Chapter 8

Chapter 8

On the day the heavy snow arrived, I decided I had to help Anping leave Fenghuan Palace as soon as possible.

There was no other reason than the fact that it was simply too cold here.

I was truly afraid that she and Aunt Qiu might accidentally freeze or starve to death.

So, during that period, I braved the bitter cold. Wearing the vest and little hat Anping had sewn for me, I hopped about outside whenever I had the chance.

I had to find out King Liang’s whereabouts!

The Beiliang Royal Palace was heavily guarded, but for a toad, that wasn’t much of a problem.

Granted, I rarely left Fenghuan Palace normally.

Xiao Lan always told me it was dangerous outside.

In the Rockery pond outside the Western Palace, there was reportedly a formidable Giant Serpent that had been entrenched there for a long time. Even Xiao Lan was afraid of it.

That was why Xiao Lan never let me follow him outside to forage.

He said two toads made for too large a target.

As my Husband, he felt it was his responsibility to protect me and bring back fresh, delicious Green Leaf Cicadas for me to eat.

I listened to Xiao Lan and never held him back, because he really was capable-the most impressive toad I had ever met.

But today, for Anping’s sake, I was going to be an impressive toad too!

Alright, I admit, the main reason I was so bold was that in the middle of winter, there were no natural predators for toads in the palace.

This was also why Xiao Lan felt comfortable with me skipping hibernation.

Hard work pays off for a determined toad.

Through my persistent efforts, I finally overheard some palace maids mentioning that in five days, it would be Concubine Zhen’s birthday.

Concubine Zhen was a lady who had entered the palace last year; she was young, beautiful, and quite favored by King Liang.

King Liang had already promised to spend the day with her.

Yihua Hall, where Concubine Zhen resided in the Western Palace, had a medium-sized plum grove to its south.

King Liang would pass through this grove on his way there.

On the appointed day, I crouched outside King Liang’s Audience Hall early. When I saw the eunuch come out to signal the departure of the royal litter, I immediately exerted every ounce of my strength, hopping toward Fenghuan Palace without a moment’s pause.

It was grueling work.

My limbs were nearly frozen stiff, but driven by my love for Anping, I leaped desperately, rushing back like a whirlwind.

I managed to lead Anping out of Fenghuan Palace.

Anping had woken up and hadn’t seen me; confused, she chased after me, calling my name-

“Moon Palace, where are you going?”

My legs nearly snapped as I led her at an unusual speed to the plum grove, which was quite a distance from Fenghuan Palace.

The palace was strictly guarded. If I hadn’t been clever enough to lead Anping through nooks and crannies, she probably wouldn’t have seen King Liang for the rest of her life.

But Anping disappointed me.

In the plum grove, she finally caught up to me. Just as she took me into her arms, footsteps echoed from the winding path nearby.

One look at that bright, conspicuous procession of guards, and it was obvious who was coming.

The opportunity was right there!

All Anping had to do was stay crouched where she was. When King Liang drew near, she just had to call out “Father,” then kneel and weep… No matter how much King Liang disliked this daughter, seeing her dressed in rags and looking so wretched would surely shock him.

As long as he remembered Anping, she could leave Fenghuan Palace and live the dignified life a princess deserved.

After all, while King Liang was cold-hearted and fickle, he was extremely concerned with appearances.

I had secured such a rare opportunity for Anping, and for a moment, I felt rather proud of myself.

But I never imagined that this spineless coward, Anping, would grab me and turn to run the moment she saw the Palace Guards approaching!

She ran away in fear!

All the way back, I could feel her frantic, heavy heartbeat.

Her body wouldn’t stop shivering, and her voice trembled.

“M-Moon Palace, don’t you run off like that again! That was terrifying!”

By the time we returned to Fenghuan Palace, Anping’s face was deathly pale.

I broke free from her embrace and hopped away without looking back.

I was absolutely livid!

What a useless girl!