After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 30

After Qun Qing started living alone in her own hall, the only person who frequently stayed with her was Ruo Chan.

Qun Qing simply asked her to bring her daily needlework along, so they could work on it together.

With deft stitches, Qun Qing mended a tear on her skirt, and a curled chrysanthemum petal took shape, soon forming a vivid chrysanthemum outlined in golden thread. Sweat beaded her brow, and as she looked up, Ruo Chan held a porcelain bowl in front of her:
“Sister, have a sip of water.”

Qun Qing took a sip, then noticed how neatly Ruo Chan had made her bed without a single crease, and the floor was spotless.

“We are both palace attendants. You’re not my maid; you don’t have to take care of me like this,” Qun Qing said.

Ruo Chan lowered her head.
“I’m not as skilled as Sister Ah Jiang in charming others. Since you’re teaching me embroidery, at least let me repay you in some way.”

Seeing Ruo Chan’s timid expression, Qun Qing reluctantly nodded.

In truth, her motivation in helping Ruo Chan mend clothes wasn’t entirely selfless. She had practiced embroidery since childhood and feared her skills would grow rusty, so this was just an excuse to keep practicing.

Thinking this, she lowered her head and guided Ruo Chan’s stitching without holding back: “Thread the needle here and knot it inside so it won’t press against the wearer.”

Ruo Chan, quick and skillful, understood easily and commented,
“This hall not only has great sunlight but is also filled with chirping birds under the eaves.”

Qun Qing’s heart skipped a beat. She looked outside the window and indeed caught sight of a skylark fluttering away. If she wasn’t mistaken, there would likely be several wax-sealed messages left below the window.

Lin Yujia had been frequently sending messages lately, urging her to meet.

Qun Qing embroidered faster than Ruo Chan and set her work aside once she finished, waiting for her.

Turning around, Ruo Chan saw Qun Qing twisting strands of silk with a silver thread, threading each with sandalwood beads.

“These are Advisor Lu’s sandalwood beads,” Ruo Chan remarked. “Have you found all of them?”

“Just missing one. I’ll search for it later,” Qun Qing replied, securing the existing ones with exceptionally sturdy thread. “I simply want to resolve this matter quickly.”

“Hold on, Sister.” Ruo Chan retrieved several colorful threads from her basket and nimbly wove them into a small, round ball, the same size as the sandalwood beads.
“This is a talisman ball we wear in the temple. If you truly can’t find the last bead, you could use this as a substitute.”

Qun Qing tried threading the talisman ball among the beads, and it looked rather harmonious and appealing:
“Good idea. Teach me.”

“What’s there to learn?” Ruo Chan chuckled. “Just thread it in, and if he asks, tell him you made it painstakingly by lamp-light, not resting until it was done.”

Qun Qing almost found herself tempted.

But legend had it that this string of sandalwood beads had been blessed by Master Zengjia. The beads lay quietly on her skirt, each one gazing back at them like an eye, observing intently.

Since becoming a spy, whenever Qun Qing passed a mud-covered Bodhisattva on a rainy day, she would place a cloth over it and bow twice, fearing she might diminish her own fortune.

She stared at the beads for a moment before removing the talisman ball and setting it aside, her lashes fluttering. Turning to Ruo Chan, she said,
“This is a consecrated artifact; best not to treat it casually. Teach me properly. I must make it by hand to express my remorse for breaking it.”

The weather was clear, and Zheng Zhiyi, tired from reading, suddenly wanted to swing. But there was no swing in Qingxuan Pavilion. Qun Qing thought it was no trouble at all and gathered the attendants to help. Two sawed wood, while another two tied ropes, setting up a swing in the southern garden.

The swing was soon ready, the wooden plank swaying back and forth. Zheng Zhiyi joyfully touched it and suddenly said, “Lady Qing, you try it first!”

Before Qun Qing could respond, a chorus of voices echoed as Ah Jiang and the others cheerfully nudged her onto the swing, insisting she go first.

With flushed ears, Qun Qing adjusted her skirt, seated herself on the swing, and grasped the ropes. Zheng Zhiyi gave her a playful push from behind, and the wind whisked through Qun Qing’s hair and skirt. Clouds layered across the azure sky, drawing close and then retreating.

Ah Jiang shouted anxiously, “Lady Zhiyi, don’t push too hard—you don’t want to shake all the wit out of Sister Qing’s head!”

Hearing their laughter, Qun Qing felt as if she’d returned to her girlhood, and without knowing why, she laughed along with them.

After a few swings, she nimbly hopped off, letting Zheng Zhiyi take her turn as the attendants assisted her.

Qun Qing looked around and noticed something unusual: Lan Yue wasn’t following closely behind Zheng Zhiyi. She stood at the hall entrance, watching from afar with a hint of melancholy. Seeing Qun Qing, Lan Yue quickly turned and went back inside.

“What’s wrong?” Qun Qing followed her in, where Lan Yue was hastily wiping Zheng Zhiyi’s vanity table with a cloth, forcing a smile. “Nothing’s wrong.”

Qun Qing leaned against the vanity table, silently observing her. “Did you quarrel with Lady Zhiyi, or did the Crown Prince scold you?”

That remark was the final straw. Lan Yue tossed the cloth aside, sank to the floor, and her eyes reddened. “I feel like I’m just not cut out to be her Lady-in-waiting.”

“Why would you think that?” Qun Qing asked.

“Ah Jiang is so reliable now, even Ah Meng handles things well, and Ruo Chan has her embroidery skills… But me, I’m still going in circles.” Staring blankly, Lan Yue muttered, “Lady Zhiyi has grown up and no longer reads storybooks. Unlike you, I can’t guide her, and I’m clumsy even with lamps, making the Crown Prince scold me.”

Before she could finish, her pent-up worry spilled out, and Lan Yue covered her face with her sleeve, quietly sobbing.

“Who said you’re useless?” Qun Qing, uncomfortable with tears, sat beside her and held her sleeve. “You’re very useful.”

It seemed that Li Xian deliberately caused trouble by replacing Lan Yue to allow her to avoid falling ill, but Lan Yue was unaware of this.

“What use am I?” Lan Yue whimpered. “I spend all day doing nothing, just cracking sunflower seeds and chatting with people…”

“Who says chatting is useless?” Qun Qing emphasized her tone, then continued, “The other day when the Crown Prince ordered me out of the palace, you managed to get a palace maid up in the middle of the night to find my records. When it came to offering the Buddha’s bone, Prince Yan’s expedition, and the Crown Prince’s argument with the envoys, you were the first to know. No one else has that ability.”

Lan Yue’s sobbing paused, and she looked at Qun Qing with tear-filled eyes. That’s right! If Qun Qing hadn’t said so, she would have never realized how useful her gossiping was.

Then, it occurred to her—if she wasn’t around, who would be able to cozy up to Xu, the records keeper, to help Qun Qing obtain her records, or who would help Qun Qing convert two large chests of valuables into night-illuminated pearls to take out of the palace?

Thinking of this, she broke into a smile and suddenly wanted to swing outside.
“Then should I keep gossiping?”

“In the palace, information is worth a fortune. What you’re doing is work worth thousands in gold.” Qun Qing looked at her sincerely. “In the future, if you hear anything, let me know first so I can see if it benefits Qingxuan Pavilion.”

“Of course.” Lan Yue felt a little embarrassed and quickly wiped her tears.

“There’s something I need you to find out,” Qun Qing said. “I want to know the times that Advisor Lu from Prince Yan’s estate attends court these days. It’s difficult, though, so if you can’t, that’s alright.”

“What’s so hard about that?” Lan Yue said with conviction, surprising Qun Qing. “I’m well-acquainted with a few attendants at the Taiji Hall. I’ll just have them keep an eye out for me.”

Qun Qing hadn’t expected she even had friends in the Taiji Hall.

“They call me Sister Yue, you know?” Lan Yue’s cheeks flushed as she turned proudly and went outside to swing.

A few days after visiting her family, Xiao Yunru’s carriage from Prince Yan’s estate hurriedly returned one misty morning.

When Lu Huating arrived after being summoned, he heard coughing from behind the hall screen. Xiao Yunru, under the care of her palace maid Cuiyu, took a bowl of medicine but soon vomited into a spittoon.

“Why has the Princess Consort’s condition worsened?” Lu Huating asked Cuiyu.

“It’s the stepmother and her children at home. They sneer and give her the cold shoulder, even when the Princess Consort says she’ll repay the money later,” Cuiyu replied angrily. “The stepmother said the Princess Consort has brought no benefits to the Xiao family since entering the palace, and now she wants to take money from them in an emergency. They won’t spare a single coin.”

Since Xiao Yunru had been named Princess Consort of Yan, her stepmother, Madam Xue, had also been granted the title of First-Rank Lady. However, Xiao Yunru’s relationship with her family was cold; she rarely visited unless she had a reason, like this time, to gather funds.

Lu Huating guessed her attempt to secure financial aid hadn’t gone well.

Now, Xiao Yunru dismissed everyone, leaving only her advisor.

Sitting on a round-backed chair, she looked pale, like a weary bird.
“The ceremony is approaching, and there are insufficient funds in Prince Yan’s estate. All we have left is the military funds.”

Lu Huating lowered his gaze.
“Military funds can’t be touched. It could create discord and lead to unrest.”

“Perhaps that’s exactly what His Majesty wants. He’s aware Prince Yan’s household has no funds. We’re left with two options: either raise the money ourselves, or dip into the military funds, giving him an excuse to strip our military authority,” Xiao Yunru said, looking grim.

“If Prince Yan fails, neither of us will repay our debts. I’m willing to take risks; Advisor, do you have a plan?”

Lu Huating picked up a piece of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote a single character. He turned the paper to Xiao Yunru, his gaze intense. “Is this idea what you had in mind?”

On the paper was written the character “Cui.”

Seeing that he’d guessed correctly, Xiao Yunru’s expression softened. “On my way back, I heard people discussing a commoner woman rolling on a bed of nails, pleading with the emperor about her daughter being forced into prostitution by Cui’s house. Over the years, the Cui family’s crimes have been countless, but they’re too well-connected to shake. If Prince Yan’s household could root them out, would confiscating their assets help us resolve our crisis?”

Lu Huating lowered his gaze. “From His Majesty’s viewpoint, it’s all about leverage. This case alone won’t be enough to bring down the Cui family; it might just punish one or two people.”

“Is even such a grave injustice insufficient?” Xiao Yunru asked. “What more would it take?”

“Only if there’s evidence that the Cui family embezzled funds in collusion with officials could His Majesty be convinced,” Lu Huating explained. “Monarchs always harbor suspicions toward ministers. Only by seeing this ledger and realizing how many are hiding their intentions will he be alarmed and angered.”

Xiao Yunru’s expression turned thoughtful. “While drinking with my brother Xiao Jingxing, he mentioned this ledger. He said that two months ago, he went to investigate at Six Nights Tower, but he was too late—the courtesan who held the clue had jumped from the second floor. However, they did capture a few of the Cui family’s men, now held at the Ministry of Justice, though they haven’t confessed.”

Her second brother, Xiao Jingxing, served as Deputy Minister of Justice. Two months ago, he investigated this case, and Lu Huating had suggested revealing the identity of Meng Guanlou’s mistress along the way.

“Yunming, if you ask, can you find the clue?” Xiao Yunru leaned toward him, her eyes tense with both hope and seriousness.

Lu Huating hesitated, understanding she meant using severe interrogation tactics. “If Your Highness trusts me, I can try.”

“Very well.” With his promise, Xiao Yunru called for her palace maid and handed Lu Huating a string of bronze keys and her own fish talisman. “I got these prison keys from Jingxing while drinking with him. Take my talisman to enter. If you can find the ledger soon, Prince Yan’s household may have a chance.”

Lu Huating took the keys.

As he rose to leave, Xiao Yunru called after him, “Advisor, I have one request: my younger brother was raised with the teachings of the classics and is straightforward. I don’t want him involved in any political disputes or affected by this matter.”

“I understand, Your Highness.” Lu Huating didn’t look back but smiled slightly after a moment. “Your brother knows nothing. I am solely responsible for entering without permission. I am a treacherous minister and I will do anything to achieve my goal. If there is any guilt, I will bear it all”