Luo Jin paced back and forth in his office, his silence heavy. My eyes were beginning to blur from tracking his movements before he finally stopped and spoke. "From Lady Changping to Hongyan Tower, and from Hongyan Tower to the Second Prince... it is all mere hypothesis. We have no actual evidence." His gaze swept over Chen Zhan and me, his expression fraught with unease.
Before I could speak, Chen Zhan said with a hint of dejection, "What is the use of investigating further? Lady Changping, the scapegoat, is already dead. Now, no matter what we find, it can all be pinned on her. Besides, if it truly is *him*, how could he possibly leave evidence for us to find?"
I had considered this as well. At worst, he could simply shift the blame onto a close subordinate and accept a minor charge of poor oversight. "I believe one point is crucial," I added. "Where did all that gold and silver go? It wasn't a small amount." If I had thought of it, Luo Jin certainly had as well, yet he only continued to pace, his brow furrowed.
Eight years ago, the Hongyan Tower case had stalled because it led to the Second Prince’s Shunlong Pawnshop, resulting only in the execution of Mistress Yan. It seemed history was repeating itself. If the mastermind truly was the Second Prince, how much wealth had he secretly amassed over the years? Even if he were obsessed with gold, his official stipend, combined with the late Emperor’s rewards, his own estates, and private properties, should have been more than enough for him to squander.
The late Emperor had five sons. The eldest was the current Emperor. Then there were the Second Prince, Qing Jinxian; the Sixth Prince, Qing Jinduan; the Seventh Prince, Qing Jinzhen; and the Ninth Prince, Qing Jinyi. Among them, the Emperor and the Sixth Prince were born of the Empress Dowager. The Second Prince’s mother had originally been an ordinary palace maid who was later titled a Noble Lady after giving birth to a prince. The Seventh and Ninth Princes were born to a princess of Nanwan, who held the rank of Noble Consort, second only to the Empress.
Among the princes, only the Sixth and Ninth had been granted the title of Prince of the First Rank. However, for reasons unknown, the Ninth Prince, Prince Xian, had been demoted and sent to live in his fiefdom of Bingzhou. Rumors among the common folk suggested that Prince Xian’s relationship with the Emperor was far from warm.
Of the three princes residing in the capital, the Sixth Prince served as the Regent, while the Second and Seventh Princes remained very low-profile, rarely appearing at court. On the surface, there was nothing remarkable about them.
"Not a single word of what was said today is to be leaked!" Luo Jin stared at Chen Zhan and me with utmost gravity. "Furthermore, the matter ends here. Leave the rest to me. Neither of you is to involve yourselves further."
I looked at Chen Zhan, unwilling to let it go, but he only nodded helplessly.
"Xi Xia!" Luo Jin looked at me sternly. "Especially you. You must not act on your own! And you are absolutely forbidden from going to Hongyan Tower to see Hongmei!"
His expression was exceptionally solemn, giving me a slight start. I realized then that if "someone" knew I had worked as a servant at Hongyan Tower years ago and knew my true identity, it wouldn't be hard to guess what I was up to. If that happened, my situation would become quite precarious.
A cold shiver ran down my spine at the thought.
That evening, while changing clothes, I saw the jade pendant Xu Liufeng had given me.
The jade felt heavy and cool in my palm, its texture so smooth it felt as if water could be squeezed from it. Its deep, rich green was like a bottomless pool. Although Xu Liufeng had said it was a reward from the Crown Prince to Wuxiu, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became.
After much hesitation, I decided to go to the study to ask my father.
To my surprise, both my mothers were in the study, discussing what gifts to prepare for the palace for the New Year. Usually, Baofu and his wife handled such matters, but this year, with Wuxiu in the Eastern Palace, they were being doubly cautious.
I opened my palm and held the jade pendant before my father. The moment he saw it, his body gave an involuntary jolt. He looked up at me, his eyes filled with shock. "Where did you get this?!"
I hadn't expected such a strong reaction from him, and it startled me. My two mothers looked on with confusion, clearly unaware of what was wrong.
"I ran into the Grand Tutor, Xu Liufeng, while patrolling the streets today," I said. "He was on his way to the Ministry of Justice to find me. He gave me this, saying the Crown Prince had rewarded Wuxiu and that I should use this to visit her in the palace whenever I wished."
My first mother’s face immediately lit up with joy, and my own mother smiled as well. "The Crown Prince is truly good to our Xiu’er. Sister, you can rest easy now, can't you?"
My first mother chanted a prayer to Buddha before smiling at me. "When you go to see her, you should take her cat along. She kept saying how much she missed it before she got married."
I had only discovered Wuxiu’s cat after returning from my travels with my master. The cat was about two years old with grey fur, and under Wuxiu’s care, it had grown incredibly fat. Its daily activity consisted of lazily moving from one flowerpot to another to follow the sunlight. Its defining characteristic was its gluttony and laziness, and its only virtue was an incredibly mild temperament; no matter how much you ruffled it, it never got angry. Wuxiu called it "Xiao Xiang," but I called it "Garfield."
My father took the jade from my hand and examined it closely. His lips thinned into a hard line, and his gaze grew increasingly somber.
Watching his expression, I asked cautiously, "Father, are you worried the Crown Prince’s actions will make Wuxiu a target of jealousy?"
Father didn't speak; he simply handed the jade back to me with a complex look in his eyes.
My first mother said contentedly, "As long as she is well, I am at peace. But Chao’er is right; the Crown Prince’s primary consort is from the Han family. If we truly offend them, Master, would they do something to Xiu’er...?"
Father didn't answer her. My mother quickly consoled her, "Xiu’er is blessed with great fortune. Surely you don't wish for her *not* to be favored by the Crown Prince?"
Father seemed to be preoccupied with something else—something unpleasant. Seeing his slightly furrowed brow, my heart began to beat like a drum.
My mothers also noticed his strange behavior. They exchanged a puzzled glance and moved closer to him.
However, Father waved them away impatiently. "Chao’er doesn't have to go to the Ministry the day after tomorrow; she can go see Xiu’er then. You two go and prepare whatever you want her to take."
It sounded as if he were intentionally dismissing them. Watching my two mothers hurry out, I found it almost comical.
"Chao’er," Father said, seemingly regaining his composure as he pointed to an embroidered stool for me to sit. "When you go to the palace, go and return quickly. Do not stay too long."
He looked at me, appearing as if he wanted to say more but hesitated. "You are an official now, and many in the court know your true identity. Stay as far away from that couple as possible. Do not let the censors catch wind of anything and accuse the Crown Prince of consorting with external officials."
My father's words made me feel a bit indignant. When I visited Wuxiu, I wouldn't be entering the palace under the name Xi Xia. How could that be linked to the Crown Prince consorting with external officials? Besides, I was just a lowly sixth-rank military officer. Who would believe the Crown Prince was trying to "consort" with someone like me?
"Also," Father frowned, as if speaking was a great effort, "once you are in the palace, you must find a way to give that jade to Xiu’er and have her return it to the Crown Prince. If she wants to see you, she can simply send a eunuch to fetch you. There is no need for you to carry such a priceless treasure."
"Priceless treasure?" I lifted the jade curiously. Against the candlelight, its deep color held a concentrated, irresistible allure. Its cold luster shimmered slightly with the flame, as if a pool of green water were rippling within.
"Remember my words. You must return it." My father’s tone was exceptionally grave.
I had never heard him speak to me so seriously, so I quickly nodded in agreement.
I had planned to stuff Garfield into a bamboo basket and carry him into the palace with the lid closed, but the fat cat apparently suffered from claustrophobia. He fought with every ounce of his strength. After a great struggle, I failed to make him submit and eventually had to discard the lid, letting him poke his big, round head out to look around. Aside from refusing to be locked up, he was quite well-behaved along the way.
To my surprise, the moment he saw Wuxiu, he leaped out of the basket and burrowed into her arms with a pitiful meow, as if he had suffered some great grievance. I was so annoyed I couldn't help but give him a little kick. Wuxiu hurried to pull him away and called for a maid to take him for a bath.
She was dressed in an intricate palace gown, her long hair styled in a dignified bun adorned with many precious ornaments. She truly looked the part of a noble lady now. I circled her once and couldn't help but ask, "Wearing all this on your head every day—isn't it heavy?"
Wuxiu only gave an elegant smile, completely ignoring my teasing.
"So?" I sat down beside her. "How is it? How are they treating you? Is the 'big wife' bullying you?"
Wuxiu quickly covered my mouth, her expression slightly annoyed. "Chao’er, be serious. This is no place for reckless talk."
I pulled her hand away and lowered my voice. "The whole world knows the Crown Prince dotes on his side consort. Why are you so nervous?"
She countered, "Where did you hear that?"
I rolled my eyes at her. "I haven't seen you for a few days, and you've already learned how to hide your light under a bushel. Ming Shao told me, and then there's... this." I pulled the jade pendant from my robe and handed it to her. "The Grand Tutor himself gave this to me. He said it was a gift from the Crown Prince so I could visit you whenever I liked."
"Ming Shao?" Wuxiu wasn't looking at the jade; she was distracted by the name. "Isn't that the young prince from the Prince Jing Manor? I heard he’s going to the front lines with Marshal Chu Deyuan. Since when are you so close to him?"
I quickly grabbed a cup of hot tea to drink. "Don't overthink it. It's not about being close or not..."
Wuxiu wore a knowing smile and asked slyly, "What exactly am I overthinking?"
I felt the back of my neck start to sweat again and hurriedly shoved the jade into her hand. "This—Father said you should return it to the Crown Prince. Using something this valuable as a mere entry pass is... a waste of talent. If you miss me, just send someone out to get me."
Wuxiu took the jade, and her entire body seemed to turn to stone instantly.
Why was her reaction exactly like Father's? I gave her a puzzled nudge. "Sister?"
Wuxiu’s body trembled slightly. "The Grand Tutor... gave this to you?"
I nodded. "Yes. That weird old man with the white beard."
Wuxiu’s slender fingers gently stroked the jade, its cold green hue making her fingers look almost translucent.
I checked the time outside and stood up, dusting off my hands. "Sister, Father said I shouldn't come running here all the time for no reason. Take care of yourself. If anything happens, send someone to tell me."
Wuxiu grabbed me, then placed the jade back into my hand. "This... I cannot take. If it is to be returned, the Grand Tutor must be the one to do it." She spoke with a sense of helplessness and followed it with a long sigh.
I was starting to worry too. "I'm only a sixth-rank official. How would I have the chance to see the Grand Tutor in the palace? Besides, he said it was a reward for you from the Crown Prince."
Wuxiu sighed again. "Chao’er, there are things here you don't know. The jade... you should just keep it for now."
Her manner made me uneasy. I put an arm around her small shoulders and sighed as well. She misunderstood my meaning and looked up to ask, "Are you worried about Young Prince Ming Shao?"
That reminded me of a question. I leaned toward her ear and whispered in a voice only she could hear, "Let me ask you something. Generally speaking, when parting, what kind of gift should a woman give to...?"
Wuxiu wanted to laugh, but seeing my wide-eyed stare, she suppressed it and said solemnly, "Naturally, it would be a hand-embroidered handkerchief, a sachet, or something of the sort."
My face fell immediately. I couldn't do any of those. I asked with a lingering hope, "Nothing else?"
Wuxiu thought for a moment. "It should be something very personal—like a lock of hair."
I couldn't help but shudder. "That’s too mushy, isn't it?"
Wuxiu covered her mouth and laughed, and I fled amidst her laughter. I had to admit, having someone see through my secrets felt... well, it felt awkward, like having a temper with nowhere to vent it. My whole body felt out of sorts.
I hurried out with my head down. The young eunuch who had brought me in volunteered to take a shortcut to the Nanhua Gate, passing through a corner of the Imperial Garden near the Cold Palace.
Just as we were about to exit the garden, a cold male voice suddenly drifted from behind a thicket of bamboo and nanmu trees. "Since that is the case, you are to have no further hand in this matter."
My mind exploded. In an instant, I was transported back to Mistress Yan’s courtyard at Hongyan Tower. It felt as if I had been plunged into a vat of freezing water. That voice—cold, sounding like ice clinking against a crystal glass, pleasant yet carrying a bone-chilling frost—the voice I had never forgotten was now right beside me.
I stood frozen as if by a spell, my heart pounding wildly. I could only hear the footsteps behind the thicket, one after the other, gradually fading into the distance.
"Miss Ji?" The young eunuch looked at me strangely. "Are you feeling unwell?"
I forced myself to calm down. Was the impression left by that childhood encounter truly that terrifying? Like a baby elephant tied to a stake with a rope it can never break, even when it grows up and has the strength to snap the cord, it obeys the memory of its youth and believes it can never escape. Was that my situation now?
I rubbed my temples and managed a strained smile. "It’s nothing. I probably just walked too fast."
The eunuch looked toward where the footsteps had vanished and said wonderingly, "How strange. Why did he come here? This isn't the shortcut to the Imperial Study."
My heart gave another violent thud, and my voice trembled uncontrollably. "Who... who exactly was that?"
***
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
A Dream of Justice: The First Lady Constable | Chapter 34 | A Chilling Echo | Novela.app | Novela.app
