Little Palace Maid Desires a Higher Seat of Honor - Chapter 101

Chapter 101: She Was Not Wrong.

Xu Shunfu followed behind Tan Yuanchu as they left Yihe Palace, keeping his eyes lowered, not daring to speak.

Too many things had happened recently.

Rong Zhaoyi and Consort De had fallen one after the other, leaving only the Empress as the sole remaining member of the three great powers in the harem. Yet before matters had fully settled, another scandal arose, Yun Jieyu allegedly having an affair with someone else.

Truth be told, Xu Shunfu was skeptical of Consort De’s words.

He had lived and worked in close proximity to Yun Jieyu for more than a year, and he believed he understood her somewhat.

She was a self-serving person, but also a clever one.

How could she possibly do something that brought her no benefit whatsoever?

Since Yun Jieyu had received her rank, the number of times the lamps in Panju Hall were lit for her visits was unmatched in the harem.
As for before, when she was in the Yangxin Hall?

Yun Jieyu spent her days serving at the Emperor’s side, where would she have found the time or opportunity?

And furthermore, had Lu Song not always been stationed in Yihe Palace?
If Lu Song had truly had anything to do with Yun Jieyu, would Consort De have felt safe keeping him by her side to serve her?

Xu Shunfu found it impossible to believe.

But what he thought did not matter. What mattered was whether the Emperor would believe Yun Jieyu.

He sneaked a glance at the Emperor, and before Tan Yuanchu could notice, hurriedly withdrew his gaze.

He dared not let his mind wander further. Looking up again, he realized that, without noticing, they had arrived at the gates of Chu’an Palace. The lamps inside had long been extinguished, the interior shrouded in darkness.

Tan Yuanchu came to a halt.

Xu Shunfu asked hesitantly, “Your Majesty, shall this servant knock?”

Tan Yuanchu paused for a moment. He recalled that night when he had awakened her in the middle of her sleep, and the sight of her frightened and sweating.
After a moment’s silence, he said, “She sleeps lightly. No need.”

Better not to disturb her, lest she be annoyed.

Xu Shunfu respectfully stepped back behind him, but could not help pondering in his heart, did the Emperor refuse to have him knock because he feared waking Yun Jieyu, or because Consort De’s words had, in the end, affected him?

Xu Shunfu did not know.

The group turned away and returned to the Yangxin Hall.

The autumn wind blew chill and biting, making one involuntarily shiver. All around, the pines and cypresses stood firm against the wind. Just as they were about to enter the Yangxin Hall, Xu Shunfu heard the Emperor’s indifferent voice.

“Keep an eye on Lu Song.”

No matter what, for Consort De to mention Lu Song at such a critical moment could only mean that he had played a significant role in her affair.
Otherwise, how could she waste her final chance simply to drag Lu Song down with her?

Tan Yuanchu had to admit, Consort De understood him well.

She knew that whether or not there was truly anything between Lu Song and Yun Shi, once she said those words, he would never tolerate Lu Song continuing to live in the palace.

Xu Shunfu answered respectfully.

He personally believed there was nothing between Lu Song and Yun Jieyu, so he felt no difficulty in carrying out the order to watch him.

But soon, his confidence was slapped in the face.

Xu Shunfu let out a soft hiss, feeling as though his cheeks stung, as he listened to Lu Yuan’s report.

“Lu Song… made contact with Song Fu from Yun Jieyu’s palace.”

The area before the hall fell into silence. Lu Yuan lowered his head in dejection. He had spent more time with Yun Jieyu than Xu Shunfu had, and deep down he truly believed she would never do such a thing.
Even after discovering that Lu Song had met with Song Fu, he could not help but speak up for her,

“Your Majesty favors Yun Jieyu so deeply. Yun Jieyu is no fool, she would never do something so foolish. There must be some kind of misunderstanding.”

Xu Shunfu shot him a glare. “Don’t let me hear that a second time.”

It was true they might have their own private leanings, but as those serving the Emperor, at least on the surface they had to appear impartial.

Lu Yuan immediately fell silent and bowed his head to Xu Shunfu.

“This servant understands.”

The message was eventually reported to Tan Yuanchu. The Yangxin Hall sank into utter stillness, so quiet a pin drop could be heard.

At the same time, Yun Si also received word, Lu Song wanted to see her.

But this time, she would not meet him in Panju Hall. She had her own plans and naturally would not meet Lu Song on her own turf.

She instructed Song Fu to arrange for him to meet her at Zhaiyue Tower.

Except for banquets or theatrical performances, Zhaiyue Tower was uninhabited and was usually deserted. Palace servants only came occasionally to sweep it out.
At night, it would be locked.

It was an ideal place for a private meeting.

That night, once she received word from the imperial attendants that Tan Yuanchu would not be entering the harem, Yun Si made her move.

She disliked leaving behind loose ends.

If she could resolve the matter of Lu Song, she naturally wished to do it as soon as possible.

Qiu Yuan draped a dark-colored crane cloak over her, so deep in hue that even if it were stained with something, it would be difficult to see. Her brows furrowed, she remained tense the entire time. As Yun Si was about to leave Panju Hall, Qiu Yuan could not help but speak up, “Mistress, you need not go in person for such a matter.”

Yun Si knew she was worried, but she shook her head, rejecting her suggestion.
“If he doesn’t see me, he’ll definitely grow suspicious. If things get noisy then, that’s when it will truly be troublesome.”

Qiu Yuan fell silent.

Chu’an Palace was dim and quiet, with only Yun Si residing there as the sole mistress.

The guards at the palace gates were all her people, so when she and Qiu Yuan went out in the middle of the night, they didn’t disturb anyone.

That is… if no one had already been keeping an eye on her movements.

In the Yangxin Hall, Xu Shunfu pushed the door open and entered, moving lightly.
“Your Majesty, Yun Jieyu has left her quarters.”

Tan Yuanchu lowered his head slightly, speaking casually, “Where did she go?”

The hall was unusually silent. Xu Shunfu couldn’t detect any emotion in his tone, yet he couldn’t help shrinking his neck slightly and answering in a low voice, “Judging by the direction… the Zhaiyue Tower.”

At last, Tan Yuanchu lifted his gaze. In the still hall, a faint, cold chuckle slipped from his lips.
“Truly a secluded spot.”

The Zhaiyue Tower had no mistress residing in it; meeting there meant there would be no interruptions.

It was only a flat, indifferent remark, yet it made Xu Shunfu swallow hard without a sound.

Tan Yuanchu looked through the lattice windows at the darkness outside. When Xu Shunfu asked if he wished to set out, he stayed silent for a long moment before finally rising.
“Let’s go. Let’s see exactly what our Yun Jieyu is planning to do.”

Would Yun Shi really have an affair with a palace servant?

Tan Yuanchu admitted that, when he first heard such a claim, he had indeed felt an uncontrollable surge of burning anger.

An unnameable and indistinct emotion had roiled in his chest, so much so that for a moment he could hardly breathe. But when he thought of Yun Shi, that entire wave of irritation instantly dissipated —

Even turning into something hard to put into words.

To put it bluntly, even her intimacy with him had a purpose.

If she were involved with a palace servant, what could she possibly gain?

Yun Shi was both vain and insecure, always desperate to climb higher and higher; how could she possibly allow something like this to drag her down?

Precisely because of this, Tan Yuanchu was all the more curious, why would she go to meet Lu Song in the middle of the night?

As he stepped out of the Yangxin Hall, he was still carelessly wondering to himself, had she lost her mind?

Yun Shi, unaware of anyone silently cursing her, had already arrived at Zhaiyue Tower.
Lu Song had arrived slightly earlier than her.

Although the distance from the Eldest Prince’s residence to Zhaiyue Tower was actually farther than from Panju Hall, after Lu Song was moved to the Eldest Prince’s residence, he was clearly far less restricted than in the Yihe Palace.

That was why he could come so quickly.

Qiu Yuan carried a lantern in her hand, casting light inside the hall and allowing Yun Si to see Lu Song more clearly.

His complexion was still pale. His features were already refined, and in such frailty, he carried an extra air of charm that might stir a faint sympathy in others.

Yun Si felt nothing of the sort. In fact, she thought he was doing it on purpose.

Lu Song coughed lightly a few times, his face growing even paler. He seemed somewhat uneasy, and finally he knelt to pay his respects.
“This servant greets Yun Jieyu.”

When he knelt, Yun Si glanced at Song Fu without a trace and said coolly, “I cannot bear such a greeting from you.”

Lu Song paused, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
“It was my recklessness that nearly implicated you. If you blame me, it’s only right.”

The honorifics in his speech disappeared, subtly closing the distance between them. Yun Si frowned, clearly, he had deliberately set her up, yet now he was putting on this act.
Truly disgusting.

At least the place she’d chosen today was right, if Lu Song were part of an opera troupe, he would have long since become a star.

Yun Si could have simply admired Lu Song’s performance and listened to what other excuses he might concoct, but she didn’t have that much patience.

She didn’t know why, but ever since returning from the temporary palace, her emotions had been unusually sensitive, and she didn’t want to bottle them up.

Yun Si cut him off coldly, “Stop pretending.”

“You lured me there on purpose just to pin the matter of Consort De on me. You and I have known each other for years, no matter how much you act, do you think you can fool me?”

Lu Song abruptly fell silent. He lifted his head to look at Yun Si, and in the moment their eyes met, he instantly understood, Yun Si would not believe a single word from him.

A sudden, bad premonition welled up in his heart.

If Yun Si wouldn’t believe him at all, then what was her purpose in meeting him today?

Before he could figure it out, he saw Yun Shi lower her gaze toward him. After a long moment, she curled her lips in a mocking smile.
“Lu Song, you and your father are truly alike, pretending to be guilty and uneasy on one hand, while on the other hand wishing nothing more than to see someone dead.”

Lu Song’s expression changed. He suddenly looked up, cutting her off.
“I am nothing like him!”

He tried to suppress the emotions roiling in his heart, but in the end couldn’t help blurting out.
“He’s the one who ruined everything! I only wanted to set things back on the right track!”

How could he possibly be the same as his father?!

Yun Si’s expression suddenly darkened. She instinctively wanted to stop Lu Song from continuing, but failed—

“If not for him, you and I wouldn’t even be here! We should have long been husband and wife!”

Outside the hall, the man who had been motionless all along finally lifted his eyes.

Xu Shunfu glanced toward him, and seemed to catch a glint of bone-deep coldness in his gaze. Unconsciously, he shivered.

The moment Lu Song finished speaking, the hall rang sharply with the sound of a slap, so forceful that Lu Song’s head was knocked to the side, a trace of crimson spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Yun Si said with disgust, “Do you still think your Lu family hasn’t caused me enough trouble?!”

Sensing her resistance and rejection, Lu Song suddenly gave a low laugh.
“Trouble? Yun Si, when you stayed in my home and repeatedly promised you’d marry me, why didn’t you think that would be trouble?”

For the first time, Yun Si saw Lu Song’s true face revealed beneath the mask, his gaze was filled with obsession and darkness.
Or perhaps, he had always been this way, only hiding it very well.

Yun Si could hear the accusation in his tone, and nearly laughed from anger.

Lu Song was about to say more, but Song Fu pressed him down.
“Mistress, you need not listen to his nonsense!”

Song Fu’s face was hard and ruthless, he and the Jieyu were in the same boat, and if this Lu Song had truly had something with her in the past, keeping him alive was nothing but a threat.

Qiu Yuan also supported her and whispered,
“Delay will bring trouble.”

Yun Si closed her eyes. Today, she had only intended for Lu Song to die, there was no need to waste more words on him.

She turned to leave.

But Lu Song’s strained voice sounded behind her,
“Before coming, I already left a note saying that you wanted to see me. If I don’t return today, Yun Jieyu, tomorrow the Eldest Prince will surely come to you for me.”

Yun Si abruptly turned back.
Lu Song was being choked by Songfu, his face flushed red from lack of air. One hand gripped Songfu’s arm tightly, and yet he smiled at Yun Si.

“You’re so clever, even with Consort De serving as bait, you still wouldn’t trust me once.”

“You and I know each other well. Knowing you don’t believe me, how could you think I’d come meet you without making any preparations?”

Every “you” he spoke sounded respectful, yet was laced with a biting sarcasm and malice.

Songfu hesitated and glanced at Yun Si.

Yun Shi tightened her grip on her handkerchief. Sensing the shift in the hall’s atmosphere, Lu Song gave a low laugh.
“See, Yun Si? You and I trust no one, we were born to be a pair.”

Suddenly, the hall doors behind them swung open.

Everyone inside was startled.
Facing the doors, Song Fu was the first to see the newcomer. Terrified, he immediately released his grip, dropped to his knees with a thud, and said, “This servant greets Your Majesty!”

Yun Si’s entire body went rigid. Even the sickening disgust she felt toward Lu Song was momentarily forgotten. She didn’t even dare turn her head to look at Tan Yuanchu.

Her mind went blank for an instant. When she came back to herself, it was still in complete chaos, why was Tan Yuanchu here?

When had he arrived?

And how much had he heard?

Yun Si bit her lip tightly.

When Tan Yuanchu entered, the first thing he saw was the tense, rigid figure of the woman. She seemed pinned to the spot, and even after hearing the servants greet him, she did not turn to look at him.

With such little courage, she dared come out to do something shady?

After a moment, Tan Yuanchu lifted his eyes and spoke in a mild, almost indifferent tone.
“Is he that good-looking?”

That she couldn’t even spare a glance for him?

Qiu Yuan tugged lightly at Yun Si’s sleeve. Yun Si bit her lip and slowly shifted her body bit by bit, lifting her almond-shaped eyes to look at Tan Yuanchu. His gaze was calm, his emotions unreadable, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

She couldn’t see through him at all.

With a dull thud, she dropped to her knees, the pain from the impact shooting up through her legs.
“Your Majesty…”

She had knelt so quickly that no one had time to stop her. Her head was bowed low, her demeanor humble, too anxious to lift her gaze.

Tan Yuanchu’s expression turned completely cold.

No one dared breathe a sound.

Yun Si, too nervous, failed to notice anything amiss in Tan Yuanchu’s demeanor, but Lu Song noticed.

He had been able to remain composed even when Song Fu was choking him, but now, at last, a flicker of panic crossed his face.

Tan Yuanchu seemed to finally notice him. The look he gave Lu Song was hard to describe, high and aloof, yet carrying the sense that he had never regarded him as worth looking at in the first place.

Tan Yuanchu had already bent down, seizing Yun Si’s wrist and pulling her to her feet.

Lu Song felt as if he had been silently slapped, his cheek burning hot.

If Tan Yuanchu had been present earlier, would he still have dared to say that line about him and Yun Si being “a perfect match by nature”?

Lu Song didn’t know.

But in the silence that followed, he opened his mouth, yet didn’t dare utter a single word.

Yun Shi was startled.
She looked at him somewhat timidly, her almond eyes filled with unease and uncertainty. From the very first time she had met him, she had dared to speak sharply to him, this was the first time he had seen her so cautious.

Tan Yuanchu did not feel pleased; instead, he was slightly irritated.

He had pampered her for so long, only to cultivate a bit of that delicate temper, and now, after meeting this wretched servant once, all his efforts had gone to waste.

Tan Yuanchu’s gaze swept over her knees, his voice cool, “Doesn’t it hurt?”

Yun Si froze.
Her almond eyes trembled slightly, and she looked at Tan Yuanchu in disbelief, he wasn’t angry with her?

No matter how cold his tone, the meaning of his words was still there.

Yun Si bit her lip, her fingertips turning pale as all color drained away from them. She barely managed to answer in a low voice. “It… hurts.”

Tan Yuanchu looked at her again, and finally some of the coldness in his eyes eased. Only then did he deign to give Lu Song a glance.

Just one glance, then he looked away.

He had seen the marks on Lu Song’s neck and, realizing what the woman had come out to do, lost all further interest in him.

Too lazy to waste time, Tan Yuanchu let out a faint, derisive sound.
“I hear that if you don’t return today, tomorrow the Eldest Prince will personally come to her for you?”

Lu Song was struck dumb.

He had dared say that to Yun Shi only because he was certain she wouldn’t make a public scene. As long as she harbored even a trace of hesitation, he had a chance to live.

But to Tan Yuanchu?

If he wanted the life of a mere servant, would he fear causing a stir?

One arm wrapped around the woman’s waist, Tan Yuanchu’s eyes were as emotionless as stone.
He said lightly, “I’d also quite like to see just how much of a stir your disappearance could cause in the palace.”

With that, he inclined his head slightly.

At once, someone held Lu Song down, and another picked up the rope Song Fu had dropped.

Lu Song could no longer maintain his composure. He struggled frantically.
“No! Your Majesty… listen to this servant explain—”

Tan Yuanchu didn’t so much as glance at him. Instead, he turned to the woman and gave a cold, derisive laugh.
“With this sort of trash, did you used to have an eye disease?”

So-called schemes, nothing more than the antics of a petty clown.

Yun Si looked at the struggling Lu Song, his breathing growing more and more labored. All calmness was gone, leaving only an ugly display. She blinked once and said, “It seems I did.”

After a pause, she added an explanation for herself.
“I was only eight or nine at the time. It should be forgivable to have been blind then.”

At the words “eight or nine,” Tan Yuanchu’s face darkened with a bluish tinge.

She really had some nerve.

Eight or nine years old, and she dared agree to marry someone?

Something tugged at his hand. Looking down, he saw her anxiously holding onto him, without sparing even a glance at that wretched servant, her almond eyes reflecting only his figure.

The dull irritation in Tan Yuanchu’s chest dissipated without him realizing it.

After all, she had been just a child back then, what could she possibly have known?

If anyone was to be blamed, it could only be the one who had tricked her.