It was the first time Xiao Lan had attended an official banquet of this scale, yet she did not appear nervous at all. When others stood up, she stood up; and when others held up their cups to toast, she toasted as well. At the end of the ceremony, she sat down, bowed her head, ate quietly without speaking, and helped Lin Feilu to eat.
The concubines around them knew that Xiao Lan was not favored and it was only possible for her to attend this banquet by Consort Xian's recommendation. They did not take any initiatives to talk to Xiao Lan. However they were all a little curious about the fifth imperial princess, so they observed her from their seats.
Both mother and daughter were dressed very plainly, but they could not hide their natural beauty. Especially this fifth princess, even at the age of five, she was born with such lovely and exquisite features. If His Imperial Majesty were to see her, she might gain his favor and love.
No, that would be highly unlikely.
The envious concubines quickly denied these thoughts. If His Imperial Majesty were to see her, he would only be reminded of that foolish son. That was a thorn in His Imperial Majesty's heart. Otherwise, how could she be reduced to this state despite Xiao Lan's beauty?
Thinking of this, the enviable eyes of the concubines were withdrawn as they had lost all interest.
Dancers soon surged into the banquet hall and began to perform. Throughout the night, the attendees raised their cups and toasted each other, filling the hall with high spirits and laughters of joy.
All the imperial princes and princesses were all sitting next to their mothers. Lin Feilu could not find Lin Jingyuan from her seat, and was only able to vaguely see Imperial Concubine Jing and Lin Xi. When she looked over, coincidentally Lin Xi was also looking back at her. As the hall was filled with crowds and noise, she could not see Lin Xi's expression clearly.
But Lin Feilu could still feel the viciousness in her gaze.
She tilted her head and smiled, picked up her tea cup, and gave Lin Xi a toast from afar.
After the dancers finished their performance, another concubine went up to perform. There were some who played musical instruments, while some performed dances. Lin Feilu felt as if she was watching a New Year's Eve party in a nightclub, but unfortunately there were only beautiful women and no handsome men.
She suddenly missed the cubs she had chased in her past life.
It was nightfall by the time the banquet ended, and it was now the time for the fireworks display. Emperor Lin left the banquet early as he still had more work to attend to. He held up his glass of wine and spoke a few words before he finally left. Lin Feilu felt the emperor was like a president who excused himself and made a formal exit.
As soon as he left, the laughter and excitement in the banquet hall suddenly became a lot quieter. After all, the emperor was gone now, there was no longer any need to put on a performance and act merry. When the empress noticed this, she got up and said, "Let us leave this place. You may all accompany me to enjoy the fireworks. The snowy backdrop with the fireworks in the sky will serve as a beautiful memory to recollect upon in the future."
The Stargazing Court was some distance away from the banquet hall. The path between the two destinations had long been lit up by the lanterns that were hung by the palace servants.
Lin Jingyuan, who was sitting high up the row, was eager to move. As soon as the empress left her seat, he rushed all the way down to the last table. Xiao Lan was putting on Lin Feilu's cloak, when Lin Jingyuan shouted, "Little Lu, let's go watch the fireworks!"
Lin Feilu tilted her head and replied softly, "Sure, let's go with Eldest Imperial Sister."
Lin Jingyuan reluctantly replied, "Who would want to have her as company…" But seeing Lin Feilu's smile, he could not refute her and reluctantly compromised, "Alright, alright, let's go together! Are you full? I also packed up two pieces of cake so we can eat it while we watch together!"
Lin Feilu nodded obediently.
At this time, an unfamiliar palace maid suddenly ran in from outside the hall. Her expression was a little worried as she looked around. When she saw Xiao Lan, her expression turned to joy. She hurried towards her quickly and said, "This lowly one humbly greets Honorable Lady Xiao Lan, do you recognize this servant?"
Xiao Lan and Lin Feilu looked at each other.
Then Xiao Lan turned her head and said warmly, "No, I do not recognize you. May I ask who you are?"
The maid replied with joy, "It is understandable for you to not recognize this lowly me. This servant was originally a servant of the Xiao family, but was later ordered by Madam Xiao to serve your maternal aunt from the Xie family. Later, the daughter of the Xie family had also entered the Imperial Harem and was given the title of Pure Lady. This servant also came into the palace with Pure Lady Xie and has been waiting by her side."
Lin Feilu was stunned by the complexity of this relationship.
Xiao Lan was overjoyed and said, "Were you Mother's maidservant? I had heard that Min'er entered the harem, but I have been suffering from illness all these years, thus I never had any chances to visit."
The palace maid also smiled and said, "Yes, Honorable Lady Xiao Lan is always on My Lady's mind. She would always reminisce about the time when the two of you were as close as sisters." She paused. A trace of worry began to spread on her face, "It's just that, ever since My Lady has entered the harem, she has yet to be chosen by the emperor, thus she feels that she cannot meet you. This servant hopes you can forgive her."
Xiao Lan said softly, "I have never seen her in that light, we are all sisters. Did Min'er send you to look for me?"
The palace maid then explained her intentions with a smile on her face, "My Lady's mother is visiting and is inside the palace now, with letters entrusted to her by Madam Xiao. Madam Xiao had specifically requested that the letters must be delivered to Honorable Lady Xiao Lan in person. That is why this servant has come to look for you."
Xiao Lan was startled, her face was visibly shocked, "You…you mean, my Mother asked for me via my Aunt?"
The palace maid replied, "Yes! May the Honorable Lady please follow this servant!"
Ever since Xiao Lan gave birth to her son and fell out of favor, the Xiao clan had broken off all contact with her. She had not seen her parents for many years. She had not even exchanged letters. She was extremely moved to hear that her mother left a message for her.
Listening to the fact that Xiao Lan was enjoying a good relationship with Consort Xian recently, the Xiao clan must have thought that there was a chance for her to regain the emperor's favor. Despite knowing all this underneath, Xiao Lan was still very moved. She turned to Lin Feilu and said, "Lu'er, go watch the fireworks with the Fourth Prince first, I will go and meet my aunt."
Lin Feilu put on an obedient face, "Alright, I will."
The two smiled at each other, and Xiao Lan left together with the palace maid.
All along Lin Jingyuan was waiting impatiently beside her. Once they finished speaking, he grabbed hold of her wrist and ran.
The concubines left the banquet hall in an orderly manner. As soon as they left, the concubines began to chatter merrily amongst themselves while admiring the beautiful lanterns and the night view. Lin Feilu caught up with the group of concubines as she smiled and said to Lin Jingyuan, "Brother Jingyuan, let's play shadow tag! Whoever steps on the other side's shadow first will win! The winner gets a prize from the loser!"
Like a playful monkey, Lin Jingyuan responded in excitement, "Alright!"
The game of tag began immediately as Lin Jingyuan started to chase after Lin Feilu.
The two children were having a great time together. In the distance, a palace maid was carrying a tray of tea and wine and she was walking towards the group. When she saw that the group of concubines was approaching closer and closer, she stood to the side, gave her salutations and waited for them to pass. Lin Feilu zipped through the crowd and ran past that palace maid. Lin Jingyuan chased after her and had somehow unintentionally bumped into the same palace maid. The palace maid lost her balance, and all the drinks she was holding spilled onto Imperial Concubine Jing who just happened to pass by in front of her.
The palace maid knelt down in a state of panic: "Please forgive me, milady! I beg for forgiveness!"
Imperial Concubine Jing's new clothes were all wet. Inside, she was boiling with fury, but because the palace maid's error was caused by the Fourth Imperial Prince, Consort Xian was watching their every move. Moreover, it was an auspicious day. The empress had a lenient personality and would not fault her palace maids for trivial mistakes. All Imperial Concubine Jing could do now was to endure through the situation.
The empress responded with a warm voice, "It's not a problem, there is still some time left until the fireworks start. Imperial Concubine Jing should return for a change of clothes first. It is ill-advised to be out in the cold with such wet clothes."
Imperial Concubine Jing bowed and excused herself, "I understand."
The palace maid beside her led her back to change her clothes.
Before Imperial Concubine Jing left, she fixed her gaze towards the bamboo forest in the distance ahead. She seemed to be expecting something, but she was uncomfortable in her wet clothes, so she quickly followed the maid and left.
As Lin Feilu watched Imperial Concubine leave, she lowered her gaze and smiled.
The road to the Stargazing Court was a winding path. With how small each step a concubine takes to walk, it would require at least half an hour for them to reach their destination. Since Lin Jingyuan caused trouble just now, Consort Xian forbade him to run around again and forced him to stay by her side. On the other hand, Lin Nianzhi sneakily broke away from the front of the group and ran behind to accompany Lin Feilu.
Everyone was in high spirits as they talked and laughed the night away. As they were soon approaching the Stargazing Court, suddenly a shrill scream could be heard from the flower garden that was not too far away.
The scream was fleeting, then, only sounds of rustling movements could be heard. The group stopped walking. Standing in the front of the group was the empress, who frowned and asked, "What was that sound?"
Everyone shook their heads and looked towards the flower garden.
No one could see anything through the interweaving silhouettes of the forest's bare branches. The empress ordered the palace servants around her, "Go and have a look."
Two servants walked over into the flower garden with lamps in their hands.
As they approached the source of the scream, the servants were so shocked that they dropped their lamps on the ground. They immediately picked them up and hurried back to the empress.
Everyone was surprised when they saw this commotion. The empress frowned again and asked, "What did you see?"
Trembling, the palace servant replied, "Yo-… Your Majesty, it seems to be…a man and a woman…"
Before the servant could even finish his words, everyone who was present came to a realization as they turned pale with fright.
For a man and a woman to have a secret rendezvous in a bed of flowers — what else could they be doing?
The empress's face sank and she sternly reprimanded: "Who dares to smear the decorum of the Imperial Palace?! Arrest them!"
Several eunuchs around them rushed forward. Soon, they came back out, and with them dragging a man and a woman out of the flower garden. Everyone was so shocked, it looked as if their eyes popped out of their sockets.
That woman was Imperial Concubine Jing?!
In her present state, Imperial Concubine Jing had already changed into a new set of clothes. However, her overcoat was messy, her hair was in shambles; her face was flushed as tears overflowed from her eyes. She looked as if she could not tolerate the humiliation of being caught having an affair.
The man beside her seemed to be a palace guard. His coat was nowhere to be seen as he bowed his head in silence.
The empress almost fainted, clutching her chest for a long time without speaking.
Everyone present was stunned. Only Imperial Concubine Jing fell on her knees as she knelt on the ground, wailing and sobbing, "Your Majesty, please save me! I was just passing by here, but I was dragged into the forest by this despicable scum. I was almost… almost…" She repeatedly kowtowed, "I beg Your Majesty to ensure justice is served!"
After some time, the empress finally regained her composure as she began to question her, "Why are you alone? Where is the maidservant that escorted you?"
As she sobbed, Imperial Concubine Jing replied, "She was knocked out by this scum."
Hearing this, the palace guard who had been keeping his head down suddenly raised his head and looked at her. As soon as he raised his head, everyone present could take a good look at his face. Unexpectedly, this man did not look like an unruly ruffian at all. In fact, he was quite handsome. The guard's expression was perplexing. He only looked at her once, then he lowered his head again.
With such candid expressions, it was difficult to picture this man as the offender in this situation.
Suspicions arose in the hearts of those present. Only Imperial Concubine Jing continued to cry as she kowtowed, "I beg Your Majesty to ensure justice is served!"
The empress stayed silent and did not speak. After all, the gravity of the matter was far too severe. Imperial Concubine Jing knew in her heart that even if they believed her words today, she would no longer have a foothold in this harem. It would also be even more impossible for Emperor Lin to trust or favor her.
Such a heinous trap she had fallen into. All this… This was originally what she had arranged for Xiao Lan!
She swung her head back to look at the palace guard. Her eyes were filled with resentment, "It's you! This scumbag is deliberately framing me!"
At this moment, she knew that her plans had been revealed and had instead backfired on her spectacularly.
The palace guard was supposed to be waiting in the bamboo forest, but somehow he appeared in the flower garden instead. Xiao Lan, who was supposed to be led away by one of her pawns, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she herself became a part of the performance that she had arranged by herself.
How could this be?!
How did this happen?!
Who was it, who spoiled my plans?
Imperial Concubine Jing was in a mess, crying and cursing while punching and kicking the palace guard beside her. But he just kept his head lowered and stayed silent.
Suddenly, Imperial Concubine Jing saw a small figure standing upright in the crowd.
Obscured beneath the lanterns, the little girl looked lovely and adorable. As if she had noticed her gaze, the little girl looked back at her.
Faintly, the little girl smiled back at her.
It was clearly a simple smile from an obedient little girl, but Imperial Concubine Jing broke into a cold sweat as she became frightened by the little girl's smile. She could not utter any words of rebuttal as they were stuck in her throat.
How, how is this possible?
This was clearly a mere fledgling who was barely dry behind the ears. How did Lin Feilu somehow manage to wreck her plans and also turn it against the mastermind? If so, how could this be a child? Obviously she was an evil spirit!
Yes, everything started from that day when Lin Xi pushed her into the water.
Of course Imperial Concubine Jing knew that her daughter had nearly killed Lin Feilu. She also knew that the girl was unconscious for some time with a burning fever. When this girl woke again, Lin Xi encountered a ghost. When this girl visited her palace, evil spirits were sighted. Imperial Concubine Jing herself fell out of favor, and her daughter was placed under house arrest, and even today's frame-up — do all these events not look like an evil spirit's revenge?
Imperial Concubine Jing was already at a loss at this moment. Even as Lin Xi rushed to her, crying and calling out to her, she did not respond. While Imperial Concubine Jing was still in a daze, the palace servants announced they had just found the palace maid who was knocked out further inside the flower garden.
This palace maid had always been serving Imperial Concubine Jing in Zhaoyang Palace. As she awakened and saw the scene in front of her, her face turned pale and she knelt down immediately.
The empress asked sternly, "I order you to speak the truth: what happened just now and how did you faint? Start from the very beginning!"
The palace maid was not fully aware of what had happened. She trembled as recounted her experience, "This lowly servant…This lowly one was rushing towards the Stargazing Court with Imperial Concubine Jing just now. When we passed by here, I suddenly heard someone… Someone was calling out for My Lady. My Lady ordered this lowly one to wait, so this one just stood there when suddenly this one was knocked out for some reason."
Noble Consort Ruan interjected and asked, "By your words, it seems Imperial Concubine Jing walked ahead by herself? Did you see who was calling out to her?"
This palace maid's principle was to always look after herself first. She had never been in this kind of sticky situation before, so she dared not lie and spoke honestly as she cried, "This lowly one did not see who, only it was the voice of a man…"
This was different from what Imperial Concubine Jing had just said.
Far from being held captive against her will, it was clear that she willingly walked up to the man.
The empress was furious. Such an obscene incident had happened in the harem under her watch. Furthermore, they were caught in the act by so many people. Such a shameful incident was a disgrace to the imperial family.
At this moment, Imperial Concubine Jing finally recovered from Lin Feilu's frightful smile. When she heard the palace maid recounting her version of the truth, she screamed in a shrill voice and beat her like a madwoman, "You b̲i̲t̲c̲h̲! You're lying! You're framing me! You're all framing me! "
When Imperial Concubine Jing first realized the palace guard was not where she had intended him to be, she was shocked, so she approached him to ask why he left without her authorization. Unexpectedly, the palace guard suddenly knocked out the palace maid. He then grabbed her and covered her mouth as he dragged her further into the flower garden.
But how could she tell this to the empress? Should she say this was all originally a ruse to frame Xiao Lan instead?
The palace maid was desperately wailing and kowtow-ing. The entire spectacle was a chaos.
The empress ordered the palace servants to restrain Imperial Concubine Jing. She calmed herself, then sternly asked the palace guard who had been silent this whole time, "Where is your post? And what is your relationship with Imperial Concubine Jing?"
Everyone's attention was now fixed onto the palace guard. The palace guard looked a little pale, but he seemed much more sensible than Imperial Concubine Jing. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. After a long time, he seemed to have made up his mind as he kowtow-ed before the empress, "This subordinate does not know Imperial Concubine Jing. I was just caught in the heat of the moment, that's why I abducted her. This subordinate is willing to pay for my crimes by death!"
After that, he turned his head and took a deep, long look at Imperial Concubine Jing, who was still crying. He did not wait for anyone to respond as he suddenly pulled out the sword on his waist and killed himself.
It all happened so fast, no one could react in time to stop him. Amidst the screams, blood splattered across the scene, and the palace guard fell to the ground. His eyes were still stubbornly open as he looked towards the crowd.
Not knowing where his eyes laid, he smiled. Then, he was no longer breathing.
The concubines who witnessed everything turned pale with fright. Some even fainted on the spot. The empress did not expect things to turn out like this. Everyone was in a state of panic. Fortunately, the patrol guards had arrived in time. Every palace maid and servant hurried away with their masters, leaving only the patrol guards to deal with the scene.
Lin Feilu walked at the very tail-end of the crowd. Amidst the chaos, she watched Imperial Concubine Jing being escorted away. She also looked on as the body of the palace guard was being carried away. In the end, it was Lin Ting who took hold of Lin Feilu. With warm fingers, he covered her eyes and whispered, "Don't look, let's go."
She was a little dumbfounded. Lin Ting saw that she was without an escort. He wanted to personally take her back to her residence, but Noble Consort Ruan was also struck with fear in her heart as she called out desperately looking for him.
Lin Ting could only ask his palace servants to escort Lin Feilu back to Mingyue Palace. Halfway through, she met Qingyan who came to pick her up. Qingyan thanked the servants of Yunxi Palace as she took hold of Lin Feilu's hand and walked back.
With lingering fears, she said, "My Princess, I heard that someone had died at the scene. That is so frightening."
Lin Feilu seemed to have regained her voice as she asked, "Where is Mother?"
Qingyan replied, "My Lady suffered from a headache after drinking so much wine at the banquet today. She had just returned some time ago. She heard that something happened, so she quickly asked me to come pick you up. My Princess, did you happen to see anything unpleasant?"
Since the news had not spread this far, Lin Feilu just shook her head silently.
When she returned to Mingyue Palace, Xiao Lan was already waiting at the front gates with a worried expression on her face. Seeing her daughter had returned, she quickly walked over and picked her up. Xiao Lan soothed her daughter by patting on her back as walked into their home.
Lin Feilu burrowed her head into her mother's embrace. After a long time, she began to speak, "Mother, he is dead."
Xiao Lan was shaken, but she continued to hold her daughter without saying any other words.
Lin Feilu continued, "He looked at me as he died. As if to remind me of our promise."
It was not clear if Xiao Lan was frightened or upset as her tears flowed out. Clenching her teeth, she spoke, "You are not to be blamed, Lu'er, what has happened is not our fault. We only did what we could to protect ourselves. This was all that woman's fault. If not her, the ones who would be implicated today would have been us!"
Lin Feilu put her arms around Xiao Lan's neck and breathed a heavy sigh. She whispered, "Mother, that was my first time watching a person die. I'm scared."
Xiao Lan hugged her tightly, "Don't be afraid, Lu'er. Mother is here."
Lin Feilu nodded. Once they were both feeling a little calmer, she asked, "Mother, did that maid notice anything?"
Xiao Lan shook her head, "I don't think so. I made up an excuse, saying I had a headache, and managed to shake her off. But she might realize once news of the Imperial Concubine Jing spreads tomorrow."
Lin Feilu smiled, "Even then, what could she do? Would she dare to tell the truth? Rather than that, I'm sure she will never approach our Mingyue Palace ever again."
Everything that the palace maid said was just a ruse to trick Xiao Lan into following her. Imperial Concubine Jing knew that Xiao Lan missed her mother over the years, that was how she instructed the palace maid to borrow Madam Xiao's name to trick her into the bamboo forest that everyone would pass by on their way to the Stargazing Court.
Imperial Concubine Jing arranged for the palace guard to hide inside, and when the time came, he would drag Xiao Lan into the bamboo forest.
If Lin Feilu did not read the message that came with the pebble, Xiao Lan would have been caught in Imperial Concubine Jing's trap. The one facing persecution tonight could have been Xiao Lan instead.
Imperial Concubine Jing's viciousness made sure that anyone implicated in this setup would not make it out alive.
What she did could have destroyed Xiao Lan and her family's lives. As the saying goes, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; although it was cruel, all Lin Feilu did was just to return the 'favor'.
When Lin Feilu first met with the palace guard, initially he was not willing to talk. It was not until the five-year-old girl calmly revealed the details of the plan that he eventually panicked.
He entered the palace and worked as a guard in order to make a living for his two younger sisters who were his only family. One of the younger sisters was already dead. Now there was only one left and she worked as a servant in the Imperial Concubine Jing's residence. In order to protect his sister, he had no choice but to follow Imperial Concubine Jing's orders.
Lin Feilu recalled what she said to him, "Your sister is faultless, but what about my mother and me? Are we not innocent too? To use such a vicious method to harm my mother, my brother, and me. This could even affect the entire Xiao family. Don't you feel guilty about it at all?"
The guard did not speak, all he could do was to ceaselessly kowtow before her.
She was not angry, instead helped him up and spoke calmly, "What's more, do you really believe that she will treat your sister well in the future? If you frame my mother, surely you won't be able to avoid a death sentence. After you die, your sister will be the only one left in the world. Imperial Concubine Jing would suspect you may have told your sister about her plans. What do you think she will do to your sister after you die?"
The guard listened nervously. He was prepared to commit fraud because he cared for his sister. However, Lin Feilu's words made him realize the path he was on was a true dead end.
But he could not turn back anymore. If he did not do this, Imperial Concubine Jing would find someone else to do it. Then, since he had already learned about this plan, knowing Imperial Concubine Jing, it was certain that she would attempt to silence him and his sister.
So he agreed to listen to Lin Feilu's counterplan.
Lin Feilu told him, "Imperial Concubine Jing forced you into a villain's role for the sake of harming others. All I'm suggesting is to let you play the villain's role to protect my family. I never meant to harm anyone, but just like you, I just want to keep my loved ones safe. After you die, Imperial Concubine Jing will be banished to the cold palace. Everyone in Zhaoyang Palace would disband and be sent to other palaces. I will request for your sister to be sent to Mingyue Palace. I guarantee I will protect her for as long as I live."
This little girl was only up to his knees, yet when she stood up straight, her eyes blazing with sincerity. Every word she uttered was convincing.
The guard made a choice.
He chose to believe in the rumored Fifth Princess who was known to be well-behaved and kind, rather than the venomous Imperial Concubine Jing.
Lin Feilu had expected that he would die, but she did not expect that he would commit suicide in front of everyone. The words he said before his death may look like he was covering for Imperial Concubine Jing. In fact, what he said was a deathblow that undermined any shred of credibility she had, then he used his own death to seal her fate.
Imperial Concubine Jing was impeccably meticulous when she designed this almost-foolproof trap, Lin Feilu did not have to do much apart from coaxing the guard to switch sides. In the case of the palace maid who spilled drinks on Imperial Concubine Jing, all Lin Feilu did was to deliberately lead Lin Jingyuan to bump into her.
At that time, even if that palace maid with the drinks was not present, she still had other ways to prompt Imperial Concubine Jing to turn back and change her clothes.
By the looks of it, it seemed that even God was helping her. Now that the guard was dead, she was completely unlinked to the matter. Apart from the person who threw the pebbles and informed her about the trap, no one else knew that she was involved.
Not only did she break the deadlock, she also conquered this boss. However, she could not bring herself to feel happy about this.
Although she did not kill him, his death was partially caused by her. What's more, she originally grew up during peaceful times. To see a real person die before her eyes, of course she would feel unsettled.
What was supposed to be a night of merriment turned into a nightmare. After the incident, the empress fainted. Almost all the concubines in the palace who witnessed the incident also fell ill.
Emperor Lin was furious when he came to learn of the incident. He did not even bother to interrogate the imprisoned Imperial Concubine Jing. Instead, he ordered for a cup of poisoned wine to be delivered and sentenced her to death.
The death of the palace guard basically affirmed their illicit relationship. Furthermore, Emperor Lin even began to doubt whether Third Princess Lin Xi was truly his biological daughter. Without seeing her off, an imperial edict was sent to Lin Xi, ordering her to be exiled as a caretaker of the Imperial Mausoleum. It was certain that she would never be able to return to the Imperial Palace for the rest of her life.
Imperial Concubine Jing's family was also implicated, all were either demoted or fired from their positions in court. Their reputation went down the drain, never to return to glory.
Since this incident was considered a royal scandal, Emperor Lin and the empress forbade anyone from spreading the word. The official statement of the incident was that Imperial Concubine Jing had disrupted the peace of the Imperial Palace and dared to deceive the emperor. All eyewitnesses also kept silent. Eventually, the word of the matter did not get out.
As soon as Imperial Concubine Jing died, Zhaoyang Palace was no more. Emperor Lin speculated that the palace was cursed, so he had it sealed off, and the former servants of that palace would be redistributed under the management of the Imperial Household Department. Lin Feilu looked for an opportunity to visit Consort Xian and requested for Song'yu, the younger sister of the palace guard, to be given to her.
The princesses in the palace all have personal female attendants. Only Lin Feilu was the exception, as the two palace maids currently in her household technically served Xiao Lan. Consort Xian did not question her any further and asked the Imperial Household Department to send Song'yu over to Mingyue Palace.
No one knew that Song'yu was related to the deceased palace guard, thus she was naturally not implicated.
Song'yu looked to be around fifteen to sixteen years old. Her eyes seemed bloodshot and swollen from crying for a long period of time. Lin Feilu knew why she cried, but she did not prompt any questions and happily pulled her inside. Lin Feilu said innocently and cutely, "From now on you will be my personal attendant! Let's get along well!"
Song'yu had been serving in Zhaoyang Palace for a long time and had long been accustomed to Lin Xi's barbarism. This was the first time she had encountered such a well-behaved princess.
She responded in a low voice, and Lin Feilu happily took her to see their pet rabbit.
On the third night since her arrival at Mingyue Palace, Song'yu discreetly walked over to the furnace and took out a letter from her sleeves. Once she confirmed no one was around, she threw the letter into the fire.
The flames rose, and the letter was quickly burned to ashes.
The words from her brother before his death echoed in her ears.
— After I die, if the fifth princess of Mingyue Palace abandons you: do whatever it takes to deliver this letter to the empress. If the fifth princess retrieves you and treats you well: then burn this letter. Remember not to let anyone know, that includes the fifth princess. Serve her with all your heart.
Song Yu was illiterate. She did not know what was written in the letter.
She just listened to her brother, and with tears in her eyes, she burned it.
️ ️ ️ ️
Since such an unfortunate incident happened on the last day of the year, the empress felt it was an inauspicious sign. On the first day of the new year, she immediately invited an eminent monk to the Imperial Palace to pray for blessings.
Lin Feilu discovered that the Great Lin Dynasty was very similar to the Northern and Southern dynasties in their strong belief in Buddhism. This reminded her of the great poet, Du Mu, and his poem: "Of the 480 temples built by the Southern Dynasties, Many towers and terraces still remain erect in the misty rain."
(T/N: The Northern and Southern dynasties was a period of time in China which lasted between 420-589 AD. During this period, the process of sinicization accelerated among the non-Chinese arrivals in the north and among the indigenous people in the south. This process was also accompanied by the increasing popularity of Buddhism, which had been introduced since the 1st century, and Daoism, which had been slowly gaining influence as well.)
Although it seemed as if Du Mu was exaggerating about the four hundred and eighty temples, given how arts and culture had significantly flourished during that period of time, it was actually considerably conceivable. Now, this Great Lin Dynasty also displayed a great degree of devotion to Buddhism by erecting a dedicated national temple known as the Huguo Temple. Those who come into the Imperial Palace to pray for blessings are the eminent monks of Huguo Temple.
For some time, even the air in the Imperial Harem was choked with the fragrance of sandalwood. Before this, Lin Feilu was not a believer. However, after the incident, her conscience was pricked. Seeking penitence, now she genuinely recites scriptures together with Xiao Lan as they prayed together for blessings.
Although news about Imperial Concubine Jing was blocked, there were many people who witnessed the scene that night, thus it remained a popular discussion behind closed doors for some time. The concubines who befriended Imperial Concubine Jing in particular still had doubts over the matter, thinking that she may have been framed.
But after mulling over it for a long time, none of the concubines in the Imperial Harem could guess who did it. The entire setup was decisive and ruthless, there was no way for the condemned to redeem themselves. Speaking of which, it sounded a lot like Imperial Concubine Jing's style…
Not a single soul had ever suspected Mingyue Palace to be related to the matter.
A feeble Honorable Lady who had fallen out of favor for many years. Two deadweight children. No wonder Mingyue Palace was easily discounted and disregarded because it was simply a gathering of the weak and sickly.
Xiao Lan's only current concern was that the person who threw the pebbles might turn on her family and report them to the authorities. She was so worried that her mind wandered off while she was offering incense to the prayer altar, until the incense ash fell and scalded the back of her hand. Startled, she hastily chanted "Amitabha Buddha" twice before inserting the incense into the incense burner.
Standing beside her, Lin Feilu took her mother's hand and blew on it gently. She spoke in a soothing tone, "Mother, nothing will happen, everything is now over."
Xiao Lan frowned and said softly, "I can't stop feeling uneasy. Who else would help us? Do they mean us harm or is this an act of kindness? Why would they do this?"
Lin Feilu did not seem to care, "No matter who it was, whether he had good or bad intentions, the matter is over now. The deceased is dead, and even if they have other plans, there is no evidence to point to us. Mother has no need to worry. "
In truth, she could already guess who it was. She was certain that the other party was not malicious.
In this Imperial Palace, there were only a few people she had good affinity with. Additionally, since the other party could get over palace walls in the middle of the night, they must know martial arts. She recalled that the calluses on Song Jinglan's palm were thicker than Xi Xingjiang's, who had studied martial arts under a military expert since he was a child.
To survive living in a foreign nation, naturally he would have picked up a few life-saving skills unknown to others.
It's just that she did not expect that he would take such a great risk to help her.
Was it just because of the silver charcoal she gave him earlier?
She internally sighed, Doing good deeds without seeking any recognition at all, that pretty boy is not only grateful but benevolent as well.
Since the other party was unwilling to reveal themselves, she certainly would not look into it and just continued to pretend as if she did not figure out who helped them.
The benevolent pretty boy was ineligible to participate in the year-end banquet, thus he was not present to witness the events of that night. Although the authorities in the Imperial Palace imposed a gag order, the world's best gossip-scout and swordsman, Ji Liang, was there as the events unfolded that night. That was how Song Jinglan managed to learn of the details of the matter.
After listening to Ji Liang's recount of that night, Tiandong was stunned, "She planned all of that?" When the shock had passed, he looked at His Highness and asked hesitantly, "Did Your Highness help plan this?"
Song Jinglan leaned back lazily in his chair and flipped through his book, "All I did was to inform her of Imperial Concubine Jing's plan."
He originally thought that the fifth princess would just simply avoid this disastrous affair. After all, she was just a young girl. At her age, perhaps she could deal with Lin Xi, but she could not have possibly take on Imperial Concubine Jing. So, he thought she would just sidestep Imperial Concubine Jing's schemes this time, then find a way to retaliate at her in the future.
Yet it never occurred to him that the fifth princess was bold enough to take this opportunity and was capable of completely obliterating the other party.
It seems that he had underestimated that little girl.
Tiandong did not realize that the lady that His Highness was referring to was actually the fifth princess. He naively commented with a sigh, "I did not expect Honorable Lady Lan to be such a masterful schemer. The women of the Great Lin Imperial Harem are truly frightening."
Song Jinglan laughed. He did not plan on revealing the truth. He changed his sitting posture to a more comfortable one and turned his fingers to flip over the next page of the book.