Chapter 772: The Exquisite Little Palace Maids

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but find it odd. 

With Emperor Xizong’s current weakness, the court’s power was divided among the Empress and a few influential ministers. Given Empress Pei Man’s status and authority, it made no sense for her to be so wary of a young man, especially as his elder.

As it turned out, Emperor Xizong was in poor health. Despite his long reign, he had only one son. The son born to Pei Man was named Crown Prince, but tragically, he died young. Since then, Pei Man had not borne another son, while another concubine in the harem gave birth to a prince—the current King Wei.

Though King Wei was not of legitimate birth, he was Xizong’s only surviving son. It was clear to all that he would inherit the throne. While King Wei’s mother remained somewhat restrained, King Wei himself lacked such tact, openly displaying his ambitions. 

Pei Man had been humiliated by him several times but always chose to avoid confrontation.

Song Qingshu was unaware of these details at the time. Only later, after thorough investigation, did he uncover the complex relationships within the palace.

“Your Majesty is truly just in rewards and punishments. For such a disrespectful servant, sparing his life is already a mercy,” King Wei laughed loudly.

Empress Pei Man’s heart simmered with anger, but she responded coolly, “What brings King Wei to my palace so early in the morning?”

“Oh,” King Wei replied casually, “I came to pay my respects to Your Majesty.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Pei Man said, though King Wei had shown no intention of actually paying respects.

King Wei smirked, entirely devoid of reverence. Suddenly, he stretched lazily, as if tired from standing. Without asking permission, he pulled a nearby chair and sat down, then beckoned a palace maid for tea, acting as if he were in his own home.

The maid glanced at the Empress, who remained expressionless. With no choice, the maid fetched a cup of tea. King Wei took it, swirled it in his mouth, then spat it all back into the cup.

Pei Man’s eyelid twitched. “Is this fine West Lake Longjing not to King Wei’s taste?”

King Wei gave a strange laugh. “The tea is good, but after a recent poisoning attempt, I’m cautious about what I consume. Better safe than sorry.”

Pei Man suppressed her anger. “Are you suggesting I would poison you?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” King Wei said, feigning apology, but added pointedly, “Still, caution is wise, especially since I’m Father’s only heir now.”

Pei Man’s expression darkened. His words struck at her deepest pain. If King Wei weren’t Xizong’s only son, would she tolerate such arrogance? The memory of her lost child made her face grow even grimmer.

“Haha, my respects are paid, so I’ll take my leave,” King Wei said, sensing he’d pushed far enough. As he passed two kneeling palace maids, he caught a glimpse of their faces, and his eyes gleamed with astonishment. “To think such beauties exist in this world—and sisters, no less!”

Though each had distinct features, their brows bore a slight resemblance. With his vast experience, King Wei immediately recognized their sibling bond.

Before Pei Man could respond, he spoke again. “Your Majesty, my residence lacks a couple of maids to serve tea. These two seem perfect. Would you be so kind as to part with them?”

Pei Man gave a faint, enigmatic smile. “Any other maid in my palace is yours for the taking, but these two have special status. I’d advise you not to pursue them.”

King Wei paused, then sneered. “What status could two little maids have? In this palace, aside from Father, is there any woman more esteemed than me?”

Noticing Pei Man’s slight change in expression, he added with a smile, “Of course, Your Majesty is an exception.” His clarification only made it clearer he was targeting her.

Pei Man’s gaze sharpened, but she smiled. “If you truly want them, I won’t stop you. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you—you won’t bear the consequences.”

‘She’s just playing tricks,’ King Wei thought, scoffing inwardly. ‘Two maids? When I ascend the throne, by steppe tradition, all of Father’s women—save my mother—will be mine. You’ll be nothing but a plaything under me.’

“Let’s see what consequences,” King Wei said, striding toward the maids. “Since Your Majesty doesn’t mind, I’ll gladly take them.”

“Ah!” As King Wei approached, the two maids, as if stunned, exchanged a shocked glance, then looked desperately at the Empress. But Pei Man remained impassive, as if oblivious to the scene.

“Don’t be reckless, King Wei. We are…” the elder maid began, but King Wei cut her off with a flick of his sleeve. “I don’t care who you are. Even if you’re the Seven Fairies, you’re coming with me.” Sneering, he reached for their hands.

The maids cried out, instinctively trying to dodge, but after kneeling so long, their legs buckled as they stood, and they fell back to the floor. King Wei grinned wickedly, lunging forward to grab at their chests with lewd intent.

Song Qingshu frowned, debating whether to intervene discreetly to teach this shameless prince a lesson. But he hesitated, wary of being noticed by the yellow robed woman. Glancing at her, he was stunned to see her trembling, lips bitten, fingers clenched white.

“Why is she reacting so strongly? Is it because women naturally despise such vile tactics?” Song Qingshu wondered.

“Die, you b*stard!” Suddenly, the yellow robed woman let out a furious cry, charging at King Wei with her sword.

“What the—!” Song Qingshu was dumbfounded. 

Wasn’t she here for the Empress? Why attack King Wei? She didn’t seem so impulsive normally.

The hall erupted in chaos. Palace maids and eunuchs screamed and scattered, leaving King Wei frozen, staring at the approaching sword, unable to move a finger.

Just as the yellow robed woman’s blade neared King Wei, a shout rang out: “Courting death!” 

A guard at King Wei’s side blocked her sword with his saber. Shielding the prince, he pressed the attack, and the two exchanged dozens of blows in an instant.

Song Qingshu watched, secretly alarmed. The guard had seemed unremarkable, yet he was a top-tier expert. 

The yellow robed woman was gradually losing ground. Though injured, even at her peak, she might not have bested him.

Guards from outside stormed in, first shielding Empress Pei Man, then forming a loose circle around the fighters.

As more guards closed in, the yellow robed woman grew anxious, knowing the situation was turning against her. She tried to break free, but the unnamed guard was relentless, thwarting her every attempt. After a few exchanges, she became increasingly cornered.

From his perch on a beam, Song Qingshu’s eyes narrowed. Though he didn’t understand her impulsiveness, he couldn’t let her be captured by Jin guards. But both the guard and the yellow robed woman were experts—intervening without revealing himself would be tricky.

Then he noticed King Wei nearby. With a flick of his finger, Song Qingshu sent a wisp of sword Qi toward him.

“Ah!” King Wei let out a bloodcurdling scream.

The unnamed guard, startled by the cry, glanced back. 

Seeing King Wei clutching his ear, blood seeping through his fingers, he couldn’t focus on the yellow robed woman. With a swift step, he rushed to the prince’s side. “Your Highness, are you alright?”

Seizing the chance, the yellow robed woman darted out of the hall. The remaining guards couldn’t stop her—she leaped away and vanished into the distance.

As she fled, she glanced back at the Empress’s palace, puzzled. Someone had clearly helped her from the shadows, yet she hadn’t sensed anyone else in the hall. Was this hidden expert’s skill so profound? Or were they one of the Empress’s people?

*****

In the hall, King Wei’s wound had been bandaged. No longer in the mood to harass the maids, he sneered at the Empress. “Heh, lucky Father assigned me this shadow guard, or I might not have left Your Majesty’s chambers alive.”

Pei Man replied calmly, “Are you implying I sent that assassin?”

“You know best,” King Wei said with a cold laugh.

“If I recall, the assassin shouted, ‘Die, you b*stard!’ And it was a woman. Could it be a romantic debt you incurred somewhere?” Pei Man’s voice turned icy. “I haven’t even held you accountable for bringing an assassin here.”

“You!” King Wei shot to his feet, but his shadow guard quickly stepped in, whispering, “Your Highness, there was an assassin in the palace recently. This woman matches the description from a few days ago.”

King Wei frowned. “Fine, I’ll get to the bottom of this today. Someone, summon Wanyan Tesi, the Palace Guard Commander!”

With an assassin causing chaos in the Empress’s palace and involving King Wei, Wanyan Tesi, responsible for palace security, was already on his way. 

Soon, he arrived. 

“Your humble servant Wanyan Tesi pays respects to Your Majesty and Your Highness.”