The Traitor Crown Princess (Transmigration) - Chapter 16

Caixia was confused. She lowered her head to take a look, and her expression changed from stunned to terrified. “Ah!”

Feng Xi was burning with rage. “What are you screaming for? What’s wrong with the portrait?”

Caixia turned the portrait back around.

Where there should have been a portrait of a person, someone had used ink to draw two chicks, with little millet grains circled on the ground. The chicks were plump and lacked eyes; anyone could tell immediately who they were supposed to represent.

Feng Xi was instantly incensed. “Caixia!”

Caixia fell to her knees at once, terrified. “Your Majesty, spare me! This servant has no idea how this happened!”

Feng Xi retorted, “The portrait has been kept in your custody the entire time. Besides you, who else could it be!”

Caixia stammered, “This servant truly doesn’t know. Your Majesty, don’t you know me? Even if I had a hundred guts, I wouldn’t dare!”

Li Dequan interjected, “Your Majesty, do not be anxious. Even if the portrait is ruined, we still have witnesses, do we not?”

Feng Xi calmed down slightly. “Summon them.”

A palace maid ran out the door. A short while later, she hurried back, immediately kneeling on the ground. “Your Majesty, it is bad. The two people in the prison have committed suicide.”

Feng Xi’s face grew cold again. Shen Yi breathed a sigh of relief. “Your Majesty, if there is nothing else, this servant will take his leave. This servant still has to deliver meals to the Crown Prince’s palace.”

Feng Xi sneered, “Do you think having the Crown Prince as your protective umbrella makes everything all right? No one who has set themselves against me has lived long.”

Shen Yi did not want to waste any more breath on her. “Forgive this servant for being presumptuous; this servant will take his leave.”

Shen Yue also bowed respectfully. “If Her Majesty has no other business, this commoner will also take her leave.”

She was an orphan, and since she was not an official, the Empress couldn’t really do anything to her.

Feng Xi swept a teacup off the table, scolding angrily, “Drive them out of the palace!”

Palace maids immediately stepped forward, preparing to drag the two of them away. Shen Yi dodged their hands. “I can walk myself.”

The two walked along the palace path, one after the other. Shen Yi asked, “How did you get captured?”

Shen Yue was annoyed. “I was shopping on the street. I didn’t expect to be grabbed by two soldiers without rhyme or reason. It’s truly irritating!”

After saying this, Shen Yue stuck her tongue out at the palace gates of Fengxiang Palace. Seeing palace attendants coming out, she hurriedly pulled her tongue back and straightened her posture.

Shen Yi said, “Alright, I will see you out of the palace. You go hide at Yuan Hua’s place first; we shall talk more after some time.”

Shen Yue shook her head, listening to the sound of her hairpins and tassels clinking together. Her eyebrows and eyes looked noticeably happier. “I know, honestly.”

Shen Yi sighed, “I am doing this for your safety.”

As they neared the palace gate, Leng Feng emerged from nowhere. “The Master is calling for you to attend the morning court.”

Shen Yi asked, “Isn’t today a day of rest?”

Leng Feng replied, “It was originally, but Prime Minister Feng kept muttering about holding court, so we have to go in half an hour.”

“Fine then.” Shen Yi collected his thoughts. “Then you take Shen Yue out of the palace. Take her to Donglong Street; she will find her own way back.”

Leng Feng looked a bit dissatisfied. Usually, only Chu Yun gave him orders, but now that there were suddenly two masters, the feeling of annoyance reached its peak.

Shen Yi patted his head. “After court, I’ll treat you to Peking Duck.”

Leng Feng’s eyes lit up. He cleared his throat. “This is my duty. It’s not because I want to eat it that I’m doing it.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Shen Yi laughed.

Both looked to the left simultaneously. Shen Yue had vanished at some point, and both were shocked.

It was definitely too late to look for her now. Shen Yi said anxiously, “I will go to court first. You go find her. You must ensure she gets out of the palace safely. She is wearing a Chui-Gui hairstyle, dressed in a pink palace skirt, and has two dimples when she smiles. I’m counting on you.”

Leng Feng nodded. “Understood.”

Bright peony flowers bloomed on the branches, and a faint floral fragrance filled the air. Koi swam past the rockery in schools, blowing bubbles.

A sudden gust of wind blew, shaking gardenias from the branches and causing them to fall onto Shen Yue’s shoulder.

She looked blankly at her surroundings.

She didn’t know how she had walked inside; it was as if some invisible force had attracted her to this place.

Plop, plop,

A muffled sound came from deep within the pond.

The unfamiliar noise made her alert at once. She bent down to hide behind the rockery and peeked out, seeing a woman dressed in gorgeous attire squatting by the pond. The woman’s hair was coiled up, adorned with precious kingfisher-feather hairpins. She wore a simple green dress, and her face was fair and cute, though she looked very frustrated.

Feng Yushu had originally wanted to skip stones to pass the time during her confinement. Just as she was about to pick up the third stone from the ground, she caught a glimpse of a pair of amber almond-shaped eyes behind the rockery.

She immediately turned serious: “Who is there!”

The girl was startled by Feng Yushu and hurriedly hid deeper into the rockery.

“Stop!” Feng Yushu lifted her skirt and gave chase.

Two figures—one pink and one green—ran in circles around the rockery.

Feng Yushu panted: “Who are you! Why are you in my palace!”

Shen Yue, fearing the other party was a person of the Empress, pitched her voice higher and said, “I… I’m just a lowly palace maid. Please stop chasing me!”

Suddenly, the noise behind her stopped. Shen Yue paused her steps. As she turned back to look, her shoulder was suddenly tapped. She screamed instantly: “AHHH!!!!”

“Shh! Don’t shout!” Feng Yushu covered Shen Yue’s mouth. Shen Yue nodded, and only then did Feng Yushu release her. “Who are you? Why did you come here?”

Shen Yue blinked and said, “I got lost and wandered in.”

Feng Yushu was amused by Shen Yue: “Is your sense of direction that bad?”

Shen Yue laughed awkwardly: “Everyone’s houses and courtyards look the same here.”

“Fine.” Feng Yushu waved her hand: “I forgive you.”

Something fuzzy rubbed against Shen Yue’s ankle. She felt her skin crawl, and upon looking down, she saw it was a little rabbit.

The rabbit’s docile appearance instantly melted her heart. She bent down to scoop the rabbit into her arms and exclaimed, “So cute! Is this your rabbit?”

Feng Yushu nodded. Seeing her hold her pet didn’t make her angry: “You like rabbits too?”

“Yes. I didn’t expect someone else to like rabbits just like me.” Shen Yue lifted her skirt and sat on the ground, gazing at the koi swimming in the pond, letting out a sigh. “People in this palace all say this rabbit is just a beast, that it’s useless for my future career, and tell me to put my heart into men, saying that’s the only way to have a future. Little do they know, I was unwilling to get married in the first place. Forcing me to get along with a man—how could I ever be willing?”

Shen Yue also sat on the ground, listening to her talk earnestly. She felt deeply sympathetic but also quite envious of her. “At least you have relatives urging you to get married. I have no relatives at all, only a cousin who spends his days drinking and chasing women. I can barely speak a few words to him. I suppose we each have our own difficulties.”

Feng Yushu sighed: “Yes, always envying others isn’t a solution. I really want to go out of the palace for a walk.”

Shen Yue asked, “You cannot leave the palace?”

“Yes, I cannot.” Feng Yushu smiled. “I particularly want to go to the plains to ride horses. Can you take me?”

Shen Yue spread her hands: “I don’t want to go.”

The smile on Feng Yushu’s face froze. After a moment of silence, she picked up the little rabbit from Shen Yue’s arms and walked toward the palace.

Shen Yue thought she was sulking and said with a smile, “I know, I will take you in the future. At the very least, you have to tell me your name.”

Feng Yushu stopped her steps and stood in the center of the stone bridge: “No, never come again.”

Shen Yue stood up, patted the dust off her skirt, and looked confused: “Why? Nothing will happen.”

The wind blew through their black hair and clothes. Yushu suddenly turned around and smiled sweetly: “Otherwise, you will get lost again.”

She then walked into the room, closed the door, and shut Shen Yue out.

Shen Yue was left scratching her head. Not knowing what to say, she left the courtyard. As she walked out of the palace gate, she made sure to look up at the plaque on the door.

Floating Life Palace.

Life is like a dream; glory is like fleeting smoke.

What an unlucky name.

Before she could think any further, Leng Feng appeared behind her: “Miss Shen, I will escort you out of the palace.”

Shen Yue: “That works too. Thank you for the trouble.”

Inside the Hall of Administering Governance, the crowd was solemn, and the atmosphere was heavy.

The Emperor on the dragon throne looked even more sullen, appearing quite displeased.

Chu Chen: “Prime Minister, what is the reason you have summoned Me and the esteemed ministers to hold court?”

Feng Ju walked out unhurriedly and bowed to Chu Chen. “Reporting to Your Majesty, I have a matter to report. I wish to impeach Master Su and the Crown Prince for privately using their authority to levy a large amount of tax silver on the disaster victims, causing the people to live in misery. I beg the Emperor to preside over justice for the people!”

Shen Yi almost laughed in anger. He quickly stepped out to the front of the line and said: “Your Majesty! He is slandering me!

“The Crown Prince and I have not only helped the disaster victims eat their fill, but we also built houses so the people have a place to live. It is not at all what the Prime Minister claims! I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!”

Feng Ju interjected: “Your Majesty, I am willing to guarantee that everything I have said is true!”

Chu Chen’s gaze wandered between Shen Yi and Feng Ju, and in the end, he said: “Su Qing, I will give you one week to figure out what is going on. If this matter is not handled well, you will be beheaded in the autumn, and your corpse will be hung at the city gate to be shown to the public.”

Shen Yi felt anxious. “Yes, this official understands.”

On the way back, a light rain began to fall. Shen Yi wandered aimlessly on the empty path like this.

He did not understand where things had gone wrong, or how they had turned out like this overnight.

Tap, tap, tap,

A strange sound came from above.

Shen Yi looked up, and a green oil-paper umbrella was held over his head.

Chu Yun tilted the umbrella toward Shen Yi: “What’s wrong?”

Shen Yi detailed everything that had just happened, down to the smallest detail: “Is the tax levy the work of your men?”

Chu Yun gripped the handle of the umbrella and walked slowly: “No. My people had already returned when we arrived. I fear it is a problem caused by the new magistrate.”

Shen Yi pondered: “The two bailiffs were killed by you, and the portrait was also switched by your men?”

“Yes.” Chu Yun lifted his chin, wearing an expression that seemed to say “hurry and praise me,” looking exactly like a husky waiting for its master’s praise.

Shen Yi chuckled, and his mood finally improved a little. “There is no time to lose; we shall set off immediately. The Emperor only gave us one week. The round trip alone takes two days, so we only have five days left to handle this.”

Chu Yun nodded.

Outside the window, a light rain was falling. The vendors on both sides of the street were rushing to pack up their stalls. A few servants without umbrellas were sprinting on the road; after running into a tavern, they shook the rainwater off their bodies and walked inside. A man in a raincoat was strolling in the rain, a fishing net hanging over his shoulder, the fish inside gasping for breath the very air smelled salty and damp.

Inside the carriage, it was spring all year round, and the temperature was pleasant.

The charcoal stove in the corner crackled, sparks continuously jumping out of the brazier. In the fruit bowl on the side table were already peeled mandarin oranges and grapes, and a soft cushion lay on the chaise longue.

It was already midnight. The carriage rocked back and forth, the secret report in Shen Yi’s hand slipped out, and he drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

The carriage stopped in front of the post station, and Leng Feng knocked on the door: “Master, we have arrived at the post station.”

There was no movement inside.

Leng Feng hurriedly opened the carriage door, fearing someone had died inside, but ended up seeing a shocking scene.

Shen Yi was lying peacefully on Chu Yun’s lap, covered with a gold-threaded silk quilt embroidered with dragons and phoenixes. Chu Yun, meanwhile, was reading a storybook leisurely, one hand resting on Shen Yi’s back with a lazy and elegant demeanor.

Seeing Leng Feng motionless at the door, Chu Yun shot him a chilly look. Leng Feng shuddered, clawed the sides of the carriage door with both hands, and quickly closed it.