166 Ulterior Motives

I walked alone toward the Lingbo Hall, and by the time I reached its entrance, I could already hear Zhang Bitong’s disgruntled cries.

"What kind of ghost place is this? Is this somewhere for a consort of my status to live?"

"Someone come here! This palace demands to return to the Cuiwei Palace! I want to return to the Cuiwei Palace!"

"You people had better clean this place up properly! There is nothing here at all. Are you trying to make me suffer on purpose? I will definitely make you pay for this! I will not let any of you off!"

I looked up. The plaque above the door was hanging crookedly, and the three large characters of "Lingbo Hall" were already on the verge of falling apart.

How inconstant the ways of this world truly are.

Take Zhang Bitong, for instance. Just a moment ago, she was the lofty and pampered Consort Tong, yet now she has become the very first person banished to the cold palace since the Emperor ascended the throne.

Consider Yunqing as well. She had sneaked into this place on multiple occasions in the past for reasons unknown, but now, she could finally walk in and out of it openly and without restraint.

And what about me?

In this very place, Jialin’s journey by Jiang Xuan’s side had begun; and it was here that I discovered my own true feelings, while also realizing the necessity of stepping away from him.

Come to think of it, this place called Lingbo Hall is truly peculiar.

Yunqing was carrying out a pile of useless debris and tossing it aside. Snapping out of my daze by the threshold, I quickly stepped inside.

Rolling up my sleeves, I said, "Aunt Yunqing, I am late. Let me help you."

"Good. No matter what, we must set up the bed first, at least so that Her Ladyship can have a place to rest."

"Understood." I nodded and walked into the inner hall along with Yunqing.

"Throw away all the clutter along the edges. I have boiled some hot water in the kitchen; I will go fetch a basin to wipe things down," Yunqing instructed.

"Alright."

I cleared out all the useless items from the room and took a broom to sweep the floor clean. By then, Yunqing had returned with a basin of hot water. As she wrung out a cloth and began wiping the wooden bedboards, she sighed, "To fall from such heights, Her Ladyship's mood must be terribly bitter these past few days. Little Xiao, if Her Ladyship vents her anger on you, do not take it to heart, understand?"

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with my sleeve and replied indifferently, "I am merely a servant; how could I possibly bicker with my masters? It is you who have worked so hard, Aunt."

Yunqing smiled faintly. "It is best that you think this way. It seems I have not misjudged you after all. By the way, what did Lord Long want with you just now?"

Naturally, it was inconvenient to mention the conversation I had with Long Zhan to Yunqing, but I did bring up the matter regarding Jiang Xuan. "Lord Long merely instructed me to take good care of Her Ladyship. However, on my way here, I ran into the Ninth Prince."

"The Ninth Prince?"

I nodded. "He was on his way to plead with the Emperor."

"Plead for mercy? That will never do! Doing so right now will only enrage the Emperor further."

Yunqing had always been calm and perceptive, easily seeing through the current situation.

I nodded in agreement. "I thought the same, which is why I stayed behind out of concern. It was Lady Jialin who desperately persuaded him otherwise, and the Ninth Prince has now returned to his quarters."

"You mean Lady Jialin?"

"Precisely."

"She has performed a meritorious service then. In times like these, it is truly hard on her. Come, help me make the bed!"

"Right."

The inner hall had been given a simple cleaning. Naturally, it could not compare to the luxurious splendor of the Cuiwei Palace, but it would at least serve as a shelter.

Yunqing walked out and said to Zhang Bitong, who was sitting aside, "Your Ladyship, the bed has been made. It is quite late now; allow this maidservant to wait upon you as you rest."

Zhang Bitong followed Yunqing inside and, upon catching sight of the bed, immediately roared, "Yunqing! Is this the sort of bedding you expect me to sleep on? How could I possibly close my eyes here? Look at this place—there are probably countless snakes, insects, and rodents scurrying about at night! I will not sleep here. Clean the entire place from scratch again!"

Zhang Bitong’s demands were overly excessive. Yunqing had already suffered plenty of hardship following her, and after returning to Lingbo Hall, she had been cleaning for hours. For Zhang Bitong to still be so picky at a time like this was sheer pretense and affectation.

"Your Ladyship, this maidservant will clean every corner from top to bottom tomorrow. Since Your Ladyship is tired tonight, please bear with it and rest for just one evening," Yunqing said soothingly.

"Are you just fobbing me off? Is it because Lan Yan has left that you no longer have the heart to serve me properly? Yunqing, I have never treated you poorly; I never imagined you would show me such a face the moment I fall from grace."

Unable to watch any longer, I stepped forward and said, "Your Ladyship, this place is Lingbo Hall, not the Cuiwei Palace. No matter how thoroughly Aunt Yunqing and I clean, Lingbo Hall will always remain Lingbo Hall. What a cold palace truly is—Your Ladyship ought to recognize it clearly. You may end up staying here for more than a day or two, so it is better to get used to it now. Even if you hope to find a way back to the Cuiwei Palace in the future, you must learn to adapt to this all the more right now."

"Little Xiao, you—"

"This servant speaks boldly and tells the truth, simply because I cannot bear to watch Your Ladyship carry on this way. Your Ladyship must pull yourself together, eat and rest well here, so that you may one day have the chance to return to the Cuiwei Palace and show those people."

Those words evidently had an effect. Zhang Bitong finally relented, saying, "Fine, fine! I am tired as well. Yunqing, attend to my rest."

"Yes!"

Yunqing cast me a deep look before turning back toward the kitchen to fetch more hot water.

Could she really return just by pulling herself together? Zhang Bitong’s fortune had truly run out. All she could do now was grow accustomed to this place. Perhaps this was where she would spend the rest of her days.

Once Zhang Bitong had settled down, Yunqing remained by the bedside, fearing the deposed consort might issue further commands at any moment. I stood guard outside the door. Fortunately, the weather had not yet turned cold, allowing us to scrape by for the time being.

So many events had unfolded in rapid succession. I leaned against the pillar beside the door, tilting my head back to gaze at the starry sky, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Turning my head inadvertently, my eyes fell upon that stretch of wall. Back then, Jiang Xuan had rushed in under the influence of an aphrodisiac, grabbing me directly. He had pressed me against that wall, saying he knew he had been drugged, and that while he wished I were here, he also wished I were nowhere near this place.

It was right here that he had kissed me with such burning intensity.

My hand brushed against my lips, as if that kiss had just happened a moment ago.

Looking ahead, my gaze suddenly caught a figure draped in purple standing by the entrance. The faint moonlight draped over him, lending him an extraordinary radiance.

Perhaps I was just projecting my emotions onto my surroundings, conjuring up hallucinations.

Yet, after staring closely for a few moments, the figure remained. Not only was he there, but he moved.

I got up and walked toward him. In the courtyard, I met him and our eyes locked.

"My mother—"

The hallucination had spoken, meaning it was naturally no hallucination.

I hurriedly dropped to my knees and said, "This servant pays his respects to the Ninth Prince."

"No need for formalities. I merely came to check on my mother." With that, Jiang Xuan leaned down, took me by the wrist, and pulled me to my feet.

I tried to pull away, but Jiang Xuan showed no intention of letting go.

Due to the difference in our heights, I could only tilt my head up to look at him. Being this close created a subtle, awkward atmosphere. Only moments ago, I had been thinking of him, reminiscing about the kiss that had taken place right here.

"Has my mother... retired for the night?" Jiang Xuan asked calmly.

"Her Ladyship has already rested, as she was exhausted from today. Ninth Prince, let this servant fetch you some water." My intention was merely to find an excuse to withdraw my hand.

"This prince is not thirsty." He continued to hold my wrist, his dark eyes concealing some unfathomable depth.

Faint tree shadows mottled his form, leaving me at a loss for words. Only a short while ago, he had flown into a rage with me, declaring he would take Jialin back to the palace. Yet now, he was once again holding my wrist without letting go.

Jiang Xuan, are you also suffering and torn within? Just as I am!

"The incident at the Zhongcui Palace—I am still in the dark. Can you tell me the details?"

I was startled. Perhaps this was the true reason Jiang Xuan had come here tonight. He had not given up on his mother; he wanted to know the full story to uncover the truth and clear her name.

How could things ever be that simple?

I said, "This servant does not know much either. By the time I rushed to the Zhongcui Palace, it had already happened. Afterward, Noble Lady Yun died in difficult labor, and the Emperor flew into a rage, banishing Her Ladyship to the cold palace."

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly. "Little Xiao, you are not telling this prince the truth. Or rather, you are concealing something from me."

Having been exposed directly by Jiang Xuan, I felt a twinge of guilt and dared not meet his gaze.

Continuing to hold my wrist, Jiang Xuan spoke with earnest plea, "Little Xiao, I need to help my mother, and therefore I need your help as well."

"Ninth Prince!" I looked up at him. "Matters have already reached an irrevocable end; why must you persist in this obsession? No matter what the truth of the matter is, the current outcome cannot be easily overturned. If Your Highness insists on pursuing this, you will only plunge yourself into grave danger."

"You know the truth of what happened, don't you?"

"How could this servant possess the ability to fathom the truth of such matters?" Even if I knew, I could only pretend ignorance. After all, everything was merely my own speculation, devoid of any solid proof.

Jiang Xuan gazed fixedly at me before finally releasing my hand. "I leave my mother in your care."

With those words, Jiang Xuan turned and walked away.

I could not help calling out, "Does Your Highness still intend to pursue this obstinately?"

Without looking back, Jiang Xuan asked, "If you were in my position, what would you do for your own mother?"

I fell silent. If my mother were still alive, I would not be the person I am today. But had she still been living, I would undoubtedly have done the exact same thing as Jiang Xuan. For she was a mother.

My silence provided Jiang Xuan with his answer. He strode away into the moonlight, and I was powerless to stop him.

With a sense of lingering loss, I watched him leave before shutting the courtyard gates. When I turned around, I found Yunqing standing there. I had no idea how long she had been standing there.

"Aunt."

Yunqing walked over and sat down beside me at the threshold. "Cannot sleep?"

I smiled faintly. "The night view is rather pleasant, so I have no inclination to sleep."

"Little Xiao, what are your plans? Lan Yan has already left; if you wish to leave as well, I will understand."

Yunqing had always been gentle. Even when Lan Yan departed so abruptly, she had not uttered a single word of blame. Ever since I entered the Cuiwei Palace, she had consistently treated me well.

I replied, "This servant has no intention of leaving Her Ladyship and you for now. I would rather take things one step at a time; who knows what tomorrow might bring?"

Yunqing nodded, a trace of approval in her eyes. "Little Xiao, I have always felt that you are no ordinary person and are destined for great achievements in the future. Keeping you here is likely a waste of your talents."

I could not help laughing. "You flatter me too much, Aunt. I am more of a disaster magnet, constantly dragged off to prison every few days. I feel as though trouble is endless, and managing to keep my neck intact is already a blessing. How could I ever hope for great achievements?"

Yunqing smiled as well. "I have never misjudged a person."

"Have you truly never misjudged anyone, Aunt?"

Yunqing raised her gaze to the sky. "Naturally I have, otherwise I would not be in this state today. Everyone claimed that when I left Empress Dowager’s Cining Palace to follow Her Ladyship, I must have had ulterior motives. I never offered a single word of explanation. Her Ladyship trusted me and never questioned me even once."

I said, "Aunt need not mind those idle rumors."

Instead, Yunqing murmured, "Yet I truly did have ulterior motives."

I was struck dumb with shock!