Chapter Seven, Blowing Away the Abundant Red

Xiao You is quite concerned about her face, "I just want to know if the nose and eyes are in their proper places"

The candle wept rivers of tears on the copper sign, while the copper ring brought mourning clothes to change for her. He said, "At this moment, we must first convey the matter; the small funeral will pause at the Jinshen Hall, and the mourning bell will not be struck until dawn." He adorned her with a mourning hairstyle, securing it with a plain silver hairpin, and earnestly reminded her, "Your Highness must not be overly sorrowful; this is a critical moment of opportunity, so let everything proceed according to the circumstances."

The remaining spark of vitality was stifled, and Wanwan was reshaped to be perfectly stable. Is the so-called royal demeanor not just a sign of lethargy? After Xiaoyou left, a palace maid named Tonghuan arrived, who was older than her and very composed. Wanwan felt that she had great potential to become a skilled matron in the future. Her strength lay in her few words; even when she spoke, each sentence was well-considered, so there were hardly any mistakes. Unlike Xiaoyou, who often said, "Master, what should we do?" this phrase was completely absent from her. She could handle all unexpected situations around her very well, so when Xiao Shaojian became Xiao Zhangyin and completely ceased to manage the affairs of Yude Palace, everything remained orderly.

This incident was indeed initiated by her, while Xiao You and Wu Qi can only be considered accomplices. Although the master's mistakes are likely to be attributed to those beneath them, this situation is too extreme, and it is feared that their two lives combined may not be sufficient to offset the consequences. If she were to withdraw, she would truly have no choice but to watch them face their demise.

This was her only instance of defying Granny Jingqi, leaving Granny Li at a loss for words. After all, she was the master, a princess, and of the same generation as the emperor; even if one were to invoke family law, one would need the courage to do so.

In the eleventh year of Longhua, it rained for a long time, so long that starry spots of mold appeared at the foot of the Yude Palace walls, and even people looked damp. Wanwan received the news that the Emperor was gravely ill and went to the Yangxin Hall to see him once, but Xiao Duo secretly reminded her that the illness was contagious and did not allow her to approach the bedside. After she returned, she remained anxious and restless, sleeping very uneasily at night. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a cloud board knocking in the corridor, and she hurriedly sat up, a chill spreading through her, trembling uncontrollably.

Wanwan reassured her, although her fear of Young Master Xiao was no less than that of Granny Li, when it came to matters of life and death, she had to muster the courage to speak up.

This is the Long Princess, who often finds herself at the mercy of circumstances. No matter how esteemed her position, it makes little difference; the palace rules are strict, and the concubines must comply, as must she. She has to carefully consider his words, weighing the options to determine how to preserve them. It seems unlikely that she can keep them; perhaps Xiao Duo has come with the Empress Dowager's decree. She has made a mistake and must pay this price to remind her not to repeat the same error. She feels powerless and despondently asks, "Will the Minister of the Palace agree to spare them from suffering?"

She lay back with her head tilted up, suddenly feeling that the road ahead was bleak. The elder brother had left, gone to enjoy his fortune, leaving behind such a mess; what was to be done? Prince Rong was still young, not yet six years old, and the affairs of the court would likely fall into the hands of Empress Zhao. She was still a princess now, but before long, she would become the Grand Princess. Upon reflection, the future seemed desolate, and she felt increasingly lonely and helpless.

Wanwan propped her chin up, leaning against the hidden pouch and murmured: "He also complained, saying that the world misunderstands the Qi people, treating them as monsters. Thinking about it, they are quite pitiful, clearly looking like ordinary people, yet they have earned such a bad reputation"

A basin of water poured by Li Ma'er onto the sandy ground left not even a trace. Once she left, Xiao You came back to life, joyfully laughing: "The master is still formidable. Rather than opposing her, it is better to let her have energy with nowhere to expend it. While she is busy stoking the fire, if the master feels hungry or tired and ignores her, it is even more unbearable than being slapped in the face by her."

Wanwan was wrapped in a scarf, and all the cups, plates, and bowls were neatly arranged in front of her. Upon seeing him enter, she suddenly lost her appetite. Xiaoyou and Wuqii, frightened like rabbits, huddled closer to her. Before she could say anything, he raised his hand and sent all the attendants out, leaving only the four of them in the hall, creating an atmosphere as if they were about to settle accounts.

However, she does not understand that sometimes, while you do not think of others, others are thinking of you. After all, she is the only princess of Daye.

Wanwan suddenly realized that the appearance of the South Garden Prince had been circulated in many versions within the Yude Palace, some of which were crafted by her own hand, while others were completely fabricated by the subordinates. Reflecting on it now, she felt quite sorry for that prince. She awkwardly pressed her hand against the quilt, her fingers fidgeting aimlessly for a moment, and vaguely said: "Actually... his appearance isn't that frightening; it was all just our wild guesses before. When I saw him, I felt he resembled Xiao Shaojian a bit, not in the shape of his face, but in his stature and demeanor"

Xiao You and Wu Qi knelt down and repeatedly bowed their heads: "It is our fault, please forgive us, Young Master Xiao, and spare us this time!"

She felt somewhat dazed, her mind a chaotic mess, and before she could ponder the meaning behind her words, she simply nodded.

Xiao You was trimming the lamp flowers and, without raising her voice, said: "Is it Wang from Nanyuan? The maid hasn't seen him." She put down the scissors and came over to inquire, "What does he look like? Quickly tell me, does he have eyes like copper bells and ears like banana leaves?"

"That is only natural, he is very handsome, with delicate features. " As Wanwan spoke, she drew a circle with her hand, "There is a golden ring in his eyes, just like the halo around the sun before a strong wind. Do you know what that is? It resembles a rainbow, but it is round and more resilient than a rainbow"

The copper ring tugged at the corners of her lips, "As a servant, my time here has not been short; I have been in the palace since I was eight, and it has been a full fifteen years. I have seen much and experienced even more, and I know what to avoid at this moment. You are of royal lineage, and no one in heaven can shake your position. You have your future, and sooner or later, you will leave this Forbidden City. Therefore, it is best to remain cautious and not interfere with anything at this time."

Unfortunately, Wanwan's theory of keeping things under wraps does not hold water at the Si Li Jian. Xiao Shaojian looked at them coldly and said in a hoarse voice: "With so many eyes from the previous dynasty, I cannot suppress this matter just by my authority here. It is possible that the news has already reached Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager's inaction does not mean she is unaware; rather, she is watching how I handle this. Your Highness is looking after you, but when the Empress Dowager personally delivers punishment, not only will you not escape, but you will also implicate Your Highness." After saying this, he bowed to Wanwan, "Please leave the matter to me. It would be better if Your Highness assigned a more reliable elder to serve you, as I would feel more at ease."

The early news has arrived, and none of them are easy to deal with. However, Xiao Duo's utter disregard for human feelings truly disheartens her. Anger surged within her like a mountain: "I only have two trustworthy people, and the factory manager wants to take them away?"

Xiao You was completely baffled, "There is a ring in the eye? Isn't this just a double pupil! Two eyeballs in one frame, one on the left and one on the right."

He bowed deeper and said: "Your Highness did not heed the Emperor's advice, and even I am powerless to help."

She patted Xiao You on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, tomorrow I will find a way to speak well of you."

Xiao Shaojian furrowed his brows and said, "Just based on their act of making the master take the blame, they deserve to be skinned alive twice."

Wanwan took off her hat and placed it on the desk, "I often say, let us minimize the major issues and resolve the minor ones, how wonderful that would be. The Empress Dowager is currently hosting a grand banquet for the ministers in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, how could she possibly know about our matters here? If she were to make a fuss, it would involve the Cining Palace and the Directorate of Ceremonial, what benefit would there be in spreading this news! These matrons, usually treated like grandmothers, have grown accustomed to wielding power in the palace, and the more we respect them, the more they take advantage of it." She spoke cheerfully and freely, but then turned her thoughts to tomorrow and suddenly found herself in a dilemma, "The Minister of the Palace just said that he would come to me tomorrow to settle accounts. We may be able to evade the calamity from Matron Li, but we cannot escape the scrutiny of the Minister of the Palace."

Xiao Shaojian said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness"

Wanwan paused and said, "The Emperor merely instructed me not to provoke the King of Nanyuan, so how could I possibly disobey his words?"

Xiao You's impoverished mind could not conjure up such a magical scene; she felt her eyes could shine, perhaps like the leopard raised in the royal stable, which was quite frightening. However, the princess was in high spirits, so she could only laugh along and say: "That is truly a rarity... neither the Han people nor the Xianbei have such a thing; it is indeed quite unique in appearance"

Xiao You felt that it was not the time to worry about others; taking care of herself first was the priority. She could not sleep peacefully all night, and the next day when she met Wu Qi, both of them were trembling, just waiting for Supervisor Xiao to come and deal with them. Generally, the Office of Ceremonial Affairs is busy in the morning and only becomes free in the afternoon, but today was different. Before dawn, Supervisor Xiao had already arrived. At that time, the Grand Princess was just about to have lunch, and the eunuchs carrying the food trays with small umbrellas entered in a line. The eight golden bells on the umbrella ribs jingled as Supervisor Xiao stepped into the main hall amidst the clamor.

The copper ring bore a face full of sorrow, "Your Highness, the old gentleman has passed away."

The more ambitious one is, the less likely they are to submit to authority; it is only a matter of time. As a clever matron, wielding a chicken feather as a command only works when these masters are unaware. Once they come of age and develop their own opinions, they will not tolerate her anymore, and despite her efforts to influence them, they will remain masters. However, I never expected that the princess, with such a temperament, would become uncontrollable at merely thirteen or fourteen years old. It seems that her future desire to accompany and serve as a concubine will likely be difficult to achieve.

Her courage is small, and she knows that even if a guarantee is given, it is impossible to truly trust her. "At that time, you must not pretend to be deaf and mute; our lives are all in your hands."

Xiao You was also in a state of despair, "Tomorrow is the day of death for me and Wu Qi, Master, will you watch us die?"

When Xiao You and Wu Qi were taken away, she did not even have the courage to look at them one more time. Having a master like her is entirely their misfortune

"It was my idea to gather at the West Xihua Gate to join the fun," she said, stuttering a bit, but bravely standing at the front, pointing at Xiaoyou and Wuqii, "Don't punish them; if anyone should be punished, it should be me"

Xiao Shaojian's expression was somewhat troubled, "Your Highness, if you trust me, I assure you they will be safe. However, if someone else were to handle this, I cannot guarantee their lives will be spared."

In spring, one enjoys the flowers; in autumn, one appreciates the scenery. Living this way brings neither faults nor surprises. Wanwan has grown accustomed to accepting circumstances as they come, believing that at each stage, she would accept whatever arrangements were made, thinking that no further changes would occur. However, life is fraught with unexpected challenges. Many events were anticipated, but the one thing that was not foreseen was the sudden demise of the young emperor, who, in just a couple of months, succumbed to illness with no remedy available.

Having been caught in the rain earlier, the outside world was difficult to endure. Now back home, she changed into clean clothes and sat in the warm bedding, feeling completely relaxed. She held a cup of milk tea, sipping it slowly, and recalled that Wang from Nanyuan, softly asking Xiaoyou: "Have you seen that Yuwen Liangshi?"

Wanwan raised her eyes to look at her, "What does this mean?"

The copper ring lit up as she entered, and she hugged her knees and asked her: "How is it?"

Wanwan had long known that she could never truly connect with her. Usually, she did not like to argue with her, but this time she felt the need to explain. She straightened her posture and looked at her sincerely, "Xiao You, it is a hollow ring, located within the black pupil, not outside, and certainly not to the left or right. If you look at it positively, your eyes can shine, and when I gaze at you, it can make you feel dazed."