Chapter 6

She followed the sound to the rear courtyard, her pupils constricting sharply.

The cat, weakly curled into a ball, was seriously injured; its fur was covered in shocking blood, it trembled all over and could only emit a weak whimper, clearly having been beaten and then thrown from a height.

"Dew Pearl..." Mu Yuanzhi choked up, her eye sockets instantly moist.

She had raised this pet cat for three years, but after following Pei Yunxi for just three days it ended up like this!

Dew Pearl was a birthday gift from the Father Emperor, adorable and beloved; before, she would always hold it while going out to sunbathe, the clingy little cat was her inseparable companion, like family; Pei Yunxi, seeing it, naturally wouldn't let go—anything belonging to her, he would invariably coax away with his tried-and-true flirtatiousness.

After she was confined to the Eternal Lane, Dew Pearl was naturally taken back by Pei Yunxi to be raised.

Mu Yuanzhi heartbrokenly picked up the blood-soaked cat whose original color was no longer discernible, she stroked its fur comfortingly, but it would no longer respond to her; only its broken claws feebly grasped the familiar strands of its former owner's hair.

"Princess!" the eunuch Xiao Nianzi, who had rushed over upon hearing the noise, came to an abrupt stop.

A woman clad in blood-stained prison garb clung to a similarly bloody lump of lifeless matter, the scene eerie and sorrowful.

"Princess..."

"Dig a hole and bury it." After a long while, Mu Yuanzhi softly spoke those words.

"Yes!" Xiao Nianzi hesitated a moment before nodding, feeling strange; as he approached, he could barely make out that what Mu Yuanzhi held tightly in her arms was that pet cat, Dew Pearl.

Everyone in the palace gates knew how precious Mu Yuanzhi's pet cat was; this cat's death was clearly abnormal, yet she didn't make a huge fuss.

"Bury it casually, don't let anyone find it." Mu Yuanzhi added, having composed herself, she squatted down and gently placed the cat's corpse.

Xiao Nianzi didn't understand the reason, but he still complied; after burying the cat, he used a shovel to pat the surrounding soil flat, so no one would know the ground had just been disturbed.

"Remember, nothing happened tonight." Mu Yuanzhi lifted her gaze to Xiao Nianzi, her eyes turning cold.

Xiao Nianzi nodded repeatedly, for some reason he always felt a little afraid of this new master, a feeling he had never had before.

Mu Yuanzhi turned and walked inside. She knew Pei Yunxi definitely wanted to make a big deal out of the dew, for example turning the tables and claiming the dew was killed by her; she would rather kill it than let her younger sister raise it.

After all, this sort of trick is Pei Yunxi's usual method.

"Princess." Hongdou, returning from the Imperial Household Department, clung to a pitifully small amount of inferior charcoal and a brazier, with two packets of medicine she had grabbed hanging from her waist.

When she went to the Imperial Household Department, its staff were bustling about, not touching the ground, busy sending top-quality silver-thread charcoal to Pei Yunxi's Changle Palace, large bundles upon large bundles of silver-thread charcoal far exceeding the average quota of all palaces, enough to last several winters.

Hongdou explained her purpose, waited a long time, then the steward impatiently threw her a few sticks of charcoal that were almost damp.

"Can this burn?" Hongdou frowned.

The charcoal she usually burns is better than this.

"It's still better than having no fire at all in Yong Lane, right?" the steward sneered, "Miss Hongdou, hurry up and leave, don't get in our way, otherwise if His Majesty blames us we won't be able to bear it."

Hongdou pressed her lips and said, "Brother Li, these daily necessities like bedding and clothing—the Weiyang Palace lacks everything; without them, my master can't even sleep."

"Miss Hongdou, it's not that I don't want to help you, but we simply can't spare any manpower; His Majesty and the princes are all in Changle Palace accompanying the little princess, and if we delay or are negligent we'll end up carrying the blame—tomorrow, tomorrow I'll definitely deliver it for you, okay? That's it."

The steward shoved Hongdou out without a word.

Hongdou had no choice but to return first to report.

"Princess, if you don't mind, I have spare clothes and bedding you could use for now?" Hongdou whispered, her voice growing softer.

She naturally knew this haughty princess usually used only the best; how could she possibly lower herself to use servants' things?

Mu Yuanzhi said indifferently, "I don't care about that; go get it."

It's too cold; she needs to take a hot bath and change clothes.

"I'll go right away," Hongdou sighed in relief, she took a few steps then turned to look at Mu Yuanzhi; when she stepped out of the bedroom and met Xiao Nianzi, she hesitated and said to him, "Should we go tell the Fourth Prince?"

In such freezing weather, how can one sleep with just a single brazier?

After hearing that, Xiao Nianzi's face looked strange; he reminded Hongdou, "We are now people of the Weiyang Palace."

Hongdou pouted her lips but ultimately said nothing.

Mu Yuanzhi caught sight of them muttering outside in her peripheral vision; she still couldn't tell whether these people were sent by Pei Shangling to monitor her.

To survive in this vast imperial palace, the urgent priority is to find a new way out.

The hot water was ready, vast sheets of steam warmed the whole room; Mu Yuanzhi submerged herself in the somewhat scalding tub, the heat surging through her limbs, and only then did she feel alive again.

She greedily clung to this hard-won warmth, fearing it was an illusion; as soon as she closed her eyes she found herself back in the dark alley where no daylight ever came.

Hongdou, who was heating the water for Mu Yuanzhi, could clearly see various deep and shallow scars on her master's body.

With a young lady's skin injured like this, what will become of her in the future?

Just as she was thinking that, Xiao Nianzi's voice came from outside: "Princess, the Senior Minister has sent someone to deliver wound medicine."

Hongdou smiled at Mu Yuanzhi and said, "It's still the Senior Minister who's thinking of the Princess!"

Mu Yuanzhi wondered suspiciously, why is Xiao Yichen still putting on an act? He is already Pei Yunxi's fiancé.

"Just leave it."

Xiao Nianzi outside responded and left.

Hongdou's face full of confusion, the master isn't one who loves the Senior Minister, so why is her reaction so cold?

After making a trip to Yong Lane and returning, this new master, Hongdou found herself increasingly unable to understand: "Princess, the Senior Minister cares so much for you—aren't you happy?"

"I don't need the concern of someone else's fiancé." Mu Yuanzhi said expressionlessly.

Hongdou was bewildered: "Are you angry with the Senior Minister?"

Mu Yuanzhi sensed something was off, thinking to herself, could it be that things have changed and the Father Emperor hasn't substituted her engagement with Xiao Yichen?

Is it the butterfly effect?

She didn't speak, so Hongdou took it as agreement.

But even if the master were annoyed with the Senior Minister, within half a day she'd be overjoyed to go see him—who in the whole capital doesn't know the master is infatuated with the Senior Minister?

She most clearly remembered one year when the Senior Minister celebrated his birthday, the master ordered people to lay crimson silk for a hundred li along the capital's streets, scattering heavenly flowers everywhere, causing a sensation throughout the capital; everyone said the princess was eager to marry, but this master who does as she pleases paid no heed to others' opinions, still running all day after her ideal lover.

After bathing, Mu Yuanzhi put on the old clothes Hongdou had brought and was about to sleep when Hongdou couldn't help but say, "Princess, the wound medicine the Senior Minister sent contains a large amount of gold dragon gallbladder herb; it's most effective for removing scars."