Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Xie Run led a few maids up to halfway up the mountain, where she could take in the entire Spring Mountain Courtyard at a glance and even see the large stretch of land in front of it.

"This is a good spot. I can build a pavilion here later and name it Mid-Mountain Pavilion."

"It will serve both as a place to enjoy the view and to take a break."

She paused and pointed toward a bamboo grove ahead. "That would be Shiqie Li's Clear Bamboo Pavilion, right?"

Dan Tao replied, "Exactly. Perhaps within the next day or two, Shiqie Li will come to visit you."

When a Shu Fei moves to a new residence, the concubines are expected to come and offer congratulations.

"After Shiqie Han and Shiqie Li entered the residence, except for that one commotion, they've both been remarkably docile."

In the original novel, these two had joined forces upon entering the residence to fight Fang Yuaner and Wan Linlang, stirring up trouble in the back courtyard.

Now that the situation has changed, they have both become quiet and well-behaved.

Xie Run smiled. "They're both clever people."

Then she said, "Let's go back."

As they descended the mountain, Xie Run suddenly tripped over a stone and nearly fell to the ground.

It was Dan Tao and Xiaoshu who were quick to react, steadying her just in time.

After confirming that Xie Run was unharmed, Dan Tao, who was usually easygoing, actually lost her temper.

"What's going on? How did this stone get here!"

She had personally overseen the renovations of Spring Mountain Courtyard.

The terrain on this half-mountain was naturally uneven, so during the renovations, Dan Tao had specifically emphasized that there must be no stray stones, weeds, or any debris.

Right after the renovations were completed, Dan Tao had inspected it three times a day to ensure there was no danger.

Now, on the very first day the mistress had moved in, she had tripped over a stone and nearly fallen. How could Dan Tao not be furious?

The other maids all said, "We don't know either."

Dan Tao's eyes reddened with anger. She said to Xie Run, "I repeatedly told you there should not be a single stone on this path. I even checked it carefully on the way up, and yet on the way down, you almost fell."

"It's not an accident—someone deliberately tried to harm you!"

Xie Run took her hand. "Don't be angry. I wasn't paying attention either."

Spring Roll got down and examined the spot from both uphill and downhill sides, then immediately said, "Mistress, this stone is cleverly placed. You wouldn't notice it going uphill, but if you step on it coming downhill, you could easily break a leg."

Xie Run frowned.

She had initially thought Dan Tao was being overly cautious—after all, she had just stepped on a stone while walking.

But hearing Spring Roll's words, she began to suspect that someone really was trying to harm her.

Xie Run said, "Don't let this get out for now. Investigate quietly within the courtyard."

She looked at Spring Roll. "You're sharp. I'll leave this matter to you. If you handle it well, there will be a reward."

Spring Roll quickly expressed her thanks.

Just then, Hong Xi suddenly called out, "Mistress, the ground here has been tampered with."

Xie Run turned to look and saw Hong Xi lifting a patch of turf, revealing a stone buried beneath.

Spring Roll immediately touched the ground in other spots. "This one's been disturbed too."

Soon enough, they uncovered seven or eight patches of turf that had stones buried underneath.

Spring Roll said, "The soil is a bit dry. This was probably not done in the last day or two."

Xie Run smiled with a hint of mockery. "It seems our visitor knows about my habit of taking walks and set this trap specifically along the path."

Dan Tao asked, "Mistress, should we report this to the Princess Consort?"

Xie Run shook her head. "Go and inform her. Also, pass along a message for me—say that I don't want to make a big deal out of it."

Xie Run had a feeling.

I'm afraid we won't find out anything from this.

Since she hadn't been seriously hurt, making a big scene would only invite more trouble.

"Yes."

As they were about to leave, they discovered that Xiaoshu had twisted her ankle while helping to steady Xie Run earlier.

Xie Run told her to rest and gave her some excellent ointment.

The Princess, upon receiving the news, also sent someone to express concern.

That evening, Prince Jing came by. He asked a few casual questions and then brought up another matter.

"You asked me to find someone for you last time. She will arrive at Spring Mountain Courtyard tomorrow."

"Really?" Xie Run's eyes lit up with delight.

"Of course it's true," Prince Jing said in a steady tone. "With her here, you'll be safer."

Xie Run linked her arm with his and thanked him. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The next day, a maid named Zi Hu was sent to Spring Mountain Courtyard.

Xie Run placed her in the position of a second-tier maid but privately gave her the stipend of a first-tier maid, intending to have her act as a personal bodyguard wherever she went.

Hong Xi teased, "Our courtyard has already gathered the colors pink, red, and green. Now we've added purple."

"This is perfect—we've got all the colors of the rainbow, a riot of colors now!"

The others joined in the laughter.

Zi Hu had a slightly yellow complexion and a petite figure, with a shy and bashful demeanor. When teased, she would lower her head and blush.

But knowing that Zi Hu was skilled in both medicine and martial arts, Xie Run didn't dare underestimate her at all.

Two days later, the first heavy snowfall of the year began.

Spring Roll still hadn't found out who had tried to harm Xie Run.

She hung her head and came before Xie Run to confess her failure.

"I failed to accomplish the first task you assigned me. Please punish me."

Xie Run was roasting tangerines over the charcoal fire.

She didn't like eating roasted tangerines, but loved the fresh, elegant citrus scent that dispelled the stuffiness of the room.

She peeled a small tangerine, and said with a gentle smile, "This was expected. Why should I punish you?"

Chunjuan looked up in confusion, a hint of unease in her eyes.

"There were stones buried under the grass, clearly placed before we moved in. At that time, there were few people in Chunshan Courtyard, so it would have been easy to do something without being noticed."

"As for the stone I stepped on that day, it wasn't buried under the grass—it was on the path."

Chunjuan's eyes narrowed. "You mean... there was more than one person involved?"

Xie Run nodded slightly. "A large group of us came up the hill, walking around. Even if someone quietly dropped a stone and stepped on it, who would have noticed?"

"It's a small matter that didn't harm me and involves several people. If you investigate, you'll inevitably find many suspects, but you'll have no way to move forward."

A look of surprise and admiration appeared in Chunjuan's eyes. "That's exactly it."

She had indeed identified several people, but afraid that further investigation would implicate everyone and lead nowhere, she reluctantly came to confess to Xie Run.

But after hearing her mistress's analysis, Chunjuan began to see some clues.

"Let it end here. If we dig deeper, the morale in Chunshan Courtyard will be unsettled."

Xie Run said warmly, "You have duties to attend to shortly. Take two roasted tangerines with you."

Tears welled in Chunjuan's eyes, and she immediately bowed to Xie Run. "Thank you for the gift, mistress!"

The gift was not the tangerines, but the face she was granting her.

This signaled to everyone in Chunshan Courtyard that even if Chunjuan had failed, their mistress still trusted her.

How could Chunjuan not be moved?

Once the heavy snow started this year, it seemed it would never stop.

Xie Run didn't dare risk going for a walk and could only stay cooped up in her room.

Fang Yuaner, presumably frightened by the poisoning incident, had shut herself in Xiachi Courtyard for two months, keeping a low profile despite her usual high-profile behavior.

Shufei Yun had always kept a low profile.

With the three of them staying quiet, the entire household seemed to fall silent.

During those two months, a few interesting things happened.

One was that Concubine Wan finally attended to Prince Jing.

Unfortunately, the incident was disgraceful, which left the prince quite furious.