The Night Before Leaving the Palace, Reduced to the Tyrant's Plaything - Chapter 25

“It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. Just be careful-I’ll arrange for someone to be by your side as soon as possible.” Xu Qingzhan stood up as he spoke. “I’m leaving. Get up and bolt the door after me.”

Wanyu was taken aback and motioned, “You’re leaving already?”

“What, you can’t bear to see me go?” Xu Qingzhan flashed a mischievous smile. “If you say you can’t bear to part with me, I’ll stay and keep you company. How about it?”

Wanyu pushed him. “Go on, hurry-don’t let anyone find out.”

Xu Qingzhan took two porcelain bottles from inside his robe and handed them to Wanyu. “Your hand still hasn’t healed. Keep using the medicine. This one is for your wounds, and this one is to prevent chilblains. Apply them every night, don’t forget.”

Wanyu nodded, took the medicine, and carefully tucked it under the straw.

Xu Qingzhan then drew a dagger from his sleeve and handed it to her. “Someone close to you brought this back from the northwest and asked me to give it to you for self-defense. It’s very sharp-be careful not to hurt yourself.”

Wanyu paused for a moment, then took the dagger and pressed it to her chest, longing flooding her eyes.

“Why didn’t you give it to me earlier?” she asked in sign language.

“If I gave it to you earlier, you wouldn’t have bothered with me.” Xu Qingzhan laughed as he headed for the door, the loneliness hidden in his smile vanishing in an instant.

Wanyu quickly got out of bed to see him off.

The door opened, and the cold wind slipped in through every crack.

Xu Qingzhan stepped out and was about to close the door when Wanyu suddenly thought of something. “That matron who frisked me-did you have anyone question her?”

Xu Qingzhan paused, and after a few moments said, “She’s dead.”

Wanyu’s heart sank. “How did she die?”

Xu Qingzhan replied, “An icicle fell from the eaves and impaled her through the head.”

Wanyu shuddered, the hairs on her body standing up. She made a cutting motion across her throat. “Such a coincidence? I’m afraid someone killed her to silence her.”

“I know. I’ll find out the truth.” Xu Qingzhan nudged her. “Go back to sleep, and bolt the door.”

Wanyu opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She silently bolted the door from the inside, felt her way back to bed, and curled up under the quilt, trembling uncontrollably.

Killing someone with an icicle – what a poisonous heart one must have to think of that!

Just to frame her, they would even sacrifice another life.

Besides Qi Rang, who else would treat human life so lightly?

Even if Xu Qingzhan found out the truth, what could he do? Who in this world can judge an emperor?

A chill washed over Wanyu again and again. Wasn’t it just because Qi Rang thought she looked a bit like her elder sister? If it came to that, she could do as Zisu did and ruthlessly destroy her own face. What would that madman want then?

But if she disfigured herself, how could she face the one who had waited five years for her?

Thinking of that person, her tears fell again, pain twisting through her whole being.

She hugged the dagger tightly to her chest, traced the pattern on the sheath, thought of that long-lost embrace, and cried herself to sleep on her tear-soaked pillow.

At dawn, the snow finally stopped. Wanyu was called up, ate some bland food in the kitchen, then changed into the lower-ranked Palace Maid’s clothes and went to the Laundry Office for work.

Although she had always been a servant, she had never done laundry before. Now, faced with a mountain of clothes and bone-chilling water, she didn’t know where to start.

In just a moment of hesitation, Xiang Rui, the head maid, struck her on the back with a ruler. “What are you standing around for? Get to work!”

Wanyu shuddered at the blow, her back burning with pain-worse than all the lashes she had received yesterday put together.

Just then, Meishuang came over. “Aunt Xiang Rui, Wanyu just arrived and doesn’t know how things work yet. Let me help her, I’ll show her how to wash.”

“Wanyu? You call her so affectionately. What sort of ‘Miss’ is she?”

Xiang Rui swung her ruler hard at Meishuang.

Wanyu rushed over and shielded Meishuang, taking another blow on her own back.

“Aunt…” Meishuang started to speak, but Wanyu quickly covered her mouth.

Silly girl-if she didn’t change the way she addressed her, she was sure to get a beating today.

But Meishuang wasn’t truly foolish. She was just used to the old habit and let it slip when she got anxious.

Now, with Wanyu covering her mouth, she realized her mistake and dared not make another sound.
Jiang Wanyu let go of her, pressed her palms together, and bowed to Xiang Rui, indicating she could handle things on her own and did not need anyone’s help.

Xiang Rui rolled her eyes and snapped at Meishuang, “Why are you still here? Get back to your own work!”

Meishuang had no choice but to bow and quietly walk away.

Jiang Wanyu crouched down, picked up a garment, and put it into the washbasin.

When the burn on the back of her hand touched the bone-chilling water, the pain made her grit her teeth.

Xiang Rui gave a cold snort. “That’s right. No matter where you worked before, now that you’re here, you have to lower yourself and work honestly. Don’t think you’re anything special just because you used to make beds. There are countless young ladies from noble families serving in the Lateral Courts. If you’re punished, you’re nothing but the lowest servant. No matter how proud you are, it won’t get you even a steamed bun.”

Her words were harsh, but not without reason.

Jiang Wanyu listened in silence, not daring to pause her hands for even a moment.

Seeing Jiang Wanyu didn’t dare talk back, Xiang Rui added smugly, “Be careful. The clothes you’re washing today all belong to Yongshou Palace. Do you know who lives there? The most favored Consort Shu in the Forbidden City. If you ruin Consort Shu’s clothes, not even ten heads would be enough to pay for it!”

All the laundry maids in the courtyard looked over at Jiang Wanyu, some with sympathy, some with relief, and some with schadenfreude.

Consort Shu was the most difficult mistress to serve in the harem, and also the most exacting. Washing her clothes required an extraordinary degree of care compared to anyone else’s, yet she always managed to find fault. A slap or being made to kneel was considered a light punishment; losing your head was entirely possible.

Yet now, Xiang Rui had assigned Consort Shu’s laundry to the newcomer, Jiang Wanyu. Wasn’t this obviously sending her to her doom?

Rumor had it that Jiang Wanyu had been sent to the Lateral Courts for stealing His Majesty’s jade pendant. If that was true, then she deserved this suffering.

Everyone quietly waited to see whether Consort Shu would make trouble for her.

In the freezing cold, after washing clothes all day, Jiang Wanyu was chilled to the bone. Every joint and bone felt frozen, creaking with every movement.

She had thought the past five years were the hardest, but only after arriving here did she truly understand what it meant for a day to feel like a year.

The day wasn’t even over, but it already felt as long as a year.

Dinner was still plain porridge and steamed buns, with radish and cabbage. Jiang Wanyu and Meishuang sat in a corner with their bowls, trying their best to keep a low profile.

Meishuang was also exhausted after a whole day, but her tired face couldn’t hide her happiness. She whispered to Jiang Wanyu, “Gugu, I just brought food to Zisu. Her fever has actually gone down, and she looks much better than yesterday. It seems like she’s going to pull through.”

Jiang Wanyu breathed a sigh of relief. She knew in her heart it was thanks to Xu Qingzhan, but on the surface she feigned surprise, gesturing, “Really? That’s wonderful, it must be the Bodhisattva’s blessing.”

Meishuang nodded, “Yes, Zisu also said it was the Bodhisattva protecting her. But I think it’s the good fortune you brought her. She was on the verge of death, and as soon as you arrived, she got better.”

Jiang Wanyu waved her hand, telling her not to talk nonsense, and reminded her not to call her Gugu anymore, to avoid causing trouble.

Meishuang quickly corrected herself, “Then I’ll call you ‘sister’ from now on. I told Zisu you had also come to the Lateral Courts. She was so anxious – if she weren’t sick, she would have insisted on coming to see you.”

Jiang Wanyu smiled and told her to let Zisu know not to move around, and to focus on getting well first.

The two finished washing their bowls. Seeing that it was getting dark, they each fetched a jug of hot water and went back to sleep; otherwise, once night fell, they wouldn’t be able to see anything.

Neither of them noticed that Xiang Rui had been secretly watching them. As soon as they left, Xiang Rui took advantage of the palace gates not yet being locked and quietly slipped out to meet Hu Jinzhong.

When Hu Jinzhong heard that Jiang Wanyu had washed clothes all day and could still chat and laugh with others, he was greatly disappointed.

“I told you to beat her, scold her, and give her the hardest work. Did you do as I said?”

“Injustice, Eunuch!” Xiang Rui said. “I’ve done everything you told me, but she hasn’t reacted at all. There’s nothing more I can do.”

“This is just the beginning and you’re already out of ideas? That’s not what you said when you took my silver.” Hu Jinzhong’s face darkened. “Isn’t she in charge of washing Consort Shu’s clothes? Ruin them and say it was her doing.”