Sneaking Around

A richly-dressed young miss stomped to their table, hairpins jangling with every forceful step. Her burning eyes were locked on Murong Jun as if she wanted to eat him alive.

"Qin Yao? What are you doing here?!" Murong Jun exclaimed. He quickly hid his hand behind his back and took more than a few steps away from Zhao Shuang.

With a clearly guilty expression on his face, she noticed, a bit amused.

"Obviously to catch you in the act!" Qin Yao shot back, pointing a rude finger at Zhao Shuang. "When Aunt told me so proudly you were studying at Yawen Pavilion, I just knew you were doing nothing of the sort!"

"Now, now, Yaoyao, there's no need for you to get fired up like this."

Murong Jun carefully went up to Qin Yao as if she were a startled animal. He gently took one of her hands, staring at her with a winsome smile on his lips.

"This young miss is simply my friend."

Once again, Zhao Shuang was left speechless by this brat. Did he really think that was the way to coax a woman, much less an enraged one?

"Friend?!"

To no one's surprise, Qin Yao shoved him away from her, watery eyes full of betrayal.

"I don't believe she's simply a friend with the way you were smiling at her," she spat, her voice shaking with fury. "You always dare to parade those lowly courtesans around the capital, never giving me, your fiancée, any face! And now you dare lie to me you weren't flirting in public with this slut!"

Before any of them could react, Qin Yao grabbed the teacup from the table and splashed its contents all over Zhao Shuang's dress.

"There! Let's see if the money you paid for this slut was worth it!"

After throwing those final words, the bitter young miss ran away with tears spilling down her cheeks.

Several people were whispering and pointing at them by now. Murong Jun ignored them, drumming his fan against the stone table.

His eyes flitted to the direction his unofficial fiancée had left in, and back to the drenched young miss who'd been dragged into this because of him.

Ah, his head was starting to hurt from all this thinking. If he'd known a simple outing would cause this much trouble, he would've just stayed home...

Wiping herself down with a handkerchief, Zhao Shuang also considered her options.

Should she simply be glad her plan was pushed forward or, the more appealing choice, teach a lesson to this troublesome playboy in front of her?

Maybe that would teach him not to play with young women's hearts.

Thankfully, the same servant girl from before came up to Zhao Shuang just in time.

"Young miss, please follow Ling Yue to get changed."

Zhao Shuang nodded, grasping her hand to stand up. But before she left with the servant, she decided to take pity on the indecisive brat: "Just go after her, Murong gongzi."

She'd only taken a few steps, however, when Murong Jun finally reacted.

"Wait, you never told me your name!"

Zhao Shuang paused for only a moment. Then she continued onward, her parting words causing Murong Jun to flinch:

"Don't worry, this young miss won't forget your debt."

❄️

"This servant will be right back, young miss."

Once Ling Yue left, Zhao Shuang looked around the 'side-room' she was brought into. Ornate furniture and valuable artworks decorated the small area, but the most eye-catching was the large, colorful tapestry spread out on the wall.

She stepped closer to examine it, eyes slowly widening.

A typical springtime scene was depicted on the tapestry: a meadow full of blooming flowers, with butterflies and birds alike fluttering in the sky.

What made it stand out was not only the complex weaving, but the richness of the details. Just by looking at it, the viewer felt like they were truly there, as if they could smell the fragrance of the flowers and hear the chirping of the birds.

Zhao Shuang touched one of those flowers, its petals dripping with morning dew.

She was more than sure: this tapestry came from the vassal Jin¹ Kingdom.

No other place could produce such intricate, lifelike embroidery. However, it was incredibly rare for this type of embroidery to be seen outside of the kingdom, even in Tianshen's imperial palace.

Her eyebrows knitted, but before she could think more on it, the door opened.

"Here are the clothes, young miss."

Ling Yue came toward her, with a fresh set of clothes in her hands as well as a wooden makeup box. As Zhao Shuang watched the girl hang the clothes over a screen, she was shocked to see that the dress and even the veil were made of the priceless Heavenly Ice cloth!

Just who was the owner of this place?

Zhao Shuang ignored the sinking feeling in her stomach. Even if the owner was extremely powerful, there was still a way to force him to see her.

And regardless of what it cost her, she would get that Divine Doctor for Zhao Luan.

"Young miss, may I begin?"

Ling Yue's hesitant voice reminded her she was wasting time.

"You may," Zhao Shuang said, "but first, open the window." She fanned herself. "This room needs some fresh air."

The maid bowed and went to open one of the large windows. With that, a gentle breeze swept into the room, refreshing the previously stuffy interior. Ling Yue saw the relief in Zhao Shuang's eyes, and cleverly asked whether the young miss would prefer to change nearer to the window.

Zhao Shuang gave her a slight nod, glad she was dealing with a smart person. It made things much easier.

Once the screen was moved, Ling Yue finally began to remove her ruined dress.

She first started on the complicated belt around Zhao Shuang's waist. Head lowered, the quiet girl focused on removing each precious accessory hanging from it. She was so focused in fact that she didn't notice the light scent wafting in the air, spread throughout the room by the breeze coming in from the window.

Even when she placed the last accessory, a fragrance sachet, on the side table, she wasn't completely aware of her drooping eyelids and slowed movements.

Just before Ling Yue tumbled to the floor, Zhao Shuang caught her.

She smiled slightly. The almost odorless scent present in that sachet was from one of her favorite and most efficient sleeping drugs.

Of which she'd already taken the antidote, of course.

Laying down the unconscious Ling Yue on a nearby couch, Zhao Shuang quickly undressed her and switched their clothes. She only took the things kept in the pockets of her sleeves, as well as the sachet and her cousin's silver token. She even took off her veil, tied it to Ling Yue's face, and then went over to the side table to open the wooden makeup box.

With one hand, she held a small mirror, and with the other she used the various powders in the box to touch up her plain disguise. Her current heavy makeup had been applied beforehand by both He Ying and Xiang Lan, according to her instructions.

It was just one of the many skills she'd painstakingly learned in order to be Feng Hao's hidden weapon in the dark.

Once she was done, Zhao Shuang stepped carefully out of the room.

She remained there for a few seconds, stretching her keen senses for any hidden presences. When she found none, Zhao Shuang let out a tiny sigh of relief. It seemed Leng Ye had been right, Fangfei Hall really was lax on security.

Now, she took out the map her guard had drawn for her, and examined it.

It seemed the owner's private residence, as well as those for his guests, were located deeper inside the establishment.

To get there, she first had to reach the servants' path, which ran through the middle of the property and connected to all of the establishment's courtyards.

But rather than directly sneaking into the owner's residence, Zhao Shuang was planning on taking a longer, more roundabout route.

According to Leng Ye, the entrance for the servants of the inner residences was guarded. Which meant it'd be next to impossible for an unknown person to be permitted inside.

That's why her next destination was the second-ranked courtyard, Lingyun² Hall. Inside its largest garden, there was a path concealed behind a large rockery, which would finally take her there.

Shoving the paper back into her sleeve, Zhao Shuang began to move.

Walking in the same direction she'd come from, she soon made a turn and entered a smaller hallway where she'd seen a few servants coming and going with tea trays.

There should be a kitchen somewhere, which according to the map led to the servants' path.

Near the hall's end, Zhao Shuang heard a lot of activity coming from an open room.

"Pass me the salt!"

"No, that doesn't go there!"

"The guest said they were allergic to green onions, are you trying to kill them?!"

Her lips widened into a smile.

The kitchen was teeming with busy cooks focused on stirring pots and frying food. Many assistants zipped in between them, rushing to meet their bosses' random, frantic orders. There were also several maids with trays in their hands waiting at the sides.

And just at the other end, there was an open door that led to a dustier corridor.

Zhao Shuang slipped inside, and made her way to the other side of the room with barely anyone paying attention.

Amidst the chaos, it was easy for her to blend in as another nameless servant.

Once outside, she walked down the long corridor with a more confident gait, as if she belonged there. But it wasn't long before she met someone else on the path: an older woman dressed in clothes of good quality, indicating her higher status.

Bending her knees in a curtsy, Zhao Shuang looked down and hoped the woman would simply pass her by.

"Who are you? Why haven't I seen you before?"

Cursing in her mind, she straightened, but still kept her head down. In a timid voice, she half-whispered, "This lowly one has only been recently hired."

"Oh, really?" The woman humphed. "Then explain why you were hired. We don't hire ugly maids."

Zhao Shuang slowly lifted her head, while twisting the back of her hand in a vicious pinch.

Almost instantly, tears filled her eyes. Even her voice shook as she pleaded, "This lowly one was admitted due to my skills in tea brewing. Please, this lowly one needs this job!"

Right after, Zhao Shuang fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the marbled floor. Then, she waited.

It seemed like a long time had passed, her heart fluttering in her chest like a trapped bird, when the woman snorted.

"Get going then, and don't let any of the guests see your worthless face."

"Yes!"

Zhao Shuang sprang from the floor and scurried off as if she were a frightened little mouse. After a few twists and turns, she sank against a wall with an audible sigh.

'That was close.'

With renewed purpose, she hurried to Lingyun Hall. It was much larger than the previous courtyard, with even two pleasure gardens for guests to stroll through.

She entered the primary building from the side and asked for directions from a young girl stationed outside the main hall.

"You're new here, right?"

Without stopping to hear an answer, however, the bubbly maid rushed on.

"Well, it's actually rather simple! You have to go down this corridor, take a left turn, and enter the first set of double doors on your right. Liushui³ Garden can be entered directly from the spring tea room."

Seeing the maid open her mouth once again, Zhao Shuang thanked her and dashed away.

In a few minutes, she was standing outside the tea room. There were three groups of young misses, some of which she recognized, elegantly conversing over tea and pastries. Various servants also stood on the edges of the room, attentive for anything the guests might require.

And just like the maid had explained, the tea room led into Liushui Garden with no doors to separate it from the outside.

The issue was how to get there without anyone stopping her.

Zhao Shuang entered as discreetly as she could. But just as she expected, before taking more than five steps, her arm was grabbed by an older woman who looked to be in charge.

"What are you doing?" the senior maid hissed, pushing her back to the doorway. "You're unfit to serve the guests, go back to the kitchen!"

Zhao Shuang planted her feet firmly on the ground, shaking the woman off. She looked at her with a piercing gaze and spoke in a loud voice.

"Senior Maid, this lowly one was asked to go brew tea for a group of guests in the garden." She lowered her head. "Please allow this lowly one to go do my job."

"You little-!"

The senior maid shook a finger at her repeatedly, red spots blooming on her face. But when Zhao Shuang shot a glance to a nearby table of young misses, the woman suddenly remembered where she was.

Glaring, the senior maid whipped a hand towards the garden. "Go then, but just you wait."

Zhao Shuang flashed her a smile, and walked right past her without sparing her another glance. There were still tougher obstacles to overcome than a simple senior maid.

Unlike before, Zhao Shuang no longer kept to the main path once she was in the garden. Instead, she kept to the sides where several trees were planted, hiding behind a trunk if someone passed by. After there were no more trees, she made her way over the small bridge that cut through a lotus pond. She stopped very briefly to dump the sachet.

Once she got to the other side, she placed her hands at her waist and walked at a sedate pace, as if she were just another servant on her way to an errand.

Thankfully, none of the guests present cared about a lowly servant's destination.

When she finally made it to the large rockery arrangement that marked the garden's end, Zhao Shuang looked around to make sure no one was looking at her. Then, she jumped over the large rocks using her qinggong⁴ skills.

She landed on the needle-covered ground lightly. There was a thin, rundown path just in front of her, almost concealed by the thick trees bordering the back of the rockery. It had clearly not been used for a long time.

Zhao Shuang softly called out, "Leng Ye?"

In the next moment, Leng Ye appeared in front of her, on one knee as usual. "At your service, young miss."

Zhao Shuang sighed in relief. Finally, the riskiest part of her plan was done. She could've technically had Leng Ye take her to the owner's residence from the start, but that would've caused them to be spotted much faster. It was better for them to split up and meet in this secluded place.

But next, of course, was the hardest part: meet the mysterious owner and convince him to help her.

"Have the guards noticed your presence?" Zhao Shuang asked in a low voice while making sure her inner energy was suppressed, as it'd been all along.

"No, young miss."

"That's good." She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "Let's go then."

Leng Ye nodded, then swiftly disappeared once again, protecting her from the shadows as usual. She started down the path, keeping a sharp eye on the surroundings.

For some time, the only thing she could see was the tall trees planted around her. The air was full of the smell of pine and damp moss, and a slight wind played with the ends of her hair. She could even hear some animals scuttling through the underbrush.

Just like the rest of Yawen Pavilion, even this artificial forest was peaceful yet refined.

Eventually, the trees started thinning out, and soon the back of a large residence appeared before her.

When she fully stepped out of the forest, however, several swords were drawn at her as hidden guards stepped out of the shadows.

The most senior of them demanded in a rough voice, "Who are you and what do you want?"

Zhao Shuang came forward with palms outstretched to show she meant no harm. These should be the owner's guards, it would do no good to offend them.

Then, with no fear in her eyes despite the sword now at her throat, she declared:

"This girl wishes to speak with Yawen Pavilion's owner."

The guards remained silent for a few moments before bursting into laughter. Their jeering sounds resounded painfully in Zhao Shuang's ears, but she remained composed.

Even if she wanted to tear out their throats, it was not the time to show any weakness.

"Little girl, who do you think you are, that our master would lower himself to meet a mere servant like you?"

Zhao Shuang gritted her teeth at the scorn dripping from his voice. It seemed she'd have to use her identity, after all.

Calmly, she took out a handkerchief and took her time wiping the makeup from her face. Then she pressed her throat even closer to the sword, finally glaring at them all.

"Look with your dog eyes, this young miss isn't a servant, but the daughter of Great General Zhao and Grand Princess Wenhua⁵." A cold smile blossomed on her lips. "Yet since words alone aren't enough, this should properly convince you."

From one of her sleeves' pockets, she took out something, raising it for all of them to see.

It was the Zhao family pendant, similar to Murong Jun's, but fashioned into a snarling white tiger instead. Each of the four founding families had one of the Four Divine Beasts⁶ as their emblem.

But only those of the legitimate line could carry one of these pendants.

Watching shock dawn on their faces, Zhao Shuang sneered, "Is this enough for this young miss to see your master? Or does this young miss have to enter the palace, and get an edict from Her Majesty, the Empress?"

Her icy gaze pierced into each of the guards.

"Unless your master is even greater than the imperial family itself."

The guards remained frozen for a few moments, their faces blanching. How could they have known the young girl disguised as a servant would turn out to be the crown prince's unofficial fiancée?!

If she really did go to the empress, who was said to dote on her future daughter-in-law, then their master would skewer them!

Coming out of his stupor, the head guard waved for the swords to be put away. Then he came towards Zhao Shuang with an ingratiating smile on his lips, a sharp contrast to his attitude from mere minutes ago.

"Young miss, we apologize for the appalling treatment. Please come inside, this servant will take you to our master."

Zhao Shuang gave him a slight nod but suddenly Leng Ye appeared in front of her. The head guard swallowed under his harsh glare, the man's greater inner energy crashing down on him. Only after it was gone could he finally move.

After directing his subordinates to return to their places, the head guard then showed this frightening young miss and her even more frightening guard inside to his master's study.

The moment he saw the master's personal guards standing outside, his palpitating heart finally settled down.

Thank goodness the master was in today! Otherwise...he shook his head, coming forward to report the situation.

After the head guard was done, Zhao Shuang didn't miss the sharp stare the stone-faced guard sent her and Leng Ye before going inside the room.

While the other one, with a wide grin on his lips, teased the head guard, "The little girl frightened you didn't she, Old Han? The relief on your face when you saw us gave you away."

The head guard merely gave a nervous laugh before dashing away.

Now, only Zhao Shuang, Leng Ye, and this smiling guard remained. But just as he opened his mouth to speak, the door opened once more and the stone-faced guard gestured for her to come inside.

Zhao Shuang nodded, but before she and Leng Ye could enter, the guards stopped them.

"Apologies to the young miss, but your guard will have to remain outside."

Leng Ye ignored them, waiting for her command. She smiled slightly and leaned forward to whisper something to him.

Then, after a slight intake of breath, she stepped inside.

As the door closed behind her, Zhao Shuang swept a casual glance over the room's luxurious furnishings. But when she finally turned to face the only other person in the room, her eyes widened.

Reclining on a low sofa, a man held an open book in his hands with a peaceful smile on his lips. His light blue robes, adorned with silver wave patterns, swished gently as he turned a page. A clear and elegant aura seemed to surround him, as if an immortal had descended from heaven.

This...this was the third prince!

Frozen, Zhao Shuang could only stare at that impossibly alluring face, one that even rivaled her elder sister's.

In her previous life, the third prince, Feng Jing, was Feng Hao's biggest supporter. He was the son of the Emperor's beloved Noble Consort Yan, who unfortunately died while giving birth to him. This caused Feng Jing to be heavily doted on by His Majesty from then on, even giving him the honor to be raised by the Empress alongside Feng Hao.

Despite this, he never showed any ambition for the throne, content to support his older brother from the shadows with the reputation of a talented yet idle scholar.

But after yesterday's revelation, Zhao Shuang knew the truth: this man was Feng Hao's biggest enemy!

Hiding his true identity and enduring for so many years, Feng Jing revealed his true colors as the final villain after the main leads had married. What followed was a long-drawn fight, with no clear winners.

It was only with Wen Xinya's System they were able to defeat him in the end.

And just like her, Feng Jing suffered a terrible death: executed by a thousand cuts before the public. Even his main support, the vassal kingdom from which his real mother hailed from, was destroyed by Feng Hao as retribution.

Her mind flashed back to that tapestry from the Jin Kingdom...no wonder!

At this moment, Feng Jing looked up from his book, as if he'd just noticed her presence. His dark, shining eyes gave off a feeling of tenderness and even affection.

"Miss Zhao, what can this prince do for you?"

❄️

¹Jin (瑾) Kingdom: Jin (瑾) means 'brilliance (of gems)'.

²Lingyun (凌云) Hall: Ling (凌) can mean 'to rise high, to tower', Yun (云) means 'cloud'.

³Liushui (流水) Garden: Flowing Water Garden.

⁴Lightness skill (轻功 qīnggōng): The ability to lighten the body and move with great agility and swiftness. At high proficiency, practitioners of this skill can run across water, leap to the top of trees, or even glide through the air.

(Source: https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms)

⁵Grand Princess Wenhua (文华): A title meaning 'refined and radiant'. Also remember Grand Princess is a title reserved for the older sisters or aunts of the emperor.

⁶Four Divine Beasts: Also known as the Four Symbols, and other various names. They hold great significance in Chinese cosmology, with each beast representing a Cardinal Direction, a Season, and an Element.

- Azure Dragon (青龙 qīnglóng) – represents the East, Spring, and the Wood element.

- White Tiger (白虎 báihǔ) – represents the West, Autumn, and the Metal element.

- Black Tortoise (玄武 xuánwǔ) – represents the North, Winter, and the Water element. It's also known as the Turtle-Snake (龟蛇), and it looks like a tortoise entwined with a snake. The Black Tortoise is closely connected to the warrior god Xuanwu.

- Vermilion Bird (朱雀 zhūquè) – represents the South, Summer, and the Fire element. It looks like a red pheasant, although sometimes it's depicted with multi-colored plumage. It shouldn't be confused with the Chinese Phoenix.

(Source: https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/chinese-bestiary/)

❄️

Names:

Ling Yue (玲月): Ling (玲) means 'tinkling of jade pieces', Yue (月) means 'moon'. Servants have no surname.

Qin Yao (琴耀): Qin is a surname meaning 'zither', Yao (耀) can mean 'to dazzle; glorious, brilliant'.

Feng Jing (凤靖): Feng (凤) is a surname meaning 'phoenix', Jing (靖) can mean 'quiet, peaceful, tranquil'.