Yinzhu

When Su Luoqian had first married into the prince's residence, she had secretly been glad that she wouldn't have to rise early every day to attend to her mother-in-law.

Now, however, she had discovered that not living with the Grand Princess had its drawbacks too.

Without the constraint of "a daughter-in-law must rise early to attend to her mother-in-law," Lu Jingsi's insatiable appetite and boundless demands had grown ever more apparent.

She was often so exhausted that once she fell asleep, she slept away the entire morning.

When Lu Jingsi rose that morning, Su Luoqian woke in a daze. The bed curtains lifted slightly, letting in thin strands of light.

By that light, she saw the man's taut lower back and powerfully muscled shoulders. They bore the marks her fingers had left when she had struggled to endure, along with a few other kinds of marks.

Half awake and half dreaming, Su Luoqian was about to take another look when the curtain fell back into place.

She was so sleepy and exhausted that her mind would barely work. She buried her flushed face in the quilt and fell sound asleep again.

She slept straight through until the hour of Si.

When she woke, she was a little dazed. Her whole body was sore and limp, and she didn't want to move, so she simply hugged the brocade quilt and sat in silence for a long while.

She seemed to be trying to clear her head.

Hearing a sound from the outer room, Su Luoqian asked, "Zelan, what time is it?"

Only when she spoke did she realize how hoarse her voice was.

She covered her lips and coughed softly a few times. Outside, Zelan hurriedly brought her some tea and gently lifted the bed curtain.

"Princess Consort, have some water first."

Su Luoqian sat up, and the brocade quilt slipped from her shoulders as she moved. Beneath her waterfall of long hair, blossoms of red plum marked her slender shoulders, once fairer than snow.

If this part of her was already like that, there was no telling what lay beneath the quilt.

Zelan was both embarrassed and distressed. "Princess Consort, shall I ask the residence physician for some ointment for you?"

"...Cough, cough, cough..."

The words "residence physician" and "ointment" inevitably reminded Su Luoqian of the little porcelain bottle Lu Jingsi had given her before.

She choked on her tea and coughed until her eyes turned red.

"No need, no need."

Seeing her refuse outright, Zelan said no more.

Su Luoqian told her to prepare hot water for a bath.

At the end of last night, she had been utterly exhausted, and had vaguely heard Lu Jingsi ask whether she wanted to wash up.

But how could she have had the strength to climb into the bath again? She had waved a hand vaguely, turned over, and gone straight to sleep.

It was now midday, and the summer heat was at its height.

The bathwater wasn't very hot. Only when the warm water enveloped her completely did Su Luoqian feel fully awake.

After bathing and eating lunch, she glanced at the sun hanging high outside.

The bright sun blazed like fire in the scorching summer heat.

It was a little stifling inside, so Su Luoqian ordered ice to be placed in the waterside pavilion and had the watermelon that had been kept in the ice chest cut up.

Only then did she feel a little cooler.

She sat in a chair, studying the account books carefully and occasionally spearing a piece of watermelon with a pick to eat.

It had rained for several days in a row, and yesterday she had gone to the Grand Princess's residence and the imperial palace, so she hadn't properly looked over the account books in several days.

Su Luoqian handled the household accounts calmly, conscientiously, and with care.

By the time she finished, it was nearly the hour of Shen.

She was thinking of having Zelan put the account books in order, but when her almond-shaped eyes swept around, Zelan was nowhere to be seen.

Just as she was about to call out, Zelan came hurrying down the path from the moon gate.

Breathless, she said in a low voice, "Princess Consort, something's wrong."

Smiling, Su Luoqian poured her a cup of tea and speared a piece of watermelon for her. "Don't rush. Tell me slowly."

Zelan glanced warily around, lowering her voice almost to a whisper. "Do you remember that little maid Yinzhu?"

Su Luoqian was taken aback. "Of course. Did something happen to her?"

Su Luoqian had met Yinzhu at the West Market two years ago.

Yinzhu wasn't from Yujing. A famine had struck her hometown, and her parents had brought her to Yujing, begging along the way. They had thought that once they reached the capital, they could at least find some work, and that as long as the family stayed together, that would be enough.

But Yinzhu's parents had fallen ill as soon as they entered Yujing's territory. By the time the three of them reached the city, the two elders were breathing their last.

Desperate to get her parents treated, Yinzhu had tried to sell herself.

But she had only been twelve, and malnutrition had left her thin and scrawny. No wealthy household had been willing to take her in, so she had had no choice but to seek out a broker.

The broker had been blackhearted too, and had immediately tried to sell her to a brothel as a maid.

Unless driven to the end of her rope, what ordinary girl, however difficult her life, would willingly enter a place like that? Even if she was only going to be a maid, the thought was enough to fill her with dread.

That day, Su Luoqian had happened to accompany Su Liangzhuo to inspect the shops at the West Market. Seeing how pitiful Yinzhu was, she had taken off her purse and offered it to her.

To her surprise, her father had stopped her.

In the end, Su Liangzhuo had found a physician to treat the two elders, but their illness had already sunk into their bones, beyond the reach of medicine. Within a few days, they had passed away.

Yinzhu had then borrowed silver from Su Luoqian to bury her parents.

Later, Su Luoqian had asked her father why he hadn't let her give Yinzhu money directly at the West Market that day.

Even now, Su Luoqian remembered what Su Liangzhuo had said.

"Father knows you meant well, but you must see clearly. The West Market is crowded, with all sorts of eyes watching and many people gathered around. If you had handed her that purse, it could have been stolen or snatched away as soon as she turned a corner. In that case, would it have done Yinzhu good or harm?"

"There are many poor people in the world, and no shortage of thieves, robbers, and prostitutes. There are also those who harbor ill intentions. You must remember to think everything through before you act."

After her parents died, Yinzhu had stayed on to work at the Su residence, where she remained to this day.

The girl was timid, but she had boundless strength, and Su Luoqian was quite fond of her.

Zelan caught her breath before continuing, "Just now, by the moon gate up ahead, I heard Nanny Liu talking to her all sneakily. It seemed she wanted Yinzhu to do something for her."

Su Luoqian's slender fingers paused on her cup. "Did Yinzhu agree?"

"I don't think so... I'm not quite sure. She's timid, and she kept looking around while she was talking to Nanny Liu. I was afraid they'd notice me, so I came back first."

Hearing this, Su Luoqian gave a cold laugh.

Heh.

Nanny Liu had finally been unable to resist reaching out to the people around her again.

Since she was so impatient, Su Luoqian would go with the flow and settle the matter once and for all.

Zelan was terribly afraid that Nanny Liu would harm Su Luoqian. "Princess Consort, what should we do?"

Su Luoqian tapped the account books on the table with a fingertip and parted her red lips. "First, carry these account books back inside."

"Huh? Oh... all right." Zelan was puzzled, but did as she was told.

An incense stick's time later.

Yinzhu had just returned to the main courtyard when Zelan found an excuse to bring her into the main room.

The door closed, and the girl seemed to sense something. Trembling all over, she knelt on the floor, biting her lip, her face pale.

Some watermelon remained on a delicate plate on the round table nearby.

Su Luoqian said nothing. She simply speared the watermelon and ate it one small piece at a time until it was gone.

Only then did she wipe her hands and speak. "Yinzhu, tell me."

"Princess Consort, Princess Consort, please forgive me..."

Yinzhu kept kowtowing, terrified.

Su Luoqian waved a hand. "Stop kowtowing. We don't stand on that kind of ceremony here. You only need to tell me everything that just happened, exactly as it was."

At those words, Yinzhu was panic-stricken. "Princess Consort, I didn't agree to Nanny Liu's request. I didn't agree."

"I wouldn't dare forget the kindness you've shown me. How could I possibly betray you?"