Chapter Thirty-One

  Large snowflakes fell like goose down, almost dizzying the eyes. As soon as Xiaoyue entered the warm room from outside, she felt that the wound on her arm seemed to hurt even more. Xiaorong smiled and came forward, but when she saw Xiaoyue's arm, her eyes widened in shock and she couldn't speak for a moment. Quan Pei took off his cloak and stood in front of the incense burner: "Go invite a doctor over for your sister Xiaoyue."

  Xiao Yue was about to speak but hesitated, Quan Pei looked at her: "Sit down, your injury is serious."

  Xiao Rong almost ran out of the house, Xiao Yue said: "Does Madam want to make a big deal out of this?"

  "It's unreasonable to suffer such an injury and yet remain silent."

  The imperial physician came over to examine Xiaoyue's wound and prescribe medicine. Quan Pei spoke with Xiaorong in the inner room: "This audacious thing, I don't know where it got its courage from, seeing us and daring to use a knife..."

  The imperial physician perked up his ears, but the words behind were not very clear, and he hurriedly lowered his eyes to examine the wound. However, in his heart, some ripples arose... there was still such a reckless eunuch in the palace...

  Yongzheng returned from outside, Xiaorong went to welcome him and helped him brush off the snow on his clothes. She then served him hot tea as he changed into new clothes. Yongzheng sat beside Quanpei with a smile and asked: "What did you do today?"

  Master Rong's eyes widened as he adjusted his clothes: "You don't know, on my way back from the Xiangfang Studio today, I ran into a shameless eunuch who was stealing silver. He actually stabbed Xiaoyue with a knife when I caught him in the act... Fortunately, her injuries aren't severe..."

  Yu Zhen was taken aback, hastily handing the tea bowl to Xiao Rong, and pulled Quan Pei's arm to examine: "Where are you hurt?!"

  Ruan Yu raised her eyes, saw Yin Zhen's face full of anxiety and worry, and smiled with pursed lips: "Didn't you hear my words clearly? Xiaoyue was stabbed and injured, but I'm fine."

  Yin Zan was taken aback again, his face gradually turning unpleasant: "What kind of thing is that eunuch?! Daring to be rough with the prince and princess! Did you see what he looked like? Where did you see him? I'll deal with this lawless thing for you!"

  "At that time, I was in a panic and didn't get a good look at his appearance, he was just an ordinary eunuch, but his voice wasn't as sharp and shrill as the others. At the time, Xiaoyue's blood had flowed all over the ground, and I couldn't attend to anything else..."

  In the Forbidden City, with so many eunuchs around, it seemed impossible to get any results. But Yongzheng didn't care: "Don't be disheartened, I'll go ask the Imperial Household Department. Even if we can't catch the real culprit, I'll make sure those eunuchs see you shiver and dare not speak loudly!"

  Yongzheng was indeed furious, with the veins on his forehead bulging out, a rare display of anger.

  Quan Pei handed him a cup of hot tea: "Why offend those eunuchs? As the saying goes, 'Yan Wang is easy to see, but small ghosts are hard to deal with.' These little ghosts are all over the Forbidden City, and if you really offend them, I'm afraid it will be inconvenient everywhere."

  "That won't make them cheaper!"

  "The Imperial Household Department is to be held accountable. It's not just about Xiaoyue being injured, so much silver has gone missing, there must be a place where it was lost. In the end, this is also a dereliction of duty by the Imperial Household Department. They will have to give an explanation, after all, whoever is involved will not be able to save face if things get out of hand."

  Yongzheng stood up: "You just rest well today, I'll go find the people from the Imperial Household Department!"

  The eunuch was under the management of the Imperial Household Department, and when such a thing happened, it was most appropriate to find the Imperial Household Department. Quan Pei stroked the emerald green bamboo on the windowsill, not only did she want to make a big deal out of this, but also wanted to make the Empress Dowager regret her actions today, Xiaoyue's blood would not be shed in vain...

  After leaving the Xiangfang Studio, Empress Yi stayed with Wu Fu Jin and went to her own Yanxi Palace. Wu Fu Jin rarely served by Empress Yi's side, and at this moment, she was pouring tea and water with some nervousness. However, Empress Yi didn't pay attention to these things. Sitting on the couch, she took a sip of hot tea: "Did you have any pastries today?"

  Wu Fu's wife thought to herself, why is it this matter again? She muttered vaguely: "No, no."

  Yi Fei smiled and looked up at Wu Fu Jin: "I am the birth mother of Lao Wu, you are my daughter-in-law, would I still harm you?"

  Wu Fu Jin hung her head and muttered: "I've eaten."

  Yi Fei's eyes lit up: "Where did you eat?"

  "I saw it at Si Fu's place last year, and she said it was made by her personal maid."

  Wu Fu Jin didn't need to lie, since the dim sum had been eaten early, and Jiu Gong Zhu could still say with a straight face that she was the first one to make it. There's only one possibility: the kitchen staff in the imperial kitchen lied to please Jiu Gong Zhu.

  Yi Fei's mouth curled up into a bright smile, and she thought to herself: if the Ninth Princess were to find out about this, what would happen? The little girl who had been spoiled by the Empress Dowager would probably blame the chef, but she might also start to dislike the Fourth Lady. If the daughter-in-law and daughter were to have a falling out, it would be enough to worry De Fei. The more Yi Fei thought about this, the brighter her smile became, and she said warmly to Wu Fu Jun: "Don't mention this to anyone else from now on, or there will be another scene. And don't tell anyone that I know about it either, got it?"

  The fifth daughter-in-law nodded hastily: "Absolutely won't say!"

  The Empress Dowager had just woken up from her afternoon nap, and the palace maids were attending to her as she changed clothes and combed her hair. Yang Qing hastily approached her: "Fourth Brother has gone to the Imperial Household Department, saying that he wants them to give an explanation!"

  The empress's eyebrows slightly furrowed: "Are they shameless enough to spread this kind of thing outside? The noble imperial consort being threatened by a eunuch with a knife, isn't it embarrassing to say it out loud?"

  "The Fourth Mistress is not a bold one, at that time she called the imperial physician to treat the maid's injury, and rumors had already begun to spread vaguely, now it has caused trouble in the Imperial Household Department, I'm afraid the Emperor will also know about it sooner or later!"

  The empress gazed at the hairpin on her head in the mirror, feeling more and more annoyed: "How could I have misjudged them? What kind of person can these four imperial consorts kill?"

  Yang Qing was startled and did not dare to speak more, at that time he wanted to probe the intention of Empress Dowager Cixi, but it was also his credit, this time Empress Dowager Cixi regretted and suspected the result of probing Empress Dowager Cixi and left such a big disaster, he feared that Empress Dowager Cixi would shift her anger to him.

  Half awake, she sat up and fiddled with the purple sandalwood Buddhist beads on her wrist: "Wait till tomorrow morning to ask Fourth Mistress to stay for a while."

  Yang Qing didn't understand.

  The empress dowager said faintly: "If this kind of thing spreads everywhere, I'm afraid it will make the people in the palace restless. If she is a sensible person, it's naturally better for her to speak less."

  The heavily made-up Ruyi also had a few more bright colors, and Wang's mother-in-law looked at her daughter with satisfaction, repeatedly reminding her: "After being registered under the name of the madam, she will be the legitimate young lady of the mansion in the future. The marriage will also be easy to find, and in the future, you must learn from the madam how to deal with people and manage the household accounts. None of these abilities can be lacking, and they will definitely be useful when you become the mistress of the house..."

  The queen mother seemed to want to say everything at once, but Rong'er listened with a distracted mind: "Auntie, look at the hairpin on my head, is it in the right place or should I move it back a bit?"

  Aunt Wang lovingly stroked her daughter's cheek: "My dear Ruyi is the most beautiful girl under the sky, she is the treasure of my life."

  She smiled with satisfaction, and then asked Wang's wife to look at her skirt: "Look at the gold thread on top, when the sun shines, it's like a peony flower pattern. I've never worn such beautiful clothes before!"

  "Second sister, it's almost time!"

  Ruyi smiled and stood up, saying to Wang Shifu: "Auntie, I'm leaving!"

  The queen felt that there were still many words to say to her daughter, but in the end, they all turned into a deep sigh. She touched her daughter's cheek and said, "Go, be a good person..."

  The heavy temple gate opened, and the ancient and thick atmosphere came rushing in. From then on, Ruo Xi's name was written after Quan Pei's, becoming a legitimate and noble young lady with a prestigious status.

  The ice and snow on the ground had not yet melted, but Ruyi walked extremely quickly. The maidservants were busy moving all her belongings to the back of the Aixinjueluo courtyard, where the annex was located. Her face wore a noble smile, as if she couldn't wait to arrive at her destination in two steps. Although the weather was cold, she felt an unusual warmth.

  "Empress Wang has fallen ill, I'm afraid she won't last for many more days. You should go take a look." Ji Luo's face was turned towards the window, and Ruo Xie couldn't see her expression. She anxiously said: "How could she have suddenly fallen ill? Weren't things fine just a few days ago?"

  Jueluo's gaze shifted to Ruyi, her eyebrows slightly furrowed: "You go and take a look, if you want to serve by his side then serve for a few more days."

  Ruyi hastily lowered her eyes and slowly retreated from the house. The joy of being the legitimate daughter had not yet dissipated when her birth mother's impending departure sent her heart plummeting to the bottom. Why couldn't she have both in life?

  Gwon-pyeol followed Deok-hwi out of the main hall of Cheonin Palace, where Yang-cheong was waiting outside. Seeing Gwon-pyeol approach, he took a step forward: "Her Majesty requests that Lady Four stay for a while."

  Gu Yan slightly nodded towards De Fei, and followed Yang Qing's slow steps into the side hall. This was where the Empress Dowager lived daily. The plain-colored curtains made everything look old and gloomy. The large golden Buddha surrounded by incense smoke seemed to be a place for an elderly person nearing the end of their life.

  The empress dowager had just changed her clothes, and many of the hairpins on her head had been removed, making her look much more approachable. She saw Quan Pei pay her respects, smiled and beckoned her to sit beside her, taking a close look: "Scared stiff, aren't you?"

  "Empress Dowager, did you hear about what happened yesterday? I didn't expect to encounter such a vicious and evil person in the palace. Last night, I couldn't sleep soundly."

  The empress sighed, gently patting the hand of Quan Pei: "It's really an injustice to you, I think about it and my heart aches." After a pause, she changed the subject: "But you may have also heard that the emperor plans to personally lead the campaign against Galdan in the spring. If such a thing were to spread throughout the palace, it would be unseemly, and people's hearts would be disturbed. It would make it impossible for the emperor to set out on his campaign with peace of mind, which is really not right."

  Ruan Wan pinched her handkerchief tightly: "The Empress Dowager's meaning is clear to Sun Shi, and she will never talk nonsense with others."

  Quan Pei seemed to have not fully understood the meaning of Empress Dowager's words, and the impatience in her eyes flashed by. She had no choice but to continue: "I heard that the Imperial Household Department has been found?"

  "Hmm, our grandfather went to ask."

  "The empress dowager took a deep breath: 'Let's do it this way, and don't let the Imperial Household Department interfere either. I'll take care of this matter for you and make sure justice is served, how about that?'"

  Ruan Yu raised her eyes to look at the Empress Dowager, with a faint hint of puzzlement in her clear eyes: "Is this okay?"