Palace maid Shuoning

(Up)

Inside the Imperial Prison, the piercing screams grew louder and louder, as if someone had screamed until their throat was hoarse, but then mustered the strength to continue screaming.

The guard in charge of the execution flicked the blood off his whip on the weekend, glanced back at Qian Wu sitting in the corner taking notes, and asked, "Want to take a break before asking again?"

Qian Wu didn't even look up, dipped his brush in ink, and spoke in a calm voice as if he were recording an ordinary account:

"No rush, let him shout for a while longer. Once he's shouted enough and the harshness in his throat has dissipated, it'll be easier to ask him questions."

At this moment, Bao Zhong stepped into the torture chamber, and a strong smell of blood mixed with the rusty smell hit him.

His gaze shifted slightly as he looked up at the short passage on the rack.

His clothes were torn into strips and hung on his body. Blood seeped from his cuffs and trouser legs, dripping down his ankles and pooling on the ground in a small dark red stain.

Xiao Duanzi slumped his head, occasionally letting out a low groan or two.

"Oh, it's Eunuch Baozhong!" Qian Wu saw him, quickly put down his pen, stood up, and rushed to greet him, asking with a forced smile, "Is the Emperor waiting to question you?"

Bao Zhong smiled politely: "His Majesty sent me here to see how far the interrogation has progressed."

Upon hearing this, Qian Wu's smile faded slightly, and he quickly stepped aside to make way.

"Replying to Father-in-law, this boy just finished shouting once, and his voice is hoarse, but his bones are still strong."

Bao Zhong didn't reply. He walked to the rack and stood a few steps away from Xiao Duanzi.

My gaze slowly moved from his blood-stained clothes to his drooping face.

His face was so swollen that it was unrecognizable, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were half-closed, as if he were awake or unconscious.

Bao Zhong observed for a moment, then asked calmly, "Judging from the situation, he didn't confess anything?"

On the weekend, I put down the whip, stood half a step behind him, and lowered my voice:

"Not yet. They've been going in circles, repeating the same old phrase, 'This servant was momentarily confused,' without coming up with anything new."

He paused, then added, "But after another round of whipping, he'll probably have a new phrase."

Bao Zhong paused for a moment, then turned around with a gentle and agreeable smile on his face. He took out two silver ingots from his sleeve and handed them to Zhou Mo and Qian Wu respectively, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

"You two have had a long night, go outside and rest for a bit. Let me talk to him; maybe I can get some information out of him, saving you both the trouble of searching."

On the weekend, Zhou Mo and Qian Wu each weighed the silver in their palms and exchanged a glance.

Then, Qian Wu put the silver into his pocket and laughed, "Alright, we're hungry too. We'll trouble you to look after us for a while, sir."

After saying that, the two turned and walked towards the door. When Qian Wu reached the door, he looked back and then reached out and closed the door.

The footsteps faded into the distance along the corridor until they were completely gone.

Bao Zhong then turned around, slowly walked to the rack, pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, unfolded it and covered his nose, and said leisurely, "Today, Bi Ti has come to the Imperial Household Department to see us."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Duanzi, whose head had been drooping, suddenly lifted it, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, which were swollen shut.

Bao Zhong looked at him and chuckled softly, his tone neither warm nor cold:

"While you were suffering physical pain at the Censorate, they weren't idle at all. They came to the Imperial Household Department early this morning to inquire about things, afraid you'd say anything out of line. They're eager to clear their name, and you're here taking the blame for them? What are you after?"

Xiao Duan let out a few muffled sobs, tears and blood mingling and streaming down his swollen, shiny cheeks.

Bao Zhong looked at him, his tone softening slightly:

"Tell us, and we'll cover for you. If you don't, this beating will have been for nothing. She didn't even break a finger, and you're risking your life for her. After you've done that, she'll deny everything, and you won't even have anyone to collect her body."

Xiao Duanzi burst into low sobs, as if she had collapsed from a rack, her voice hoarse and incoherent:

"Father-in-law... I didn't mean to harm anyone... It was Consort Mei who sent me... She said that if things went well, she would transfer me from the flower room to the imperial kitchen..."

They said it was the most lucrative job in the entire palace, and from then on, the servants wouldn't have to tend to those flowers and plants anymore...

After listening, Bao Zhong slowly lowered his hand, folded the handkerchief twice, and leisurely tucked it into his sleeve before looking up at him:

"The Imperial Kitchen? She traded a job in the Imperial Kitchen for your life. You got a good price."

The little girl cried so hard her shoulders were shaking, and her lips were trembling.

"I was in a hurry and did something stupid... As you know, sir, we lowly servants also want to make our lives better and have a better future."

"My body is ruined; I can only climb the ladder by resorting to such desperate measures..."

Bao Zhong turned around, remained silent for a moment, then, with his back to him, said:

"Little Duanzi, if you don't want to die and want our family to help you, you'll have to see what you can do. Our family never helps someone who has no value."

Besides, you almost hurt Jiang Shuoning. If we only lift a finger, you won't see the sun tomorrow.

Xiao Duan suddenly looked up, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes, which were swollen to the point of being only slits. Then, as if he had grasped something, his voice became urgent and trembling:

"It is my fault that I deserve to die, I shouldn't have touched Miss Shuoning... I beg you, sir, to give me a chance to make amends. I am willing to serve you faithfully for the rest of my life, and I will never have any other intentions!"

Bao Zhong slowly turned around, a faint smile appearing on his face.

He then took two steps closer, leaned down slightly, and whispered a few words into Xiao Duanzi's ear.

As he straightened up, he didn't look at the short story anymore, but simply said, "Remember, I'll keep your job in the imperial kitchen for you."

(under)

At midday, the air was unbearably hot and humid.

Jiang Shuo Ning was walking on the palace road leading to Yihua Palace when he bumped into Zhou Yan, who was standing at the other end of the passageway.

Zhou Yan, dressed in a camellia-colored outfit, raised her hand and smiled brightly: "Shuoning!"

However, she came running quickly, lifting her skirt. Sunlight poured down from above her head, casting a faint golden glow on her shoulders and hair, and the fluttering hem of her skirt was enveloped in a bright halo.

When she rushed to Jiang Shuoning, she was slightly out of breath, her eyes crinkling into crescents, filled with joy:

"I was just about to look for you, and I never expected to run into you here!"

Jiang Shuoning was taken aback: "Why did the princess run out?" As he spoke, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes, "If Consort Mei finds out, you're going to get a scolding."

Zhou Yan laughed and said, "She was in Consort Su's palace today, so I took the opportunity to sneak out."

After saying that, she reached out and grabbed Jiang Shuoning's wrist. "Come on, let's go to Jingyi Garden. I have something to give you."

Before Jiang Shuoning could respond, she pulled her along and ran towards Jingyi Garden.

Their skirts brushed against the palace bricks, stirring up a gentle breeze, and the sunlight followed them as they turned the corner of the wall.

In Jingyi Garden, lotus flowers are in full bloom, with pink and white flowers supported by emerald leaves, swaying gently in the breeze.

Zhou Yan pulled Jiang Shuoning to sit down on the stone steps by the pond. Her skirt spread out on the bluestone, and she bent down to take out a sachet from her sleeve and handed it to her.

"You mentioned you liked mimosa flowers last time, so I thought I'd embroider one for you. It's filled with dried mimosa flowers and a little mint; it'll be refreshing to wear in the summer. Don't mind..."

Jiang Shuoning looked down at the sachet, its lotus-colored satin fabric spread out in her palm.

The mimosa flowers were embroidered with exquisite care. Each petal looked as if she had embroidered them stitch by stitch while looking at them by candlelight.

She didn't answer immediately, but looked at it for a long time, a complex look flashing in her eyes.

Seeing that she didn't take it, Zhou Yan nervously squeezed the tassel of the sachet: "Is the embroidery not pretty? My stitches are still a bit rough..."

"Princess," Jiang Shuoning interrupted her, his voice very soft, "last time you gave me a handkerchief, this time a sachet, are you going to give me all the things you embroider next time?"

Zhou Yan paused for a moment, looked up at her, a fleeting look of surprise in her eyes, then smiled and said, "That depends on whether you accept it or not."

Jiang Shuoning did not answer, but reached out and took the sachet from her palm, gently clenching it in his hand.

A breeze blew from the lotus pond, carrying moisture and a faint floral fragrance. She looked down at the sachet in her palm, her voice as faint as if carried away by the wind: "I'll take it."

Zhou Yan's face instantly lit up with a smile. She then pulled out the old rag rabbit from her pocket, held it in her hand, and waved it at her, her tone tinged with excitement:

"Look, my rabbit has mimosa flowers on it, and your sachet has mimosa flowers on it too. Does that mean we're a pair?"

Jiang Shuoning looked up at the plush rabbit in her hand and smiled gently: "This rabbit is embroidered very exquisitely. The princess has such skillful hands."

Zhou Yan shook her head slightly, her smile instantly vanishing. She turned and sat up straight, bringing the rabbit to her nose to sniff, and said softly, "I didn't embroider it."

Jiang Shuoning looked at her forlorn profile and pondered for a moment.

A breeze blows from the lotus pond, carrying moisture and a faint floral fragrance.

She looked down at the new sachet in her palm, then looked up at the old rabbit in Zhou Yan's arms.

Both the new and the old paused in her sight for a moment.

The line from Consort Rong, "If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring breeze," suddenly came to mind again.

"Princess," she spoke softly, "have you considered leaving Huihe Palace?"