chapter 31

No one would cry for someone they had no connection with.

At first, there were people who discussed Jixiang’s death. After a week, people discussed what they’d eat for dinner and which imperial guard was young and handsome. However, no one mentioned Jixiang again.

Even if people mentioned her, they only said three words. “Oh, that thief…”

Those three words were that innocent girl’s epitaph, the last thing people remembered her as.

But a passerby in a hurried life, who would listen to this myriad of hardships?

“Yingluo!” Granny Zhang threw a set of clothes at her head. It fell over her face. “What happened to these clothes? The stitches, matching of the colors. Everything is wrong. Just what are you doing?!”

Everyone stopped what they were doing, staring at that scene in surprise.

Granny Zhang seldom became this angry, especially toward her favorite Wei Yingluo. Just what did she do to the clothes?

“I’m sorry, Granny.” Wei Yingluo’s face burned red. In a flurry, she cradled the clothes, giving off the appearance that she feared others’ gazes. Disheartened, she lowered her head. “I’ll fix immediately…”

“Just what kind of satin is this? How could you redo everything with it? Yingluo, you’ve truly disappointed me!” said Granny Zhang, raining scolds at her. Afterward, she sighed. “We all know that you’ll be transferring to Changchun Palace at the month’s end. This will be your last job in the embroidery workshop…”

And it was also the easiest.

The palace maid who had originally been in charge of the emperor’s casual clothes fell ill. And she could not finish it in time, needing someone to assist her.

The clothes were already more than half completed, only lacking a dragon on the chest region.

Such a job was easy and could be added to her resume. Later on, she could brag to others, saying, “I’m someone who helped make His Majesty’s dragon robes.” Even once she left the palace after growing older, she could use this experience to find a good job. Whether she became an embroiderer in Jiangnan’s weaving department, or taught the well-bred young ladies of wealthy families how to embroider, her status would be a lot higher.

“Granny,” said Linglong, approaching without a sound. “Maybe because of what happened to Jixiang, Yingluo hasn’t been well recently. Sometimes, she’ll make mistakes. Please forgive her. Don’t blame her. How about… giving this task to me instead?’

“You?” Granny Zhang looked her from head to toe. “Can you do it? Embroidering a dragon isn’t as easy as embroidering a cat…”

From all around, snickers. Linglong clutched her hands into fists underneath her sleeves, her sharp nails digging into her skin.

“Casual wear isn’t as hard as the dragon robes or court robes¹. What’s more, my skill in embroidery has improved. I’m definitely up for the task.” She glanced at Wei Yingluo with her peripheral vision, who was currently someplace else mentally. Linglong’s heart trembled. All of a sudden, she said, “How about I have a competition with Yingluo?”

“Oh?” Slowly, Wei Yingluo turned to face her. In a short week, she had actually grown a lot thinner. Before, her face carried traces of baby fat. But now, the shape of her face was akin to a melon seed, dark circles around her eyes. She seemed extremely haggard. Staring at Linglong, she smiled faintly. “How do you want to compete?”

If it were the past, Linglong would never have dared to mention this.

But it was different now. Let’s see what Wei Yingluo could even embroider now!

Perhaps Jixiang’s death had hit her hard. To the point that she had embroidered a snake instead of a dragon. Even calling it a snake was already giving her a lot of face. It was clearly a twisted earthworm. The children who were just starting out to embroider could make something better than that. How could such a thing be given to the emperor to wear? Truly the most ridiculous thing in the world.

This was a great opportunity to use her as a stepping stone. How could Linglong let this slip from her fingers? In a flash, she said full of confidence, “It will be up to our individual skills whether the finished product is good or bad. The two of us can embroider casual clothes at the same time. Then Granny can decide on the winner. Whoever does a better job will be given the task of embroidering the emperor’s clothes. Are you willing to take this bet?”

Wei Yingluo stared at her for a good while. Then she made a sound of understanding. A fake smile on her face, she said, “Alright. You asked for it.”

Their gazes met, as if swords clashing, sparks flying. Killing intention thick in the air.

Linglong looked away. She lowered her gaze, looking at the embroidered work in her hands. Just wait. I want you to see this. I want all of you to see that I’m not a one-trick pony that can only embroider a cat. I can also embroider a dragon!

Just because of this competition, Linglong exhausted her energy.

She rose before the crack of dawn every day. When the others were still sleeping, she had already dressed and made her way to the embroidery workshop. During every meal, when everyone slowly ate, she would shovel down her food. Not only that, to avoid wasting time going to the bathroom, she didn’t drink much water each day.

“Linglong is truly going all out.”

“But the problem is, Yingluo is working even harder.”

After a busy day, Linglong dragged her exhausted body back to the palace maid dormitory. Once she had overheard those words, she frowned and asked, “Yingluo… hasn’t returned yet?”

In the palace maid dormitory, there were many copper basins with water, steam rising at the surfaces. The palace maids either scooped up water to wash their faces or dipped their snow-white legs inside to wash them. There were also those who acted faster, and had already cleaned their faces and legs, now lying in bed to chat.

“You’re talking about Yingluo? I passed by the embroidery workshop before and saw her still working inside,” said a palace maid who was still washing her legs.

Another palace maid gasped in surprise. “It’s already so late. She’s still there?”

“After all, it’s something for Yangxin Palace²,” said the palace maid earlier as she wiped her legs and curled her lips. “What we usually make are the spring season’s clothes of the servants. At most, we’re tasked with the clothes of the imperial concubines. How could we ever get a job from Yangxin Palace? Only the most experienced embroiders receive this duty. She’s determined to win against Linglong!”

The doors swung open. The two chatting palace maids shifted their gazes to the door. “Oh, Yingluo, you’ve returned.”

Wei Yingluo stood by the door, a set of clothes in her hands. It was folded neatly to the extreme. No one could see what was embroidered on it. Linglong’s heart trembled. She approached the door. “Yingluo, what does your embroidery look like? Come show all of us.”

As she spoke, she reached out without a trace of politeness.

Wei Yingluo avoided her hand by turning to the side.

Linglong froze. Face full of grievances, she said, “I’m not trying to grab it from you. I just wanted a look. You… Are you that afraid of me?”

“Afraid of you?” Wei Yingluo chuckled, as if she had heard a huge joke. It made Linglong flush with anger. She shook her head and glanced at her as though she pitied and despised her, saying, “You overestimate yourself. Who in the embroidery workshop doesn’t know… that you can only embroider cats?”

A giggle.

No one knew who did it.

Linglong whipped her head in the direction of the sound. But all she saw were either palace maids washing their feet with their heads lowered or spreading out their blankets. No one was looking at her, but she felt like all their gazes hid mockery.

It’s not true! I can also embroider dragons! I’m not someone who can only embroider cats for the rest of my life!

“How about you take out your embroidered work so that everyone… and I can take a look.” A smooth and beautiful hand reached out toward Linglong. Wei Yingluo graced her with a smile. “Let’s see if your work has a dragon’s eye or a cat’s eye.”

“Wei Yingluo!” Linglong could not hold back any longer. “I’m. Warning. You. Stop. Humiliating. Me!”

“Did I say anything wrong?!” Wei Yingluo’s manner was even more unyielding than hers. She sneered. “The vital finishing touch of a dragon is its eyes. The eyes of a dragon must seem alive. You, do you have the ability?”

When views were irreconcilable, those involved would part on bad terms ultimately. After the candles were blown, Wei Yingluo and Linglong slept with their backs facing one another.

However, Linglong could not catch the coattails of slumber.

After tossing and turning in bed for a good while, she finally couldn’t bear it anymore. Linglong took out a bundle wrapped in blue cloth that was hidden at the side of her bed. Pulled out the nearly-finished set of casual clothes for the emperor.

Under the moonlight, she unfolded the clothes. She didn’t know if it was because of Wei Yingluo’s words prior, but the more she looked at it, the more it looked wrong.

“Why’s it like this…?” Head lowered, Linglong examined the dragon embroidered at the chest region. The hands clutching the set of clothes tightened in their grip. “Why do your eyes… look so much like a cat’s?”

A golden dragon actually had a pair of cat eyes.

The more she stared at it, the more cat-like the eyes seemed. It seemed full of the intention to curry favor, wishing for the people around it to like it, to worship it. To admit its talent.

This wasn’t a dragon. Rather, it was the cat she was so fond of.

Motionless, Linglong stared at those eyes. At that moment, she crushed the clothes into a heap. She had used a lot of strength, as though she were ripping apart those things she couldn’t stand.

After she breathed hard for a while, she said a bit unsteadily, “Yingluo.”

It was quiet in the room. Only the sound of people breathing in their sleep could be heard.

Then Linglong called out Wei Yingluo’s name again near whisper. Noticing that no one responded, she quietly sneaked out of bed. She moved to the side of Wei Yingluo’s bed.

In the dark, she could not even see the fingers of her outstretched hand. A pair of eyes resembling a cat’s bore into Wei Yingluo.

Afterward, a hand slowly reached for the emperor’s casual clothes hidden underneath Wei Yingluo’s pillow.

Those who took things from others without permission were thieves.

This wasn’t the first time Linglong stole something. The first was when she stole the peacock feather thread. The second was now. Unfamiliar at first, but well-accustomed soon enough. Compared to the apprehension of her first time, at this moment, Linglong’s heart only held tranquility. To the extent where she thought this was inevitable and right.

Like she was taking back something that had originally belonged to her. The opportunity that belonged to her.

Once the clothes were in her hands, Linglong made for her own bed. Then, impatiently, she unfolded the cloth holding the clothes. And she couldn’t help but let a laugh full of ridicule escape.

“Jixiang, look. She doesn’t care about you that much,” said Linglong with ridicule and envy. “A few days ago, she made a lot of mistakes because of what happened to you. But now that she has a chance to show off in front of the masters, she’s forgotten you in a blink of an eye. She’s concentrating all of her efforts to accomplish this task.”

If she hadn’t been concentrating all her efforts, then how could she have embroidered such an impressive and outstanding golden dragon?

Soaring lightly like a startled swan, gracefully like a dragon in flight³. Especially that pair of dragon eyes. As if it were looking down disdainfully at all living things from high in the clouds.

Ordinary folk must bow down before such a gaze.

“This is a dragon’s gaze,” muttered Linglong as she held the clothes in her hands. “This is my dragon’s gaze…”

She didn’t sleep the whole night.

The next day, the palace maids in the dormitory woke up one after the other.

“Huh? Where’s Linglong?” one of them asked.

Linglong’s bed was empty. The people around reached out to touch the blanket. The blanket was cold. Not a trace of heat remained on the bed.

“Huh?” Meanwhile, outside the embroidery workshop, Granny Zhang stared at the person sitting at the steps with surprise. “Why did you come here so early today?”

As if Linglong hadn’t slept at all and sat here since night, her hair and clothes were covered in dew.

Her body was cold, but her heart was burning.

“Granny.” Linglong lifted her face that was slightly flushed due to the turbulent emotions in her chest. Smiled. “I’ve finished embroidering the clothes.”

She handed over the clothes she had held tightly to her bosom. And it actually was the one she stole from beneath Wei Yingluo’s pillow.

Honestly, I loved how everyone just roasted Linglong. But ugh, of course she’s up to no good again…

Also, since I’m too lazy to add another footnote, Jiangnan is a geographical area in China.