Unparalleled Beauty

Chapter C083 pt1

In the snowy night, a team of Imperial Guards were patrolling the detached palace.

Gone were their usual bright and imposing appearances; they were all clad in thick fur coats, with a layer of straw raincoats to ward off the snow. Their conical hats shielded their faces from the wind and snow, and their exhaled breath formed puffs of white mist.

"How long until the shift change?"

"Still early."

"To have to patrol on a night like this, it's truly suffering! Why wasn't I reborn as a Marquis or a Duke? Then I'd be inside right now, embracing a fragrant beauty in slumber, instead of enduring this hardship."

"Reborn as a Marquis or a Duke? If you're going to be reborn, be reborn as a Prince; now that's what I call impressive."

"Have you heard? Prince Qin drank too much deer blood wine last night and made a ruckus all night long. He dragged five or six palace maids onto his bed. Some of the maids couldn't bear the abuse and wailed so loudly that even the guards on patrol last night heard them."

"Prince Qin brought his Princess Consort and Secondary Consort with him on this trip. Why is he still bothering with the palace maids?"

"Who knows? Perhaps the Princess Consort and Secondary Consort are from prominent families and unwilling to share a bed with Prince Qin, so he's taking it out on the palace maids?"

"It's no wonder. I heard Prince Qin was arguing with Prince Wei and drank three bowls of deer blood wine in a row. How could an ordinary person withstand three bowls of that stuff in one go? But Prince Wei drank quite a bit too. Have you heard any commotion from Prince Wei's residence?"

"No, I haven't…"

The snow outside provided some light, so it wasn't completely dark, but there wasn't a ghost of a shadow to be seen. On ordinary patrols, they would need to carry lanterns, but tonight they were spared the trouble.

"Alright, stop talking nonsense. Once we go around the Hechun Pavilion ahead, we'll head back. We still need to drink some wine to keep warm in this weather, otherwise no one can... can... can…"

The man dozed off as he spoke, and the person next to him teased, "What? Did you eat snow?"

He had indeed eaten snow, a mouthful of it.

This man was still quite composed, perhaps because the most important thing for an Imperial Guard was to be composed and calm. He wiped the snow from his face and said, "Did you see a dark shadow pass by just now?"

"What dark shadow? The snow is so white; a dark shadow couldn't hide."

"If you didn't see it, then forget it. I must have been seeing things."

***

Ji Yang returned from outside, his cloak covered in a thick layer of snow.

Wushuang quickly had someone take away his cloak and led him to the charcoal brazier.

"Where did you go? You always act on a whim. If you say you're going out, you just go."

"I went to check the severity of the snow outside, and to inspect the patrols and guards around the villa."

Mei Wushuang paused, "And what did you find?"

"This snow will probably continue for several days before it stops. As for the patrols and guards..." At this, Ji Yang paused, playing coy. He took off his outer robes and boots, until he was only left in his undergarments, and then changed into a soft, comfortable cotton robe.

Mei Wushuang saw snow on his forehead and eyebrows, so she took a handkerchief to wipe it away. After wiping it a couple of times, he pulled her to sit down in front of the chaise lounge.

"If anyone wanted to commit treason, this would truly be a good time."

Hearing this, Wushuang couldn't help but shudder, and said anxiously, "Why do you say everything that comes to mind!"

"You were the one asking," he said languidly, pulling her into his arms. "This Prince is just saying it, not planning to do anything."

"Then why would you think of these things? Could it be related to what I said earlier?"

Just now, Ji Yang had heard her words and said he wanted to go out for a while. After going out and returning, he suddenly spouted such words, so Wushuang naturally connected the two.

But to be fair, although his words were somewhat rebellious, they weren't without reason. With such heavy snow outside, and the villa being on the mountain, once the snow reached a certain level, this villa would be almost isolated from the world. The carriages traveling between the capital and the villa every day would inevitably have to stop.

Although the Emperor would not be without guards when traveling, this was, after all, not the palace, and the protection was limited. If someone were to hide some men and take the opportunity to cause trouble, by the time troops were mobilized, the perpetrators would have already fled into the old forest. Even if one wanted to pursue, it would probably be difficult.

"Don't let your imagination run wild. There are so many people in the villa, and so many princes and ministers outside. Who would be so foolish as to commit treason in this place?"

"It is precisely because there are many people that trouble is more likely to arise. The risk isn't great, and success would bring immense profit. Even if it doesn't succeed, taking the opportunity to do something else wouldn't be impossible. I just wonder if anyone can withstand the temptation."

Wushuang didn't quite understand these words.

"You're speaking strangely today."

"I'm just saying whatever comes to mind. Alright, it's not early anymore, let's sleep."

The two got into bed. Wushuang was still a little worried that he might not be well-behaved tonight, but who knew if Ji Yang had really thought of something after going out, and seemed preoccupied.

Seeing that he didn't have that intention, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, Wushuang fell asleep, she was truly tired today. She didn't know that after she fell asleep, Ji Yang lifted her collar to take a look, and after looking, he scoffed.

***

In the days that followed, just as Ji Yang had said, the snow continued to fall without pause.

As Mei Wushuang had predicted, with so many people inside and outside the detached palace, their daily sustenance depended entirely on deliveries from the capital. Even with some reserves, they would last only a few days at most.

This referred to fresh meat and vegetables; there was plenty of rice and flour, which could be stored for a long time.

But one had to remember who resided here – all were nobles. Which table wasn't laden with seven dishes and eight bowls, all vying for the freshest, most palatable, and rarest delicacies?

Commoners might eat turnips and Chinese cabbage or pickled vegetables in winter, but the nobles consumed freshly picked cave greens, fresh river fish, and newly slaughtered chickens, ducks, and sheep, among other things.

Especially the former, which had been unavailable for two days. Naturally, complaints arose. These nobles, deprived of their cave greens, were unaware that the detached palace's provisions of food, as well as chickens, ducks, meat, eggs, wine, noodles, vinegar, and rice, were running low.

It wasn't a matter of being completely out of supplies, but rather of preparing in advance. With no sign of the snow stopping, it was uncertain when deliveries could arrive from the capital. With so many people and so many mouths to feed, one couldn't wait until the last moment to find a solution.

The first to be reduced were the households of ministers and nobles residing outside the detached palace. In any case, reductions were made step by step according to status. If the imperial concubines could still see fresh eggs and meat, the lower-ranking officials only had the meat from the hunt on the day of the first hunt to eat.

One should know that not all game meat was palatable. Apart from a few select types, the rest were both gamey and tough, and lacking sufficient seasonings and side dishes. How could it possibly be delicious?

But no matter how much was reduced, it would not affect Emperor Taihe, the Four Consorts, or the princes, princesses, and Princess Consorts. Wushuang noticed only a slight reduction in fresh vegetables on her dining table, but she heard that the food for the palace maids and chamberlains below was deteriorating day by day, becoming unbearably poor.

These movements, though seemingly small, had already fallen into the eyes of those with ulterior motives.

While the detached palace appeared peaceful on the surface, undercurrents had already begun to surge.

Confined by the heavy snow these past few days, and unable to go out, Wushuang could only remain trapped within Yuxiang Pavilion.

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't mind being confined to a courtyard for months, but these past few days, Prince Wei had been acting as if possessed, pestering her daily. She was tormented by Prince Wei during the day and by Ji Yang at night, all while worrying about being discovered by Ji Yang. Her days were truly filled with trepidation and exhaustion.

Only now did Wushuang discover another side of Prince Wei. He was a scoundrel and a hypocrite, always liking to coerce her both in public and in private. Out of consideration for her reputation, she always allowed him to succeed.

The heavy snow confined Wushuang to Yuxiang Pavilion, trapped within its inner hall, leaving her nowhere to hide. She was now like a frightened bird, terrified at the sight of Prince Wei. Like today, she had deliberately found needlework to do in order to avoid him, sitting far away, but even that had devolved into unspeakable acts.

When Prince Wei turned Wushuang's face out of the bedding, her eyes were red-rimmed, and her cheeks were flushed as if about to drip blood. Her eyes, originally filled with resentment, turned to grievance with a pout of her small mouth.

"Your Highness, please spare me," she said softly, her voice carrying a sob, clearly pushed too far.

Prince Wei kissed her forehead: "Why are you so delicate?"

Saying this, he helped her sit up, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and then said, "Look at how you've stifled yourself. Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?"

Wushuang did indeed feel a thirst, but fearing Prince Wei would concoct some other mischief, she remained stubbornly silent. Prince Wei carried her to the bedside and, taking the water from the low table beside the bed, fed it to her.

When Linglong entered, she saw the Princess Consort, clad in her sleeping gown, sitting in His Highness's embrace, drinking water. Beneath the pale green of her nightdress, her fair, bare lotus feet dangled in the air, a red string tied around her ankle, a golden bell attached to the string.

She quickly lowered her eyes, wondering in her heart when the Princess Consort had acquired such a thing.

"What is it?"

"Your Highness, someone has come from Zhilan Pavilion, saying that Her Highness, Princess Changhe, invites the Princess Consort to speak with her."

Hearing this, Wushuang quickly raised her head and said, "Tell the people from Zhilan Pavilion that I will go immediately."

As the words left her lips, she wondered if she had agreed too quickly, and hastily glanced at Prince Wei. But Prince Wei's gaze was fixed intently on the cup in his hand. Remembering that she was still drinking, she quickly took another sip.

Prince Wei set down the cup. "Since the Princess Consort has spoken, go and inform the people from Zhilan Pavilion that the Princess Consort will arrive shortly."

While changing, Wushuang noticed that the golden bell on her foot rang with every movement she made. Although none of the maids asked where this golden bell had come from, she couldn't help but feel guilty and flustered.

While putting on her shoes and socks, she took advantage of being behind the screen and signaled Meifang to help her untie the red string. Meifang squatted down and tried for a long time, but couldn't untie it. Xiaohong tried next, but still couldn't. In the end, even Meifang used all her strength, but it still wouldn't budge.

"Princess Consort, it's tied in a dead knot. Unless we cut it…"

Wushuang quickly gestured for her to lower her voice. Since it couldn't be untied and couldn't be cut, she could only wrap it in her shoes and socks, making them thicker and tighter. Finally, she tested it and found that it didn't ring, which was a compromise of sorts.

As she was about to leave, Prince Wei adjusted the brim of Wushuang's cloak and instructed those who were accompanying her to serve her carefully.

"Return early, Princess Consort."

Seeing him like this, Wushuang couldn't help but blush, while also feeling that she might have been overreacting.