The rumors spread like wildfire among the palace maids. And among the imperial guards as well.
In fact, they even arrived at the ears of Fucha Fuheng.
“Qingxi was with a palace maid?” Fucha Fuheng drew his brows together. He had the impression there was something fishy going on.
He knew what kind of person Qingxi was. Careful and cautious. Never had he done anything improper. When the imperial guards were off duty, going out for drinks and food and women was a common occurrence. Sometimes, even Fucha Fuheng would have no choice but to come along and accompany his colleagues in drinking a few cups. However, when they were inside those establishments, not once had he seen the figure of Qingxi.
To say that such a person actually seduce a palace maid, Fucha Fuheng could not help but shake his head. “Who did Qingxi offend? They actually spread these groundless accusations to harm him.”
The informant imperial guard approached and hastily said, “No one’s trying to harm him. I saw it with my own eyes.”
Fucha Fuheng furrowed his brows. “What did you see?”
“A couple days ago, we were patrolling the Imperial Gardens when an extremely prepossessing palace maid ran by. And she sneakily thrust and item into Qingxi’s hands.” The imperial guard chuckled. “It wasn’t just I who saw it. There were also a few others who did.”
Since there were witnesses, one would fear the account wasn’t fabricated.
However, only listening to one side of the story wasn’t good. Indeed, Fucha Fuheng did not plan on only hearing their side. He would carefully inquire about the palace maid’s appearance. Then he rose to his feet and said, “I will go and ask Qingxi.”
Once he arrived at the Imperial Guard Quarters, he found Qingxi off duty. A few of his colleagues surrounded him, jeering at him. They talked about the matters concerning that palace maid. All of a sudden, Fucha Fuheng’s heart trembled. He stopped in his tracks and hid behind the door, silently eavesdropping.
“Ah, Qingxi, you seriously seduced a palace maid in secret!” An imperial guard wrapped an arm around Qingxi’s shoulder, winking.
“If you keep lowering your head, how would you know if she’s pretty?” Another imperial guard dared not readily subscribe to the other’s thoughts. “What if after you lift your head, her beard turns out to be thicker than yours?”
“Go, go! Don’t say the grapes are sour when you haven’t had a bite,” the first imperial guard quickly said. “Those who were selected as palace maids should all be beautiful. Even crooked gourds and cracked dates cannot enter the Forbidden City. Moreover, how could sixteen-year-old young girls with a bit of care to their appearances not be pleasing to the eye?! Tell me, do you agree, Qingxi?”
Qingxi was surrounded by them, his expression awkward. He could only firmly say, “Our forefathers’ rules state that we cannot have relations with palace maids. She and I…”
“Ah, and I thought you actually had something important to say!” The imperial guard’s belly shook from laughter, and he patted Qingxi’s shoulder. “This kind of thing, if no one says anything, even the courts can’t press this matter. The palace maids will eventually leave the palace. If you like them, you can take them as a concubine in the future! It’s not like you’ll be marrying them as a wife, so what are you so afraid of?”
Fucha Fuheng couldn’t find it in himself to listen any longer. He stepped away from the door and coldly yelled, “Qingxi!”
The laughter inside the building instantly stopped. Including Qingxi, everyone quickly stood and said, “Lord Fucha…”
Fucha Fuheng walked in front of Qingxi. Bitterly stared at the respectable man before him. He slowly said, “Palace maids and imperial guards must not have private relations. These are the palace rules. You should have known this on your first day of working here!”
Qingxi was lectured to the point of lowering his head.
Fucha Fuheng inhaled deeply. Reaching out, he said, “Give it to me.”
Seeing that Qingxi was frozen, he asked again more firmly. “Hand over what the palace maid gave you!”
For a moment, Qingxi looked at him with a complicated expression. Then he lightly sighed, and retrieved something from his chest pocket. And placed it into the palm of Fucha Fuheng’s hand.
Everyone thought it would be a handkerchief with the palace maid’s name embroidered on it. Or, a sword tassel with a kiss print. Perhaps even a precious lock of hair, which represented her desire to be his wife¹, may death do them apart.
However, once the gazes of everyone converged on the item, what they saw was a rock.
Don’t support theft; read this free at sleep chaser’s word press.
A rock that was common in the Imperial Garden. Both gray and white, a rock that had no defining quality at all.
The imperial guards that were close with Qingxi tried to help him. Now that they saw this, they smiled. “For her to gift you a rock means her heart is like stone. Doesn’t find you attractive at all. Oh my, haven’t you been rejected? Hahaha!”
Honestly, Qingxi’s relationships with others weren’t bad. He laughed and everyone did as well. The sound of their laughter filled the room. Everyone wanted to treat this matter as a joke and push it aside.
“Be quiet!” said Fucha Fuheng, ice cold.
All of sudden, the laughter stopped. Everyone carefully checked Fucha Fuheng’s expression. He found their reactions funny. Did they think he was the type of person who would indiscriminately punish people?
…In fact, he was!
“Everyone has to recite the rules of the imperial guards a hundred times!” Fucha Fuheng clasped his hands behind his back and said, “Those who cannot finish reciting them will not have dinner!”
“Ah? Lord Fucha!”
“Please don’t do this…”
“Have mercy!”
All the imperial guards lamented, but Fucha Fuheng would not change his mind.
However, it was all for their sake. If this matter had actually been lightly pushed aside, in the future, they would commit wrongs again. They might even cause a scandal.
Reciting the rules a hundred times was neither too harsh nor too lenient of a punishment. And it will also remind everyone of the rules.
“So who was that palace maid?” Once Fucha Fuheng had left the Imperial Guard Quarters, he couldn’t help but open up his palm again. Couldn’t help but study that small rock. He muttered to himself, “And then there’s this thing. What’s the meaning of this? Could it really represent her rejection?”
The activity in the Imperial Guard quarters could not be considered large or small. In a situation where people did not purposely hide things, what had occurred naturally would not be missed by people with intentions.
“Aunt Fang, Aunt Fang!” Jinxiu pounded on the door to Aunt Fang’s room. Her expression was one of heady joy. “I found out who that imperial guard was!”
“Oh?” Aunt Fang sat up from her bed. “Who?”
“The name is Qijia Qingxi. Word has it that the two of them secretly exchanged love tokens…” Jinxiu exaggerated the story she heard about the Imperial Guard Quarters. “I also discovered that in one week, he is on duty for five days and off duty for one. He guards the Gate of Heavenly Purity. That must be the day the two of them secretly meet up! Even the people from the Imperial Guards Quarters know of this. The situation between those two is confirmed.”
Aunt Fang coldly smiled. “Help me monitor her well. I estimate that in a few days those two will meet again!”
Even without Aunt Fang’s instructions, Jinxiu would naturally monitor Wei Yingluo.
However, even after looking at her so closely, she never caught Wei Yingluo meeting with that Imperial Guard. Many times, Aunt Fang had asked her what was happening between them, but she could only report insignificant things.
But could these little, insignificant pieces of information be enough to satisfy Aunt Fang?
In the palace maid canteen, the meals had just arrived, yet Wei Yingluo dashed out the door while covering her mouth. The sound of her dry vomiting filled the air.
Jixiang quickly brought the basins of food close to her nose for a sniff. Like a little critter, she smelled it for a long time. Then with much uncertainty, she said, “It hasn’t gone bad. Big Sister Yingluo, do you not like to eat fish?”
Today’s dishes were impeccable, consisting of both fish and meat. Everyone had one bowl of fish soup, the soup boiled until it was a milky shade of white, the meat of the fish having melted into the soup base. Even the bones had become soft. One could drink it without fear of choking on bones. Incomparably delicious, with a fragrant aftertaste.
Palace maids occasionally had a chance to eat meat, but an opportunity to eat fish was rare. It wasn’t because fish was more expensive that other types of meat. But rather that eating too much of it might grant a foul breath and inspire the masters’ ire.
Therefore, everyone cherished such a rare opportunity. Except Wei Yingluo, that was.
“…Mm. I don’t really like fish.” Wei Yingluo turned her head and forced a smile at Jixiang. “Help me eat it.”
Jixiang of course was elated. “Okay, okay! Then I’ll share my string beans with you.”
As the two exchanged their dishes, from the side came a cold voice. “Is it that your stomach doesn’t feel well? When my sister-in-law was with child, she also had that symptom. She’d feel like vomiting whatever she ate.”
Wei Yingluo’s expression stiffened. Then she looked the other party in the eye and said, “Previously, Noble Consort Hui had gifted me many bowls of sweet lotus starch balls. I ate too much by accident, and after that my digestive system has not been good. It’s not really a big deal.”
Jinxiu smiled but did not respond. In her heart, she spat.
Sweet lotus starch balls? That was three-month-old news. Everything should have been digested by then!
Could it be that it really was…
Jinxiu gaze secretly brushed past Wei Yingluo’s abdomen
The rumors spread like wildfire among the palace maids. And among the imperial guards as well.
In fact, they even arrived at the ears of Fucha Fuheng.
“Qingxi was with a palace maid?” Fucha Fuheng drew his brows together. He had the impression there was something fishy going on.
He knew what kind of person Qingxi was. Careful and cautious. Never had he done anything improper. When the imperial guards were off duty, going out for drinks and food and women was a common occurrence. Sometimes, even Fucha Fuheng would have no choice but to come along and accompany his colleagues in drinking a few cups. However, when they were inside those establishments, not once had he seen the figure of Qingxi.
To say that such a person actually seduce a palace maid, Fucha Fuheng could not help but shake his head. “Who did Qingxi offend? They actually spread these groundless accusations to harm him.”
The informant imperial guard approached and hastily said, “No one’s trying to harm him. I saw it with my own eyes.”
Fucha Fuheng furrowed his brows. “What did you see?”
“A couple days ago, we were patrolling the Imperial Gardens when an extremely prepossessing palace maid ran by. And she sneakily thrust and item into Qingxi’s hands.” The imperial guard chuckled. “It wasn’t just I who saw it. There were also a few others who did.”
Since there were witnesses, one would fear the account wasn’t fabricated.
However, only listening to one side of the story wasn’t good. Indeed, Fucha Fuheng did not plan on only hearing their side. He would carefully inquire about the palace maid’s appearance. Then he rose to his feet and said, “I will go and ask Qingxi.”
Once he arrived at the Imperial Guard Quarters, he found Qingxi off duty. A few of his colleagues surrounded him, jeering at him. They talked about the matters concerning that palace maid. All of a sudden, Fucha Fuheng’s heart trembled. He stopped in his tracks and hid behind the door, silently eavesdropping.
“Ah, Qingxi, you seriously seduced a palace maid in secret!” An imperial guard wrapped an arm around Qingxi’s shoulder, winking.
“If you keep lowering your head, how would you know if she’s pretty?” Another imperial guard dared not readily subscribe to the other’s thoughts. “What if after you lift your head, her beard turns out to be thicker than yours?”
“Go, go! Don’t say the grapes are sour when you haven’t had a bite,” the first imperial guard quickly said. “Those who were selected as palace maids should all be beautiful. Even crooked gourds and cracked dates cannot enter the Forbidden City. Moreover, how could sixteen-year-old young girls with a bit of care to their appearances not be pleasing to the eye?! Tell me, do you agree, Qingxi?”
Qingxi was surrounded by them, his expression awkward. He could only firmly say, “Our forefathers’ rules state that we cannot have relations with palace maids. She and I…”
“Ah, and I thought you actually had something important to say!” The imperial guard’s belly shook from laughter, and he patted Qingxi’s shoulder. “This kind of thing, if no one says anything, even the courts can’t press this matter. The palace maids will eventually leave the palace. If you like them, you can take them as a concubine in the future! It’s not like you’ll be marrying them as a wife, so what are you so afraid of?”
Fucha Fuheng couldn’t find it in himself to listen any longer. He stepped away from the door and coldly yelled, “Qingxi!”
The laughter inside the building instantly stopped. Including Qingxi, everyone quickly stood and said, “Lord Fucha…”
Fucha Fuheng walked in front of Qingxi. Bitterly stared at the respectable man before him. He slowly said, “Palace maids and imperial guards must not have private relations. These are the palace rules. You should have known this on your first day of working here!”
Qingxi was lectured to the point of lowering his head.
Fucha Fuheng inhaled deeply. Reaching out, he said, “Give it to me.”
Seeing that Qingxi was frozen, he asked again more firmly. “Hand over what the palace maid gave you!”
For a moment, Qingxi looked at him with a complicated expression. Then he lightly sighed, and retrieved something from his chest pocket. And placed it into the palm of Fucha Fuheng’s hand.
Everyone thought it would be a handkerchief with the palace maid’s name embroidered on it. Or, a sword tassel with a kiss print. Perhaps even a precious lock of hair, which represented her desire to be his wife¹, may death do them apart.
However, once the gazes of everyone converged on the item, what they saw was a rock.
Don’t support theft; read this free at sleep chaser’s word press.
A rock that was common in the Imperial Garden. Both gray and white, a rock that had no defining quality at all.
The imperial guards that were close with Qingxi tried to help him. Now that they saw this, they smiled. “For her to gift you a rock means her heart is like stone. Doesn’t find you attractive at all. Oh my, haven’t you been rejected? Hahaha!”
Honestly, Qingxi’s relationships with others weren’t bad. He laughed and everyone did as well. The sound of their laughter filled the room. Everyone wanted to treat this matter as a joke and push it aside.
“Be quiet!” said Fucha Fuheng, ice cold.
All of sudden, the laughter stopped. Everyone carefully checked Fucha Fuheng’s expression. He found their reactions funny. Did they think he was the type of person who would indiscriminately punish people?
…In fact, he was!
“Everyone has to recite the rules of the imperial guards a hundred times!” Fucha Fuheng clasped his hands behind his back and said, “Those who cannot finish reciting them will not have dinner!”
“Ah? Lord Fucha!”
“Please don’t do this…”
“Have mercy!”
All the imperial guards lamented, but Fucha Fuheng would not change his mind.
However, it was all for their sake. If this matter had actually been lightly pushed aside, in the future, they would commit wrongs again. They might even cause a scandal.
Reciting the rules a hundred times was neither too harsh nor too lenient of a punishment. And it will also remind everyone of the rules.
“So who was that palace maid?” Once Fucha Fuheng had left the Imperial Guard Quarters, he couldn’t help but open up his palm again. Couldn’t help but study that small rock. He muttered to himself, “And then there’s this thing. What’s the meaning of this? Could it really represent her rejection?”
The activity in the Imperial Guard quarters could not be considered large or small. In a situation where people did not purposely hide things, what had occurred naturally would not be missed by people with intentions.
“Aunt Fang, Aunt Fang!” Jinxiu pounded on the door to Aunt Fang’s room. Her expression was one of heady joy. “I found out who that imperial guard was!”
“Oh?” Aunt Fang sat up from her bed. “Who?”
“The name is Qijia Qingxi. Word has it that the two of them secretly exchanged love tokens…” Jinxiu exaggerated the story she heard about the Imperial Guard Quarters. “I also discovered that in one week, he is on duty for five days and off duty for one. He guards the Gate of Heavenly Purity. That must be the day the two of them secretly meet up! Even the people from the Imperial Guards Quarters know of this. The situation between those two is confirmed.”
Aunt Fang coldly smiled. “Help me monitor her well. I estimate that in a few days those two will meet again!”
Even without Aunt Fang’s instructions, Jinxiu would naturally monitor Wei Yingluo.
However, even after looking at her so closely, she never caught Wei Yingluo meeting with that Imperial Guard. Many times, Aunt Fang had asked her what was happening between them, but she could only report insignificant things.
But could these little, insignificant pieces of information be enough to satisfy Aunt Fang?
In the palace maid canteen, the meals had just arrived, yet Wei Yingluo dashed out the door while covering her mouth. The sound of her dry vomiting filled the air.
Jixiang quickly brought the basins of food close to her nose for a sniff. Like a little critter, she smelled it for a long time. Then with much uncertainty, she said, “It hasn’t gone bad. Big Sister Yingluo, do you not like to eat fish?”
Today’s dishes were impeccable, consisting of both fish and meat. Everyone had one bowl of fish soup, the soup boiled until it was a milky shade of white, the meat of the fish having melted into the soup base. Even the bones had become soft. One could drink it without fear of choking on bones. Incomparably delicious, with a fragrant aftertaste.
Palace maids occasionally had a chance to eat meat, but an opportunity to eat fish was rare. It wasn’t because fish was more expensive that other types of meat. But rather that eating too much of it might grant a foul breath and inspire the masters’ ire.
Therefore, everyone cherished such a rare opportunity. Except Wei Yingluo, that was.
“…Mm. I don’t really like fish.” Wei Yingluo turned her head and forced a smile at Jixiang. “Help me eat it.”
Jixiang of course was elated. “Okay, okay! Then I’ll share my string beans with you.”
As the two exchanged their dishes, from the side came a cold voice. “Is it that your stomach doesn’t feel well? When my sister-in-law was with child, she also had that symptom. She’d feel like vomiting whatever she ate.”
Wei Yingluo’s expression stiffened. Then she looked the other party in the eye and said, “Previously, Noble Consort Hui had gifted me many bowls of sweet lotus starch balls. I ate too much by accident, and after that my digestive system has not been good. It’s not really a big deal.”
Jinxiu smiled but did not respond. In her heart, she spat.
Sweet lotus starch balls? That was three-month-old news. Everything should have been digested by then!
Could it be that it really was…
Jinxiu gaze secretly brushed past Wei Yingluo’s abdomen
