The matter of menstruation
Ye Youqing was still at a loss for words.
Ci Ke chuckled and released her hand, placing it behind her, walking towards the garden. “My thoughts were in turmoil last night, so I couldn’t sleep. I decided to take a walk in the garden and happened to see a pigeon flying out from Yan Jieyu’s side chamber.”
Ye Youqing followed her silently, listening attentively.
“It’s suspicious to use a pigeon for sending messages when we have servants to do that. So, I shot it down.” Ci Ke said as she took out what looked like a toy from her sleeve.
A small slingshot.
“You can even do this?” Ye Youqing was somewhat surprised, but then she thought to herself that nothing was strange when it came to a woman like Ci Ke.
“Learned it from Sister Shi Li when I was young,” Ci Ke said as she put the slingshot back.
Shi Li is indeed a good teacher, Ye Youqing raised an eyebrow.
“What did you find out?” Ye Youqing asked.
Ci Ke didn’t answer immediately. After a while, as the aroma of breakfast began to drift over, she shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Really nothing?” Ye Youqing didn’t believe it.
“Truly nothing. Perhaps I am just overthinking,” Ci Ke suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing Ye Youqing to almost collide into her. She quickly reached out and steadied herself against the palace wall made of red bricks.
“Ye Youqing, please don’t trust me anymore,” Ci Ke turned around, her skirt brushing against the ground, making a rustling sound as if leaves were being crushed underfoot. A faint trace of worry appeared on her forehead. “Have you not noticed that since you’ve been associated with me, nothing good has come your way?”
Ye Youqing pressed her lips together, her heart suddenly tightening.
“I am full of lies and not worthy of your trust,” Ci Ke seemed to be restraining herself, a hint of pink touching her nose as she sighed. “The Emperor wants to arrange a marriage for you, yet you are living so recklessly. That Wei Yanei is always indulging in debauchery, a frequent visitor to brothels. With concubines aplenty in his household, you…”
“You take care of yourself,” Ci Ke said, then turned and quickened her pace, soon rounding the palace wall and disappearing from sight.
Ye Youqing stood in place, feeling as though a dark cloud had descended over her heart, a knot of unease settling within.
She tightly pressed her thin lips together, her chestnut eyes seeming even more intense.
At that moment, Shili, who had been following from a distance, sensed something amiss and hurried over. She glanced in the direction Ci Ke had gone, then looked at Ye Youqing, somewhat puzzled. “Xiaoqing?”
Ye Youqing turned and walked back.
“Not having breakfast?” Shi Li asked as she followed behind.
“No,” Ye Youqing replied coldly.
As they headed to the Baimu Temple in the early morning, Zhou Ziqiu used some strategy to have the Emperor dispatch a team of guards who surrounded her carriage. There were no incidents until they entered the temple gates.
Ye Youqing knew that Zhou Ziqiu must have been cautious, so she didn’t pay much attention to it.
Shi Li, who had been following her, softly remarked at this moment, “Xiaoqing, don’t you think you are worrying about Ci Ke now?”
Ye Youqing shook her head, shifting her gaze away from Ci Ke, who had already entered the temple, and remained silent.
Although Ci Ke’s attitude was indeed strange, Ye Youqing felt annoyed but mostly believed that it was just a case of her good intentions being misunderstood.
She let go of the frustration in her heart and tried to tidy up her thoughts.
She knew that she should now focus on how to deal with the Emperor’s arranged marriage. The Emperor was trying to match her with Wei Yanei, clearly wanting to control her. Once she left the palace, she would need to come up with a plan.
Lost in these thoughts, she clumsily followed the guidance of others to kneel and offer incense. After everything was done, as she returned to the palace, Zhou Ziqiu was surrounded by guards on all sides. When Yan Jieyu passed by Ye Youqing, she could clearly see the frustration in her eyes.
That’s good, Ye Youqing thought to herself, it seemed that Zhou Ziqiu had her own arrangements.
After returning to the palace, the Emperor was in the study dealing with official matters, allowing others to have half a day of leisure. Shi Li, still looking lazy, lounged on Ye Youqing’s bed and refused to go out with Ye Youqing.
After a stalemate for a while, Ye Youqing had no choice but to leave the side chamber on her own. She strolled along the winding paths amidst falling petals to clear her mind and contemplate her future plans.
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Before leaving the capital, she had already sent someone to explore the territory of King Si Rong. Those areas were mostly remote, far from the foot of the imperial city, making them a good place to settle.
Later, she also sent a message to Pei Ning, asking her to come to this place once she had finished her current tasks.
Lost in her thoughts for a moment, Ye Youqing had walked further than she realized. When she noticed the thick layer of fallen petals in front of her, she found herself deep in the palace grounds, before an old and rundown courtyard.
Though called a palace courtyard, it resembled more a place where servants lived. The ground was covered with fallen petals and leaves that hadn’t been swept, resembling a carpet. Wild grasses and sparse bamboo groves grew beside the courtyard, entwined with unknown vines.
Just by looking at the green tiles, vermilion eaves, and the multi-tiered structure of the palace from the outside, no one would have expected such a dilapidated place inside.
Ye Youqing knew that she had ventured beyond her usual range and decided not to go further, planning to turn back.
While it was generally safe within the palace grounds, nothing could guarantee against unexpected occurrences.
However, at that moment, she suddenly heard a faint sobbing. The sound was very soft and ghostly, easily obscured by the rustling of the wind, as if it was being suppressed, yet crying out in deep sorrow.
Ye Youqing’s advancing steps came to a sudden halt.
Mind your own business, she told herself.
She composed herself and continued forward, but the crying behind her grew louder, accompanied by sobs that sounded like someone biting their hands, trying their best to endure.
Ye Youqing, you will eventually be harmed by your own soft heart. Ye Youqing furrowed her brow in thought.
In the end, she gave up her inner struggle and turned towards the direction of the crying, trying to walk softly and hold her breath as she circled the courtyard and entered the sparse bamboo forest.
She saw the person producing the crying, a young man dressed in old gray clothes, huddled in a corner against the bamboo forest wall, sitting with his knees hugged to his chest. His eyes, originally sharp and distinct, were now bloodshot from tears.
The young man looked full of resentment, his fair hands marked with teeth imprints.
The Sixth Prince? Ye Youqing was taken aback, blinked her eyes to ensure she wasn’t seeing things incorrectly. Upon focusing again, she confirmed that it was indeed the young man she had seen in the cold palace that day.
At that moment, the young man had noticed her presence. He suddenly stood up, defensively bending his body and raising his head, assuming a defensive posture.
A gentle breeze blew, causing the bamboo shadows to sway, and Ye Youqing’s face became clearer.
“It’s you,” the young man murmured, then slowly straightened his body, lowering the hand he had reached for at his waist.
“Sixth Prince,” Ye Youqing spoke, seeing that the young man had dropped his guard. She then lifted her leg and approached slowly.
The young man was a head shorter than her, appearing even more frail than when she had last seen him. He was wiping the tears from his face, head lowered in silence.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Youqing asked, looking him over but finding no signs of injury.
“I am going to die,” the young man’s voice was hoarse, filled with a sense of despair.
Ye Youqing didn’t quite understand why the young man would say such a thing. Looking around, she then asked, “Why is the Prince here in the palace?”
“That woman won’t let me leave, won’t give me food, constantly slanders me to the Emperor, and even ordered people to beat Liu Aweng. I couldn’t bear it, so I confronted her,” the young man spoke with resentment. When he talked, there was a kind of fierceness and animalistic quality in his eyes that didn’t belong to his age.
“Yan Jieyu?”
“Yes.”
“Who is Liu Aweng?”
“He was originally a palace eunuch by my mother’s side. After my mother was driven insane and banished to the cold palace, he has been taking care of me,” the young man replied, sinking back to his original spot and burying his face in his knees.
It seemed that he had been used as an excuse to be expelled from the palace, in order to pave the way for future heirs.
Looking at the young man before her, Ye Youqing felt compassion for his tragic background and asked, “But why do you say you are nearing the end of your life once you leave the palace?”
The young man fidgeted restlessly, raising his head to look at Ye Youqing, tears rolling down his eyes.
“After arriving at the palace for some time, I contracted an incurable disease and have been bleeding daily,” his voice hoarse and trembling, as if it was difficult to speak.
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Bleeding every day? Ye Youqing’s expression changed slightly: “Where are you bleeding from?”
The young man’s face suddenly reddened, shaking his head repeatedly, unwilling to say another word.
Ye Youqing felt a sudden realization dawning upon her. She couldn’t help but take a few steps forward, reaching out to him, and spoke gently, “Stand up, let me take a look.”
The woman’s cold eyes were vermilion, her face fair with red lips, giving off an air of aloofness. However, her voice was incredibly gentle, making people want to believe her.
The young man slowly reached out his hand, placing it in Ye Youqing’s palm as she helped him up.
“Turn around,” Ye Youqing spoke softly.
The young man hesitated for a moment before slowly turning around. A large bloodstain was visible on the clothing near his hip.
Ye Youqing’s eyes widened slightly, feeling as if thunder had struck in her heart.
“What’s wrong?” The young man looked wary, taking two steps back.
“You won’t die,” Ye Youqing said calmly, although she was deeply shocked inside, she did not show it.
The prince disguised as a man had managed to survive in the depths of the palace without being discovered all this time. The child must be exceptionally good at deceiving others. With no elder women around her, the topic of menstruation was a taboo in ancient times and was not discussed; it was difficult for others to know about it.
Ye Youqing couldn’t help but feel grateful for her luck. She was glad that she hadn’t experienced menstruation in the palace; otherwise, if anyone found out, her identity would have been exposed to the world.
“Really?” The young man’s pale lips trembled lightly.
Ye Youqing nodded and said softly, “Where do you stay? I will teach you how to take care of yourself.”
An hour later, Ye Youqing stood with her in the room. The walls of the room had cracks, but it was clean and tidy. An old man stood beside them, bent over with white hair and beard.
“Liu Aweng, you may leave first,” the young man said softly. The old man examined Ye Youqing for a moment, smiled at the young man, and then obediently left the room.
Ye Youqing rummaged through the room and found some old fabric used for mending clothes and a needle and thread. She quickly sewed a thick rectangular shape, then sewed four straps on it and handed it to the young man.
The young man took it with a look of curiosity, examining it from side to side.
“Wash this clean and dry it, then tie it around your body,” Ye Youqing gestured to demonstrate on her own body, causing the young man’s face to turn red.
“No need to feel embarrassed, every woman goes through this. If you have the means in the future, you can put cotton inside for better effect,” Ye Youqing said. “Once a month, after seven days, you won’t need to tie it anymore.”
The young man, holding the item, felt a bit awkward and asked tremulously, “Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Ye Youqing replied, her eyes shining. “But I will keep your secret and make sure that no one else sees this item.”
The young man tucked the menstrual pad into his embrace, nodding.
“I’m going to leave,” Ye Youqing said softly, checking the time, then turned to open the door, hearing the young man speak up.
“Thank you,” the young man said.
Ye Youqing didn’t reply. Her tall and slender figure had already disappeared into the summer breeze.
The days in the palace passed quietly. Every morning, Ye Youqing would go up the mountain to pray to the Buddha with a group of carriages and horses. Initially, she was wary of any disturbances, but as she saw that she would return to the capital in a few days and Zhou Ziqiu was always accompanied by guards, while Yan Jieyu’s face grew darker each day.
If nothing unexpected happened, the time in the palace would pass safely, and she felt relieved.
In the afternoons, she spent her time avoiding Wei Yanei in the palace. It seemed that he had received an order from the Emperor, as the man was persistent. Every time she returned to the palace, he would come to visit, leaving Ye Youqing to wander around the garden aimlessly. Several days had passed, and she had managed to prevent the man from saying a word.
She didn’t speak to Ci Ke again either.
As the morning sun streamed through the window, Ye Youqing had breakfast as usual and then went up the mountain with the carriages and horses. Today was different because the emperor was also present, worshiping in the Buddha hall.
Elite guards surrounded the entire temple, and the echoing sound of the bell seemed to strike the drums of the heart.
Ye Youqing and Shi Li stood in the distance, watching as the emperor stood up and reached out to hold Zhou Ziqiu’s hand, leaning in to whisper something in her ear. Zhou Ziqiu’s graceful and charming figure was beautiful, but the smile on her face seemed very fake.
Ye Youqing sensed a momentary killing intent from Shi Li beside her. When she turned back, her plain and unremarkable face had no expression.
The Buddha hall was majestic, towering several yards high, with massive Buddha statues within. Looking through the door, the statues seemed to embody compassion for the world and overlook all living beings.
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Ye Youqing looked up at the Buddha statue, momentarily lost in thought.
“The Emperor has left,” Shi Li suddenly said.
Ye Youqing looked up and saw someone following behind the emperor, reporting something to him. The emperor’s steps were quick, as if rushing to handle urgent matters, and he soon boarded the carriage and headed down the mountain.
The other princesses, princes, and courtiers walked down the hundreds of steps outside the Buddha hall in groups of two or three. Below the steps lay the mountain path, and Ye Youqing and Shi Li quickened their pace.
At this moment, most of the guards had almost all followed the emperor, with only a few remaining nearby.
Ye Youqing felt short of breath, the surrounding mountains too quiet, so quiet that even the sounds of birds were scarce, a bad premonition washing over her.
As expected, before she could even leave the temple gate, the sound of a breaking wind exploded beside her ears, an arrow falling among the crowd. The surrounding guards immediately became chaotic, shouting, “Quick, protect the young masters and mistresses!”
The scene quickly descended into chaos, with people appearing from seemingly nowhere, blocking Ye Youqing’s line of sight.
At the same time, the sound of hooves approached from an unknown direction. Ye Youqing’s eyes widened, and she instinctively shouted, “Ci Ke, be careful!”
A fast horse seemed to descend from the sky, scattering the crowd and guards, heading towards Zhou Ziqiu at arrowlike speed. The masked rider on top reached out with sharp claws, as if intending to grab Zhou Ziqiu by the throat.
Ye Youqing saw Shi Li’s body move even faster than the horse, almost turning into a blur. However, there was still some distance between them. As she watched Zhou Ziqiu about to be taken away, Ci Ke, who was standing nearby, suddenly acted. In the moment when the masked person on horseback reached for Zhou Ziqiu, Ci Ke pushed her away.
The situation changed too quickly, and Ye Youqing was unable to react in time. She watched as the masked person grabbed Ci Ke’s clothes and pulled her onto the horse, disappearing into the forest.
