At the Chrysanthemum Banquet, the drum-passing flower game had concluded, and the drinking game began. Li Jiubao noticed that Shang Qinglan from the neighboring seat had yet to return and grew concerned. She quietly asked Granny Song, "Granny, why hasn't Qinglan come back? I saw her drink quite a bit and eat a lot—could she have overeaten like last time?"
Li Jiubao had won Lu Jingfei's favor, and Granny Song hoped she would redeem the face Shang Qinglan had lost. Unable to leave Li Jiubao's side for fear that her popularity might attract envy and schemes from other court ladies, Granny Song had to protect her closely. Yet, she couldn't ignore Shang Qinglan either.
Just then, Wei Caiwei returned, and Granny Song informed her about Shang Qinglan's situation.
The last time Shang Qinglan overate and vomited incessantly, Wei Caiwei had simply applied acupuncture to five points, stopping the vomiting immediately.
Having just returned from a private meeting with Wang Daxia, Wei Caiwei heard that Shang Qinglan had been absent for a long time and immediately grabbed her medical kit to search for her.
"Please don't let anything happen to Shang Qinglan!"
Following the Page's directions, Wei Caiwei arrived at Zixia Hall. With all the palace staff from Qionghua Island busy serving the Chrysanthemum Banquet, the hall was empty and no one was cleaning even Shang Qinglan's vomit. Wei Caiwei traced the smell to this spot.
Shang Qinglan wasn't here—she must have left.
But she hadn't returned to the banquet. Recalling Granny Song's mention of her binge eating and drinking three cups of chrysanthemum wine during the drum-passing game, Wei Caiwei guessed Shang Qinglan was drunk, wandering aimlessly nearby and taking the wrong path away from the Chrysanthemum Garden.
Exiting Zixia Hall, Wei Caiwei noticed a newly built rose trellis beside it, with a circular hole where someone had pulled out a bamboo pole.
The soil in the hole was still damp, suggesting it had been removed recently.
Though Wei Caiwei and Shang Qinglan had spent less than a month together in this life, in their previous life, they had accompanied each other for sixteen years in the palace—from court ladies to favored consorts and then grand consorts. Wei Caiwei had stayed by Shang Qinglan's side throughout.
It was only when Wang Daxia's old illness flared up frequently, affecting his health, that they considered retiring. Wei Caiwei bid farewell to Shang Qinglan and went with Wang Daxia to the milder climate of Nanjing's Yingtian Prefecture, where Wang Daxia became the garrison eunuch, effectively retiring without the bustle of the capital.
Sixteen years of companionship meant Wei Caiwei understood Shang Qinglan well. This circular hole was surely her work—drunk and unsteady, she had likely pulled out a bamboo pole from the rose trellis to use as a walking stick.
Shang Qinglan was unconventional in speech and action, capable of such a thing.
To test her theory, Wei Caiwei hugged a bamboo pole, twisted it left and right, and with the force of Lu Tixia uprooting a willow, yanked it out, acquiring a walking stick.
"It's not that hard to pull out. If I can do it, she probably could too."
Rose Trellis: "Ladies, please stop! If you keep this up, I'll go bald like the author of this book!"
Wei Caiwei propped herself on the bamboo stick and walked forward, where three forked paths lay. Since Shang Qinglan hadn't returned, she must have perfectly avoided the correct route and chosen one of the two wrong ones.
Which path did she take?
All were paved with stone, showing no footprints, but on the middle path's smooth stone surface, there were circular cylindrical marks that grew fainter until they disappeared entirely.
Wei Caiwei tapped her bamboo stick on the stone path, and its base left a circular mud imprint.It must have been the marks left by Shang Qinglan walking with her bamboo pole. Wei Caiwei chose the middle fork and continued straight ahead.
The garden path meandered like a snake. When Wei Caiwei reached the end, she found a peony garden. Peonies bloom in spring, and it was now autumn, so the garden was closed and locked. Shang Qinglan couldn't have entered. Wei Caiwei searched around the nearby Peony Pavilion, calling her name.
"Qinglan! Shang Qinglan!"
No one was in sight, and there was no response.
This girl must have turned back upon finding no path ahead.
Wei Caiwei retraced her steps and, under a tree beside the path, smelled vomit reeking of alcohol.
Still vomiting? How much did she drink?
Wei Caiwei used her bamboo pole to push aside the weeds under the tree to examine the vomit, but instead discovered distinct round impressions from a bamboo walking stick in the forest soil, leading toward the stone steps of the left mountain path.
So she had been too disoriented from vomiting, strayed into the woods, completely lost her way, and perfectly missed the correct path.
Wei Caiwei followed the bamboo pole impressions along the fork. Ahead were ascending and descending mountain steps. Shang Qinglan's bamboo pole had pierced the forest soil, picking up mud, leaving circular mud stains on the stone steps along the way.
The marks led upward, so Wei Caiwei followed them uphill.
As she walked, the impressions grew fainter until they disappeared entirely. Then she saw a smooth giant rock, with an identical bamboo pole lying beneath it.
"Qinglan! Shang Qinglan!"
She must be lost somewhere nearby. Wei Caiwei called Shang Qinglan's name but still received no response.
Wei Caiwei noticed scattered petals on both the giant rock and the steps ahead. Had she discarded her walking stick and continued climbing upward?
Wei Caiwei had no choice. She'd come this far—she might as well keep searching.
Wei Caiwei ascended the steps and reached a cave. The moment she stepped inside, two long swords suddenly blocked her path. It was the Embroidered Uniform Guard, clad in Flying Fish Uniforms.
" This is a restricted area! Retreat immediately!" the guards shouted.
Startled by the blades, Wei Caiwei stumbled backward. "Sir guards, I am a palace female physician. I came to Qionghua Island with Lu Jingfei and the palace maid candidates. One of the candidates got lost during the chrysanthemum banquet, and I'm searching for her."
These two Embroidered Uniform Guards were permanently stationed in the Forbidden City and didn't recognize Wei Caiwei. They said coldly, "Ahead lies the Moon Palace. The area is under strict lockdown—no unauthorized personnel can pass through. We haven't seen any candidate. She must be elsewhere. Leave at once!"
The Jiajing Emperor had come to Qionghua Island incognito, forbidding his subordinates from disclosing his presence, but the Moon Palace was already under heavy protection, with Embroidered Uniform Guards stationed along this mountain path.
The guards only knew that a drunken palace maid had been carried to the Moon Palace; they didn't realize the young woman was actually a candidate.
Wei Caiwei said, "But I followed her trail all the way here. Besides this path, there are only steep cliffs—she had nowhere else to go. Please allow me to enter and inquire."
Wei Caiwei didn't know the Jiajing Emperor was in the Moon Palace.
The two guards grew impatient and forced her out with their blades. "No one may trespass into the restricted area. If you insist on proceeding, you'll have to leave your head behind."
Left with no alternative, Wei Caiwei could only shout outside the cave, "Qinglan! Shang Qinglan!"
The cave acted like a megaphone, carrying Wei Caiwei's voice from the entrance to the far end.By coincidence, the Embroidered Uniform Guard stationed at the cave's exit was none other than Wu Xiaoqi—one of Lu Ying's subordinates and the son of the deceased Masked Wu.
Wu Xiaoqi, who usually got along well with Wang Daxia, naturally recognized Wei Caiwei. Hearing a familiar voice from the cave, he thought, That sounds like Doctor Wei!
Wu Xiaoqi was well aware of the rumors surrounding Doctor Wei, Commander Lu, and Wang Daxia.
He hurried to the cave entrance and saw Wei Caiwei being driven away by the guards. "Doctor Wei? It really is you!" Wu Xiaoqi quickly stepped in to stop them. "Don't send her away—she's one of us. Doctor Wei is a... close friend of Commander Lu and Hundred-Household Commander Wang."
As an outsider, Wu Xiaoqi couldn't decipher the true nature of their relationship, and he didn't dare ask.
One simply didn't offend Commander Lu's friends.
The two guards immediately released her, their attitude shifting. "Our apologies. We didn't know Doctor Wei was acquainted with the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Wei Caiwei, too flustered by concern to remember name-dropping her powerful connections, replied, "It's alright. I was too frantic in my search to explain myself clearly."
Wu Xiaoqi asked, "Who are you looking for? I thought I overheard something about... Qinglan?"
Wei Caiwei said, "Shang Qinglan, one of the court ladies from the Chrysanthemum Banquet. She drank too much and went to relieve herself but never returned. I followed her trail here, but it ends at this spot."
Wu Xiaoqi replied, "I haven't seen any court ladies, but I did overhear my comrades discussing—" He lowered his voice to a whisper, "—that the Emperor has arrived at the Moon Palace. On his way, he encountered a palace maid drunk and passed out on the rocks. Eunuch Huang ordered her carried to the Moon Palace to sleep it off."
It couldn't be that coincidental!
Could it be that in this life, Shang Qinglan would gain imperial favor half a year early?
Wei Caiwei said, "Both palace maids and court ladies wear python robes with chrysanthemum motifs in September. They might have mistaken her identity. Let me go in and see if it's her."
Seeing is believing.
Wu Xiaoqi said, "I don't have the authority to bring outsiders inside, nor do I know which room the drunken maid is resting in. But Commander Lu and Hundred-Household Commander Wang are both at the Moon Palace. Wait here—I'll fetch them."
Wang Daxia had been summoned for an audience with the Emperor, while Lu Ying remained on guard outside. Zhou Xiaoqi rushed over to inform Lu Ying, who promptly went to the cave and brought Wei Caiwei directly to the side hall where the intoxicated maid was sleeping.
Wei Caiwei looked closely and felt a heavy weight lift from her heart. "It's her—court lady Shang Qinglan."
She had feared the worst—that Shang Qinglan, in her drunken state, had fallen off a cliff!
"That court lady from Baoding Prefecture who set off fireworks with Wang Daxia in the bridal chamber?" Lu Ying scrutinized her. "She doesn't look the same. The one playing with fireworks seemed thinner."
Wei Caiwei explained, "She's been indulging in the palace's lavish meals lately and has gained weight. Besides, that day in the bridal chamber, she was wearing bright red wedding attire with heavy bridal makeup—her face painted pale and lips crimson—so she looked quite different from her usual self."
Author's Note: Found you~
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