147. Making a Silent Vow

Ping'er's body had gradually grown cold beside me, yet I still could not bring myself to believe the reality of her death.

Dragon Zhan half-crouched before me, gently pulled my hand away, and said, "Let me have someone bury her, little Xiao."

I remained silent, then noticed something clutched tightly in Ping'er's hand. I loosened her fingers and discovered she was holding a sachet.

Embroidered upon the sachet were a pair of mandarin ducks; on one side was stitched the character "Ping", and on the other, the character "Xiao".

A sudden smile touched my lips, and with that smile, tears finally rolled down, one by one.

You silly girl, did you come here today simply to give me this sachet? You silly girl, I am actually a girl myself. All the sincere affection you have given these past days has been misplaced.

You truly are a silly girl. I hadn't even had the chance to tell you, so how could you just die like this?

"Little Xiao!" Dragon Zhan saw me weeping, reached out his hand, and tried to help me up.

Instead, I suddenly grabbed Dragon Zhan's wrist, raised my eyes to look at him, and said, "Lord Dragon, I want to ask you a favor."

"You want me to investigate the murderer who killed her?"

If even I could figure that out, naturally Dragon Zhan could as well. I shook my head and replied, "I am not asking you to help me find the murderer. I only want you to help me find the cause of death."

The murderer who killed Ping'er, I would hunt down myself. Regardless of who it was, I secretly vowed to Ping'er that I would track them down and avenge her.

As for the cause of death, I feared I had no way of investigating it myself, lacking the capability. When a palace maid died, the Emperor would not go to great lengths to order an inquiry, nor would the imperial physicians spare the time, so I had no choice but to rely on Dragon Zhan. Yet this was the only thing I would ask of him; the rest I would handle alone, without involving Dragon Zhan.

Dragon Zhan said, "If it is merely the cause of death, then there is no need to investigate. I already know."

I could not help but be startled, and asked, "You know?"

Dragon Zhan nodded slightly.

"Then tell me, why did Ping'er die?"

Dragon Zhan touched a little fresh blood at the corner of Ping'er's lips with his finger, brought it close to my nose, and asked, "Can you smell anything unusual?"

I sniffed it. Indeed, the scent lacked the ordinary metallic tang of blood; instead, there was another distinct aroma mixed within it.

I asked, "What is this?"

Dragon Zhan answered, "Just now, when I drew close, I smelled a faint, unusual scent about Ping'er. If this scent originates from her blood, then I can be certain of the cause of her death. She was poisoned by bitter bamboo pollen."

"Bitter bamboo pollen?"

Dragon Zhan nodded and continued, "This bitter bamboo pollen is quite rare. Once refined, it becomes extremely toxic. When inhaled, in mild cases it causes delirium, and in severe cases, death."

"Since it is rare, wouldn't that make the investigation much simpler?"

"This bitter bamboo is only cultivated in the Southern Frontier."

"Are you saying the poisoner is from the Southern Frontier?"

"At the very least, someone entangled with the Southern Frontier."

I said, "Few people from the Southern Frontier come to our Central Plains, and this happened deep within the imperial palace. Lord Dragon, wouldn't screening for such people be very simple?"

Dragon Zhan replied, "Since the murderer dared to use this highly distinctive Southern Frontier bitter bamboo, how could they not know it would easily expose their identity? Since the killer acted without fear, they naturally knew we would have no way to trace their origins. I reckon that even if you investigate, it will be to no avail. To my knowledge, there has never been anyone from the Southern Frontier within this imperial palace. That person must have concealed their true origins, so how could you possibly investigate?"

"No matter how difficult it is, I will find out. Since we know the cause of death, I have one more favor to ask."

Dragon Zhan stood up and said, "Rest assured, I will have someone bury her properly."

"Many thanks, Lord Dragon!"

"Zhenwu, you men carry Lady Ping'er away. Remember to show the deceased the utmost respect."

"Rest assured, Commander."

The two guards carried Ping'er's body away, and I could not help gazing at her. Just two days ago, she was a vibrant, living person, smiling at me so brightly and purely; yet now, at a word, she was gone.

I felt a hollow emptiness throughout my entire body, and wanted to reach out and hold onto Ping'er, knowing full well I could no longer grasp her.

My hand was suddenly seized by Dragon Zhan. His palms were covered in calluses, and his grip felt rough against my skin, bringing a slight sting.

"Get up!" Dragon Zhan said as he pulled me to my feet. My body was completely devoid of strength, and I stumbled, caught only when Dragon Zhan supported my waist.

I shook off his hand, staggered back a step, steadied myself, and said, "I am fine."

"And you still dare claim you are fine? In this state, whether you can even make it back to Huayang Palace is a question."

I forced a smile and braced myself, saying, "I am truly fine. Why does Lord Dragon always happen to appear? It seems every time I venture out, I invariably run into Lord Dragon by coincidence!"

"I was merely patrolling nearby and chanced to hear your cry. Safeguarding the peace of the imperial palace is my duty, so it is only natural that you frequently see me. Is that such a bad thing?"

I murmured, "Nothing bad about it at all. I was simply talking nonsense to pass the time."

"Little Xiao, your current state leaves me ill at ease." Dragon Zhan took a step forward, reaching out to grab me once more.

I retreated another step and said, "I am genuinely fine, Lord Dragon, please rest assured. Moreover, I still need to hunt down the true culprit who murdered Sister Ping'er, so I will certainly not allow anything to happen to me. I am deeply grateful to Lord Dragon for today. I know that without your protection, Sister Ping'er might not even have been granted a burial place."

"Little Xiao, must you be so courteous with me?"

"I—"

Before I could finish, my arm was caught by Dragon Zhan, and my entire body was pulled right against him.

"Little Xiao, I will not allow you to treat me with such courtesy. As for Ping'er's affair, I will investigate it clearly for you." Dragon Zhan's words came in a cold tone, carrying an irresistible authority.

"Lord Dragon, I have never dared forget your kindness to me. But Sister Ping'er had no relation to you whatsoever, so Lord Dragon truly need not go to such lengths—"

"Yet she was your friend," Dragon Zhan interrupted, "and a friend you deeply cherish. I cannot bear to watch you grieve like this. I have made up my mind to handle this matter; you may simply consider it me meddling in business that isn't mine."

Unable to argue with him and knowing any further protests would fall on deaf ears, I yielded.

He released me, smoothed down my robes slightly, and said, "I will escort you back. Coincidentally, I also need to pay a visit to Huayang Palace."

I lowered my head and murmured, "Yes!"

Whether Dragon Zhan genuinely had business at Huayang Palace was debatable; his true intention was clearly to accompany me out of concern.

As we walked, I remained trapped within the sorrow of Ping'er's death, unable to speak with Dragon Zhan. Meanwhile, Dragon Zhan walked steadily at my side, remaining equally silent.

"Watch out!" Dragon Zhan suddenly exclaimed sharply, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me abruptly against the wall.

Recovering my senses, I saw a cart piled high with chamber pots rumbling past us on the path.

"My sincerest apologies, please forgive me, Lord Dragon," the eunuch pulling the cart stammered in haste.

"It is nothing, be on your way."

"Thank you, Lord Dragon!"

After the man departed, Dragon Zhan turned to me and asked, "Are you unhurt?"

His hands still rested lightly on my shoulders, and I simply shook my head in reply. Just as I prepared to stand upright, I caught sight of Jiang Xuan standing not far away from us.

I froze instantly, completely forgetting to pull away from Dragon Zhan.

Jiang Xuan stood staring fixedly at me, his gaze carrying an inexplicable expression. It was precisely that look which stirred my memories. I tried to wrench myself free from Dragon Zhan, only to find his grip on my shoulders unyielding, preventing me from breaking away.

"Ninth Imperial Prince..." I called out, but watched as Jiang Xuan kept his eyes locked on Dragon Zhan's hands before turning and walking away.

Only after Jiang Xuan had departed did Dragon Zhan loosen his grip slightly. I wrenched myself away, glared at Dragon Zhan, and demanded, "Just now—"

I had intended to interrogate him, but upon second thought, Dragon Zhan had just saved me from the cart; how could I possibly turn around and question him? Furthermore, on what grounds could I demand an explanation—by telling him I harbored feelings for Jiang Xuan and that he shouldn't have let Jiang Xuan misunderstand our relationship?

Let it be. This hidden feeling was meant to be buried deep within my heart, returning to the earth just as the secrets were laid to rest.

"Lord Dragon, let us go."

"Mn."

Upon arriving at the gates of Huayang Palace, we chanced to see Jiang Chen stepping out. Seeing the two of us, he remarked, "Lord Dragon, Little Xiao, did you happen to run into each other here?"

"This servant pays respects to the Sixth Imperial Prince!"

"Little Xiao, why do your voice and expression look so off? Are you unwell? If so, we can have an imperial physician summoned shortly. Doing so in the Third Sister-in-law's name will keep everything proper."

I replied, "Thank many thanks for your concern, Sixth Imperial Prince, this servant is quite well. It is likely just the heat from walking outside."

"Be careful. Entrusting you alone to care for the Third Sister-in-law is indeed rather taxing. Lord Dragon, are you here to inspect the guards?"

Dragon Zhan nodded. "I haven't been by for several days, so I came to check on the brothers."

"Then please, Lord Dragon, enter!" Jiang Chen gestured for Dragon Zhan to precede him.

"Does the Sixth Imperial Prince have business elsewhere? If so, please do not mind me, I shall just look around and leave!"

"Oh, I was originally planning to find the Third Brother. Since Lord Dragon has arrived, lingering a while longer is no trouble at all. The guards within Huayang Palace certainly ought to coordinate with Lord Dragon's deployments, shouldn't they?"

"Mn, the Sixth Imperial Prince speaks reasonably."

Seeing that they had official matters to discuss, I spoke up: "Sixth Imperial Prince, Lord Dragon, this servant must return to attend to the Crown Princess, so I will not linger here."

"Very well, go ahead. Should you need anything, simply let me know," Jiang Chen said.

"Thank you, Sixth Imperial Prince."

I glanced at Dragon Zhan, who gave me a slight nod, and I then made my way toward the courtyard where Han Feiyue resided.

When I arrived, Han Feiyue was still asleep on the bamboo couch, not yet awake.

I sat alone in the courtyard and began sorting some vegetables. By now the sun had dipped slightly lower, and with the abundance of courtyard flora, the air felt noticeably cooler. Sitting by myself once more brought Ping'er back to mind, and a sudden tightness in my throat threatened to bring forth tears.

I quickly tilted my head back and drew a deep breath. Jiang Xuan had remarked that day that I cried like a girl; if I continued to weep like this, my disguise would eventually unravel. What man cried like this day in and day out?

I lowered my head again and resumed sorting the vegetables. My mind filled entirely with the fragments of time spent with Ping'er. She had treated me with such kindness, without a single deceitful thought, always keeping me in her mind. Her former mistress had even met with foul play merely because I had stopped to help. When all was said and done, I owed the mistress and maid a heavy debt.

I had foolishly believed that serving beside the Emperor would at least afford Ping'er a carefree and stable life, yet today she had still fallen victim to murder.

Who could possibly wish to harm Ping'er? Though she was sharp-tongued and prone to offending others, she served in the Hall of Mental Cultivation and rarely interacted with outsiders. Who harbored such deep hatred toward her as to administer poison? And a poison so untraceable—what was the meaning of all this?

As I turned these questions over in my mind, a eunuch suddenly came running, stopped at the courtyard entrance, and called out to me, "Little Xiao!"

I hurriedly sniffed back the threat of tears and asked, "What is it?"

"Someone outside is looking for you!"