Chapter 296: Xie Ping Cries for Help
The night was deep.
The imperial mausoleum was not quiet, with mournful cries continuously echoing overhead.
The two children were utterly exhausted. After returning to their room and giving themselves a quick wipe-down, they collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep immediately.
Yun Chu knew Chu Yi probably wouldn't return all night, as there were far too many matters requiring his attention.
She removed the small white flower from her hair and was preparing to rest.
Suddenly, Qiutong's cold voice sounded from outside: "Who goes there? Remove your cloak, or don't blame my blade for being merciless."
"It's... it's me! Please don't kill me!"
A somewhat familiar voice came from outside.
Yun Chu felt she had heard this voice before, but couldn't immediately recall who it belonged to.
Then, a figure suddenly flashed through her mind.
She quickly stood up, and Ting Feng hurried forward to open the door.
She saw a slender woman kneeling at the foot of the courtyard steps, dressed in a black cloak with the hood already removed, revealing a gaunt face.
Yun Chu barely recognized her.
It had only been just over four months, a little over a hundred days, yet Xie Ping had become completely unrecognizable from her former self.
Had Yun Chu not lived with her for four years, she likely wouldn't have recognized her at all.
"Mother, it's me, Ping'er." Xie Ping knelt on the ground, crawling on her knees toward Yun Chu. "When I learned you had come to the imperial mausoleum, I tried every means to see you just once..."
Yun Chu looked at her with complex emotions: "You shouldn't have come, and you shouldn't call me mother either."
"No! Once a mother, always a mother. I've always remembered your teachings." Xie Ping clung to Yun Chu's legs. "I can't stay in this damned place even one day longer. Please, Mother, take me away. I beg you, save me. I'll truly die here..."
Yun Chu crouched down and looked at her: "When you were imprisoned because of Anjing Prince, your father and An Ge'er's intention was for you to follow the prince in death. Even if you leave the imperial mausoleum now, the Xie family has no place for you. Where could you go?"
Intense hatred flashed in Xie Ping's eyes.
When she was imprisoned in the pitch-black dungeon and saw her father and An Ge'er arrive, she thought she had found hope. Who would have thought those two closest to her would tell her to die.
If even her own father and brother treated her like this, how could she expect her unrelated stepmother to rescue her?
"Mother, I've suffered so much, truly suffered so much..."
Xie Ping broke down in tears.
She didn't know who else she could turn to besides her mother.
She truly didn't want to remain in this hellish place any longer.
Though she had only come to guard Anjing Prince's tomb, she was assigned numerous menial tasks. That would have been bearable, but she was also bullied and humiliated by the eunuchs.
She had no choice but to seek help from an old imperial concubine. The old concubine, a tomb guardian from the previous emperor's era and the legitimate daughter of a second-rank official family from the capital, did protect her, but Xie Ping had to pay a heavy price for it...
"Ping'er, I once told you that for the path you chose yourself, you must follow it through even on your knees." Yun Chu's voice remained gentle. "You're a tomb guardian. You shouldn't come here. If discovered, your suffering will only increase. Be good and return."
"Mother, I don't want to..." Xie Ping's tears fell like rain. "Can you tell me what to do, Mother? What should I really do..."
Yun Chu shook her head.
She signaled with her eyes for Ting Feng to bring out a plate of food from the room."Ping'er, I lack the capability to help you. Once you've finished eating, return to where you belong."
Xie Ping understood her mother couldn't assist her either.
Tears welled in her eyes as she lowered her head, taking small bites of the pastry. She hadn't tasted anything sweet in over four months. As the flavor spread across her tongue, for a fleeting moment, she felt like the young mistress of the Xie family again...
No matter how slowly she ate, the pastry was eventually finished.
In despair, she was pulled up by Qiutong and escorted to the quarters of the imperial mausoleum keepers.
She stood there dazed, unaware of how much time had passed, when an old matron coldly remarked, "The Crown Princess is looking for you everywhere. Shouldn't you hurry over?"
Xie Ping flinched involuntarily, a dull ache spreading in her chest. The Crown Princess's methods tormented her not just physically but mentally, draining her will to live. She was only fourteen—did one wrong step deserve a life worse than death?
"I... I'm not feeling well today," Xie Ping murmured, refusing with her head bowed.
The matron grabbed her hair sharply. "If not for the Crown Princess's protection, you'd have been ruined long ago. How dare you defy her orders?"
"Not today, please..." Xie Ping struggled free and dashed into the night.
Knowing the Empress Dowager was being interred today and the Emperor and Empress were staying overnight at the imperial mausoleum, the matron dared not cause a scene. She cursed under her breath, "You wretched girl, just wait until the Emperor leaves. I'll make you pay!"
Xie Ping ran breathlessly to the back hills of the imperial mausoleum.
Staring into the oppressive darkness, she felt utterly lost. Where could she go? It seemed there was no place left for her in this world...
Aimlessly, she trudged forward, thinking that if she could just leave the mausoleum grounds, there might be a chance for survival.
After walking for what felt like an eternity, she suddenly spotted a group of people ahead: several eunuchs and guards, led by a young man in yellow robes. In this world, only two could wear such attire—the Emperor or the Crown Prince.
It was indeed the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince had never enjoyed studying, only doing so under the Empress's strict supervision. He disliked martial arts too, his horsemanship barely passable. His true passion was wood carving, but the Empress forbade such "frivolity." So he stole away behind the Crown Princess's back to the hills behind the mausoleum, searching for roots to carve into grand sculptures.
As he combed the area, Xie Ping glimpsed that bright yellow in the distance and a plan sparked in her mind.
She turned and ran—not walked—lifting her skirts as she sped, fearing the Crown Prince might leave the hills too soon.
The Crown Prince, eager to depart the gloomy terrain, lingered only because he hadn't found a satisfactory piece. He moved slowly, torch in hand, careful not to risk a wildfire.
Suddenly, a beast's roar echoed through the night.
"Your Highness, let's return," a trembling attendant urged. "There must be wolves here—it's too dangerous. Allow this servant to search for you at dawn."
The Crown Prince snorted, "The wood you find is all rotten. I don't trust you."
He pressed onward, but within steps, another roar sounded, closer this time. Then came the crack of snapping trees, followed by rapid footsteps heading straight toward them.
"Quick, protect His Highness!"
Guards rushed forward to form a barrier.They thought it was a wild wolf, but to their utter astonishment, under the flickering firelight, a massive tiger lunged forward.
The guard at the forefront didn't even have time to let out a scream before being pounced upon. His neck was snapped by the tiger's bite, and the scent of blood instantly filled the air.
The Crown Prince was utterly terrified.
How could there be a tiger on this mountain... Wasn't it said that the only tiger had been captured and confined within the imperial mausoleum, destined to guard the royal tombs for generations...
The Crown Prince's legs gave way beneath him. As he tried to flee, he tripped over a branch and fell to the ground.
The tiger, which had been feeding on its victim, immediately turned at the noise, baring its blood-stained maw as it advanced once more.
The guards hastily raised their torches in an attempt to frighten the beast away, but this tiger showed no fear.
"Huff! Huff!"
Drool dripped from the tiger's jaws as it swiped a paw, sending the second guard tumbling down.
Its terrifyingly large eyes fixed on the Crown Prince, and its fangs drew nearer.
Just then, a petite figure swiftly stepped in front of the Crown Prince, shielding him.
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