After Becoming a Concubine, I Took Down the Princess - Chapter 28

“His Majesty has long given the order that Your Highness may choose anything you like from this treasury.” Eunuch Pan, in charge of the jewel repository, said with a flattering smile.

Liang Xiao glanced at the items displayed around her and waved her hand, signaling Yue Hua to bring up the Thousand Poisons Box.

Liang Xiao pointed to the Thousand Poisons Box and said, “I heard there’s a box exactly like this one. Where is it kept now?”

Eunuch Pan had a good memory: “This box is indeed rare; this is only the second time this old servant has seen one.”

As he spoke, he directed a young eunuch beside him to go to the back storage area and bring out the box.

He presented the box with both hands: “This is the luminous pearl from Ronghai Prefecture presented by Consort Yu back then. It is incredibly precious.”

Consort Yu? Was this matter also connected to her?

Liang Xiao suppressed the doubt in her heart: “I want this one.”

Eunuch Pan handed the box to Yue Hua and added, “The Consort’s maternal family is from Ronghai Prefecture, and they have continuously sent many treasures over the years.”

Liang Xiao nodded, and as if casually, asked, “When did the Consort present this luminous pearl?”

Eunuch Pan pondered for a moment, then replied, “Eleven years ago.”

Eleven years ago again.

Liang Xiao’s pupils contracted slightly, and she clenched the hand hidden under her sleeve.

Eunuch Pan didn’t notice Liang Xiao’s expression and continued to flatter, “This treasure pearl was presented to His Majesty and Concubine Lian back then. It is said to be an auspicious symbol from Ronghai Prefecture; those who receive the pearl will enjoy a deep conjugal love and a lifetime of—”

Liang Xiao frowned and waved her hand, cutting him off: “I understand.”

Eunuch Pan saw her displeasure and hurriedly bowed: “This old servant misspoke. I beg Your Highness’s punishment.”

Liang Xiao was not in the mood to pretend today and left without a word.

Eunuch Pan wiped a cold sweat, thinking it was fortunate the Princess was merciful today.

The young eunuch peeked around and asked, “Why did Her Highness specifically choose that pearl?”

Eunuch Pan gave him a look: “Mind your own business.”

Back at the Princess’s residence, Liang Xiao placed the two identical boxes on the table.

The one presented by Consort Yu already had some age, so its color was much duller.

She lifted her hand and opened the box. The two luminous pearls inside were still dazzling, their brilliance undimmed even in the daytime.

This type of box was only sold in the Demon Market, but why the State Preceptor would buy this box was currently unknown.

Liang Xiao massaged her temples. Yue Hua looked worriedly from the side: “Consort Yu was demoted to Imperial Concubine Xu for offending Her Ladyship back then. Perhaps she harbors resentment…”

Liang Xiao shook her head: “Let’s resolve the matter of the painting first.”

Yue Hua nodded: “Miss Yan’s side…”

Liang Xiao softly sighed: “Once the Love-Sorrow Knot is undone, we will send her away. Don’t let her interfere with the investigation.”

Yue Hua softly replied, “Yes.”

Inside the Princess’s residence, Yan Heng was lying on the table, fiddling with the transmission stone.

“You old fox, still haven’t found it…” she mumbled, then thought of Liang Xiao again.

“Alas…” She sighed deeply, and the transmission stone in her hand lit up.

Yan Heng eagerly asked, “How is it, old fox?”

Yan Qiu drew out the end of his sentence: “Oh, what a pity—”

Yan Heng instantly drooped her head.

“I really found it.”

Yan Heng instantly lifted her head.

She cursed Yan Qiu, then asked, “What is it?”

Yan Qiu tossed the object in his hand up and caught it again: “A twin jade pendant.”

Yan Heng had never heard of such a thing: “Twin jade pendant?”

Yan Qiu patiently explained: “This kind of jade pendant always comes in a pair, and each pair is unique. I have one of them here. It also has a character engraved on it.”

As he spoke, Yan Qiu deciphered the character.

“It says… De.”

A twin jade pendant, engraved with the character “De”, which would stand for Yuan De  If the other half, engraved with the character “Yuan” , could be found at the State Preceptor’s place, the culprit would be self-evident.

Yan Heng suddenly stood up and ran towards Liang Xiao’s room.

When she reached the door, she remembered that Liang Xiao had gone to the palace for the Coral Banquet and wouldn’t be back anytime soon.

Thinking this, Yan Heng simply lifted her skirt and sat down right there on the ground to wait for Liang Xiao to return. Her mind was complex. She had been avoiding Liang Xiao for the past few days, yet she also looked forward to speaking with her. Even Yan Heng herself couldn’t understand why this was.

She looked up at the night sky in frustration. The stars were twinkling, and the clouds slowly drifted by, blocking a patch of moonlight.

When Liang Xiao returned, she found a sleeping fox sitting by the doorway of her room.

The person had her arms wrapped around her knees, her head resting on the pillar, and was sound asleep. When Liang Xiao reached out to touch her, she realized the clothes on her body were terribly cold, likely from sitting outside for a long time.

The autumn night was chilly. Worried that Yan Heng might catch a cold, Liang Xiao immediately bent down, picked her up, and instructed Yue Hua to open the door.

“Didn’t any servant come to advise Miss Yan to go back?” She sat by the bed, frowning as she looked at Yan Heng, who was asleep.

“You previously instructed that servants should not enter or leave the courtyard at will,” Yue Hua observed Liang Xiao’s expression and continued, “I don’t know what urgent matter Miss Yan had that made her wait for you here all this time.”

“You may leave first,” Liang Xiao said.

She tucked the quilt around Yan Heng and then got up to wash up.

After tidying up, Liang Xiao looked at the fox occupying most of her bed and couldn’t help but sigh. She ultimately pulled out a quilt, intending to sleep on the small couch for the night.

However, just as she was about to leave, Yan Heng turned over inwards, clearing a large space for her.

Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow, walked closer to the bed, and sat down.

She had shared a bed before, so why not this time too… No! Liang Xiao shook her head, driving the dangerous thought out of her mind.

The previous times sharing a bed were mostly accidents. Now that she was clear-headed, what if the fox woke up and accused her of taking advantage?

With this in mind, Liang Xiao still stood up, re-tucked the quilt around Yan Heng, and then left.

She lay on the small couch, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Liang Xiao was not angry about Yan Qiu selling the painting to Yuan De. She had been avoiding Yan Heng for the past few days for another reason. But what that reason was, perhaps only she herself knew.

The next morning, Yan Heng woke up fully rested, only to realize she was not in her own room. She scrambled to sit up, directly facing Liang Xiao’s eyes by the bedside.

“Haha, Your Highness, morning,” Yan Heng greeted awkwardly, simultaneously scanning the room’s furnishings to confirm that this was Liang Xiao’s room.

“It’s not morning; it’s already Sì hour [9:00 AM to 11:00 AM],” Liang Xiao’s face was expressionless, but a closer look would reveal a hidden smile in her eyes.

Yan Heng awkwardly scratched her head and said, “Haha, so, so it’s Sì hour already.”

“Why exactly did you come to see me last night?” Liang Xiao asked, softening her tone.

“Oh, right!” Yan Heng immediately recalled the important matter. “My brother has a token from when the State Preceptor bought the painting back then!”

Liang Xiao was just about to wet her throat with tea, and upon hearing this, she sharply put down the teacup: “What kind of token?”

Yan Heng explained the matter of the Twin Jades pendant, after which Liang Xiao’s brow furrowed tightly.

She slowly sat down: “If it’s a token that proves identity, how could the State Preceptor casually give it to someone?”

Yan Heng said, “I asked Yan Qiu, and that old fox said…”

“What did he say?” Liang Xiao looked up at the person sitting in front of her.

Yan Heng quickly said: “He said he stole it.”

The origin of the token was indeed somewhat less than honorable.

Liang Xiao’s expression stiffened, likely not expecting that the siblings were truly alike, their greed being identical.

Her tone was quite unnatural: “Sto… stole it?”

Yan Heng lightly coughed: “Yes, stole it.”

When Yan Qiu sold the painting back then, Yuan De paid him several gold bars. Unexpectedly, the fox felt he had put too much effort into the painting and suddenly demanded a higher price. Yuan De refused, only willing to pay the gold bars, so Yan Qiu drugged Yuan De and took one of the Twin Jades.

After hearing the full story, Liang Xiao still had some doubts: “Why didn’t he take the other one as well?”

Yan Heng explained: “Because of ‘master-recognition.’ This kind of object is custom-made for the owner, and it’s extraordinarily spiritual; it recognizes its master on its own.”

She silently poured herself a cup of tea to soothe her throat, then continued: “These objects are mostly owned by demon hunters, and some demons also like to craft them. Twin Jades are divided into Yin and Yang. The Yang pendant recognizes the master, and the Yin pendant recognizes the Yang pendant. The Yin pendant can leave the master but will glow and vibrate when it encounters the Yang pendant.”

Liang Xiao contemplated: “So, your brother took the Yin pendant?”

Yan Heng nodded: “That’s right. He hadn’t seen a Twin Jade before, so when he stole it, he found he could only take one. He also couldn’t sell it, so he kept it at home and gradually forgot about it.”

“Then why did the State Preceptor specifically seek out your brother?” This matter had too many suspicious points, and Liang Xiao’s head was starting to ache.

Yan Heng shook her head: “My brother went to the Demon Market back then. It was probably a coincidence.”

“I’ve now told my brother to hurry to Yandu and send the Twin Jades, but…” Yan Heng paused.

“But we can’t accuse the State Preceptor; he could easily say we are slandering him.” Liang Xiao had the same concern.

Yan Heng nodded rapidly in agreement.

Silence fell between the two. Yan Heng looked at Liang Xiao’s expression and cautiously asked, “Yan Qiu has done meritorious service. Could Your Highness please not blame him for selling the painting to the State Preceptor?”

Liang Xiao was taken aback and replied helplessly: “I never thought of blaming him.”

Yan Heng quietly complained with a hint of sadness: “Then why hasn’t Your Highness come to see me for so long…”

How should she answer?

Should she tell her that she was in a bad mood because she knew Yan Heng would be leaving soon?

Or should she tell her that she had already started missing her prematurely, and therefore… was hesitant to approach a cherished desire?

Liang Xiao silently wrestled with her thoughts, then finally offered a lie: “I’ve been busy with many affairs recently and haven’t had the free time.”

Yan Heng seemed to believe her explanation, patting her chest and sighing in relief: “As long as it’s not because of Yan Qiu, it’s fine.”

“We still need to thoroughly discuss how to accuse the State Preceptor. Once Master Guanzhen has undone the Love-Sorrow Knot, you should return home.” Liang Xiao contemplated for a long time before bringing up the matter.

“Once the Love-Sorrow Knot is undone, does Your Highness no longer want me in the residence?” Yan Heng’s tone sounded genuinely a bit sad.

Liang Xiao was surprised: “Do you mean to say you still want to stay here?”

Yan Heng sincerely nodded: “I want to stay with Your Highness until this matter is thoroughly investigated.”

The sunlight flickered in the room, and several rays fell upon Yan Heng’s face. Liang Xiao looked at her, and an indescribable feeling welled up in her heart.

Yan Heng was always so candid and fervent, stirring her heart, which had been closed for a long time.

After a long while, the light in the room dimmed, and Liang Xiao finally spoke: “Alright.”

Her voice was slightly hoarse, and her gaze rested upon Yan Heng.

Yan Heng got up and out of bed, then diligently poured Liang Xiao a cup of tea.

Noticing Liang Xiao’s intense gaze, Yan Heng touched her head in confusion and asked, “Is something wrong with me?”

Liang Xiao only then realized her gaze had been too intimate.

She hurriedly retracted her sight and said, “No.”

Yan Heng was puzzled but did not ask further.

Liang Xiao continued: “I will think carefully over the next few days about how to make the State Preceptor reveal his true colors.”

Yan Heng nodded: “Whatever I can do to help, Your Highness may command me.”

Inside the Xiuji Temple, the autumn wind rustled, scattering maple leaves across the ground.

After washing up, Yuan De sat cross-legged in his room.

“Grand Master, His Majesty has arrived.” His attendant knocked on the door and said.

Yuan De opened his eyes and cleared his throat: “Please show him in.”

When Liang Shu entered, he brushed off his sleeves and sat down on the meditation cushion.

“It has been a while since Your Majesty last visited,” Yuan De poured a cup of tea for Liang Shu.

“I keep dreaming of her recently,” Liang Shu’s brow was tightly knit.

He sighed, then continued: “I feel guilty in my heart.”

Yuan De said indifferently: “The death of the Lady was not Your Majesty’s intention, but merely a necessity.”

He picked up a book from the table and said lightly: “Demons are vicious and cause great harm. If the world were to know, what would become of the Royal Authority?”

Liang Shu restlessly rubbed his palms: “But my dreams…”

“Your Majesty is simply overthinking. There is no need to worry.” Yuan De’s face was devoid of expression, appearing extraordinarily aloof.

Liang Shu felt slightly relieved, then added: “Yong’an, she has recently—”

Before he could finish, Yuan De interrupted him: “Since Your Majesty is aware of the Princess’s actions, then do not indulge her further.”

With that, he lazily lifted his eyes: “Does Your Majesty wish to turn against his own daughter?”

Liang Shu shook his head: “Yong’an is her daughter. I do not wish to hurt her feelings.”

Yuan De lit a stick of incense: “Then have the Princess cease interfering in the events of eleven years ago.”

The smoke from the burning incense wafted upwards, bringing a sense of calm to those who smelled it.

Yuan De’s voice was tranquil: “The Princess’s current temperament is also indulged by Your Majesty. If she were to learn the truth about her mother… would she still trust Your Majesty so completely?”

Liang Shu picked up the teacup and took a sip: “I understand.”

When he stood up again, his previous worries and unease had completely vanished, replaced by the solemn authority of an emperor.

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