There was a faint rustling sound coming from the roof, like a cat arching its back and stepping over the tiles.
Just as Song Zhao was staring intently at the ceiling beam,
the window next to the kang was suddenly pushed open,
and a gust of cold wind blew in a figure in blue.
Xiao Jingyan stood in front of Song Zhao, clapped his hands to brush off dust, and said with a roguish smile:
"Isn't it you who's the thief? Why turn the tables?"
Song Zhao glanced at him sullenly, not answering.
Xiao Jingyan sat down casually in front of her, leaning back lazily in his chair, and said jokingly:
"I heard you set fire to the Empress's quarters?"
Glancing back at the wide open window, he clicked his tongue and said, "Tsk tsk, such a big crime. It seems Brother Emperor isn't intent on imprisoning you, since he didn't even lock the window."
Seeing his gangster-like sitting posture, Song Zhao was increasingly annoyed by this plague god.
Although it was the night of the New Year's Eve banquet today, Concubine Yao, the mistress of Yao Hua Palace, had gone to Tong Hua Terrace early to attend the banquet, and the palace maids had been given half a day off today. So at this moment, the vast Yao Hua Palace was empty.
But Xiao Jingyan was talking to her with the window wide open. What if someone saw them?
Song Zhao didn't have the audacity he had, so she got up and closed the window, then sat down next to the kang to keep her distance from him,
"Aren't you afraid His Majesty will suspect you for slipping away from the joint court banquet tonight?"
"I'm scared to death!" Xiao Jingyan pretended to clutch his chest in horror and said, "So we have to make it quick!"
He suddenly got up and reached out to Song Zhao, "May I trouble you to hand over the item to me."
Song Zhao looked at him for a while without giving him the Secret Order of the Heavenly Seal, but instead leisurely took the teapot and refilled a cup of hot tea for herself.
Xiao Jingyan held out his hand in the air for a long time before Song Zhao ignored him. Somewhat impatiently he said, "What do you mean?"
Song Zhao held the teacup in her palm and gently swirled it, unhurriedly said:
"The Secret Order of the Heavenly Seal is on me. But His Highness has to promise me one request first before I can give you the order."
"Tell me."
Song Zhao smiled faintly, then suddenly overturned the teacup,
spilling the scalding tea onto the floor, as if making an offering to the dead,
"I want His Highness to help me kill someone."
Her tone was cold and casual, as if killing someone was no different to her than slaughtering a lamb or chicken.
"Who?" Xiao Jingyan asked, rather surprised.
Song Zhao parted her vermilion lips and pronounced each word clearly:
"Wei Zhengde, Chief Superintendent of the Imperial Observatory."
"Him?" Xiao Jingyan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I heard that it was him who told Brother Emperor you're a disaster star, so Brother Emperor imprisoned you. So you resent him for being a loudmouth and causing you to spend New Year's Eve alone in confinement, and want to send him on his way?"
"Whatever His Highness thinks." Song Zhao didn't directly answer his question, simply humoring him. Then she asked again, "So will you help me or not?"
"Alright, I promise you." Xiao Jingyan agreed almost without thinking.
Song Zhao was also very quick to take out the hidden Secret Order of the Heavenly Seal and hand it to him.
Xiao Jingyan put away the Secret Order of the Heavenly Seal safely on his person. Then he suddenly threw a roguish grin at Song Zhao,
"Aren't you afraid that I'm just deceiving you? That I'll take the order but won't help you?"
That was exactly what Xiao Jingyan was thinking to himself.
No matter what, Wei Zhengde was still an important court official. In case something unexpected happened if he made a move on him, wouldn't it cause trouble for himself instead?
He had thought Song Zhao would get angry when she heard this.
But Song Zhao's confidence and composure were clearly beyond his expectations.
"Since His Highness dared to take the order, he surely won't deceive me."
Under the candlelight, Song Zhao spread her ten fingers to appreciate the newly added rouge on her opera mask, smiling vibrantly,
"If Wei Zhengde isn't dead tomorrow, then I'll tell His Majesty and Her Majesty that it was His Highness who forced me to steal the Secret Order of the Heavenly Seal."
Xiao Jingyan's eyebrows twitched. He asked in a low voice, "Aren't you afraid to die?"
Song Zhao's smile grew even warmer. She looked completely nonchalant, "Of course I'm afraid, but I know His Highness won't let me die. I'm just a disaster star rejected and imprisoned by His Majesty. While His Highness is His Majesty's most beloved younger brother. I believe His Highness will keep himself safe, and keep me safe too, right?"
"Hahahaha, this is really interesting." Xiao Jingyan laughed heartily, and his solemn expression also relaxed. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this for you. But I'm very curious why you didn't ask at all what I'm going to use the Secret Order of the Heavenly Seal for?"
Song Zhao said coolly, "If I asked, would you not have taken it?"
"......" Xiao Jingyan was speechless for a moment, but this unflappable woman piqued his curiosity even more.
"Aren't you afraid there'll be trouble?"
"Hasn't His Highness really got nothing better to do than to ask the same question over and over?" Song Zhao said. "Didn't I already answer His Highness? Not only am I afraid, I'm very afraid. But if something really happens, if I can't live, neither can His Highness. Even if His Highness runs away, your noble mother is still in the harem. His Highness may be an unrestrained prince who doesn't dabble in court politics, but is known for his filial piety."
The corners of Song Zhao's lips curved up into a dazzling smile. She cocked an eyebrow at Xiao Jingyan and said calmly, "You even dare to gamble with your noble mother's life against me. What more do I have to be afraid of?"
"Tsk tsk......" Hearing Song Zhao's words, Xiao Jingyan kept shaking his head. "That's why I've always said, when women get smart, there's nothing men can do. It's just that Brother Emperor is highly skilled and daring enough to keep marrying these women into his harem. If it were me, they'd give me a headache~"
With that said, he waved at Song Zhao and nimbly leapt out of the window. His figure then disappeared into the thick night of Yao Hua Palace.
Song Zhao knew that with Xiao Jingyan's departure, Wei Zhengde would undoubtedly die tonight.
As long as he died, Xiao Jingyan and the Empress would inevitably become suspicious of each other.
The Empress would think that it was Xiao Jingyan who sent someone to kill Wei Zhengde, in order to warn her not to go too far.
And Xiao Jingyan would also think that it was the Empress who killed Wei Zhengde to eliminate any future trouble without revealing anything.
Once doubts arose between them, sinister schemes would follow.
The Empress thought herself clever by inexplicably framing Song Zhao.
Then Song Zhao would make the Empress abandon her pawns and lose all her schemes, ending up in total defeat!
Moreover, with the death of Superintendent Wei Zhengde, his deputy at the Imperial Observatory would naturally take over his post.
Seeing Wei Zhengde dead, the deputy would surely be afraid, anxious and worried all day, fearing for his own life.
In order to save himself, he certainly wouldn't make careless criticisms in court again.
That way, Song Zhao could easily clear herself of the disaster star label and walk proudly out of Yao Hua Palace.
She calculated that the Empress' machinations could confine her for three or two days at most.
These three or two days could deepen Xiao Jingyan's guilt towards her even more, and gain her a reputation for being sensible and seeing the big picture.
No matter how it's calculated, she, Song Zhao, would be the only real winner of this game!
