Chapter 21: Pingping

Chapter 21: Pingping

Upon entering the main hall, Sheng An first bowed respectfully to the Empress before standing and pointing at Feng Pingping, stating:

"Your Highness, Miss Feng indeed spent last night in Langhuan Pavilion and was escorted back to Chuxiu Palace by a junior eunuch from there this morning. Miss Feng should be unrelated to Miss Qi's death."

The Empress, slightly surprised, smiled, "Was it His Majesty whom Miss Feng encountered last night?"

Sheng An bowed affirmatively.

A moment of silence ensued. Sun Manyun couldn't help but look at Feng Pingping, who seemed just as astonished, before turning back.

"I understand now," the Empress said, glancing at Feng Pingping.

"Now that Your Highness is aware, I shall take my leave," Sheng An bowed and retreated, not mentioning the Emperor's decision on the matter, seemingly leaving it to the Empress to handle.

After Sheng An's departure, the topic of sending Feng Pingping home was dropped. The Empress, massaging her temples, instructed softly, "Xiachan, escort Miss Sun and Miss Feng back. As for Miss Qian…"

"...Although it was an unintentional error, you still caused a life to be lost. You are sentenced to forty lashes, after which you are to return home immediately."

Miss Qian shuddered, torn between tears and relief, and finally nodded in agreement.

*

Yao Hua Palace.

On the Qi Yun Terrace outside the Qiong Hua Hall, Autumn Okra, Wan Song, and a few other maids were preparing the guqin for Jiang Hui—today's weather was perfect, and Jiang Hui felt like burning incense and playing the guqin.

"Losing her way to Langhuan Pavilion and even encountering His Majesty," Shan Zha said while arranging incense burners, still preoccupied with the events at Chuxiu Palace, "Miss Feng is really lucky."

"Without such fortune, Miss Feng wouldn't just be disqualified; she might have even been accused of murder," Wan Song commented, less resentful towards Feng Pingping than Shan Zha, speaking more courteously.

"Miss Feng seems naive, but who knows how many inscrutable ones are in Chuxiu Palace," said Autumn Okra.

Shan Zha, still thinking about Feng Pingping, added, "With today's incident at Ying Xiang Xie, His Majesty will surely choose Miss Feng for the palace."

"Even if she's chosen, she won't surpass our mistress," Wan Song wasn't bothered, "We just need to look after our mistress and the young master properly."

"Heard that Miss Zhao was so frightened, she's been taken to Ci Ning Palace by the Empress Dowager for recuperation. Not sure if she can attend today's selection," Autumn Okra continued the topic.

Jiang Hui let her maids gossip, sitting aside, casually strumming the guqin strings.

Was Miss Qi really accidentally killed by Miss Qian?

Jiang Hui only heard second-hand accounts and couldn't speculate, but she knew Miss Sun Manyun didn't accidentally hear about the Emperor visiting Zizhu Forest; she had bought the information.

Miss Sun Manyun's reluctance to tell the truth in front of the Empress might stem from fear of being accused of spying on the Emperor's movements, or perhaps... she orchestrated it all.

A scheme killing three birds with one stone.

First, using Miss Qi to eliminate several self-assured beauties who actively pursued their interests;

Second, causing the most sought-after Miss Zhao to be frightened and fall ill, possibly missing the selection if it worsened;

Third, framing the most outstandingly beautiful Feng Pingping.

However, due to the Emperor's unexpected involvement, Feng Pingping wasn't disqualified and instead caught His Majesty's attention, marking her only misstep.

Perhaps initially, she didn't anticipate that Miss Qi would be accidentally pushed by Miss Qian onto the rockery, causing fatal injury, but she didn't hesitate to exploit the situation.

Otherwise, how could Miss Qi have hit her head a second time after her initial fainting, her corpse still glaring in death?

Moreover, wasn't Sun Manyun alone that night?

Even without knowing that Sun Manyun had bought the information, Jiang Hui didn't believe the experienced palace staff of the Judicial Bureau and Empress Wang's wisdom would overlook these details.

They glossed over Sun Manyun's suspicious involvement simply because they didn't care who the real culprit was.

The Empress only needed a resolution to restore peace in the palace, indifferent to the actual perpetrator.

After all, Sun Manyun's father, the Minister of Justice Sun Zheng, was a close friend of the Empress's father, so the Empress chose to accept the superficial evidence without delving deeper.

Understanding the Empress's inclination, how could the Judicial Bureau's staff not comply?

But as the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, who can be sure that Zhao Ruyun, who was overly frightened, didn't hear the night's commotion?

Playing disconnected notes that formed no melody, Jiang Hui smiled faintly, anticipating more intriguing dramas in the palace after the selection.

With the incense burner set and the guqin arranged, Jiang Hui gently placed her Wutong wood Jiaowei guqin on the stand, kneeling on the cushion. She ceased thinking about other matters, closed her eyes for a moment of reflection, and quietly began playing "Ping Sha Luo Yan."

*

Ying Xiang Xie.

Not yet called, Sun Manyun stood in the corridor, gathering with a few acquaintances from Chuxiu Palace.

"Miss Sun looks exceptionally beautiful today," complimented a lady, her sincerity ambiguous amidst everyone's splendid attire.

Sun Manyun was dressed in a white-pink smoke and butterfly skirt, paired with a greenish-blue water ripple sheer front jacket, her hair styled in a yuanbao bun with loose strands on her forehead. She adorned her hair with a simple pearl butterfly pin and a freshly picked peach blossom, exuding youthful charm and grace like a lively peach fairy.

Hearing this, she smiled and twirled in place, her skirt lifting slightly, seemingly oblivious to any underlying meaning: "Thank you for the compliment, sister!"

An acquainted young lady remarked, "Sister Zhao has been taken to Cining Palace by the Empress Dowager. I wonder if she's feeling better, able to attend the final selection."

Sun Manyun was about to respond when she spotted Feng Pingping approaching from around the corner.

Surprisingly, she too was dressed in white and pink!

Observing closely, Sun Manyun noticed Feng Pingping's attire: a white-pink pipa collar blouse paired with a matching plain Luo skirt, her hair styled in double snail buns, adorned with a pearl peach blossom hairpin and matching earrings. Her forehead was decorated with a peach blossom makeup pattern, and her charming tear mole was subtly visible under her hair. Her innocent, naive yet captivating appearance, even small eunuchs couldn’t help but steal glances.

Compared to her, Sun Manyun's elaborate attire suddenly seemed less striking.

Sun Manyun observed her intently before confronting her coldly, "Miss Feng, why are you wearing Sister Yun’s hairpin and earrings?"

Startled, Feng Pingping recognized her and quickly responded with a smile, "Oh, these were lent to me by Sister Zhao, I haven’t had the chance to return them yet. You saw them in Chuxiu Palace."

Sun Manyun had indeed seen her with Zhao Ruyun's jewelry before, but she disregarded Feng Pingping's explanation, insisting, "Taking without asking is stealing! Take them off!"