On this cool morning, Shin Zuzhou returned to work in her study. Compared to her recent condition, she finally felt better and was ready to return to her duties. She understood that she couldn't afford to rest for too long.
«Did you inform them about my move?» she asked Xin, who entered the study upon her command.
«Not yet, Your Highness. I will go there after lunch, as soon as I deliver the letter of gratitude to the Empress.»
«Good. Don't delay it,» the princess commanded. Shin Zuzhou had already informed the Empress of her intention to move to the White Lotus Pavilion. As expected, she received many warnings in return. No one advised her to get involved with the elder princess, but these words only further stoked Shin Zuzhou's interest.
«Are we moving somewhere?» Yang Yulan interjected into their conversation, at that moment sprawled casually on the couch near the desk, chewing on nuts she had stolen from the kitchen.
«Why does this idiot keep hanging around here?» Xin fumed in her head.
«Yes, we're moving to another palace at the Empress's insistence.»
«Hurray, a change of scenery at last. Honestly, it was getting gloomy here.»
«Don't you need to pack your things?»
«No, I'm going to visit my family today. I warned you about that.»
«I thought your parents were dead,» Shin Zuzhou inquired, clearly suspecting something was off.
«Well, almost. It's... my older sister. I think she's very worried about me.»
«And what about a brother?» Shin Zuzhou pressed, watching his reaction.
«Brother?»
«Never mind. I just thought you might have one,» Shin Zuzhou hurried to change the subject. «For how long?»
«I'll be gone for at least a couple of days.»
Such insolence made Xin's eye twitch noticeably, but Shin Zuzhou didn't bat an eye and calmly replied:
«Fine. Xin will pick you up.»
«And how will she find me?»
Shin Zuzhou glanced at the little beast sitting on the boy's stomach.
«He will come with us, as a guarantee of my confidence. You'll definitely return for him.»
«I can't leave him with you.»
«Nothing will happen to him. I'm not going to lock him up or torture him. He can move freely around the palace and do as he wishes. But I warn you, if he tries to escape, I won't stand on ceremony.»
Yang Yulan glanced at her friend. She believed in his ability to avoid any danger, but still needed to ask first.
«Do you agree to stay with this lady for a couple of days? I'll return as soon as I can. It won't take long. Don't be afraid. I'm sure she won't hurt you.»
Yang Yulan didn't know if he understood her, but the little beast raised his head and turned up his nose, as if to say, «Who's afraid here?» so the girl remained calm.
«Excellent,» Shin Zuzhou stated. «Return to this palace and pick up your belongings. I'll send Xin to fetch you from here.»
«And one more thing. I want to say this right now. I don't know who you are or what dealings you're conducting behind my back, but I can be sure of at least one thing: you don't wish me dead. I want you to become my trusted person and serve me conscientiously. Know this: I don't trust you, but you can definitely earn my recognition.»
«Okay,» Yang Yulan replied dryly. Who even needed this woman's recognition? She had stayed in her palace only because she was worried about the heroine, nothing more. Yang Yulan certainly wouldn't serve the villainess in the long term. Once things settled down, she would escape from the palace back to her pavilion for good, lie low, and never meet her again.
«You're dismissed,» the princess announced to her bodyguard, who immediately left the study.
Shin Zuzhou returned to her papers and continued working. Yang Yulan took a book from the shelf and lay back down on the couch, pulling out her pouch of nuts.
«Don't smack,» the princess ordered without taking her eyes off the documents.
«As you wish, beloved,» Yang Yulan retorted sarcastically, emphasizing the last word.
«Call me that one more time, and I'll cut out that nasty tongue of yours.» The princess's tone was calm and relaxed. Nevertheless, Yang Yulan immediately set aside her pouch and opened her book.
Silence finally fell in the room. To Shin Zuzhou's surprise, being in the same room with a near-stranger wasn't the least bit unsettling. On the contrary, such a pastime might even become a habit.
This boy didn't seem dangerous. That's why Shin Zuzhou worried about him even more than about other people.
***
On the outskirts of the capital stood a beautiful, tall building. Its dark red wooden walls were painted with gold; its rich, wide courtyard was immersed in the greenery of well-tended gardens, and its tall, narrow windows were covered with silk curtains. The aroma of incense and fresh flowers spread throughout the area from this building.
Yang Yusheng and Qing Zixiao arrived there closer to noon. When Qing Zixiao entered the building, he immediately noticed the luxury of its interior decoration. High ceilings, carpets of expensive fabrics, and mirrored walls reflecting the candlelight—all of this undoubtedly spoke to the exclusivity of this establishment.
Qing Zixiao had visited «pleasure houses» before, but this place was very different from other such establishments, causing the general to walk through the hall with bated breath.
«Your Highness, I thought we were going for a drink,» Qing Zixiao said.
«Don't worry, there's plenty of alcohol here. But besides it, many other pleasant things as well.»
Yang Yusheng winked cheerfully at the general and signaled to someone. A very young-looking girl immediately ran up to the men and bowed. The lower part of her face was covered with cloth, and her hands were adorned with expensive rings and bracelets. General Qing lingered for a moment on her pale hands. They were so thin and delicate that he unconsciously thought: «Even a brothel girl's hands are softer than the elder princess's.» Then he smirked to himself: «Although, probably not every laborer can boast such rough hands as hers.»
This small reaction did not escape the ever-watchful gaze of Yang Yusheng.
«Your Highness the First Prince,» the girl greeted, still not raising her head. «The same room as usual?»
«Yes! And call some other girls as well,» the prince said, then whispered something in her ear.
«Ah, and don't skimp on the alcohol. Today my friend is with me.»
«Since when did we become friends?» flashed through the general's mind.
«Understood,» she replied and immediately disappeared from sight.
«Cute, isn't she?» the prince inquired casually. «Very popular here.»
General Qing ignored his words. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
«Your Highness, I truly don't understand what I'm doing here.»
«What do you mean? You're keeping me company. I'm sure it's not every day you get a chance to drink with the prince himself.»
Qing Zixiao rolled his eyes imperceptibly, reacting to Yang Yusheng's behavior. They walked together into a room hidden behind a red curtain on the top floor of the building. Inside stood a gigantic bed, and in the middle of the room was a round table piled high with all sorts of snacks. The men sat on a nearby couch, and Yang Yusheng immediately produced wine and poured it into porcelain cups.
General Qing was one of those people who could hold their alcohol easily and almost never got drunk. Usually, that served him well. But today was a different case. Today, he would have given anything just to get drunk and not see what happened next.
When the men had drained the first vessel, two girls entered the room. The general immediately recognized one of them—the one who had greeted them on their way here moments ago. She approached him and sat down beside him. The other girl sat directly on the prince's lap.
«Don't be shy,» Yang Yusheng smirked. «I know she caught your eye. Why don't you give the girl some attention too?»
With these words, Yang Yusheng continued to watch the general's reaction, anticipating his next move. But unfortunately for him, Qing Zixiao didn't take the bait and ignored his words.
Yang Yusheng stopped reacting to the girl in his arms altogether and turned to Qing Zixiao again.
«What's wrong with you? Don't you know how to handle a woman? Have you ever had any experience at all?»
«Your Highness,» Qing Zixiao interrupted his questioning, «this situation is quite uncomfortable.»
«Well, why didn't you say so right away? Look, I won't pay you any attention, okay?»
With these words, the prince tried to pretend he was occupied with his girl and not interested in his actions at all.
«What is he trying to achieve?» the general didn't understand. His head was already starting to ache considerably.
«Allow me to help you undress,» said the girl, who had been silent until now, seeing his distressed expression.
«That won't be necessary,» the general gently pushed her away. «I'm not going to do anything of the sort.»
Yang Yusheng heard these words and immediately jumped up from his seat.
«What do you mean, you're not going to?» he shouted. «How dare you neglect my favor?»
«Your Highness, I beg you,» the general tried to calm him down, but it was too late. Yang Yusheng stood right in the middle of the room and prepared to voice all his grievances.
«It seems giving him alcohol was a bad idea.»
«Nonsense! Does your friend have a problem or something? Why are you pushing away such a sweet lady? Come on, look. Now she's sad. Aren't you? Are you sad? Tell him.»
The girl he addressed said nothing in reply, only lowered her eyes to the floor and continued sitting in her place. She seemed used to such situations. The same could not be said for her companion.
When General Qing saw the frightened look on the other girl's face, he finally became convinced it was time to leave this place without causing more trouble. He quickly rose from his seat and was about to leave the room when Yang Yusheng, noticing his intention, stood in his way. His action further inflamed the already quite agitated prince.
«Where do you think you're going? Did I give you permission to leave?»
«Your Highness, you're not going to keep me here by force, are you?»
«By force? May the goddess witness, I wanted to be kind to you. Because of you, this whole mess started, and now you just want to leave?»
The general no longer understood what was happening at all, but things were only getting worse. Yang Yusheng overturned the table, causing the two girls to immediately run to the wall. The older girl shielded the newcomer and warily began to watch their altercation. The prince shouted:
«Who do you think you are!?»
The general didn't have time to answer this question properly. Yang Yusheng immediately interrupted him.
«You're one of them, aren't you? You also look down on me just because I'm not the Crown Prince? I see how you lick that idiot's ass day after day, just because he has the power and love that I've been denied.»
«You're a fool if you actually think that. This place was rightfully mine before. That throne was mine. These people were mine. Until 'heroes' like you decided to take everything away from me. Since childhood, I haven't been allowed to make mistakes, I've had to keep face and protect my family's status. I couldn't make friends, I couldn't do what I wanted. And all for what? So that you and your friend could eventually take away all my glory and gratitude?»
When other servants came running at the noise and froze at the entrance to the room, only one thought went through the general's head:
«Goddess, save me from this shame.»
But the prince continued:
«Because of pseudo-heroes like you, I'm now not worth the dirt under his fingernails. And what could I do? I was the Crown Prince. I couldn't rush into battle, even if I wanted to. My father was ill. I was supposed to ascend the throne. I was supposed to protect the palace and its inhabitants. I was supposed to secure the future of this country. What else did I need to do so I wouldn't be abandoned? Die!?»
The prince's face reddened, and his voice began to tremble. When he had exhausted all his energy on shouting and tirades, Qing Zixiao sat him back down on the couch and gently patted him on the back. After that, the prince seemed to finally calm down.
General Qing apologized several times to the servants and sent away those unfortunate girls who had witnessed his hysterics from the beginning. Then he returned to the prince. He sat on the couch, head lowered, pouring himself another cup of wine. General Qing sank heavily onto the couch beside him and closed his eyes, waiting for the prince to finish.
«Brother and sister alike. Both walking problems,» he muttered to himself from time to time.
***
Yang Yulan returned to her pavilion as if to her father's house. The familiar lake and the small walls of the building seemed so kind and heartfelt to her that she barely restrained herself from crying tears of joy. Everything was the same as before.
The servants recognized her at the entrance, but most often paid her no attention. Her disappearance was news to no one. Perhaps the original Yang Yulan also used to disappear for long periods. Of course, no one was going to greet her and escort her to her room—no one, except for one person.
A girl with a cold aura but a sweet face stood dejectedly right at the entrance to the building, unable to find peace from worry. Immediately upon arriving, she had managed to question all the servants and courtiers to find out where the first princess had disappeared to. In her experience, she had never encountered such a thing. Throughout her time working in the pavilion, Yang Yulan had never run away anywhere.
Chu Qi was already ready to go to the main palace and beg the prince for an audience when the fugitive herself came into her field of vision.
Yang Yulan stood at a distance from her, taking no further action. She was still very ashamed in front of her maid for how she had treated her. Despite the plot and the stupid system, she shouldn't have put her in such danger. She couldn't approach her and speak, and she didn't know what to do with herself out of embarrassment. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to do anything. Chu Qi immediately ran to her as soon as she saw her and embraced her. She said nothing, didn't demand apologies for what had been done, which made Yang Yulan's heart even heavier.
«Forgive me,» she whispered into her maid's shoulder.
«What's wrong with your voice?» the maid was surprised, still not releasing her charge from her embrace.
«A long story. But everything's fine now.»
The two girls stood together for a while longer, before one of them finally broke the silence and suggested they go eat. They walked together towards the building, and although both girls had things to say to each other, they couldn't utter a word.
Closer to evening, when they finally came to their senses and returned to their usual rhythm of life, they shared some important news.
Yang Yulan told Chu Qi everything that had happened in her absence, including the fact that she now served the Northern Princess and hid her face.
Chu Qi didn't understand the princess's fear. She didn't understand why she couldn't just reveal her face to Shin Zuzhou, but she never got an answer to her questions.
In turn, she also had bad news for the princess. That same Shin Zuzhou, whom the princess avoided, would now be living in their pavilion. The servants from the main palace had informed her of this today. They also warned that the princess must not be seen by Shin Zuzhou or cause any trouble, otherwise the Empress would punish her without a drop of compassion.
Yang Yulan immediately paled when she heard this news. So that's where the villainess was planning to move. And that's why she kept it a secret. The White Lotus Pavilion was her «former place of work.» Did she intend to use that for her own purposes?
The girl didn't quite understand how to deal with this new problem. She didn't know exactly when they would arrive, so she decided to immediately go to her brother's palace to find out if he had anything that could counteract the low-voice effect.
At that time, General Qing was just bringing the drunk prince back to the palace.
Yang Yulan met him at the entrance. Fortunately, in her capacity as a princess, she didn't have to fear the guards. Despite her bad reputation, she still retained some status. Or perhaps Yang Yusheng had simply ordered them to let her through.
General Qing didn't expect to meet the princess at such a late hour and was very surprised.
«What are you doing here, Your Highness?» he inquired.
«I came to talk to him,» the girl pointed at the prince, who was hanging half-alive on the general's shoulder, «but I guess I came at a bad time.»
«He looks disgusting,» she added, looking at him more closely.
«That he does,» the general noted. «Certainly not shining with beauty.»
«Maybe you should just drop him right here?» the girl suggested.
«I'm considering it,» the general replied wearily.
«Have you met with your maid yet?» he added later.
«Yes... But one little problem has come up.»
«Should I pretend to be surprised?»
«Do try,» Yang Yulan replied sarcastically.
«Oh my goddess. What happened?» the general said with feigned concern.
Such an unexpected reaction from the usually calm general made Yang Yulan freeze in confusion.
«Are you alright yourself?»
«Forgive me,» Qing Zixiao tiredly massaged his temples. «That idiot has shredded my nerves.»
«I understand,» the girl approached him and patted him supportively on the shoulder a couple of times.
«So what happened?»
«Shin Zuzhou is moving into my pavilion.»
«Is that a problem?»
«Yes.» Yang Yulan couldn't tell him that Shin Zuzhou was the villainess from the book who could easily kill her in the future if anything went wrong. Besides, the plot had to proceed as usual. Even though Yang Yulan was no longer as inspired by Yang Jinlong and Mei Baijie's relationship, she still didn't want the plot to become unpredictable and threaten their future happiness.
General Qing didn't press for details.
«We'll think of something,» he assured the princess, though he wasn't entirely confident in his own words.