Chapter 50

Chapter 50 Xie Run climbed halfway up the hillside with her maidservants, reaching a spot that offered a complete view of Spring Mountain Court, along with the large stretch of land before the courtyard. "This is a good location. In the future, we could build a pavilion here and name it Half-Mountain Pavilion." "It would serve both as a scenic overlook and a place to rest." She paused, then pointed toward a bamboo grove ahead. "That must be Concubine Li's Pure Bamboo Pavilion, right?" Dantao: "Exactly. Perhaps within the next day or two, Concubine Li will come to pay her respects to you, mistress." When a Concubine Consort moves to a new residence, concubines are expected to call and offer congratulations. "After Concubine Han and Concubine Li entered the household, aside from that one scene they caused, they've both been remarkably well-behaved." In the original book, the two had joined forces upon entering the household to fight Fang Yuan'er and Wan Linlang, stirring the rear courtyard into a muddy mess. Now that circumstances were different, both had also settled into docility. Xie Run smiled. "They're both clever people." With that, she said, "Let's head back." On the way down the mountain, Xie Run suddenly stumbled on a rock and nearly fell to the ground. It was Dantao and Xiaoshu who reacted quickly, catching her just in time. Once they confirmed Xie Run was unharmed, Dantao—who was usually even-tempered—lost her temper for the first time ever. "What's going on? How is there a rock here?!" She had personally overseen the renovation of Spring Mountain Court. The terrain on this half of the mountain was naturally uneven, so during the repairs, Dantao had specifically instructed that there must not be a single loose stone or stray weed anywhere. Right after the renovation was completed, Dantao had inspected the area three times a day to ensure there was no danger whatsoever. Now, on the very first day the mistress had moved in, she'd tripped on a loose stone and nearly fallen. How could Dantao not be furious? The other maidservants all said, "We don't know either." Dantao's eyes reddened with anger as she said to Xie Run, "I gave every instruction, forbidding even half a loose stone on this path. I even checked it carefully on the way up, and yet on the way down, you nearly fell." "I'm not afraid of accidents—I'm afraid someone deliberately wants to harm you, mistress!" Xie Run took her hand. "Don't be angry. I wasn't being careful either." Chunjuan crouched down to examine the spot from two different angles, then immediately said, "Mistress, this stone is placed in a hidden position. You can't see it going uphill, but if you step on it carelessly coming down, you could break a bone." Xie Run furrowed her brow. She had initially thought Dantao was simply overreacting—that she'd merely stepped on a pebble while walking. But hearing Chunjuan's words, it seemed someone really might be trying to harm her. Xie Run: "Don't spread the news for now. Investigate quietly within the courtyard." She glanced at Chunjuan. "You're sharp. I'll leave this matter to you. Handle it well, and there will naturally be a reward." Chunjuan quickly expressed her gratitude. Just then, Hongxi suddenly called out, "Mistress, this ground has been disturbed." Xie Run turned to look and saw Hongxi lifting up a patch of turf, revealing a stone buried beneath. Chunjuan immediately felt the ground in other areas. "This spot has been disturbed too." In no time, they uncovered seven or eight patches of turf with stones buried underneath. Chunjuan said, "The soil is a bit dry—this wasn't done in the last day or two." Xie Run's smile carried a hint of mockery. "It seems whoever this is knows my habit of taking walks and deliberately arranged this trap along my path." Dantao: "Mistress, should we report this to the Princess Consort?" Xie Run shook her head. "Go and inform her. And pass along a message for me—tell her I don't wish to make a big fuss." Xie Run had a feeling. This matter probably wouldn't yield any results. She hadn't been hurt, and if she made a huge scene, it would likely invite even more trouble. "Yes." As they were about to leave, they discovered that Xiaoshu had twisted her ankle while catching Xie Run earlier. Xie Run told her to go rest and also sent her a good supply of medicine. When the Princess Consort received the news, she also sent someone over to offer comfort. That evening, Prince Jing arrived. He asked a couple of casual questions, then brought up another matter. "You asked me for someone last time. She'll be delivered to Spring Mountain Court tomorrow." "Really?" Xie Run's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. "Of course it's true." Prince Jing's tone was steady. "With her by your side, you'll be more secure." Xie Run took Prince Jing's arm and thanked him. "Thank you, Prince." The next day, a maidservant named Zihu was delivered to Spring Mountain Court. Xie Run placed her in the position of second-class maidservant, but privately paid her a first-class maidservant's allowance from her own funds. From then on, she would serve as a personal bodyguard, accompanying Xie Run wherever she went. Hongxi teased, "Our courtyard has already gathered pink, red, and green—now we've added purple." "At this rate, we'll truly be a riot of colors, a blaze of blossoms." The others laughed along. Zihu had a slightly sallow complexion and a petite frame. She seemed rather shy and bashful, lowering her head and blushing whenever anyone teased her. But Xie Run, knowing that the girl could practice medicine and martial arts, didn't dare underestimate her in the slightest. Two days later, the first heavy snowfall of the year arrived. Chunjuan still hadn't found out who was trying to harm Xie Run. He hung his head low and came before Xie Run to confess his failure. "The first task you entrusted to me, and I couldn't accomplish it. Please punish me, mistress." Xie Run was roasting tangerines over the charcoal fire. She didn't care for eating roasted tangerines, but she loved the fresh, elegant citrus fragrance that dispelled the stuffy smell of charcoal in the room. She peeled open a small tangerine, her smile gentle. "This was within my expectations. Why would I punish you?" Chunjuan looked up in confusion, a hint of unease flickering in his eyes. "Stones were buried under the turf, clearly placed there before we moved in. At that time, there were barely any people in Chunshan Courtyard—it wouldn't have been difficult at all to do something underhanded without being noticed." "The stone I stepped on that day wasn't buried under the turf—it was on the path." Chunjuan's eyes sharpened. "Are you saying, mistress, that more than one person was involved?" Xie Run gave a slight nod. "A large group of us went up the mountain, walking back and forth. Even if someone quietly dropped a stone and stepped on it, who would have noticed?" "This matter is trivial—it didn't harm me, and it involves several parties. If you investigate, you're bound to find many people with suspicion, which leaves you with nowhere to start." There was surprise in Chunjuan's eyes, and even more admiration. "Exactly so." He had indeed found several people, and fearing that digging deeper would implicate everyone and leave him with even less clarity, he had steeled himself to come and confess his failure to Xie Run. But after his mistress's analysis, Chunjuan now had a vague sense of direction. "Let this matter end here. If we investigate further, the morale of Chunshan Courtyard will be thrown into chaos." Xie Run said gently, "You're about to go on duty—take two roasted tangerines to eat." Tears welled in Chunjuan's eyes as he immediately bowed to Xie Run. "Thank you for your generosity, mistress!" What Xie Run had bestowed was not tangerines—it was his dignity. This was a message to everyone in Chunshan Courtyard: even if Chunjuan hadn't handled things well, the mistress still trusted him. How could Chunjuan not be moved? Once the heavy snow began this year, it seemed it wouldn't stop. Xie Run didn't dare risk a stroll, so she could only stay cooped up in her room. Fang Yuan'er, apparently frightened by the poisoning incident, had—despite her usual high profile—stayed shut inside Xiachi Courtyard for two consecutive months. Consort Yun had always been a low-key person. With these three falling silent, the entire rear courtyard of the prince's residence seemed to quiet down as well. During these two months, a few interesting things had also happened. One was that Concubine Wan had finally served Prince Jing. Unfortunately, the matter wasn't exactly honorable, and it had left Prince Jing quite furious.