After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess - Chapter 13

Back at the palace, Liang Xiao, uncharacteristically, went straight to bed. It was a deep, heavy sleep. When she woke, the sky outside was already dark, approximately just past the hour of You (5-7 PM). Liang Xiao sat up, supporting her head, feeling dizzy and heavy-headed.

Yue Hua, hearing the movement from outside, gently knocked on the door: “Your Highness, dinner has been prepared in the small kitchen. Would you like to eat?”

Liang Xiao sat on the bed to steady herself for a moment, then got up and pulled open the door: “Bring it in.”

The maidservants entered one after another, holding trays. After arranging the dishes, they did not dare linger and quickly scurried out to wait.

Liang Xiao picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, chewed only once, and her brows immediately furrowed tightly.

Yue Hua said: “Your Highness?”

Liang Xiao was displeased: “Has the cook been changed? This food is so spicy.”

Yue Hua nodded: “The previous cook reported sick, so he was sent home.”

Liang Xiao put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief: “Replace him. He is not needed to serve in the palace anymore.”

Liang Xiao disliked waste, so the remaining dishes were given to the young palace maids to share.

Yue Hua closed the door and poured a cup of tea for Liang Xiao.

Liang Xiao watched her actions, rubbing her temples without speaking. All those whose names contained the character “Yue” (Moon) were her trusted confidantes. In earlier years, her Imperial Father had given her a few; as she grew up, she personally groomed a few more. This way, it was more convenient for handling tasks and investigating cases.

She dipped her brush into the ink Yue Hua had just ground, sat down, and quietly copied some ancient poems for a while. However, her mind was full of her Imperial Mother’s case, and after writing for only a short time, the characters on her page became distorted.

She sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead, and waved her hand, telling Yue Hua to leave.

Outside, the moon had just risen; the night was not yet deep.

She was preoccupied with finding “Yuan Xin” and repeatedly picked up her brush to write these two characters.

Besides this mysterious “Yuan Xin,” she could not dismiss her suspicion of Yuande.

He was a transcendent master, so could he be the demon-slayer that Yan Heng mentioned? If that were the case, perhaps someone specifically sought him out, and then killed her Imperial Mother, who was a half-demon.

But if they truly did this, how did they manage to deceive her Imperial Father? Furthermore, how did they convince her Imperial Father, who never believed in ghosts or spirits, to honor him as the State Preceptor and spend a massive sum to build the Xiuji Temple?

At this moment, Liang Xiao only regretted why she hadn’t been born ten years earlier, as she might have been able to protect her Imperial Mother.

When she collected her thoughts, the paper was already covered with “Yuan Xin” and “Yuande.”

Her brows furrowed deeply. She held the paper up, as if trying to discern some clue from the four characters.

Suddenly, a possibility flashed in her mind. She picked up her brush once more and wrote the four characters clearly and squarely.

Looking at the inky characters, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Could it really be what she was thinking?

Liang Xiao rolled up the paper, got up, pushed the door open, and left.

Yan Heng was sitting on a stone stool, lighting a lamp to read a vernacular novel brought from the palace.

She found the room too stuffy, so she took the book outside while the sky was not yet completely dark.

In the novel, the scholar and the rich young lady were in the throes of passion, making her heart itch. Just as she was about to turn the page, the book in her hand was snatched away.

“Who has the nerve to—” After seeing who the person was, she silently stopped speaking.

“Instead of reading classics to fill your cotton-like brain, you’re reading these lovey-dovey things.” Liang Xiao turned the book over and looked at the words on the cover.

Yan Heng muttered in a low voice, “I enjoy it,” then put on a fake smile: “Your Highness’s grand visit, may I ask what the matter is?”

Liang Xiao spread the Xuan paper onto the table: “Do you recognize these four characters?”

Yan Heng: “…”

Yan Heng changed to a slightly provocative tone: “I don’t recognize them. Your Highness, why don’t you teach me?”

Liang Xiao raised her hand and tapped her head: “Take a good look.”

Yan Heng pointed at the characters “Yuande” and asked: “These look familiar. Whose name is it?”

“The State Preceptor.”

Yan Heng was confused: “Then what does that have to do with this ‘Yuan Xin’?”

Liang Xiao was silent for a moment and said: “I have a suspicion, but I’m not entirely sure.”

She glanced at Yan Heng’s eyes, where the light of the candle flickered, bright like stars.

She turned her head and cleared her throat, then said seriously: “I guess that ‘Yuan’ corresponds to ‘Yuan’ (of Yuande), and ‘Xin’ (Heart) corresponds to the ‘Heart radical’ at the bottom of ‘De’ (of Yuande).”

Yan Heng took the Xuan paper and examined it for a moment: “That does make sense when you put it that way, but it also feels a bit far-fetched. Wouldn’t the State Preceptor’s disguise be too simple? If you and I can easily make this connection, wouldn’t anyone with a discerning mind easily find the culprit?”

“That is what worries me. Although my theory can establish a connection, it’s ultimately a bit forced,” Liang Xiao sighed.

Yan Heng didn’t follow her line of thought but spoke of something else: “Your Highness, why did you come to find me when you thought of this?”

Liang Xiao hadn’t expected her to ask this and was momentarily speechless.

Previously, whenever she found a clue, the first person she sought out was Yue Hua. But today, for some reason, she had bypassed Yue Hua and come to find this little fox.

Could it be that the Love Knot was affecting her, making her think of Yan Heng from time to time?

Yan Heng continued: “Is Your Highness not afraid that I harbor malicious intent and will reveal everything about your investigation?”

Liang Xiao vaguely replied: “I doubt you would dare. You are already implicated, and besides, you are a demon, so you can help with many things.”

Yan Heng remained silent, just resting her head on her hand and looking at Liang Xiao, which made Liang Xiao feel a little uneasy.

Yan Heng was unlike others, who were always respectful. She carried a wildness that didn’t belong here, which Liang Xiao greatly envied and instinctively wanted to be closer to.

After a moment, Yan Heng withdrew her gaze: “Then I thank Your Highness for the trust. I will do my best to help you with anything I can.”

Seeing that she didn’t delve deeper, Liang Xiao finally relaxed.

She picked up the tea on the table and took a small sip: “Although there is a connection between these two names now, it still can’t be confirmed.”

Yan Heng smiled: “Simple.”

Liang Xiao was puzzled: “Simple?”

Yan Heng pointed at the two names and said: “Since you suspect ‘Yuan Xin’ is ‘Yuande,’ why not take a portrait of Yuande to the waiter at the tavern?”

Liang Xiao suddenly realized. The waiter himself had said that if they had a portrait, he might be able to remember.

Yan Heng continued: “The waiter is a cat demon with a good memory. As soon as we take the portrait and ask, we’ll know.”

Liang Xiao’s mood immediately improved. She instantly stood up and said, “Then I’ll go back and draw it now.”

“Wait—Your Highness.” Yan Heng pulled her back.

“What is it?”

“You should rest for a while. Look how unwell your complexion is,” Yan Heng said with a smile, looking like a little fox who had gotten a bargain and was still showing off.

“I am in a hurry,” Liang Xiao said, frowning.

Yan Heng pulled her to sit down: “However urgent it is, it can wait a moment. You were already exhausted yesterday.”

Liang Xiao sensed something unusual: “What are you trying to do?”

Yan Heng smiled without answering, turned, and ran into the house. In a short while, she came out holding a jar in her arms.

Even before the lid was opened, the aroma of wine filled the air. Liang Xiao knew without asking what was inside.

At this moment, her eyebrows were furrowed into a deep ‘M’ shape (a ‘river’ in Chinese), her face full of reluctance.

Yan Heng sat down with the wine jar: “Your Highness must try this. I went to great lengths to get Eunuch Qian in the palace to buy this Lansheng wine. It’s brewed with a hundred flowers; it’s so fragrant!”

As she spoke, she lifted the covering cloth. The rich aroma of the wine, blended with the fragrance of flowers, wafted out, actually making Liang Xiao swallow.

Every evening, Yan Heng would send all the palace maids away, so now there were only the two of them.

The sky had completely darkened. A cicada, hiding in a tree, occasionally made a noise.

Liang Xiao was capable of drinking some wine; after all, she had attended countless banquets since childhood. However, no one had ever dared to so casually invite her to drink like this.

Yan Heng was the most vibrant presence in this deep palace where everyone trod on thin ice and followed the rules meticulously.

Seeing that Liang Xiao did not refuse, Yan Heng immediately held the jar and poured two full cups of wine.

“Your Highness, we have a bond in this deep palace. I toast you with this cup.” Having said that, Yan Heng lifted her cup and drank it all in one gulp.

She used to steal sips of her father’s ‘Daughter Red’ wine when she was little, so her tolerance for alcohol was quite good.

Liang Xiao was stunned for a moment when she heard this, then couldn’t help but smile. After Yan Heng poured another cup, Liang Xiao picked up the wine and also took a large gulp.

She had only eaten one bite of dinner, and it was a spicy dish she couldn’t eat. Now, with half a cup of wine in her stomach, a fiery burn started in her belly.

Her face became slightly pale. Yan Heng was observant and knew what was happening immediately.

“Your Highness didn’t eat dinner? Drinking on an empty stomach will hurt your stomach. Wait here.” Saying this, she turned and disappeared again.

After about a quarter of an hour, just when Liang Xiao thought something might have happened to her, Yan Heng returned.

She held two plates in her hands, having actually gone to stir-fry some dishes.

Each palace in the temporary residence was equipped with a small kitchen, making it convenient for the masters to cook things they liked to eat.

Yan Heng placed the two dishes on the table and said: “It’s just ordinary cooking, incomparable to the palace’s delicacies. Please don’t despise it, Your Highness.”

Liang Xiao was not only not disgusted but also quite touched: “Is it poisoned?”

Yan Heng sincerely replied: “It’s laced with red-crowned crane toxin.”

It was unclear who laughed first. In the clear moonlight, the girls revealed their most genuine selves.

“This one is shredded potatoes, and this one is stir-fried pork. They’re not spicy.” If Yan Heng were to let out her tail, it would likely be proudly curled up to the sky right now.

Liang Xiao unexpectedly asked: “How did you know I don’t eat spicy food?”

Yan Heng replied: “You picked out all the chilies when you ate yesterday, Your Highness.”

Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow, picked up a piece of the dish with her chopsticks, and the taste was surprisingly good.

Yan Heng poured another cup of wine: “Your Highness, you don’t know this, but it took me nine years to find you!”

Liang Xiao’s feelings were quite complex. Back then, she and her Imperial Father had traveled incognito and left no trace. It was truly difficult for Yan Heng to track her all the way to the Imperial Palace.

She poured wine and clinked cups with Yan Heng: “That must have been hard for you.”

Time passed. The moon reached the center of the sky, and even the cicadas stopped chirping.

“The first time I saw you, I thought I had the wrong person. I thought, ‘How is this a man?'” With over half a jar of wine consumed, both of their minds were a little fuzzy. Yan Heng even completely forgot to use the respectful title.

Liang Xiao rested her head on her hand and mumbled: “My skill in dressing as a man is so good, how could a silly fox like you recognize me?”

Yan Heng took a gulp of wine in dissatisfaction: “I’m not silly! I’m just innocent! Demons don’t have as many tricks as you humans.”

Liang Xiao also tilted her head back and drank a cup: “Yes, we humans are calculating all the time.”

“More than that! You not only scheme against yourselves, but you also scheme against demons!”

This reminded Liang Xiao, and she asked: “Since you demons have magic and can create clever devices, why do you fear humans?”

Speaking of this, Yan Heng became angry. She slapped the table: “It’s all because of those demon-slayers! They have thousands of ways to kill us demons, so we have to hide.”

Liang Xiao reached out and poked Yan Heng: “Are those demon-slayers that formidable?”

Liang Xiao was quite drunk; this was the first time she had been this uninhibited.

“O-of course,” Yan Heng hugged the wine jar, equally drunk.

“They always say demons are a scourge, murdering without batting an eye. In reality, we don’t do those things.” Feeling wronged, she seemed about to cry.

“Then tell me, if my Imperial Father knew my Imperial Mother was a demon, would he still have loved her?” Liang Xiao’s eyes were blurred and hazy, making it hard to see Yan Heng clearly.

“As far as I know, any demon who falls in love with a human and whose identity is revealed never has a good ending.”

“I once had a very beautiful aunt, a long, long time ago. She fell in love with a human general, but her identity was accidentally discovered, and that general—” Yan Heng suddenly hugged the jar and stopped talking.

“What happened to that general?” Liang Xiao patted her, “Speak up.”

Yan Heng’s head rolled and hit the table. She lifted her head in pain: “Say what?”

Liang Xiao shook her head blankly: “I don’t know.”

The two of them burst into laughter again.

“It’s time to sleep, Your Highness.” Yan Heng stood up, swaying.

Liang Xiao nodded, also standing up.

Yan Heng put one arm around Liang Xiao’s shoulder, leading her toward the inner room.

To sleep, of course, they had to be on the same bed, right?

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