Chapter 36: Flower Pavilion

Chapter 36: The Flower Pavilion

Qiao Wan had not left her residence for seven days.

Her nature was ever restless, yet now dozens of guards stood sentinel around the princess’s mansion, so tightly that not even a sparrow could escape.

Still, Yicui brewed a dose of herbal medicine daily. After drinking it, the dryness and dull ache in Qiao Wan’s chest significantly lessened. Aside from the vexation of being cooped up, she was quite comfortable.

Once she left Lingjing, she resolved to have Yicui bring the prescription along. Qiao Wan mused to herself, her gaze sweeping over the opulent garments and accessories sent from Yuxiu Pavilion.

The more she gazed upon those lavish and exquisite items, the more delight welled within her, and her inner disquiet faded somewhat.

"Princess, I never imagined Guard Si would actually pay the silver," Yicui exclaimed, entering the bedchamber with pleasant surprise.

Qiao Wan felt not an ounce of surprise, merely giving an offhand reply before inviting Yicui to try on the clothes with her. Preferring gorgeous and eye-catching pieces herself, she handed some of the simpler, more elegant jewelry to Yicui.

Gazing at the gold-embroidered hundred-flower floor-length gown she wore, the red jade, and the kingfisher-feather phoenix hairpin with red jade adorning her hair, Qiao Wan was utterly captivated.

In the past, whenever she donned such beautiful attire, she would surely have gone out to flaunt it. But now, with guards everywhere, if Mu Chi remained displeased, would he keep her locked up here until she rotted away?

Qiao Wan’s brow furrowed. A moment later, she turned and walked out.

"Princess, where are you going?" Yicui hurried after her.

Qiao Wan headed straight for the residence’s main gate and, as expected, was stopped by the guards, two broadswords crossed before her.

"You dare block me?" Qiao Wan, weary of being confined indoors day after day, demanded in a low voice.

The guards remained expressionless. "Princess Changle, we are merely following orders. Princess Changle is not permitted to leave the residence by so much as a step."

"If I slip out now and return within moments, and none of us say a word, who would know I ever left?"

The guards remained unmoved.

Gritting her teeth, Qiao Wan took out her private savings from her chambers and tried to press them into the guards’ hands.

"Princess Changle, please do not make things difficult for your subordinates," the guards said, their faces stoic and unyielding.

Annoyed, Qiao Wan retorted, "You still remember I am a princess—"

"Princess Changle." Her words were cut short by the clatter of hooves. Si Li galloped from a distance, dismounted, and waved a hand at the guards.

The guards immediately retracted their broadswords.

Qiao Wan’s expression grew even darker.

Si Li cupped his hands toward Qiao Wan. "By the Young Master’s command, Princess Changle is permitted a short outing today. You must return before the Shen hour (3–5 PM). Should you fail to return, you will not be allowed to leave the residence again."

Yicui looked at Qiao Wan in delight. "Princess, you can go out!"

Qiao Wan, however, eyed Si Li skeptically. "He would be that generous?"

Si Li lowered his hands and cleared his throat softly, his voice softening. "The Young Master quite liked the gifts Princess Changle sent him."

Though the Young Master hadn’t said it aloud, Si Li had been guarding outside the study and noticed that the wooden box hadn’t been thrown out—surely that meant he liked it.

Qiao Wan was stunned for a moment, then let out a mirthless laugh. "Of course he likes it."

In the past, whenever she gave him those matching sets, he had never worn or used them even once, either disdaining or destroying them.

Now, they were still the same items, but just because they came from someone else, he liked them.

Si Li looked at Qiao Wan in confusion. "Princess Changle?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Qiao Wan called for Yicui and walked out of the residence.

Si Li watched their retreating figures and nodded slightly toward two figures lurking in the darkness. The figures swiftly vanished onto the rooftops.

This was Qiao Wan’s first time on the streets since the palace coup. Now, there was no trace of the sinister atmosphere that had hung over the city during the upheaval.

The streets were still bustling with vendors hawking their wares on both sides, shops lined up densely. In the distance, elegant pavilions and towers hosted scholars and poets gazing into the distance, while nearby taverns were filled with boisterous drinkers singing loudly.

Some were whispering about the new policies—so clear and fair, with two years of taxes exempted and rice distributed, creating an era of peace and prosperity.

Qiao Wan knew very well that these were hardly Qiao Heng’s achievement.

As they passed through the busiest part of the market, on the second floor of the largest restaurant, Heyi Lou, several scholars were chatting and laughing over sipping wine.

"Princess Zhaoyang truly lives up to being fate’s chosen. This time, she emptied her coffers to help the city’s people and even personally visited the soup kitchens. She is exceedingly kind," one scholar sighed after taking a sip of wine.

"Brother Wang speaks rightly. My aunt saw Princess Zhaoyang from afar at the soup kitchen—she was graceful and noble."

"Such a shame…" someone lamented, and the group fell silent for a moment.

Qiao Wan didn’t need to guess—they were surely lamenting Qiao Qingni’s engagement.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard them say, "I also heard that Yuxiu Pavilion loaded several carriages, large and small, with the finest luxuries and sent them to the other princess’s residence."

"Wasn’t that one already under house arrest? I’m afraid her situation is dire. How could she still be so extravagant?"

"Tsk tsk, how can someone easily change their extravagant and decadent habits…"

Qiao Wan paused in her steps.

"Princess, don’t listen to those scholars’ nonsense," Yicui said indignantly.

Qiao Wan was silent for a moment, then raised her eyebrows and smiled. "What they said isn’t exactly wrong."

She was indeed under house arrest, and Yuxiu Pavilion had indeed delivered those luxurious clothes and jewelry to her residence.

Yicui argued, "But Princess, you clearly—"

"My friends, you are mistaken," Yicui’s words were suddenly cut off by a refined voice from Heyi Lou. The speaker’s tone was elegant. "I heard that Princess Changle also donated a sizable sum, no less than Princess Zhaoyang. It seems Princess Changle also has the people’s well-being at heart."

Someone disagreed. "Perhaps Princess Changle was forced to donate that silver."

The gentle voice replied, "Whether forced or willing, Princess Changle has ultimately brought benefit to the people."

Qiao Wan didn’t bother listening to the rest. She slowly looked up and happened to see a scholar in blue robes sitting by the railing on the second floor, a smile on his lips, his expression calm and gentle.

As if sensing her gaze, the scholar turned to look at her, paused for a moment, then offered a polite smile before turning away.

Qiao Wan didn’t linger either and continued walking forward.

"I never thought there would still be people who see clearly," Yicui muttered under her breath beside her, indignant on Qiao Wan’s behalf.

Qiao Wan smiled without responding, her gaze falling on a scented pavilion not far away.

"What is the Princess looking at?" Yicui followed her line of sight. "It’s the Flower Pavilion."

"Ever since the Songzhu Pavilion was burned down, the Flower Pavilion has risen. Such places of pleasure can be destroyed in an instant, yet they can also spring up overnight."

Qiao Wan had heard about the fire at the Songzhu Pavilion, though she hadn’t paid much attention at the time. All she knew was that the entire building had been reduced to a charred shell that night, with many casualties inside. The piercing wails could be heard clearly throughout the entire street, yet the raging flames were too fierce for anyone to extinguish—a truly tragic scene.

Now she understood it all. That inexplicable fire, whose cause remained unknown, was undoubtedly Mu Chi’s doing.

He must have loathed everything related to the Songzhu Pavilion.

Yicui, seeing Qiao Wan’s fixed gaze at the Flower Pavilion, widened her eyes. "Your Highness, you aren't thinking of...?"

"A princess who is only extravagant without being promiscuous—isn’t that falling short of her reputation?" Qiao Wan raised an eyebrow and stepped toward the Flower Pavilion.

If Mu Chi despised it, she would naturally go.

Perhaps because the news of Princess Changle’s confinement had spread throughout Lingjing, the madam of the Flower Pavilion didn’t recognize her. However, seeing her lavishly dressed, the madam bowed with a smiling face to welcome her.

The Flower Pavilion wasn’t as opulently decorated as the Songzhu Pavilion, but the male attendants inside were each attractive in their own way, though their demeanor carried a certain flirtatious and loose behavior.

Qiao Wan didn’t like it.

In the end, she simply said to the madam, "Find me one who is handsome, well-proportioned, gentle, obedient, and skilled at the zither…" At this, her words abruptly halted. After a long pause, Qiao Wan lowered her gaze. "That’s all."

With that, she headed straight to the third floor.

The private room was tastefully decorated, filled with the fragrance of silktree flowers. The red gauze curtains created a suggestive ambiance.

As Qiao Wan was gazing at the painting of mandarin ducks playing in water on the wall, her hibiscus-red cloak was gently taken off, and an unfamiliar, elegant lotus fragrance wafted over.

"How dare you!" Qiao Wan instinctively exclaimed, turning around to find a fair-skinned young man in white standing there.

The young man was tall yet slender, his skin pale and delicate. Biting his lip nervously, he said fearfully, "This servant is here to attend to you and help you rest."

Qiao Wan pursed her lips, her eyes momentarily dazed as she looked at the gentle young man before her.

The young man’s appearance was not half as captivating as Mu Chi’s had been, yet his gentle manner made her heart ache abruptly.

She remembered the gentle Mu Chi who had "died" on Yanming Mountain.

"Young lady?" the young man called softly.

Qiao Wan snapped out of it. Annoyed by her earlier reaction, she withdrew her thoughts and said, "First, pour me a cup of tea."

The young man complied politely and turned to walk to the table.

Perhaps because he rarely served clients, his hand trembled slightly, and the teacup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The young man’s face turned pale, and he hurriedly knelt. "Please forgive me, young lady."

Qiao Wan’s expression shifted slightly as she looked at the broken pieces on the floor; it reminded her of something. She stepped closer to the young man. "Where are you from? Where is your home? How did you end up in a place like this?"

Only after the young man answered each question flawlessly did Qiao Wan breathe a sigh of relief.

Having provoked one wild animal was enough—she had no desire for another.

"Get up," Qiao Wan said, sitting down nearby, her mood having soured. In a listless tone, she added, "Clean up the floor first."

The young man carefully gathered the broken pieces. Seeing Qiao Wan sitting there looking somewhat weary—unlike others who eyed him with either contempt or lust—he thought that perhaps she was his ticket to a better life.

After a moment’s hesitation, he quietly approached, knelt down, and began expertly kneading her legs and feet.

Qiao Wan was taken aback. The young man’s touch was just right, working out the stiffness from her long confinement in the residence without much movement.

Qiao Wan closed her eyes comfortably, unintentionally recalling an afternoon last winter.

She had been sitting at her dressing table selecting jewelry, occasionally turning to look at the person behind her. "Mu Chi, is this one pretty?"

"How about this one?"

As the conversation went on, somehow the topic shifted. She closed her eyes, not daring to look into the eyes of the person behind her. "Mu Chi, will you stay with me forever?"

Someone stood behind her, gently massaging her shoulders, and said tenderly, "I will always stay with you, Your Highness."

But in that lifelike dream, the person who spoke those words remained expressionless throughout.

"Young lady, what are you thinking about?" The room was quiet, and the young man felt the need to say something.

Qiao Wan didn’t open her eyes, only snorted coldly. "I was thinking about an ungrateful wolf I once raised."

The young man gently kneaded her knees and asked obediently, "What happened afterward?"

Qiao Wan said regretfully, "He fell off a cliff and was shattered to pieces."

*

At the same time, a dark figure swiftly entered the Mu residence, moving deftly toward the study.

Mu Chi had long finished reviewing the memorials. His gaze drifted toward the rosewood box nearby, and after a few moments of silence, he finally opened it. Looking at the gold hairpins and sachets inside, he let out a mocking snort after a long while. He retrieved the white jade ointment and the official tablet from under the desk and tossed them into the box as well.

Footsteps sounded outside the door. Mu Chi’s hand paused slightly as he swiftly closed the box, his expression unchanged.

The next moment, the door was pushed open from the outside. A retainer in plain clothes half-knelt on the ground. "Young Master, Princess Changle ventured out into the city today…"

At this, the retainer hesitated.

Mu Chi glanced at the retainer and sneered. "Did she buy another pile of gaudy and impractical things?"

Old habits die hard, indeed.

"No," the retainer hesitated for a moment before lowering his head and saying, "Princess Changle went to the Flower Pavilion."

Author's Note:

The dog: Oh no, I’ve become the substitute! doge

Regarding everyone’s concerns about "running away," it’ll happen soon—there’s just one more plot point.

It’s just that my typing speed can’t keep up with my brain. (Let’s make the dog stew in jealousy first.)

(If my brain could type, I could finish the story tonight!!!!!)