Chapter 8, the embroidered pillow and quilt secretly display the essence of spring

I almost fainted, grabbing Aunt Xi and exclaimed, "Aunt Xi, what is wrong with me? What is happening?"

playthings

There seems to be a restrained smile outside

I could not care about anything else and pointed at the mattress, scolding: "Look at you, you've gotten the blood from your wound all over my bed! It's filthy! I should have known to change the mattress in the middle of the night!"

Aunt Xi approached my door and reported, "Princess, there are guards coming to search for assassins, as they suspect that one may have infiltrated the palace, fearing for your safety."

Even if Junyu were to one day regain control of the imperial power, with such a leader in existence, one could not expect to rest easy.

The soldiers inspected the windows and the corners of the four walls. The leader then approached my bedside and bowed to me, saying: "Princess, please rest well. We shall take our leave now. If the princess has any requests, just give a command, and we will not hesitate to face any danger, be it a mountain of knives or a sea of fire"

Hearing the sound of crickets, I looked up and, through the gauze, saw An Yichen adding coal to the stove, tightly wrapped in his cotton robe, as if he could hardly bear the cold.

The one currently in charge has been smiling repeatedly, yet ultimately does not dare to raise their head to look at me closely: "On the Empress Dowager's side, someone has also gone to investigate, and they will certainly ensure the safety of the Empress and the Princess"

I was startled and quickly sat up

Aunt Xi said to me: "Let us go out to change our clothes. The princess finds it inconvenient, so for the next few days, let her sleep in the outer room with me. We can give this room to her for now. If it feels dirty, we can have someone come and bring more water to wash it later, shall we?"

Regarding An Yichen's matter, she did not dare to let her mother know for the time being. Her mother already had a heavy heart, and she did not want to add to her worries

"Young master, what do you think?" Aunt Xi reached out to feel his forehead, but immediately withdrew her hand: "Are you running a fever?"

Qiu Lan's accomplice? Suddenly, I had a bold conjecture, and I immediately voiced it: "You are An Shiyuan's son, An Yichen?" An Shiyuan's second son should be around this age, and moreover, this person's demeanor is certainly not that of someone who would be subordinate to others. It is said that although An Yichen is young, he carries himself with grace, is straightforward and righteous, and possesses the demeanor of a cultured general.

An Yichen looked at me in surprise, continued to tend to the fire, and silently gazed through the gauze at the tightly shut window

An Yichen continued to scratch his head: "You really can guess! That's right, Yuwen Zhao definitely wants to capture me, but I know the princess will never let him catch me."

I yawn repeatedly: "Stop nagging, hurry up and look for where the assassin is hiding. I'm about to fall asleep."

An Yichen lifted the brocade quilt, quickly jumped out of bed, and with a swift flick of his tongue, uttered two words: "My apologies!" His face, however, was flushed red, and he hardly dared to raise his head to look at me, completely devoid of the earlier composure and grace.

An Yichen's star-like eyes held a moment of profound depth, so deep that it seemed to pierce into my heart. Then, as he spoke, the childishness between his brows had vanished: "I don't believe it. I absolutely do not believe that you mother and daughter would willingly become Yu Wenzhao's playthings."

An Yichen chuckled lightly: "If you can trust her, how much more can you trust me?"

"Princess, how can you explain to others that he walked out of your room in broad daylight if you send him away at this moment? Moreover, do you truly wish for his death? He is the one that Yuwen Zhao is intent on killing; are you also assisting Yuwen Zhao in his murder?" Aunt Xi continued to speak gently, yet her words were a series of probing questions.

Aunt Xi's voice is gentle and soft, like a soothing melody. As I listen to her speak, I become increasingly drowsy, slowly letting my eyelids droop. Since childhood, Aunt Xi has used this soft and tender voice to lull me to sleep time and again

I cannot help but regard this young man with newfound respect

If Yu Wen Zhao and his son were to know, my gaze would surely evoke some change in their expressions

An Yichen seemed to feel guilty towards me, casting a somewhat remorseful glance in my direction before he finally managed to lift his foot and move towards the edge of the bed

"Do you know me?" At this moment, it was the boy's turn to be astonished, his mouth agape.

I found myself in close proximity to a strange young boy, feeling quite uneasy. The parts of our bodies that were in contact through our clothing felt as if tiny insects were crawling over them, which was quite an odd sensation. However, seeing him like that made me unable to suppress a laugh. I playfully kicked him with my foot and said, "What are you still doing here? Keep your distance from me."

He stood quietly in front of the bed, gazing at me.

I leaned half against the bed, with a pillow draped over my half-raised legs, appearing extremely weary and on the verge of sleep, yet my skin on the chest revealed even more.

It is only natural for girls to be delicate, as my mother has always said, a young lady should be pampered and fragile, growing and living under the careful protection of men; however, it is laughable for boys to be so delicate, without a strong body, how can they venture into entrepreneurship and carve out their own space in the world

Many of Yuwen Zhao's subordinates know me and naturally understand that I am more valuable than An Yisi and Du Zirui. Therefore, it is most appropriate for me to cover the rear he said briefly

I brought Aunt Xi's hand to rest on my pillow and murmured, "Aunt Xi, are you really going to keep him hidden in my room? I don't like having someone watching me while I sleep"

An Yichen had already grasped the sword, feeling somewhat tense as he watched the torchlight outside draw nearer, then he froze. The light filtered through several layers of windows. Following that, there came a very cautious knock at the door

Aunt Xi hesitated for a moment and fell silent

Even he understands it, yet I do not, causing such an embarrassing joke! I feel a surge of anger rising within me

When the sunflower water arrives, she is a woman, not a little girl anymore

That Yu Wenqing, whom I have never met, is far more detestable than An Yichen

An Yichen bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you, Aunt Xi!" He was quite well-mannered, addressing me as Aunt Xi regardless of our closeness. However, his demeanor was gentle and courteous, elegant and appropriate, without coming across as abrupt

He spoke so eloquently, yet I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye that he was rambling on for quite a while, but it was merely to get a better view of the situation under the bed.

"This is Princess Xianfeng's room, what brings you here?" I heard Aunt Xi speaking from outside, then she lit a candle, lazily put on her clothes, and her tall shadow was clearly cast on the window

I reached out and touched his forehead, and was startled; it was as hot as a furnace. No wonder he had been clinging to the furnace, looking half-dead!

Even among the children of prominent families, it is rare to find young individuals who possess such demeanor

Aunt Xi gently comforted me to lie down, lowered the curtain, and then turned back with a smile, saying: "You are too polite, my lord. If the Empress Dowager and the Regent Prince knew how dedicated you are, they would surely be very pleased"

I once thought that both my mother and I were like puppets of the Yuwen family, but to be so blatantly referred to as his plaything, that kind of humiliation swiftly tore my paper-thin self-esteem in half and ground it underfoot

It must be good, even if it is not.

"An assassin has entered the palace. I am ordered by the regent to search the entire palace, so I kindly ask for your cooperation, esteemed aunt." The visitor's words were quite polite, yet it was clear that even my place was to be searched.

I was startled and hurriedly looked down, clearly seeing a hint of crimson slowly seeping through my nightgown. Turning to look at the hem of my skirt behind me, it was also in disarray with remnants of red.

I smoothed out the quilt, half-unbuttoned my nightgown, exposing most of my snow-white shoulders, and hugged a pillow to my chest. As I saw four soldiers step into the room, I called out, "Aunt Xi, please pull back the curtain and light all the lamps so we can have a good look. It’s truly strange, Uncle Yuwen is so skilled, how could he allow an assassin to enter the palace? Has there been any investigation with Mother? Her courage is even smaller than mine; what if she fails to uncover any of the villains?" It’s truly strange, Uncle Yuwen is so skilled, how could he allow an assassin to enter the palace? Has there been any investigation with Mother? Her courage is even smaller than mine; what if she fails to uncover any of the villains?

At this moment, Aunt Xi has hurriedly entered, urgently asking: "What is the matter?"

I pushed aside Aunt Xi, grabbed the pillow, and threw it away as he did: "I told you not to come into this curtain, why did you come in again? Shameless! Shameless!"

An Yichen noticed that I was observing him, his pale cheeks turned crimson, and with his eyelids lowered, he gently said: "Thank you, Aunt."

I guessed it! I was quite pleased to find that I was right. I reached out and pulled a brocade quilt from the bed to the floor, wrapped myself in it, and curiously looked at him: "What are you doing running around the palace? Don't you know that Yuwen Zhao is thinking about capturing you?"

I truly do not wish to see this person again

An Yichen smiled slightly, took a silver poker to stir the charcoal fire, and did not pay attention to the provocation in my words. He slowly said: "The person who entered the Yuwen residence to assassinate Yuwen Zhao last time was indeed from our Jinzhou. I do not agree with their reckless actions, but they insisted on doing so... Besides those who have already been killed, there are also two brothers who have been captured alive."

Aunt Xi gently stroked my long hair and said, "Silly princess, that child does not seem to be a bad person. We will use a curtain to separate us; he will not peek at you. Even if it is somewhat inconvenient, we can endure it for a few days. The situation outside is very tense; letting him go out now would likely mean sending him to his death. You must understand, saving a life is more valuable than building a seven-story pagoda. They have already searched this place and will not return for the time being. Ordinary people also do not dare to come here, so it is quite safe. The situation outside is very tense; letting him go out now would likely mean sending him to his death. You must understand, saving a life is more valuable than building a seven-story pagoda. They have already searched this place and will not return for the time being. Ordinary people also do not dare to come here, so it is quite safe. Princess, you just..."

I thoughtlessly slapped him across the face, the sound crisp and clear, instantly leaving five faint red fingerprints.

Aunt Xi caught my bare foot and tucked it under the blanket, saying: "Princess, be careful not to get cold!"

I won't even lift my eyelids: "I simply do not want Yu Wen Zhao to think that I have any connection with you traitors. Who wants to save you? Just wait, when dawn breaks, I will have someone take you away. You come barging into our Zhao Yang Palace, thinking that my mother and I are easy to bully?"

At such a young age, he has already achieved so much. Then, ten years from now, how many loyal warriors will pledge their lives to him?

I pointed to the space between the beds and said with grievance: "Look, this person has gotten their dirty blood all over my bed."

I felt at ease, nestled in her embrace, laughing joyfully

The clamor outside the palace suddenly resumed after a period of silence, and even the sound of hurried footsteps began to echo chaotically within the palace

I was even more narrow-minded, exclaiming: "Come in quickly and help me look for it, don't let real bad people hide in my room!"

"Princess, do not be willful. Help this young master to the bed, so I can see where he is injured." Aunt Xi no longer listened to me and hurriedly helped An Yichen up, leading him towards my intricately carved phoenix bed

So there are still those alive! Before my eyes, the image of the evening butterfly after its death always emerges, its tragic and resolute fall to the ground like a night butterfly with broken wings, murmuring: "Tonight is New Year's Eve, the palace's defenses are at their weakest, so you personally came to save someone? With such devoted subordinates, it is no wonder there are many desperate warriors willing to sacrifice their lives. It is a pity that all this effort was in vain, and you still did not succeed, right?"

"If it is not your blood, could it be my blood?" I was furious, almost ready to point my finger at his nose and scold him

I feigned hesitation and said: "Are there assassins? Isn't today New Year's Eve? Don't they celebrate the New Year?"

How can someone as embarrassing as me constantly sway in front of me, reminding me of my own embarrassing moments? Is it not intended to make me feel utterly mortified?

"It must be an infection of the wound." I still remember that he had been injured, and then I recalled mistaking the sunflower water for his blood, which instantly made me feel depressed: "He deserves to die from the illness"

This is certainly not the cautious steps of the eunuchs and palace maids in the palace

Ah! I exclaimed in fear, dragging out the last syllable, and then lifted the brocade quilt, signaling An Yichen to come over.

Having grown up, I am no longer a little girl, but rather considered a woman? I vaguely remember having seen palace maids secretly using certain items, and I have also heard some discussions. My face suddenly flushed, and my voice instantly turned into a whisper: "In other words, every girl experiences this when she grows up, right?"

Is that blood flowing out of my body

Recalling the expression he had just before he spoke, it seems he understands

He actually used himself as bait to divert the opponent, allowing his companions to escape

An Yichen surprisingly did not dodge, and I kicked him solidly on the kneecap. He continued to touch the painful spot with a flushed face, remaining silent, seemingly a bit dazed.

Indeed. With this, a girl can marry and bear children. Aunt Xi smiled gently, holding me close, her warmth seeping through my clothes. Aunt Xi should have taught you some things earlier, so you wouldn't have been so alarmed today

Then someone responded more respectfully: "Your Highness, those wicked individuals do not understand the principles of heaven and humanity. May I be allowed to enter and conduct a search? It is possible that they are hiding in some corner of your room, waiting for an opportunity to harm you! Who does not know that you are the apple of the Empress Dowager's eye?"

Moreover, the bed was already piled high with brocade quilts, and with Aunt Xi sitting at the edge of the bed chatting away, it would indeed be strange if he could see clearly

Aunt Xi also peeked in, seemingly taken aback, hurriedly threw down the heater and rushed into the room, heading towards An Yichen

An Yichen unexpectedly blushed and hesitated for a moment

"You... you are indeed very confident!" I exclaimed in surprise, "However, Yu Wenzhao has treated me well, while you, An Jia, have not been so kind to our Huangfu family. I still need to weigh this matter carefully!"

Aunt Xi helped me sit down and said gently, "There is no need to be afraid, no need to be afraid, it is a joyous occasion, a joyous occasion. The sunflower water has arrived, which proves that the princess has grown up!"

Unfortunately, one's gaze ultimately cannot kill

I apologize. After a long while, An Yichen lowered his head and said softly: I spoke too abruptly

An Yichen had no choice but to leap to my side, holding his breath and remaining completely still

I mumbled, "It's so noisy, how can I sleep?"

Oh, he is..." Aunt Xi carefully examined An Yichen and smiled, saying: "He must be from a prominent family. It is quite chaotic outside right now; it would be inconvenient to go out at this moment. It would be better to stay here for a day or two before leaving.

My mother and I are the playthings of Yuwen Zhao

Aunt Xi helped him lie down comfortably and then asked, "Where are you hurt?"

I yawned and called out, "Aunt Xi, what are you doing outside? It's so noisy!"

I pointed to his abdomen: "Right here, I saw blood coming out last night."

Aunt Xi hurriedly removed his outer robe, revealing a small cotton shirt in royal blue with floral patterns underneath. She untied the cloth that was wrapped around the wound and couldn't help but sigh, saying: "He is also a child who does not know how to take care of himself, surprisingly not bandaging the wound or applying medicine, just tying it up like this; it is strange that he is not ill."

For a moment, the people had left, and the surroundings returned to silence. Aunt Xi tightly bolted the door, extinguished all the lights, leaving only one lamp inside the curtain. She then walked over, draped a garment over me, and softly asked, "Who was that person?"

An Yichen heard the scream and immediately lifted the curtain and rushed over, then looked at me with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty. His face was pale to the point of being bluish, and even his eyes shone with an unusual brightness

He laughed and said, "They have already been rescued by my brothers. I am the one who brings up the rear"

As I lazily got out of bed and put on my clothes, I called for Aunt Xi to come in. Unintentionally, I turned my head to look at the bedding and suddenly let out a startled cry.

Those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for their brothers and subordinates naturally possess a fatal allure for the knights of Yan and Zhao, even more so than the Golden Terrace and the Recruitment Tower.

Aunt Xi has always been very alert while sleeping, and there is only a thin wooden wall separating her from my room, which is to facilitate her care for me. Usually, when I cough in bed, she will quietly come over to check on me. At this moment, I am slapping my ears and cursing, and it would indeed be strange if she couldn't hear me. I shot An Yichen a glance and said, "What, do you want to kill her to silence her?"

I feel that it has become even colder today, wrapped in a blanket, leaning by the charcoal stove, yet I am still shivering with cold

Isn't it? An Yichen clearly did not expect my reaction to be so intense, momentarily taken aback, scrutinizing me, while I could no longer hold back my tears

The person spoke even more politely: "Aunt, I am also acting in accordance with orders. After all, the princess is alone in her chamber; if an assassin were to infiltrate and harm her, our culpability would be significant"

He reached out and tore away his clothing, revealing the wound, which was indeed severely swollen and oozing blood. His skin was originally of a very fair complexion, and the flat abdomen was so abruptly swollen in one area, making the wound appear even more hideous.

I sat amidst the brocade quilt, casting a cold gaze towards An Yichen

An Yichen was surprisingly still sitting cross-legged beside the charcoal stove, looking even more wan and pale.

Before she finished speaking, a wave of soreness hit my nose, and I sneezed twice. It seems that I had already been through enough turmoil that night; it would be terrible if I caught a cold. I hurriedly burrowed into the quilt and said, "Aunt Xi, please help me drive this person away. Who he is has nothing to do with us."

No. An Yichen gazed at me quietly, his eyes already warm, mixed with suppressed sympathy and pity: "I only heard Qiu Lan say that you were willing to secretly arrange for someone to rescue him, thinking that you must have also endured grievances."

I could not help but frown, hugging the blanket as I walked back to my own bed, and said: "There is still quite a while until dawn. If you could be quiet for a while, you may leave; do not burden me here. Now I must sleep, I am very tired."

"Aunt Xi, drive him away!" I exclaimed willfully, "I do not want to see this person again"

I felt somewhat disdainful. This room is already warm enough, and his clothing is not thin, yet he is so cold; it is evident that he must be quite delicate in his usual state

I glared at that boy who was clearly more mature—at least more worldly than I was—and felt an intense urge to rush over and kill him

Is it not true that the people of the world believe that my mother and I are mere playthings of Yu Wen Zhao, that we have used our own bodies to sustain my brother's nominally existing throne? Although it is difficult to speak of, I still managed to ask. If the world thinks this way, what use is it to slap him? Perhaps the world believes that it is us, mother and daughter, who deserve the slap.

At a glance, I caught sight of An Yichen, whose face was also flushed, resembling a smile yet not quite a smile

I hate to think that if they have the ability to bring Yu Wenqing to marry me now, I will definitely find a way to kill him

So delicate. In such a hot room, still clinging to the stove I scoffed at it

"This person, is he sleeping outside the princess's room?" An Yichen hesitated and asked in a low voice, "Then while we were talking here, could she have already heard us?"

Moreover, I am disheveled; even if I borrow his courage, would he dare to scrutinize me closely

"Is it frozen?" Aunt Xi guessed

An Yichen opened his eyes and forced a smile, saying: "Aunt Xi, I am fine"

Aunt Xi approached me busily and said, "Princess, lie down and sleep well, it seems you have caught a cold!"

"Like a girl, blushing at the sight of others, blushing when making mistakes, blushing when lying!" I scoffed.

At this moment, another surge of heat erupted from within the body

On the snow-white mattress, large bright red flowers bloomed, striking the eye with their vividness

Yuwen Zhao evidently had something on his mind. After receiving the homage of the crowd together with his mother and Junyu in the morning, he hurriedly left. Feeling unwell, I had lunch with my mother at noon and then returned to my room to sleep

On the table lay the congee and buns prepared for him by Aunt Xi, still neatly arranged, indicating that not a single bite had been taken

When I woke up again, it was already bright outside. I felt dizzy and uncomfortable, undoubtedly because I had not slept well the night before

An Yichen hurriedly and flusteredly retreated, in a state of utter disarray

Aunt Xi lifted the quilt to take a look, then sized me up and suddenly laughed as if she had just realized something: "Qiqing, do you know that you have grown up?"

You? To be the rear guard? Clearly, he is held in high regard, yet he is asked to be the rear guard?

I peered into my own inner chamber with ill intent and said: "Perhaps we can make him sleep, and find an ordinary dark room that we don't usually need to throw him into and lock him up for a few days"

The princess is already asleep! Aunt Xi has opened the door and said from outside: "On such a cold day, especially during the New Year, it would not be good to disturb her. Moreover, how could there be an assassin in the princess's bedroom?"

An Yichen looked at me with confusion, as if he suddenly discovered something. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word, and his face turned red.

An Yichen pressed his hand against his abdomen and murmured, "My wound is bandaged tightly, it should... not be my blood"

He was silent for a moment, then said: "One is named An Yisi, he is my cousin, and the other is named Du Zirui, he is my good brother. We have sent people several times to secretly infiltrate the Yuwen residence to investigate, but there has been no news. It was only recently that I learned that Yuwen Zhao has imprisoned them in a secret chamber somewhere in the palace"

To protect the rebellious, naturally I also bear some responsibility. Yet he is so certain that I would not turn around and betray him

The chief guard repeatedly expressed his apologies, hurriedly led the armored soldiers away, and closed the door again. Meanwhile, I began to complain in bed about being disturbed, asking for tea one moment and snacks the next.

I have grown up? What does that even mean? I am still baffled.

It is! Someone responded in a respectful tone and has already begun to push the door open and enter

An Yichen's eyes were remarkably bright again

Aunt Xi, while warming the quilt with the stove, said: "Although I have changed to a new quilt, the bed is a bit small; I wonder if the princess will be able to sleep comfortably."

My mother knew that my sunflower water had arrived, feeling both worried and happy. She quietly said to Aunt Xi, "Well, let's keep it quiet for now, so that no one finds out."