Chapter Nine, Eastern Palace · Xun

Su Ying's blank heart only remembered that her brother wanted her to find the Empress, and she hurried towards the Empress's tent.

Su Ying was aware that something was amiss, so she said: "I do not know what matters there are on the fifth of next month, but in any case, it would not be wrong for my brother to be cautious."

Does brother want to go with the Eastern Palace

Su Ying hurriedly knelt down, hearing the person laugh and say: "Su Shuai, what is this?" His voice was clear and melodious, truly pleasant to hear, and once heard, it would not be easily forgotten. Especially since Su Ying had just heard it the night before, she would not mistake it.

Su Ying took the opportunity to glance at the Eastern Palace. She had not seen clearly before, but now she noticed that the person from the Eastern Palace was exceptionally handsome, bearing a striking resemblance to the Empress, yet with a touch more masculine vigor in his brows and eyes, which were bright and spirited. His eyes were clear and cold, as if he wished to see through a person at a single glance. When Su Ying's gaze met his, her heart skipped a beat. In that moment, she could not think of any excuse to hastily escape from before him, and could only timidly say, "This servant will take her leave now..."

No. Su Sa asked straightforwardly: "Are there any spices that can induce sleep?"

Xin Mo glanced at Su Ying and, seeing her anxious face flushed red, bent down and replied, "This is a relative of mine." As he exchanged a few words with the Wei Wei, he pulled Su Ying aside and asked, "How did Su Fengxiang end up here?"

"Sir Bai, I would like to borrow a horse," Su Ying said

Understood. Su Ying nodded, opened several paper packages, and took out some unground whole spices to hand to her brother, saying: "This is all I have at hand—once ignited and placed at the other person's nostrils, it will cause them to faint"

Xin Mo was somewhat surprised: "What do you want the horse for?"

The queen shook her head and said slowly: "The quality of incense is not related to its ranking on the list; it is determined by the affinity between people. Even if it is the highest grade of incense on the list, if others do not like it, it cannot be considered good incense"

Where are you thinking of going! Su Sa frowned and said: Don't ask too much, if there is any, hurry up and give it to me

Su Ying could not guess what the queen was thinking, and after entering the palace, she became even more cautious than usual

Damei stood up and smoothed out the creases in her dress, asking: "Does this outfit look good on me?"

Su Ying hurriedly comforted them, speaking kind words for quite a while. Only then did Dan Pin let out a cold snort and say to Li Yuan and Rou Yuan: "Today’s hunt—since we are wielding knives and swords, it is inevitable that someone will get hurt. If you still want to claim to be members of the Su family, then do something to let those lowly women in the harem know that you two are not to be trifled with"

Su Ying furrowed her brows in great difficulty and said: "Lord Bai, I..."

Su Ying walked into the pavilion, unsure of which direction to take in order to find Su Sa. Looking around, she noticed that all the people heading to the Eastern Palace had unfamiliar faces. As she was feeling anxious, she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind: "Su Fengxiang!"

If what Su Sa said is true, the large entourage of the Eastern Palace has only one target: Prime Minister Ju Hanxuan. However, their prey is not like deer or rabbits, which are unaware of the impending doom and only know to flee

Liyuan and Rouyuan withdrew from the account timidly, and Suying then said: "Aunt, why must you be angry? The entire harem will make things difficult for Caiyuan, so why should the sisters step forward..."

The Guard Commander saw her hesitating and then silently called the letter closer, asking: "Who is this person that you speak of? She said she knows you."

The first horn sounded three times, and Su Ying knew that the emperor and empress's entourage had set off. She found it uninteresting and was repeatedly counting the spices. Suddenly, Su Za hurriedly burst into the tent, startling Su Ying.

Su Ying sincerely praised: "Aunt looks good in anything!"

A few hours ago, after Dan Pin's tent was set up, Su Ying went to her aunt's place to deliver some prepared spices. She happened to stumble upon the scene where Dan Pin was angrily reprimanding Li Yuan and Rou Yuan

The Eastern Palace chuckled lightly and said, "That is also true. Su Fengxiang, you may rise. Su Shu has been by my side since childhood, unlike others. If you wish to come to the Eastern Palace to find him in the future, there is no need to be evasive; just come in."

This is her first time participating in the royal hunt, yet she cannot leave the tent and enter the forest. This is somewhat regrettable, but Su Ying would rather sit in the tent than be caught between the queen, her aunt, and her two sisters, observing their expressions.

After the second horn sounded following the first, a long time passed before the second sound was heard. Su Ying sat restlessly, listening intently for the third sound. If the third horn were to sound, it would mean that the Eastern Palace was going hunting as planned, and Su Sa had failed.

Su Ying tossed and turned in bed, unable to find peace. After closing her eyes for a while, she got up. She knew her brother was on duty at the Eastern Palace today and should be quite busy at the moment, likely in need of a little break. Su Ying carefully examined her appearance in the mirror—she looked no different from an ordinary palace maid, with nothing particularly eye-catching. The hairpin on her head seemed somewhat extravagant, so she took it off and put it away. After looking at her reflection in the mirror again, she finally nodded in satisfaction.

Surely the attendants outside the East Palace are also anxious and uneasy? She calculated the time—if Su Sa succeeded, the East Palace would have already fallen asleep by now

Upon hearing these three characters, Su Sa's expression changed.

Su Ying saw that the other party was dressed in the attire of a Weiwei, and hurriedly performed a greeting, saying: "My lord, I am a servant sent by the Danxi Palace to find the Deputy Weiwei."

Su Ying replied: "The servant knows that after the hunting expedition, it is necessary to burn 'Xiangyun ointment' to scent the clothes"

The Eastern Palace said: "Oh, it can be told to the Right Guard Commander, but it cannot be told to me"

Su Ying was taken aback and instinctively asked, "Sleep? For how long?"

What? Is the Eastern Palace going mad? Dealing with his adoptive father is no different from striking a stone with an egg

Although the queen was not in the tent, the attendants left behind in the main tent knew which direction she had gone. Su Ying dared not show any signs of panic and casually chatted with a few familiar palace maids, effortlessly inquiring about the queen's whereabouts. She hurriedly made her way to find a horse—there was no chance of getting any assistance from the stables, that was out of the question. There were still many horses at the Danxi Palace Guard's office, and Su Ying was fervently hoping that Xin Mo would be there today, but she could not find him no matter what.

Su Ying had already broken out in a layer of cold sweat on her back, yet her face still wore a smiling expression as she said, "Su Ying is someone without any ideas. Whatever my aunt says to do, I will just do it."

"Two useless things!" Dan Pin said sharply, "How could you, having been educated by your family since childhood, allow a mere incense bearer to rise up and stand on equal footing with you? How do you serve the Emperor? How could you let an outsider ascend the dragon bed?"

Su Ying found the Emperor, whom she had never met, to be a peculiar person. He often recited Buddhist scriptures, yet he also enjoyed hunting; he was very fond of his Empress, frequently bestowing various gifts upon her, but he would turn around and favor the incense attendant beside the Empress. Prime Minister Ju Huanxuan wielded immense power day by day, and he could act as if nothing were amiss, continuing to burn incense, chant sutras, and plan hunts, yet Ju Huanxuan still treated him with utmost respect, as if there were not a trace of negligence in his demeanor or actions—what kind of person was he? Su Ying was very curious, but she did not dare to make rash assumptions. He could act as if nothing were amiss, continuing to burn incense, chant sutras, and plan hunts, yet Ju Huanxuan still treated him with utmost respect, as if there were not a trace of negligence in his demeanor or actions—what kind of person was he? Su Ying was very curious, but she did not dare to make rash assumptions.

Su Ying pondered for a moment and did not respond immediately. Su Sa urged softly from the side, "Your Highness has asked a question, why do you not answer truthfully at once!"

Su Sa lowered her voice and said: "I do not want the Eastern Palace to suffer... Do you understand?"

Yes. Su Yingdao: "If my brother finds out about what happened last night, he will be worried without understanding the situation."

Xin Mo nodded slightly: "Su Fengxiang is waiting here, I will go and see—Right Guard should be free at this time."

Su Sa wanted to say something, but upon hearing the horn sound for the second time—that was the signal for the Eastern Palace to go hunting. He held Su Ying's hand tightly, saying nothing.

Su Ying understood that she was unwilling to be surpassed by Wen Caiyuan, and said: "Your Highness, rest assured. You are the sovereign of the harem, and everything should naturally be the crown of the harem."

Xin Mo silently looked at her and sighed helplessly: "You always look at people like this... I won't ask, just so you know." He glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then took off his cloak and draped it over Su Ying, saying: "You can't go to the hunting grounds like this—don't let anyone see your attire. My horse has a gentle temperament and is much more obedient than your brother's horse, so you can ride it."

Dan Pin coldly smiled and said, "Yes, yes, yes, the entire harem will pick on Cai Yuan's faults. But within the harem, only these two and Cai Yuan share the same rank. If they do not take action, others will only see them as easy targets. If anyone had the ability to remove Cai Yuan, they would also have the ability to eliminate the two of them. Regardless of whether they have the wit to scheme against Cai Yuan, at least putting on a show would make others wary of them." As she spoke, she cast a faint glance at Su Ying: "I know you do not rely on these two sisters, nor do you think highly of them. But now, in the harem, they are the only ones who are family with me. Even if I do not like them, I will not allow anyone to trample on them."

Today is the day of the hunt, and those who come out wish they had eight ears and ten pairs of eyes! Who would need the hypnotic spices!" Su Ying firmly said: "Moreover, the spices brought out are limited in quantity! How can I give them to you? Brother, you... you aren't planning to do something dangerous, are you?"

The queen had originally stated that Su Ying need not come to offer incense on this day, yet after noon, she sent someone to summon her

Su Ying is also a servant of Feng Xiang. Dan Pin did not scold Wen Feng Xiang as a maid in front of her, which clearly shows that she is giving her great face. Su Ying looked at them: Dan Pin was dressed in hunting attire, exuding a heroic and imposing presence; Li Yuan and Rou Yuan were also in hunting outfits, but they could not match Dan Pin's elegance. They shrank back in front of Dan Pin, not daring to retort. Rou Yuan was even scolded so harshly by Dan Pin that she burst into tears.

She had once seen a map of the inner palace in a book discarded by her sisters, but at that time, she did not pay much attention to it. She vaguely remembered that beside the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, there were two enormous pavilions called "Lingxu" and "Yufeng," built several generations ago. After walking for a while, Suying indeed saw two identical enormous pavilions. Beyond the pavilions was the Eastern Palace, bustling with many people coming and going.

Your Highness, this is my sister, Su Fengxiang, who serves the Empress in the Danxi Palace

Su Ying opened her mouth, suddenly showing a change in expression. Su Sa knew that she had seen someone approaching, and quickly turned around to see a young man walking towards them. Su Ying recognized him as the one who had smiled at her earlier, feeling at a loss for what to do. Su Sa had already bowed to the young man and said to Su Ying: "Why haven't you knelt to pay your respects to the Eastern Palace?"

Su Ying was at a loss for words, while Su Sa had already stepped in to diffuse the situation: "Your Highness, my sister has just entered the palace, so please do not make it difficult for her."

After the second horn sounded, a considerable amount of time passed without the third sound... Su Ying stood dazed in the tent, her mind a blank. How long had this period lasted? Several times, Su Ying even experienced hallucinations, feeling as if the third horn had already sounded, or as if it was ringing in her ears.

She did not wish to draw attention to herself on this journey

How are you?" He looked around to see no one was nearby and said with concern, "I heard this morning that there was a commotion at the Danxi Palace all night, saying that a fragrant offering went missing—I was worried that something had happened to you.

Upon seeing Su Ying enter, Dan Pin's tone softened somewhat - "If you still have any sense of face, then think carefully about how to resolve this matter! The entire harem is watching the two of you make fools of yourselves. If you can endure this humiliation, then bear it! But do not call me 'Aunt' in the future - I will not endure this silent suffering alongside you."

"Where did you hear that?" Su Sha pulled her sister aside and said, "On the fifth day of next month, the Emperor will go hunting. The Empress, the aunt, the Eastern Palace, and Lord Ju will all accompany him. The palace has been preparing for this in recent days"

Brother!" She struggled to emit a sound from her throat, her body swayed slightly, nearly falling over

The queen remained silent, and the attendant beside her, Ling Ge, said: "After the hunt, when His Majesty bestows rewards, we must burn 'Qingyou' to mask the bloodiness of the prey. During the banquet, we should burn 'Tongqing' to enhance the atmosphere. After the banquet, in the emperor's tent, we need to burn 'Changye' to dispel the scent of the ministers. Each of these incense must be prepared in seven portions. Additionally, we need to prepare fourteen portions of 'Baochao', twenty-one portions of 'Xiaolu', and forty-nine portions of 'Bailu'—these are for His Majesty to reward the ministers with fragrant clothing. Furthermore, we must prepare fourteen portions of incense paste 'Yaoran' or 'Youran', which are for the empress to reward the concubines accompanying the hunt with baths."

I don't have time to talk to you! Su Sa's expression was anxious as she rubbed her hands and said, "A Ying, things are not looking good! The Eastern Palace intends to take advantage of today's hunt to harm Lord Ju!"

The man smiled briefly and then walked away. Su Ying did not take him to heart; she simply felt uncomfortable being seen so hastily—previously, at home, although no one regarded her as important, the men moving about the house would not stare at her so boldly.

A person walked past outside the pavilion, and Su Ying thought it was her brother, but it was merely a stranger, a young man. She hurriedly turned to the side, averting her face.

What is it that I have to do?" Su Sa hurriedly interrupted her, speaking in a low and stern voice: "Things in the palace are not the same as at home; some words must not be spoken carelessly!"

Xin Mo smiled and asked her: "Is Su Fengxiang here to see the Right Guard?"

Su Ying immediately knelt down: "This servant understands."

She recalled the exchange from earlier once again and found nothing inappropriate about it, which allowed her to return to her residence with composure

"You may go and prepare now," the Queen smiled, watching Su Ying retreat towards the palace gate. Suddenly, she changed her tone: "Su Fengxiang, you are a clever person, so I need not elaborate further, do I? -- Wen Caiyuan is also a clever person, but she is not clever enough: she does not realize that moving too quickly in this palace will surely lead to a terrible fall. As a girl from the Su family, you should have understood this principle since childhood."

"It looks good, but it’s of no use..." Dan Pin suddenly sighed without any context, murmuring in a tone of lament, "He doesn’t have me in his heart... Sigh! Why am I telling you all this! You should hurry back, lest the Empress sends someone looking for you and causes a scene in a flurry."

After the queen rested, her complexion improved significantly compared to the morning, and beneath her radiant smile seemed to hide something. Once Su Ying completed her formalities, the queen said: "On the fifth day of next month, I will accompany His Majesty on a hunting expedition. I originally planned to have Wen Fengxiang join us, but she has just been promoted to a talented woman... The situation is sudden, leaving no time for preparation. Fortunately, there is still you in the palace—Su Fengxiang, do you know what incense is needed for the hunting trip?"

Su Ying turned around and saw that the person approaching her was Bai Xinmo. She hurriedly bowed, realizing that she had been so flustered last night that she had forgotten that his official rank was much higher than hers when he came to her rescue.

Su Yingdao: "I am fine. Let's not talk about this for now—after all, the Empress is not causing a stir for my sake. Brother..." She anxiously glanced around before quietly asking: "On the fifth of next month..."

Su Ying bit her lip and said, "The Eastern Palace already knows about brother's matter..."

She was anxiously waiting outside the commander's tent when she suddenly heard someone ask: "What are you doing? Why are you lingering outside the tent?"

"I remember," Su Ying nodded, pulling at her brother's sleeve, her eyes glistening with tears. "Brother... you, you won't get into any trouble, will you?"

Soon, Su Sa arrived in a hurry

It is difficult to speak of Su Ying's situation. The response was: "Your Highness... The Empress has instructed that this matter must not be made public, and I dare not speak carelessly."

Su Sa took the spices and hesitated, saying: "If... sigh, you must understand: everyone around the Eastern Palace has been won over by Lord Ju, and there is no one reliable left. If I cannot hold back the Eastern Palace, you must find a way to inform the Empress... the relationship between the Empress and Lord Ju... sigh, sigh! I won't say more, just remember this!"

Of course! Su Sa asked sensitively, "How?"

The queen pondered for a moment and waved her hand, saying: "Whichever one was used before, this time let's use a higher grade. Su Ying, this time Wen Caiyuan should also go... you know, she is quite skilled in perfumery."

Su Ying bit her lip, unsure of what to do, her eyes brimming with tears. She held back and said: "My lord, for the sake of Aunt Bai, please do not ask any further! If you are unwilling to lend, please inform Su Ying as soon as possible to spare me the waste of time here"

Su Sa maintained a composed demeanor as she walked alongside the Eastern Palace. However, Su Ying, hidden from their view, clutched her chest and thought to herself: Xuan Ye was indeed not mistaken—one must experience the difficulties of the present to truly understand them. She had long been prepared to tackle various challenges, yet it was always at the critical moment that she realized she was still not clever enough

The servant was just about to respond when she caught sight of Xin Mo riding over from a distance, and hurriedly said: "I am a relative of the Deputy Guard Commander and have something to say."

"What is it that you find so intriguing?" The guard looked up and down at Su Ying and said, "What do you need a deputy guard for?"

Brother? What are you doing here? She looked anxious, not knowing what had happened. Is there something going on in the Eastern Palace?

She sat in the tent, fiddling with the spices in her hands. The ground beneath her feet trembled slightly, and in the distance, deafening shouts could be heard—the emperor was about to lead his guards into the mountains. Su Ying's task was to commence upon their return, and now she quietly sat in the tent waiting.

Oh..." The tone of the Eastern Palace was vague, as if indifferent. "Feng Xiang, what happened over at Danxi Palace last night? When I went to pay my respects to Mother early this morning, she unexpectedly fell ill.

She focused her thoughts on a rose bush outside the pavilion, gently reaching out to touch the delicate petals. With a soft sigh, she took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped away a speck of dust from the petals.

Su Ying saw that it was a crumpled page of a book. Picking it up to take a look, she found that it listed some incenses mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures. Su Ying suddenly realized, "Your Highness, rest assured, this servant will not let you down"

"Only we are here, you need not call me 'Sir' or 'Servant', just tell me what has happened." Xin Mo said with a serious expression: "Is something wrong in the palace?"

Standing stiffly like a wooden figure, feeling cold all over

He originally held a position in the Eastern Palace and must have visited his old friends. Su Ying also offered her respects to him, thinking to herself: he did not ask a word about what happened last night, it seems he is not very concerned about her matters. Su Ying was unsure whether she felt relieved or somewhat disappointed at this moment, turning her head away to avoid looking at him

Su Ying knew that she was alluding to Wen Caiyuan—His Majesty once mentioned that the fragrance associated with Wen Caiyuan was quite fateful, and it was likely that the Empress was still brooding over this. But what kind of fragrance could win His Majesty's favor? Su Ying felt completely at a loss and shifted uneasily. The Empress noticed this and smiled slightly, casually picking up an object from beside her and tossing it in front of Su Ying, saying: "So many people in the palace have recited scriptures, yet none have as many schemes as Wen Caiyuan."

Su Ying understood that he was referring to their first meeting at the tavern, and she hurriedly lowered her head to take the reins. Xin Mo indeed asked nothing, helping Su Ying onto the horse and watching her gallop away.

Su Ying kept it in her heart. Rui Bing Ge asked softly, "Your Highness, which type of fragrant balm would you like to prepare?"

Suddenly, the sound of the horn "Woo Woo" echoed, and in the distance, a chorus of joyous voices erupted, causing the earth to tremble once more— the grand procession of the Eastern Palace was filled with high spirits, their roars soaring into the sky