Chapter 399: Mute Servant Identity? Luo'er Changes Appearance Again!

Accompany?

Li Qingluo lifted her head and looked toward Duan Rongshi.

Upon seeing his pitiful, pleading eyes, she found she could not utter the words of refusal.

He had accompanied her all the way; how could she bear to leave him alone in this lonely, desolate Osmanthus Fragrance Palace?

She touched her chin, revealing a thoughtful expression: "Well, it's not impossible..."

Li Qingluo only left the next morning, accompanied by Eunuch Hai.

Last night she fell into the hot spring, and naturally her whole body was soaked through.

After Duan Rongshi's repeated pleas, she rested in the inner chambers of the Osmanthus Fragrance Palace.

She slept in the main hall.

Duan Rongshi merely made do for the night on a couch outside a screen.

At the moment of parting, Duan Rongshi stood constantly by the window beneath the shady trees, staring at her without blinking.

Li Qingluo looked back several times.

Only after leaving the palace gates did she meet up with Master Lingfeng, who had come to rendezvous.

Eunuch Hai bade farewell to Li Qingluo: "Miss, rest assured, I will attend to Your Highness well."

Li Qingluo knew this Eunuch Hai was surely Duan Rongshi's trusted aide in this palace.

"Then please trouble you to attend carefully."

Eunuch Hai: "Miss, you're too polite. Having the chance to serve Your Highness is my blessing."

"I just trouble you to leave the palace; could you bring something for my mother?"

Li Qingluo: "Your mother?"

Eunuch Hai: "My mother is Granny Ning, who lives in the Osmanthus Garden."

Osmanthus Garden!?

Li Qingluo seemed to have understood quite a bit.

She took the small parcel from Eunuch Hai; inside was a family letter and some silver.

"I know my mother lives happily in the Osmanthus Garden, but please let her spend money as she wishes, and don't insist on saving it to find me a wife."

"In this lifetime, I cannot take a wife."

"Still, I have no regrets; I can still serve Your Highness and at least live like a human being."

After bidding farewell to Eunuch Hai, Li Qingluo again mingled with the group of young Daoists.

This time she followed Master Qingyang out of the palace, so it went even more smoothly than last night.

Kill Seven and Kill Nine were waiting for her outside the palace.

Seeing her finally emerge, the two let out a long sigh of relief.

The three first went to the Osmanthus Garden.

After Li Qingluo found Granny Ning, she handed over the parcel.

Upon seeing her son's letter, Granny Ning burst into joyous dance.

The others also followed her, happily putting their heads together to read the letter.

Li Qingluo still did not know how to bring up Eunuch Hai's advice to Granny Ning to use the silver freely.

Granny Ning first asked: "Miss, how is he faring in his service at the palace?"

Li Qingluo: "You know he serves in the palace?"

Granny Ning: "Of course. When he was ten, he ran wild in the streets, got injured by a horse, and simply went to the palace to serve Your Highness."

"By my reckoning, it's been nearly six years since I last saw him."

Granny Ning wiped her eyes, and the other mute servants comforted her anxiously.

Li Qingluo asked a question she had long wanted to know: "Did you all used to live in the palace?"

Everyone hesitated for a moment, but they still answered her.

"Yes. We few elders used to be palace people."

These elders all had their tongues cut out.

They were not born deaf-mute.

And what about the young mute servants?

"Actually, we can speak."

Suddenly a young mute servant looked at Li Qingluo and spoke.

Li Qingluo was startled.

"So you're not mute after all?"

That young mute servant only said that sentence and then resumed signing.

"Your Highness does not allow us to speak in the Osmanthus Garden."

"He wants us to grow accustomed to being mute, so we can protect ourselves."

Li Qingluo: "Then who are you?"

Mute servant: "We are their descendants. We have lived in this Osmanthus Garden for seventeen years already."

Seventeen years!

When Duan Rongshi was six, his birth mother died suddenly in the palace.

He has just turned twenty-three this year.

That's exactly seventeen years, isn't it?

Li Qingluo: "But I heard that after the Noble Consort passed away, the Emperor carried out a bloodbath in the Osmanthus Fragrance Palace, leaving not a single survivor."

What's going on?

The mute servants dare not say any more.

They could only reply in sign language: 'Miss, you are the Highness's close confidant.'

As for these matters, miss, you should ask the Highness yourself.

After bidding farewell to the mute servants in the Osmanthus Garden, Li Qingluo did not first return to the Xiuli Jiangjun Fu, but instead made another trip to the Prince Su's mansion.

Zhui Yu and the other two were not there, but the Prince Su's mansion still had Eunuch Wu.

Li Qingluo went to see Qin Ling accompanied by Eunuch Wu, and asked him for something.

Li Qingluo only returned home as it was getting dark.

After sleeping a night, she went out again as soon as dawn broke.

This time, it was a long journey.

Li Qingluo met with Shaqi, Shajiu, and Lingfengzi.

After the three of them disguised themselves as little Daoist priests, they still entered the palace quite smoothly.

Although the palace was originally heavily guarded, it has now been turned into something like a vegetable market by this Pine and Cypress Temple—people come and go freely, and even the palace gate guards can do nothing about it.

Li Qingluo first went outside the Purple Chamber Shop, sat cross-legged meditating for an hour, ate a meal with her fellow senior disciples, and was then taken to the Osmanthus Fragrance Palace.

Eunuch Hai opened the door and saw another unfamiliar little Daoist priest, feeling somewhat displeased.

What does this mean?

Qingyangzi: 'This is our temple's junior martial brother, Daoist Luo Yi.'

Although he looks young, his Daoist cultivation is only slightly inferior to mine.

Recently, the National Preceptor wants to hold a rite in the Osmanthus Fragrance Palace, so we need the junior martial brother to go there first to reside, set up the ritual space, and gather some of the palace's resentment.

Eunuch Hai: 'You certainly know that His Highness dislikes strangers getting close; are you, Master of the Dharma, trying to have this little Daoist priest go in to his death?'

Qingyangzi smiled slightly: 'Little eunuch, rest assured; your Highness will be reluctant to kill him.'

Before Li Qingluo followed the reluctant Eunuch Hai inside, she saw a white figure standing at the end of the long street.

That is Consort De.

Qingyangzi whispered a sentence, then turned and left first.

Li Qingluo stared at that white figure a few more times.

Her whole bearing was cold and aloof, like an orchid, aloof from the world.

However, when her icy gaze fell upon her, even Li Qingluo felt a chill.

The door of the Osmanthus Fragrance Palace was shut heavily once again.

Li Qingluo heard Eunuch Hai muttering complaints: 'Everyone keeps sending people to our palace; Daoist Qingyangzi truly doesn't care at all for His Highness.'

'I fear that one day, when she fully rises to power and can sit on equal footing with His Highness, there will no longer be any trace of His Highness in her eyes...'

Li Qingluo: 'Then how should one be considered caring?'

Eunuch Hai jumped in fright.

He only felt that the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Li Qingluo felt inside the bundle and pulled out two hardened buns.

'This is something your mother made especially for you; hurry and try it.'

Eunuch Hai's face showed shock as he sucked in a breath.

Li Qingluo touched her own face: 'Qin Ling's disguise technique is truly unparalleled under heaven.'

'Luo'er!'

Seeing her dressed in a Daoist robe, Duan Rongshi came over again, standing inside the window and waving at her.

Li Qingluo again said: 'You're saying this too early.'

After she started running toward Duan Rongshi, Eunuch Hai still held two buns in his hand, his soul nearly flying out: 'Is that the miss?'

He rubbed his eyes hard.

Last night, even though he looked like a little Daoist priest, wasn't he also a beautiful and graceful lady?

How did he become a rough-looking, honest man today?

Again seeing that little Daoist throw himself into His Highness's embrace, the two tightly hugging made the little Daoist feel as if struck by five thunderbolts.

It must be my eyes that are bad.

This is all fake, not real; I'm still dreaming...

Eunuch Hai walked away in a daze.

Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi, however, had already begun discussing the key to her disguise this time.

'Your Highness, Qin Ling said that because the preparations were rushed, this face can last at most seven days. After seven days, upon contact with water I will revert to my original appearance.'

Duan Rongshi replied, 'Seven days is enough.'

He reached out and pinched her cheek, finding it amusing.

'What were you thinking? Such thick eyebrows, and a beard growing on the chin.'

'Are you doing this on purpose so that I won't be able to speak?'

Li Qingluo pressed her palms together: 'Your Highness, please do not disturb my Daoist heart.'

'For this period, I will abstain from lust!'

Duan Rongshi laughed 'haha' a few times.

Not far away, Eunuch Hai, covering his ears and crouching on the ground, almost cried: 'His Highness sounds so happy. But I feel so sad.'

Because he is about to completely split apart...

Last night, today— which one is truly the miss?

Your Highness, is what you like male or female?

Night fell quickly.

After they had finished dinner early, they went to the low couch by the window to play chess.

Li Qingluo's chess skill had not improved much.

She was simply too busy in daily life; whenever she had a little free time, she used it to practice swordplay and calligraphy, leaving almost no time for these chess pieces.

Seeing her so inattentive, Duan Rongshi rarely put on a stern face toward her.

"Then I'll punish you—you must play twenty games with me these few days."

"Otherwise, don't even think about leaving the palace!"

Twenty games?

Isn't that six or seven games a day required?

Isn't that going to kill her?

Li Qingluo could only grit her teeth and beg for mercy: "Your Highness, please have pity on me. Can't we do just one game a day?"

Duan Rongshi flared up in anger: "Li Qingluo, do you know how many people in the world beg to play a game of chess with me?"

"You actually don't know what's good for you!"

Li Qingluo: "Who?"

Duan Rongshi did not reply to her.

He only said: "My chess skill was enlightened by my birth mother."

Li Qingluo froze instantly.

He rarely mentions his birth mother.

Although Li Qingluo was extremely curious, she never dared to ask proactively.

Just like those mute servants, if he is unwilling to speak up, she will not ask again.

She picked up a chess piece: "Then Your Highness, please enlighten me."

"Just don't, like last time, disdain my chess skill as being truly awful."

Duan Rongshi raised his hand and gently patted her head.

Hai Gonggong knocked on the door at this moment and said: "Your Highness, Noble Consort De has sent you osmanthus cake."

Duan Rongshi: "Come in."

A plate of exquisitely arranged osmanthus cake was then placed within reach.

Duan Rongshi reached out to take it, but Li Qingluo hurriedly pushed his big hand away with one hand.

"Impossible!"

"Your Highness. This pastry is a slow-acting poison!"

"Whether eaten or touched by hand, at first there is no notice, but over time it will turn a person into a foolish, idiotic cripple!"