Chapter 19
A clang, and the door to the junk room slammed closed .
“It’s too dark,” muttered Wei Yingluo .
The sound of a match being struck rang out from behind her .
Atop the table, the candle on the candle stand was lit, its flame waving upon the wick . A yellow glow upon a handsome face .
Thin, long brows and narrow eyes . Thin, long fingers . He was like a fine calligraphy brush meant for ancient portraits . Noble, pure, and graceful . But the creases on his brow spoke of gloom .
This gloom did not detract from his appearance . In fact, it made him stand out in a crowd .
“In the past, Uncle Wei had said you were in the imperial palace, yet I dared not believe his words . ” He cupped the flame with his right hand until the it grew more stable . “Never had I thought I would see you again today . ”
Among the six imperial guards Wei Yingluo had come across today, leading the pack was Fucha Fuheng . The one who had stood at the second position was the man before her eyes .
“And then?” Wei Yingluo asked without turning around .
“When Yingning passed away, I had also been sorrowful . ” The man lifted his head, his gaze landing on her back . His eyes gentle . “However, this is the Forbidden City . One cannot mess around . You have to listen to your father and leave the palace as soon as you’re able . Then find a good family to marry into…”
“Enough!” Wei Yingluo finally flipped around to face him . Gaze as cold as ice . “Who are you? On what grounds do you have to control me?”
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The other party sighed . “On the time Yingning and I had spent as a couple…”
“Don’t mention her name again!” screamed Wei Yingluo . She hated many people . And the one she hated the most was the person before her . “You and my sister had previously been together, yet why did you leave her during the time she needed you the most?”
The melancholic aura of the man thickened . “She was a daughter born under the Ministry of Internal Affairs . Eventually, she would have to enter the imperial palace as a palace maid . Did you want me to wait until she could leave at twenty-five years old?”
“No, young master Qingxi . ” Wei Yingluo sneered . “You wouldn’t have to wait until she left the palace because we are of humble birth . No matter how beautiful my sister was, no matter how intelligent, you are a noble young master . So you wouldn’t marry such a low-born woman as your principal wife!”
Seeing that the other party kept quiet, Wei Yingluo approached him a couple steps . She forcibly asked, “What? Did my words hurt your feelings? Your last name is Qijia . It’s a noble Manchurian clan . Although my elder sister was of humble birth, she had strength of character . Since you severed the relationship so cleanly, you two no longer have anything to do with each other!”
Qingxi sighed deeply . “However, I’ve never stopped thinking about your elder sister…”
“Thinking about her?” Wei Yingluo chuckled . “When she met disaster in the palace, you just stood there watching… Only you were by her side . Only you could have helped her . Yet you just watched!”
Qingxi closed his eyes amidst his internal and emotional suffering . The past memories spent together . It made him, a warrior that could fight a tiger, shake . “I… I am an imperial guard . I cannot have relations with a palace maid . ”
“I am also a palace maid . ” Wei Yingluo watched his reaction . But she was not moved at the slightest . Voice cold enough to freeze, she said, “We should also not be meeting alone . Please move aside . ”
Why keep meeting?
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When her elder sister had needed him the most, he left .
If he had only been playing with her sister, then she hated him .
If he had actually loved her sister, then she hated him even more! Hated this coward!
As they went their separate ways, their shoulders brushed, and Wei Yingluo heard a sigh from the direction opposite of her .
“Every five days . ” Qingxi’s voice rang from behind her . “Every five days I patrol this area . If you ever need help, find an imperial guard to pass me a message!”
The sound of Wei Yingluo’s footsteps paused, before continuing shortly after . She placed both hands on the bolt of the door . Before she could open it, a few thumps came from outside, followed by Aunt Fang’s voice . “Open the door! Go and open the door!”
Wei Yingluo’s stomach dropped . She turned around and glanced at Qingxi .
An unmarried couple alone . If they were found by other people, even if they had one hundred mouths they would not be able to clear their names .
Qingxi’s lips parted . He wanted to say something . She reached out to him to stop him from talking . She whispered to him, “Do as I say . ”
Aunt Fang kept slamming on the door, each slam loud and reverberating . Suddenly, the door opened . Caught off guard, Aunt Fang ended up striking Wei Yingluo . But a basket slammed on Aunt Fang’s face, falling over her head . Then Wei Yingluo punched and kicked at the person in front of her, and following that, a voice thick with both fear and anger . “Why did you follow me? Why did you follow me?! Shameless hooligan!”
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“Stop it! Stop it!” It had always been she that hit others, not the other way around . Aunt Fang ran for her life, her scream as loud as a pig squealing before slaughter . “Wei Yingluo you’ve gone mad! Stop it! Hurry up and stop! Someone hurry up and get here! Save me!”
A group of low-ranked palace maids rushed forward . Some were restraining Wei Yingluo’s arms . Some were holding her legs . Finally, they were able to pull Aunt Fang and We Yingluo apart .
Aunt Fang removed the basket on her head . Then she stared at Wei Yingluo, her expression dark . “Yingluo, you’ve gone mad! You actually dare to put your hands on me!”
Wei Yingluo gasped in surprise . Her expression was even darker than the other woman’s . “Aunt, w-why is it you?”
Not letting Aunt Fang speak, she fell to knees in a kneel . As she sobbed, she said, “Aunt, please settle this for me! Originally I was looking for the handkerchief I lost, yet who knew I would be followed! I also don’t know whether it was a lustful eunuch or a lecherous imperial guard who followed me . In a hurry, I could only lock myself in the junk room . Thank goodness you came…” Her sobs filled the room .
“A lustful eunuch or a lecherous imperial guard?” Aunt Fang was so angry that a smile appeared on her lips . “Listen to you spouting nonsense . You couldn’t recognize my voice? Or are you trying to say I sound like a man?”
“I was too frightened . ” Wei Yingluo’s whole body trembled . As if she had experienced a traumatic and fearful event . Lifting a hand to wipe away her tears with a sleeve, she said, “I couldn’t tell the difference back then . May Aunt forgive me…”
“Look at the injuries on my arm . ” Aunt Fang rolled up her sleeve . Showed Wei Yingluo the bruises she had received . She coldly said, “Tell me, how can I forgive you?”
Wei Yingluo kowtowed respectfully . “Waiting for Aunt’s punishment . ”
In this way, the situation had come to a close . Although Wei Yingluo received punishment, it was because Wei Yingluo had been ignorant of the fact that it was Aunt Fang in the beginning, and hit her superior . Furthermore, Aunt Fang was greedy, so the punishment was just a hefty fine . After paying the fine, Wei Yingluo only received a couple strikes .
It was still better than being discovered with an unmarried man alone .
If that were the case, the punishment wouldn’t stop at just a small beating, and money wouldn’t be able to solve it either .
“Fortunately, Qingxi is a Baturu and is adept at martial arts . While I was making trouble, he left without a sound . ” Wei Yingluo climbed on top her bed . Medicinal ointment had just been applied to the injuries on her back . The pain hot like fire, so painful that she could not fall asleep . She could only close eyes, her thoughts running wild . “But who reported us?”
Moonlight streamed through the windows . It hit Wei Yingluo’s bed post . She slowly slipped a hand under her first layer of clothes . Her fingers brushed against a decorative knot that functioned as a pouch¹ . Under the moonlight, she gazed upon it .
“However, it wasn’t entirely without benefit,” said Wei Yingluo to the knot, her gaze gentle . “Elder sister, after being in the imperial palace for so long, I finally found a clue . ”
The things that had happened in the past appeared as if they were right before her eyes .
Against the stars and winds of yesternight, the moonlight like white silk . She lay on Wei Yingning’s knees, watched her ten fingers fly . A plum blossom decorative knot, easy on the eyes, appeared from her fingertips .
The plum blossom knot followed her elder sister into the palace . But it did not accompany her back home .
In fact, during today’s tussle with Aunt Fang, it had fallen from Aunt Fang’s body .
“Aunt Fang, huh?” Wei Yingluo gripped her sister’s keepsake . “Why did you have my elder sister’s plum blossom knot?”