Consort of a Thousand Faces

Su Xi-er pointed at the pendant suspended from his waist. “There are words carved on it.”

This is the pendant Imperial Father gave me. The words on it were personally carved by Imperial Father. Back then, Imperial Father had doted on me greatly, and favoured Mother Empress.

“Third Imperial Prince, you have just returned to the imperial palace so Prince Hao specially arranged a banquet to entertain you. Why did you run here?” A charming and gentle voice of a woman could be heard.

Su Xi-er recognised the voice as soon as she heard it. This voice…is He Ying! On top of that, Prince Hao had left just now because there is a banquet in the palace.

“I didn’t expect that the Empress Dowager’s and Prince Hao’s relationship had improved. Prince Hao is holding the banquet, but it’s the Empress Dowager’s head palace maid who comes to inform me.” Situ’s words were mild, but He Ying’s expression had changed.

“The Empress Dowager and Prince Hao are brother and sister. Their relationship naturally isn’t something that others can compare to. Third Imperial Prince, you should quickly follow this servant and head there. It won’t be good if Prince Hao gets impatient from waiting.”

Situ Li waved his hand. “There’s no rush. This imperial prince still has something I still haven’t finished handling.”

He then turned around and looked at Su Xi-er. “Return to the Palace Side Quarters now. From now on, nobody will touch you as long as I’m in the imperial palace.”

Su Xi-er was bewildered. Why is he helping me?

“Don’t thank me. We’re simply fellow travellers on the same path.”

As Su Xi-er watched his departing figure, she was even more baffled. What did he mean? Why would he and I be fellow travellers on the same path? In what way are we alike?

Su Xi-er saw him speaking a few words to He Ying. After that, He Ying cast a gaze filled with underlying meaning before the two of them left. 

I can go back to the Palace Side Quarters now? Can the Third Imperial Prince’s power compare to Prince Hao’s?

“Palace maid from the Palace Side Quarters. The matter has already been investigated clearly. You can go now.” The palace maid who previously sent her dinner appeared at the door and informed her loudly.

Su Xi-er didn’t think further about the Third Imperial Prince and Prince Hao, instead proceeding out of the room quickly.

The palace maid walked in front of her and led her all the way back to the Palace Side Quarters.

“You didn’t eat the dinner given to you. Are you waiting to return to the Palace Side Quarters to eat your stinky steamed bun?” After arriving at the gates of the Palace Side Quarters, the palace maid spoke with disdain as she sent a dirty look towards her.

“I have troubled you in sending me back to the Palace Side Quarters. Old Maidservant Zhao likes entertaining people the most. Why don’t you go in with me?” Su Xi-er carried a smile in her eyes and spoke in a gentle tone.

“Pah! I won’t go. I take orders from Imperial Bodyguard Wu!” When this palace maid mentioned Imperial Bodyguard Wu, her face was red with happiness. 

When Su Xi-er saw how the maid was acting, she only felt that the latter was too young and immature. In the imperial palace, the greatest taboo is revealing the identity of one’s own master.It’s evident that this palace maid harbours those kinds of thoughts, not even accounting for the fact that her loud mouth cannot stop talking like a trumpet.

“Su Xi-er!” A few palace maids happened to pass by while carrying wooden basins. When they saw Su Xi-er standing at the palace entrance, they involuntarily widened their mouths.

She has returned, but Mu Tao has not. Could it be that the one who ambushed Prince Hao was Mu Tao?

“A bunch of boorish servant girls.”

Everyone heard this sentence and shifted their gaze to the palace maid beside Su Xi-er. Who on earth is this palace maid clad in a cyan palace dress? She actually directly berated them. Although we’re servant girls from the Palace Side Quarters, this woman in cyan clothes is also merely a palace maid.

Su Xi-er replied smilingly, “She’s Imperial Bodyguard Wu’s subordinate.”

Her indifferent explanation caused a few palace maids to be frightened instead. “Don’t tell me that she is…Miss Qing?”

Su Xi-er noticed that their expressions were even more deferential than when they met He Xiangyu. This woman isn’t an ordinary palace maid? She also has an appellation like He Ying?