stand, her mind slowly wondering: had Xiao Yanli agreed or not?
Several more days passed, and Shen Chao spent each day in anxious turmoil, waiting for Xiao Yanli to summon her for the night, yet fearing he might not come.
"Sister, what are you thinking about?" a palace maid from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau asked her curiously.
She forced a smile back onto her face and carefully inspected the garments.
These new clothes were made for the consorts of various palaces attending the Mid-Autumn Banquet, arranged according to rank. After her inspection, the palace maids would deliver them to each palace.
"These are all fine, they can be sent to the consorts now."
Shen Chao led the young palace maids toward the rear palaces. On the way, they encountered a patrol of the Imperial Guard. The maids stopped from a distance, waiting for the men to pass.
Unexpectedly, one of the Imperial Guards strode toward them. The maids were startled—could it be that one of them had committed some offense?
The guard stopped about ten feet away from Shen Chao, grinned foolishly, took a wax paper package from his robe, placed it on the ground, and said from afar, "I ate your food last time, this is my gift in return!"
Then he waved at Shen Chao and quickly rejoined his unit.
Surprised, Shen Chao walked over and picked up the wax paper package. A faint tea fragrance mixed with the scent of milk wafted into her nostrils—it was Longjing Crisp!
That day, when she had given him the Osmanthus Honey, she had said, "Use this to brew tea, pair it with Longjing Crisp, and bask in the sun—it’s truly delightful."
She hadn’t expected him to remember.
Immediately, Shen Chao grew puzzled.
Judging by his demeanor, he hadn’t been subjected to Xiao Yanli’s "harsh interrogation," nor was he avoiding her—this meant Xiao Yanli hadn’t sought him out at all!
Then where had the jar of Osmanthus Honey in Xiao Yanli’s hand come from?
She was certain it was the Osmanthus Honey her mother had made!
Holding the Longjing Crisp, Shen Chao’s mind worked sluggishly: where had her Osmanthus Honey come from?
Her younger sister had written in her letter that she wouldn’t be able to send anything in until next month.
Shen Chao’s heart began to pound wildly. She knew the letters they received were all inspected.
Could it be that Xiao Yanli had read her family letter!
A sense of helplessness, as if bound by ropes with no escape, washed over her entire body.
And she had been foolish enough to be frightened by just a jar of Osmanthus Honey in Xiao Yanli’s hand, revealing her entire plan.
Shen Chao tucked the Longjing Crisp into her sleeve, glanced at the palace maids beside her—they all kept their heads down, not daring to speak—but she knew Xiao Yanli would learn of today’s events.
Taking a deep breath, she still led the group to the various palaces.
After visiting all the palaces, the final stop was the Empress Dowager’s Yongkang Palace.
The Empress Dowager’s clothes had long been collected by her own palace maids. What they were delivering now were the clothes for Miss Cui, who was being raised within Yongkang Palace.
Just as Shen Chao handed the clothes to the supervising matron and was about to leave, she saw Miss Cui walking toward her.
Her skin was like congealed cream, her features as if painted, with almond-shaped eyes that seemed to hold a vast galaxy of stars, bright and captivating. Her steps were light and graceful, her skirt rippling like waves with each movement.
"Please wait, sister!" Miss Cui called out to Shen Chao.