Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Hongyu was dead.

The cause? The corridor had fallen into disrepair over the years, and the stone slabs on the ground had loosened and cracked. She had stepped on a piece of rubble and, in a desperate attempt to catch herself, instinctively grabbed Cuinong’s arm. Both of them tumbled into the pond together.

I originally thought Yuan Heng would be suspicious and order a thorough investigation. After all, Hongyu was a female official sent by the Empress Dowager, his future concubine, and the inner manager of the Marquis Manor.

To my surprise, when he heard the news, he only uttered two words: “Pitiable.”

Immediately after, he summoned Steward Li and ordered him to dispose of the matter as quickly as possible.

I had met Steward Li before. He was thirty-seven years old, a man of few words and great caution who managed the manor’s external affairs. His eldest son had purchased a minor official post the year before last and had left to take up his duties elsewhere.

I gathered several sets of newly made, unworn clothes and squeezed out a few tears, sighing over how pitiable Hongyu was and expressing my wish for her to be dressed decently for her departure.

Yuan Heng said indifferently, “Just reward her with some silver.”

It wasn’t that he begrudged the clothes; he simply felt a servant didn’t deserve them.

In the evening, I went to visit Cuinong.

***

The door to the room was open, and the lamps had just been lit.

At that moment, Cuinong was curled up under the covers with her back to the door, the sound of intermittent, grief-stricken sobs drifting through the air.

Two servant women sat by the bed, constantly trying to comfort her.

“Good sister, please stop crying. Everyone has their time.”

“Sigh, we just saw the two of you laughing and talking at noon. How could she be gone just like that?”

I lifted the heavy curtain and entered. The two servant women immediately stood up to pay their respects, exchanging glances that seemed to betray their surprise that I would actually come to the servants’ quarters.

“The Marquis noted Hongyu’s loyalty and granted a sum of silver. I have prepared some clothes to be sent along with it.”

As I instructed my maid to set the items down, I looked toward the bed with concern. “Has a doctor been called for Cuinong?”

Cuinong sat up weakly, attempting to get out of bed to kowtow. “Thank you for your concern, Madam. This servant is fine.”

“Good girl, don’t get up.”

I waved my hand and instructed the servant women in the room to brew some ginger soup to ward off the cold and then go fetch a doctor.

Once I had sent everyone away and the door was closed, I double-checked to ensure no one was eavesdropping before turning around.

I stared fixedly at Cuinong.

Cuinong looked back at me, her expression a mixture of tears and a bitter smile.

The note she had pressed into my hand earlier today had contained only a few words: *Madam, the Marquis wants to kill you. Meng Huaiqing cannot be trusted. Escape quickly.*

I hurried over and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Nestled in my arms, Cuinong finally began to cry in earnest.

I stroked the girl’s back, my voice choked with emotion as I comforted her. “Don’t be afraid. It’s all over now.”

Cuinong’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “Madam, I never thought I would see you again. We are both alive… that’s wonderful.”

Time was of the essence. I quickly lowered the bed curtains and observed Cuinong closely.

I had a thousand things to say but didn’t know where to start.

I lowered my voice. “I remember that in our past life, before I fainted, you seemed to still be alive?”

Cuinong’s body trembled violently as she nodded. “This servant was heavily wounded. A few hours later, I was thrown into a meditation room, where I saw… I saw…”

The girl’s face was filled with sheer terror. “I saw you unconscious, but the skin on your face had been…”

I finished the sentence for her. “Peeled off.”

Cuinong asked in confusion, “Why did the Marquis want to kill you?”

I lowered my head in silence. This wasn’t something that could be explained in a sentence or two.

Cuinong took my hands in hers, rubbing them repeatedly. “I was so terrified back then. I realized that although you were unconscious, you were still breathing. I kept pushing you and calling your name. Who knew that shortly after, they would start pouring lamp oil into the meditation room?”

So, I really had been burned to death.

The knockout drug they used must have been too strong; I hadn’t even had the chance to wake up.

I was able to be reborn because of my mother, but what about Cuinong?
I whispered, “How did you come back to life?”

Cuinong said softly, “I was taking a nap yesterday when I suddenly woke up with a start. At first, I was confused and thought it was just a nightmare, but then I saw a black figure in the corner. He… he said he was a Ghost Officer. He said my death was a tragedy, so he allowed me to be reborn to help you through this crisis. Then, he vanished.”

I understood. It was the black-clad Ghost Officer who had once received a bowl of water from my mother.

Cuinong continued, “Not long after that, Hongyu came knocking on the door.”

At the mention of Hongyu, we looked at each other and lowered our heads simultaneously.

Cuinong’s tears fell like rain, and she slammed her fist onto the bed in hatred. “Yes, everyone has moments of malice or desperation. If she had suddenly found herself in a dead end and was forced to frame me, I could have understood. But… she knew perfectly well that going to Qiyun Temple meant certain death. There were so many chances for her to let me turn back along the way, yet she didn’t say a single word. She still let me help her into the carriage. I was such a fool, changing her bandages and serving her water on the road. Why? We were sisters for ten years! We weathered so many storms together in the palace… why would she do that to me!”

I gave a faint smile. “Perhaps in our past life, you praised me too often in front of her. In the end, it’s my fault.”

Cuinong shook her head quickly. “No, no, no.”

She lowered her head and fell silent for a moment. “She probably wanted to get rid of me long ago. After all, she intended to become a concubine in the Marquis Manor, and she couldn’t afford to have anyone holding something over her.”

I asked, “What do you mean?”

Cuinong said wistfully, “She was once sent to the Laundry Bureau for making a mistake. To make her life easier, she secretly entered into a nominal marriage with the head eunuch there. Who would have thought that a plague would spread through the palace shortly after? That eunuch caught the disease and died. Later, once I established myself in Cining Palace, I pulled her out of the Laundry Bureau. We were young then and shared everything; she cried to me about her hardships, saying that man had… touched her. I suppose she feared that if we ever fell out, I would tell the Marquis or you. Look at that-we were supposed to be sisters, yet she didn’t hesitate for a second when she swung the knife at me.”

At this, Cuinong sighed.

I gently patted her arm and said self-deprecatingly, “Li Yuanheng and I were husband and wife, yet I was murdered and humiliated as well. I suppose we are both in the same boat.”

Cuinong looked at me sadly, her eyes reddening as she gently stroked my abdomen over and over. “Does it still hurt?”

I smiled bitterly. “If I don’t think about it, it doesn’t hurt.”

Cuinong’s breathing grew rapid. “Madam, let’s run away!”

I shook my head and smoothed the wrinkles on the girl’s clothes. “Hongyu’s body has been taken out, which means she was sent to the estate to be buried early this morning. Go find Steward Li tonight and follow them. Afterward, report that you’ve fallen ill and never come back.”

Cuinong said urgently, “The Marquis Manor is a den of wolves and tigers; I cannot leave you here alone! I know that in our past life, you intentionally left me in the manor before you went to Ci’en Temple because you were afraid of dragging me down. And in the Dungeon, you begged the Marquis again and again…”

“I don’t need your help.”

I interrupted her and wiped away her tears. “I am already very happy that you feel this way. In this life, there are very, very few people who are truly good to me. If I die in the Marquis Manor once again, I will be content if I can close my eyes and remember that a sister once risked her life to warn me and tell me to leave this wolf’s den.”

Cuinong choked up. “Madam…”

I gave her one last hug. “Rebirth is not easy. Live well.”

…