Chapter 269: Chapter 267 Xiangxiu"What’s wrong?"

    He Ying cradled Sang Yan’s back with both his hands, fearing she’d start thrashing about and fall out.

    Sang Yan felt this position was currently too dangerous and hastily said, "Nothing’s wrong."

    Then she struggled to get down.

    But evidently, getting up was easy, getting down was hard.

    He Ying pinned her shoulders down, looking up at her, "Ah Yan, what dream did you have? Tell me, so I can also have a good laugh."

    Sang Yan was too embarrassed to say, "I didn’t dream anything. Let go. I need to get down."

    He Ying didn’t allow it, his smile devilish, "Why go down? I think it’s pretty good like this. Ah Yan, how’s the view from up there?"

    Sang Yan looked down at the people below, understanding the implied ’scenery’, and played along with a smile, "Not bad."

    He Ying indulged her, "Then Ah Yan, enjoy it a bit longer."

    Sang Yan leaned in close to his ear and chuckled, "Alright. As you wish."

    She knew what he wanted.

    The interaction between men and women had to be reciprocal.

    Since he was interested, naturally, she was happy to oblige.

    Thus, it rained again that night.

    Because of the rain, Sang Yan especially had a good night’s sleep.

    By the time she woke up, it was already bright outside.

    He Ying had to attend the morning court, and was no longer in sight.

    She sat up, supporting her sore waist, and called for Qiuzhi to attend to her.

    First a simple bath, then dressing up.

    Unexpectedly, as Qiuzhi combed her hair, she brought up an incident, "Early today, I heard that Miss Xiangxiu from Yuesang Palace was caught stealing a jade hairpin from Princess Consort Sang and was sent to the Clothing Bureau."

    Sang Yan was taken aback, "Xiangxiu? Are you sure you heard correctly?"

    Xiangxiu was the Chief Palace Maid of Yuesang Palace, how could she possibly commit such a foolish act?

    "I am not entirely certain," said Qiuzhi.

    Thinking it over, Qiuzhi suddenly remembered something, "Oh, that’s right, I heard someone mention yesterday that Xiangxiu only has her elderly mother left, who is over sixty and in poor health. Alas, old age inevitably brings illness; she must have done something foolish for her mother’s sake?"

    Listening, Sang Yan felt something was amiss: Xiangxiu was the Chief Palace Maid by Sang Ruoshui and had served her for so long, with no achievement, but with hard work. If her mother were sick, Sang Ruoshui wouldn’t just stand by, and even if Xiangxiu really did steal a jade hairpin, a scolding would suffice, she wouldn’t need to be sent to the Clothing Bureau. That’s a place that roughs people up!

    "She is indeed pitiable."

    Sang Yan sighed, feeling that Xiangxiu had followed the wrong person.

    She had just returned to the palace with He Ying.

    Everywhere within the palace was under strict guard.

    Anyone who had some sense wouldn’t commit foolish acts at this time.

    She had met Xiangxiu several times, always proper and within bounds, not a bold and foolish person!

    There must be more to the story.

    After some thought, she asked, "Who is now the Chief Palace Maid of Yuesang Palace?"

    "It seems to be Xiang Ying," said Qiuzhi, with a hint of dismay, "Princess Consort Sang seems gentle and virtuous, but who would have thought—"

    She glanced at Sang Yan, and seeing no displeasure on her face, she continued, "Once this matter came to light, she immediately sent Xiangxiu to the Clothing Bureau and then promoted Xiang Ying to Chief Palace Maid, even allowing her to leave the palace to visit her parents. Isn’t that a slap in Xiangxiu’s face?"

    She felt somewhat indignant on Xiangxiu’s behalf.

    All palace maids inevitably sympathize with each other.

    But she was fortunate to serve a good master like the Empress.

    With this thought, Qiuzhi’s eyes and brows smiled, "Let’s not talk about these disheartening matters anymore, to avoid offending Your Ladyship’s ears, which hairpin would be best for today?"

    She started selecting jewelry for Sang Yan on her own, opening the makeup box.

    Sang Yan’s interest was low, her brows lowered.

    She was still thinking about Xiangxiu’s situation.

    After breakfast, she had intended to go for a walk, but she saw the continuous autumn rain outside. S~ea??h the Novёl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    The autumn rain poured until noon.

    He Ying accompanied her for lunch and before they even had a chance to rest, Pei Muyang called him to the Imperial Study for a meeting.

    Sang Yan rested for a while, waiting for the autumn rain to ease up, and, being absolutely bored, had Qiuzhi hold an umbrella for them as they left Qingning Palace.

    Walking along, I didn’t know if it was just psychological, or if Qiuzhi’s constant chatter had its effect, but I eventually found myself at the Clothing Bureau.

    Clothing Bureau

    The vermilion walls of the courtyard were peeling, a desolate and ruined contrast to the splendid grandeur of the front hall, especially under the autumn rain.

    "Lady, you shouldn’t come to such a place," Qiuzhi stood at the entrance of the Clothing Bureau, slapped her own mouth, and reproached herself, "It’s all this servant’s fault for running her mouth. If I hadn’t said those things, it wouldn’t have disturbed your mood and led you to come here."

    Sang Yan was amused by her and laughed, "It’s boring just staying in the palace anyway, I’m just wandering around."

    She wasn’t suddenly overcome with a Mother Teresa complex and driven here to save Xiangxiu.

    To her, Xiangxiu was a stranger, and she had once belonged to Sang Ruoshui.

    Her relationship with Sang Ruoshui was getting worse and worse, almost like fire and water, and maybe right now, Sang Ruoshui was cursing her in her heart.

    As she thought, a sharp voice came from inside, "What high and mighty act are you putting on for our family?"

    Sensing trouble, Sang Yan took a step and walked in.

    Inside, the palace personnel were all rough-mannered palace maids and old nannies.

    Because of the rain, no one was working; they were all cracking sunflower seeds under the eaves, craning their necks to watch the drama unfold.

    The main characters of the drama stood under a willow tree thick enough to require two people to encircle it.

    The woman was wearing gray clothes.

    That was the uniform of the Clothing Bureau palace maids.

    She stood with her back to Sang Yan, and a wooden bucket had been kicked over at her feet, with freshly washed clothes scattered all around.

    The man was dressed in dark cyan.

    That was the attire of an eunuch.

    He was partially facing Sang Yan.

    Sang Yan took a moment to observe him and felt he seemed familiar.

    After thinking for a while, she remembered seeing him by Pei Muyang’s side.

    He was a third-rank eunuch.

    A little better off than the average little eunuch.

    The eunuch was only focused on the delicate beauty before him, completely oblivious to the newcomer.

    He spat towards the little beauty disdainfully, "Princess Consort Sang wanted you to be our bed companion, that’s favoring you, a blessing for you. Our family only touched your hand and you act like you’re dead, who are you trying to show that to?"

    Princess Consort Sang?

    Sang Yan frowned upon hearing this: Is that palace maid Xiangxiu?

    Xiangxiu shrank her shoulders and hid her hands behind her back, her body shaking like a sieve, "Mr. Zhang, this servant has made a mistake and knows it’s wrong, but this servant only wants to stay in the Clothing Bureau."

    To be a eunuch’s bed companion?

    She would never!

    Those castrated beings, when they torment people, are more vicious than real beasts.

    Even in death, she wouldn’t want to be a eunuch’s plaything.

    Xiangxiu clenched her teeth and glanced at the well beside her.

    "Thinking of dying?"

    Zhang Tong chuckled, "If you die, it’s all over for you, but your old mother will suffer. Little beauty, don’t say I have no pity for you. If you become my woman, it will definitely be better than your days in the Clothing Bureau."

    As he said this, he unsteadily reached out to touch Xiangxiu’s face again.

    Xiangxiu cried out in fear.

    But in the entire Clothing Bureau, not a single person offered a helping hand.

    She looked towards the nanny in charge, under the eaves, as tears streamed down her face: Please! Save me! Save me!

    But the nanny in charge turned her head away as if she saw nothing.

    She had been in the palace for too long, had become perverse, liked to watch eunuchs bully and coerce the little palace maids, those tears and screams made her feel that she wasn’t so miserable, on the contrary, there was a certain pleasure in controlling the fate of others.

    "Once you’re in the Clothing Bureau, you have to accept your fate!"

    She glared at a few rough-mannered palace maids who wanted to help, spouting the usual "discipline" talk, "You want to stand out? First weigh how many worthless lives you have!"

    The rough-mannered palace maids were already timid, and with her intimidation, they dared not step forward.

    But they couldn’t bear to watch anymore, so they quickly returned to their rooms, thinking out of sight, out of mind.

    This only emboldened Zhang Tong’s malicious intent.

    He directly embraced Xiangxiu in his arms and moved to kiss her...