Xiao Tong did not say much more to Jiang Wumei; after finishing his dinner, he went off to handle state affairs.
No one noticed that in a corner, Jiang Wumei gritted her teeth at his retreating figure before turning to go find the tiger cub playing in the flower room.
The night deepened. The heavy snow that had been falling all day finally ceased.
Jiang Wumei spent half an hour playing with the cub, and seeing that it was getting late, she had a maid take it away to be washed while she returned to her own bedchamber to bathe and change.
Qingzhi had been serving by Jiang Wumei's side all along. After helping her mistress bathe, she took a warm towel that had been kept ready and began to gently pat dry her mistress’s soft, dark hair.
"Your Highness, I made a special trip to the dungeon just now and happened to see the guards carrying out a corpse in a sack. I asked around carefully; the body was indeed Chen Yue'er, whose tongue His Highness had cut out yesterday. At this hour, that corpse has likely already been tossed into the mass grave."
The chamber was as warm as spring. Jiang Wumei, freshly bathed, leaned against a couch wearing only a silk bodice, feeling drowsy. Hearing Qingzhi’s words, she propped her head up slightly and nodded slowly.
"Later, send a few people to confirm the remains. If it is confirmed to be Chen Yue'er, come back and report it."
"Understood. I will arrange it shortly."
Qingzhi did not ask why Jiang Wumei wanted to be certain. She responded firmly and, seeing the exhaustion in her mistress's eyes, brought up another matter.
"Your Highness, news has come from Noble Consort Chun’s side. They say that these past few days, she has been going to His Highness’s study every single day to deliver snacks and medicinal soups. It looks like she is trying to win his favor."
Jiang Wumei raised her eyelids with a playful, inscrutable expression.
"That Chun Yurong, she really cannot wait even for a moment."
Chun Yurong had lived under Xiao Tong’s protection her entire life, never experiencing a hint of hardship. Now, she clearly could not bear a few days of loneliness in her quarters.
Qingzhi spoke cautiously. "Your Highness, although His Highness dotes on you, he is a man after all. If the Noble Consort keeps this up, there is no guarantee that His Highness won't be swayed. Why don't we come up with a plan to resolve this once and for all?"
As soon as these words left Qingzhi’s lips, Jiang Wumei’s eyes snapped open. She scanned the room, and upon confirming that they were alone, she looked at Qingzhi and said coldly:
"This place is full of eyes and ears. Be careful that your words don't bring disaster upon us. From this moment on, as long as there is a third person present, you are never to speak ill of His Highness or Chun Yurong. If something happens, I won't be able to protect you."
Qingzhi was a dowry maid who had come with her from the Jiang Estate; she was loyal and impeccable. Having shared a bond as mistress and servant for half a year, Jiang Wumei did not want to see her beaten to death on Xiao Tong's orders for gossiping about Chun Yurong. After all, later in the story, when Chun Yurong suffered a miscarriage due to her own fragile health, the tyrant Xiao Tong blamed the servants for their poor care and ordered the entire hall of palace maids to be slaughtered.
Thinking of this, Jiang Wumei felt a headache coming on. Xiao Tong’s precious darling was not as easy to deal with as Chen Yue'er. The superficial favor he showed Jiang Wumei was merely a smokescreen to protect Chun Yurong. She was certain that if she dared to lay a hand on Chun Yurong, Xiao Tong would not hesitate to tear her limb from limb and throw her to the wild dogs.
"Forgive me, Your Highness. I will remember this." Seeing Jiang Wumei’s anger, Qingzhi knelt immediately and bowed her head to beg for mercy.
"Get up. Remember: do not provoke Chun Yurong, and do not do anything—not even the slightest thing—that would harm her. Furthermore, tell our people that other than keeping an eye on her, they are to do nothing else. Do not try to be clever and cause trouble for me."
With her long hair mostly dried by the warm towel, Jiang Wumei lay back on the couch and instructed Qingzhi in a flat tone.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Qingzhi wiped the sweat from her forehead, rose from the floor, and according to their daily routine, took the Jade Skin Cream to apply it inch by inch to Jiang Wumei’s smooth skin. The translucent cream melted into her porcelain-like skin and disappeared. Soon, a faint scent of lotus flowers began to emanate from Jiang Wumei’s body, gradually filling the entire palace.
As the last bit of cream was applied to Jiang Wumei’s chest, Qingzhi stood up, her throat feeling dry. She did not dare to look at her mistress’s alluring, half-lidded eyes.
"Your Highness, let me help you to rest."
Just as Qingzhi stood up and was about to move, the palace doors were pushed open with a bang. Xiao Tong’s impossibly handsome face appeared before Qingzhi’s eyes.
"Your Highness." Qingzhi hurried to step aside and curtsy.
Xiao Tong looked at Jiang Wumei, who lay on the couch half-veiled in silk, his expression dark. He cast a glance at Qingzhi, who understood immediately and quickly exited the chamber.
Jiang Wumei still remembered Xiao Tong’s snide remarks at the dinner table. Seeing him walk over, she made no effort to cover the bare skin of her chest and looked up with a faint smile.
"Are you finished with your work, Your Highness?"
Xiao Tong nodded, his gaze wandering over her body before he stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms. The moment her delicate, soft skin touched him, the elegant scent of lotus flowers wrapped around his senses. His eyes darkened, and he turned to walk quickly toward the bed.
Feeling Xiao Tong’s urgency, the moment Jiang Wumei touched the bed, she rolled inward and looked back at him with an inscrutable expression, the red mole at the corner of her glistening eye seeming to glow.
"Your Highness, when the imperial physician checked my pulse yesterday, he specifically ordered me to rest. I am quite weak right now and fear I cannot serve you tonight."
Watching Xiao Tong’s face instantly blacken, Jiang Wumei felt a great sense of satisfaction. *You heartless man, playing the executioner and the innocent martyr at the same time. You use me as a shield, so now I’ll make you taste the agony of suppressed desire. If you’re so capable, go find Chun Yurong to ease your frustration! Let’s see if your dear Mother Empress in the palace doesn’t try to kill her!*
Xiao Tong stood by the bed, saying nothing. Jiang Wumei acted as if she didn't see the anger on his face and continued to smile.
"You love me most, Your Highness. Surely you wouldn't disregard my health and force me to serve you. I’m going to sleep now. If you’ll excuse me, Your Highness!"
With that, Jiang Wumei lay down smiling, pulled the silk quilt over herself, turned over, and closed her eyes, leaving Xiao Tong with nothing but her graceful back.
No one had ever refused him like this before. Xiao Tong was both shocked and furious, the air pressure around him dropping to a terrifying level. He stared at the nape of Jiang Wumei’s neck for a long moment, but seeing that she remained unmoved, he flicked his sleeve and strode out of the bedchamber.
The sound of the doors closing reached her. Jiang Wumei clutched the quilt and slowly looked back. Seeing the empty doorway, she finally felt satisfied.
*You jerk. I’m not serving you anymore, so go stay somewhere cool! Asshole!*
After cursing Xiao Tong over and over in her heart, Jiang Wumei finally drifted off to sleep contentedly.
Perhaps it was because she had rejected Xiao Tong that night, but Jiang Wumei began to have nightmares. In her dream, she was having an affair with a fair-skinned, handsome guard. Just as she had taken off her clothes, Xiao Tong burst in with his men, looking ferocious. Seeing her naked and rolling with another man, Xiao Tong’s face turned as black as ink, thunderous rage gathering in his eyes. He drew his sword and stabbed the guard to death on the spot.
Then, with the icy, sharp tip of his blade, he brutally severed her limbs. Blood sprayed and gushed, and the long sword in Xiao Tong’s hand never stopped slicing through her skin. He ignored her crying and begging until every last drop of blood had left her body.
*Boom!*
A bolt of thunder struck the sky, shaking the earth of the Capital. Jiang Wumei jolted awake from the nightmare, sitting up abruptly and gasping for air. The sensation of death felt so incredibly real that it lingered in her heart, leaving her eyes wide open and her entire body trembling.