Bone Painting Coroner

Sui’er could only brace herself and bring the meal from the imperial kitchen to the princess.

When she reached the door, she paused her steps momentarily. She first poked her head in to take a look, but there was nobody in sight and the room was extremely quiet.

Sui’er had never been here before, nor had she seen Jing Xuan before. Thus, she was unavoidably rather curious and apprehensive. She took a few deep breaths before she picked up her feet and entered gingerly.

“Your Highness?” Her voice echoed in the spacious palace.

Sui’er didn’t see anyone in the external rooms of the palace, so she carried the meal directly into the inner rooms, just in time to see Jing Xuan retrieve a light cape from the top of the folding screen. “Your Highness, let this servant help you.”

Sui’er quickly put down the tray in her hands and went over to take that cloak, carefully placing it around Jing Xuan’s shoulders. “Your Highness, are you going out?”

Jing Xuan had never seen this maid before. “Which palace are you from?”

“This servant was recently transferred to Zhangzhi Hall.”

“Where is Duan’er?”

“Elder Sister Duan’er isn’t feeling well, so she had this servant send Your Highness your meal.” Back and forth, an answer for each question.

When Jing Xuan saw the food that was placed on the table, her gaze turned chilly and she shoved Sui’er away, who was busy helping her secure the ties of her cape. Once the two slivery-white ties left her hand, the cape immediately slid down from her body onto the ground, crumpled into a soft pile at her feet.

Sui’er thought that she had said something wrong again and was so terrified that she immediately kneeled on the ground with her head lowered, “This servant knows her mistake. Your Highness, please spare me.” Regardless of the mistake, it would never be wrong to first admit to the mistake.

Jing Xuan rolled her eyes. “Bring the things away. I’m not hungry.”

“Your Highness…”

“Why are you so terrified? Get up.”

“Yes.” Sui’er trembled as she got up, not daring to straighten up fully.

“Pick it up.” Jing Xuan’s voice was both very cold and very weak.

Sui’er didn’t dare to talk too much and quickly picked up the cape from the ground. She patted it several times to shake off the dust, then carefully helped Jing Xuan wear it again.

Jing Xuan noticed the injury on her face and asked lightly, “What happened to your face?”

Sui’er panicked for a moment and her eyes darted around as she answered, “This servant was careless and fell.”

“You fell on your face?”

“Yes.”

Haha. Jing Xuan scoffed, in her heart, she knew clearly that the maids of Zhangzhi Hall normally wouldn’t even dare to breathe loudly. They were all very careful with how they walked and performed their tasks; how could one of them have fallen like this? She tilted her head and stretched out her hand towards Sui’er’s cheek as she asked coldly, “Did she use a knife? Or a shard of pottery? Or could it have been a pair of scissors?”

Ah! Sui’er trembled from head to toe, her eyes wide with fear. Jing Xuan was like a demon as her hand slid slowly from the gauze on her cheek to her chin. She then gripped her chin firmly and tilted it up, forcing the maid to meet her eyes. “Your Highness?”

“I’d imagine that she must have pinched you just like this, then took that pair of scissors that she often uses for gardening, slowly slicing your face open. Am I right?!” This hair-raising voice sounded as if it came from the depths of a bottomless abyss. It was as if she had witnessed the scene for herself.

Sui’er swore that she didn’t even feel as terrified as she was now, when Concubine Xiao had originally cut her cheek. No wonder everybody was unwilling to come serve this princess. It turns out that she was insane! Insane and rather perverted.

Sui’er didn’t dare to move and stared at the princess with eyes full of fear until Jing Xuan released her. “Are you afraid of me?”

“N...no.”

“Haha, I’m not as vicious as her. I won’t want your life.”

“Th...thank you, Your Highness.”

Jing Xuan smiled warmly. That smile seemed to be filled with thorns that pierced hundreds of holes in the little maid’s body. “Alright. Quickly bring these things away.” She headed to the outer rooms once she finished speaking.

Sui’er remained frozen in place for a long moment before she recovered her wits and quickly brought the tray out. She bowed in farewell and prepared to leave. “This servant takes her leave.”

“Wait.” Jing Xuan stopped her.

“Does Your Highness have further instructions?”

“Since Duan’er isn’t here, help me comb my hair.” She sat in front of her mirror.

Sui’er was unnerved. “This servant… this servant had never helped her masters comb their hair, and worries that she will not do well.”

“It’s fine. Come over.”

“Yes.” Sui’er then helped her comb her hair with a pair of trembling hands. She did so gingerly, not daring to use the slighted bit of force.

Jing Xuan opened a brocade box and picked out a piece of jewellery, toying with it in her hand. She looked through the mirror at Sui’er and asked, “Do you like it?”

Sui’er nodded.

Jing Xuan reached up and stuck that hairpin in her hair. “If you’d like, you can take all the jewellry in this box.”

“This servant doesn’t dare.”

“Why shouldn’t you dare? It’s what you deserve.”

Eh? Deserve? Sui’er didn’t understand.

Jing Xuan continued, “I’m afraid that injury on your face is going to be with you for the rest of your life. Imperial Mother can never repay you what she owes in her entire life.”

Ah! So that’s what she meant. Sui’er shook her head frantically. “It was this servant who said the wrong thing and incited Her Ladyship’s displeasure. This servant deserved to be punished.”

In that moment, Jing Xuan’s eyes darkened and a thin smirk curled her lips. Her phoenix eyes shone with a sudden chilly gleam. “Wrong? What is a wrong, and what is really right? Everything is determined by her.” Her smirk was cold, but her eyes had regained their calm. With an exceedingly warm smile, she asked Sui’er, “Who else do you have in your family?”

“Nobody. There’s only this servant left.”

“Then would you like to follow me?”

“Huh?”

“When I get married, I’ll bring you to Huyi.”

“Ah!” She exclaimed again.

“Are you unwilling to go with me?”

“No, it’s this servant’s honor to be able to go with Your Highness. Just… I can’t go yet.”

“Why?”

“Her Ladyship wants this servant to take care of that fool.” She said truthfully.

That fool? Jing Xuan looked at her doubtfully. “What fool? When was there a fool in the palace?”

“It’s that fool that Your Highness had once brought into the palace. Her Ladyship brought him to the palace a few days ago, and he is locked in that room in the west side, taken care of by this servant.”

Wei Yi? Jing Xuan’s brows wrinkled. “Why did Imperial Mother bring him into the palace?”

“This servant doesn’t know that.” She shook her head and continued, “He asked this servant to find some bamboo strips, paper, and stationery for him, saying that he wants to make a lantern.” It’s still a mystery why that fool wanted to make a lantern.

Jing Xuan’s heart was perplexed at this. Wei Yi had already left the capital with Prince Rong and Ji Yunshu several months ago. Why would Wei Yi be in the capital right now then? And even be in Zhangzhi Hall?

Where were Ji Yunshu and Prince Rong? The more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong. She pondered for a while before she instructed, “Sui’er, you’ll stay with me from today onwards, but you must continue to take care of that fool, understand?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t he want some stationery? Prepare all of them for him.”

“Yes.” Sui’er acquiesced. This princess isn’t really that scary after all!

That evening, Jing Xuan waited for a time when no one else was around, then put on her clothes and left her palace carrying a lantern. In a short while, she arrived outside the room where Wei Yi was locked in.

There was no one on guard outside, just a single lock on the door. Jing Xuan took out a key from somewhere and opened the door. Inside, there was only a single light. As the door opened, a gentle gust of wind blew and extinguished that candle, leaving the room pitch black.

Fortunately, Jing Xuan still had a lantern with her. She moved the lantern in her hands forward and saw Wei Yi, still sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, head raised to look at her. However, his head was instinctively turned away from the bright light.

“Wei Yi? Is it really you?”