Volume One, Chapter 11: Far-Reaching Strategy

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After a moment’s thought, her gaze, sharp as a blade, swept across the terrified faces present, causing even the palace maids and eunuchs lurking outside to feel a chill run down their spines.

“How much silver charcoal have you used? You’ll repay the Imperial Household Department with twice the amount in money…” She paused, her voice dropping to a low tone.

“I suppose you’ve heard that I was personally appointed by the Empress Dowager to serve in the Xuanshi Palace. Don’t think that after all the trouble you’ve caused, my long patience means I won’t resist. Neglecting the heir apparent—if this reaches the Empress Dowager, none of you will have a good outcome…”

“Yes… we understand,” Linlang said hastily, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. The rumors were true after all. She had thought this wild girl had somehow bribed the steward to get in.

The commotion in the side hall was naturally loud. Xu Qingxun had already paced to the main gate of the residence. Dressed in a black brocade robe, its wide sleeves hanging casually at his sides, his collar slightly open, a few strands of black hair falling over his shoulder, he squinted toward the distant buildings. His eyes slowly gleamed with an unusual light.

From then on, Linlang and the others behaved much more obediently before Lou Hongling. When she had some leisure moments, Lou Hongling quietly thought she should find time to visit Zhang Zhiqiu.

Today, the sky was clear and the weather pleasant.

Having shed her status as a palace maid from Yongxiang Palace, she no longer wore the cyan-green quju robe but instead donned a pale pink dress. In a hurry, she lifted her skirt and jogged along the palace path.

Among the bustling crowd of palace maids in blue, she stood out distinctly. Occasionally, someone who recognized her greeted warmly:

“Hongling sister, long time no see.”

Lou Hongling responded to each greeting and then asked,

“Has anyone seen Zhiqiu?”

“I just saw her head that way; she’s already moved to a new place.”

“Alright, thank you.”

She arrived at a tidy and clean courtyard and found the room where Zhang Zhiqiu was staying.

“Zhiqiu, are you there?”

“Hongling!”

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Before Lou Hongling could open the door herself, Zhang Zhiqiu eagerly flung it open. The first thing visible was her lovely face framed by almond-shaped eyes sparkling with mischief. Without hesitation, Zhang Zhiqiu stepped forward and embraced her, her eyes shining with joy, quickly pulling her inside.

Lou Hongling looked around the room and couldn’t help but sigh in relief—this was far more comfortable than their old leaky, drafty quarters.

Zhang Zhiqiu pouted slightly:

“It’s definitely better than before, but living here all alone is so lonely.”

Lou Hongling gently stroked her head. In their previous life, Zhang Zhiqiu had entered the palace one or two months earlier than she had, and for three years they had basically been inseparable.

Now, being separated into two different rooms was naturally difficult to adjust to. Thinking of this, Lou Hongling squeezed their tightly clasped hands more firmly.

She pursed her lips, pondering:

“Zhiqiu, actually, I didn’t want to enter the Xuanshi Palace for no reason.”

“I know!” Zhang Zhiqiu’s eyes shone with certainty.

“Hongling, you never liked to seek the spotlight. Others think you want to climb the ranks by clinging to power, but I know you must…”

Her voice lowered to a whisper at the end:

“You’re actually still bitter about General Lou’s wrongful conviction, aren’t you?”

Lou Hongling was slightly surprised that Zhang Zhiqiu’s intuition was half right. She also realized that perhaps in the past few years, the feelings she had thought carefully hidden were as clear as day to Zhang Zhiqiu. This brought her both comfort and emotion.

“Zhiqiu, I’m sorry, I can’t say much.”

Lou Hongling’s words confirmed Zhang Zhiqiu’s guess, but beyond that, she could not say more.

Zhang Zhiqiu waved her hand casually:

“I understand. You’re worried about my safety, but Hongling, you must protect yourself first. If anything happens, let me help—you can count on me.”

She puffed out her cheeks, smiled with pursed lips, confidently thumped her chest, and began telling Lou Hongling about her life since moving here:

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“You don’t know, Aunt Zhang treats me much better now than before, even giving me easier tasks…”

Lou Hongling smiled silently. After all, she had spent no small sum smoothing things over in Yongxiang Palace these days. Zhang Zhiqiu foolishly thought it was simply because of her status as a palace maid serving the emperor, but Lou Hongling knew better. They had suffered too much in Yongxiang before, and now all that mattered was that she could live a little more comfortably.

Inside the Changle Palace,

Empress Dowager Deng lounged lazily on a sandalwood armchair. The embroidered quilt on the chair was stitched with golden threads, warm to the touch, edged with a fluffy ring of sable fur.

Her eyes half-closed, she toyed with a string of jade-green prayer beads. Upon hearing Qingdai’s report, a faint, barely noticeable cold smile curved her lips:

“That Lou Hongling girl is no simpleton. Back then, Lou Xiao always opposed my brother in the army, yet he was most trusted by the late emperor, pushing my brother into a tight corner. And now… his precious daughter is working for me. Life truly twists in strange ways… ha ha ha…”

By the end, she could barely contain her laughter.

In truth, Deng Chumo also found this woman less harmless than she appeared, especially when she first looked at him—there was an unsettling chill, like nails scratching a bone. But he had indeed paid attention to Lou Hongling; despite her simple clothes and plain face, her natural talent was hard to hide.

Qingdai asked in confusion:

“Your Majesty, I don’t understand. You could crush Lou Hongling like an ant, so why keep using her?”

Empress Dowager Deng neither denied nor confirmed, only sighed:

“Smart people are rare in this palace. Whoever can use them well achieves twice the result with half the effort. What do you think, Mo’er?”

She suddenly looked at Deng Chumo beside her. He came back to himself, bowed, and said:

“Aunt, you speak wisely…”

Then a sinister thought flashed through his mind. Deng Chumo’s lips curled into a wicked smile.

“I think if she can win Xu Qing’s love with her looks, wouldn’t it be even better for us to gather intelligence in the future?”