Food tastes better when there's someone to compete for it. Jiang Yunshu had obtained a large amount of barbecue ingredients from the kitchen. Originally, she planned to share them with the young maids and eunuchs around her. In her eyes, they were just kids, and she felt quite guilty about "employing child labor" every day, always wanting to be nicer to them.
Unexpectedly, Xie Lin came back so early today. Not a single bit of the barbecue was left; it had all been devoured by the two of them.
Jiang Yunshu put down her chopsticks and only then realized she was stuffed.
At night, after taking a bath, Jiang Yunshu paced back and forth in the bedroom to digest.
Xie Lin looked at Jiang Yunshu and said, "May I help Your Ladyship digest?"
Jiang Yunshu quickly replied, "No... no need to trouble you, Chief Eunuch..."
Seeing the tense look on Jiang Yunshu's face all of a sudden, Xie Lin guessed that she had really been worn out last night... He reached his hand into his sleeve and played with the small white porcelain bottle inside.
Jiang Yunshu was worried that Xie Lin would act like last night again. She really couldn't stand it if it happened every night... So she lay in bed early and pretended to be asleep.
Before she knew it, she really fell asleep.
Whether she was pretending or really asleep was easy for Xie Lin to tell with his sharp hearing. Hearing Jiang Yunshu's soon - gentle and steady breathing, his expression was complicated.
Xie Lin reached out and poked Jiang Yunshu's cheek.
Was she a pig?
All she did every day was eat and sleep!
Xie Lin couldn't understand. Jiang Yunshu was the legitimate second daughter of the marquis's mansion. Why didn't she show any sign of humiliation when serving him, a eunuch?
Even if she didn't want to seek death, she should at least cry a few times, right?
She shouldn't be roasting meat in the courtyard during the day and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow at night...
Overnight, Jiang Yunshu had gone from being a concubine of the emperor to the forbidden lover of a eunuch. How could she live such a carefree life?
Xie Lin considered himself to have a very strong mind. But if he were in Jiang Yunshu's shoes, he would surely endure and bide his time, waiting for an opportunity to avenge his grievances!
Anyway, he definitely wouldn't be eating barbecue during the day and sleeping so soundly at night!
Xie Lin usually slept little and had many dreams. Looking at Jiang Yunshu sleeping soundly, he got angrier the more he looked.
He reached out and pinched her smooth cheek, then got up and went to the study. He called out to the shadow guard, "Eleven."
Shadow Guard Eleven immediately appeared and said, "Your subordinate is here."
Xie Lin asked, "Have you found out about Concubine Qiao of the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion?"
Shadow Guard Eleven reported the information he had found out to Xie Lin in detail.
Xie Lin gently twirled the white jade beads on his wrist with his slender fingers. The information the shadow guard found out was a bit unexpected to him.
"Oh, so, Concubine Qiao has no blood relation with the second young lady. Neither of them is in favor, but they often get together..."
"Concubine Qiao was from the 'thin horse' background? The second young lady has been pestering Concubine Qiao to learn dancing since she was a child?"
Xie Lin felt that he was getting more and more unable to understand Jiang Yunshu.
Although she was a concubine - born daughter, she was still a legitimate daughter of the marquis's mansion. Why did she pester a woman from the 'thin horse' background to learn dancing?
Yesterday, Jiang Yunshu had tested whether he could send things out. Instead of wanting to send something to her biological father, the marquis, she wanted to send it to this 'thin horse' concubine with no blood relation...
She wasn't afraid of her biological father, the marquis, being sad for her, but was very worried about this 'thin horse' concubine without blood relation being sad for her?
Anyway, Xie Lin would never allow Jiang Yunshu to pass on any information.
The white jade Buddhist beads spun around his wrist twice. Xie Lin asked in a deep voice, "There were two maids who entered the palace with Jiang Yunshu. Where are they now?"
The shadow guards around Xie Lin were all capable. When Xie Lin asked the shadow guards to investigate Concubine Qiao yesterday, Eleven had thought ahead and also investigated Jiang Yunshu's two maids.
Now that Xie Lin asked, he could immediately answer, "The two maids are still in the palace. They have no foundation in the palace and are on the list of concubines for burial. It's probably impossible for them to escape."
Guessing Xie Lin's thoughts, Eleven asked, "Shall we bring the two maids back?"
Xie Lin replied, "No."
"Not for now."
"Do the two maids have any jewelry or silk handkerchiefs on them? Send them here."
"Yes." Eleven immediately took the order and left.
The next day, when Jiang Yunshu woke up, she was surprised to find that Xie Lin had already gone out.
She had slept so soundly that she hadn't heard Xie Lin get up. Didn't she serve Xie Lin to change clothes in the morning? Would he be angry?
Jiang Yunshu was very nervous and thought about making some desserts to please Xie Lin.
As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, she stood still.
The young maid who was cleaning in front of the bedroom door was wearing a pink bead shaped like a water drop around her neck. It was clearly the one she had picked off the red - gold crown!
There was a pair of such pink beads. She had given one to Taoye and one to Zhezhi to keep with them... With such a special shape, she would never mistake it!
How did the pink beads that Taoye and Zhezhi were supposed to keep with them end up on the young maid in Weiyang Palace?
Jiang Yunshu quickly asked the young maid, "Where did you get this bead?"
The young maid blinked her eyes and said, "It was given by a maid outside."
"Since the Imperial Astronomer decided that a hundred maids would be buried with the emperor, the maids outside have been desperately sending things to Weiyang Palace, hoping that Weiyang Palace can save their lives..."
Jiang Yunshu's legs went weak and she almost couldn't stand. Her ears were buzzing.
"Maids are also going to be buried?"
"Isn't it enough to have so many concubines buried? Why do they still need maids for burial?"
Jiang Yunshu grabbed the young maid's hand and asked, "What about the maid who gave you this bead? Is she also on the list for burial?"
"You took her bead. Did you save her? Did you help her get out of the palace?"
The young maid was startled and said, "How could I have such ability?"
"The list of maids for burial has been decided. No matter what gifts they give, it's useless... Unless..."
Jiang Yunshu seemed to have grabbed a life - saving straw and kept asking, "Unless what?"
The young maid said, "Unless you plead with the Chief Eunuch and ask him to show mercy."
"The maids will be buried tomorrow. Only the Chief Eunuch can save them."
Jiang Yunshu returned to the bedroom in a daze.
Tomorrow... Only the Chief Eunuch could save them...
She took a deep breath and wiped the tears on her face hard. Tonight was the last chance!
In the evening, when Xie Lin returned to Weiyang Palace, he saw a lot of oddly - shaped pastries on the dining table in front of Jiang Yunshu.
Jiang Yunshu bowed respectfully and said, "Chief Eunuch, I made several kinds of pastries. Please have a taste."
Xie Lin examined Jiang Yunshu's face. There was a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes were filled with the mist of the mountains.
She had been crying.
Xie Lin was sure. Although the corners of her eyes were not red, she usually wore no makeup, but today she had put on makeup, especially the powder at the corners of her eyes, which was applied very carefully.
Xie Lin was waiting for Jiang Yunshu to speak, but she was more patient than he thought.
Jiang Yunshu invited Xie Lin to have the pastries with a big smile.
Xie Lin casually picked up one, took a bite, and was stunned.
It was really a new taste he had never tried before.
The translucent pastry skin should be made of glutinous rice, and there were small pieces of mango inside. There was nothing unusual about these.
What was unusual was the layer between the pastry skin and the mango. It had an extremely light and fluffy texture, with a sweet and milky taste... It was a milky - white thing.
"What is this?" Xie Lin asked.
Jiang Yunshu replied in a low voice, "This is cream whipped from fresh milk."
What Xie Lin had just eaten was a mango crepe (hand - whipped cream version).
She had beaten the ingredients so hard that her wrists were almost broken. Fortunately, Xie Lin seemed to like it.
A faint hope welled up in Jiang Yunshu's heart.
Xie Lin ate several kinds of pastries in a row and found that all the pastries made by Jiang Yunshu used this "cream".
This cream did taste good. It went well with all kinds of fruits and dough. He really wondered how she came up with it.
"Not bad," Xie Lin praised Jiang Yunshu and waited for her to speak.
However, Jiang Yunshu still didn't say a word. She served Xie Lin for dinner and then took the initiative to help him undress before his bath...
Xie Lin only allowed Jiang Yunshu to take off his outermost layer of clothes and then pinched her wrist.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
Jiang Yunshu knelt down. Between her black hair, her slender and fair neck drooped submissively.
"Please, Master Xie, save the lives of my two maids."
Xie Lin stretched out his leg and pressed the tip of his boot against Jiang Yunshu's chin, slowly lifting it up.
"What will you offer in exchange?"
Jiang Yunshu's pink lips parted slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Lin stopped her.
"I don't lack people to serve me."
"A few novel pastries are not worth two lives."
All the words Jiang Yunshu wanted to say were blocked by Xie Lin. Her heart trembled violently. Was Xie Lin not going to save them?
Jiang Yunshu held back her tears and desperately thought about what else she could do for Xie Lin...
Just then, Xie Lin leaned over. His extremely handsome face slowly approached, and his breath sprayed on her cheek.
Xie Lin's fingers traced around her eyes gently.
"Your Majesty, among all parts of your body, only these eyes are beautifully born."
"How about this... One eyeball for one maid's life."
"If Your Majesty allows me to dig out two eyeballs, I'll help Your Majesty save the two maids."
Jiang Yunshu couldn't stop trembling under Xie Lin's hands.
She finally understood why so many people were so terribly afraid of Xie Lin.
Xie Lin looked at her with a half - smile: "Your Majesty is reluctant? Then forget it..."
He let go of the hand pinching Jiang Yunshu's chin and was about to stand up straight.
Jiang Yunshu suddenly reached out and grabbed the white jade Buddhist beads on Xie Lin's wrist.
She looked up at Xie Lin, her face held high, and said clearly and resolutely, "Okay."
"Two eyeballs for two lives."
