Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 81

Volume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place

Exposed

Hua Wushang had Xiao Zhengyun force Xiao Quan to contact the border army as soon as possible and make plans for a coordinated palace seizure from within and without.

Her son was unfilial, actually drugging her daily meals, forcing her to do things, and even compelling her to hand over all her family assets.

            

Xiao Quan cried until her old tears streamed down, yet under the threat of the Gu poison​¹, she had no choice but to follow the method Xiao Zhengyun described.

Several people went back and forth, secretly plotting the palace coup. To prevent any news from leaking, Chen Zhou became Hua Wushang’s most trusted messenger.

On this day, Chen Zhou, under orders, quietly arrived at the Chancellor’s residence to deliver a top-secret message for Hua Wushang.

            

Just as she slipped into the courtyard, she saw an acquaintance, also a spy from Xuanji Tower, walking out with a swaddled infant.

Seeing this, she quickly called out to the person, “What are you doing?”

“Chancellor Xiao’s son doesn’t like her. Now he calls all the shots in the residence, even the Chancellor has to watch his expression. He even threatened to smash her to death before. The Chancellor is afraid Young Master Xiao—will kill her if he’s displeased, and she’ll lose her lineage, so she asked me to take the child out.”

            

Chen Zhou recognized at a glance that the baby girl in the swaddling clothes was the one she had stolen back then.

Back then, she had almost exposed her years of undercover identity for this child. Later, she had also expended considerable effort to send her to the capital. After so much effort then, now they wanted to send her away just like that.

Head of House Xiao was a businesswoman, but she was not harsh to people. When Chen Zhou had joined the Xiao family under the pretext of fleeing a famine, Head of House Xiao had let her eat her fill and dress warmly, and also valued her managerial abilities, promoting her to steward.

            

She had been undercover in the Xiao family for many years and had seen Head of House Xiao cry to the point of fainting over this child, and had also seen her spend all her family fortune searching for the child. For a moment, her feelings were mixed, and her heart felt somewhat pained.

She frowned slightly, “Did she say where to send her?”

“She said to first find a kind family, give them some silver, and have them help raise her for a while. When the time comes, she’ll be brought back.”

            

That was what was said, however, Xiao Quan was afflicted with Gu poison. Unless she died, she would have to obey Xiao Zhengyun for the rest of her life. Xiao Zhengyun couldn’t tolerate this child; most likely, he would have someone take the child out and abandon her, or else feed her to wild beasts.

Chen Zhou thought of Head of House Xiao, who was currently a guest at the Su Manor.

A perfectly fine person, who had also earned a considerable family fortune, now, having lost her daughter, had become half-mad and half-foolish. It was a lamentable sight. If she knew her daughter was lost or dead, she would probably be even more distressed.

            

The little baby in the swaddling clothes was fair and chubby, her innocent and cute appearance softened Chen Zhou’s hardened heart by a fraction.

She said, “I know a family that treats children extremely well. After I finish delivering the message later, you give the child to me, and I’ll send her to that family.”

Chen Zhou’s status in Xuanji Tower was higher than hers. The woman readily agreed, “Yes.”

            

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After guarding Tianyi Tower for many days, the person had still escaped like a golden cicada sheds its shell​². They had sent people to search for a whole day but found no one.

At dusk, Su Yi and the others returned by carriage, having achieved nothing.

The effects of the Silver Pearl Kou were about to wear off. Su Yi had been feeling increasingly fatigued these past few days; even a short walk outside would leave her very tired.

            

She was leaning against the carriage wall, resting with her eyes closed, when suddenly the horses were reined in sharply. Su Yi almost hit the carriage wall. Fortunately, Ji Qingchi quickly raised a hand to block it, preventing her from getting a bump on her forehead.

Ji Qingchi hurriedly leaned over and carefully examined her forehead, “Are you alright? Did you hit it?”

Su Yi shook her head, “I’m fine.”

            

Yan Can, who was sitting with them, lifted the curtain and angrily said to the coachwoman, “How can you be so careless! Miss’s constitution is not good. If you stop so suddenly, what if Miss gets hurt?”

“Miss, this servant deserves death.” The coachwoman quickly apologized, still shaken, “But there’s something ahead, this servant… this servant thinks it looks like a child. Just now, the horses almost stepped on it. This servant saw the situation was bad and pulled the reins. I beg Miss to forgive me.”

“Forget it, Yan Can, it’s not her fault.” Su Yi spoke, calling Yan Can back. Hearing there was an infant, she asked strangely, “You’re saying there’s an infant on the ground?”

            

The coachwoman nodded repeatedly, “Indeed, that’s right.”

Ji Qingchi stood up, “This Palace will go down and take a look.”

Walking to the front of the carriage, she saw it was indeed a child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

            

Well-nourished, fair and chubby, sound asleep. Left alone here, yet it didn’t even cry.

Ji Qingchi frowned and picked it up, looking around. This place was only a few dozen meters from the Su Manor. Apart from people from the Su Manor, no one else would pass by here.

Leaving the child here, it was clearly intentional, to give the child to the Su Manor.

            

Su Yi, supported by Yan Can, also came before her, “Your Highness, this is?”

Not seeing any suspicious people, Ji Qingchi held the child out for her to see, “I don’t know whose child this is.”

Seeing the child’s adorable appearance, Su Yi said, “The weather is still quite cold these days. Let’s carry her inside first, otherwise she’ll freeze.”

            

She beckoned to Yan Can, having her carry the child into the residence.

Hearing that Miss had picked up a child, everyone in the residence came to watch the excitement. Chen Zhou squeezed into the crowd, and when looking at the child with others, she deliberately leaned forward a few steps. Seeing the child, she feigned surprise, “Aiya!”

Su Yi, holding a hand warmer, sat listlessly in a wheelchair, “Steward Xiao, what’s wrong?”

            

Chen Zhou squeezed out tears, her face showing the ecstatic joy of having found something lost, “Miss, this is our young miss!”

“Really?” Ji Qingchi was half-convinced and half-doubting. They had searched for so long without finding her, how could she be found so easily now?

“It’s true, this commoner wouldn’t dare to deceive. Our young miss has a cherry blossom petal-shaped birthmark on her left arm from birth, and the back of her head is slightly indented. Your Highness and Miss can verify this.”

            

Shaoyao quickly carried the child over, lifted the little doll’s tender white arm, as tender as a lotus root, and indeed, it was so.

“Miss, there really is a birthmark.”

She then felt the back of the head; it was indeed somewhat indented.

            

Ji Qingchi smiled, “Besides these, are there any other features?”

When Ji Qingchi picked up the child, she noticed that the small clothes she was wearing were made of Yun Duan​³.

That satin was very rare, as soft as clouds and mist, particularly suitable for making clothes for young children. It was originally a tribute from Dongli Kingdom. When Xiao Quan had her fiftieth birthday, it happened to be when it was heard she had adopted a daughter. The Emperor Mother, to display imperial grace, had bestowed several bolts upon her to make clothes for the child. Since there were no young children left in the imperial palace, the remaining Yun Duan was all piled up in the royal warehouse.

            

That is to say, in this Yanxue Kingdom, only the Chancellor’s residence would use this Yun Duan.

So, during the time this child disappeared, she must have been sent to the Chancellor’s residence.

Now, reappearing on the only path to the Su Manor, no matter how one thought about it, it was suspicious.

            

And this so-called Steward Xiao was not someone who enjoyed watching a commotion. Sometimes, they wouldn’t even see her once a day. She had never appeared even during grand occasions like the imperial daughters sending gifts. Today, however, she acted out of character, without a single attendant, specifically coming to Su Yi’s courtyard just to see the child. It was too abnormal.

“This…” Chen Zhou hadn’t expected that even after she had said so much, this Ninth Princess still didn’t believe her. After thinking for a moment, she approached the child, “Indeed, there is one more thing. Our young miss has a gold bracelet on her wrist, made for her by the Head of House, with her name engraved on it.”

Shaoyao again lifted the child’s right arm, “Your Highness, there is a bracelet.”

            

Children grow up. As they grow, bracelets become small, sometimes even getting stuck on their hands and feet.

A family that loves its child would not put a bracelet on her when she is so young. What if it constricts the child?

So that bracelet was definitely not the handiwork of Head of House Xiao, who doted on her daughter as if she were her life. Isn’t it strange that Steward Xiao, who was always by Head of House Xiao’s side, could still speak nonsense?

            

Looking closely again, she found that the royal gemstones inlaid on the bracelet were also bestowed upon the Chancellor’s residence by the Emperor Mother. Ji Qingchi was completely certain: this child had indeed been abducted by the Chancellor’s residence before, and this Steward Xiao was a spy.

“Then this is truly a joyous occasion.” Ji Qingchi smiled faintly, “Steward Xiao, take the child back. Your Head of House will surely be overjoyed, perhaps her illness will immediately get better.”

“Yes, this commoner thanks Miss Su and the Ninth Highness on behalf of my Head of House.” Chen Zhou kowtowed to them several times, then joyfully picked up the child and returned to the courtyard where she and her Head of House resided.

            

Not long after she left, Ji Qingchi’s smile vanished. She ordered a guard, “Follow her.”

The guard followed stealthily, and the two hidden guards on standby outside also followed.

Su Yi asked, “Your Highness suspects her?”

            

“Sometimes, one has to be suspicious.” Ji Qingchi sat beside her, transferring zhenqi​⁴ to warm her body. “From the moment I saw her, This Palace noticed her. People without martial arts walk with heavy, slow steps. She, however, walks without making any sound. This Palace suspected then that she possessed martial arts. Her reaction just now upon seeing this child seemed more like it was rehearsed beforehand; I couldn’t see much surprise in her at all. Moreover, the clothes and items on this child clearly came from the Chancellor’s residence.”

Ji Qingchi had grown up in the imperial palace since childhood; what kind of people had she not seen? Those who harbored malicious intent, one face on the surface, another in their hearts, seemingly smiling, but actually plotting murder in their minds. She had seen too many and could discern the clues.

After the guard followed, she quickly returned to report, “Your Highness, there is nothing unusual.”

            

Head of House Xiao was half-mad. Having taken medicine, she hadn’t woken up yet. The people she brought only listened to Chen Zhou’s words, so of course, there wouldn’t be anything unusual.

Ji Qingchi understood in her heart and nodded, “You may leave.”

When evening came, the hidden guard returned and reported that there was nothing unusual with the child, Chen Zhou, or the Xiao family servants she had brought. Only one person was somewhat strange—Head of House Xiao had been sleeping intermittently all day.

            

The medicine prescribed by Feng Ruoqing was measured. Head of House Xiao had been gradually improving, usually sleeping only for one or two shichen​⁵. Today, it was as if she were possessed by a nightmare, unable to wake up no matter what.

Ji Qingchi smiled, “This is the biggest abnormality. Her own child has returned; even if she were sleepy, she would try her best to stay awake. This Head of House Xiao must know some of Chen Zhou’s secrets, which is why she ended up half-mad before. If Chen Zhou is not removed from her side, this Head of House Xiao will probably never become a normal person again.”

Su Yi coughed, “Have someone invite Steward Xiao over. Say we have something to give her young miss.”

            

Chen Zhou’s current identity had not yet been exposed. In order not to reveal her identity, she came as agreed. As soon as she arrived in the courtyard, Su Yi ordered the guards, “Seize her!”

Chen Zhou was greatly startled. In order not to expose her identity, she didn’t move recklessly, allowing the guards to grab her. “Miss Su, what are you doing? Even if you are powerful and noble, you can’t just arrest people randomly.”

She clamored about going to report to the officials. Ji Qingchi couldn’t be bothered to waste words with her, directly stepped forward, pressed her acupoints, and splashed oil on her face. The wrinkled face turned into that of a young woman.

            

Su Yi said with a grim face, “Another assassin from Xuanji Tower.”

“Chen Zhou?!” Shui Qing, carrying duck necks, passed by the courtyard. Seeing this scene, she exclaimed Chen Zhou’s name in surprise.

Chen Zhou’s expression turned ugly, and she immediately stopped shouting, “You traitor, you’re not allowed to call my name!”

            

Su Yi smiled faintly, “So you know each other. Then this matter will be easy to handle.”

As long as one is human, one will have weaknesses. Shui Qing’s weakness was eating. Chen Zhou was also human. Su Yi directly asked Shui Qing, “What is this companion of yours’ weakness?”

Before Shui Qing could answer, Ji Qingchi smiled, “No matter what her weakness is, the task of interrogating her is handed over to you, Beibei​⁶. By tomorrow, we want everything she knows. If you don’t get it out of her, you won’t have any more snacks in the future.”

            

Truly the heart of the most venomous imperial daughter.

Shui Qing, being threatened, looked at Su Yi with tears in her eyes, “Miss Su…”

“I think the Ninth Princess is right.” Su Yi said with a smile, “Not only snacks, if there’s no result by tomorrow, your future meals will also consist only of green vegetables.”

            

These two, one singing the lead and the other harmonizing, exasperated Shui Qing quite a bit, but she had no way to deal with them. For the sake of her future happiness, she had no choice but to stomp her foot, grit her teeth, and have someone tie Chen Zhou up and hang her from the eaves, to be slowly whipped with a soft whip.

Chen Zhou was afraid of death and also afraid of pain. The whip lashing her body was extremely painful. After being whipped for two shichen, she couldn’t bear it anymore and confessed everything.

After hearing about these plans, Ji Qingchi smiled and wrote a letter, having it sent to the border, telling the generals and supervising officials at the frontier to prepare. “Alright then, we’ll play along with them in this drama. When the time comes, we’ll see who will emerge victorious​⁷!”

            

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