Free Web NovelChapter 254: Chapter 254: Let Me Out of the Palace, I Want to Go Home
Amused by Yuan Heng’s reaction, a slight smile finally touched Ji Qingwu’s lips.
"There was a blade of grass."
She wasn’t the type to take her anger out on the wrong person. She knew exactly who was to blame and who she needed to confront.
But the hour was growing late, and she needed to get back to Cining Palace soon.
As she looked at her surroundings, however, she realized she didn’t recognize the way back. Her only hope was Yuan Heng.
"Young Master, do you know the way back to Cining Palace?"
Yuan Heng said profoundly, "We’ll just wait for a Palace Attendant to pass by and ask them."
He didn’t know the way either. Ji Qingwu stood at a fork in the path.
She asked, "We were in the bushes for so long and didn’t see a single person pass by. What if no one comes?"
Yuan Heng said, "They will. Little Shunzi will come looking for me."
Ji Qingwu remembered him—the eunuch who looked after the little prince.
’Rather than wait for Little Shunzi to come find us in a clamor, letting the entire palace know, I might as well find the way back myself.’
However, Ji Qingwu’s mind had been in turmoil on her way here, and she hadn’t paid attention to any landmarks.
But as she looked back at the spot where they had been, she suddenly noticed something strange.
She remembered tearing up handfuls of flowers and grass, but now they had mysteriously vanished. This was definitely the place.
Just then, the gates of a nearby palace opened, and a palace maid in a yellow dress emerged, carrying a lantern.
She walked toward them, curtsied, and said, "My greetings to the Young Master, and to Fifth Miss Ji."
Yuan Heng, with his small hands clasped behind his back, said, "Rise. Do you know the way to Qianyuan Hall from here?"
The palace maid replied, "I am from Anhua Palace. My mistress sent me specifically to guide you."
’Her timing is perfect,’ Ji Qingwu thought, then asked, "How did your mistress know we were lost at her gate?"
The palace maid said, "This is the most remote part of Phoenix Palace. People often wander near Anhua Palace by mistake and can’t find their way out."
’Wander in by mistake and can’t find the way out...’
Ji Qingwu remembered that she had walked on a shifting path like this once before.
The back mountain of Hanshan Temple had a path just like this one.
The palace maid led them forward. Ji Qingwu said, "This path seems different from the one I took to get here."
The palace maid didn’t stop walking as she praised, "Fifth Miss Ji is truly perceptive. Our mistress enjoys her peace and quiet, so a few illusions were incorporated when this area was built."
’Using a confusing formation like this in the palace... this concubine must really dislike interacting with people. But for Emperor Wu Su to allow it, she must have been highly favored at one point.’
Ji Qingwu had never heard of this concubine. She asked, "May I ask who your mistress is?"
The palace maid said, "My master is Consort Hui. She rarely leaves her palace, so it’s normal that you haven’t heard of her."
As she spoke, she stopped. The path before them widened, and Palace Attendants began to pass by in twos and threes.
"This is the main palace road. I will not accompany the Young Master and Miss Ji any further."
Ji Qingwu said, "Thank you."
They hadn’t taken more than a few steps before Little Shunzi appeared in a panic, fussing in Yuan Heng’s ear for quite some time.
"Oh, my dear Young Master, why did you slip away from me? If anything had happened to you, I could never atone for it, not even with my life!"
Yuan Heng grew annoyed with his nagging. "What could happen to me in the palace? There are so many guards. Stop your fussing."
Little Shunzi said, "Sometimes the safest places can be dangerous! It’s a good thing Miss Ji was here to bring you back, Young Master."
Ji Qingwu turned to the side, avoiding his bow of gratitude.
’So Yuan Heng had been following me all the way to Anhua Palace. He wasn’t just out for a walk. I almost got him lost, too.’
Ji Qingwu knelt down slightly and said, "Young Master, I think Eunuch Shun is right. Even in the palace, you shouldn’t run around. Your safety is more important than anything."
By now, the sky had darkened, and the palace lanterns along the path were lit.
The yellow glow cast shadows on Ji Qingwu’s face, making her expression unbelievably gentle.
Yuan Heng couldn’t help but take half a step forward, drawing closer and leaning toward her ear.
"I just wanted to see you."
His soft voice melted Ji Qingwu’s heart. "Then should we agree on an hour to meet every day?"
Yuan Heng’s dark eyes lit up, and he whispered something else in her ear.
Ji Qingwu nodded. "Alright, whatever you say. Now hurry back with Eunuch Shun."
*
By the time Ji Qingwu returned to Cining Palace, the palace maid who had accompanied her to Zhaoyang Hall to deliver the soup had already told the Empress Dowager everything that had happened in the imperial court.
When Ji Qingwu entered the hall, the Empress Dowager was leaning back on a long chaise longue, her eyes closed and her face grim.
Shixi was massaging her shoulders, and when Fanghua saw Ji Qingwu, she gave her a worried look.
"Greetings, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager slowly opened her eyes and beckoned. "You’re finally back. Come here to my side."
Ji Qingwu took a deep breath.
She blinked, and a film of moisture welled up in her eyes as she walked to the Empress Dowager’s side.
The Empress Dowager noticed the dirt on her shoes and the hem of her dress, and she also saw the unshed tears in her eyes.
Their time together these past few days had not been for naught. The Empress Dowager knew her niece was a sincere person at heart.
She swallowed the reprimand on the tip of her tongue, and her tone softened considerably.
"I have met many women, but I have never met one like you—so gentle and soft on the outside, yet so terribly stubborn on the inside."
Ji Qingwu stood with her head bowed, looking utterly dejected.
The Empress Dowager waved Shixi aside and watched her.
"When His Majesty is in a foul mood, you should keep your distance. Wait until he is in a better mood, then you can show yourself."
When she recalled the palace maid telling her that Ji Qingwu had smashed the soup tureen in front of Emperor Wu Su, the Empress Dowager’s heart had seized. She had thought her niece’s life was forfeit.
The Empress Dowager said, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you have nine lives, daring to throw a tantrum at His Majesty!"
When Ji Qingwu looked up, her face was a mask of sorrow. A single teardrop clung to her lower eyelid, poised to fall, creating a heart-wrenching sight.
"Empress Dowager, you didn’t see how cold Your Majesty was, or the things he said."
Seeing her expression, the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but soften a little.
She sighed. "I’ve been through this myself. It’s normal for two people to have friction."
"Forget about His Majesty; even the wife of an ordinary official wouldn’t smash bowls and plates over a few words. If word of this gets out, you’ll be a laughingstock."
Ji Qingwu said aggrievedly, "Your Majesty was the one who smashed a bowl first! And he said... he said he’s tired of me."
The Empress Dowager’s face hardened. "He is the Emperor. What he can do does not mean you can do it."
Ji Qingwu covered her face with her hands and sobbed, "What’s done is done! In any case, I’m too ashamed to stay in the palace anymore. Empress Dowager, let me leave the palace. I want to go home."
Hearing her talk of going home, the Empress Dowager’s expression changed.
’It’s rare for the Ji Family to produce a woman who catches the Emperor’s eye. Even if she’s fallen out of favor, she should at least secure a title first. Her future can be discussed later.’
The Empress Dowager said urgently, "You child, running home at the first sign of a setback. What sort of behavior is that?"
Ji Qingwu choked back sobs, saying petulantly, "If the Empress Dowager won’t stand up for me, then I’ll leave the palace and go home!"
The Empress Dowager was at a loss for how to deal with her.
"How do you want me to stand up for you?"
