Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The situation was dire. Ye Shuang had no choice but to suppress her anger, grit her teeth, and copy as Princess Jing had instructed.

Seeing Ye Shuang diligently copying, Princess Jing seemed somewhat pleased. She drank tea and ate snacks with Liu Yiyi, then after a pause, said, "I hope you don’t blame me for being harsh, my dear. I went through the same in my day. Since Her Majesty entrusted you to my care, I naturally must take responsibility for you."

Ye Shuang hastily replied that she wouldn't dare hold any resentment, stretched her wrist, and continued copying.

"It’s good that you understand," Princess Jing said.

Liu Yiyi remarked, "Consort Sister is truly thoughtful."

Just then, a maid approached to report that the banquet dishes had arrived and were waiting for Princess Jing's inspection.

Princess Jing set down her teacup, dabbed her lips with a handkerchief, and stood up. "Sister Ye, continue copying. I’ll be back shortly."

She then asked Liu Yiyi if she wanted to accompany her.

Liu Yiyi naturally preferred to stay and witness Ye Shuang’s predicament, so she declined, "I’d rather not cause any trouble. I’ll stay here and keep Sister Ye company."

Princess Jing gestured toward her, "Sister Liu is still so considerate of sisterly bonds." With that, she left directly.

The two of them respectfully saw Princess Jing off.

The attendants followed the princess out, leaving only the two of them in the pavilion. Liu Yiyi walked over and stepped on the paper Ye Shuang had half-finished copying.

Ye Shuang showed no anger, simply taking another sheet. Liu Yiyi feigned stepping on it again.

Without looking up, Ye Shuang said calmly, "Princess Jing only gave me a few sheets of paper. If you ruin them all, you’ll have to explain it to her yourself."

Liu Yiyi hesitated, ultimately withdrawing her foot.

"You’re quite something, managing to bewitch the Empress. Don’t think that will secure your position as the Marquess’s wife. I will win Brother Lin back sooner or later."

Ye Shuang couldn't be bothered to argue and focused on copying, hoping to finish sooner and be able to stand up.

Liu Yiyi sneered, "Don’t even think about secretly standing up while the princess is away. I’m here specifically to keep an eye on you."

Still unperturbed, Ye Shuang glanced at Liu Yiyi before lowering her gaze to the ink bowl. Princess Jing had not provided an inkstone, only a light white-glazed lotus-leaf porcelain bowl half-filled with ink. The bowl was lightweight and could easily be tipped over. While dipping her brush, Ye Shuang accidentally knocked over the bowl. The ink instantly soaked the draft detailing the banquet arrangements and nearly stained Liu Yiyi’s clothes.

"What are you doing?" Liu Yiyi shrieked as she stepped back.

Ye Shuang staggered to her feet. Her knees ached from kneeling for so long. She leaned on the stone table and sat right down.

"Ye Shuang! Are you insane? How dare you defy the princess! And you’ve ruined her calligraphy!"

Rubbing her knees, Ye Shuang scoffed and spoke coldly, imitating Liu Yiyi’s tone, "What are you talking about, Sister Liu? Don’t worry, I won’t tell the princess that you knocked over the ink bowl."

Liu Yiyi could hardly believe her ears. "What did you say?"

"I’m just stating the facts."

Liu Yiyi sneered, regaining her composure. "Who do you think the princess will believe?"

"You and the princess may be close, but are you certain there’s never been any rift between you?"

Liu Yiyi’s expression shifted. Clearly, Ye Shuang had struck a nerve—a problem she had never considered but which undeniably existed.

"Do you think a few words from you can drive a wedge between me and the princess?" Liu Yiyi refused to admit it verbally but ceased her provocations. She merely said angrily, "Don’t think I’m scared now. You believe that by currying favor with the Empress and the princess, you can secure your position as the Marquess’s wife? What truly matters is Brother Lin’s heart. Are you really sure his heart belongs to you?"

Ye Shuang froze instantly.

Liu Yiyi was pleased with her reaction and sneered, "Some people take what belongs to others and, over time, start to believe it’s rightfully theirs. Since you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

Liu Yiyi glanced warily at the floor, stepped around the overturned ink bowl, and stormed off.

After Liu Yiyi left, the smile Ye Shuang had been forcing faded. She picked up a few unused sheets of paper, spread them on the stone table, and began writing from memory. She had already memorized the contents, which was why she dared to spill the ink. Since she couldn’t leave anyway, she decided to write as much as possible, so she’d have something to show the princess upon her return.

But her knees hurt terribly. She had to pause every few lines to rub them, waiting for the pain to subside before continuing.

About the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Princess Jing returned with her attendants.

Ye Shuang had only finished copying five times. Her vision was blurry, and her hand was sore. Seeing the princess, she set down her brush, rubbed her aching wrist, and rose to greet her.

Princess Jing was taken aback by the mess on the floor and even more angered to see Ye Shuang sitting down in the pavilion. She immediately reprimanded her, "Who gave you permission to stand up?"

Ye Shuang bowed her head. "Earlier, I accidentally knocked over the ink bowl and dirtied the floor. But I dared not neglect the task you assigned me, so I stood up on my own. I await your punishment."

Princess Jing frowned slightly but did not press the issue. "Never mind. It was an accident. I’ve always been lenient, so I won’t hold it against you. You may rise."

She then gestured for the attendants to clean the floor, and they set to work silently.

Ye Shuang remained respectful. "Thank you, Princess." She handed the copied pages to Princess Jing for inspection.

The princess flipped through them casually. "How is the copying coming along? Have you memorized it?"

"I have memorized it all."

Princess Jing looked at her skeptically and tilted her chin. "Then recite it from the beginning."

Ye Shuang repeated every word from the paper without missing a single detail.

Princess Jing was surprised but nodded approvingly. "You’ve remembered it well. Very well, you don’t need to copy the rest. As long as you’ve memorized it, that’s enough."

Ye Shuang breathed a sigh of relief internally but showed no overt reaction, thanking her calmly. "Thank you, Princess."

Princess Jing began looking around. "Where is Sister Liu? Why isn’t she here?"

Ye Shuang reported truthfully, "I’m not sure. Sister Liu stayed for a while but left earlier. Perhaps she returned to her residence?"

"Impossible. If she were returning to her residence, she would have surely bid me farewell. She must still be in the palace."

Seeing Princess Jing’s certainty, Ye Shuang felt a flicker of doubt but could not pinpoint why, though the explanation seemed reasonable.

Princess Jing turned to her head maid. "Send a few people to find Miss Liu."

The maid obeyed and left. Not long after, a scream was heard in the distance, and the head maid rushed back in a panic, shouting, "Something terrible has happened! Miss Liu has been locked in the firewood shed!"

Princess Jing and Ye Shuang stood up simultaneously. "What?"

"I had just reached the small garden when I heard someone shouting. I followed the sound and found it was coming from the firewood shed. When I got closer, I saw it was Miss Liu inside, but the door was locked, and the key was missing. We couldn’t get in."

Princess Jing asked, "Who is in charge of the firewood shed key?"

"It’s usually kept by the housekeeper. These past few days have been busy, and the housekeeper is on leave. The kitchen had already prepared enough firewood for the next few days, so the key was left with the accounts office. The shed has been locked since. I’ve already sent someone to fetch the key."

As soon as she finished speaking, the maid sent to retrieve the key returned. Another maid approached her and asked, "Where is the key?"

The maid's small face went pale in panic: "The key is missing."

Everyone was startled.

Before Ye Shuang could figure out the situation, several men in casual attire entered the back garden. The crowd immediately knelt and bowed in respect, and Ye Shuang realized the man leading them was Prince Jing. It seemed the maid’s search for the key had alerted Prince Jing.

As soon as Prince Jing arrived, he asked, "What happened?"

Princess Jing, seeming more demure and speaking more softly than before, replied, "It was due to my negligence. A minor issue arose, but I hadn’t expected to disturb Your Highness and our esteemed guests."

"No matter, we're all family here. What exactly happened?"

Princess Jing explained, "It’s just that the key to the firewood shed has gone missing. It wouldn’t normally be a big issue, but Sister Liu seems to be trapped inside. That’s why I’ve caused such a commotion and disturbed Your Highness."

Prince Jing asked, "Is it the Liu family's Second Young Miss?"

"Exactly. Lin should know her."

Only then did Ye Shuang notice Lin was present—not only him, but also two others she recognized: Pei Yu and Liu Zhiang.

Hearing Princess Jing’s words, Lin stepped out from behind Prince Jing, looked Ye Shuang up and down, his face grim.

"The priority now is to rescue her. Do you have any ideas, Cousin Lin?"

Lin, still staring at Ye Shuang, asked abruptly, "Where is the firewood shed?"

Princess Jing quickly instructed a maid to lead the way.

Without another word, Lin went there, sword in hand.

Not long after, he returned, accompanied by Liu Yiyi. She looked pale and weak, supported by a maid, but her eyes flickered subtly toward Ye Shuang.

As their eyes met, Ye Shuang clearly saw a slight smirk at the corner of Liu Yiyi’s lips.

The next moment, Ye Shuang heard a crisp sound—a brass key had fallen from her person.