Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 92: First and Last

   Yuan Chunwang saying he would protect Wei Yingluo was not just empty words.

Thanks to his outstanding performance during the disaster relief efforts, he had gained the appreciation of Noble Consort Xian. Now, with the Empress in a coma and Noble Consort Hui deceased, the entire power of the rear palace was in Noble Consort Xian’s hands. If Noble Consort Xian wanted to promote him, he was promoted immediately. Within the Cleansing Division, his word was law—he said one and it was one, said two and it was two.

“Look at your hands—they don’t even look like a girl’s anymore.” Yuan Chunwang took Wei Yingluo’s hand and shook his head. “From now on, stop scrubbing the night-soil buckets. Go help out at the kang-heating department first.”

Yingluo: “The kang-heating department?”

“The kang-heating department is under the Firewood Office and is in charge of supplying heat to the various palaces. But the Forbidden City only starts supplying charcoal after winter sets in. Right now the weather is still warm, so their workload is light. You can take the chance to rest a bit.” Yuan Chunwang lightly tapped her forehead with a flick of his finger. “Don’t be so honest all the time—you have to learn how to slack off a little!”

Wei Yingluo touched her forehead, touched by his care for her, yet annoyed by his overly familiar intimacy in front of others: “Okay, okay, I remember!”

Watching her leave, Yuan Chunwang smiled and shook his head. Just as he was about to go, a hand from behind grabbed his sleeve: “Brother Yuan!”

It was Jinxiu’s voice.

Yuan Chunwang frowned and was about to pull his sleeve back and leave when he heard her lower her voice: “I know who killed Noble Consort Hui!”

Yuan Chunwang’s footsteps paused.

Jinxiu gave a charming smile, smoothly wrapped her arm around his, pressing her full chest against him, and whispered: “Tonight at the hour of Zi (11 p.m.–1 a.m.), I’ll wait for you by the well in the rear courtyard. Don’t stand me up!”

That night, Jinxiu specially dressed up and did her makeup. With no jewelry to wear, she quietly broke off a camellia from a tree, carefully tucked it behind her ear, then gazed at her reflection in the well with self-pity.

The well reflected her face—and also the face of the person standing behind her.

A look of delight appeared on Jinxiu’s face. She turned and threw herself into his arms: “Brother Yuan, you came!”

Yuan Chunwang let her hold him and laughed softly: “The words you said to me this morning—what did you mean by them?”

Seeing his smile, Jinxiu was overjoyed. She lightly pounded his chest: “Brother Yuan, it’s so rare for us to be alone together, and that’s the only question you want to ask me?”

Yuan Chunwang took hold of her hand. His voice was gentle, full of seduction: “Be good, tell me.”

He had never spoken to her so kindly before. In her delight, Jinxiu completely lost herself and obediently answered: “Alright, I’ll tell you. That day I personally saw Wei Yingluo together with a craftsman from the ‘Ten Thousand Purples and Thousands of Reds’ workshop!”

Yuan Chunwang’s gaze darkened: “Oh? And what of it?”

“What else could it mean?” Jinxiu laughed. “The murderer who killed Noble Consort Hui has never been found. If it wasn’t one of the craftsmen, then it must have been someone inside the palace. Tell me—doesn’t she seem suspicious?”

“If she’s so suspicious, why didn’t you go report her?” As soon as Yuan Chunwang finished speaking, he shook his head. “You and Yingluo have long had bad blood, and you have no evidence. Even if you said it, no one would believe you.”

Jinxiu smiled and said, “Yes! I know that words coming from my mouth are hard for people to believe, so I’ve held back for a long time. But then I thought—if others won’t believe me, there’s still the Gao family! Noble Consort Hui’s own elder brother has been investigating the cause of her death all along!”

Sensing the threat hidden in her words, Yuan Chunwang withdrew the false warmth from his face and stared at her coldly. “What do you want?”

Jinxiu wrapped her arms around him, pressing her curvaceous body tightly against his, and said with a smile, “Brother Yuan, I know you’re Wei Yingluo’s sworn brother. You’ll definitely protect her, won’t you?”

Yuan Chunwang replied indifferently, “So?”

Jinxiu said softly and seductively, “As long as you promise to be with me from now on, I’ll keep this secret for her!”

Yuan Chunwang laughed, as though he had long anticipated she would say this, or perhaps he was simply mocking her overconfidence:

“Are you actually crazy or just pretending? Palace regulations strictly forbid palace maids and eunuchs from forming illicit relationships—those who violate the rule face severe punishment. And yet you dare make such a demand?”

“Palace rules forbid it, but they’ve never stopped it,” Jinxiu said dismissively. “Go take a look—how many palace maids and eunuchs have secretly become husband and wife? Brother Yuan, I just like you. I want to be with you. I promise I’ll treat you better than Wei Yingluo ever could!”

“Why do you like me?” Yuan Chunwang looked at her with a strange expression, as if he had finally been persuaded by her words. “I heard from Yingluo that you used to chase after the imperial guards. Compared to them, I truly have nothing.”

He had never shown her any warmth; occasionally granting her a single glance was enough to make her savor it for an entire day. Seeing a hint of softening in his tone, Jinxiu was overjoyed—her voice even trembled with excitement:

“I admit it! In the past I was vain and greedy for glory, always dreaming of climbing high branches and marrying into a noble family! But ever since I came to the Cleansing Division, I’ve changed—I really have changed! Especially the first time I saw you, I finally understood what it means to truly like someone. Everything I used to chase after no longer matters to me! Brother Yuan, I want to stay by your side, like an ordinary husband and wife among the common people—taking care of each other our whole lives, never leaving, never abandoning one another. Will you?”

“Take care of each other, never leave, never abandon?” Yuan Chunwang murmured to himself.

“Yes!” Jinxiu threw herself into his arms, speaking with deep emotion, “As long as you promise me, I won’t say a word. I won’t tell anyone! I can even forgive everything Wei Yingluo has done. As long as I can have you, nothing else matters to me!”

Yuan Chunwang lowered his head to look at her, then suddenly gave a dazzling smile. “Do you really love me that much?”

It was probably the most beautiful smile Jinxiu had ever seen in her life—beautiful enough to make her throw herself into the flame like a moth. She stared at him in a daze for a long time before finally nodding and softly answering, “Mhm!”

The next moment, her expression froze. Slowly, she lowered her head.

A dagger had pierced through her chest, sinking deep into her heart.

Jinxiu followed the blade with her eyes—down to the hilt, to the hand holding it, to Yuan Chunwang’s face. He was smiling at her, gentle and exquisitely beautiful: “Since you love me so much… are you willing to die for me?”

Jinxiu opened her mouth, wanting to answer him—Yes.

But Yuan Chunwang didn’t wait for her to speak. With one push, he sent her tumbling backward into the well behind her.

With a splash, the moon reflected in the water shattered into countless fragments.

Yuan Chunwang stood by the edge of the well, drawing out a handkerchief and calmly wiping the blood from his fingers.

“I forgot to tell you one thing,” he said with a faint smile, then let go. The handkerchief fluttered lightly down into the well, covering the face that was slowly sinking and rising in the water. “I hate being threatened the most.”

The next day.

   “An announcement,” Yuan Chunwang said to the palace maids and eunuchs gathered in the inner courtyard of the Cleansing Division. “Palace maid Jinxiu fled privately last night.”

An uproar erupted; voices rose in discussion.

“Fled? Jinxiu actually ran away?”

“This is the heavily guarded Forbidden City—where could she possibly go?”

“This girl really has guts the size of the sky—she’s not afraid of dying?!”

Wei Yingluo did not join in the crowd’s discussion. She frowned and turned her gaze toward Yuan Chunwang.

“Anyone who has information about Jinxiu must report it immediately. Otherwise, they will be punished as an accomplice!” Yuan Chunwang said calmly. “Enough, stop talking about this. Everyone, get back to work!”

After the crowd dispersed, Wei Yingluo quietly approached him.

“Brother, where did Jinxiu go?”

“How would I know where she went?” Yuan Chunwang smiled at her.

Wei Yingluo clearly didn’t believe he knew nothing. She stared at him and said,

“If she wanted to run away, how could there be no sign at all? Besides, the Forbidden City is heavily guarded layer upon layer. She didn’t grow wings—where could she possibly go?”

Yuan Chunwang reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Did you take today’s medicine?”

“Brother, don’t change the subject!” Wei Yingluo frowned. “I’m asking you a question!”

“An unimportant person isn’t worth keeping in your heart.” Yuan Chunwang smiled. “Did you take the medicine? Stretch out your hand—let me see how well the injury is healing.”

The weather was hot, yet Wei Yingluo suddenly felt a chill run down her back.

A human life, in his eyes, was worth less than a single scar on her hand.

There was never a shortage of work in the Cleansing Division. Wei Yingluo tried probing him indirectly a few more times, but seeing she wouldn’t get an answer, she had no choice but to return to her tasks first.

Once she left, the smile faded from Yuan Chunwang’s face and he fell into deep thought.

He knew Wei Yingluo had grown suspicious, but so what? He had handled everything cleanly from beginning to end—he wasn’t afraid of being discovered. And even if someone did find out, who would dare offend him—a major favorite in front of Noble Consort Xian—just for the sake of one criminal from the Cleansing Division?

“The one who framed Yingluo and caused her to be imprisoned… it must have been Jinxiu without a doubt,” Yuan Chunwang thought with a frown. “She had a grudge against Yingluo, but what about Momo Liu? Momo Liu had no enmity or grudge against Yingluo—why would she join Jinxiu in framing her? Was she deceived by Jinxiu… or was there someone behind her… giving her orders?”

If there really was another mastermind behind the scenes, then right now… that person was probably doing the same thing he had done: cleaning up all the loose ends.

Inside Zhongcui Palace, blood covered the floor.

   The blood was flowing from Momo Liu’s fingers—every single one of her ten fingernails had been torn out, leaving the bare fingertips gushing fresh blood.

Noble Consort Xian smiled faintly.

“Consort Chun, my dear sister, this old servant really can’t withstand much. After just a few strokes of the cane, she started talking. Would sister like to know what she said?”

Momo Liu, having suffered brutal torture, was already mentally dazed. She remained silent for a long while, then suddenly burst into loud sobs. Crawling on hands and knees, she threw herself toward Consort Chun.

“Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship, save this old servant…!”

Consort Chun took a step back. Her palace maid Yuhu immediately kicked Momo Liu away and hurriedly said,

“What nonsense are you babbling? When has our Ladyship ever had any connection with an old thing like you?”

Hearing this, Momo Liu tore at her heart and lungs, crying out,

“Yuhu, don’t you dare deny it! It was clearly Consort Chun who ordered me… ordered me to go frame Wei Yingluo!”

“Nonsense!” Yuhu gritted her teeth. “Our Ladyship had no grudge against that palace maid—why would she frame her? You—you were obviously instructed by someone else and are trying to drag our Ladyship down with you!”

A palace servant brought tea. Noble Consort Xian sat in her chair, leisurely taking a sip.

“Consort Chun, what do you say?”

Consort Chun’s face had gone somewhat pale.

“This is slander…”

“What slander? Your Ladyship, listen to me!”

Seeing that Consort Chun was turning cold and refusing to acknowledge her, Momo Liu decided that if you show no mercy, neither will I. She spilled everything—how Consort Chun had approached her, how she arranged for her to plant false evidence and frame the girl, the whole cause and effect, in exhaustive detail without the slightest omission.

In the face of the truth, Consort Chun’s denials appeared utterly feeble and powerless. Her body swayed and she leaned against Yuhu for support.

Just when she thought she was finished, Noble Consort Xian set down her teacup and spoke slowly and deliberately:

“Consort Chun, my dear sister, is someone I trust completely. How could I allow such an insolent old slave to behave so wantonly? Someone—cut out this old servant’s tongue!”

Momo Liu could never have imagined that her full confession would lead to this fate. Amid her blood-curdling scream, a bright red tongue was snipped off with golden scissors.

Looking at that tongue, cold sweat poured down Consort Chun’s back. She nearly fainted alongside Momo Liu.

“To deal with this kind of loose-tongued, backstabbing slave who dares to bite and frame her master, she must be dealt with severely as a warning to others. With her as an example, in the future, far fewer people will dare to commit insubordination or casually slander their superiors.”

Noble Consort Xian stepped forward and took her hand, speaking softly, “Oh dear, sister, why are your hands so icy cold…?”

Because your smile makes my back run cold.

   Keeping her true thoughts hidden deep in her heart, Consort Chun trembled as she replied with quivering lips, “My health hasn’t been good lately. I must have caught a chill…”

“Sister has always been frail and sensitive to cold—you really must take good care of yourself.” Noble Consort Xian patted her hand again, left behind a few more words of concern, then ordered the servants to drag Momo Liu away.

A trail of blood twisted and snaked behind her on the floor.

Only then did Consort Chun let out a long breath. She suddenly collapsed onto the couch, soft and boneless. After a long while she finally spoke: “Yuhu, why do you think Noble Consort Xian stepped in to clean up the mess for me?”

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