The hand is finally stained with blood (3)

As soon as Xiao Luzi left, I hurried to my feet and followed quietly in his wake. Just as I expected, he headed straight for the Pavilion of Cherished Jade. After his hurried knock, that wretched Xiao Jing peeked out, quickly pulling him inside. What they would discuss didn’t much concern me; I could easily guess seven or eight parts of it.

The reason Xiao Luzi returned today with such a troubled brow, I suspected, was because the matter with Ping’er had come to fruition. I had handed the pearl earring to Ping’er, deliberately instructing her to act with discernment—to let it fall right before His Majesty, so that he would pick it up. With a subtle reminder from Ping’er, the Emperor might recall seeing this very ornament worn by Lin Tanwei. Whether he went himself or sent someone to deliver it, once Lin Tanwei—guilty as she was—caught sight of it, she would be seized by fear of exposure.

So Xiao Luzi, pretending to return to the Steward’s Office, was most likely summoned and scolded by Lin Tanwei. With such “carelessness” on his part, Lin Tanwei would surely have harsh words for him. Xiao Luzi himself probably couldn’t understand how one pearl earring from a perfect pair had ended up at the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He might even begin to suspect that his doings were already known to others.

With Yunqing’s cooperation, a rumor was sent to Lanyan. Lanyan, ever eager to gossip, would pass on anything she heard. With a little embellishment and analysis of the situation, she would remain half convinced, half skeptical—both about me and about whether Xiao Luzi was truly a spy. However she treated me, she would treat Xiao Luzi in the same manner. With even Lanyan catching wind of this, and Yunqing’s recent attentive care for me, Xiao Luzi’s suspicions would only deepen.

And the fact that he sought out Lin Tanwei that very night confirmed my guess: Xiao Luzi was rattled.

When I had been wrongly accused of being a traitor, I was immediately given a cup of poisoned wine. What about him? To save his own skin, Xiao Luzi would surely negotiate with Lin Tanwei tonight.

I returned to Cuiwei Palace and waited quite some time before seeing Xiao Luzi finally come back. Watching him, I noticed he seemed to be holding something, a faint, cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

The next day, while I was still sweeping the courtyard, I saw Xiao Luzi appear pale as a ghost, coughing with every step as though he had taken ill.

He went to attend to Zhang Bitong, who eyed him with disgust. “Get away from me at once—don’t bring your sickness near me!”

Yunqing quickly chimed in, “Stand farther away, Xiao Luzi. What’s wrong with you?”

Xiao Luzi withdrew to the doorway, knelt, and said, “This humble servant doesn’t know what’s wrong. I woke up this morning with a headache and fever, and can’t stop coughing. I fear I won’t be able to serve Your Ladyship properly.”

“Stay in your own quarters and don’t come out until you’re well,” Zhang Bitong ordered.

“Thank you for your understanding, Your Ladyship. But I do not know if I am contagious, and the constant coughing might disturb Your Ladyship. Therefore, I beg leave to return to the Steward’s Office. If Steward Qiu could assign me some other chores, away from others, that would be best.”

I immediately understood—Xiao Luzi was trying to escape. Once he left Cuiwei Palace, how could this matter be investigated further? Not being a servant of Cuiwei Palace, Zhang Bitong would have no authority over him.

He had thought it through well.

Impatiently, Zhang Bitong waved him off. “Go then, and have the Steward’s Office send another eunuch in your place.”

“Yes, I will pack right away. Thank you—cough, cough—”

“No more thanks, just go!” Zhang Bitong said, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. She turned to Yunqing, “Burn some mugwort to clear the air. Leave no trace of him.”

“Yes, I’ll see to it immediately.”

Zhang Bitong disappeared into her inner chambers. I exchanged a look with Yunqing, who nodded slightly. Setting down my broom, I went straight to find Xiao Luzi.

Inside, he was packing. When he saw me, he tried to shield something with his body and snapped, “What are you doing here? Her Ladyship didn’t permit you to return.”

I replied, “We have both served the same master before. Seeing you unwell, I came to check on you. Do you need help? Shall I carry your things back to the Steward’s Office?”

“No need, no need. I don’t want you catching anything. Cough, cough, stay away.”

“Oh, Steward, you’re coughing so badly. Let me pour you some tea to soothe your throat.” Without waiting for his reply, I turned to fetch the tea, quietly sprinkling the poison from under my fingernail into the cup. It was such a small amount, there would be no trace.

This was a precaution. If Zhang Bitong, seeing his condition, chose not to have him executed, he would slip away. Xiao Luzi, don’t blame me. Blame your own greed; I bear you no grudge, yet you forced me to the brink of death.

Turning back, I handed him the tea. “Please, Steward, drink this to soothe your throat.”

Impatient and eager to hide something from me, he gulped it down and shooed me away. “Leave now, don’t get in my way.”

“I’ll take my leave then.” I stepped out, waiting in the courtyard for him to finish packing. The scent of mugwort filled the air.

Yunqing had placed a bunch at the door and glanced at me. Soon, Xiao Luzi emerged, bundle on his back. I immediately called out, “Aunt Yunqing, I just saw Xiao Luzi take some of Her Ladyship’s jewelry.”

Xiao Luzi glared at me. “Xiao Xiaozi, you’re slandering me! When did I take Her Ladyship’s jewelry?”

Yunqing said, “Did you take something, Xiao Luzi? Why would Xiao Xiaozi accuse you for no reason?”

“He’s framing me on purpose! Aunt, I didn’t take anything.”

I said, “If you didn’t, then open your bundle and let Aunt Yunqing check. If there’s nothing, you’re free to go.”

Xiao Luzi grew flustered. “Aunt, please see reason. There is nothing but a few clothes in my bundle. You can ask Her Ladyship if she’s missing anything.”

I scoffed, “Aunt Yunqing is always by Her Ladyship’s side; there’s no jewelry she wouldn’t know about.”

Yunqing caught my meaning at once. “Now that you mention it, I recall a gold hairpin Her Ladyship used to wear has gone missing. Xiao Luzi, could it be you took it?”

“No, I’m innocent! I swear I took nothing.”

“Let’s check and be done with it,” Lanyan said. “When Xiao Xiaozi was accused of being a traitor, wasn’t a jade bracelet found on him? Let’s search you now—if there’s nothing, no one will make it hard for you.”

“I didn’t! I truly didn’t—” As Xiao Luzi spoke, his face contorted in pain. I thought, the poison is acting; I mustn’t let him die before the truth is revealed.

“Xiao Luzi, you keep refusing to let us check your bundle. Is there really something inside you don’t want us to see?” I questioned him.

He denied desperately, “No, no, Xiao Xiaozi, you’re trying to harm me!”

“Lanyan, Xiao Xiaozi, search his bundle for Her Ladyship. If there’s nothing, Cuiwei Palace will not wrong you.”

Lanyan and I stepped forward. Despite his struggles, we wrested the bundle away and opened it before Yunqing. At last, we found a wooden box. At the sight of it, Xiao Luzi trembled in terror.

Lanyan handed the box to Yunqing, who opened it to reveal gold and an earring.

Lanyan remarked, “This earring looks just like Her Ladyship’s pair. Is it hers?”

Yunqing shook her head, “No, it’s not Her Ladyship’s—her pair is still with her. But I know whose it is. Xiao Luzi, you’ve got some nerve—to collude with outsiders, to frame Xiao Xiaozi, and to harm Her Ladyship.”

Lanyan went inside and escorted Zhang Bitong out. “What’s all this noise?” she demanded.

Yunqing showed her the items. “The stolen goods are here. No wonder he was so eager to leave—he was heading to the Pavilion of Cherished Jade, wasn’t he?”

At a glance, Zhang Bitong recognized the earring. “This was given to you by that wretch? So you’re the one who betrayed me!”

Xiao Luzi’s legs gave out and he dropped to his knees in terror.

I knelt as well. “Your Ladyship, I asked the musicians—when you went to the Eastern Palace, they had already arrived but left because you weren’t there. That day, only Xiao Luzi spoke with them. I always wondered: unless someone watched you rehearse, how could others know you were practicing the Hu dance or which musicians you’d chosen? Yet Consort Tan saw for herself. If Xiao Luzi questioned the musicians, and Consort Tan checked the records, she could easily imitate your dance and select the same musicians. I dare not deceive Your Ladyship. Days ago, I saw Xiao Luzi visiting Consort Tan’s Pavilion of Cherished Jade, being quite friendly with her maid Xiao Jing. Your Ladyship is wise—at last, the truth is revealed.”

“Ah, Xiao Luzi! You’ve deceived me for so long and tried to pin it on Xiao Xiaozi. What a fine performance you and Lin Tanwei have given me, taking me for a fool! Today I’ll not spare you. In fact, I’ll drag you before His Majesty and have that wretch confront you face to face!”

“Have mercy, Your Ladyship! I was momentarily confused—it was Consort Tan who forced me!”

Yunqing snapped, “Forced you? By then, Consort Tan had already been demoted to the Laundry Bureau. Forced you? Think before you lie, Xiao Luzi!”

“This—”

“No more excuses! Come with me to see His Majesty. Killing you a thousand times could not ease my anger!”

“Your Ladyship, I was wrong, I—” Before he could finish, the poison took hold. Blood gushed from Xiao Luzi’s mouth, more and more, until he collapsed, convulsing, on the ground.

He fell facing me, his eyes fixed upon me in death. He must have realized who had killed him, but alas, he could not speak.

“What—what’s happening?” Zhang Bitong asked, flustered.

Yunqing steadied her and stepped back. “He must have had some kind of fever, and with the stress, it overtook him.”

“How unlucky! Dispose of his body at once. If it was some plague, burn everything he touched—leave nothing behind.”

“Yes,” Yunqing replied. “Xiao Xiaozi, Lanyan, wrap up his things and take care of the body.”

“But—what if—” Lanyan hesitated.

“Don’t worry, Lanyan. I’ll take his upper body, you take his legs. There’s nothing to fear.”

“All right. Thank you, Xiao Xiaozi.”

“It's nothing. I’m just glad my name has been cleared.”

I gazed at the corpse. Not long ago, he had been warm, alive, speaking—now he lay still and lifeless. Human life is truly fragile.

At fifteen, I learned how to kill.

From the moment my hands were stained with blood, I knew they would never be clean again.