Chapter 147 Something Happened

Chapter 147: An Accident

"Your Highness, Consort Zhen has drowned!"

Noble Consort Lan?

Su Jiaojiao frowned and set down the book in her hand.

Something felt off, and she had to be cautious. "Noble Consort Lan is supposed to be ill. How could she have gone to the plum grove for no reason? You don’t appear to be one of her maids. If this were truly urgent, why would they send you to inform me?"

The tearful messenger girl spoke quickly. "Her maids Yu Ling and Xue Ling—one went to fetch her dinner, and the other accompanied her when she left. Xue Ling was worried she couldn’t attend to our mistress alone, so she sent me instead."

"Originally, we all tried to stop her from going out. We told her it was freezing, and with her illness, she shouldn’t be exposed to the wind—it was truly unwise. But she insisted on seeing the plum blossoms. We had to bring extra hand warmers and lanterns. Then she suddenly fainted while admiring the flowers. I was terrified, so Xue Ling and I rushed her to the nearest empty room. Xue Ling went to quietly get a doctor familiar with the Zhong family and asked me to come beg for your help, to seek your advice."

She sobbed, utterly distraught. "Our mistress excused herself from the New Year’s Eve banquet. If it’s discovered she fainted in the plum grove, His Majesty and the Empress might not show concern—instead, they might accuse her of lying to the emperor and disrespect. Our mistress has few friends in the palace, and you are the only one she is close to. If even you refuse to go, I truly don’t know what to do!"

Noble Consort Lan was a quiet person who always loved plum blossoms. It was entirely possible she had sneaked out for some quiet respite, just like Su Jiaojiao herself.

Her story made sense and was detailed, with every cause and consequence aligning perfectly. Only someone from Noble Consort Lan’s palace could have known so much.

This was serious—she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Su Jiaojiao immediately stood and asked, "Where is Noble Consort Lan now? Quickly, take me to her."

The little maid’s tearful face brightened with relief. She got up quickly from the floor, sniffling. "Our mistress sneaked out while ill, so we didn’t dare make a scene. We placed her in a rarely visited room near the plum grove. Xue Ling has already gone to quietly get a doctor. With you here, I’ll feel better."

Seeing this, Yu Ye grabbed Su Jiaojiao’s cloak and fastened it around her. "Your Highness, don’t catch cold."

She took a lantern by the door and supported Su Jiaojiao as they stepped out. Looking at the dark sky, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

In Yaoxian Palace, she had never decided anything herself—let alone accompanying her mistress alone to such a critical place. Nervously, she asked, "Your Highness, it’s already dark, and with only me accompanying you, I’m truly worried. Shouldn’t we wait for Yu Ying and the others to return before going?"

They had to hurry. The plum grove was secluded and cold—every moment delayed meant greater danger for Noble Consort Lan. Su Jiaojiao was worried about her and couldn’t possibly wait idly.

She sped up. "Yu Ying and the others just left for the Shangshi Bureau—who knows when they’ll return? Besides, both Noble Consort Lan and I are pretending to be sick. More people would attract notice."

She patted Yu Ye’s slightly cold hand reassuringly. "We’ll be back soon. Don’t worry."

Though still uneasy, Yu Ye felt steadier with her mistress by her side. She nodded, gripping Su Jiaojiao’s hand tightly and adjusting the lantern forward to illuminate their path. "I’ll stay with you, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, I’m worried about our mistress. Let’s hurry."

The little maid led Su Jiaojiao and Yu Ye to the northern side of the plum grove, near Mirror Shadow Lake, where an unused building stood.

This secluded retreat, named "Faint Fragrance and Sparse Shadows," had been built by the founding emperor for a favored consort. But after her tragic death, the place was abandoned, left uninhabited.

Located within the plum grove, it occasionally served as a resting spot for imperial consorts, so it was still cleaned periodically.

A faint light glowed inside the house—likely where Noble Consort Lan was being kept.

The little maid whispered tearfully, "This is it, Your Highness. Let’s go in quickly."

With that, she lifted her skirts and hurried ahead to push open the door, calling inside, "Mistress!"

Following suit, Su Jiaojiao and Yu Ye entered "Faint Fragrance and Sparse Shadows" with their lantern. The moment they stepped inside, a bone-chilling cold seeped into them.

The furnishings were old and worn, though traces of their former opulence remained. Years of neglect had left the place clean but permeated with an air of decay.

Only a single candle was lit in the room, placed in the center of the table. The dim light cast enormous shadows, while the howling wind outside the door made the scene even more terrifying.

From behind the beaded curtain on the left came the voice of the little palace maid, but Su Jiaojiao felt a bad feeling in her heart.

She slowly lifted the curtain, only to find no sign of Noble Consort Lan—only the little maid standing behind the curtain, staring straight at her.

The once frail and pitiful maid now had her whole attitude changed; her eyes were icy and vicious. She lunged forward and grabbed Su Jiaojiao’s throat, shouting, "Consort Zhen, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself for making too many enemies!"

"Deposed Lady Jiang! If you don’t show yourself now, when will you?!"

Deposed Lady Jiang?!

The name sent a jolt of fear through Su Jiaojiao’s heart.

Yu Ye was frozen in fear and rushed forward, slapping at the maid’s hands to pry them loose.

But before she could free Su Jiaojiao from the grip, a wild, hunched figure suddenly bolted out of the darkness.

"Die, you wretch!"

In the dim candlelight, a blade flashed in Deposed Lady Jiang’s hand as she raised a small knife high, ready to strike. Su Jiaojiao screamed, "Yu Ye!"

Yu Ye swiftly looked up and swung the palace lantern, blocking the woman’s arm and sending the knife flying.

While they were off guard, the little maid shoved Su Jiaojiao forcefully toward Deposed Lady Jiang, pushing them all to the ground.

Her eyes darting, the maid bolted outside and locked the door behind her, fleeing without a backward glance.

Yu Ye sobbed in panic, hurriedly helping Su Jiaojiao up from where she had fallen on Deposed Lady Jiang. "Your Highness! Get up, now! We must leave at once!"

"The door is locked—we’ll go through the window!"

In a panic, Yu Ye yanked Su Jiaojiao to her feet, knocking over a nearby chair onto Deposed Lady Jiang in the process, not even grabbing the lantern. "Hurry, Your Highness, hurry!"

Deposed Lady Jiang was clearly doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach and unable to rise for some time.

Su Jiaojiao had never imagined that someone would attempt to kill her on New Year’s Eve, nor that they would release Deposed Lady Jiang from the cold palace. Too panicked to think, she tumbled out of the nearby window in disarray.

Without a light source, the path ahead was completely dark.

Su Jiaojiao and Yu Ye clung to each other as they stumbled blindly, completely lost, unable to find the palace road no matter how far they ran.

In despair, Yu Ye cried out, "Your Highness, is that Mirror Shadow Lake ahead?"

Su Jiaojiao lifted her gaze and saw the reflection of the moon shimmering on the lake’s surface, her eyes lighting up with hope. "Yes, we’re almost at Mirror Shadow Lake."

Spotting the lake meant they had been running north. If they turned halfway and headed southwest, they would reach the palace road.

The patrolling guards were not far—if only they could reach a populated area, they would be safe!

But just as they turned, a shadowy figure lunged before them, arms outstretched.

Su Jiaojiao’s eyes widened in terror, her heart pounding, as she grabbed Yu Ye’s hand and bolted toward the lake.

The night was dark, the path slippery, and they stumbled through the dark, with Deposed Lady Jiang hot on their heels.

By the time they reached the lakeside, Su Jiaojiao tripped over a stone and fell, halting their desperate escape.

"Your Highness?" Yu Ye frantically reached for her arm to pull her up, but Deposed Lady Jiang was faster, already closing in behind them, her eyes burning with hatred.

Before Su Jiaojiao could regain her balance, Deposed Lady Jiang gave a violent shove, sending them both plunging into the lake.

Mirror Shadow Lake was the second largest lake after the Taiye Pond, with deep waters. In the heart of winter, its surface was covered by a layer of ice of medium thickness.

But the impact of two people falling simultaneously was too much for the ice to bear. The ice cracked violently beneath them, spreading wider until the entire sheet beneath shattered.

Su Jiaojiao and Yu Ye plunged into the bone-chilling water, which instantly soaked through their clothes, chilling them to the bone.

Yu Ye's body convulsed with violent shivers from the cold, yet her thoughts remained solely on Su Jiaojiao.

Struggling through the water, she managed to grasp Su Jiaojiao and drag her back to the surface.

"My lady… my lady…"

You won’t die… You absolutely mustn’t… I’ll save you…

Her teeth clattered uncontrollably, but despite every fiber of her being screaming in agony, she mustered all her strength to push Su Jiaojiao onto the ice.

Rescuing Su Jiaojiao from the frigid water had drained Yu Ye completely. The cold felt as though it was splitting her bones apart. Her legs seized with violent cramps, dragging her deeper into the water.

Su Jiaojiao, unable to swim, gasped and choked on the freezing water. After being pushed onto the ice, her soaked garments froze stiff with ice. Desperate, she tried to pull Yu Ye out as well.

Frantically clutching at Yu Ye’s slipping robe, her skin burned red from the bitter cold, even her tears freezing at the corners of her eyes.

Her voice trembled: "Grab my hand! Quickly!"

But she couldn’t hold onto Yu Ye.

Yu Ye’s robe floated away piece by piece. Su Jiaojiao could only watch helplessly as Yu Ye slowly sank beneath the surface.

Under the moonlight, Yu Ye’s face became indistinct, but she gazed at Su Jiaojiao quietly, managing the ghost of a smile. "Miss… in the next life… this servant still wishes to see you…"

"Yu Ye! Yu Ye—!"

The anguished screams finally caught the attention of the patrolling guards. Moments later, inside the New Year’s Eve banquet—

The banquet's revelry continued unabated.

Cai Shan rushed forward in horror, his throat tight as he reported to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, a grave incident has occurred."

"Consort Zhen has fallen into the water."