Chapter 6: Fireworks

"Li Xingzhi recommended Chen Shu in his memorial yesterday. With Wang She and his followers creating momentum for him recently, he believes he's already secured the position of Commander of the new navy. Hmph, does he think I'll let him have his way?" Qi Long spoke slowly, but there was something venomous about his cold tone.

"Your Majesty need not rush," the figure behind him stepped forward into view. He wore a white jade coronet, and despite the cold winter, he was dressed only in a thin white robe, with a lotus-shaped purple jade pendant at his waist. His features bore a resemblance to Qi Long's—sharp and elegant—but with a calm, composed demeanor that exuded a certain grace and poise.

"How can I not be in a hurry?" Qi Long continued as he took slow, measured steps. "At this moment, I still have to find a suitable place to speak to you. It seems like even if I've barely eaten a single bite of my dinner, the Empress Dowager... "

"Who's there?!" Before Qi Long could finish, the man in white quickly stepped forward, his voice sharp and commanding. His piercing gaze swept across the lotus pond, locking onto Su Mi and Qiyan's position.

"Ah, I'm a maid from Juhe Palace. Who are you?" Su Mi quickly lowered her voice and blurted, trying to sound convincing. Qiyan, startled, stood frozen in place.

Su Mi raised her head and met the gaze of the man in white. The moment their eyes met, an involuntary shiver ran through her. His features were undeniably handsome—elegant and unearthly—but his eyes were cold, icy even, as if one would be frozen by his gaze. Su Mi couldn't shake the strange sensation that he could see right through her.

In that moment, a spark of competitiveness flared up inside her. She didn't want to appear weak, so she held his gaze.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed that his eyes weren't just cold—they had a faint amber hue, reflecting the pale golden light of the winter sun. The color gave off a strange, paradoxical warmth, like the ice of a frozen lake that was warmed by the sun's rays.

Even many years later, Su Mi often wondered why the heavens would bestow such a cold and indifferent person with eyes that held such an oddly warm color…

"A maid?" Qi Long walked closer, his eyes shifting toward the direction of the rockery.

From such a distance, and with the flowers and stones obstructing his view, Qi Long could only glimpse half of the girl's face, but he thought to himself, her skin was pale as jade, and her cheeks delicate. Even the nearby narcissus flowers seemed to lose their color in comparison. Her eyes, bright and clear like spring water, shimmered with the reflection of the pond. One look from her, and it felt like he might drown in the pool's depths.

"Half-hidden, like the pipa half-concealed." The words of an ancient poem floated through his mind as he instinctively moved closer.

"Ah, don't come closer, I… I'm bathing!" Su Mi suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly lowered her voice in panic.

Qi Long couldn't help but laugh. It had been a long time since he encountered something so amusing.

The man in white, seeing the situation, lowered his head. Since she was just a palace servant, there was no need for him to keep looking.

At that moment, Su Mi felt a tug at the corner of her sleeve. Turning around, she saw it was Qiyan. The girl pointed toward a corner of the rockery and made a gesture.

A secret passage?

"Wait here. I'll put on my clothes, then come to you," Su Mi quickly signaled to Qiyan as she continued to manage the situation with Qi Long.

Qi Long halted his steps. The man in white, though still looking down, subtly moved his ear. He had already discerned that there were two people inside. However, he said nothing. A faint smile curved on his lips. Interesting.

In a swift motion, Qiyan grabbed a dress from the rockery, pulling it over herself with quick hands. She then led Su Mi toward the edge of the rockery, parting a cluster of flowers to reveal a small stone passage.

The two of them slipped out quietly and walked carefully across the shallow water, eventually making their way further from the palace.

Qiyan patted her chest in relief, her cheeks flushed. "I'll never go there to bathe again. It was always empty before, but today, who would have thought so many people would show up? What a pity, such a nice place to bathe, but from now on, if I want to bathe, I'll have to heat water myself."

"Don't worry. If you want to bathe in the future, I'll have someone heat the water for you," Su Mi said with a smile.

"What servant? We are the servants! How can we possibly become the masters?" Qiyan blinked her large eyes in confusion.

Su Mi smiled without answering. She hadn't expected this little girl to have such potential, but whether it would be a blessing or a curse for her, time would tell.

A few days later, Xiao Luzi came to Su Mi with news.

"Miss, you've been locked up in your room, unaware of the chaos outside. Things are about to explode."

"What's going on? Why such an outburst?" Su Mi straightened her clothes and asked.

"This is quite the strange affair," Little Luzi replied, speaking in hushed tones. "The day before yesterday, Prince Yu came to the palace to enjoy some tea and flowers with the Emperor. The Emperor accompanied him to the Bibo Pond, and there, they happened to run into—"

"That man was Prince Yu! The Emperor's brother!" Su Mi thought to herself.

Prince Yu, Qi Hao, was originally the eldest son of the late Emperor. Unfortunately, his mother came from a humble background, making him ineligible for the throne. Rumors claimed the late Emperor had little affection for him, even once remarking that he had a "cold and harsh heart, miserly and unkind, a bastard child who lacked respect for tradition." Within the palace, Qi Hao was mostly close to the Fourth Prince, the current Emperor, Qi Long. Although princes were typically granted titles at the age of sixteen, when Qi Hao turned sixteen, the late Emperor gave him a house to live in but refused to bestow a title, showcasing his indifference.

It wasn't until Qi Hao was twenty-four and the late Emperor passed away, with Qi Long ascending the throne, that he was granted the title of Prince Yu. There were even whispers in the palace that Qi Hao's mother had been a foreign concubine, a "Hu Ji"—an outsider woman from the northern regions.

"No wonder there are such rumors," Su Mi mused, recalling those amber-colored eyes, momentarily lost in thought.

"Su姐姐, Su姐姐," Little Luzi continued talking enthusiastically, but upon turning to look at Su Mi, she noticed that her attention had wandered.

"Ah? What were you saying?" Su Mi snapped back to attention. "I'm listening."

"The Emperor spent the night with this maid, Liu Qiyan, and the next day, she was promoted to the position of a Eighth-Rank Court Attendant," Little Luzi said with a laugh.

"That's her good fortune," Su Mi remarked, unsurprised by the turn of events.

"Good fortune? Oh, no,姐姐, you don't understand. It quickly turned into a disaster. When Yun Fei found out, she was furious. How could something like this happen in her own palace? She's always been so proud of her favor, claiming to be the most beloved among the harem. Even Ni Huanggui Fei from Xifu Palace was quick to send her congratulations the very next day—two identical gifts! One was a birthday gift for Yun Fei, and the other for her 'new sister.' Yun Fei's face turned dark when she saw them. After the gifts were delivered, she immediately ordered Liu Qiyan to be taken away, accusing her of contaminating the Bibo Pond by bathing in it. In the end, they whipped her twenty times. What a tragic fate—barely becoming a favored servant, and already, half her life is over."

"Tragic? I'd say she's lucky," Su Mi commented, setting the clothes down.

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Qi Long sat reading official documents. When he heard the news brought by Gao Shengnuo, he fell silent for a moment. "Send for a jar of Snow Jade Skin Balm from the Western Regions," he said. "Give it to Liu Qiyan."

He paused and added, "Write an edict. 'Liu, a gentle and virtuous woman who has served in the bedchamber, is promoted to an Eighth-Rank Attendant.'"

In the Juhé Palace, Yun Fei leaned on a soft couch, staring blankly at a silver vase with a few plum blossoms inside. After a long pause, she asked, "Is the Emperor still in the Hall of Mental Cultivation? Has any other decree arrived today?"

A palace servant replied cautiously, "The Emperor is still reading memorials…"

With a sharp motion, Yun Fei knocked the silver vase off the table, sending the blossoms scattering. Her rage wasn't satisfied by this, and she picked up a jade cup from the table and smashed it to the ground with a crash.

Today was her birthday. She had sent someone to invite the Emperor first thing in the morning. If it had been any other day, the Emperor would have been with her, enjoying tea and conversation.

"It's all because of that little maid," Yun Fei thought bitterly. "And that Ni Yelin—what a wretched woman. She's the one who stirred things up. If the Emperor weren't so infatuated, she wouldn't have acted so recklessly. Anyway, she's still in my palace. Once the Emperor's novelty wears off, she'll be dealt with however I see fit."

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Turning to a servant, she ordered, "Bring me the bottle of Tian Shan snow lotus fragrance oil the Emperor gave me, as well as the pair of carved jade vases from Jiangning. There's also the white jade 'Fortune and Happiness' set and four fine silks. Send them all to Liu Qiyan. Tell her that I have punished her according to palace rules, and once I've finished my work here, I'll visit her. Her illness should be tended to well." Her voice was calm and weary, betraying no emotion.

The servant bowed and departed to carry out her orders.

Once the servant returned and reported back, Yun Fei turned to the head eunuch, Li Zhe. "Li Zhe, go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation and ask if the Emperor is free."

Meanwhile, Su Mi brewed medicine, pouring the herbs into a pot to simmer. The last few days, Wei Qing'er had been gravely ill, unable to eat or drink, her mind muddled. It seemed she had only a few days left. Though Su Mi had known this day would come, she couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness.

Entering the room, she found Wei Qing'er miraculously conscious. The sick woman turned her head weakly and tried to sit up. "Ah Mi," she whispered.

"Feeling any better?" Su Mi asked as she hurried over to help her sit up. "Is there anything you'd like to eat for dinner?"

Before Wei Qing'er could reply, a loud crash echoed from outside, and the night sky suddenly lit up with brilliant light.

"It's fireworks," Su Mi explained. "The palace is celebrating Yun Fei's birthday."

The Emperor had ordered for fireworks to be specially crafted a month ago to celebrate Yun Fei's day.

"Fireworks?" Wei Qing'er's voice was weak but curious. "Help me outside to see, Ah Mi."

Su Mi hesitated, concerned for her fragile health, but seeing the desperate longing in Wei Qing'er's eyes, she couldn't refuse. She helped her to the courtyard.

In the vast darkness of the night, countless sparkling stars of purple, blue, orange, and rose red filled the sky, casting a vibrant glow on the towering palace. The air was filled with the shimmering spectacle of light.

As Su Mi held Wei Qing'er close, she couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. For a moment, it felt as though she had returned to the palace of Wei Guo, where fireworks also lit the night sky during the New Year. Though Wei Guo was a small country and couldn't compare to this grand display, she and Wei Qing'er had shared moments like this before.

"Remember when we snuck into the fireworks workshop when we were little?" Wei Qing'er said, surprising Su Mi with her unexpected energy.

"Yes," Su Mi said, holding back tears. She knew this moment might be her last chance to hold onto those precious memories.

They had been so young back then, fascinated by the fireworks they had never seen before. When they heard there were leftovers in the workshop, they'd planned to sneak some out to play. They actually succeeded in stealing one, but before they could light it, they were caught. The fireworks were confiscated, and they were scolded harshly by Consort Rou.

"Ah Mi, do you hate me?" Wei Qing'er's voice broke through Su Mi's thoughts.

Su Mi felt a jolt. She looked down at the clear, bright eyes of the woman leaning on her.

"Wei family... we've wronged you. If it weren't for you caring for us, we would have—"

"Don't say that," Su Mi interrupted, unable to lie under the weight of those eyes. "I don't hate you."

"I know you resent my father and my brother. We've wronged your entire family. Ah Mi, please promise me you'll let my father and the others go. I know their lives have been a living hell ever since we lost our country," Wei Qing'er's voice trembled.

"Living hell? They're still alive!" Su Mi couldn't hold back the anger rising within her. "They're still living in luxury, living in peace, while my family is—" But she couldn't shout. Perhaps the pain had been too long, or perhaps her heart softened when she remembered their childhood together, their shared trials. Her heart ached with a sudden, unexpected tenderness.

Wei Qing'er's eyes were filled with sorrow, her gaze sharp enough to hurt. "Please, promise me, Ah Mi. Let them go."

"Alright," Su Mi whispered, her voice barely audible, as though it wasn't even her own.

The fireworks exploded above, falling like shooting stars, their light so intense it could have been daylight. But by the time the last burst faded, Wei Qing'er had already passed away, her breath gone.