Chapter 305: Thorns
She suddenly stopped, stole a glance at Xue Sui, and lowered her voice.
“Eunuch Lai said…”
Xue Sui looked up: “What did he say?”
“He said…” Ru Yi seemed a bit confused, shook her head, and then whispered, “He said… that the roads are slippery in the snow, and Young Lady is frail, so it’s best not to come down the mountain unless it’s necessary.”
She quickly added.
“It’s strange, he just left after saying that, as if he was afraid of being seen.”
Xue Sui was silent for a moment, then said indifferently, “I know.”
–
The mistress and her servants chatted by the stove for a while.
Before long, the sound of carriages and voices could be heard from outside the nunnery.
The guest nun led in a young man with a sharp, capable face and several servants carrying camphor wood boxes.
The boxes were covered in snow, clearly having just been unloaded from the carriages.
The man in the lead wore the uniform of a guard from Prince Duan’s Mansion. He cupped his fists respectfully towards Xue Sui and greeted her courteously.
“Greetings, Master Miaozhen. I am Xiang Yang. I am here on behalf of the Princess Consort to deliver winter supplies for Young Lady. The Princess Consort said that the nunnery is simple and Master’s health is delicate, so please take care and accept these tokens of our regard.”
“Thank you, Guard Xiang.” Xue Sui’s gaze swept over the camphor wood boxes, her expression unruffled.
“Please convey my thanks to the Princess Consort for her concern on behalf of this nun.”
“Yes. The items have been delivered, and I shall return to report.”
“Thank you! Jinshu, see our guest out.” Xue Sui nodded slightly.
After Xiang Yang left, Ru Yi and Xiao Zhao worked together to open the heavy camphor wood boxes.
Inside, neatly stacked, were fine silver wire charcoal, several new, thick plain cotton robes with plain cloth linings, and several bolts of subdued colored plain silk. On the very top was a meticulously wrapped, exquisite red wooden food box.
Opening the food box, it was filled with delicate pastries in the style of the Imperial Kitchen…
Ru Yi exclaimed beside her, her tone full of innocence.
“The Princess Consort is truly a good person, to think of sending so many things for Young Lady on such a snowy day…”
Xiao Zhao glanced at her, said nothing, and silently inventoried the items.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the person sending the gifts was a trusted subordinate of the Prince. Such thoughtful winter provisions could hardly have come from the Princess Consort, who had been in a state of disarray lately.
Since Li Huan obtained control over the capital region’s defenses and oversight, the atmosphere in his mansion had drastically changed.
Retainers and advisors came and went frequently, the guards in the corridors wore new armor, and the air was filled with a chilling aura of unapproachability.
And Princess Ruihe, Li Yuning, had become a frequent guest at Prince Duan’s Mansion.
She was clever and knew how to endear herself to little A Ning. Every time she visited, she could always make the child giggle, and then she would meddle in the mansion’s domestic affairs, one day inquiring about tea and pastries, the next commenting on the garden scenery. Under the guise of being a “younger sister,” she maneuvered around Li Huan, effectively becoming the mansion’s co-mistress.
Xue Yuechen’s current predicament and torment could only be imagined.
“Princess Ruihe’s face is thicker than the city walls; she might as well move into Prince Duan’s Mansion. The life the Princess Consort is living… I can’t even bear to think about it,” Xiao Zhao muttered, unable to help but mockingly whisper as she organized the items.
“As expected,” Xue Sui’s tone was indifferent.
“Prince Duan wants the support of the old troops from Longyou, and Princess Ruihe is the most influential and readily available stepping stone. As for the Princess Consort…”
The corner of her lips curved slightly, “When a chess piece loses its value, discarding it is only a matter of time.”
Xiao Zhao raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, “It’s good for us if there’s infighting in Prince Duan’s Mansion. We don’t care who Prince Duan likes…”
Xue Sui pursed her lips into a cold smile, “The Princess Consort is by the Prince’s side. If she is pushed to desperation, she might become a double-edged sword…”
Xiao Zhao: “The Princess Consort is the Prince’s wife, her interests are tied to the Prince’s, they are ultimately on the same boat…”
“Tied interests?” Xue Sui sneered, “When she experiences the heartlessness of the imperial family, she’ll know how deep the waters are…”
She stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the snow-covered distant mountains, and continued, “Go to Xue Mansion and find Third Madam Qian. Shui Yue Nunnery’s incense offerings are sparse in winter. I want to ask her to help contact the Princess Consort and a few familiar official ladies to come to the nunnery before the new year for a small prayer ceremony to add to the incense money, so the masters and nuns can have a warm new year…”
“Young Lady, don’t you dislike getting too involved with Prince Duan’s Consort? Why are you actively inviting her now?”
“Circumstances change. After all, we are sisters, and I should offer her a ladder.”
“Young Lady intends to… incite the Princess Consort?” Xiao Zhao suddenly understood.
“Not incite, but to make her see reality,” Xue Sui said.
Xue Yuechen was not a fool and knew Li Huan’s temperament.
Once the Xue family lost power, she would be like a rootless duckweed in Prince Duan’s Mansion. Without a child to rely on, and with Ruihe causing trouble, her situation would only become more difficult. Rather than wait for death, it was better to find a way out for herself.
Xiao Zhao nodded, “Young Lady is wise. I will do as you say.”
Ru Yi blinked in confusion, “Young Lady, I think I understand, but I also think I don’t understand…”
Xue Sui glanced at her, her gaze falling on the winter supplies, and calmly instructed her.
“Then you go and distribute the charcoal to the nuns in the nunnery. Put away the cotton robes and cloth, and you girls can share them. You can also share the pastries in the food box.”
Ru Yi immediately became happy.
“Young Lady, look how good this charcoal is, and the cotton robes are so thick…” Xiao Zhao looked at the items and suddenly remembered Crown Prince Li Zhao’s merciless reprimand and harsh words on the street. A sense of injustice surged in her heart, and she let out a heavy hum, muttering.
“That Crown Prince, he’s too heartless. Treating Young Lady like that…”
“He has his own difficulties.”
Xue Sui’s voice was calm, as if she were talking about an irrelevant stranger.
“Tidy up, and come with me to find Master Huiming. Let’s check on the preparations for the prayer ceremony.”
Xiao Zhao and Ru Yi exchanged a glance and replied, “Yes.”
—
In the first month of the new year, the snow had cleared, but the cold was even more intense.
Shangjing City seemed frozen stiff. The streets were sparsely populated, and pedestrians hurried along with solemn expressions, as if afraid of attracting the attention of the ever-present Military and Horse Department patrols.
At this moment, in Baohua Palace, the air was filled with a warm fragrance.
Xiao Qing’er, stroking her barely showing belly, sat on a soft couch covered with white fox fur, but her face was paler than the fur.
“Your Ladyship, they… sent another letter.”
Her trusted palace maid, Lü E, entered hurriedly, knelt on the ground, and presented a sealed letter with both hands.
On the seal, a clear iris flower, wings spread as if about to fly, was visible.
Xiao Qing’er took the letter. Her fingertips touched the iris flower, and she suddenly clenched it, tearing it open nervously and forcefully.
The handwriting in the letter was messy, but every word was like a knife.
“Xue Liu is a remnant of the Old Mausoleum Swamp, returning to Shangjing solely for revenge. The Xiao family’s actions back then are already known to her. To protect the entire Xiao clan and the dragon seed in your womb, this root of disaster must be eliminated. The prayer and blessing ceremony is a heaven-sent opportunity; you should eliminate future troubles…”
“Ping Le… is not mad…”
Xiao Qing’er murmured.
She had been Ping Le’s reading companion, Ping Le’s former confidante, and she knew Ping Le’s cruel methods all too well.
Someone who could drown her own younger sister, when pushed to desperation, would do anything.
“Your Ladyship, are you alright?” the palace maid Lü E asked worriedly, seeing her unusual expression.
Xiao Qing’er thought of Ping Le’s appearance, and fear coiled around her like a viper, almost suffocating her.
“Go!”
She suddenly looked up, a glint of malice in her eyes.
“Bring me the small gold-inlaid enamel box from the bottom of my cosmetic box. Quickly!”
“Your Ladyship…” Lü E was slightly startled, “The auspicious time for the ceremony is approaching, and the ladies from various mansions have already begun to enter the hall…”
“Stop the nonsense!” Xiao Qing’er interrupted sharply, her chest heaving violently, “Ping Le holds a handle over me. She knows about those things, I know…”
“But Your Ladyship…”
“Do you want to die with me?”
Lü E’s face turned pale with fright, and she dared not say another word, hastily getting up to fetch it.
Xiao Qing’er slumped back onto the couch, her fingertips digging deeply into her palm.
She thought of Xue Sui.
The person in her memory was always from many years ago…
They, a group of noble ladies, had always taken pleasure in bullying others and had never been held accountable for it. But if one were to speak of being humble and insignificant, no one was more easily bullied, or better to bully, than the silent Xue Liu.
Always with her head down, always wearing washed-out old clothes, even the servants could boss her around…
They could splash hot tea on her, burn her fingertips with a red-hot hairpin, force her to embroider mandarin duck handkerchiefs with bleeding fingers, or lock her in a drafty woodshed on a snowy night, tear her clothes, and stuff them into her mouth…
They tormented her in every conceivable way, without limit.
All for a moment’s amusement.
Who would have thought that ten years later, that lowly concubine’s daughter, like an ant, would return in such a resolute manner?
And become a figure stirring up trouble?
The rumors about her in the Imperial Court, Ping Le’s order to kill her… all confirmed that Xue Liu was an unknown threat.
She deserved to die.
She had to die.
Xiao Qing’er’s eyes gradually grew fervent, then slowly closed. She lowered her head, caressed her belly, and shed tears.
“My child, this is all I can do.”
Xue Sui: Happy New Year, happy new year, we have New Year again…
Reader: We’re so hot, so hot, so hot, so hot…
