Chapter 18#

The thick, flowing gloom that rested on Rong Jiu’s brow suddenly bloomed into a brilliant and vivid smile. On his cold, white skin, those extreme black eyes stared at Jingzhe without moving.

Rong Jiu’s beauty was aggressive.

Like a dangerous beast, the moment it approached, it naturally invaded the surrounding space, forcing people to look directly at its sharp edge.

It was a surging, naked desire to attack, a wildness burning in his blood.

Jingzhe was like a moth attracted to a flame, always recklessly throwing himself at the brilliant colors.

But even a moth can sense danger.

Danger.

Jingzhe could hear a small, low voice repeating.

If he listened carefully, it sounded like his younger self screaming.

Run, run…

Reason repeated, urging him to turn and flee into the narrow gate.

But his feet seemed to have taken root in the ground, unable to be pulled out, unable to move. Or perhaps, he instinctively realized that if he turned and ran, wouldn’t he be exposing his most defenseless back to the mouth of a dangerous beast?

“…I…”

Jingzhe spoke with difficulty, realizing that his voice was a little hoarse.

“I don’t know the cause and effect, so I don’t know if you did the right thing.” But after the first word came out, the rest of the words flowed much more smoothly, no longer stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

Jingzhe pursed his lips, his face slightly pale, and said seriously, “I can’t judge what I don’t know…” He paused, his voice a little heavier, “No, I have no right to judge other people’s actions in the first place.”

This was Rong Jiu’s business.

It seemed a little cold, but Jingzhe said it very sincerely.

Rong Jiu smiled, casually put the package in his pocket, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his fingers. But much of it had already dried and couldn’t be wiped off.

After a while, Jingzhe calmed down. He hesitated for a moment and said to Rong Jiu, “Wait a moment.”

Then he went back to the North Wing, fiddled around for a while, and brought back a wooden basin of water.

Jingzhe took Rong Jiu’s handkerchief, soaked it, and then wiped his fingers one by one.

Rong Jiu’s palm was bigger than his.

Much bigger.

Because Rong Jiu was also taller than him, when he stood there, he naturally had a sense of looking down from above.

Rong Jiu: “Why are you not afraid anymore?”

In his cold voice, there was a hint of a smile.

Jingzhe muttered, “I knew you were deliberately scaring me…” The aura just now had pressed down on him so much that he could barely speak.

He tilted his head, glanced at Rong Jiu, and snorted lightly, “I’ve paid the protection fee.”

A full twenty taels!

Rong Jiu looked at his slightly smug little appearance and felt a little regretful.

Why didn’t he have two fluffy ears?

He wanted to rub them.

…

The Palace Cleaning Department was short of staff. This was the news that Zheng Hong had managed to get.

This department was responsible for cleaning the various halls and corridors. It was not an easy job. If you really did it, it would be much harder than in the North Wing.

But if it weren’t for the matter of the Palace of Gathered Elegance, they wouldn’t be in such a hurry to hire people.

After all, unless the master above asked for someone, the transfer of palace servants below would have to wait until the end of the year for evaluation.

At that time, it was the time to fill in various household registrations and identities.

Two days later, Zheng Hong came again.

Jingzhe had a plan in mind, so he went to find Chen Mingde.

Whether he could go or not depended on whether Chen Mingde would agree. After all, if he went, the North Wing would be short of one person, and they would have to wait until the end of the year to have a vacancy and ask for someone again.

Chen Mingde agreed readily.

And when he announced it to the North Wing, he said it was his own idea.

This left the others with nothing to say.

Chen Mingde had always been very good to Jingzhe, but this last step really moved him.

When Jingzhe went back to pack his things, Mingyu followed him around, chattering.

Mingyu didn’t tell anyone about Jingzhe’s departure.

He kept this secret firmly until the result really came out, and he was also happy for Jingzhe.

Jingzhe secretly whispered in Mingyu’s ear.

He wasn’t moving out now. After all, the Palace Cleaning Department was very busy now and had no time to arrange for the palace servants below. Chen Mingde had greeted the Palace Cleaning Department, and he would still come back to the North Wing to live for a period of time at night until things were arranged over there.

Mingyu was a little worried: “If you do this, will your relationship with them be not very good?”

Jingzhe was calm: “It’s fine.”

He wasn’t going for this in the first place.

After that, Jingzhe officially reported to the Palace Cleaning Department, recognized the head eunuch in charge, and met the secretary, the director, and others. Then he was assigned to the Palace of Gathered Elegance.

The daily morning cleaning started even earlier than in the North Wing.

A few days later, Jingzhe had figured out the layout of the Palace of Gathered Elegance and had also clearly found the place that Concubine Yao had written about.

—Behind the side hall of the Palace of Gathered Elegance, the eighth bluestone brick on the side of the small path.

There was indeed such a place.

Concubine Yao had not lied.

However, after Jingzhe confirmed it, he did not take it immediately. Even though sometimes when he was cleaning, there was no one around, he still held back and did not move.

A few days later, Jingzhe went back to the North Wing to rest, and Mingyu continued to whisper in his ear.

Chang Shou was also gone.

He went to Chenghuan Palace.

Jingzhe’s face changed slightly, and he confirmed again and again: “Are you talking about Chenghuan Palace?”

Mingyu nodded: “Yes. I asked Chang Shou what was going on, and he just said it was his own connections. He even moved his bedding away during the day.”

Jingzhe frowned, feeling a little uneasy for some reason.

In his opinion, Chenghuan Palace was indeed a place not to go.

Whether it was what Qiu Yi said or Concubine Xu’s calculations, it was no less than a dragon’s pool and a tiger’s den.

They couldn’t say why Chang Shou went there now. After Mingyu finished speaking, he rubbed Jingzhe’s palm back and forth and said with heartache, “Why is it rougher than before?”

Jingzhe smiled: “It’s said to be cleaning, so of course it’s harder than other places. Our North Wing looks deserted, but it’s actually okay.”

The most important thing was that those masters couldn’t order them around.

Jingzhe was already the most diligent person in the North Wing.

Mingyu muttered a few times, but he hadn’t thought of leaving yet. He was thinking of considering this matter at the end of the year.

However, Chang Shou’s departure was different from Jingzhe’s, so soon, a new person came to the North Wing, smiling very kindly.

Chen Mingde named him Li Dong.

When other places were short of people, the vacancies in the North Wing were filled so quickly… Jingzhe lowered his eyebrows. Occasionally, when he ran into Li Dong, he would greet him kindly, but didn’t say much.

At that time, Jingzhe had been working in the Palace Cleaning Department for more than half a month.

He was also familiar with the cleaning of the Palace of Gathered Elegance.

In other places, after the cleaning was done, they would go back to rest, but the Palace of Gathered Elegance was different.

There were many young masters living here who were selected for the palace. Their servants were arranged after they entered the palace, and it was not one-on-one. Those with insufficient status would have two people sharing a palace maid. Sometimes they needed people below to run errands or do things. The director of the Palace Cleaning Department would let them serve in the Palace of Gathered Elegance after they finished their work, and they could often only go back at sunset.

This kind of life continued for a period of time, and the Palace of Gathered Elegance became lively.

It was the day of the preliminary selection.

When they entered the palace, it was not considered a preliminary selection, but just a physical examination. Now that the young masters were familiar with the rules of the palace, they began to select people.

For three or four days in a row, the Palace of Gathered Elegance was not quiet. Some people were kept, and they were naturally very happy and smiling; some people were rejected, and they had to leave when they came back, so they cried.

When packing things, they naturally needed these eunuchs like Jingzhe.

And Jingzhe finally recognized who Huang Yijie was in this preliminary selection.

Huang Yijie, with the surname Huang.

As a member of the Empress Dowager’s family, she naturally lived in the best place and had two palace maids by her side.

Others were envious, but dared not say anything.

Huang Yijie was beautiful, but not the kind of stunning beauty that catches the eye at first glance. She was the kind of beauty that becomes more and more attractive the more you look at her. It was said that she had a good temper, and the palace servants who were ordered by her to run errands would be rewarded.

As expected, she was kept.

Jingzhe memorized her appearance and turned to clean.

On this day, after he finished his work, he put away his tools and went to get some water to wash his face and hands. The eunuch named Gusheng next to him was talking to Jingzhe on and off.

Jingzhe got along well with the people from the Palace Cleaning Department. After all, the people he came into contact with were all these little eunuchs below. There were not many conflicts, and they got along on the surface. In addition, Jingzhe had not moved in yet, so he had less contact with them on a daily basis, and there was even less friction.

At this moment, the eunuch Yunkui, who was originally cleaning outside the Palace of Gathered Elegance, came over and said to Jingzhe in a low voice, “Someone is looking for you.”

Jingzhe was slightly stunned. The North Wing was one thing, but this place… how could someone come here?

Jingzhe went out doubtfully, and Gusheng followed behind him with nothing to do. He saw that early in the morning, outside the misty palace road, there was indeed a little eunuch standing there. His clothes were different from Jingzhe’s and the others’. They should be the clothes of a third-class eunuch.

Those without a rank, like Jingzhe and the others, should actually be called inner attendants. Only with a rank could they be called a eunuch.

But people at that time didn’t care, and they were all used interchangeably.

Jingzhe first saw the clothes, and then he saw the little eunuch’s appearance. It was Chang Shou.

Chang Shou had gone to Chenghuan Palace. The food and treatment should have been much better than in the North Wing, but for some reason, he looked thinner and his face was pale.

Jingzhe was surprised: “Chang Shou, are you sick?”

Chang Shou licked his chapped lips, shook his head, and grabbed Jingzhe and walked a few steps away. Gusheng was sensible and didn’t follow.

Jingzhe could feel the strength of Chang Shou’s grip on his arm, as if he was going to crush his bones. It hurt so much that he frowned slightly, “Chang Shou, you’re grabbing…”

“Qiu Yi is dead.”

Chang Shou suddenly blurted out this sentence.

Jingzhe was stunned.

Chang Shou stared at Jingzhe nervously, watching his reaction, and gritted his teeth and shivered: “You know, you really know… It was her who went to the North Wing to find you before. She’s dead, do you know, she died the day she came to find you…”

Jingzhe ignored his arm and asked anxiously, “How did she die?”

He still remembered Qiu Yi’s panic at that time. Although she might have had other reasons for coming to the North Wing, she died when she went back?

Chang Shou: “She bumped into a noble master on the road and had her throat slit directly.”

Jingzhe was dazed for a moment, but Chang Shou grabbed Jingzhe’s sleeve forcefully and said fiercely, “What about that guard of yours who always comes to find you? His hands were stained with blood that day, right? I heard Qi Tui say that you were wiping blood for him. Do you know that Qiu Yi might have been killed by him!”

Jingzhe subconsciously broke free from Chang Shou’s grip: “Impossible, he said that day…”

What did he say?

—“On the way here, I found that my subordinate was not doing his job well, so I took care of it myself.”

It was indeed the same day. It was indeed one after another. It was indeed… killing someone.

Chang Shou and Jingzhe had lived together for several years, how could he not understand Jingzhe’s reaction? He immediately sneered and said coldly, “Don’t you suspect him yourself?”

Jingzhe suddenly raised his eyes, his ink-black eyes staring at Chang Shou, and said coldly, “You’ve only been in Chenghuan Palace for less than a month, and you already consider yourself a person of Chenghuan Palace? What identity are you using to question me? What does this have to do with you?”

“You!”

“How did Concubine Xu know about Rong Jiu’s matter? Did you say it? Whether Qiu Yi was killed for bumping into a noble master, or whether Rong Jiu killed her, if Concubine Xu felt that something was wrong, why didn’t she go to the noble master to cry and complain, why didn’t she go to deal with Rong Jiu, but instead used such a clumsy trick to find me in such a roundabout way?” Jingzhe had never been so sharp-tongued before, “What, am I some kind of important person, worthy of this honor!”

Chang Shou replied with a red face, “Who said that Concubine Xu sent me here?”

Jingzhe tried to suppress the anger in his heart: “You are familiar with me, am I not familiar with you? Chang Shou, you are not bad by nature, but you won’t get up early without benefits. Would you stand up for a palace maid you don’t even know?”

Being ridiculed by Jingzhe like this, Chang Shou flung his sleeves and took a few steps back.

“It’s a waste that Concubine Xu thinks so highly of you, but you are really stubborn. If it weren’t for Qiu Yi looking for you, how could she have had an accident on the road? Concubine Xu has lost a trusted subordinate, and you know the cause and effect, but you don’t go…”

Jingzhe was too lazy to waste words with Chang Shou, turned around and went back to the Palace of Gathered Elegance.

Chang Shou did not dare to follow.

Jingzhe knew that people would change, but he never thought that they would change so quickly. And before, Concubine Xu seemed to be stable and generous, how could she suddenly resort to such a low-level tactic and send someone like Chang Shou to be a thug? Wasn’t she afraid of being a drag?

Gusheng caught up in a few steps and leaned close to Jingzhe. Gossip is human nature, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you argue with him?”

Gusheng hadn’t been with Jingzhe for long, but he also knew that Jingzhe was an easy-going person.

For it to turn out like this, it must be unusual.

Jingzhe sighed and only said that they were originally from the same place, and they had differences after going to different places.

At this time, the morning light was faint, and the young masters in various places began to wake up, dress up, or rest in their rooms, or talk in various places, and so on.

When Jingzhe was busy, he didn’t think much, but once he was a little free, he couldn’t help but think about what Chang Shou had just said.

He sighed in his heart. If he had held back just now and spoken nicely, it would have been fine. But he had argued with Chang Shou. When he went back, that gossipmonger Chang Shou would definitely add fuel to the fire.

This was a serious offense to Concubine Xu.

But he had rejected Concubine Xu before and came to the Palace Cleaning Department right after, which was also a slap in her face.

In fact, when Qiu Yi came to find him that day, it was not necessarily without Concubine Xu’s instruction. Jingzhe had always thought that Qiu Yi had gone back, but he never thought that Qiu Yi had actually… died on the road that day?

Chang Shou didn’t dare to say, only said it was a noble master.

But in the entire palace, the only ones who dared to kill palace servants so wantonly were those few… Was it His Majesty?

Did Qiu Yi bump into His Majesty?

Then why did Rong Jiu… He hadn’t been on patrol in the North Wing recently, had he gone to serve by Emperor Jingyuan’s side?

The person he killed that day was Qiu Yi?

His mind was uneasy, and he was careless in his work. In the afternoon, when he was moving things, he accidentally injured his finger, which became red and swollen.

On the way back, he held that finger and was dejected.

The palace grew dark quickly. Jingzhe was not paying attention and bumped into someone. He cried out in pain, and his nose was so sore that he was about to cry.

“Why don’t you watch where you’re going?”

It was Rong Jiu.

Hearing the voice, Jingzhe subconsciously looked up. The palace road was dark, and he could barely make out that Rong Jiu was not wearing a guard’s uniform.

And behind him were two people with their heads buried, but their clothes looked… like they were eunuchs from somewhere… but they were standing a bit far away, and he couldn’t see clearly.

“It’s nothing, why is Rong Jiu here?”

Jingzhe was going back to the North Wing. Rong Jiu came from the direction of the imperial garden and was walking west… where was he going?

But Jingzhe only thought about it for a moment and didn’t pursue it.

“To do something.” Rong Jiu said lightly.

His voice was as cold as ever.

Jingzhe was originally used to it, but he couldn’t help but think of Chang Shou’s words, thinking that Rong Jiu’s hands had killed someone who had stood before him alive… But in the end, he didn’t ask.

“Do you have something to say?” Even in the dark, Rong Jiu’s eyes seemed to have hooks, “Don’t mumble.”

Jingzhe: “I wanted to ask, but then I thought, you have your reasons for doing things. If I ask too much, wouldn’t I be slapping my own face?”

He dragged out his voice, shook his head slowly, and waved at Rong Jiu.

“You have things to do, so go quickly. I’m going back to the North Wing.”

As they brushed past each other, a cold, large hand grabbed Jingzhe’s wrist, then slid down and accurately pinched his red and swollen finger.

With a hiss, Jingzhe didn’t even care about their ambiguous movements and looked at Rong Jiu with teary eyes: “Rong Jiu, what are you doing? It hurts.”

Rong Jiu: “It’s swollen.”

Jingzhe thought it sounded strange and tried his best to explain: “I accidentally dropped something while moving things and injured it. It’s not serious.”

Rong Jiu used more force, and Jingzhe whimpered and wilted.

So! Painful!

Rong Jiu let go of his hand, took out a bottle from his pocket and threw it to Jingzhe: “Apply it when you go back, twice a day.”

Jingzhe: “No need, you gave me some before, I’ll just use that.”

Rong Jiu snorted lightly, but ignored him and left after speaking.

The two people who had been silent behind him followed closely, but they never looked up, and Jingzhe didn’t see their faces.

Jingzhe scratched his face in confusion. Was Rong Jiu angry just now?

But the snort he made was quite nice.

…After realizing what he was thinking, Jingzhe whimpered again and ran away in shame.

Sometimes he really couldn’t stand himself!

…

Coming from the imperial garden, passing through the West Qing Gate, to the palace road, and a few steps forward, was Chenghuan Palace.

Chenghuan Palace was not far from the Palace of Gathered Elegance. If one was interested, one could even hear the liveliness of the Palace of Gathered Elegance.

But today, Chenghuan Palace was brightly lit, even more ostentatious than other places.

For no other reason, Emperor Jingyuan had come.

Concubine Xu had not seen the emperor for a long time, so she was naturally very happy. She raised the lanterns everywhere, lest His Majesty be displeased.

Emperor Jingyuan was pure-hearted and had few desires. He rarely stayed overnight with the concubines and rarely flipped their nameplates. Concubine Xu had never been with Emperor Jingyuan.

But in the past, Emperor Jingyuan had played chess with her a few times. Perhaps he had taken a liking to her, and had rewarded her heavily for half a month in a row. For a time, she was in the limelight, and there was no one else like her in the harem.

After Talented Lady Liu’s death, Emperor Jingyuan had not entered the harem for a long time. The first place he came to was Chenghuan Palace, how could Concubine Xu not be happy.

Emperor Jingyuan sat down and didn’t say much. Concubine Xu was already used to it. After serving him tea, she talked about playing chess in the past and smiled with her lips pursed.

“If it were the current me, I wouldn’t have lost so many pieces to Your Majesty.”

Emperor Jingyuan said nonchalantly, “I’ve been practicing riding and archery recently, so my chess skills have declined. How about Concubine Xu accompany me to practice archery?”

Concubine Xu’s smile froze slightly, and a chill inexplicably ran down her back.

“Your Majesty, how do you want to practice?”

Emperor Jingyuan raised his eyes, and his gaze swept over the palace servants in the hall. After a while, it landed on a little eunuch who was guarding the door outside and shivering all over.

Chang Shou didn’t dare to look up at first, but he subconsciously looked over because the voice sounded familiar. But he suddenly met Emperor Jingyuan’s cold eyes, and his face was full of shock. His knees went weak, and he knelt on the ground.

How, how could it be… that face…

Emperor Jingyuan raised his eyebrows lazily: “Then it’s him.”

Chang Shou wanted to cry out for mercy, but his mouth was gagged by two eunuchs who rushed up, and he was dragged into the courtyard. Chenghuan Palace was full of high lanterns, as bright as day.

Emperor Jingyuan took the bow and arrow handed to him by Ning Hongru, and met Concubine Xu’s pale face. He rarely smiled: “Concubine Xu, don’t be afraid, my archery is not good, I’m just trying my hand.”

After speaking, his cold white fingers touched the bowstring, and the sharp arrow flew out—

With a ‘pfft’ sound, it didn’t hit the fruit.

It plunged deep into Chang Shou’s thigh meat. Chang Shou’s mouth was stuffed with a cloth strip, and he couldn’t even scream.

Emperor Jingyuan sighed, “It really has regressed.”

Concubine Xu stood under the corridor, her rosy complexion had long since faded, leaving only paleness. Her hands were clasped together, and she wished she could wring them into a twist. Why did His Majesty suddenly go crazy?

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

After several consecutive arrows, Emperor Jingyuan still couldn’t hit the target.

Chang Shou had already become a bloody man.

Ning Hongru: “Your Majesty, perhaps it’s the palace servant’s problem. How about we change one?”

Emperor Jingyuan was unenthusiastic and raised his eyebrows.

His gaze swept over carelessly and pointed at Chun Lian.

Just now, Concubine Xu had been holding back from speaking, but when it was Chun Lian’s turn, she couldn’t help but take a few steps forward: “Your Majesty, Chun Lian was brought from my home, we are like sisters, I beg Your Majesty to be merciful…” Before she could finish her words, she suddenly bit her tongue.

The sharp arrow was aimed at Concubine Xu’s eye.

The man’s fingers were on the bowstring, and in his deep, dark eyes, there was a flowing malice.

Emperor Jingyuan slowly curled his lips, like a violent beast: “You want to take her place?”

A few simple words, filled with an indescribable excitement.

As if in the next moment, he would shoot her dead on the spot.