chapter 34

The first task Wei Yingluo did after arriving at Changchun Palace was sweep the floors.

Someone seemed very afraid she would rise above them and receive the empress’ favor. As such, this person always deliberately gave her the jobs that were the most exhausting and full of suffering. Jobs that would take Wei Yingluo the farthest away from the empress.

“In any case, Her Majesty the empress merely finds her novel. After ten days to half a month, she would probably forget about her.”

Inadvertently overhearing these words of Mingyu, Wei Yingluo furrowed her brows, yet did not say anything.

When Mingyu told her to sweep the floor, she would do so. And she would not only sweep the areas assigned to her but others’ as well. Today was the same. As the people nearby laughed at her, Wei Yingluo swept the area near the front doors of Changchun Palace alone.

To sweep this place often had its benefits, such as encountering a certain someone without the attention of others. Moreover, that certain someone would notice her.

“Sir Fucha, your honored self has come,” said Mingyu with a smile as she came out to welcome him. “This slave will inform Master!”

Fucha Fuheng stepped over the door sill to enter. Today, he was still wearing the uniform of an imperial guard. However, below the corner of his eye existed a birthmark, giving him a wealthy, honorable, and graceful aura. As if he were someone who liked to recite poetry as he drank wine, or a young noble on a horse that trampled the flowers of Luoyang¹, or a member of Jianghu² performing a sword dance under the moon by the lakeside of the West River.

As a favored subject of the emperor and the younger brother of the empress, he had the privilege of visiting Changchun Palace. Suddenly, he noticed a strange face by the front doors. And he gave it a few more looks.

Once he cast his gaze down, he recognized the jade medallion hanging by her waist.

“…Sir Fucha?” Mingyu swept her gaze through Fucha Fuheng and Wei Yingluo. “What’s wrong? Master is waiting for you inside.”

Fucha Fuheng snapped back to his senses. Flashed her a smile. “I’ll come now.”

He walked through the doors ahead of Mingyu. Mingyu glared at Wei Yingluo, fierce to the max. Then she hurried to follow him.

Watching them leave, Wei Yingluo continued to sweep the fallen flowers on the ground neither too quickly nor too slowly. When the time came, the flowers that ought to fall would fall. The person who ought to come would come.

She did not wait for too long.

The flowers that she had swept into a pile accumulated until it seemed like a burial mound. At that moment, the addition of a pair of male boots.

The corners of Wei Yingluo lips rose. Slowly, she lifted her head. A gust of wind blew by in the blink of an eye, lifting a few strands of hair light as a feather by the temples. A white flower blew past her cheek. She smiled toward the man standing before her. “Imperial Guard Fucha, why has your honored self come?”

From start to finish, Fucha Fuheng’s gaze was locked on the jade medallion by her waist.

Wei Yingluo removed the jade medallion. Held it in her hand. Then she slightly brought it closer to him. “What’s wrong with this jade medallion?”

Out of reflex, Fucha Fuheng reached out to receive it. But Wei Yingluo retracted her hand in a flash.

“This jade medallion was one that I lost,” said Fucha Fuheng in a helpless manner.

“Oh?” Wei Yingluo eyed him suspiciously. “When and where did you lose it?”

“I… don’t remember when. I think I lost it… around the imperial gardens,” he replied ambiguously. “Give it back to me.”

“You can’t even tell me clearly when and where you lost it. So I can’t just give it to you like that.” A smile played on her lips as she shook her head.

Fucha Fuheng pursed his lips, giving off an extremely vexed appearance.

For such a handsome man like him to show such a distressed expression, nine out of ten women in the world would not be able to refuse any of his requests.

What a pity that Wei Yingluo had a heart made of stone.

Noticing that the woman before him wasn’t moved, Fucha Fuheng could only sigh and say, “My name is on that jade medallion. Apart from this, there is a little crack on the lower right corner. It’s from when I accidentally dropped it on the ground. You can take a better look at it.”

Wei Yingluo lowered her head and checked the jade medallion in her hands.

Actually, there was no need for her to examine it. She already knew it belonged to him.

For countless nights, for countless times during the day, during countless nightmares, she had bowed her head as she looked at the name on that medallion, fingers rubbing at the crack.

She really wished that medallion could open its mouth and answer one of her questions.

“Are you something left behind by the culprit?!”

Once again, Wei Yingluo raised her head, hatred and doubt mingling in her heart. However, she did not reveal the slightest bit of these emotions on her face. On the contrary, she smiled even more sweetly and touchingly. As if she were a flower giving off the scent of nectar. “Give me your hand.”

Fucha Fuheng was startled. Then he extended his right hand.

Wei Yingluo placed the jade medallion onto his palm. Intentionally or otherwise, her soft fingertips brushed against his palm. A light scratch.

Fucha Fuheng’s right hand trembled. The jade medallion almost fell out of his hand. In a flash, he drew his fingers together, closing his palm. However, he accidentally captured her small hand as well.

A man’s large hand wrapped around a woman’s small hand. After grasping a sword all year round, that hand had grown calluses. And it touched the calluses of her hand that were due to embroidering all year round.

“Sorry!” In the blink of an eye, Fucha Fuheng let go of her hand. In the blink of an eye, retreated a few steps. His ears grew faintly red to the naked eye.

At the start, Wei Yingluo had also been startled and also retreated a few steps. She shook her head. “It’s fine, Young Master.”

This address made Fucha Fuheng cock a brow. “Young Master?”

“Her Majesty the empress is my master. You are her younger brother, and is naturally my young master!” said Wei Yingluo, each word enunciated clearly. Especially the two words “young master.”

Anything a beautiful and charming woman like her said would sound even more pleasant to the ear than if another person said it. Let alone, such an indirect and moving phrase as “young master.”

Fucha Fuheng saw her smile, and quickly averted his gaze. What remained were a pair of red ears facing her. In a low voice, he said, “You mustn’t smile toward a man like this. It is lacking in manners.”

After hearing those words, Wei Yingluo fell into a daze.

At first, she had thought he would fall for it.

Never had she expected that his personality would be opposite from his appearance. He seemed like a playboy, an idle young noble. But after coming into contact with him, she had discovered he was still very inexperienced in that aspect.

She laughed grimly in her heart. Who knows if he’s just pretending like I am?

“There are still matters to attend to in the Imperial Guard Station. I will leave first. Thank you for finding my jade medallion.” Fucha Fuheng turned around and left. Rather than say he left because he had things to do, it was better to say he bolted.

Wei Yingluo watched his back figure, expression fluctuating. Until a woman said coldly behind her, “Yingluo, you truly are daring!”

As soon as she had turned her head, she saw Mingyu with an indignant expression standing not too far away. “In broad daylight, you actually dare to seduce Imperial Guard Fucha!”

Wei Yingluo didn’t know how long she had stood there. How long she had watched her. She smiled, full of the intention to probe. “It’s not in broad daylight. It’s where everyone can see, with your honored self staring at me. I’m too afraid to even speak to Imperial Guard Fucha. How could I have the courage to seduce him?”

“You still dare to talk back!” Mingyu raised her hand with the intention to slap her. “I heard with my own ears you calling him ‘Young Master.’ What kind of identity does he have? You actually dare to use such an improper address to entice him?”

It turned out she had seen that bit, had heard that bit…

In a flash, Wei Yingluo’s heart calmed. Since the information that could be used against herself had not fallen into the other party’s hands, she naturally was unwilling to receive Mingyu’s slap for no reason. At once, she grasped her hand. Smiled. “Elder Sister Mingyu, if I truly did something wrong, then you can report me to Her Majesty the empress. But forgive me for not wanting to be lectured when it’s completely uncalled for!”

It was clear that Mingyu didn’t want to blow up this matter.

Or perhaps it was because she was even more unwilling to have Wei Yingluo get close to the empress.

“Good. Very good. A lowly palace maid actually contradicts her superiors at every step. You truly treat Changchun Palace as your own household, and think yourself as a master?” Mingyu threw off Wei Yingluo’s hand. Sneered as she said, “Looks like you have too much free time, allowing you to run your imagination wild so much so that you forget your own identity. Go! Sweep the whole palace! I’ll come check later. If there’s even a speck of dust, I’ll skin you!”

If one said Mingyu had been secretive in her dislike for Wei Yingluo in the past, from this day forward, she brazenly targeted Wei Yingluo.

The work that was most full of suffering was assigned to her. The work that was most exhausting was assigned to her. And after Wei Yingluo had finished those tasks, Mingyu would still pick on every little fault. As long as she felt a speck of dust on the decorative lattice of a window³, she’d have Wei Yingluo clean the entire Changchun Palace again.

It was to the point that another first-ranked palace maid, Erqing, could not ignore it any longer. She found some time in which to say to Mingyu, “Don’t be too excessive. If she can’t take it anymore and complains to Her Majesty the empress, you wouldn’t have a good outcome either.”

“Do you think I’d actually give her that chance?” said Mingyu with a smile.

If previously, she merely gave Wei Yingluo the cold shoulder and did not allow her to see the empress, then it was different at present. At present, Mingyu was trying to find the chance to report Wei Yingluo’s work mistakes to the empress.

“Master, the water for washing the face is ready.”

Within the room stood a mirror, flat as the surface of a lake. The empress’s reflection furrowed her brows. “Mingyu, why are you the one delivering the water? Where is Yingluo?”

Mingyu placed the copper basin of hot water on the table, little waves on the surface from the action. She sighed. “Who knows where she ran off to goof off? If it weren’t for the fact that I asked ahead of time, Master wouldn’t even have the water to make one presentable!”

The empress furrowed her brows even tighter. “She’s really this lazy?”

“That’s right! She doesn’t want to do anything. She only knows how to curry favor.” Mingyu soaked a handkerchief in the water, continuing to curry favor herself as she said, “Previously, I only said a couple things to her, and she dared to give me a poor expression! Master, how can we allow such a person to remain in Changchun Palace?!”

Gossip was a fearful thing.

If it was once or twice, the empress could still let it in one ear and out the other. But after many times, she would be unable to stop the sparks of prejudice from catching.

“Erqing, what about you?” It wouldn’t do to only listen to one side of the story. The empress was unlikely to just believe what someone said. She only gazed into the mirror and asked, “Is Yingluo really this bad?”

The fingers that were arranging her hair paused.

Where the mirror did not show, Mingyu sent Erqing a signal again and again with her eyes.

Erqing shot her a glance, not wanting to offend her, yet also not wanting to hit someone when they were down. As a result, she considered her words for a bit before saying, “Perhaps she is not too suited for life in Changchun Palace. And she is somewhat unable to get along with those of higher seniority.”

“If that’s truly the case, have her return to the embroidery workshop early the next morning.” The empress felt somewhat upset toward Wei Yingluo for failing to meet her expectations. “Hold on. Isn’t it thundering outside?”

A sudden clap of thunder, a streak of lightning across the horizon, leaving the skies snow white for a moment.

The empress was startled in her chair. She didn’t even care about her hair, rushing toward the door. “My flowers! My jasmines!”

“Master, Master slow down!” Erqing and Mingyu hurried after her,

The rain had come all of a sudden. Furthermore, the longer it went on, the heavier the rain became. The empress and the others ran toward her garden, fallen leaves lining the sides of the road, reminiscent of a long green river.

“Hurry! Bring the water-proof cloth over! Cover the flowers!” said the empress, anxious to the extreme. The moment she ran into her flower garden, she fell into a daze.

Under the downpour, Yingluo wore a woven rush raincoat⁴, pulling a water-proof cloth. She had already covered more than half of the jasmines with it.

“…Your Majesty the empress.” After hearing the voices of people, she turned around. Her beautiful face, which was washed clean by the rain, resembled the blooming jasmines in the flowerbed. With a smile, she said, “Why has your honored self come?”