An Eight-year-old Princess

Chapter 46 The gambit

"Watch out, Your Highness." Qian Yin was standing near Yun Shang. She shouted, rushed towards the

Princess, and pushed her away from the lake bank. In doing so, she slipped and fell into the lake.

"Someone has fallen in the water."

When Yun Shang realized what happened, she saw Qian Yin being swept away by the current. Yun

Shang squinted and raised her voice, "What are you waiting for? Save her." Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

The eunuchs who were following the women jumped into the lake and swam towards Qian Yin.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Qin Yi quickly walked to Yun Shang and asked. She sounded

anxious and concerned. Yun Shang shook her head. "I'm OK, yes. Qian Yin pushed me away in time.

But Qian Yin..."

Yun Shang frowned. Worry spread across her face.

"Don't worry, my daughter. We have so many people here. Your maid will be saved before any further

harm comes to her. The maid looks young and healthy. I'm sure she will be fine. She saved you at a

crucial time." The Empress walked to Yun Shang and patted her hands as she spoke gently.

Yun Shang nodded, "Yes..."

Seeing that Yun Shang couldn't remove her gaze from the water, and the worry on her face, the

Empress felt satisfied that the Princess' concern was genuine. She said no more.

"We got her. We got her, Your Highness." The eunuchs who had jumped in after Qian Yin, brought the

maid ashore. Yun Shang rushed to her maid. Qian Yin spat out water and looked weak. Seeing her like

this, Yun Shang crouched near her and asked with concern, "Qian Yin, how do you feel now?"

Qian Yin looked at Yun Shang and shook her head, "I'm OK, as long as you're OK."

Then she fainted.

"What are you waiting for? Bring the Imperial Physician here." The Empress's voice came from behind,

She sounded genuinely sincere. Yun Shang noticed that Qian Yin's hand moved a bit. She lowered her

head and smiled.

After the accident, it took a while for Qingxin Palace to quiet down. Yun Shang went to the bed and sat

down. She spoke softly, "They are all gone now. Drop the act."

The maid first opened one eye, looked at Yun Shang, then slowly opened her other eye. Yun Shang

found her funny, but pretended to be angry. "Did the Empress set this up?"

Qian Yin nodded, "The Empress sent her orders through a young eunuch who is in charge of delivering

food. It was urgent, and I didn't know whether anyone was eavesdropping on us. That's why I didn't tell

you. But I think Your Highness had already figured something was going to happen. The fragrans

sachet..."

The fragrans sachet smells like styrax, which is the Empress's favorite.

Yun Shang understood what Qian Yin meant. It was the smell of styrax that forced her to agree to Qian

Yin's suggestion to walk the Imperial Garden. However, Yun Shang had not figured out why.

"The Empress has probably heard that although I'm now welcomed in Qingxin Palace, you don't like

me. She wanted to help. The Empress had someone ask me to bring Your Highness to the Imperial

Garden. She said she would arrange an accident, and that I needed to pay full attention on you. If

anything happened, I should be the first to react and come to your rescue. Getting hurt a little would be

better." Qian Yin smiled and blinked as she waited for Yun Shang to speak.

"I see now. The Empress is really impatient. You have only been here for a few days." Yun Shang

spoke softly.

Qian Yin thought about it before she replied, "Your Highness, the winter solstice is coming. It's the day

when His Majesty pays his respects to the Heavens. Before I came to your Palace, the Empress had

asked me to gain Your Highness's full trust before the winter solstice. I think that..."

"You're saying that the Empress wants to deal with me during the winter solstice?" Yun Shang smiled

grimly, "I thought so. It is true that I am not a prisoner in my Palace. But a man is coming to hurt me. I

don't intend to hurt the Empress, but she refuses to leave me along. Well, in that case, let me take the

lead this time."

Hearing her, Qian Yin sat up from bed. Her eyes shone. "What do you want to do? I have long been

unhappy with the Empress. Your Highness, make sure that she won't be able to regain her power this

time."

Yun Shang smiled, "Don't worry. Let me see what she wants to do first."

Qian Yin nodded and added, "Your Highness, let me tell you something interesting. His Majesty has not

visited Qiwu Palace in two months. It seems that the Empress has been in a bad mood as well. I heard

that the Empress is selecting good-looking maids from her Palace to seduce His Majesty thus earning

his favor again."

"Really? What a thing! Then I must help her." Yun Shang smiled coldly, "Good-looking maid in Qiwu

Palace? I just happen to know one."

"Qian Yin, tell me what positions our people hold in the Empress's Palace."

Qian Yin looked around carefully and then walked up to Yun Shang and whispered. Yun Shang nodded

as she understood. "It is not a place to be easily noticed. Try to send her a message and ask her to do

something for me." Yun Shang thought of something else. She leaned closer to Qian Yin and then said

a few words. Qian Yin's eyes brightened. She nodded repeatedly and said, "I understand."

It was just after noon. The brightly shinning sun was rapidly replaced with thundering clouds. The

heavens opened shortly after, and rain poured down in angry torrents. In a small room behind Qiwu

Palace, a person lay on the bed with her feet in her arms, looking miserable.

"Somebody please come and help..." Her voice trembled. A long time passed and still no one came.

The person on the bed endured tremendous pain as she sat up. She put on her shoes and struggled to

stand. Light entering through the window shone on her face. Qin Meng had no need for the warmth

from the light. Her life was perpetually covered in gloom. She tentatively walked towards the door. Each

step was as painful as walking on a knife.

"Anyone? Please fetch me a basin of hot water." Such was the effort to stand and walk that tiny beads

of sweat oozed from her forehead. She heard a voice outside, but the person seemed not to pay her

any attention.

Qin Meng dragged her aching legs closer to the door. The sound outside became clearer. Qin Meng

stopped to listen. "Have you heard her? How miserable she sounds."

Another voice said, "She still thinks it's Qingxin Palace. This is Qiwu Palace. Now, for Her Majesty, she

is useless. Her Majesty wanted to put Qian Yin in Qingxin Palace, that's why she brought her here. A

cripple. When Qian Yin secures her place in Qingxin Palace, I guess that is the day Meng will

disappear."

"You're not wrong. I heard that Qian Yin saved Princess Hui Guo in the Imperial Garden the other day.

Your Highness was so grateful. Qian Yin has gained her trust."

"Right. Forget about this crap. Leave her alone. It doesn't matter if she's dead or not. By the way, I

heard that the Empress was very angry yesterday. Do you know why?"

"His Majesty hasn't came to Qiwu Palace in a long time. Her Majesty wanted to choose a maid to send

to him to keep his heart. But she couldn't find a satisfactory one. She was annoyed."

"Shh, that's a big deal. Be careful..."

Their voices gradually disappeared. Neither maid had guessed that behind the door, Qin Meng's whole

body was shaking. She clenched her teeth as tears slid from her eyes. "Scrap, I have become useless

scrap." She mumbled to no one in particular.

After all these years in the Palace, Qin Meng knew exactly what fate awaited abandoned scrap. It was

because she knew this that she was particularly afraid. She felt like the tip of a knife was pricking her

throat.

Qin Meng gnashed her teeth. No, she didn't want to die.

But, what could she do?

Qin Meng dragged her aching legs back to the bed and sat down. Now the Empress regard her as

scrap, and there was a new maid in Qingxin Palace. Who in this Palace would help her?

Qin Meng thought for a long time, then slowly raised her head. Determination reflected in her eyes. She

knew she need a chance, a chance to change her destiny.