Chapter 14: I Heard You're an Excellent Swimmer?
The door creaked softly open, revealing the figure of Madam Chang. Behind her followed Chun Tao, dressed in palace maid attire, her face etched with worry.
Chun Tao’s eyes immediately fell upon Su Yao lying on the floor. She hurried forward and carefully helped her to her feet.
“Miss! What happened to you?”
Madam Chang frowned, her gaze sweeping over Su Yao’s figure, then sighed. “How did you end up like this?”
Su Yao forced a smile. “It’s nothing, Madam. I just accidentally slipped.”
She leaned on Chun Tao’s arm to stand. “Chun Tao?”
Tears welled in Chun Tao’s eyes. “Miss, it is your humble servant.”
“You’re really alright. How did you get into the palace?”
“My master arranged for me to accompany you inside… I missed you so much, Miss.”
“The palace isn’t like outside. You foolish maid, you shouldn’t have come in.”
Madam Chang watched Su Yao’s flushed cheeks. “Hey, are you ill? Your face is very red.”
Only then did Chun Tao examine Su Yao more closely. She reached out to feel Su Yao’s forehead and gasped, “Miss, your forehead is burning hot!”
“I caught a chill today. It’s nothing; a good rest will make me better.”
Madam Chang had been ordered by Lu Huaijin to look after Su Yao, but on the other hand, there was the Empress Dowager, whom she dared not offend. Yet seeing Su Yao so weak, how could she stand by idly?
“It’s so late, and you’re just a maid. It’s inconvenient to send for the imperial physician. I have some medicines on hand—little one, come with me to fetch them, I’ll prepare some for your lady.”
Chun Tao immediately knelt, expressing her gratitude. “Thank you, Madam! Thank you!”
***
The winter morning air was especially crisp, tinged with a biting chill.
“You little rascal, you finally broke your fever. Quick, the Empress Dowager has been pestering you to grind ink since dawn.”
Su Yao quickly rose. Chun Tao hesitated. “Miss, your body just recovered. Should we ask the Empress Dowager for leave…”
“We just arrived at the palace. We can’t afford any mistakes. I’ll go first.”
Su Yao followed Madam Chang toward Cining Palace.
The Empress Dowager reclined on the gilded warm couch, her fingers brushing over a glass cup filled with blood swallows. “Early this morning, I was passing the rear garden and accidentally dropped my favorite jade bracelet into the lotus pond.”
She suddenly looked up at Su Yao, who was grinding ink. “I heard you’re an excellent swimmer?”
Su Yao’s wrist holding the inkstone faltered.
The lotus pond’s surface was covered with thin ice, glinting pale blue-gray in the morning light.
“Your servant will go look for it immediately.”
***
Madam Chang caught sight of the Empress Dowager’s wrist, clearly wearing the pair of jade bracelets.
The icy water of the twelfth lunar month was like thousands of needles piercing the bone.
Su Yao broke the ice and dove underwater, seeing dozens of jade bracelets resting on the pond floor—all fakes.
When she surfaced for the eighth time to breathe, the Empress Dowager was tossing the genuine jade bracelet into the pond. “Search carefully; mine is engraved with a phoenix pattern.”
Lu Huaijin, passing by the lotus pool after court, just happened upon Su Yao pale as a ghost, crawling ashore.
Her soaked palace robes had frozen into a shell of ice; with each step, shards of ice fell, and blood had congealed on her knees.
“Just in time, Minister.”
“I pay respects to the Empress Dowager.”
The Empress Dowager laughed, striking Su Yao’s shoulder with a hand warmer. “Huaijin, you are loyal indeed. Thanks to her, I’ve found my bracelet.”
Lu Huaijin’s expression remained cold as he glanced at the faint red plum blossoms embroidered on Su Yao’s hem.
“Your Majesty, I specially brought some exquisite little trinkets for you today.”
He slowly produced a finely carved little box from his bosom.
The Empress Dowager’s curiosity was instantly piqued, and she leaned in.
Madam Chang’s eyes darted anxiously toward Su Yao standing nearby, signaling her to retreat quickly.
Understanding, Su Yao forced herself to steady her discomfort and limped away quietly.
After they had gone, Madam Chang lowered her voice. “How did your knee get hurt so badly?”
Su Yao drew a shallow breath, frowning slightly. “I slipped by the pond and was cut by sharp stones at the bottom.”
“This is serious. You must get treated at the imperial hospital soon. Infection isn’t to be taken lightly.”
After receiving Lu Huaijin’s gift, the Empress Dowager’s mood had noticeably improved, and her treatment of Su Yao softened considerably over the past few days. She no longer tormented her without cause.
Chun Tao carefully changed the dressing on Su Yao’s wound.
The bandages clung tightly to her skin, and each time they were removed, they pulled at the tender flesh, sending sharp electric-like pain coursing through Su Yao’s body.
She clenched her teeth to endure the pain, sweat beading on her forehead despite her efforts.
Chun Tao’s heart ached at the sight. She whispered, “Miss, do you really intend to stay in the palace forever?”
Su Yao’s gaze darkened slightly, emotions swirling within.
Leaving Lu Huaijin might free her from a past she wished to forget, but palace life was far harsher than she had imagined. She had to be cautious at every step, fearful that a single misstep would anger the Empress Dowager and bring fatal consequences.
Su Yao exhaled deeply. “I no longer have the right to decide for myself.”
***
At the midnight watch, Eunuch Hai arrived outside Su Yao’s room.
“Eunuch, why are you here?”
“Tonight is your turn.”
Su Yao was startled; she had never heard Madam Chang mention any duties.
“Come with me, no dawdling,” Eunuch Hai snapped.
Su Yao dared not ask more and hurried after him. They arrived at the forbidden chamber in Cining Palace.
Ninety-nine human-skin lanterns lit up in turn, casting light upon walls hung with bone wind chimes. The chimes were strung from women’s finger bones, their tongues made from curled fetal remains.
“These are the late emperor’s treasures,” the old eunuch said, flicking the chimes. The dry fetal remains clinked hollowly against the bones.
“Tonight, you guard these treasures. If one goes missing…” He suddenly grabbed Su Yao’s chin, “your bones will replace it.”
A cold wind swept through the hall. Su Yao’s eyes fell upon the central wind chime, from which hung a jade pendant identical to the one her coming-of-age sister had given her. She staggered forward but noticed the pendant bore the character “Jin,” stained with old blood on the inside.
“Don’t touch it!”
The old eunuch’s voice emerged from the shadows. “This is the Empress Dowager’s treasure, a spoil of war taken by Minister Lu when he was young from a rebel.”
Su Yao lowered her head, afraid to move. The room was chillingly cold, weighing heavily on her spirit.
Suddenly, Eunuch Hai’s hand shot out like iron pincers, clamping her delicate chin tightly, forcing her to look into his murky, ruthless eyes.
Pain flared through her jaw as if her bones might shatter.
She winced in agony but dared not utter a sound. She was forced to open her mouth, revealing rows of white teeth.
The eunuch shoved a bone into her mouth. “Hold it and listen closely to the love words these bones whisper.”
Terrified and humiliated, Su Yao shook her head desperately, her body trembling uncontrollably with resistance.
Summoning all her strength, she flung the bone to the ground with a sharp clatter.
The old eunuch’s face darkened instantly, but faint footsteps came from outside.
His hovering hand paused, and he whispered a warning, “Bitch, don’t make a sound! You’d better behave!”
Su Yao clenched her lips tightly, tears dropping one by one onto the floor.
When the old eunuch unlocked the forbidden chamber, Su Yao was curled up among the bone chimes, shivering.
Her lips were bitten raw, and she faintly heard Lu Huaijin’s voice piercing the palace walls: “Your Majesty summoned me late at night; I do not yet know the reason...”