My Darling, Coax Me.

CHAPTER 3: A Timid Palace Maid 

       Xie Jue's gaze fell on her face, landing on her frightened, tear-filled eyes as he stared at her intently.

　　He had just taken a life, and the savage, murderous aura around him hadn't yet dissipated. 

       His pupils were as dark as an endless night, his entire being radiating a bloodthirsty energy. His skin was pale, yet his lips were vibrantly red, like a demon from the depths of hell—both alluring and wicked.

        He brutally squeezed her neck, as if ready to strangle her at any moment.

　　It was common knowledge that the Sixth Prince's stunning beauty was inextricably linked to his ruthless nature.

       Yun Ling propped herself up on the ground, her court dress trailing behind her. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to move a muscle. Her eyes were wide, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

        Forced to look up, she remained silent, unable to utter a word, utterly petrified.

        Xie Jue scoffed, his thin lips as red as blood. “A cowardly palace maid,” he said.

　　He then loosened his grip and turned away. “Drag that palace maid who tried to assassinate me out.  You know what to say if you want to live, right? I don't need to teach you?”

        Yun Ling remained kneeling, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Yes.”

　　Chi Shao was tall and sturdy. Despite her fear, Yun Ling forced herself to drag Chi Shao into the inner chamber, struggling immensely. After much toil, she finally managed to pull Chi Shao to the palace gate but suddenly stumbled, tripping over the threshold and falling with a thud. Not daring to waste a moment, she clumsily picked herself up and hurried to inform the guards at the gate.

        Xie Jue watched her fall, a cold snort escaping his lips at her foolishness.

　　Fortunately, this little palace maid, though clumsy, wasn't entirely foolish.

       Before long, two guards arrived to drag the woman away. Within an hour, a report landed on the Emperor's desk, detailing the attempted assassination of the Sixth Prince by a palace maid serving him.

        Though the Sixth Prince was confined, it was absolutely forbidden for a palace maid to attempt to assassinate a prince!

　　——

　　Outside the Empress's chambers.

        A young eunuch hurried over, whispering a few words into the ear of a matron standing outside the door. The matron's face turned serious, and she strode towards the room.

        The Empress, Li Lian'er, after listening, gripped her teacup and smashed it violently on the floor, “Useless fool! She couldn't even succeed, only causing trouble!”

        Matron Yan said, “Fortunately, Chi Shao was from another palace. No matter how they investigate, they won't be able to connect it to Your Majesty. However, with such a commotion now, it's not a good time to send anyone else in.”

　　Li Lian'er, waved her hand, her expression displeased, “Now what should we do?”

　　“Last time, Chi Shao reported that the Sixth Prince has been coughing up blood every day. We simply ignored it, figuring he wouldn't live much longer anyway. Our focus now is on dealing with Zhang Guifei¹,” the matron said.

　　Matron Yan bowed and said, “Furthermore, isn't there still one left in the Cold Palace? She must be Zhang Guifei's person. As long as we keep a close eye on the Zhang Guifei and the Third Prince, nothing will go wrong.”

　　“You're right.”

　　Li Lian'er smiled, “We don't need to lift a finger. That useless Xie Jue won't live much longer anyway.”

　　……

　　After the guards dragged Chi Shao away, Yun Ling looked at the bloodstains smeared across the once-clean courtyard and sighed. She had spent days cleaning it up, only to have it ruined now.

　　She lifted her gaze toward the dimly lit chamber.

　　The moon hung high in the sky, its silvery light casting a soft glow over the ground.

　　Xie Jue stood by the window, slowly unfolding a piece of paper, his expression unreadable. He read it, then tossed it into the nearby candle flame. The flames eagerly licked at the paper, quickly reducing it to ashes.

　　Behind him, a soft, hesitant footstep sounded.

　　Xie Jue frowned, “Come out.”

　　Yun Ling hurriedly entered, holding a clean black robe. She knelt respectfully, her shoulders trembling slightly as she spoke softly, “Your Highness, your robe is dirty. I’m here to change it for you.”

　　The candlelight flickered, casting playful shadows that danced around the room.

　　The flickering candlelight revealed the dark bloodstains on his sleeves and collar, the air thick with the scent of blood.

　　Xie Jue turned his head, looking down at the timid palace maid kneeling before him, her body trembling, the clean robe still in her hands.

　　If everyone died, the old geezer would surely start to worry.

　　“Undress me,” Xie Jue commanded, raising his arms imperiously.

　　Yun Ling quickly stood, setting aside the robe she was holding. She approached him cautiously, her movements deliberate as she began to undress him.

　　She had been trained in this task while serving Lady Liu, her movements were light and her strength just right—meticulous and considerate, ensuring her master felt no discomfort.

　　After removing his robe, Yun Ling kept her gaze downcast, her soft hands gently fastening the sash around his waist.

　　Once the clothes were changed, Xie Jue's cold voice broke the silence: “Go out.”

　　“Yes, Your Highness.” Yun Ling didn't dare linger for a moment, holding the discarded robe, she immediately left.

　　Back in her small room, Yun Ling closed the door and let out a soft sigh, her body trembling slightly. She slowly raised her hand to wipe the thin sweat from her forehead.

　　Her fear was not entirely feigned. The moment she witnessed Chi Shao’s throat pierced by a hairpin, blood pooling on the floor, Yun Ling's hairs stood on end, yet she dared not make a sound.

　　The Sixth Prince, Xie Jue, was truly as cruel and bloodthirsty as the rumors claimed.

　　After Chi Shao's death, no one else was sent to take her place. For a time, Yun Ling was the sole servant in the cold palace, handling everything.

　　Thankfully, there was only one master in the cold palace, and since he was under house arrest, the Sixth Prince didn't allow her to be too close to him. As a result, Yun Ling had fewer tasks.

　　Her daily duties were simply sweeping, washing clothes, and delivering the Sixth Prince's three meals a day. It wasn't too tiring.

　　Because of her ‘timidity’, Yun Ling wouldn't dare step out of her room at night unless she was given a command.

　　Thus, she was completely oblivious to everything happening in his chamber.

　　Yun Ling knew that the safest thing she could do was to remain ignorant. By avoiding wandering, she wouldn’t stumble upon his secrets and risk her life.

        As long as the Sixth Prince didn’t kill her, she could survive in the cold palace for now.

　　……

　　The weather grew increasingly hot. Yun Ling cleared the weeds from a neglected corner of the cold palace. Wildflower seeds, blown in from somewhere, took root and sprouted delicate white and yellow blooms. Yun Ling picked some and brought them back, placing them in a vase in her room. The flowers exuded a faint fragrance, adding a touch of beauty to the otherwise bleak space.

　　Even the pomegranate tree in the corner had begun to sprout tiny flower buds.

　　She had been in the cold palace for nearly two months.

　　During those two months, Yun Ling had diligently performed her duties, sweeping the courtyard.

　　Before, when she served Lady Liu, she had to be by her side every moment, attending to her needs from waking up in the morning, to meals, tea, bathing, changing clothes, and so on. She couldn't even take a step away. This was much freer than before.

　　Yun Ling had served several noble ladies in the palace. In order to gain favor and a better future in front of her masters, she diligently learned all sorts of skills in serving others, from combing hair, undressing, brewing tea, to dyeing fabric. She excelled at everything, mastering every skill. Her master had always praised her for her wit and intelligence, but she was still not favored, unable to serve directly in front of her masters. An old lady had lamented to her, “A slave girl with such a beautiful face, which lady would want her close to them?”

　　This Sixth Prince, because of his aversion to palace maids being close to him, or perhaps suspicion, didn't allow her to serve him personally. In this context, her skills felt useless.

　　She had once dreamed of serving her master well, earning a generous reward, and living comfortably after leaving the palace. But that dream now felt out of reach.

　　But compared to the days when she was coveted by Wang DaDe, this life, though not particularly good, at least spared her from daily anxiety.

　　As the sun began to set, it was time for dinner. Yun Ling got up and went out to collect the evening meal. This task was originally assigned to a eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen, but the cold palace was different from other places. The imprisoned prince was a castaway, and everyone in the palace looked down upon him. The eunuch who delivered the meals had grown weary after a month, not only refusing to deliver them, but also giving Yun Ling a condescending look every time she went to collect them.

　　Luckily, Yun Ling was exceptionally beautiful, and her voice was sweet. She addressed him as “Little Eunuch,” and she hadn't been deprived of food.

        Upon arriving at the Imperial Kitchen, Yun Ling collected the food as usual and thanked the eunuch. As she was halfway back, the eunuch suddenly called out to her, “Wait, why are you in such a hurry? The one in the cold palace is already a castaway, anyway.” His gaze lingered on Yun Ling with malice.

        Among all the palace maids he had served, Yun Ling was more beautiful than any of the ladies from various palaces.

　　Yun Ling, clutching the food box, kept backing away. “Eunuch Huang, please be mindful of your words. It's getting late, and His Highness is waiting. I have to hurry back to serve him. I won't delay you any further.”

        “Hey, wait,” Huang Chenggui sneered as he blocked her path. “Little beauty, instead of serving that castaway, why not follow this Eunuch? I guarantee, I'll treat you well.”

        The path was eerily quiet, with no one in sight. Huang Chenggui had planned this carefully.

　　Yun Ling tightened her grip on the food box, searching for a way out as she said, “His Highness is still a prince. Eunuch, why say such things? It's fortunate it's just you and me here. Eunuch, rest assured, I won’t mention this. But your kindness, Yun Ling, is truly unworthy of it. Please let me pass, Eunuch.”

　　Huang Chenggui, however, was undeterred. “Don’t think to threaten me with that castaway,” he sneered, reaching for Yun Ling. “Little slut, you're always defending him. You must have been taken by that castaway already.”

　　Yun Ling was about to smash the food box against Huang Chenggui when a sharp voice interrupted. “What kind of low-born trash are you, daring to misbehave within the palace?”

　　Huang Chenggui, hearing someone approaching, no longer dared to act boldly. He immediately ran towards a corner.

　　Yun Ling turned to see a strange eunuch emerging from around the corner.

        “Thank you, Eunuch,” Yun Ling said, bowing to him.”

        “You’re welcome, Sister,” Li Zhong said, quickly helping her up.” “I happened to be passing by and saw you in trouble, so I helped. Are you alright?”

        Yun Ling gratefully replied, “Thanks to your timely appearance, I'm fine.”

        Li Zhong saw the food box in Yun Ling's hand. “This is for the Sixth Prince, isn't it? Life in the cold palace is never easy. You must be working hard, Sister.” His eyes narrowed slightly, as if concerned. “I hear that the Sixth Prince isn't very easygoing. He hasn't been mistreating you, has he?”

        Yun Ling lowered her eyelids, shook her head, and said softly, “I only deliver meals to His Highness. He doesn't like me serving him in person.”

　　“That’s good,” Li Zhong said, visibly relieved. Looking at the food box, he asked, “His Highness's appetite seems to be good these days?”

        Yun Ling hesitated for a moment. “I don't serve him personally, so I don't know.”

        Li Zhong became a bit anxious. “You deliver his meals every day. Don't you know how much he eats and how much is left?”

        “I truly don't know, because His Highness…” Yun Ling shook her head, wanting to explain the situation, but then she asked in confusion, “Why are you so concerned, Eunuch?”

        Li Zhong looked around, seeing no one coming. He leaned closer to Yun Ling, trying to whisper in her ear, but she stepped back, her eyes widening in alarm. “Actually, it was Zhang Guifei who sent me to ask you,” he said in an urgent whisper. “Please share what you know. I will report back to Zhang Guifei. It'll make it easier for you to account for yourself, right?”

　　This little palace maid was Zhang Guifei's person. Li Zhong thought mentioning Zhang Guifei would make Yun Ling obediently comply. But she acted as if she knew nothing. “I'm just a lowly palace maid,” she said. “I haven't served Zhang Guifei. Why would she ask me anything? Eunuch, don't try to deceive me. Or maybe you've made a mistake.”

　　Her words were like those of someone who didn't know Zhang Guifei, and definitely not someone she had planted.

　　Seeing this, Li Zhong's brows furrowed, and his eyes gleamed with menace.

        “My master sent me to ask you. If you don't cooperate, don't blame me for being impolite.” As he spoke, a glint flashed in his eyes, and he revealed a small knife in his hand, pressing it against Yun Ling's neck, ready to strike.

        Yun Ling trembled with fear, her voice shaking. “The Sixth Prince never allows me to get close. I really don't know anything. Only... I heard His Highness coughing up blood, his body, his body seems to be quite unwell. I truly don't know anything else. Please spare me.”

　　Li Zhong narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, muttering, “You’re smart,” before leaving.

        The sound of his footsteps faded into the distance until they disappeared.

        Yun Ling's chest continued to pound. She withdrew her gaze and turned back towards the cold palace.

        She hadn't expected to encounter Li Zhong today, and she had been caught off guard.

　　But she wasn't stupid. This Li Zhong was definitely not Zhang Guifei's person. If he was sent by Ming Shang-gong to gather information from her, he wouldn't have pretended to be casual and tried to pry information from her, nor would he have brought up Zhang Guifei instead of Ming Shang-gong. So there was only one possibility: this little eunuch was the Empress's person.

　　In this palace, the Empress, the legitimate wife, has given birth to the Seventh Prince, while Zhang Guifei, the favored concubine, has borne the Third Prince. Both are strong contenders for the throne and naturally, they secretly fight each other fiercely.

　　Yun Ling had initially planned to play dumb and avoid Li Zhong's interrogation, but unexpectedly, he brought a knife with him. To protect herself, she had no choice but to ‘reveal’ some information.

　　She was currently in the Cold Palace, and to survive, she had to please the Sixth Prince! If he lived, she would live! Naturally, she couldn't ruin his plans. Moreover, in her dreams, it was the Sixth Prince who ultimately became the Crown Prince!

　　If he discovered that she was passing messages to the Empress or the Zhang Guifei, her fate would be the same as Chi Shao's.

　　She had long discovered that Chi Shao was the Empress's person. She would sneak out at night to deliver messages. In the end, she was killed by the Sixth Prince.

　　But Li Zhong threatened her with a knife, putting her life in danger, so she had no choice but to reveal some information.

　　Yun Ling was perceptive and noticed that the Sixth Prince often coughed up blood, indicating a weak constitution. Chi Shao must have passed this information along. The Empress, upon learning of his ill health, would likely lower her guard.  Therefore, the information she revealed to Li Zhong shouldn't have any impact on the Sixth Prince's plans.

　　She had been delayed on the way, and if she was any later, the Sixth Prince might become suspicious. Without giving it much thought, Yun Ling hurried forward.

　　——

　　She rushed back to the Cold Palace, and the moon had already quietly climbed onto the treetops.

　　She arrived at the entrance of the palace, and the door, as always, was quietly closed.

　　Usually, Yun Ling would simply announce her presence and then leave the food box at the door.

　　So, for the past two months, Yun Ling had barely seen the Sixth Prince, and she never interfered in his affairs.

　　Following her usual routine, she respectfully announced her presence to the door, and turned around. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a tall figure standing in the darkness not far away.

　　Startled, Yun Ling reacted quickly, hastily bowing deeply in a flustered greeting, “Your Highness.”

　　If it were someone less astute, they might blurt out a question about why he was outside. But Yun Ling never did. Whatever happened, she pretended not to notice. She was deaf, blind, and most of the time, mute.

　　She thought that only someone like that posed no threat to him.

　　The figure in the darkness gradually emerged, bathed in the white mist-like moonlight. His brow bones were prominent, his high nose bridge cast in shadow, and his long, narrow pupils were black and deep, betraying no emotion.

　　An aura of coldness emanated from him, his steps hurried, and he didn't even glance at her as he turned and went inside the palace.

　　Yun Ling's heart settled back into place.

　　——

　　Yesterday's incident had put Yun Ling on high alert. Li Zhong's rank was high, at least higher than Huang Chenggui's. This brought some benefits to Yun Ling. For example, after Li Zhong's warning yesterday, Huang Chenggui looked at Yun Ling, wanting to say something but then hesitated, remembering the incident with Li Zhong. His rank was low, so he didn't dare make a scene. After a while, he just glared at her viciously, not daring to touch her anymore.

　　As for Li Zhong, after receiving her message, he never showed up again.

　　Yun Ling successfully retrieved the food box, still worried about yesterday's events.

　　Lost in thought, she stepped out the door, and her eye suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar green-robed palace maid.

　　It was Ru Dong.

　　Although it was just a glimpse, Yun Ling could see that the young girl's eyes were red and swollen.

　　Ru Dong was young and often bullied. After Lady Liu's death, she was assigned to do odd jobs. There was no way she would be at the Imperial Kitchen.

　　Her eyes were red and swollen, she must have been bullied again.

　　She must have come to get food, perhaps assigned to serve some unpopular concubine.

　　The Imperial Kitchen was the place where one could most clearly see the favor of the emperor. The favored concubines, the eunuchs would vie with each other to serve them, showering them with attention. But those who had fallen out of favor, they would be lucky if they didn't get spat on.

　　Yun Ling frowned, a little worried. But she was in the Cold Palace, and except for collecting her food rations, she was not allowed to go out. She couldn't find out anything.

　　She hoped that the little girl would be careful.

　　With so many people around, she couldn't go looking for Ru Dong. With two things weighing on her mind, she walked along, lost in thought.

　　Back in the Cold Palace, Yun Ling finally snapped out of her thoughts. As usual, she placed the food box by the quiet door and said, “Your Highness, lunch is ready.” She bowed slightly and turned to leave.

　　The surroundings were quiet.

　　A breeze rustled her hair.

　　“Stop.”

　　A cold voice suddenly rang out from inside the door, chilling to the bone, “Did I allow you to leave?”

　　Yun Ling immediately stopped, the hairs on her arm standing on end.

　　With her back to the door, she squeezed her fingers tightly before turning around and gently pushing open the door. As soon as she entered, she bowed respectfully, her head lowered in fear.

　　Although she had served this Sixth Prince for so long, Yun Ling had only seen him a handful of times. This was also the first time she had directly faced Xie Jue, the Sixth Prince who was rumored to be cruel and bloodthirsty.

　　The afternoon sun was scorching hot, and the light streaming in through the windowpanes illuminated the otherwise gloomy inner room.

　　Xie Jue watched her expression from beginning to end.

　　His scrutinizing gaze fell upon her. This palace maid always lowered her head and trembled whenever she saw him.

　　He had only spared this palace maid's life to avoid arousing suspicion from the old man. Plus, she was relatively well-behaved.

　　What was her purpose in delivering that message to the Empress?

　　Xie Jue looked at her, “Where did you go?”

　　Yun Ling hastily replied, her thin shoulders trembling slightly, “This servant only went to the Imperial Kitchen.”

　　Xie Jue slowly let out a smile, “What are you afraid of? I was just asking. Do you think I'd kill you?”

　　Yun Ling shook her head, “This servant…”

　　The next second, his long, cruel fingers like eagle claws clamped around her throat, “I really could kill you.”

________________

Glossary:

¹Guifei (贵妃): A title in the imperial Chinese hierarchy, typically translated as "noble consort" or "favored concubine." It refers to a woman who holds a high rank within the harem, often enjoying the emperor's favor and privileges. A guifei is below the empress (皇后, huanghou) in rank but may have significant influence and power within the palace.

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