The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess - Chapter 7

Even in the sparse early spring, the imperial palace was meticulously maintained by the gardeners, making it quite beautiful. Wen Ying rarely came here.

Her status was somewhat awkward, and this place was usually frequented by many concubines. Wen Ying didn’t want to run into them, and neither did Yun Chu.

Fu Qingyin surveyed the surroundings, finding them far inferior to her own country, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of homesickness, her eyes filled with melancholy.

Wen Ying tugged at Fu Qingyin’s sleeve and moved forward, noticing a crowd gathered at the entrance of the imperial garden, all there to watch the spectacle. Sure enough, Noble Consort Xin’s palanquin had already arrived.

Adorned with jewels, Noble Consort Xin stood imposingly in the center of the garden, surrounded by a throng of palace maids and eunuchs. Even with Fu Qingyin’s height, she couldn’t see what was happening inside. Holding a handkerchief to Wen Ying’s cheek, she gently guided her forward through the crowd.

In the southwest corner of the imperial garden, near the well where Bai Zhi had drowned, Noble Consort Xin clutched her handkerchief, her voice laced with fury: “Where is the person in charge of the imperial garden? A maid from my palace drowned here, don’t I deserve an explanation?”

As her words fell, Wen Ying saw a portly eunuch, drenched in sweat, emerge from the crowd and kneel before Noble Consort Xin, his forehead knocking against the ground with audible thuds.

“Your Highness, this old servant truly had no idea! The imperial garden is always guarded, but today, they merely went to fetch their midday meal it took less than a quarter of an hour. No one saw what happened during that time!”

The eunuch’s words sounded sincere, unlikely to be false. Wen Ying frowned. If that was the case, the murderer must have been very familiar with the routines of the garden’s staff.

Wen Ying pondered for a moment but decided her brain wasn’t up to the task. Since that was the case, there was no point dwelling on it.

Bai Zhi had deserved to die anyway. Wen Ying held Fu Qingyin’s hand, feeling stifled as she watched Noble Consort Xin bully others. Since everyone was gathered here now, why not sneak some pastries for later?

The thought instantly brightened Wen Ying’s face. She blinked rapidly at Fu Qingyin, her round almond-shaped eyes sparkling with mischief. Unconsciously drawn in, Fu Qingyin followed Wen Ying as they slipped away from the imperial garden.

Once free from the crowd, Wen Ying felt much lighter. Her laughter made her eyes crinkle, and Fu Qingyin loved seeing her like this. Pinching Wen Ying’s cheek, she asked, “Where are we going?”

Fu Qingyin knew this was the path to the imperial kitchens, but she feigned innocence.

Wen Ying held Fu Qingyin’s hand, savoring its slender, delicate fingers, her voice brimming with joy: “I won’t tell you, you’ll know when we get there!”

The imperial garden and the kitchens weren’t far apart. The eunuch in charge hadn’t lied the round trip took less than a quarter of an hour, so negligence wasn’t the issue. But this was precisely why Wen Ying wanted to leave.

They say serving the emperor is like serving a tiger, and Noble Consort Xin was no different. If she was in a foul mood, she could easily drag others down with her. Wen Ying couldn’t bear to see innocent people die just because of a single word from Noble Consort Xin.

Wen Ying couldn’t stop anything, which was why she wanted to leave early. Fu Qingyin watched as Wen Ying lowered her head slightly and didn’t press further with questions, simply following quietly behind her.

It was just past lunchtime, and the aroma of food still wafted from the imperial kitchen. Wen Ying turned around, about to proudly recount her past “glorious achievements” to Fu Qingyin, when she noticed a stray lock of hair hanging by Fu Qingyin’s temple likely loosened from their brisk walk earlier, unnoticed by Fu Qingyin herself.

Wen Ying stood on her tiptoes and reached out to tuck the strand behind Fu Qingyin’s ear. Her plain white sleeves drifted gently backward with the motion, and the hem of her skirt swayed slightly. A cool spring breeze, as if on cue, swept past, tousling Wen Ying’s hair as well. Fu Qingyin then reached out to smooth it for her, their eyes meeting as they gazed at their own reflections in each other’s pupils.

After what felt like an eternity, Wen Ying turned away, her face flushed. She didn’t understand why she had been so entranced moments ago, unable to look away from Fu Qingyin’s eyes.

“Wen Ying’s blushing again?” Fu Qingyin teased, a hint of amusement in her voice as she observed Wen Ying’s pinkened cheeks. Unwilling to admit it especially since Fu Qingyin was always the one making her flustered, Wen Ying covered her face with her hands. “It’s just, the spring breeze is a bit too cold! That’s all!”

Her trembling lashes betrayed her true feelings, though Fu Qingyin chose not to call her out. She simply humored Wen Ying’s excuse. Realizing they had been standing outside for too long, Wen Ying quickly tugged Fu Qingyin toward the imperial kitchen.

The moment they stepped inside, they bumped into Xiao Tang, one of the kitchen attendants. Fu Qingyin instinctively moved in front of Wen Ying, eyeing Xiao Tang warily. To their surprise, Xiao Tang greeted Wen Ying warmly, “Little Wen Ying! I haven’t seen you in days! I saved your favorite cloud-slice cakes for you!”

Xiao Tang appeared to be around Wen Ying’s age, her mannerisms brimming with innocence. Wen Ying beamed and stepped forward, clasping Xiao Tang’s hands like close friends would. She eagerly introduced her to Fu Qingyin, “This is one of my few good friends here! Her name is Xiao Tang. Xiao Tang, this is—”

Before Wen Ying could finish, Xiao Tang guessed, “This must be the talented and beautiful hostage princess, right? Everyone’s been talking about how stunning she was the day she arrived in the palace. I knew it had to be her.”

Wen Ying couldn’t help but glance back at Fu Qingyin before saying with a grin, “Hehe, I also think Sister Beauty is very pretty.” As she spoke, the tips of her ears grew warm, and Fu Qingyin gave them a playful pinch.

While Xiao Tang went to fetch the pastries, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from outside. Wen Ying peeked through a crack in the wooden window and saw Noble Consort Xin approaching with a retinue of palace maids and eunuchs, her demeanor fierce and anything but friendly.

Wen Ying’s mind raced she absolutely couldn’t be spotted by Noble Consort Xin now. If she were caught, even the flimsiest excuse could lead to her being taken away, undoing all the effort Yun Chu had spent over the years to keep her hidden.

Wen Ying hurried back, but looking around, the imperial kitchen had no back door. Exiting through the main entrance now would surely result in a direct collision with Consort Xin. Just as Wen Ying was at her wit’s end, Fu Qingyin seemed to notice her predicament. Grabbing Wen Ying’s wrist, she pulled her under a large kneading table.

The sturdy and tall rosewood table could indeed accommodate two people inside, with a tablecloth long enough to reach the ground, providing perfect cover. However, it was still somewhat cramped. Pressed closely together, Fu Qingyin wrapped an arm around Wen Ying, pulling her into her embrace to make their positions slightly more comfortable.

Yet this embrace made Wen Ying extremely shy, and Fu Qingyin felt the same.

Outside, Consort Xin’s voice was sharp and piercing as she entered the imperial kitchen, immediately raising a clamor.

“All the staff on duty in the imperial kitchen, come out at once!” She appeared very agitated. Before her personal maid could even speak, Consort Xin, who had always looked down on palace maids and usually disdained speaking to them directly, now addressed them as if no one in the world could match her noble status.

Xiao Tang, though not the head maid, was the head maid’s direct apprentice. At this time, the imperial kitchen was sparsely staffed, as most were busy delivering meals to various palaces. Xiao Tang’s master had personally gone to deliver lunch to the empress, leaving only Xiao Tang and a few others on duty. Hiding under the table, Wen Ying felt terrified Xiao Tang was just as naive as she was, only skilled in cooking.

If they provoked Consort Xin today, wouldn’t they be in deep trouble? Wen Ying covered her mouth and, forgetting her shyness, pressed even closer to Fu Qingyin, close enough to hear her heartbeat.

“Xiao Tang of the imperial kitchen, along with the on-duty staff, pays respects to Her Highness Consort Xin. May Your Highness be blessed with boundless happiness.”

Xiao Tang’s etiquette was impeccable. She was delicate and pretty, her smile even more charming. Yet, in Consort Xin’s eyes, such a face was deemed overly seductive.

Seated in the most comfortable chair in the imperial kitchen, Consort Xin looked down upon them all. Even as her maids adjusted her hairpins, she did not permit Xiao Tang and the others to rise.

Though Wen Ying couldn’t see the scene outside, she knew Xiao Tang had not been allowed to stand. It was clear Consort Xin was no benevolent figure and had come to vent her anger on Xiao Tang.

Kneeling in place, Xiao Tang remained outwardly composed despite her inner turmoil, still smiling at Consort Xin. “Might this humble servant inquire as to the urgent matter that brings Your Highness to our lowly quarters?”

Only then did Wen Ying recall that Xiao Tang likely didn’t even know about Bai Zhi’s drowning in the imperial garden. Facing Consort Xin’s interrogation now was truly an ordeal.

Sure enough, Consort Xin had come to assign blame. Sitting imperiously in her seat, she declared, “Who gave you permission to neglect delivering Bai Zhi’s lunch? Though she was a maid, she was the most trusted personal attendant of both myself and the Eighth Prince. Had it not been for your negligence, Bai Zhi would not have been alone in the imperial garden and would not have met her demise.”

Hearing this, Fu Qingyin nearly burst into laughter. Wen Ying turned to look at her, puzzled by her reaction. Fu Qingyin’s beautiful eyes held both amusement and confusion, as if asking Wen Ying, “Has Consort Xin always been this foolish?”

The Emperor’s harem actually had such a fool. Initially, Fu Qingyin had assumed that such a cunning emperor would naturally have a den of wolves and tigers in his inner palace. Who would have thought it could be this amusing?

Fu Qingyin’s eyes were truly captivating when he smiled. Wen Ying even forgot to listen to what they were saying, only snapping back to reality at the shrill cry of a eunuch outside.

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived—”

Support The Flirtatious Beauty Decides to Steal the Princess